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howdy, seems like you're a news junky (like me). Have you heard 'Le Show' by Harry Shearer? It's broadcast on KCRW and available on the web (what isn't these days). He covers the FUK disaster just about every Sunday (and other news from outside the bubble) I'd say tune in and turn it up to 11! (you'll get that if you know who Harry is)

With the huge clutter of news out there I try to zero in on stories that may have been missed or thrown under the bus on a weekend. Who knows? Maybe there is a childless deadhead couple who can't afford a surrogate mother but could go to India. Maybe some people need to understand just how dangerous nuclear power is. As many people have told me, the Grateful Dead was about escape from reality for them, for a longer or shorter period of time. I maintain the polar opposite is also true. We are more attuned and attentive to the world around us. But even I tune out the news for two or three weeks every year and walk the sandy beach to it's end...

His forte is news that has been glossed over by traditional media. He follows the stories through to their conclusion, not abandoning them which is so often the case in coverage. He helps me to stay on top of that. I did see the reports of surrogacy in India in a 2 part series by Holly Williams on CBS news (which isn't quite 'outside the bubble' if you asked me)... P.S. Is it 'jury rigged' or 'jerry rigged', I've always used jury rigged, but I see (via Yahoo search) there is the expression 'jerry built' which sounds like a good one to pull out of the hat now and then...

the scene in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" where his "little girl's bike" has just been mangled and he tries to get on it and chase Phil Silvers, gives up and throws it in complete frustration will be burned into my memory until my death. For me, that's quite possibly the funniest film scene ever and it will forever make me laugh just thinking about it! A truly beautiful, one-of-a-kind sad clown. The kind of kind being it would've been fun to smoke a j with :))))))))))

Funny, funny guy.

The 'A' team broadcasters of Sir Nick Faldo and Ian Baker-Finch are seeing red over Tiger Woods refusal to disqualify himself from Master's competition as tournament officials sanctioned him with a two stroke penalty. It's a new era in golf. Woods was within his rights to continue competing even though he signed an errant score card. Woods played well enough to be back in contention though this would certainly not seem to be his year to win the Masters after hitting the stick yesterday with the ball landing in the water. Me thinks the Golf Gods are angry!

In the ever-vigilant watch for the next global pandemic, the CDC is in China following the outbreak of anew strain of bird flu. If this new strain mutates and is able to travel human-to-human its all over unless the US mass produces a CORRECT vaccine... Scary stuff.

The horrific news coming out of nearby (to me) Boston this evening has totaled 2 dead and 23 injured so far with this total to go up. The bigger news is that the TV networks seem to be involved in a cover-up of a third explosion at the JFK Library. There was video footage of this explosion on ALL local networks. The front of the JFK Library was completely blackened. The discounting of this was total bullshit. TOTAL! This was the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination. And tax day. My bet is squarely on right-wing gun nuts. Yup, this was a case of domestic terrorism that is now being spun. Believe what you want...

The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles. ---Mohandas K. Gandhi You see the hut, still you ask "Where shall I go for shelter?"

Apparently, the third explosion was a controlled detonation. Apparently. The video footage of the fire at the JFK Library seen yesterday is no longer being aired. Or even mentioned. There is still a lot of confusion but police are now labeling a wounded Saudi national in a Boston hospital as a suspect. If this was foreign terrorists then it was a blow aimed at the heart of America on Patriots Day in Boston. I find it hard to understand and make any sense of it. The process of numbing to the violence is unfolding in front of me. It is a natural human reaction to stay sane in an insane world. The question seems to be how much more violence can we take before "freedom" is not different than anarchy. The answer seems to be quite a bit. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims this morning. Kudos to the first responders and and medical folks who saved scores of lives. Going into a crowded event anywhere with complacency has been shattered. This is part of the price terrorism has made us pay.

Tanks are covering the eastern side of the Boston Common this morning. Why? To make us feel better.... So why don't I feel better?

Has stated that her gut feeling is that this is a domestic terrorist attack. Other commentators say that if this were the work of foreign terrorists the bombs would have been bigger and killed more people. The type of bomb used was a pressure-cooker that included things like nails and other shrapnel. It was detonated by a timer. Now the domestic loonies are learning from the foreign loonies. How long can this go on? As one commentator put it "This changes the fabric of American society once again." There will never be another large crowd of people at the Boston Marathon all packed together cheering as one. No other marathon will ever be the same. Even in London. I hope they catch the Right "wingnuts" who did this as the knee-jerk reaction was to go after every Muslim in the area initially.

> There will never be another large crowd of people at the Boston Marathon all packed together cheering as one. Ana, I completely I disagree with your assessment here. The crowds will be back next year, and the years after that. They may gather in defiance, at first, but before long, yesterday's bombing will fade from our collective memory as its replaced by our latest examples of inhumanity. It's been my observation that while we may learn and remember individually, our collective memory is not to be relied upon.

You may very well be right, Mike, and I respect your opinion. I do believe the fabric of American society has been rewoven. This is not my original opinion but I agree with the radio commentator who voiced it. Please see my next post. I am taking NO pleasure in reporting the stuff as it goes down.

A famous author of books with Boston characters stated today in a radio interview of how proud he was of Bostonians whom he said ran collectively toward the explosions to help the wounded. Wrong! The masses of people ran like stampeded cattle. A woman reported yesterday that the stampede was the worst thing she had ever been caught up in, just trying to hang on to her eight year-old child was a herculean effort. "They picked the wrong city to mess with!" this author stated with controlled anger. "This will not change the Boston Marathon substantially." Wrong! They are now speaking of spaces between people so authorities can actually see who is carrying backpacks. It should be noted that first responders and veterans in the crowd ran toward the scene and attended to the victims in an heroic fashion. My hat is off to them, completely, and I am bowing at the hip. Their actions represent the finest tradition America has to offer -- helping others without thought or concern for their own well being. The third explosion not being talked about was the one at the JFK Library. That is where the police took the third and as yet undetonated bomb. The video of this explosion on local channels yesterday was horrific, as was the aftermath. It is not being talked about, I believe, because the BPD kind of screwed up. Kind of because nobody was injured (as far as can be known), and that is really their job. But they didn't get it to a place where it could be safely disposed of and the timer went off on them. A "controlled explosion" is probably not the correct term to use here. As I observe breaking stories I am seeing time and again how truth is rewritten in hours and unless you can see early reporting before it is censored you miss the story. There was a fourth bomb that was safely disposed of without casualty or property damage. "Morning" Joe Scarborough (MSNBC morning show host) excoriated the press this morning for their irresponsible reporting. Sit on it and spin, Joe -- We want the complete, unvarnished truth here, not the whitewash job. The faces of police and fire union officials were grim as they announced a reward of $50,000 for information leading the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for this atrocity. The FBI and the BPD is asking all people with video and photos to help them. Translation: They don't have a clue who did this. But they are vowing to "...turn over every rock..". They are stunned and embarrassed that this happened on their watch, especially as 9/11 was partially started at Boston's Logan Airport. They shouldn't be. The tradition of the Boston Marathon has 30,000 people packed together with only the tightest security at the grandstand at the finish for VIPs. You can't effectively control 30,000 people at this type of event in a free society and that is why the fabric of our society is being rewoven. They will figure out how to make it safe and we will be less free. If the finest tradition of America is the selflessness of the first responders the worst was the comments made today by a woman official from Oklahoma City who was in charge of their memorial marathon initiated after the OK City Murrah Federal Building bombing by Nichols and McVeigh. She kept saying "If you Boston people want to come to OK City you can finish your marathon here. We'd be glad to have you!" (as opposed to host you). If she said it once as a passing comment it would have been fine but to say it four times was utter and awful pandering for the bucks. Disgusting, Lets make some money off this sucker! Denial that this terrorist bombing actually happened on Patriots Day at the Boston Marathon after the Red Sox rallied in the bottom of the 9th inning to win their 11am start time game at Fenway Park is coming down hard. Law Enforcement has to catch these guys to save face. They are practically spitting with vindictive rage. And I don't blame them.

My brother is working a construction job at the Berklee School of Music, just a few blocks from the bombing site. It being Patriots' day, he had Monday off and so was at home rather than in hearing-distance of the explosions. He went to work yesterday, not sure if he'd be allowed onto the jobsite -- it turns out that he wasn't. He was expecting to see all of the security/investigation/etc stuff going on in the area, but expecting isn't the same as experiencing. TV is not the same as real life. He was pretty much unprepared for the visceral impact of being there the day after -- if he was upset before he arrived, he was shaken after he saw how familiar sights had turned nightmarish. Today he'll be allowed back at work. Consider that we collectively shrug when we hear of bombs going off in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and so on. Distance will do that to you...

Sadly, I agree with you, Mike. Let's face it, we live in a culture where most of us can't remember what we ate for breakfast this morning much less the day before. It won't be long now 'til this incident is forgotten...unless it's used as the wardrum to sound the call for further hunting of terrorists. It will be a very long time before another attack on American soil is on a scale as grand as 9/11, but it won't take much for the to take up arms and start firing at whomever. Personally, I hope it's domestic terrorists. As bad as that is to say, I say it because it's time the American people wake up and realize terrorists don't come from the Middle East, aren't Muslims or Islamic, and can actually look just like we do. It's time we wake up and realize our neighbors might not be exactly who we think they are. Also, it'd be nice if we stopped blaming the Middle East for...well, pretty much everything. We've also become too trusting a people, believing whatever the man on the television says. The media is not to be trusted! He keeps telling me how white my shirt could be, but he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me!

I watched the inter-"faith" service this morning, lots of words of wisdom there. Dark days suck but we carry on. I hope all of you will please say a little prayer for Furthur. They had to start their latest run on Monday and I'm sure they could use it. The show must go on ! love and peace to all

If you're a reporter, what is the responsible thing to do here? Watch CNN and read between the lines. There was a good movie made about 25 years ago about Chicago firefighters. They are a clan, no where more so than in Chicago and Boston.

Unbelievable news breaking all night in Watertown, Ma., I'm sure you've seen it by now. It continues. As of 7:50am est Boston is in a "shelter-in-place" lock-down, as well as surrounding communities to Watertown. One Chechen ID'd by the FBI last night at 5pm is dead in a shootout, his brother still on the run. If 2 Chechens can cause this much mayhem... Wow!

I haven't seen the term used in the media yet, but there's no doubt in my mind that that's what I'm looking in the news this morning. I'm not too surprised that the bombers seem to be from Chechnya, the USA has enemies everywhere anymore, but I am a bit shocked by our collective response; more military might will not right this matter.

Boston, You're our home! Boston is back in stride after the remaining Chechen brother is caught hiding under a boat and is seriously wounded in a firefight with police. Relief and celebration with, unbelievably, fireworks throughout the city of Boston and environs. The future? Look for US drone strikes hitting high level Chechen rebel commanders for the next year and the Russians being highly pissed-off because that is part of their empire. If Chechens are this intense and capable then Russia should have given them independence, cut off aid and bid good riddance to them. Freedom isn't free...

Has yet to be written. Indeed, martial law was imposed in Boston for 20 hours in order for a 9,000 LE manhunt in the Watertown area that resulted in the capture of the 19 year old ethnic Chechen. There are still holes to be filled and numbers to be toted here...

It's worth mentioning Jon Stewart's joke last night spurred by the Ambassador to Czechoslovakia pointing out that his country is different from Chechnya. Yes, they are different. Look at a map. One is in central Europe and the other is in the Caucasus Range of mountains. Please, gun owners who tend to have less education, don't attack innocent Czechs (or innocent Chechens for that matter). What a sad comment on our country.

"Sarah Palin called for the invasion of the Czech Republic today in response to the recent terrorist attacks in Boston. In an interview with Fox News, the former governor of Alaska said that although federal investigators have yet to complete their work, the time for action is now. "We don't know everything about these suspects yet," Palin told Fox and Friends this morning, referring to Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who allegedly carried out the Boston Marathon attacks. "But we know they were Muslims from the Czech Republic. "I betcha I speak for a lot of Americans when I say I want to go over there right now and start teaching those folks a lesson. And let's not stop at the Czech Republic, let's go after all Arab countries. "The Arabians need to learn that they can't keep comin' over here and blowing stuff up. Let's set off a couple of nukes in Islamabad, burn down Prague, then bomb the heck out of Tehran. We need to show them that we mean business." Can't See Russia... Although hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson applauded Palin's jingoism, they immediately attempted to rectify her multiple geographic errors. "Well Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan, which isn't Arab," Carlson corrected, "and Tehran is the capital of Iran, which is predominantly Persian. But I do see your point." "Also Czech Republic isn't really an Arab or even Muslim country, I don't think," Doocy added, "but otherwise what you're saying makes a lot of sense. I think most Americans wish Obama would step up and lead on this one." Palin, however, didn't take kindly to being corrected and defended her analysis. "Steve, that's probably one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard. How is Czech Republic not a Muslim country? You saw those brothers, they were Islamic and they were Chechen!" "Yes there were Muslim and they were ethnic Chechens," Doocy started, "but they grew up mostly in Kyrgyzstan and the United States. And more importantly, Chechens don't come from the Czech Republic, they come from Chechnya, which is part of Russia. " "What's the difference?" Palin responded. "Isn't Russia part of the Czech Republic?" "No, the Czech Republic is a separate country. It's part of the European Union and a strong NATO ally," Doocy noted. "But heck, why not? Let's invade. What could go wrong?" "Yeah and while we're at it," Carlson added, "let's call the Queen of England and see if the U.K. will join us." In a statement released after the interview, Palin attacked Fox News and its "pro-Islamic" and "pro-geography" bias. "This is just another case of the politically correct liberal media refusing to tell the truth about radical Islam," she said." Piggybacking off Anna rXia a bit with this one. Just too funny to not share with the sane. Gotta love that Sarah Palin!

Please tell me Palin didn't actually say those things. Please? I thought even Sarah Palin was too intelligent for that, unless she was knocking back a bottle of tequila with the good old boys she calls neighbors. Oh, right, that would be the Fox commentators. We always knew they had to catch up with the facts, but them coaching Palin?

Anna, here's the link to the article, which a co-worker flipped to me: http://dailycurrant.com/2013/04/22/sarah-palin-calls-invasion-czech-rep…. I have no idea to its legitimacy, but I find it doubtful. With as much comedic gold she's given us since her (in)famous quote, "I can see Russia from my house," if this article were real, every televised late-night talk show host would've been ALL OVER IT. Regardless, I find it to be UTTERLY HILARIOUS. The fact that she's dumb enough for it to be believable makes it even funnier!

Has a nice ring to it, Marye. I hope SF Parks & Rec. goes through with it. Yes, everything seems to be on Facebook these days and that is for the worse as far as I'm concerned. It's a matter of privacy. I don't trade mine or those others who would be my friends and contacts.

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah! This kind of monumental irresponsibility can't possibly come out of Sarah Palin's mouth. I would think she could be held legally liable for such ridiculous nonsense (if something were to happen). Not to mention the fact that she could have been elected Governor of a state with that kind of warped geography.

There is much to write about from several different angles. I will slowly get to it as the facts unravel. There are some real doosies out there (facts, that is). I am sensing that nobody really wants to hear the truth, or as close to it as possible. Everybody would rather hear Neil Diamond croon "Sweet Caroline" before a Sox game at Fenway. It did happen. They flew him in first class. We were made to feel good about our City, State and Country. And that is one of the stories... ~ Sweet Caroline! (Whoa, whoa, whoa) Good Times never seemed so good! ~

The woman is a twit, but she never said 'I can see Russia from my house'. That was Tina Fey in an SNL skit parodying Palin. Palin said some equally dumb things to Couric though in the real interview. Here's the actual interview.

Who's in charge? I've never been on Facebook so I'm out of the loop. I hope Parks and Rec doesn't go through with it!!

After one week the number of injuries in the Boston bombings has been revised upward by 100 from 164 to 264. How strange is that? Consider that in such situations the total of wounded goes up for a day or two in drips and drabs. I've never seen it revised by an even hundred seven days after the fact. Who are these extra wounded? This is not a case of additional hospitals picking up the wounded that day or an additional 100 from the firefight early last Friday morning, though there were a few casualties, I believe.

There were 4 crosses in a memorial near Boylston St. in the aftermath. Three of them were marked with the names of the three civilians who were killed in the bombings. The fourth was unmarked.

As I was driving through the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont on a soft spring day last Friday I was left wondering if the news events of last week were God's way of getting our attention (though it is most probably random chance). First there was a terrorist incident that lasted five full days ending with martial law being declared for 20 hours in Boston. Then, in the middle of the week, there was the mega-blast at the fertilizer plant in the town of West, in Texas. Then there were the ricine-laced letters sent to Obama and the Senator from Mississippi. I don't think it matters if it was God or not, somebody or thing is trying to get our attention and it is best we watch and listen carefully. I am burnt-out on the news. It is time for me to find some quiet time.

The "One Fund", created by Boston Mayor Thom Menino, has collected more than $20,000,000 and two town meetings are being planned (very carefully orchestrated) by the fund administrator. The money is being rushed out to the victims asap. Far, far more quickly than in the case of BP or 9/11. Perhaps this is the way it should be. These are unexpected deaths and injuries and the victims need the money right now. Perhaps officials are learning to streamline the process. Perhaps there are more casualties than we know about. There certainly are more injuries.

Americans will once again be able to gorge themselves on the lovely treats. Read the latest article here. The company returns leaner (ironic!) and meaner and sans unionized bakers...

Any updates on Bobby's condition ? He collapsed during "Unbroken Chain" last night. http://wxrt.cbslocal.com/2013/04/26/grateful-deads-bob-weir-collapses-o…

Sorry to hear about Bob's illness. Wow, the show goes on even so and Bob plays sitting in a chair. These songs MUST fill the air? It is concerning because a shoulder injury doesn't sound like the kind of thing to cause a "collapse". I certainly hope it is just that simple and Bob is receiving the proper care. Bob, we don't care if the rest of the tour gets cancelled, please take care of yourself.

Did anyone watch that documentary on Bravo last night, "The Queen of Versailles"? About the family building the biggest house in America? I admit, I got sucked into Bravo's programming way back when they started "The Real Housewives of ________," but I'm getting a little sick of their ongoing formula for televised drivel. This doc really got my blood boiling, particularly the level of arrogance of David Siegel, owner and proprietor of Westgate Resorts. The extent to which the Richie Riches of this country seem to feel like the kings and queens of the universe makes me sick. Reminds me of pre-Depression era America.

napa is cancelled and the rest of the tour is on shaky ground

Ignore alien orders.

Tue Apr 30, 2013 07:58 PM"That's what I'm thinking...and not for his shoulder" Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:05 PM "Well we have all accidentally taken an ambien ,so it cant be that" Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:09 PM "most likely" "all the best to our jort wearin pony ridin psychedelic ranger" Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:10 PM "that was my thought, but it has not been confirmed anywhere" Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:11 PM "I'd love to see him come back and kick arse." Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:12 PM "that was my thought, but it has not been confirmed anywhere and they won't, if anything it'll be by word of mouth" Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:12 PM "i hope so. that would be much better than him being sick." Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:13 PM "I heard trey was his sponsor and bob doesn't want to make amends to the person he told to stfu." Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:14 PM "i don't really need to know the circumstances. just hope he gets his health back to a good place." Tue Apr 30, 2013 08:14 PM "I'd love to see him come back and kick arse." Yeah, well, we all hope it's just ugly rumours. It would be too sad to contemplate.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and regionally in Mexico. Never mind why it is celebrated, it is an excuse to have a party. The most highly favored drink of this day is the Margarita. After many a devoted experiment, and admitting this is highly subjective, here is my time-tested recipe for the most exceptional Margarita on the planet. Don't knock it until you've tried it! 1.5 oz. of your favorite premium tequila (I lean toward Sauza silver these days) .5 oz. Cointreau .5 oz. Grand Marnier 1 ripe, juicy, medium size lime Cut the lime into 8 slices, squeeze 7 thoroughly into the shaker. Pour the three liquers into the shaker. Add ice as desired Cover the rim of the solid glass tumbler with kosher salt if desired (I always skip that step, don't need the sodium) Cover and shake thoroughly Garnish with the 8th slice of lime In this proportion this is a pretty stiff drink. Know your limits and hand the car keys to somebody else if you're having more than 2. Have a happy and safe Cinco de Mayo!

When you can just crack open an ice cold Bud Light Lime-a-rita?

Lime-A-Rita? You commoner! (Just kidding)

"LA PAZ — A Bolivian brewer has come up with an innovative solution for quenching thirst and coping with altitude sickness: coca beer, based on the same leaf used to make cocaine. Coca has only recently acquired its nefarious reputation: for millennia, people living along the Andes mountains have chewed coca leaves. The juice from the leaves has a mild stimulant effect, easing stomach pain and helping people from the lowlands cope with altitude sickness, known locally as soroche. Visitors to high mountain cities like La Paz -- located 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level -- often rest and drink coca tea to deal with soroche. Now there is another option." (For the rest of the story go to French Press Agency) A fine German pilsner with the addition of coca leaves -- try it on your next trek above tree line. Make sure to pack out your empties!

(that's hard to digest sometimes) I went to see the Grateful Dead to help cure a bad case of attitude sickness......at sea level nonetheless. No alcohol or coca that weekend; the meds were holy and righteous though ( and long lasting - 21 yrs later and still going strong). Worked like a charm! :))))))))))))