The J.A.M.S. (hopefully) weekly newsletter
Joshua Tree Association of Musicians and Songwriters
A division of New Moon Records
PO Box 203
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
www.new-moon-records.com
 
Gig reports and editorial comments for the week Oct 25, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Hey, Hey, Hey-

 
Festival season is over for the year and I am recuperating. The Roots festival was an incredible collection of musicians. Of course, I do have a slight bias for rootsy music. What a pleasure working with Chris and Barnett and the cool staff. It was a good way to end the season. I also want to send my thanks to Steve Brown and his staff for the Pioneer Days music. They did a great job in a very short lead time. It will be a big event again as it was in the past with folks of this caliber involved. I send my love and appreciation to all the folks who have had me and the crew produce sound and lights for these events this season. I hope they and the crowds had as good experience as I did. It was mighty fine. Mighty fine.
 
Well, as the election heats up, we will let the JAMS newsletter get political. It’s natural, it’s a good thing. I am even working up some political songs. In the ‘comments’, there is some material about the propositions we will be voting on.
 
The ‘party of corporate greed’ is anxious to continue leading us over a cliff. They are  busily rewriting history and engaging in Orwellian propaganda. It’ll be interesting to watch them turn black into white for middle America in the next few weeks. It turns my stomach. If I didn’t love this land so much, I would turn my back on it. As Mark Twain said through Pap Finn (in Huckleberry Finn), “you call this a government? I got a good mind to leave the country good and for all, that’ll teach ‘em a lesson!” I hope everyone read the letter from Ron Thomason last week in the comments. He is the leader of the ‘Dry Branch Fire Squad’ and a bit of a modern day Mark Twain.If you didn’t see it and don’t have the issue, email me, and I’ll send it
 
Regarding the Phelps lighting situation, I have been gathering some info. I am surprised that the town caved so easily since they have been very much in favor of night skies in the past. Neil is very well-liked in the business community, and there is the, uh, money thing; still, nothing to rival the sky at night. Phelps has always seemed like a decent guy to me, and I wonder why he is taking the path he is when there are other ways he could do it than to have (or let) his friends boo and hiss and ridicule the night–sky advocates. I have copied a brilliant letter from Sam Sloneker about it in the comments.
 
It’s time to start the healing of America. We’ve been a beacon of light in the world in the past; I’m afraid we are now becoming a beacon of greed, consumerism and self-centeredness. Our local night-sky situation is representative of the larger problem. How could the act of operating commerce be on an equal footing with protecting the natural beauty of our home. Maybe we are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Maybe us white folks occupying this Indian land need to sacrifice a little standard of living for the health of our home and our souls. How many new cars and other artifacts will we take with us when we leave the planet? It’s just gonna be naked little ol’ you and God, baby, one on One; you don’t get to take your toys. Those stars out there are my lifeline to something I can’t live without. If you don’t know what I am talking about, never mind, I can’t explain it to you, but you will have to blot ‘em out over my dead body. Just like many artists have already realized, America needs to learn that life is more than ‘stuff’. If we make that transition, we will have no more problems with the rest of humanity. We are the most free, innovative, creative civilization in history. We should be leading the rest of the world through the transition to sustainable living. Who else could do it? If that torch passes to another culture, as it will if we don’t get off our butts, it’s over for us as leaders and innovators. I just hate to see a good thing die.
 
I thought you might enjoy Grandpa Bob’s take on the middle east crisis and slowing down, and tv preachers:
 
The Arabs have sworn to blow up Israel, killing all Jews living there. But Jesus is a Jew, and the Bible says he is due to arrive in Israel when he returns, which I think is a bad plan. How about having him arrive in Joshua Tree, where there are no terrorists? Where ever he arrives, I want to go there and see and hear him for myself. The only trouble is that I have never believed that Jesus (or anyone else) will ever return to this earth.
 
I’m having a hard time keeping up with everyone around here, as I am slowing down a lot. Perhaps some day I will return to your trailer, where I never have to hurry.
 
James Dobson is in the Colorado papers a lot, and he preaches that yoga is the work of the Devil. How can an intelligent person be brain-washed into believing that? I guess it is an example of how easy it is for people believing strange things. I’d estimate that almost half of what people think is strange, but parents keep passing it on down to their kids.
 
Dat’s all for now.
 

Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
Sing like nobody’s listening.
Stay in tune.

 
Da prez
 
The Sierra Club’s assessment of the ballot iniatives.. see JAMS Attachment
 
Check out…JAMS Announcements by Al Murdy..everything that’s happnin’…everything !
 
The top 10 corporate donors to 2006 ballot initiatives… see JAMS Political supplement
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***gig reports***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Water Canyon Coffee Company –Yucca Valley’s music café
Music now Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat…
Yucca Valley at 55844 29 Palms Highway.  760 365 7771
 

This week on the Water Canyon Stage:

 
Tuesday evening 6-9PM
Kenny’s Brown Bag Session

 

Thursday Night Songwriting, Poetry , and Rhythm Club 7-9PM

Join the Cultural Elite for the best vibes, spoken word, and music

Women’s night- with Judy Van Ruggles
 

Friday Night 7-9PM

Reallyshoo- the name says it all
 

Saturday Brunch set 11AM-1PM

Stevie Barsotti- nature soul music

 

Saturday Evening set 8-10PM

Clive Wright- sound snapshots from the trip

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harriet’s

Thursday, Oct 26 Tough Sailors featuring Tim Easton & Katie Shaw
7 pm Tough Sailors featuring Tim Easton & Katie Shaw
 
 
Friday, Oct 27 The Road Kill Kings
7 pm The Road Kill Kings were formed out of a mutual love of traditional country, rockabilly, and bluegrass music with a dash of rock n’ roll thrown in
 
Saturday, Oct 28 Grim Rabbit presents the 2nd Annual Halloween Party at Pappy and Scarriets!!
8 pm Gram Rabbit The fabulous Fuxedos will join the madness. Costume contests and other odditys! October 28th will be the night we die for our sins and hope for salvation thru the gateways of insanity and joy. Join the ‘Royal Desert Family’ and come to terms with your inner creep. tickets: $10 Time 8pm THE FUXEDOS are America’s favorite apocalyptic lounge-punk-humor-free jazz-storytelling-freakout-cinematic-what-the-hell? band, complete with costumes, props, and bizarrely comedic theatrics.
 
 
Sunday, Oct 29 the thriftstore allstars 6 pm Pappy Hour
 
Monday, October 30th Monday Night Bingo with..BINGO!!!
6pm Transcendental Americana from Joshua Tree Bingo - The Cicada and Other Stories (C Cravedog, Americana/acoustic pop) If you like Ron Sexsmith…there’s a good chance you will enjoy the smooth genuine sounds of Bingo.
 
Please Visit www.pappyandharriets.com
 
www.myspace.com/pappyandharriets for ALL upcoming shows and any other info you may need.. “The Bar Where You Fall Off The Wagon”
760 365 5956 PandHPALACE@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Radio 60 upcoming schedule…Wednesday, October 25, Old Town La Quinta, 78-015 Main Street, La Quinta, Ca., 92253, 760-771-2567 ext. #4, 6pm-9pm…Friday, October 27, Canyon Lake Country Club, 32-001 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake, Ca., 92587, 951-246-1773. Greg Veach for info and bookings at 760-831-9805…
Web site is www.radio60band.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RANDY WEEKS GROUP
 
AMOEBA MUSIC THIS FRI NIGHT 7:00
 
MINNEAPOLIS
 
SAT OCT 21  9:00 MAYSLACKS
1428 4TH ST NE MPLS  MN
612 789-9862
 
SUN OCT 22  3:00 GINKGO COFFEEHOUSE
721 N SNELLING AVE ST PAUL  MN
651 645-2647
 
SUN OCT 22  11:00 TURF CLUB
1601 UNIVERSITY AVE ST PAUL  MN ALSO APPEARING BRASS KINGS
 
WED OCT 25   9:00 JACKSON’S JUKE JOINT
331 CLUB
331 13TH AVE NE MPLS  MN
 
http://randyweeks.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE unFRENETIC CABARET of REALLYSHOOO returns to the WATER CANYON COFFEE CO. on FRIDAY OCTOBER 27 7-9 FREE
55844 29 Palms Highway, Yucca Valley 365-7771 Hear cover tunes by our friends and some of the area’s best songwriters: Ted Quinn, Shawn Mafia, Alice & Albert Williams, Tal Hurley and of course some of our originals - on keys, accordion, flute and steel drum with Smokin’ Slim at our side beating out the rhythms. Please come by before or after THE GATHERING OF ARTISTS opening party for the MBCAC studio tours and help us celebrate EShooo’s birthday.
 
Peace on Earth and Understanding through Music Ellen and Billy/REALLYSHOOO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KOKOPELLI’S KANTINA SERVES UP A HOT DISH OF SALSA WITH THE RITMO LOCO AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ QUINTET SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4th, 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM
 
The exciting Ritmo Loco Afro-Cuban Jazz Quintet, featuring Bob Garcia on guitar and vocals, Owen Willingham on keyboards, Marv Schmelling on bass, Dennis McDade on drums and timbales, and Sam Sloneker on congas and percussion, will perform a program of sizzling Salsa and Latin Jazz on Saturday, November 4 from 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM at Kokopelli’s Kantina in Yucca Valley.  No cover-a great opportunity to see this great band in an intimate setting.  Be sure to bring your dancin’ shoes!
 
The high desert’s finest Latin Jazz group, Ritmo Loco (Crazy Rhythm) will play selections from early Gregorian chant to show tunes (George Gershwin, Cole Porter), pop and jazz standards (Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie), Latin classics (Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Antonio Carlos Jobim) and their own original compositions, all set to infectious, body-groovin’ Afro-Cuban Rhythms.  “If you can sit still to this music, take your pulse.”
 
Kokopelli’s Kantina is at 57154 Twentynine Palms Hwy. (at Dumosa - in the La Casita restaurant) in Yucca Valley.  For more information call!  (760) 369-6660 or visit  http://www.myspace.com/kokopelliskantina.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please join us at a cocktail party and benefit for Wally Ingram
 
Saturday, October 28, 2006
6:00 to 10:00…and beyond
 
Cocktails. Hors d’oeuvres. Live music.
 
Hosted by Barry and Michele Sohnen
5226 Linwood Drive Los Angeles, California 90027
 
R.S.V.P. Michael Hananel
310.305.2960 mike@sgc.bz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nothin’ like the desert in the Fall:
 
Janet Robin & mini band (& more) Sat. November 11, 8pm (2 hour set) Water Canyon Coffee Company
55844 29 Palms Highway Yucca Valley, CA. (Joshua Tree area)
760.365.7771
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tom Freund

Wednesday October 25th @ 9:00 - LARGO Double Bill with BRETT DENNEN
432 N Fairfax, Hlwd, CA
 
 
Thursday November 2nd at 7:45 PM - THE ROXY opening for JAMES HUNTER Also KEATON SIMONS Sunset Blvd. Hlwd, CA.
 
11/04 @ 9:00 PM - RED ROOM 1903 S St Marys St , San Antonio, TX 78210-1637 w/ Marcus Rubio 1903 S St Marys St San Antonio , TX 78210-1637 Phone: (210) 218-3442 E-Mail: www.redroomsa.com
 
11/07 @ 8:00 PM - CACTUS CAFE http://www.utexas.edu/student/txunion/ae/cactus/, Austin, TX 73301 with ABRA MOORE
 
11/11 @ 8:00 PM - BEND STUDIO , Dallas, TX 75201 with JON DEE GRAHAM www.bendstudio.com
 
11/17/2006 09:00 PM - ZOEY’S with ZACK HEXUM 451 E. Main St Ventura, California 93001 Cost: $10 We will be playing on the balcony for everyone!! Make reservations to guarantee a seat. For more info/reservations call: 805-652-0091 or log on to www.zoeyscafe.com
 
11/18 @ 8:00 - PEARL/Chicago College Benefit Benefit honoring VIRGINIA MADSEN and JIMMY CARTER (the last good president)* will be announcing -YAHOO! 665 N Robertson Blvd West Hollywood, California 90069 (310) 358-9191
** it’s my newsletter and i am allowed to air my political preferences
 
 
Surf Road Records
938 palms Bvld Venice, CA. 90291
 
http://www.tomfreund.com http://www.myspace.com/tomfreundmusic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Everyone! I have a new web page at Indie Heaven.com! I am so excited I wanted to tell everyone about it. To visit my new site just click on the link below to my My Space page, from there click on the Indie Heaven Banner! Thanks everyone for all your support! May the Lord bless you all! Janelle http://www.myspace.com/janelleross76
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: beekeeper@richardthompson-music.com
Richard Thompson is touring the Eastern U.S., California, and Hawaii this Autumn, in a solo acoustic format:
 
 Mon Nov 27 2006 Tue Nov 28 2006 Wed Nov 29 2006 Saratoga CA The Carriage House Theater
 
Fri Dec 01 2006 Arcata CA John Van Duzer Theatre
 
Opening Acts include Amy Correia, Kris Delmhorst and Makana. Details available at www.richardthompson-music.com
 
NEWSBITS
 
Richard Thompson, and other luminaries have lent their voices to “Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys”. The double-disc,
43-song set was produced by Hal Willner, working from an idea hatched by director Gore Verbinski and actor Johnny Depp in the midst of shooting “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”. RT’s contribution to Volume One is ‘Mingulay Boat Song’,which is a song sung by Scottish fishermen as they returned from the Atlantic towards the Isle of Mingulay. Richard also recorded ‘General Taylor’ which may appear on Volume Two.
 
Fairport Convention’s groundbreaking folk-rock album Liege and Lief has won a Gold Disc - nearly 37 years after it was first released. Liege and Lief was launched in December 1969 on the Island Records label and spent 17 weeks in the LP charts during 1970. It was hailed as a masterpiece at the time and has continued to win plaudits ever since - as recently as February 2006, for example, it won ‘Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Awarded by Universal Music Catalogue for Island Records, the Gold Disc recognises that success and the album’s continuing phenomenal sales.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Steve,
We have a fantastic “UNPLUGGED” show this Thursday, so please don’t miss it?
Here is the eclectic lineup kicking off at 9 p.m.:
 
Gerina Di Marco - Cuban pop/rock, her band is awesome
 
Media Orphan - indie rock - check them out on Myspace
 
Slow Children - one of our favorite bands for very good reason - they write awesome songs and all great musicians.
 
“UNPLUGGED” is FREE and ALL-AGES and runs from 9 p.m. to Midnight inside Crossroads at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Great food, DRINK SPECIALS and awesome original music every Thursday night! For more info, visit: www.myspace.com/lvhouseofblues or www.hob.com.
 
Call 702-632-7607. The HOB is located inside the Mandalay Bay Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
 
HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT - GREAT NEWS - WOO HOO
 
The House of Blues has just greenlighted a One-Year Anniversary “UNPLUGGED” showcase INSIDE THE MUSIC HALL - THAT’S RIGHT, THE BIG ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The show will be on Thursday, December 14th, 9 to Midnight and it will a FREE and ALL-AGES show like normal. We’re confirming the lineup and making all the arrangements right now, BUT PLEASE SAVE THE DATE AND PLAN ON ATTENDING THIS HUGE EVENT AND AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL/REGIONAL ORIGINAL ARTISTS!!
 
The House of Blues rocks…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good stuff happening as always Steve…please inform the good folks that the Marsh Mellow Stone Band will be performing once again at DiPiazzas on PCH in Long Beach (about 1 mi north of 7th) on Friday October 27th 7-9 PM.
 
Check out our website for more info…www.marshmellowstoneband.com 
 
thanks…Michael of Slick Trick & Marsh Mellow Stone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beatnik - Visit www.jtbeat.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kokopelli’s Go to www.myspace.com/kokopelliskantina 369-6660

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The West Coast Rhythm & Blues Summit

 
For Immediate Release: For two nights, October 27th and 28th, 2006, The Highway 99 Blues Club in Seattle will become the scene of what amounts to a classic Rhythm & Blues revue. It’s a triple bill, starring Johnny Nocturne (John Firmin), who the San Francisco Jazz Festival called “The Big Daddy of retro jump-blues tenor saxophone”. The show also stars Miss Dee, long time vocalist with the legendary Johnny Otis Show. Miss Dee is the vocalist on the Johnny Nocturne Band CD “Blues Volume”. This portion of the show also highlights Nocturne keyboard man, Henry Salvia.
 
The R&B Summit also includes The Crossroads Band, the Washington Blues Society’s “Best Band” of 2005. Crossroads is a five piece group of seasoned veterans. The Tacoma Weekly said about the band’s new CD “In case you have never seen them play yet, this record makes you want to change this fact as fast as you can.” Special guests are The Three J’s, Alaska reunion band, consisting of John Firmin (aka Johnny Nocturne), John Stephan (John Stephan Band), and John Lee (The Crossroads Band). Describing the Three J’s self-titled CD, Misty Blue, Canadian radio show host, said “Alaska sure can rock the blues!” Henry Salvia who plays on the 3J’s CD, joins the band. Master of Ceremonies for the show will be Rock and Roll Hall of Fame disc jockey, Jimmy “Early” Byrd. “Early” Byrd is the first African-American disc jockey elected to the Hall. The other DJ’s in the Hall of Fame are Alan Freed, Wolfman Jack and Dick Clark.
 
Where: The Highway 99 Blues Club-1414 Alaskan Way, Seattle, Wa.
206-382-2171 When: Friday October 27th and Saturday October 28th 2006 - 8:45pm Cover: $15.00 http://www.johnnynocturne.com/ http://www.crossroadsblues.net/ http://cdbaby.com/cd/3js http://www.johnstephanband.com/ http://www.earlybyrd.com/ For additional information call 206-517-7864

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC - EXTREMELY WORTHWHILE EVENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the JT Playhouse- I heard it was excellent!

“Bullshot Crummond,” a comedy-mystery spoof based on the World War One British military hero, “Bulldog Drummond.”  The show is directed and acted by the playwright, himself, Ron House, recreating his original role in a film produced by the late Beetle George Harrison, as well as, in the productions on Broadway, New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and now…Joshua Tree!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello, practically everyone I know in the Hi-Desert, and beyond–a little bit:
 
Thought I’d help Alice Whytock out in publicizing her reader’s theatre show this Sunday.  All proceeds will benefit the Hi-Desert Playhouse and Theatre 29.  The Roadhouse Café’s food is yummy, too.  There’s quite a cast of characters from our local community theaters in this one DYING to make you laugh so hard that you’ll fall out of your chair!
 
So come have some fun, get some culture, help out our playhouses, and eat till your belly drags on the ground.
 
Double click on the poster to get the details. Love, Carol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
JAMS Announcements-

NOW POSTED AS AN ATTACHMENT FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

(And mine)
*note, since our attachments editor, Al, doesn’t stay up as late as I do, we will have to cut off announcements for the week at noon on Tuesday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
comments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Steve,
 
I would like to sponsor someone in the area to attend the Wally Ingram Benefit to be held November 8th at the Coach House.  I’ve contacted the Coach House about this and as soon as I get a name I can follow through. http://www.thecoachhouse.com/
 
I can only afford one ticket.  If you’d like to post this to your email list it might stimulate some tickets sales and raise awareness of the event.  You can have folks contact me at b_b_98103@yahoo.com .  If you’d like you can then list the person going later on your list.
 
It’s a major gripe of mine that musicians have such a tough time when it comes to health care.
 
I hope all is well with you, Steve.
 
Best, Barbara
 
WALLY INGRAM BENEFIT Feat. DAVID LINDLEY / COMMON SENSE / MISSLES OF OCTOBER / WORLD ANTHEM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(the Phelps situation)
One of the MBPA members….. …….has purchased air time and newpaper ads to rally the troups!  Please attend the Town of Yucca Valley’s Town Council meeting this Thursday to show your support. As you know, the planning commission recently emasculated yet another of our ordinances by permitting Phelps Chevrolet to turn on its lights for five months!!!…violating our night skies in order to accommodate Mr. Phelps business problems. Please attend the meeting, and SHOUT your demands that this “good old boy” behavior stop. While Mr. Phelps had a reprieve of 14 days to correct the lighting…he did not.  Rather, he gathered up individuals who conveniently wrote their “favor” of the project, but who were too cowardly to SPEAK up. We are courageous, we are brave, and we have the power to appeal this decision. Please send this message and its attachment to everyone you can think of, and PLEASE attend the Town Council Meeting Thursday night.  Your support is needed in this very important issue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(this is Sam S’s response to the ‘Phelps situation’, it is so brilliant and straight ahead, I sent it to Neil Phelps through a mutual friend. I understand, through the same friend, that Phelps feels remorse about the situation, and intends to make it right. It still makes me wonder why it happened and when it will be over. I don’t want those monstrous lights on for 5 minutes, let alone 5 months)
 
Funny, if I were in Phelps’ position, I would have not only met the lighting standards, but also attempted to exceed them–investigating to find the most efficient lighting system I could find that would provide adequate lighting for my lots (sufficient light to view the products offered and provide for the safety of employees and prospective customers), coupled with the lowest leakage of light to the surrounding environment and low power consumption.  Then I would have instituted a PR campaign–with media interviews, etc. touting my commitment to preserving the resources and beauty of our community for the sake of all of my neighbors, whom I care about–being more than just a greedy businessperson–and encouraging others in our community to follow our good example.  Of course, I would have also attempted to incorporate other practical ecological and energy efficiencies, etc. into the construction of my new facility–and perhaps they have done that.
 
Such a campaign would have created a dynamite local public image and generated a ton of free advertising and public good will; it would have been of great potential value to their business with little or no major additional costs involved–the positive PR value generated would likely more than offset any such additional cost.  It could have also been instantly implemented upon perceiving the community’s justifiable reaction to the onslaught of light released from their installed fixtures.  Instead they chose opposition, and now they are seen as intruders without taste or appreciation for beauty and our natural environment, nor concern for their neighbors in the community that we share–and even as enemies by a large segment of our residents, residents that otherwise may well have been attracted to doing business with them.  It isn’t like they were a brand new business to our area with no opportunity to have an awareness of our community values; they have had a location here for several years, and Mr. Phelps is even a past President of the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce.
 
As if the glaring assault of our desert skies wasn’t enough, they then saw fit to worsen their already tarnished image by totally avoiding the original meeting on the issue (whatever happened to the concept of defaulting), then showing up in force at the next meeting to heckle and deride sincere citizens expressing their concerns for the potential loss of the internationally recognized and appreciated beauty of our local night skies and desiring only for them to comply with that with which they were lawfully obligated to comply in the first place.  Thus they essentially made a public pronouncement that they could care less about our environment, or appreciation of nature’s beauty, or their neighbors in the Morongo Basin that do care about and appreciate that beauty. In addition, the seeking and receiving of an exception when one was not due them will reflect in the mind of any perceptive Basin resident as yet another example of big business receiving allowances to avoid complying with the letter of the law that would most frequently be denied you and I–the “little” people that comprise the community in which they have chosen to erect their monstrosity.
 
Perhaps not very good timing, as many of the citizens of this country are now awakening to the awareness of the awesome damage that corporate greed, lack of integrity, and appropriate governmental oversight is causing in our country and all over the world.  There are new horror stories of destruction, loss of health and life, inappropriate political and legal influence, bribery, graft, cronyism, and corruption almost daily, and while the Phelps lighting fiasco is “small peanuts” by comparison to most of these, it is very much a product of the same mindset, and it’s guaranteed to be resented by a high percentage of intelligent Morongo Basin residents.
 
I predict that the dealership will suffer considerably more loss of profitable business than what it would have cost them to do it right in the first place–or, once having made the error, to have simply apologized for their having made the mistake, perhaps stating that it was simply an unintentional oversight within the myriad of items required for the completion of such a complex project and never intended to be an intrusion on our local beauty, a commodity that they, too, appreciate and wish to protect, and then promptly began taking steps to correct the problem.  However, in their seeking of exceptions–and receiving them–and in opposing and deriding those citizens sincerely expressing their legitimate concerns for our community’s well being, they have revealed their grounding in greed, their desire to wield inappropriate political influence, and their lack of genuine concern for our community–excepting perhaps, how much money they can make off of its residents.
 
Not a very enlightened PR and marketing campaign, but perhaps it is a gift that such intentions and demonstrated levels of caring and integrity have been made so glaringly visible (pun intended) to our community–as a result of their unwise and insensitive actions, I now know of several people who will not do business with this firm in the future…some of them former customers.  I would invite the dealership to reconsider their position of opposition, to make a (genuine?) public apology (particularly to those ridiculed for their desire to preserve an aspect of our community’s beauty), and to do their utmost to consciously exceed and improve on the local lighting standard requirements in making their corrections to this intrusion in a timely way.
 
Having been unable to personally attend the sessions on this issue, I can’t help but feel grateful for, and proud of the many members of our community who have courageously, eloquently, and caringly voiced their opposition to this intrusion.
 
~Sam
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK SPECIAL ALERT
 
NRDC’s California Activist Network was formed to mobilize and provide action tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the state’s extraordinary wealth of natural treasures and the health of its citizens.
 
Special alert: Election Day fast approaching Vote YES on Props 84 and 87
 
As you fill out your absentee ballot or prepare to go to the polls on November
7, please remember to vote “Yes” on two important measures that would mean clean water and clean energy for California.
 
Vote “Yes” on Proposition 84
 
Proposition 84 would provide $5.4 billion for clean water, parks and coastal protection. California’s spending on natural resources remains woefully inadequate, especially as our population grows. Prop 84 represents a sound investment in our natural infrastructure, funding safe drinking water, parks, clean beaches, San Joaquin River restoration and water quality improvements for California’s bays and coastal areas. Prop 84 is supported by a broad coalition of conservation, business, labor and health organizations, state and local officials, educators, and other community leaders.
 
Learn more about Prop 84 and get involved at www.yeson84.com
 
Vote “Yes” on Proposition 87
 
Proposition 87 would help fight global warming and raise at least $4 billion to promote clean fuels, clean-fuel vehicles and clean-fuel infrastructure to reduce California’s annual oil needs by four billion gallons (about 25 percent of our current consumption). Former President Bill Clinton recently supported Prop 87 at an event in southern California, where he was cheered by a crowd of more than 5,000 people as he declared “Prop 87 will move California towards energy independence.” President Clinton leads a growing coalition backing Proposition 87 that includes former Vice President Al Gore, Senator Dianne Feinstein, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and leading environmental and public health organizations.
 
Watch a video clip of Bill Clinton at the Prop 87 rally and learn more at http://www.yeson87.org/page/invite/Change
 
Please forward this message to your friends and family who live in California, and urge them to vote “Yes” on Props 84 and 87, too.
 
Thank you!
 
Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011
212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax) California Activist Network email: wildcalifornia@nrdc.org http://www.nrdc.org
 
Also visit: BioGems — Saving Endangered Wild Places A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council http://www.savebiogems.org
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are Sierra Club’s voting recommendations.  Some very special interest are involved: nature and environment, in other words, you.  Not all propositions on the ballot concern Sierra Club’s political/ecological  involvement.  If, by voting day, there are holes in your information on various propositions, it’s a good’n to remember the one piece of philosophical information we have that seems to be written in stone and that is ‘ALL IS ONE’ .  With this in mind and a dollop of meditation-lite, you can arrive at the relative value of most matters deserving your consideration.  Some issues are so void of compassion and fragmented that, in the yin and yang of the universe, are about as significant as an ice cube tray orbiting Pluto.
 
Anyway here’s the Green vote:
 
Phil Angelides….governor John Garamendi….Lt. Governor Jerry Brown…..Attorney Genral Debra Bowen…..Secretary of State John Chiang…..Controller Bill Lockyer…..Treasure
 
Propositions:
 
Prop 1b…..Transportational Bond….Neutral (still be discussed) Prop 1c……Housing Bond……Yes Prop 1d….  School Bonds…..Yes Prop 1e…..Leevees/Flooding Bond…..Neutral Prop 84…..Water & Parks Bond…..Yes Prop 85…..Parental Notification for Abortions….Oppose Prop 87….Clean Energy …..Yes Prop 89….Clean Money……Yes Prop 90 ….Eminent Domain….Oppose
 
Attached are Sierra Club’s thoughts on these propositions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steve and Darlene-  I will be facing-off with JT  MAC member Gary Eastin to debate the issue of forming a CSD in Joshua Tree.  I will provide a packet to attendees and speak  my opposition to a CSD formation.  The debate will be at the JT Community Center (you probably already know this) at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.  I know that you may have other obligations…I do read the newsletter!… but I wanted to send you this email.  I’ve attached a small piece which will be included in the packet.  Take care— I enjoyed Darlene’s editorial piece and hope the shows go  well this weekend.   David McChesney setitup@earthlink.net
 
P. S.  I’ve written a song titled “You Reach a Point…(Where You Can’t Turn Back)” which I would like to speak with you about if this CSD idea gains any momentum.  Actually, I’ve written 31 original songs in the past 11 months…but this one pertains to the issue at hand.  Pretty crafty how the YV Planning Commission handled business re: the Phelps compliance waiver, eh?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ETHICS — CONGRESSMAN UNDER CORRUPTION PROBE CARRIES OUT MASS FIRING OF INVESTIGATIVE STAFF: Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, abruptly “dismissed most of the panel’s team of waste and fraud investigators this week, firing about 60 contractors who had been examining federal spending related to Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war and other programs.” The investigators, who were “brought on to handle the extraordinary level of fraud investigations facing the panel,” said they were told “not to come to work on Oct. 17 and that they had a week to turn in their congressional ID badges and collect their belongings.” “This eviscerates the investigatory function. There is little if any ability to do any oversight now,” said one of the investigators, a former FBI agent. “This staff has saved billions and billions of dollars, we’ve turned up malfeasance and misfeasance. Its results justify the expense of the staff. I have no idea why the chairman would do this.” Lewis is currently under federal investigation over corruption charges reportedly uncovered during the Duke Cunningham investigation. He has spent nearly $800,000 in legal fees since May to defend himself against the probe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The music’s great, the weather fine And though promises from friends of mine Were quick to come and show support I’m disappointed, I’ll now report
 
The audience was small and to the point I had one friend then two throughout the joint We had great fun and danced and sang And did it all and here’s the thang
 
We’ll do it once again next year If we’re alive God willing there to hear We’ll thrive all those times in between Where I’ll be heard and I’ll be seen
 
I’ll sing around and dance a bit But friendship’s ailing - takes a hit Hard times hit me twix the eyes With sad luck songs and alibies
 
Well, that’s OK, I’ll live you know Whether or not friends come or go Whether or not they show support And I’ll be here with loves retort
 
To tell you you sure missed my thing I shared my songs and sure did sing And sure did play my heart for all to hear Maybe you’ll catch my show next year!
 
For those two friends who’re great and SWELL I thank you Babs and you too, Mel…. Love, Judy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here’s an interesting one and I didn’t bother to check it out because it doesn’t really matter:
Can you guess which of the following are true and which are false? Answers are below.
 
1.  Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
 
2.  Alfred Hitchcock didn’t have a belly button.
 
3.  A pack-a-day  smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years.
 
4.  People do not get sick from cold weather; it’s from being indoors a lot more.
 
5.  When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart!
 
6.  Only 7 per cent of the population are lefties.
 
7.  Forty people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute.
 
8.  Babies are born without kneecaps. They don’t appear until they are 2-6 years old.
 
9.  The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.
 
10.  The toothbrush was invented in 1498.
 
11.  The average housefly lives for one month.
 
12.  40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.
 
13.  A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.
 
14.  The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.
 
15.  Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than any other time of day.
 
16.  Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep.
 
17.  The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water.
 
18.  The only two animals that can see behind themselves without turning their heads are the rabbit and the parrot.
 
19.  John Travolta turned down the starring roles in “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Tootsie.”
 
20.  Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem.
 
21.  In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk.
 
22.  Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane, just in case there is a crash.
 
23.  The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor.
 
24.  Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from w omen who give birth. They are used in vein transplant surgery.
 
25.  Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th cousins.
 
26.  If coloring weren’t added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.
 
They are all TRUE … Now go back and think about #16!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brother Brad said-
 
Dear Friends and Supporters, I am quitting my run for Congress and lending my support to my former Democrat opponent Jim Nachman. I am withdrawing from the race and will continue campaigning for Jim Nachman until Nov. 7. I hope all of the work we have put in over the last two years can still be focused on defeating Eric Cantor, George Allen and the other Bush ass kissing Fascist idiot bastards. I have learned this: Without full public financing of campaigns we will never have fair elections. Cantor has bribed everyone who has local community influence very well. Most, if not all, of the sheriffs of the 12 counties in District 7 are bought and many local small time politicos have been paid off as well. Without ten times the amount of money I was able to raise I didn’t have a chance in hell of winning-because the system is set up to guarantee that the amount of money it takes to win a campaign preserves the tradition of moneyed interests controlling government. The amount needed to win is great enough that any candidate who could win is already so much a part of the system in the first place in order to run; they are not likely to significantly change the system. People with great ideas that solve problems and help millions of people cannot get their ideas across without money. People with money with dumb ideas can. Take a look at the imbeciles we have. Without full public financing we will never elect anyone who hasn’t already bought into the system, except for occasional accidents. My vision is to commit the U.S. to the goal of creating the possibility of a lifetime of play and service for every human being on the planet. It could be accomplished immediately with one year of our current military budget and the additional supplemental bills to cover the war in Iraq. This is, of course, people say, impossible-but I say it is only because people think it is impossible. Jim Nachman has hardly any chance of winning, even adding together my Independent supporters and the support of the Democratic Party, because he doesn’t have enough money either. Clearly, he is not corrupt enough. Cantor is as corrupt as they come-Abramoff, Delay, Foley corrupt-and he will probably win because he is corrupt. Eric Cantor supports the war on Iraq-while cutting veterans benefits, giving billions of dollars in tax cuts to big oil and the super rich, slashing funds for education, and running up the biggest deficit in American history-making it clear he is not working for us, he’s working for the corporations that keep him in power. He has a million dollars cash on hand to spread his lies. Nevertheless, in a meaningless futilitarian gesture, I support Jim Nachman for Congress. I am giving him some money and telling all my friends. If you like, give him some money and tell your friends. Maybe an accident will happen. As most of you know I walked the entire length of this Congressional district from Stanley to Richmond (138 miles), with pledges of support totaling about $40 per mile. I got a lot of press and talked to a lot of people and completed the walk just before I quit. We weren’t even close to having the money needed for the closing weeks of the campaign. There are a lot of good hearted but ignorant people in our district who care about the issues but have no idea what has been happening to the country while these liars are in control. Working families, the individual, the consumer and the environment have been swept aside, as corporations making record profits nuzzle up to the trough with lobbyists in tow. Campaign finance reform and an end the control of government by lobbyists is the only way to begin the recovery from the disease of neo-conservatism. Big corporations are out of control, in large part because they control government and have undermined its responsibility to the people. The corporations are counting on our patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They’re counting on you to stand at attention with your hand over your heart, pledging allegiance to the flag, while they pick your pocket. Terrorists can’t destroy our democracy, but we can, simply be surrendering it, by keeping our mouths shut while Bush-Cheney-Gonzales-Cantor take away our rights “for our own good”. I know most of you are as sick of this state of affairs as I am. Thanks for all your help and support for my campaign up until now. I hope we kick enough of those greedy unconscious malicious lying bastards out of office to start taking back America. — Brad Blanton Dear Friends-Here is the release of my novel from Amazon.com. Order one! Thanks!
 
Beyond Good & Evil: The Eternal Split-Second Sound-Light Being Beyond Good & Evil: The Eternal Split-Second Sound-Light Being http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970693850 Book Description This book only took Brad Blanton 32 years to write, it is full of surprises, and it articulates, in story form, the most important issue of our times–one that will determine the future of humanity–the transcendence of good versus evil! Work on a stage play is underway and a screenplay as well. Get it now. See and hear it performed live and in theatres soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Editor (of Desert Post Weekly- discussing a cartoon of Clinton’s satisfying tirade on FOX network)-
 
You asked for opinions about your cartoons. In the Oct 28th issue, the cartoon about the Clinton tirade is cute and well drawn, the problem is, it re-enforces the Republican rewrite of history. I understand that the winners get to write the history books, but I was there. I saw Clinton doing his best to pursue Bin Laden and other terrorists while the folks who are doing such a pathetic job of running our country now were jumping up and down and shouting “wag the dog”, and hampering and deriding his efforts at every turn. Now, we are supposed to believe that they were wringing their hands in concern while he was uninterested in the situation. That is exactly the opposite of what I observed, and I am so disappointed that my once-great country is actually buying it.  Clinton’s much celebrated blow-job may have damaged his reputation, but it didn’t turn America into the most hated country in the world and squander our treasury pursuing an oil empire for non-tax-paying corporations and oligarchs. The ‘party of corporate greed’ will probably continue to succeed due to it’s ruthlessness and it’s network of hate and mis-information spewing talk radio and TV programs, swift boaters, etc., but please give what’s left of our history a fair shake. Let’s try to observe the results our leaders actually create rather than the rhetoric they would like us to believe.
 
Thanks for listening,
 
Eric Neil -Joshua Tree
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good Afternoon, Steve!   I love the Jimmyfest.  Very funny.
 
I’ll contribute the Sierra Club’s ballot issue recommendations to start the ball rolling (See JAMS Attachment).  Maybe a twice a week voters version of the newsletter might be good right now if you have a good response to your suggestions.  I’ll be glad to help if its needed.
Gonna get out today.  Fall is so spacey and November is pure acid.  Al
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you know anyone whom you think would like to receive this newsletter, please have them send me an email to info@new-moon-records.com . Also, lately, some of the big inet providers are filtering out newsletters of this type (blind copied) assuming it is spam. If anyone you know received this publication before and doesn’t receive it now, it is probably for that reason. If you have that problem, you need to set the filtering to allow emails from www.new-moon-records.com through. If you don’t use filtering, just be sure that the address info@new-moon-records.com is in your address book. Finally, if you would prefer to not receive this newsletter, or have received it by mistake, send an email back saying ‘cancel newsletter’ in the heading. Your excuse may be written, if you like, no less than 100 words, in the body of the email.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The problems we face will not be solved by the minds that created them