What is wrong with this Flat tax proposal, other than the fact that it is written by a couple of smarmy looking Republicans both named Dick (Dick Armey and Dick Shelby)?

Putting Budweiser in a State Fair Tent: A Recipe for White Trash Casserole. And then you got these white trash betties humping blown up guitars, and me and my uncle are getting drunk as hell enjoying all that the Illinois State fair has to offfer. There's nothing worse - I mean funnier - then watching white trash dancing to shitty 80's hair bands. It's like watching The Jerk. - Scott's Reflections of his 2nd visit to our Great State Fair.

The biggest problem with charging interenet radio to play songs is that no one listens to internet radio, so why make them pay? The RIAA, I'm sure, knows this and doesn't expect to make too much money if Congress passes these royalty rates. The RIAA is simply on a mission to kill. Dead radio doesn't make anybody any money. No one knows how to make money with interent radio, that was what made web radio so interesting and unique. What the RIAA is after is retroactive: all the songs that have already been played in the past couple of years are going to be retroactively charged. That's how the RIAA plans to make money on Internet radio, by killing it - pretty crafty eh? I think we all learn a lesson here, and that is: entrepreneurialism does not pay.

Here is a site for an organization trying to keep internet radio from being killed by the RIAA and Congress.
Save Internet Radio or sit back and watch it die, possibly by October 20th, because of Congressionally-imposed royalty webcasters will be required to pay to record labels. The new royalty rate is currently more than 100% of most webcasters' revenues.

This blog is in response to Mr. Natale's question concerning right wing radio announcers' claim that current American Journalism is being taught by Pinkos.


The first time I ever heard any mention of Marx in any academic sense was in a class that focused on Communist Russia. However. I learned little to nothing about Marxist philosophy in that class, for the primary reason Communist Russia had little in common with Marxism. I also took a class on 20th century China, and once again I learned more about Moa and less about Marx.

Rarely does anyone learn anything aobut Marx, simply because Marx did not murder a ton of people. He had a few interesting ideas that were picked up by a couple of interseting sociopaths, who then went on to wage war. Learned all that in history class, not journalism.

If there's one thing we learned about Journailism in relation to Marxism, it would be how a society based on capitalism can - at times - actually encourage limited information. Which makes sense because I am learning about journailism in a capitalistic society. Therefore, I suppose, it should be necessary that I be encouraged to learn about the adverse effects that a capitalist society has on presenting an accurate acount of the news, for the simple reason that I live in a capitalist society.

It's called education. It's worth it. A Marxist society - if one ever exitsted - would be wise to teach its students the adverse effects of Marxism on journalism.

Thanks to all my teachers that have had the intelligence (and / or education) to teach students how to become better journalists, and hopefully challenge the field of journalism to become more informative and more accurate. Call it a slam on capitalism, call is pro-Marxist; I -like most people - call it education. And it aint cheap.

Everything I know I learned from living in a lamp shop

People, like the myriad types of lamps that come through the lamp shop for repair, are unique. Today, these two women, possibly mother and daughter, came into Quality Lamp Repair from Lincoln, Illinois dragging in a heavy lamp and its accompanying glass shade in a separate plastic bag. This lamp had a six-inch square brass base, with the typical green velvet on its bottom to prevent scratching the surface of a desk or table. From the base arose an ornately decorated jade oval that was about a foot high, and protruding from which was the dull brass-pipe neck that itself rose another six or so inches until it reached the socket which rested on top. The older lady wanted to have the neck cut down two or three inches, but since I am not familiar with the technology that slices through metal brass lamp-necks I told them, “My mother has been in this business for 30 years, so I’m sure she could help you, but I can’t say for sure.” You see, I have never heard of this sort of request before. Admittedly, I pay little attention to the business, but having to watch the shop this week while mom is in Memphis has opened my eyes to the specialty niche Lynda has carved for herself in the lamp restoration field.
There is an extensive array of the kind of lamp parts, shapes, sizes, and types that exist out there; and that is without even considering the different types of lampshades. A couple came in Monday morning needing a certain type of socket. We have porcelain and brass, cheap and quality, touch or twist-on. I had no idea what would fit their needs. Besides sockets, there are all sizes of harps, finials, nuts and bolts, and swinging arm candelabras. There are especially all types of lamps. A guy picked up his sailboat lamp on Tuesday, complete with working clock on the starboard side in between the two mini-bulbs of the bow and stern. There are big monster lamps with flowery metal bodies; there are thin, elegant desk lamps made for the office. Table lamps, desk lamps, floor lamps, ceiling lighting, etc. There are a million varieties of shades too; Glass or fabric with thousands of colors, patterns, and shapes.

Lamps are like people; each one is unique and beautiful.

Rainbows of diversity exist everywhere in our world. Don’t tell the Libertarians that though. The Ayn Rand worshipping Libertarians hate multiculturism and diversity.

Good bye friends,
Watch out for the Chicken egg head man, and support your Rogue State Fair Concession Stand

Laura saw him first. While aimlessly riding the waves of C-SPAN that emanate from our tube on a nearly nightly basis, he appeared on our screen-an imposing specimen of nearly bald-pateness. Chicken egg head man! He had a dome the size of our entire screen, a gorgeously pointy skull. He wasn't a robin's egg head man or a platypus egg head man or even a gelatinous sturgeon egg head man but a bona fide chicken egg head man, with the special oblong pointyness that prevents a head like that from rolling off the roof of a henhouse. If he designed the world, he would pitch the laws of gravity and motion with a hearty cry: "Damn the oblate spheroid!" We would live in an egg shaped world. When he goes to egghead conventions (like the one we were watching which was about "responsible fundraising" in the non-profit sector) he always wins first prize which is (of course) a goose that lays....draw your own conclusions.
I figure that while we're discussing apple-cheeked executive asses we might as well continue on that path with a little more bureaucratic phylogeny.
BTW. An interesting aside about the conference itself-one of the attendees referred to "rogue charities." Ol' Dubya seems to have coined a phrase or at least popularized it. In the spirit of this, I would like to contibute to this Rogue's Gallery, as it were.
"Rogue State Fair Concession Stand"---A concession stand that gives away vodka lemonade shakeups for free without the proper licensing/paperwork/insurance/corporate sponsorship.

Good Lord, I am on!!
Thank god for the fool playing washed-up folkie music at my party. It makes me think about what is legitmacy.

Take A Bow Miss Coulter

It's a hell of an honor to be hailed "The Joe McCarthy of the 21st century", but I feel that Mr. Natale was right in annoiting that title to the beautful Miss Ann Coulter. Ann has worked hard to get where she is today, and I believe she deserves everything she has coming to her. Congrats to Ann Coulter, and her recogintion as the "New McCarthyite."

Enos Slaughter was 86 when he died Monday morning. Beavers don't usually live to the ripe old age of 86, but I'd like to recommend Enos be inaguarated into the Great Beaver Hall of Fame. Enos typified what all great beavers strive for. He lived his life and played the game with passion, dedication and hard work. I'm not sure if Enos could read, but if he could, I be he'd be reading our blog.

God Bless You Great Beaver - Enos Slaughter

The Original Beaver

I remember a couple of years back reading a interesting little tale about a beaver, which written by our own Mr. Joe Natale. I'm betting the story is probably hopelessly lost on floppy disc somewhere is the vast clutter of his third story attic.

It's sad, but also romantic to think that there are still lost stories out there. It's like that in the music world. Someone makes a record that only 15 people hear. Those 15 people get so excited after hearing the record that they decide to make music of their own. Twenty years down the road you find a great many people who were influenced by a record that they never heard, and nobody can find.

I like to think that the this group of Wily Beavers were somehow influenced by that tale of the beaver that Mr. Natale wrote so many years ago. I don't know whether it be the style of writing, the objectives of writers, or the sense of humor that goes into the writings, but I do feel many componants of this blog can be originally contributed to, or influeced by the "Old Man Beaver," aka - Mr. Joe Natale.

I'd like to ask if Old Man Beaver could get to work on little poem or limerick about the Beaver. That would be a great addition to this blog, and I'm sure the owner of this blog (Mr. Komanecky) would pay handsomely.

I would also like to think Matt K. for sitting through the President's Economic forum and offering such great insight. And while I am being nice, I would also like to comment on Mr K's use of diction in his blog. Great choice of words Matt, I had to pull out the on-line dictionary: a couple of those words were real zingers.

Corporate Responsibility Finally Established, Corporate Watchdog Matt Komanecky Can Now Retire

At the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas today, a group of carefully selected guests -- eerily agreeable to the Bush Administration's positions on most issues -- rallied together to discuss worries and positively express solutions for the struggling economy. Included in the discussion were such issues as corporate malfeasance, terrorism insurance, and the elimination of the estate tax.

"I couldn't agree with you more, on account of all the corporate principles you laid out there," Donald Evans proclaimed, mirroring the Pollyanna tone about the role of corporations. "We [CEO's and corporations] lift people up out of poverty, and raise the standard of living...That's hope for the world." The Commerce Secretary giddily praised the role of corporate America for it's ability to "provide opportunity for individuals to pursue their dreams, and to pursue their life, and to provide for their family." (The Commerce Secretary forgets that the Wily Beaver pursues his dreams as well, without corporate help.) Corporate buzzwords like "core values," "integrity," "moral honesty," and "corporate responsibility" were thrown around like paper airplanes on substitute teacher day.

Frank Raines, Chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae, continued to philosophize about the role of corporations in society. The CEO of one of the largest financial services corporations in the world ponificated that corporations "are here because they are the best way to generate wealth, and to uplift the human condition." He continued "I consider it to be a privelidge to be a CEO. And that it's a calling, an opportunity to serve in a different way." When he thinks about corporate responsibility, he thinks about the responsibility to the people who have 17 billion dollars invested in his company, the 15 million homeowners who have place to live because of the efforts of Fannie Mae, their 4500 emplyees, and the thousands of communties who depend on his company everyday. This kind of corporate congratulatory boardroom talk went on for quite awhile. Another message echoing through the discussion was that the majority of CEO's are honest; an idea presented by a group made up of CEO's like Hank Mckinnel, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, and Ken Chenault, Chairman and CEO of American Express.

Also at the Economic Forum, the President heard from four "ordinary Americans," like a 17-year veteran driver of UPS, who mysteriously was one of the only speakers who did not clamour for the repeal of the "Death Tax," as Republicans like to call the Estate tax.

Other issues mentioned were the need for terrorism issurance for businesses, investor education, healthcare, restraint in government spending, promotion of foreign trade, deregulation, simplification of the tax laws, and punishment of corporate misdeads.

President Bush said all the right things, yet his actions betray his true intentions. If he was serious on restraining spending, he would have never allowed the surplus to become a deficit. If the President was serious on corporate misbehavior, he wouldn't be giving the American people so much lip service and weak token gestures, like the tougher penalties for manipulitive CEO accounting practices. The reality is that white collar criminals rarely even get jailtime, and when they do it is in country club prisons.

The way this forum went today, with the positive economic messages and the reinforcement of corporate responsibility, I can retire as a watchdog for corporate injustice. However, this seems to be just a political smokescreen. Far too many guests agreed with the President's policies and most even praised how great a leader the President was in economic issues.

With so little dissent and real debate, I'm pulling the bullshit card on the President's Economic forum and will not retire as a corporate watchdog.

I wanted to compare myself to a nation today, but I can't quite think of a nation that fits how I'm feeling right now. For example, yesterday I was feeling very American. The day before that somebody told, "Don't be so German." I don't know what prompted that remark, but I think it had to do with they way I was walking. My goal this summer was to act very Polish, however that ended as soon as I put in my air conditioner. It's impossible to put a Polish facade while basking in the comfort of air-conditioned room.

Anyway, I'm trying to think of a nation whose character could best be described as apologetic. You see, I feel sorry for stealing some 3,000 odd songs from the internet via downloading. And I don't think my apologies could ever fit the seriousness of this crime unless I descriped by apologies in terms of something huge, such as a nation.

The RIAA (some evil acronym that claims to represent all recording artists, as well as the big five record companies) is appealing to the Justice Department to help them take down peer to peer file swapping sites, and to also go after the million plus citizens who are accessing these sites.

At the time being I don't think Mr. Ashcroft is too worried about internet pirates, but that's what makes the whole situation much more dangerous. The RIAA could tell Mr. Ashcroft these file-sharing sites are places people assemble to make fun of the pledge of allegiance. Next think you know I'm sittiing in front of a judge with my hard-drives guts layed out all over the courtroom. Not only do I steal music off the net, but I've downloaded some pretty untasteful material. It should go without saying the untasteful material is copyrighted material as well. In the end, it's all stealing.

I bought my first digital CD off the web last night: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, by the Replacements. It cost me $9.99 from liqued audio. I don't know where that $9.99 is actually going, and I'm willing to bet Paul Westerburg and the rest of the Mats don't either. One step forward, two steps back.

Their are polarized forces that are shaping the way people view digital music. One of them is file sharing sites, which encourages unlimited freedom to download anything you desire. Therr argument, or rationale, for free music is that record companies don't provide the services or the goods that customers desire, while at the same time screwing the artists out of money through bogus record contracts. The other polar force at work here, the RIAA, says they should have the power to regulate and control digital music on the web. They say file sharing sites are illegal and are ruining the record industry. Which one of these forces is greedier: the RIAA who make an absorbinant amount of money off people who create music, or file sharing sites who do the exact same thing?

Downloading music from Audiogalaxy turned me on to countless new bands. I ended up buying records from indie bands that I never heard of before, and would have never been exposed to had it not been for file sharing. In essence, Audiogalaxy helped indie bands sell records (as is my case). But at the same time Audiogalaxy was making money. Then the RIAA entered the scenerio and sued the crap out of Audiogalaxy. Audiogalaxy settled and gave the RIAA the money they made.

Now what does the RIAA turn around and do? Do they seek out all the idie labels or bands that were so heavily promoted on Audiogalaxy, and attempt to give some money back, or do they throw a huge 20 million dollar birthday jubilee for Sting? My bet is they don't have don't have the owners of Jade Tree records records on the phone right now inviting them to Sting's Birthday Party.

For more information on this subject, please visit the Future of Music Coalition

What would be the more inspiring essay?
a. Everything I needed to know, I learned from watching politicians (I love c-span)
b. Everything I needed to know, I learned from watching wrestling (I also love men in their underwear who slap each other)

Which is better?
a. less big government
b. more smaller government

What describes me more?
a. an uncompassionate liberal
b. a conservative anarchist

Should the goverment be
a. privatized
b. heavily regulated

Does our government
a. have the right amount of checks and balances
b. need real reform

Which statement is more true?
a. The South has finally risen again
b. The North should secede from the Union

Do you
a. Love your country
b. Fear your government

Upon reading my blog that I wrote about Cub fans, I realized that someone could get the perception that their was abuse in my house growing up. No way. I credit my parents for not being too physical when I was a kid. I know it's got to be hard for parents to raise their children with slapping them or hitting them, but I think it's worth it.

The point of my blog was that a little physical abuse would been welcome as a kid and might have been a good thing, it might helped my step-dad deal with some of the pain that he had being a Cub fan.

I would also like to make the assertion at this time that Cardinal fans have superior posture. I think it's from being proud.

Lastly I would like to welcome the Gentlemen from Springfield to our little community at the Wily Beaver. Senoras y Senores, my Step-dad and yours, Joe Natale. Welcome Joe. I hope you enjoy yourself here at the Beaver. Matt K. has done a wonderful job setting up the site, and I think it's turning out just great. Kudos Matt.

I would also like to Welcome TV Journalist and Radio Star, Kevin Hankis to the Blog. Your brazen attitude and wily comments are a welcome addition to the site as well. Welcome Kev.

Lastly I'd like to announce Scott Woods' intentions to join our blogging. He's a survivor and a fighter. God made beavers for a reason, and I think Scott knows why. Hell, when I look at Scott I think to myself -- BEAVER. Scott's in the process right now of getting his internet hooked up, until that time he'll be posting under my name, but it will be clear that it is he who is making the post.

Kevin and I were on our way to Barnes and Nobles to get some frappies this morning, and he asked me if I wanted to go to Toys R Us. (Or to Kids R Us to buy some shirts. That made me laugh.) I said I used to like going to Toys R Us when I was a kid, but now I like going to Shnucks. Grocery Stores give me the same feeling of woderment that toy stores did when I was younger.

When your in college and you don't have a lot of money, going to the grocery strore is a big deal. Sometimes I won't even buy anything, I'll just look at all they toys - I mean food. And all the other stuff - shavers, lotion, drugs, beer, and my favorite lotions. I love looking at all the different kinds of lotions. There's a ton. I mean so many different kinds. It's America baby, and I'm in love with it. All the different lotions represent choice, which is what America, in my book, is all about. I have a problem making choices is my life. It's not that I'm stupid, it's just that when you live in America you really can't make a bad choice. Can you? Everything will work itself out in the end. In the history of societies, this is the closest we've come to a utopia. No matter how bad you screw up you life, you can still turn it around and make good in the end. Look at the president. A lifetime of drugs and failure, and now he's the President. That is so cool. I'm like President Bush, I still don't know what I want to do with my life. Someday I might become president. I don't know. I'm graduating next semester with a degree in journalism, not to shabby considering I don't like writing facts. Or interviewing people.

Sometimes I get the feeling that St. Ives can save the world. Their products are so good, I get the feeling reading the back label that the "ingredients" of their products might just contain the secrets to save man. I identify with the name St. Ives. It sounds almost holy to me.

Scott has somethin' to say---------How nothing feels....... so much like a language nothing ever gets finished, like I ninety foriegn highways and cities, listening to silence where all the useless songs in america are haunting me , so in the long thigh of the late sunlight, I come back from the years.

Scott's got somithin' to say--------Lady day and John Coltrane, pieces of man , home is where the hatred is, brother save the children, whitey on the moon, did you hear what they said, when you are who you are, I think I'll call you in in the mornin' , a sign of the ages, or down you FALL, the needles eye ,,,,,, the PRISONER!!!!!!

The Curse of the Cub Fans - A Damned and Demented Life

Much has been said and written about these sad and misguided miscreants. What I have to say will probably not add any new chapter to this boringly long book of devestating tales and travesties. Enough with the adjetives, I've got a story to tell. The life of a Cubs fan is similar to people that were abused as children. A perpetual cycle takes place. People that were abused as children, become abusers as they have children of their own. I'm not a psychologist but I assume these type of people become so filled with rage and despair that they get revenge on their parents by taking it out on their own children. I, myself grew up in a Cub House.. Everyone in my family was a Cub fan. Something special happened with me though - I broke the cycle. Instead of growing up miserable, misguided, and confused - I became a hero. I dared to make a change, and I destroyed that viscious cycle. I am a Cardinals fan. I am a survivor, and I'm happy. This little story is testement to others who think they have nowhere to turn, who for 162 days out of the year feel nothing but shame and sickness. (Current score of the game of the week - Cardinals 9 Mets 00) What makes this story even my special is that my sister Lea also broke this cyle, When she met the love of her life Shane, she became a Cardinals fan.

The cutle little red head girl from work broke up with her boyfriend last night. Let the games begin!

To confuse politics, religion, and beavers once again, dear readers, visit:

The Church of Beaver Cleaver

First Baptist Church of Beaver