I sincerely hope everyone is having a great Christmas Day…..  Enjoy……

To celebrate New Years, Oklahoma City has what it calls, “Opening Night” on New Year’s Eve…..  This event takes place in the section of OKC called, “Bricktown”…..  There’s music, food, entertainment, and fireworks…..  This year they’ve got two headliner music acts – The Flaming Lips, which is an Oklahoma group that made it fairly big, and, get this, which I still don’t believe – Yoko Ono (I pronounce it “Oh-No”) and The Plastic Ono Band with Sean Lennon…..  I’m speechless – I mean I didn’t think that there were more than a handful of people in the whole state of Oklahoma who had ever even heard of The Plastic Ono Band…..  Maybe the ones that booked the gig have never heard her sing (I use the term loosely)…..  On the other side – Why would anybody that’s internationally known want to perform in OKC?…  Truth is definitely stranger than fiction…..  I wouldn’t mind going just to check it out, but, at $120 a ticket, I think I’ll have to pass…..  I do know they’re not advertising it much – I caught it on the news…..  I’m going to check into it further as I would like to know just how this all came about – I’m stunned!…….

…..to Everybody in the MR Central Community and everybody everywhere!……  I can’t believe another year has gone bye-bye……  Where does the time go?……  I’ve already started on my New Year’s Resolutions……  I have to admit some of them are left over from years past…..  I hoping that I do better in the coming year and, at least, get to mark one of them off of my list!……

Anyway, Everybody have a SAFE and MERRY CHRISTMAS along with a HAPPY NEW YEAR…..  I know I’m going to have a GREAT Holiday Season, and, I wish you one too!…… (Fa-la-la-la-lah)…..

Our office was informed of the death Of actor Harry Morgan on Dec. 7 2011
Many of you will remember Harry Morgan as the Lovable but Tough, Homespun Col. Sherman T. Potter from the TV series M*A*S*H from 1975 until it’s end in 1983. Previously he starred with Jack Webb in Dragnet as Sgt Bill Gannon from 1967 until 1970. He also costarred in over 100 films over his career spanning 1942 until 2002. He was 96

Greetings all from sunny Ripon, CA. Beats the heck out of the snow and ice of the last 2 days in NM. and AZ. Hope all had a good turkey/ham day. Me, Mrs. JJ, MR and his sis in law let the restaraunt do the cookin’ & cleanin’. The hot topic of dicussion on the road is. Who do you think will be the GOP nominee? and do you think they can beat Obama? The floor is open.

I know I’m a day Early But Happy 69th Birthday to the worlds greatest guitar player. James Marshall Hendrix
Should be a national holiday.

Back in August I took the time to sit down and write to one of our senators from Oklahoma. As many of you may remember Sen. Coburn R.OK proposed his budget cuts which included cuts to Veterans Affairs. I went to Dr. Coburn’s website and sent him my feelings on this issue.
Well this last week I finally received a reply from him. Now I realize that this was probably sent by a staffer It did state his case for his actions that I was in question of. So it just goes to show that It still means something to take the time to contact your elected officials. Remember It’s still our government, we have a say in it’s operation.
Here’s the letter I just received. Thank you Dr. Coburn for taking the time to respond to a constituent.

November 21, 2011

Mr. Xxx Xxxxx

xxxxx SE xth Street

Midwest City, Oklahoma 73130

Dear Mr. Xxxxx,

Thank you for your message regarding the plan I released in July 2011 to eliminate $9 trillion in deficit spending over ten years, Back in Black. It is good to hear from you, and I apologize for my delayed response.

As I am sure you know, right now the national debt is one of the gravest threats to our nation’s future. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, the government is expected to spend over $3.6 trillion, nearly $1 trillion of which will be deficit spending. This means currently, Congress borrows 27 cents out of every dollar it spends, constantly adding to our $14.8 trillion national debt at a rate of $35,000 every single second.

Back in Black includes more than 700 detailed, specific deficit-reduction proposals, which together would eliminate $9 trillion in spending over ten years, balancing the budget and producing a surplus so we can start paying back the national debt.

Over ten years, the plan eliminates $4 trillion of low-priority or wasteful spending from the budgets of Congress, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies. It reduces Medicare and Medicaid costs by $2.6 trillion, eliminates $992 billion in unnecessary tax breaks and special interest giveaways, and saves about $1.4 trillion in interest costs on the national debt. The plan also makes Social Security solvent by directing all savings back into Social Security rather than the general budget. This plan provides Congress with a detailed list of real savings to meet deficit reduction goals and put our nation on a sustainable course.

Please know I am the last person who would disrespect the tremendous sacrifices of our veterans. The proposals in Back in Black are not designed to harm veterans-they are designed to protect them, and all Americans, from the debt crisis that will inevitably devastate our great country in the coming years if we do not fix our budget. Our nation’s fiscal crisis is so dire that it will take shared sacrifice from every citizen of this nation. I understand that those who have served in the military may feel they should not be asked to sacrifice once more. However, less than 2 percent of my budget options would affect veterans and military retiree’s health care. The other 98 percent of the savings I propose deal with other areas of the budget.

I understand your concerns about changes to Medicare. Please rest assured that few in Congress are proposing dramatic, immediate changes to Medicare. Virtually everyone in Congress is aware that any reforms to the program must be implemented very carefully and gradually to minimize disruption for the millions of seniors who depend on them.

You should know, however, Medicare is facing serious financial problems. Today, the average senior currently on Medicare receives benefits that, on average, are three times greater than the taxes they paid into the program throughout their career. This imbalance has happened because the average Americans’ life expectancy has increased, the number of workers supporting each beneficiary has declined, and Congress has repeatedly expanded Medicare to cover new benefits and populations without finding a way to pay for the new programs. As a result, the program currently has an unfunded liability of more than $36.8 trillion in projected benefits that politicians have no idea how to pay for. We will begin feeling this shortfall very soon. According to the program actuaries, if no changes are made, Medicare as we know it could be insolvent in as little as five years.

Fortunately, if we act now, there is no need to cause any major hardships for those who depend on Medicare. The proposals in Back in Black would implement new techniques to fight waste and fraud; streamline and simplify the current unpredictable and unfair maze of premiums, deductibles, and co-pays; slightly increase the Medicare Part B premium; allow seniors to opt-out of Medicare Part A without losing Social Security; requires high-income individuals to pay the full cost of their Part B and D coverage; increase Medicare’s eligibility age by two months every year until it reaches 67; and permanently fix the Medicare physician reimbursement formula. If Congress will act now, these modest changes will be sufficient to keep the program solvent for roughly the next decade.

We are at a very critical time in our history. If we act now to cut the deficit, it is possible to balance the budget without any major hardships for middle class families, the military, retirees, or the most vulnerable citizens in our country. There is only a small window of time for Congress to act, however. Every year we delay, the choices will become harder and harder. If we wait until the last minute, for many Americans they will be devastating. If the debt continues to grow at its current rate, there is no question we will reach a point where investors will decide the United States is incapable of paying back its loans and refuse to lend us additional money. When that happens, we will have no choice but to impose harsh cuts and high taxes throughout the country, weakening our national security, imposing great suffering on the poor, disabled, and elderly, and dealing a crippling blow to the economy.

The alternative to this situation is for Congress to take the initiative and get our spending under control now. If we wish to preserve America as country that is safe, prosperous, and free, it is imperative we take this course without delay. I will continue working with all members of Congress on a comprehensive agreement that will put our nation on a sustainable course. I will also continue working to return the federal government to the limited role defined for it in the Constitution.

Thank you again for writing. Best wishes and God bless.

Sincerely,

Tom A. Coburn, M.D.

United States Senator

TC: cak

Thought I would wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving early….. Hopefully everyone will have a GREAT Holiday – Gobble up the Turkey, but don’t be a Turkey!….  Enjoy the people and family you share it with, even if you don’t enjoy them in particular……  Required Holidays can be confusing and stressful if you let them – So Don’t – Put everything else on the back burner and have FUN!!!!…..

…. at 12:30 p.m., CST, 48 years ago today, The Industrial/Military Complex took over this Country with the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy…. The Military got the War they wanted, and the Industry Barons got the Power they wanted…. It has been downhill ever since for our Used-to-Be Great Nation right to the Irreversible Mess that we find ourselves in today….

I could go into the reasons and details of why I believe this to be true, but, most will just respond that I’m just one of those “Conspiracy Nuts” and wouldn’t listen anyway…. The problem is that all of the really revealing evidence was locked away by court order for 75 years, but there is enough out there for anyone who would care to know the “Truth” to fit the pieces of the puzzle together…. By the time the “Real Truth” becomes Public, no one will care and anyone directly involved will be long dead….

I’m not Posting this to start a big debate….. You will believe what you want to believe…. I just think it would be appropriate to remove your hat at 12:30 p.m today and spend a few minutes thinking about what might have been if JFK would have lived, and why Robert F. Kennedy, who would have almost assuredly been elected President in 1968, was also assassinated…..

When we started Wolfbrand Band, we decided to make a “Demo” tape that we could give to prospective employers (i.e. Club Owners, Organizations, etc.)…. We recorded Five (5) songs in November of 1973….. Now, we had no funds to go into an actual recording studio, nor did we have a mixer or any of the fancy stuff you would find in a recording studio….. All we had was Roger’s Panasonic Reel-to-reel and my newly assembled HeathKit cassette deck…. We recorded the basic rhythm tracks in a huge house in N.W. OKC (Tom’s house, I think) on the R-to-R…. There was a full size grand Piano in the living room (I guess you would call it that – there were so many rooms)…. We set-up in two separate rooms – Drums, Bass, and Piano in one, and Guitars and Harp in the other to get as much stereo separation as we could….

We then returned to Roger’s small above a garage Apartment to do the Vocals and Instrument overdubs….. Since we didn’t have a mixer, the overdubs were added and mixed in real time back and forth between the two recorders…. I’m amazed that they turned out as good in quality as they did…. Tell me what you think….

Here’s two of them… There’s about Ten Seconds or so of silence at the beginning of each of them – Just keep listening, the songs are there…. The first one is another Neil Young song, “Are You Ready for the Country” and the second one is a Jethro Tull song off their first album, which was all Blues…. “Someday the Sun won’t shine for You“…. Give ’em a listen….. For more info on WBB check out the Archives #1 Post….

Hi all. Here again in Eagle Pass, TX. Me and PDB Been loggin’ the miles this tour. 5500 since last home time (just tryin’ to keep up with MR) Mostly up and down I-35 with a detour to chicago and Nogales, AZ. lookin’ forward to Turkey day. I might actually be home this year. last 2, Truck Stop Turkey. Till next time….. P.S. By the way, where is everyone? seems just 4 of our community left. sad 🙁

Got to see Watermelon Slim again at the Blue Door in OKC… It turned out to be a Grateful Dead length gig…. He started about 15 minutes after 8 pm, took a short 15 minute break after about 1 1/2 hours, then played ’til they had to close the place at Midnight!…. I think he would’ve played longer, but, Oklahoma Law prevails….. It was a great show for any Blues/Rock fan…. He even did a compilation of Hendrix songs – About six minutes worth – It was really cool and different hearing Hendrix done with a slide guitar complete with feedback using the volume knob on his guitar….. If you’re into Blues and ever have the chance to see Watermelon Slim, DON’T pass it up!……

It also happens to be Veteran’s Day so say thank you to a Vet. Please remember freedom is not free.

Our office has just been alerted of the death of boxing legend “Smokin'” Joe Fraiser. From the “Thrilla in Manilla” to the “Fight of the Century” in Madison Square Garden, Joe was one of the most dynamic sports figures in the 1970’s.

If we believe the media, “Gas Prices are too High, People are not traveling as much” “The Job Market is the worst it has been since the ’30s And people do not have money” Etc. Well I say that it is BS. Traveling down the highways of our nation, there is more Traffic than ever before. Not just in the cities but on stretches of interstate between Americas cities. I can remember when between Phoenix, AZ and Palm Springs, CA. you could go for many miles without passing another vehicle or being passed. Now it is steady traffic all the way. And it’s like that all over this land. There’s more cars on the roads than ever. And if the majority do not have jobs how can they afford gas and insurance on all those cars on the roads. Just Thinkin‘