Kohno

I was supposed to put my Kohno Concert guitar up on ebay today. It is a very fine and responsive classical guitar made by the Japanese master Masaru Kohno in 1982. Made of indian rosewood and european spruce, these guitars were played by Bream and Parkening and are among the finest in the world.  Supplanted at some point with a few of the cognoscenti by Thomas Humphries models. But still treasured by the classicists. I don't know why I hate to give it up, I hardly ever play it. Like the Ferrari in the garage that never gets driven. But somehow just nice and reassuring to have it in the quiver.

I bought it from a guy in Portland. It was his late father's guitar and it was babied. Complete with a brown diaper and top of the line case. Gotohs. I started grinding on potential clients yesterday and managed to manufacture enough business to keep the wolves temporarily at bay. So I can maybe wait and not sell it this week. This guitar I hardly ever play. First in line in my thinning herd. We all leave this spinning orb naked of our possessions, it's just a matter of timing.

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A friend came in today who had to give a house back to the bank. Wash his hands. He had someone willing to step in and pay the full price owed on the mortgage but the bank said no, they could get more money under foreclosure. Sort of like the story of the guy who bulldozed his house last week after the bank refused to take the money owed (170k) in the foreclosure.

John Corzine, ex Goldman Sachs Prez and Democratic Governor from New Jersey was interviewed yesterday and defended the bank and Blankfein as just being smart and surmised that people were merely acting from envy. I just hope that Americans have longer memories than these financial institutions that the American taxpayer bailed out not so long ago. Because we have just received the back of their hand. And they appear to have sowed the same line of bullshit in Greece and Europe.

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I have been thinking a bit about sports the last few days. La Dainian Tomlinson, San Diego Charger icon was relieved of his duties and unceremonially shown the door.  After my latest diatribe on the Clipper owner, I have to wonder if some organizations merely fall victim to rancid ownership. The Spanos family happen to be the second biggest contributor to the Republican party, after the Jet's Woody Johnston, not that that means anything, mind you.

The owner said that he rarely made friends with players but that he had actually, horrors, socialized with Tomlinson, quite a stretch on his part. San Diego has a history of treating its stars like crap and sending them down the road. Usually to New England where they go on to great extended careers like Junior Seau or Rodney Harrison.  Or Drew Brees or Michael Turner. Its a long list and in San Diego loyalty seems to be a one way street.

San Diego Chargers got a zillion dollars from the city not too long ago for stadium renovation and then had the chutzpah to immediately demand a new one so that they could get a taste of that luxury box money. On the public dime. Make the billionaires richer.

I am over fifty and don't watch television. So I get my sports second hand in the newspaper largely. But really have to lull myself into pretending that I give a shit. There are certainly those middle aged oddities in every community that are consumed by sports but I would rather participate frankly. Played basketball, baseball and soccer in high school and then a lengthy stint with martial arts. This notion of fandom and supporting your local team is so ludicrous. Leave already. Los Angeles has done great without a team and we can too. Take Fabiani with you when you split. But it's like you are being unpatriotic if you don't rah rah for the local team that are picking your city's pocket. Saw this interesting study about the foolishness of public financing of stadiums and how they never work out for the community. Actually found scads of studies that all poo poo the idea of subsidizing these owners. But they get the local sports radio stations involved and make like it's your civic duty to keep your team. Who really just want your money and most of the adjoining real estate for their stadium side condo projects.

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Speaking of sports, the Padres might just as well just become a minor league affiliate for the Red Sox. Steinberg, Lucchino, Hoyer, Werner, McLeod, the incestuous relationship between the two clubs is nauseating. Next we giftwrap Adrian Gonzales and send him back to our plantation masters in Massachusetts. Jeff Moorad looks like just another crook who wants to do it on the cheap.

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Got this interesting feedjit search today. Isn't there a pluot out there called a flying saucer? Is Pluot in fact a planet?


Sampaloc, Rizal arrived from search.yahoo.com on "Blue Heron Blast: May 2009" by searching for what are the basis of the scientist to declare pluot is not a planet?.  


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Kudos to the Vatican for trying to oust the in house bioethicist who decided to pardon the doctor in the abortion case. You know the one starring the nine year old south american girl who had been raped by her stepfather and was going to give birth to twins, an event that would apparently endanger her young life.  The higher ups wanted to excommunicate the doctor and pardon the perpetrator in a real life show of family values.