Campanastan

Crap I Got From NRDC

Here's what came in yesterday's mail from the good folks at NRDC:

They and Robert Redford (he wrote me a letter - top right) wanted me to join up using the Pebble Mine (Alaska) as a 'hook'. 

I don't want to appear to be picking on NRDC (hey, Sierra Club!), but did they really have to send me all this paper in a 9" x 12" envelope? If they wanted to grab my attention, they certainly succeeded, but not in the way they wanted to.

And for $10 I get a tote bag sent to me!

C'mon, man!

At least they printed on both sides of the paper.

The Earth's Best Defense, eh?

“I am a commercial fisherman; my daughter’s name is Bristol. I could not support a project that risks one resource that we know is a given, and that is the world’s richest spawning grounds, over another resource.” - Sarah Palin, before she became governor of Alaska

Cayman Islands Accountant Releases Mitt Romney's 2011 Federal Income Tax Return

Here is Mitt Romney's house accountant leafing through the Table of Contents of the Romneys' 2011 Federal tax return.

Below that is a photo of the ship carrying the complete tax return, approaching Boston Harbor from the Romneys' accounting firm in the Cayman Islands.

Thanks to Matthew Telford (via Joe Dellapenna) for the top photo.

"We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life." - Ann Romney

Will "The Wrecking Crew' Wreck Your Memories of 1960s Rock 'n Roll?

Louie Shelton is the guy who played one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in all of rock 'n roll.

You say, 'Who? Which group was he with and what was the song?'

Shelton was with no group and the recognizable guitar riff is the opening of the Monkees' Last Train to Clarksville. Nope, not Peter Tork or Michael Nesmith - Louie Shelton.

Shelton was a member of a small (several dozen men - bassist Carol Kaye was the sole female) group of 1960s to early 1970s LA studio musicians known as 'The Wrecking Crew' who played on many of the top popular tunes of that era. The name was coined by the unofficial leader - drummer Hal Blaine - to refer to the young, jeans-and-T-shirt-clad musicians who were supplanting the older, coat-and-tie guys who claimed the younger generation was going to wreck the music business (and their careers, too). 

'What's the big deal?' you say. Certainly everybody knew that the Monkees were a 'contrived' group who did not play the instruments on their hits. And certainly vocal groups like the Fifth Dimension or soloists like Frank Sinatra used studio musicians on their recordings.

But groups who appeared to play their own instruments?

How about the Byrds? On the Mr. Tambourine Man single only Byrd Roger McGuinn played. The Grass Roots. Paul Revere and the Raiders. The Union Gap. And the Beach Boys. What? The Beach Boys! Yes, on the iconic singles Surfin' USA, Surfer Girl, Good Vibrations, etc., some other people are playing. The beautiful 12-string guitar work on Sloop John B is not that of Carl Wilson but Billy Strange.

The extensive use of studio musicians to play the music of those who were supposedly playing their own is now no longer the well-kept secret it was for many years, thanks to books like The Wrecking Crew, by Kent Hartman.

Other well-known recording centers had their versions of the WC: Nashville had the A-Team; Detroit had the Funk Brothers; and Memphis and New York had their groups as well. 

The record companies used studio musicians because they wanted that 'perfect sound' on the records. They could record the instrumental tracks and then overdub the vocals later. The real group members could stay on tour and would not have to be brought back from the road to hit the studio. And I suspect the studio musicians, many of whom had their roots in jazz, were much better and not given to fits of pique and temper tantrums that could stall recording sessions and cost money. The studio musicians were, in a word, professionals.

Some, notably Glen Campbell (who toured with the Beach Boys), went on to fame and fortune as solo artists. Others labored in obscurity - at least as far the record-buying public was concerned - but became rich. Some - drummers Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer; sax man Steve Douglas; and keyboardist Leon Russell (who had a great solo career) - have even been inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.

Hartman's book is very good. He discusses several of the WC members in some detail. There's a good recounting of Phil Spector and his 'Wall of Sound' in which he used members of the WC. 

By the mid-1970s the WC had virtually disappeared. Why? The demise of AM radio, the increasing length of songs, technological advances (synthesizers, drum machines), and groups who insisted on playing their own instruments all played roles.

If you are interested in the 1960s LA popular music scene you will enjoy this book. The only thing I missed was a comprehensive 'Where Are They Now?' section. That to me was a serious omission.

So am I disappointed? Just a bit. Surprised? Not too much. The music is still there as are the memories. I'll just read the album covers more carefully this time, and take the instrumental credits with a huge grain of of salt.

So 'The Wrecking Crew' has not wrecked my memories. The music is what counts, and it is still in my head. I've got the hearing aids to prove it (I was a late 1960s college DJ).

Finally this postscript. In the late 1970s through the mid-1980s I worked with a hydrogeologist named Ralph Patt.  He had an early career as a an accomplished jazz guitarist in New York City. He played with big bands, big names, and then worked as a studio musician till 1975. At that time, he grew tired (to put it mildly) of the popular music that permeated the landscape and the lessened demand for jazz guitarists. So he revived his 1952 geology degree and became a hydrogeologist. I guess he was a victim of NYC's version of the Wrecking Crew.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” - Decca Records’ rejection letter to The Beatles, 1962.

I-Am-Bad-In-Islamabad-Again: Week 4 (from Tucson!), 22 July 2012

Barney Popkin's latest missive, from back home in Tucson. 

But first, his message:

Hello all, hope y'all are well. I am now back in Tucson, Arizona after 26 hours of international travel from Islamabad through Dubai and Atlanta. Atlanta's Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport claims to be the world's biggest airport. In the South, if you ask a preacher if you are going to Heaven or Hell, he'll tell you, "I don't know, but for sure you'll be going through Atlanta!" Back home, LSW is rigorously campaigning for our young, Harvard-grad, Navajo niece running in a Democrat primary for the first Native American Representative to our U.S. House of Representatives. I wish her a long and prosperous life but not in politics as she favors everything I oppose - socialism, larger government, environmentalism, unions, gay marriage, federal handouts, increased taxes on working people, etc. Nonetheless, it's "history" in the making. LSW sees the "history" as the rise of Native American and people of color power. I see the "history" as the budding dictatorship by democracy over good public law and policy, over the domination of the beneficiary majority here at home - the tyranny our founders fear would happen if we abandoned representative, Constitutional republican government. Ugh, now back to trying to got sleep once more out of schedule, swollen eyes and throat and loose, well no need to go into that. Oh, good to be home after three weeks of lock-down, swim in my own pool, rough-house with my own dog, and kiss my own LSW. Yahoo!

Now, the missive:

Download I-am-bad in Islamabad-again - Week 4 (from Tucson!) 

"Have fun, be happy, and don’t worry! It doesn’t help!" - Barney P. Popkin

Understanding Engineers Made Easy

Understanding Engineers #1 

Two engineering students were biking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"  The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."  The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice: The clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway."

Understanding Engineers #2

To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty.  To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Understanding Engineers #3

A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.  The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"  The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"  The priest said, "Here comes the greens -keeper.  Let's have a word with him."  He said, "Hello George, What's wrong with that group ahead of us?  They're rather slow, aren't they?"  The greens-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen.  They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime!." The group fell silent for a moment.  The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."  The doctor said, "Good idea.  I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything she can do for them."  The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"

Understanding Engineers #4

What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?  Mechanical engineers build weapons.  Civil engineers build targets.

Understanding Engineers #5

The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?"  The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?"  The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"  The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"

Understanding Engineers #6

Three engineering students were gathered together discussing who must have designed the human body.  One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints."  Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer.  The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections."  The last one said, "No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer.  Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

Understanding Engineers #7

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

Understanding Engineers #8

An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess."  He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket.  The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn back into a beautiful princess and stay with you for one week."  The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.  The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want."  Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.  Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter?  I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want.  Why won't you kiss me?"  The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog - now that's cool." 

"You may be an engineer... If your ideal evening consists of fast-forwarding through the latest sci-fi movie looking for technical inaccuracies." - Unknown

The Presidential Campaign: My Ten Cents

We have two Harvard Law School grads running for President. 
You'd think we would have a more intelligent discussion of the 
compelling issues facing the USA. Instead, it's name-calling,
vitriol, and vituperations.

But we get what we deserve. 

I really don't care a whole lot about Romney's wealth as long as 
nothing illegal or unethical was done to obtain all or part of it. 
I am upper middle class; like Romney, I have legal tax avoidance 
strategies unavailable to someone whose family income is a lot 
less. Should we both avail ourselves of those advantages? Is it
somehow wrong or unethical if we do?

That said, Romney should release more tax returns. Perception is 
reality; it appears he is hiding something, if only inconsistencies 
between his publicly-stated positions and his private life. And 
those returns might just provide an impetus for discussion on 
what's wrong (let me count the ways...) with our tax code. 

I do care about Romney's foreign policy, environmental positions, 
tax reform (desperately needed) platform, and plans to bolster 
the economy, among many other things. I want to hear more of
 his plans, and Obama's as well, and have each critique the other's 
ideas.

Someday we will have thoughtful, forthright, intelligent 
candidates who debate each other vigorously but respectfully 
on the important issues before an engaged, informed, civil 
electorate.

Naaahhhhh!  

"Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." - George Bernard Shaw

Happy Birthday - Ann Campana Judge Foundation

Self-promotion alert! Ten years ago today, the IRS granted the nascent Ann Campana Judge Foundation temporary 501(c)(3) temporary as a publicly- 
 supported nonprofit organization. In 2007 we acquired
permanent.determination as a 501(c)(3).

Its mission statement is simple:

The Ann Campana Judge Foundation exists to promote, undertake, support, and fund philanthropic projects focused on potable water, sanitation, and health in developing countries.

Loring Green, Mary Frances Campana, and I serve on the Board of Directors. Check out its officers, projects, and financials (990-EZ forms).

Since its beginnings, the ACJF has raised almost $300,000 - not a lot by most standards - to support water and sanitation projects in a number of countries. It now focuses on Central America, especially Honduras (see map at left) and Nicaragua. We've focused on those two countries because we are getting to know the landscape - political, social, topographic, cultural, etc. Best to work in those areas you know better than others.

We're great fans of two organizations we've supported in Nicaragua: El Porvenir and Agua Para La Vida. 

From a foundation that supported others, the ACJF is  now undertaking its own projects in Honduras (see small map above) and has an informal partnership with the Municipio (analogous to a county) de Omoa (see map to the right) in Honduras, located on the coast in the northwest corner of Honduras near Guatemala. The projects are gravity-flow surface water projects for potable water. We work in the rugged Sierra de Omoa. 

One potable water project, Brisas de Rio Cuyamel, was completed last summer. The photo shows the tank with me and friend Rolando  López on the far right. Rolando acts as our facilitator; we could not work here without him.

 Alex Uriel del Cid, a teacher by profession and also an Omoa city councilman, does the technical stuff.  Alex has been instrumental in getting Omoa to help out by providing in-kind services such as 4WD trucks, human power, etc.

I once asked him why he worked in the remote Sierra de Omoa, he said that the people there had no political power so the politicians ignored them and the NGOs would not work there because the chances of failure were too great. I immediately knew this was a man with whom I would like to work.  

Omoa Mayor Ricardo Alvarado has also been a huge supporter. Here's a photo of him presenting me with a certificate of appreciation. Rolando is on the right.

We are currently working in Los Mejias, a village of several hundred persons. The project should be completed by the end of August.

Total cost to the ACJF is about $22,000. The Brisas de Rio Cuyamel project cost about $9,000. 

Here's a photo of some GI pipe that will be used to link the small dam to the 5,000 gallon tank. The smiling man to the right of the pipe is Alex.

We are scoping out additional projects in including Rio Abajo (Omoa) and El Pacayalito (Santa Barbara).  We'll also have to raise a fair amount of money, probably about $20K - $25K for each project.

Want to donate?  Your money will be put to good work. Only about 2-3% will go to administrative costs.

Several things I've learned:

1) Think sustainability! If you can't do sustainable projects, don't do them at all (thanks to Ned Breslin).

2) Solve the global access to water issue one village at a time. You can't do everything everywhere.

3) Appropriate technology and solutions only, please! [See #1]

4) ¡Muy tranquilo, por favor!

It's been a great ten years. But I'm just getting started; I'm looking forward to ten more. 

“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” - Betty Reese

I-Am-Bad-In-Islamabad-Again: Week 3, 15 July 2012

Here is Baneny Popkin's latest rant against Barack Obama,hotel service in Islamabad, and a few other things. But life is good.

Download I-am-bad in Islamabad-again - Week 3

"When milking a bull, you get no milk and it pisses off the animal!" - Barney Popkin

The Last Friday the 13th?

This is the last of three Fridays the 13th for 2012. Even more unusual is that they are 13 weeks apart!

But that makes sense; after all, the Maya predicted that the world would end in 2012. We need to go out with a bang.

In any event, it's not a good year for those who suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia —fear of Friday the 13th.

Have a great day!  

"Luck has a peculiar habit of favoring those who don't depend on it" -- Unknown

On the Intersection Between Theory and Practice

Got this from George Takei's Facebook page.

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra

I-Am-Bad-In-Islamabad-Again: Week 2, 8 July 2012

Former graduate school classmate and rabid Obama supporter (NOT!) Barney Popkin is back in Islamabad, making the world safe for democracy and contractors. Here is his second missive. 

Download I-am-bad in Islamabad-again - Week 2-1

And a humorous story from his report:

A Polish nobleman is riding by a Jewish ghetto some centuries ago. He sees several targets painted on the outside of the walls and upon closer inspection, notes that most of the bullets are exactly in the target center. He is surprised to see this, and asks around, “Who is such a good shot?” Several people tell him it’s Moshe, the tailor’s young son. The nobleman is determined to meet the youngster and see what he might learn from him. Making arrangements, the nobleman meets the young man and asks him how he has so perfected his armament skills. Moshe replies, “Why should I be a bad shot? It’s simple, you see: first, I shoot at the wall. Then, I paint the target around the bullet!”

I-Am-Bad-In-Islamabad-Again: Week 1, 2 July 2012

Former graduate school classmate and rabid Obama supporter (NOT!) Barney Popkin is back in Islamabad, making the world safe for democracy and contractors. Here is his latest missive.

Download I-am-bad in Islamabad-again - Week 1-1 

Always fun!

"A meteorologist is a man who can look into a woman's eyes and tell whether." - Unknown (via Barney Popkin) 

The Best Thing to Come Out of Nicaragua?

Except, of course, for Lucia, Laura, and Natalia - 'Las Chikis'.

Thanks, Laura!

“If it be the design of Providence to extirpate these savages in order to make room for the cultivation of the earth, it seems not improbable that rum may be the appointed means.” - Benjamin Franklin

Thanks for Independence and the Right to RAPPS!

In between the fireworks, auto and furniture sales, and barbecues, take a few minutes today to read  the Declaration of Independence and the remarkable Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which came along 11 years later:

Download Const

Download Usdeclar

If you are an American citizen, thank your lucky stars for those 56 guys who signed the Declaration in Philadelphia in 1776 and started this thing rolling.

While you are at it, give extra thanks for the First Amendment, which guarantees five fundamental rights, which you can remember with the mnemonic RAPPS: religion, assembly, press, petition, and speech.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two giants in American history - friends, then opponents, and finally friends again - both died on this day in 1826. As I get older, I think less of Jefferson and more of Adams. Both were great men, but the former 'talked the talk' and didn't always 'walk the walk' (e.g., slavery) whereas the latter tried to do both.

Enjoy the day, and enjoy RAPPS!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence

"...a Republic, if you can keep it." -- Benjamin Franklin, at the end of the Constitutional Convention, when asked, "What have you wrought?"

O, Canada! Enjoy Your Day!

Happy Canada Day (or Fête du Canada) to my Canadian friends!

From the Globe and Mail.

"Canadians can easily 'pass for American' as long as we don't accidentally use metric measurements, apologize when hit by a car, or brag about our health care." - apologies to Doug Coupland