OK - geez, I hate to always seem like I'm complaining,

but,

I subscribe to both The L.A. Times and The Bakersfield Californian.

The last several months, more and more of the articles in The Californian are articles I've already read in The L.A. Times! And many others are from other newspapers.

What's up with that? And some of them (including one in Thursday's paper) I read in the Times several months ago!!!

So, it's bad enough that the "News" the Californian is printing is something someone else published, but, it isn't even "News" anymore!!!

To the editors of The Californian - I'm already paying the L.A. times for the articles that you are printing after the fact. Why should I continue to subscribe to your rag?

And peeps wonder why the print newspaper business is losing to the net...

larger view

I originally announced this a year ago in my other Blogs - since I'm new to Bakotopia, I'll repeat it here:

Vote for Ace in 2008! He's No Worse than Anyone Else!

Was arguing with some folks in the Literati Chat Lobby today (that goes on a lot) and the idea came up that I should run for President of the good ol' US of A in the next election as a write-in.

I mean, how much worse could I be than everyone who has been there and/or is trying to get there?

I think I'm very qualified. I piss folks off very easily, I have strong views on many subjects that many people disagree with, and I'm never wrong (although sometimes I may be mistaken). Also, I just told one of the world's largest oil companies to go screw themselves, so, I'm not beholden to corporate favors! (And I have lots of time on my hands now, too!)

So, I hereby announce my run for President. Vote for me - you won't regret it anymore than the votes for all the other losers you've made before!

Vote for Ace in 2008! He's No Worse than Anyone Else!

Gawd, I am so pissed.

I went to a jazz concert last Saturday night at CSUB and it turned into a poor man's Don Rickles performance.

Roy Haynes - legendary Jazz drummer was in town. He must be close to 100 years old. Anyway, what little there was, was very good. I really enjoyed it. I clapped at what I thought were appropriate moments, and with great enthusiasm at others.

But...

I didn't pay $25 (plus making arrangements for someone to watch my kid) to listen to Mr. Haynes insult me and the rest of the audience because:

1. He didn't think we whooped and hollered enough (like those brain dead folks in Santa Barbara the night before - they whoop and holler at anything - I used to live in that area);

2. He didn't like the stage lighting - hey man, get there ahead of time and check it out before the show starts, it ain't my fault - I had nothing to do with it.

3. He didn't like the drum kit - hey - the AUDIENCE didn't provide the drums. If you didn't like the drums, then you should have brought your own!

4. He was pissed cause he was missing the Roy Jones/Felix Trinidad fight. Geez - those two guys were BOTH washed up 10 years ago, besides, why was it OUR fault that he had to miss the fight? WE didn't schedule this gig!

5. And then he starts insulting Bakersfield! Hey, I don't come into your home and insult it. I once was at a concert where the band was similarly rude to the audience. Unlike this Saturday night, the audience voiced its displeasure. One of the band members sneered out, "You don't get many bands to come back again, do you?" We replied, "Only when we ask them to come back!"

If anyone should have been pissed off, it was us! He started 30 minutes late, played for less than an hour, and never did do the final number because he got pissed that we didn't kiss his ass enough during his performance. And then we gotta sit there and listen to him insult us.

Hey, if I wanted to pay to be insulted, I'd go to Vegas and catch Don Rickles. What's your problem man?