Today Dr. George Tiller was gunned down while at church in his hometown of Witchita, KS.

Tiller is infamous for his stands and subsequent actions as a late term abortion specialist. I abhor his behaviors and disagreed with him vehemently on these matters. That in no way should give anyone the right to take an innocent life. The person who performed this dastardly act of murder is morally just as wrong as the slain Doctor has been over the years.

The rhetoric needs to be toned down and a civility brought to the discourse. That does not mean that I buy into President Obama’s hollow remarks at the Notre Dame commencement. As a supporter of Life we need to win the argument on its merits since if you understand the issues and the demographics of abortion you would be hard pressed to disagree with my side of the debate.

Let’s keep it civil and understand that one senseless taking of a life does not condone the same. Tiller needs our prayers as he now is left to stand in judgment by the supreme master of our lives. Only our Lord has that right to judge in such a harsh and final manner.

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Over the last few years, a ridiculous trend has started among metal and hard rock bands: soft rock covers.

I really don’t get why people fall for these songs. These are two fundamentally opposite genres, and it’s so obvious that these modern rock acts are doing the covers to score an easy hit. It’s all a pretty perfect scenario for the bands, because if anyone calls them on the fact that they’re playing a song that was written by some 80s synth-pop group, they can just say they were being silly and weren’t serious about it. But when you get down to it, it’s no different than those horrid country covers of Top 40 hits — singing a song with a fake southern accent doesn’t make it different, and the same goes for hitting the distortion stomp box on a soft rock tune.

As with most trends, this one started as something good and fun, but has now been beaten to the ground by throat-screaming neanderthals. As far as I can tell, the first of the soft rock covers was the Foo Fighters’ version of Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street.” They did it the right way, releasing it as a B-side to a single in 1997, but Limp Bizkit ruined everything later that year by using their angsty cover of George Michael’s “Faith” to top the charts.

To be honest, the only reason I’m mad about this is I remember hearing back in Limp Bizkit’s heyday that they were planning on giving the same treatment to Billy Joel’s “Big Shot,” which honestly would have ruled. Alas, it never happened, and instead we’re stuck with Disturbed ripping their way through 80s hits. That is why I’m angry.

Here’s all the soft rock covers by hard rock bands I could think of, in case you wanted to subject yourself to that. And if you know of any more, feel free to share.

Foo Fighters – “Baker Street” (Gerry Rafferty cover)

More videos after the jump.

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A few minutes ago I emailed both of our United States Senators. I understand that they are partisan and hardly listen to anyone with the exception of special interests and the Democrat Leadership of the Senate. Here is the email in its complete detail. I am not one to mince words so don’t be confused by directness and getting straight to the point.

With respect to the current Supreme Court nominee, I have some questions. I am not sure, that by your record’ you will answer them honestly or at all for that matter. I would hope to receive a quick and parsimonious set of responses to these questions and only these questions; if that is not too much to ask.

What is Judicial Realism and do you believe in it?

How have you voted on Supreme Court nominations over your career? Yes or No by candidate.

Do you believe that our Supreme Court Justices should honor the strict letter of the oath they take, once confirmed?

What are your straight forward beliefs on the 1st and 2nd Amendments?

Do you believe in the person or the race? (Perhaps this question is too challenging for your literal mind.)

When Miguel Estrada was being considered for a seat on the 2nd highest court, why did you oppose him? Was his story not compelling enough? Did he lack the legal credentials that you impart to Sonia Sotomayor? Please be specific?
Do you think that you are a bigot? Do you think that your politics get in the way of your judgment?

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If you’re anything like me, you’re in bed before all the late night talk shows come on. But thanks to my friend Brian, I heard about this awesome performance of “So What’cha Want” by the Beastie Boys backed up by the Roots on the Jimmy Fallon program. Now, this isn’t exactly on my playlist (though it’d be awesome if it could be!), but it is in my saved links, so I figure it counts for something. I like this better than the original!

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I know. I can’t believe I just wrote that headline either. But it’s a credible question, and I have a point in asking it.

See, last night I was flipping the channels and was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that VH1 was airing its 40 Most Softsational Soft Rock songs. So naturally I watched it a bit, and it took me back to a simpler time, one where the world had more than just classic rock, top 40 and country radio stations. It made me a little nostalgic.

The reason I felt that way is because, from birth through my middle school years, soft rock radio is what my mom played in the car. And really, it wasn’t so bad. Sure, there was copius amounts of Celine Dion and Michael Bolton that I had to endure, but at least there was also tolerable stuff like Billy Joel and Elton John. I could deal with that.

But then something terrible happened: Shania Twain.

Along with that Canadian jezebel came a whole slew of crossover country artists, and they infiltrated the soft rock radio stations. Then they moved to Top 40. And then the soft rock stations became pop stations, and just like that soft rock radio was dead. Sadly, most of my mom’s taste in music suffered the same fate (Sorry Mom. You’re still the best).

It was at this point that rides to baseball practice became excruciating for my ears. Because without her soft rock — and with the gateway drug that was Twain and Faith Hill — she moved to the country stations. Keep in mind, she never liked country music (meaning the plasticized version that originated in the 80s) up until this point. But it was over. Her James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Simon & Garfunkel CDs started to collect dust, while CDs of horrible excuses for musical “artists” like Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride started popping up in the household. It disrupted dinner, started family bickering over the radio on road trips, and ruined my life in general (OK, so I’m being overdramatic. But this is how I first heard Toby Keith, and I’ll never get those 20 IQ points back).

It was a terrible, horrible, unthinkable situation. And it was all because my mom no longer had a soft rock station.

So, seeing this VH1 special has given me hope. Right now the closet thing we have to soft rock is this movement of pseudo hippie, actually preppy singer-songwriters (e.g. Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson and John Mayer), but maybe soft rock is making a comeback. Maybe new soft rock artists are on the way. Maybe my mom can truly be saved!

That is yet to be seen, but I’m crossing my fingers. In the meantime, I’m going to do all I can to personally resurrect this extinct genre. So, here’s a link to that VH1 list, and check after the jump for some videos of my favorite soft rock songs (typing that did not feel right, at all). Also, check back tomorrow for a disturbing development involving soft rock and an opposing genre.

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Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) has gotten a lot of bad press, and no wonder. It has no nutritional value, and manufacturers use it simply to make cheap ingredients taste better in their food. Do you suffer from bad headaches, especially after you’ve eaten something? It could very well be an MSG allergy that you’ve been completely unaware of. According to the FDA, MSG Symptom Complex or MSG side effects can result in numbness, tingling, headaches, facial pressure, chest pain, and can trigger asthma attacks.

My husband has suffered from blinding migraines for years. He had been to nearly a dozen neurologists, had multiple scans, MRIs, exams, etc., to try to determine what was causing his debilitating pain. His migraines were so severe that he could do nothing more than lie in the dark for eight to twelve hours and wait for them to subside. They did not respond to any medication, and the docs tried quite a few.

Then he stumbled onto a new neurologist when we moved here to Wenatchee. She was the first to show him the migraine diet. If you avoided the foods on the list, you might see some relief, she said. The list below is from the list she gave us.

• Cheese
• Chocolate
• Citrus fruits
• Hot dogs
• Monosodium glutamate
• Aspartame
• Fatty foods
• Ice cream
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Alcoholic drinks, especially red wine and beer

A big problem for migraine sufferers is food with tyramine, so there is now a page dedicated to cutting down on foods with tyramine. Tyramine is found in higher concentrations in foods that have been fermented, such as:

• Aged or blue cheese
• Yogurt
• Smoked, cured or pickled meat or fish
• Red wine or beer
• Soy sauce, miso, tempeh

Another theory is that tannins are diet headache migraine link. Find out what tannins are and where you find them.

Through trial and error, we discovered that the worst offender for his headaches, by FAR, was MSG. We also discovered that manufacturers sneak in MSG in its other forms, and will sometimes even print on the front “NO MSG” when one of these other forms are present. Also beware of “No MSG added” labels, as all that means is they didn’t put in any additional MSG, but that one of their ingredients probably has it in one form or another.

What are these other forms? “Natural flavorings” and “spices” often hide MSG; it’s also called sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed proteins, hydrolyzed vegetable protein or HVP, textured protein, monopotassium glutamate, yeast extract, glutamate, autolyzed plant protein, yeast food or nutrient, glutamic acid, vegetable protein extract, senomyx (a wheat extract commonly labeled as artificial flavor) or autolyzed yeast. Sometimes they even hide it as plain ole “yeast.” Go here for a complete list, and here for more information. It’s in most processed foods, but it’s also often in soups, broths, sauces, gravies, soy sauce, salad dressings, frozen dinners, croutons, stuffing, and some chips. We have -yet- to find a chicken broth that does not have MSG in it in some form or another, even the expensive organic brands.

MSG in all its forms has no nutritional value at all, and might possibly contribute to Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, brain tumors, and seizure disorders, just to name a few, according to medical studies. I would highly suggest cutting it out of your diet as much as you are able to, whether or not you react to it.

If you do suffer from mysterious symptoms and migraines after eating, you have to try to figure out what’s causing it. It’s not the same trigger for everyone. According to this site, the best initial approach isn’t necessarily to stop eating everything on the list cold turkey. Try cutting out a few of the major known triggers and see if it helps, and progress from there.

My husband ended up having to avoid absolutely everything on the list and try one thing at a time over the course of several months to figure out his triggers. And the one that kept throwing us was MSG, because it’s in just about everything. He thought he was avoiding it, until he did further research and discovered the hidden MSG tricks. He now avoids absolutely everything that doesn’t spell out every single ingredient. If anything is vague, such as “natural flavors” or “spices,” he stays away…and his migraines have reduced to about 5% of what they were.

Do any of you have an MSG or other food additive reaction?

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I am currently working on a piece noting our President’s latest adventures into naming yet another Czar. President Barack Hussein Obama (code named Jethro) is on a quest to bring yet another Czar on board. If you have paid attention you should have already noted that his Car Czar is a very accomplished person; just not accomplished with respect to Automobiles. Hang on for the ride, it should prove to be more than most of you ever figured to experience. This is Change That You Can Believe In, just not the change that most of you expected!

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First one I blame my brother for.  Sort of.  I had seen this before but had forgotten about it.  If every group has their own “Stairway To Heaven” (in this case Deep Purple), someone somewhere is going to take liberties with it.

On to Babs and Neil.  That’s Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond.  I’m not going to give my opinions on the artists here, but their 1977 duet “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” gets a new haircut courtesy of The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain……

One more, if only because I 1) like the UOoGB and 2) you discover new groups in the strangest places.  A while back I ran across The Kiaser Chiefs, an English band I don’t know anything about but really like.  How did I find them?  I had posted a video of the UO0GB doing “Shaft” on another website, and one of the other posters said try this.  Well, I did.  Ukuleles Rock!

Have a nice weekend……

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In a recent Safety Valve letter in the Wenatchee World, Grant County PUD Commissioner Terry Brewer shared his concern that Washington State has not officially declared Hydro Electric Generation as renewable. This concern has been voiced by other hydro utilities after the passage of I-937 which requires Washington State utilities to produce fifteen percent of renewable energy by 2020 based on their local ratepayer consumption. The citizens of Washington State passed I-937 to help the Utilities understand that moving into the age of renewable energy is forward-thinking. Increasing our electrical capacity through the use of natural gas or coal is possible but increasingly risky based on our health and environment.

Hydro currently provides 68% of the electrical energy for Washington State. The Columbia River is maxed out on hydro generation. It is unlikely that major hydro expansion will be seen on other rivers in the state. All forms of electrical production have negative impacts. Solar has the advantage of providing a segment of our society an opportunity to produce a high percentage of electrical energy for its homes, but still remain on the grid. When home owners produce electricity they are also more likely to practice conservation. Citizens are increasingly willing to invest in solar but at this point the utilities and the State of Washington are doing little to provide incentives to jump start the process.

The PUDs have been slow in putting emphasis on conservation. This is especially true of the Chelan PUD, with the thought being that our rates are low so why conserve. The Chelan PUD has an active program of conservation for industrial users but minimal emphasis on residential. Obviously it is easier to deal with the limited number of industrial customers than work with the many individual home owners.

I am concerned that the efforts by the Chelan and Grant County PUDs to push for renewable designation of hydro is based, to a great extent, on their resistance to invest in other alternative energy sources. Hydro is renewable, independent of the designation by Washington State, but the increasing effort and tremendous costs of mitigating fish and habitat damage makes it less of an ideal renewable. If the PUDs which utilize hydro are operated properly financially they should be able to help underwrite some of the costs of future energy sources such as solar, with ratepayer participation. Let’s insist on future-thinking options for our energy future rather than spend time defending the past. Hydro is renewable. Solar is a viable consideration for homeowners. Let’s encourage our utilities to support the future, and not spend time and money justifying the past.

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“A Beautiful End”
J.R. Richards, $9.49

If you think you don’t know who J.R. Richards is, I have three words for you: “Counting Blue Cars.” Yes, it’s the same Richards who fronted ’90s alt-rock band Dishwalla. Though the group was always pretty vanilla when it came to its musical reaches, many people loved the emotional accessibility of the songs. The band is like the Goo Goo Dolls without any punch — a thinner sound that weakened the group’s sustainability. But what Dishwalla lacked, it made up for in deep lyrics, and Richards’ rasp continues to go unmatched.

This week, Richards released his debut solo album, “A Beautiful End,” in digital format worldwide (it reportedly will be made available in physical form later on). He keeps to the melodic style that made Dishwalla a success, notably on the title piece, “Person for You” and “June Becomes July.” On “I Will Give You Life,” he takes on a dark, new agey mimicry of Evanescence. The turn, while pretty, is the one low point of Richards’ record. The rest of the way, the singer carries on with his simple sappiness that is the white, fluffy down comforter of alternative rock. “You’re the Only Way Home” may as well be a pile of lilac-scented pillows, gently warmed by a late-morning sunbeam. And it’s that simplicity that has always made Richards easy to love.

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