VivaZapata's Comments (157)

“Songwriter Exchange
179 W. Houston St. [Apt. 9]
NY 10014
dinner served; donation suggested
bring liquids if inclined.”

“The real ongoing open NYC songwriter's meetings are at Jack Hardy's Songwriter Exchange, every Monday night. 30 plus years and has been the well spring to Fast Folk, Speakeasy and many concerts at the now defunct Bottom Line. It harkens back to the Beatnik and Folk eras but is not limited to any one style. Info @ 1 (212) 989-7088, or go to jackhardy.com”

“this is still the same old shell game of moving money (that isn't really representative of anything) around. each government infusion brings us closer to a far more awful day of reckoning when taxes (to pay for it all) and austerity will really cripple the United States for decades upon decades.”

“pattikess is so right. popular support will quickly dissipate for obama and congress if he wavers, or worse, concedes, on the public option.

strategically, the administration policy makers were bad poker players; they played it as they promised it in the election which was honest, but they needed to immediately call for a full single payer program. Then if that went sour, show compromise and agree to a public option.

the obama administration is showing a severe case of naiveté. you can't mediate and be conciliatory with people who are out to get you at all costs. hell, they tore into clinton like a pack of jackals, and he was the most republican-minded democrat ever.”

“sure hope you're right, sandy.”

“I want him to say, "To my friends across the aisle who obviously won't cooperate with any initiative I attempt, go blank yourselves; we're moving on."”

“Sometimes for our own dignity, we have to let go. To be clear, my mother never should have been advised to go through the unnecessary suffering that she did, which turned out to be little more than a pocket liner for a system determined to make money off other people's suffering.

Hospice counseling is far more humane than inducing nausea when the struggle is futile. White coated vampire's preying on the most primal desire to survive is the cruelest of behaviors, and it is neither conservative nor liberal; it's just about the money.”

“Great piece. I was ready to grit my teeth when i saw the headline, but I'm glad i read on. As far as Dr. Weil goes, I agree completely, but there are issues that he's neglected to address, first and foremost is the hysteria over talk show radio's rabid insistence that Obama is encouraging death panels. Yesterday I shared the story of my mother who passed away twenty two years ago, and it went like this:

Prior to my mother receiving the bad news that she had melanoma, a private practice doctor picked away at a growth on one of her toes and never sent the tissue to the lab. Months later when the growth got bigger and the tissue was examined and cancer was diagnosed, they amputated a toe, but it was too late. then they treated her with a chemotherepy that had already been proven ineffective against that type of cancer. The chemo made her sick for the nine months she took it. The doctor was cold and also cavalier whenever questioned. She died, but private doctors and hospitals made plenty of money off her before that happened.

Towards the end of the struggle, she received thanatological counseling at Mother Cabrini hospital's hospice program. The staff was kind and caring and answered whatever was on her mind. It was the best medicine and the only one that had any effect.”

“There might be something to this. Anecdotally speaking, I was in a situation a month ago that really got to me and I felt my heart beating like it was going to burst through my chest. Lots of trouble sleeping.

I also find that doing facial exercises helps release jaw tension and can be beneficial.

I think I'll go to bed now.”

“oh yeah. the dukes. waylon jennings could narrate a george bush press conference and make it sound good.”

“good evening, monica angela. always enjoy yours as well. love, VZ”

“the only exception i would take to this extremely funny bit is that it is not elitist to recognize that too many wrongheaded decisions are made by snookering an uninformed american populace. borat gave us the best exemplification of just how much stupidity is out there because it came from the dummies' own mouths, but maher's statistical analysis is a close second.”

“agreed. the capitalists are able to live an eighteenth century squire's life but for those earning under 200,000 a year, twenty-first century realities are taking their toll, from marginalized healthcare to eroding retirement possibilities, not to mention the multitude of increasing social ills to which wealthy gated communities are mostly immune. loved the russell quote.”

“Witty, as usual and true red, white and blue.”

“Dear Martin,
As she wrote in her entry, she's most specifically opposed to mountain top removal as a method of mining, and then goes further to suggest alternatives. We can get our mining the old fashioned way and still have a countryside called America The Beautiful. We can also harness the wind that blows down the remaining mountain tops (which she also notes).”

“If this coup fails, it would, hopefully, make future attempts anywhere in the world a scarier proposition. Latin America is finally standing up for itself against the oligarchs and corporations.”

“power brokers like rahm emmanuel never like independent-minded people on their team, and howard dean is certainly one of those. someone on these pages made a good point that they'll rush to save unhealthy banks but not move forward for unhealthy people.”

“New York has always had it's nay sayers and promoters, but whether it is negative or positive, NYC is the city to which other cities are most often compared. The only real issue isn't in terms of its greatness or depravity.

Is New York losing its unique flavor? There is concern that some of the international and ethnic feel of the city is giving way; that New York is in danger of pricing itself out of being interesting.”

“Sometimes it seems like Obama feels that the election itself was the needed change and now it's ok to coast on the big disturbing issues. When conservative legislatures are against government funded health coverage because the government can do it cheaper and more effectively, you have to question why the administration doesn't use this to say, "Well what needs to be represented, insurance companies or the well being of the people?"”

“yeah. like, i have no idea what that article is about. now, i don't care to.”

“yes and no. while hate radio keeps anti-semitism and racial bigotry alive and well, the nation has always had a high level of these prejudices.”

“Be wary of underestimating people: I believe Coulter knows what she's saying, does it for effect and doesn't give a damn about the consequences.”

“i meant to say that i don't disagree with anything you've said.”

“Cheney benefitted through his Halliburton holdings. I don't agree with anything you've said. In fact I clearly remember that before 9/11, they were beating the drums of war with Iraq but the public wasn't buying it.”

“I made no assumption at all. one fact is all you offered. then you threw in a sensationalist webpage as if all the combined items in it were justification for mass murder. i do not think so. i made no defense of sadaam hussein, so please refrain from referring to my comments as rationalization. we have a difference of opinion regarding the validity for the response.”