Freddie Hubbard, RIP

I love music. One of my favorite genres is jazz. So, I was sad today to hear about the passing of Freddie Hubbard--one of jazz's greats. Hubbard was born in Indianapolis in 1938 and (as the story goes or at least how indystar.com has reported it) cut his teeth on Indiana Avenue before he made his name outside the Hoosier state. It is odd to think of Indiana Avenue as having a great music scene at some point. Right now it only seems like a street that will get you to a Qdoba and Hotbox Pizza in the same location.

If you have never heard Hubbard's music, check it out. My favorite is Ready for Freddie, which Blue Note re-released a few years ago. I was just listening to it a couple of days ago while I was getting the house ready for Christmas. It is unbelievable music, no matter if you are a fan of jazz or not. I would also recommend Red Clay, Here to Stay, or hub-tones.

Hubbard, along with the great Wes Montgomery, are the titans of the Indianapolis jazz scene and now both are gone. I hope one day that the city will come up with a fitting tribute to both.

Paging Spicoli

People still talk like this?

Bailout, et al

The kid is a busy man. It's been awhile since I have had time to put my thoughts out here for my enjoyment (I doubt it is for any one's enjoyment but mine). And due to the passage of time between posts, my topic may seem a little dated. But my anger is not. So, without further delay I present my random thoughts on all that is the bailout, which I have streamlined in form due to the busy holidays.

I'm pissed off that we have a bailout for any companies. Business is about risk. If you take a chance and someone is there to bail your ass out, it is not a risk.

I'm pissed off that there's no bailout for good decent people who have lost their jobs, their savings, or for their emotional sanity while we wait this thing out.

I'm pissed off that the banks yelled and screamed that if they didn't get a damn cash infusion, the economy would collapse. I'm not talking in a week, I'm talking right fucking now. Give us the money or we will look back on 1929 as the good ole days. So we give them the money and they promptly pay down their own debt, buy other banks, give bonuses to their higher-ups, and stop loaning to anyone who doesn't have a credit rating over 750 and a million dollar a year job. Awesome.

I'm pissed off that we gave these assholes 700 billion dollars without one of them showing up and explaining why they needed it. And the American auto industry wants (by comparison) a paltry 15 billion and we march them into Washington and have them testify. So why GM, Chrysler, and Ford's CEO's are sweating it on C-Span the execs at AIG are on the damn golf course. Makes sense to me.

I'm pissed off that those knuckleheads from the Big Three didn't have a PR person to tell them that flying on a private jet to go beg for money isn't the right message to send.

I'm pissed off that the American auto industry has come to this.

I'm pissed off at myself that I didn't buy an American car a few years back. I'm pissed off at the American auto industry for not putting out a car that I could afford in my price range. I'm pissed off at myself for being pissed off at myself because this is a free market system and if the Big Three couldn't compete for my price range, it isn't my fault.

I'm pissed off at my girlfriend and a great percentage of Americans who think American car companies make crappy products. Maybe in the 70's but not right now. The quality is not that far from the Japanese automobiles.

I'm pissed off that an American car company has finally made a car I really want. I am obsessed with the Chevy Malibu. But, I am going to pay off my car next month, my job security sucks, and even if I wanted to be a dumbass and buy a new car right now, I probably wouldn't get a loan.

I'm pissed off that people seem to blame the auto worker for the Big Three's troubles. They are just trying to make a living too. For goodness sake, if the Big Three can pay their execs out the ass you are telling me a guy that has worked the line for 30 years shouldn't make 40 bucks an hour?

I'm pissed off because the American car companies are poorly run. What the hell is the difference between a GMC truck and a Chevy truck? They look exactly the same to me. I don't know if it makes sense to have several different factories making the same damn thing.

I'm pissed off at that jackass senator from Alabama who fought the bailouts for the Big Three. Of course Alabama has several car manufactures in the State-- all foreign based. How did you get those companies down there genius? Oh that's right-- tax incentives. So it is okay to give tax-payer dollars to a foreign owed entity but not to good ole American companies. Nice work there Red.

I'm pissed off that anyone would think that America would be America without our car companies. There's no doubt, it just wouldn't be the same without them. The Big Three are as much a part of our culture as Hollywood films and fast food. Which happen to be the only things that we produce that the rest of the world still cares about.

I'm pissed off that we could have lived in a world where there would never again be a brand new Chevy Corvette. That's one of the most beautiful things you could ever see.

I'm glad President Bush did the right thing and helped out the industry.

I'm glad that I live in a country that no matter how tough things get, we always pull up our bootstraps and get out of the mess we are in.