Bumbastories News Updates…… Sanders Announces!
Bernie Sanders, independent senator from the proud state of Vermont, a relentless progressive who seems to have some balls as well as brains, is going to seek the Democratic Party Nomination for the office of President of the United States. Bernie is running for president, taking on Hillary, who currently looks a bit shaky. Immediately we say that poor ol’ Bernie has no chance. Why?? Ross Perot was a viable third-party candidate and influenced the debate on the deficit. Jimmy Carter was not a household name at first. What if people (that’s us, campers) suddenly showed strong support for Bernie? What if progressive Democrats and other progressives, as well as people who simply seek a truthful representative, what if they made their presence felt? What if they organized and supported Sen. Sanders if only to have a voice and to establish a counterweight to the present oligarchy? OK, that’s enough politics for a while. how about Up a Lazy River, played by Maybank and Bumba the other day?
**************************************** Worried: Watch Out: More Political Commentary Kurt Vonnegut, in his Preface to Breakfast of Champions offers a comical (dark, but comical), nutshell version of American history. He talks of the white pirate-marauders who got off their ships and subjugated the red people (the red people were defeated because they repeatedly underestimated the marauders’ capacity for cruelty). The white marauders then then brought over black people as slaves to work the fields for them. Kurt then goes on to analyze the absurdity of the national anthem. He concludes his summary of American history: “It was always about race”. Politics all comes down to economics, economics comes down to education and privilege, and it all comes back to race. The latest offenses in Baltimore join a long, long string of brutalities against Blacks. Perhaps video cameras will help. Transparency (or honesty as they used to call it) in government is always good, and it’s interesting to see who opposes disclosure of information. The fight for truth and justice goes on. Personally, we at Bumbastories are worried. We sung the Worried Man Blues yesterday. Click to hear.
************************************ Last month’s mid-week magazine featured a little tribute to the wizard of Bakersfield, Buck Owens. 
Continuing in this tip-of-the-hat to Buck Owens, and also because I love to play these songs, here’s Bumba’s version of Cryin Time, another of Buck’s classics. Although Bumba recorded this version of Cryin Time two days ago, Buck Owens had a hit with it in 1965 or so I’s guess. The song was recorded famously by the great Ray Charles, whose best-selling album of the same name was widely hailed as a daring cross-over of musical styles or genres. 
Black musicians didn’t do much country-western before Ray (and they still don’t, do they?). Ray explained that he liked to find good songs with good lyrics and it didn’t matter where it came from. Indeed, Ray was able to put his own signature on everything he did. Naturally Ray added something special to the country western scene. Ray helped to mix things up a bit, which is generally a good thing for music and for people in general.
Oh, it’s cryin’ time again, you’re gonna leave me, I can see that far away look in your eyes, I can tell by the way you hold me, darling, That it won’t be long before it’s cryin’ time, Now they say that absence Makes the heart grow fonder, And that tears are only rain to make love grow, Well my love for you could never grow no stronger, If I live to be a hundred years old, So, it’s cryin’ time again, you’re gonna leave me, I can see that far away look in your eyes, I can tell by the way you hold me, darling, That it won’t be long before it’s cryin’ time, Now you say that you’ve found someone you love better, That’s the way it’s happened every time before, And as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow, Cryin’ time will start when you walk out the door, Oh, it’s cryin’ time again, your gonna leave me, I can see that far away look in your eyes, I can tell by the way you hold me, darling, That it won’t be long before it’s cryin’ time. ************************************ Sports Update: OK, Clippers fans. It all comes down to one game tomorrow night at Staples Center. Game 7 against the reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. All the games have been great. The playoffs (the first round) have been entertaining so far. And the Clippers-Spurs series has been the marque match-up, and the best one. Both teams are great. 
As a Clippers fan for 25 years already, the taste success is sweet. Can the Clips move on to the next level? May the best team win. **********************************
An Occasional Story or Magazine 
Already you’re picking a running mate! but for two centavos, it’s OK to speculate. The campaign trail is long, long. Did you see Mike Huckabee’s announcement? Hilarious, but a sad remender of what this campaign is going to look like. Bernie could be a breath of fresh air, or a tank of oxygen.
Per RMW, I love Bernie but I think Hillary should choose Juan Castro as her running mate, as he ticks all the boxes (young, Latino, progressive, experienced Mayor, I think, from the Southwest to balance her locations, etc.). Just my two centavos.
I think Bernie Sanders is a breath of fresh air. Interestingly, his brother is running for Parliament in the current British election. If he doesn’t win (and he most likely won’t) I believe he is going to join Bernie’s campaign. Now I was a Hillary supporter in the past and I will support her again but Bernie sticking pins in her can only be a good thing… maybe it will be a Hillary and Bernie ticket! I’m good with that!
In any case, it will help to have a debate. Interesting family those Sanders.
a progressive politician, I never thought I would see the day, that just leaves convincing the great unwashed to actually support change get get undisallusioned (it’s a word and i will make it’s new Wikipedia entry later I promise). Could such a thing be possible…
I like that Undisallusioned. Does it really clean dishes? And, to answer the second question, anything is possible.
It cleans like you wouldn’t believe! I know I don’t.
Oh, well, shouldn’t we all be worried… but then, what a way to be ‘worried’!!!
Cheers, Stephen!
Curious: what fell off at 1:14?!!!!
Happy May, my friend.
Happy May. Happy May Day to you, Marina!
I am for Bernie. He is the one person in Congress who seems to have, as you say, brains and brass. Unfortunately, I don’t have much confidence in either for the voting public.
Money, underlies all of our issues. And, when you have a SCOTUS that votes for a handful of billionaires to buy our elections, what hope do any of the remaining issues have?
SCOTUS I had to look it up. Sounds like a medical illness. Well, it’s the Supreme Court. Yes, these days are not without their tragedies. Yes, the control by those people and entities with money is nearly total. But the power always resides with the people. And (as I say in my book The Phantom Speaks, and it has a cute illustration of a baseball player swinging a bat) “at least they can go down swinging”. Keep swinging.
A great round-up collection Bumba and exciting times ahead. Imagine living so long and having to decide, in a new century, between a Bush and a Clinton . . . On another note I have to tell you how excited I was to be in Bakersfield a few months ago. Sadly it was not long enough but long enough to feel like a stranger in town!
Did you drive down Buck Owens Boulevard?
I’d like to vote for Bernie Sanders, Bumba. I’ve been following him off and on for some years. I think the rest of the world should have a say in who becomes US president, don’t you – since US policy affects so much of the world. So lets hear it for Bernie. Yay!
That’s true about the entire world being caught up in American politics. The way this run will play out will be interesting. On the other hand, I don’t see why the entire world needs to be subjected to watching the Republican candidates campaign! The media shows no mercy. Yay for Bernie!
You are welcome, Amy. Thanks for the kind words.
Some fine playing and singing, Stephen. Thanks for the sweet tunes.