My conversation with a Communist and his cat in a Bar

 Yes, the title is accurate...

Sitting in playing music and having a beer in a bar a couple nights ago I decided to then try a different spot. 

An Irish bar known for having traditional Irish music one night a week I sat down and saw across the bar a gentleman with a cat.

Yes, this guy had a cat with him in the bar, so I asked the bartender " Who's that guy over there with the cat?" She said " Yes he comes in regularly with his cat"

So, being a cat person myself having two felines, I approached the man and asked if I could pet his cat. He said yes, but she may get a little feisty. 

I let the cat check me out and then began petting her saying " She knows I'm a cat person"

I began conversing with this guy and he almost immediately said he's from Russia.

I would not have guessed that because he spoke perfect English with an American accent.

He said he immigrated to America 30 years ago, but then also told me he lives in China as well. So I deduced this man gets around...

"But I get around also a lot "I told him, "I'm a professional musician since the late 70s who's toured extensively in Europe and performed in Beijing as well as Communist Poland before the Berlin wall came down in 86."

I asked him "So as a former Russian what do you think of our politics, you know Trump and Biden?"

He said " Two sides of the same coin" Ok, I hear that a lot, so that wasn't that surprising...

But then I stated " I think Biden and democrats are actually more like Communists now"

He stated " Well it depends on your definition of Communism"

I've heard this before...Hard leftists Communists, and nearly ALL socialists will tell you " It depends on your definition of Communism/Socialism" Or, well the New type of Socialism is much different than 50 years ago, It's " Democratic Socialism"

I told him " I've seen real Communism with my own eyes in Poland and more recently in Beijing in 2009"

He said " Well that was a long time ago, China's much different now"

I said, uh not really, the Chinese Communists present a FACADE of Capitalism, but they still tightly control EVERYTHING that happens in that Country. 

He said " I think China is the way to go now, that's the was things need to go"

I was flabbergasted...In my mind I was thinking " This guy is the real deal, a hard core committed Communist who's either bought the Chinese propaganda, or is here in America to SELL Communism to Americans"

I asked " So are you a professor? Do you work at the University" 

" No" he said

OK, I didnt pursue his employment or career anymore.

But what I ended with was this " So you've come here from Russia, you've seen that kind of oppression and authoritarianism where you came from, and now you think China's system is the way to go forward?" I asked him,  "So what about the Chinese government squashing the Uihyger people and putting them in concentration camps? Or the Chinese govt. Crushing and bulldozing Christian Churches in different cities imprisoning some Christians for their beliefs?" 

He had no answer...

I walked away sort of shaking my head...

The Cat let me pet it BTW...

I'm just the Sax player dont shoot me...

What ive learned the last 4 years...

 Quite a few of the supposed racist acts turned out to be hoaxes. ( Jussie Smollett, Bubba Wallace Garage pull rope)

The government will use a pandemic to try to gain extreme control over us. ( Lockdowns of Schools, Churches, theaters, forced Vakxz on Healthcare workers and many other professions and if they didnt get it they were fired), I was told personally by the Denver mayors office I can't play a music job in that town.

So called respected high ranking Healthcare officials either had no idea what they were doing, or were just flat out lying to us. 

Friends and even family would turn on eachother if they believed one of them was unvakzed. Some are still acting this way.

The Vakxz did not stop us from getting sick, nor did it stop transmission of Kovid. ( I got Kovid in November 2022, so did my Dad who's had 4 Vakzinations, I've had Zero.)

The Media are mostly liars who have political agendas. Or they're just reading a script handed to them and don't really care about what the truth is.

Social media companies run by mostly liberal democrats were definitely working with and colluding with FBI, Dept. Of Justice and more kicking off conservatives, or Trump voters, or just Republicans. Elon Musk buying Twitter has revealed all of this, which we knew to be true previously but just couldn't prove it.

Politicians lie constantly...

Politicians and high ranking health officials in government have become very wealthy the last 3 years through the pandemic.

If climate change is real, and the seas are rising, why are people like the Obamas buying multiple very expensive beach houses.

Politicians who virtue signal to their voter base that walls keeping out illegal immigrants at our border is immoral and not Christian like, but then will build new walls around their own houses to keep out the riff raff...

The people who scream the loudest about illegal immigration that we have to allow the entire world into our neighborhoods, when confronted with same illegal immigrants in their backyards did not want them there. (Martha's Vineyard, Kamalas front yard)

Politicians particularly of the Democrat type forced us to wear masks everywhere while they were caught numerous times violating their own mask rules.

Politicians told us not to travel, while traveling in airplanes themselves sometimes the very day they told us not to.

For 45 years women who have strived to gain equality in sports are now suddenly getting beaten by much larger and faster men pretending to be women. The government seems to be OK with this.

If we agree with 2,000 year old Christian doctrines and sacred vows of traditional marriage we're called bigots and homophobic.

 A Christian bakery owner can be sued three times by homosexuals even after winning his case at the supreme court, But those same people will say get your religion out my face and out of the public square.

If you riot in 20 American cities for 8 months burning down blocks and blocks of businesses and looting hundreds of walmarts and target stores and small businesses, you're called a "peaceful protester" by media and likely won't be arrested, but if you are a group of 200 or so angry Americans that were infiltrated by FBI plants egging them into the U.S. capitol, you're a violent insurrectionist and will spend 2 years in a D.C. Jail with no trial violating their constitutional rights...

People who are famous "Christians" will do things that are completely against what the Bible teaches and love the applause of the crowd.

My faith must be in The Lord Jesus Christ alone...

And that's what I've learned...

Don't shoot me, I'm just the Sax player

January 8, 2023

Democrats were once the champions of free speech. No longer...

 Not that long ago Democrats were the champions of free speech...

 I remember the protests on college campuses in the 60s and 70s where particularly at campuses like Berkeley in California or  C.U. Boulder the left marched and chanted Free Speech! And had signs declaring that.

Todays Democrats on college campuses and on the internet and particularly on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube literally SQUASH the free speech of those they disagree with. 

How many times have we seen the likes of Ben Shapiro, Ann Coulter, Milo Yiannoupolis kicked off college campuses in the last five years? How many conservatives like James Woods, or Diamond and Silk, or Dan Bongino, or Sharyll Atkisson have been either shadow banned or completely kicked off those platforms? And that's just the famous ones...

How many Joe conservatives have been cyber jailed or put in facebooks famous timeout or completely kicked off these platforms? Heck I'm a nobody just a musician and I've been in Facebook timeout this year MORE than not...and don't smugly say "Well you violated their terms and they're a private business so they can do that"  

Hogwash, numerous times I've protested Facebooks judgment cyber jailing me and several times they've admitted a mistake.

  Today's Democrats are the exact opposite of what they were just a few years ago who now proclaim with their smug noses in the air that "Social media companies are private businesses who can ban, shut down, shadow ban and throw off of their platforms whoever they want" 

Wow, what a complete 180 degree turnaround from just 3-4 years ago. Suddenly, and within the last few years those on the left have now thrown away their anti capitalist anti corporate ideals, now proclaiming "Big business is great!, as long as it's big business that completely squashes and eradicates the free speech of those I disagree with! Awesome!"

Just a few years ago Democrats were still protesting "Down with the Man!" meaning down with the evil government leaders and bureaucrats and the military industrial complex they saw as wicked oppressors and war mongers. Now, Suddenly, Democrats are no longer screaming "Down with the man!" They ARE THE MAN.

Now that Democrats ARE THE MAN and in charge of big government and the millions of beauracrats like the 87 thousand new IRS agents that they want to hire and arm, suddenly it's "Hey! We need those thousands of Tax collectors to catch and arrest all the tax scofflaws!" Not to mention raid all the thousands of small businesses that we don't like! Arrest those Ruffian law breakers!" 

Hey, If they can raid the former presidents house what else can they get away with?

We won't mention that just two years ago during the height of the pandemic,  Democrat politicians like Pelosi, Maxine Watters, AOC or Others were saying " Oh those rioters in Kenosha and L.A. are just blowing off steam, I don't know why there aren't more protesters in the streets!" 

It's like Democrats core beliefs and ideals are completely fungible, able to change according to whether their politicians are in charge at the moment...

Or maybe they don't actually HAVE any core beliefs and ideals...but that's another blog...

Don't shoot me I'm just the Sax player...

We need to talk about Depression...

We need to talk about depression...

I've endured it several years ago (2007-2009)

It's like a gigantic black hole or cave that has no end, it's definitely real... Those who've never been in clinically diagnosed depression have no idea...

It's as real as your daily life or world, and to those in it they feel as there's no escape. Some are lucky enough to get a type of help that actually helps, I was one of those.

A Christian nurse I was pointed to by a counselor at a church I once played for, at the first meeting I had with her put me on different medications, that within 2 days made the black hole of depression nearly disappear. I also started sleeping again, which hadn't happened for 2 years...Is there some side effects to medication? Yes, but compared to the never ending black hole it's like waking up out of the worst nightmare you've ever had...

People around me ( Some) said I was making up clinical depression, that it was all in my head...even a doctor at my huge HMO said it was all in m head, with my relative agreeing with him while we were sitting in his office, in the same room...I guarantee you it's not all in your head.

As a Christian, I think there's a spiritual aspect to depression, or what the Bible calls "A spirit of heaviness" (Isaiah 61:3) because that's exactly what it feels like...

Thankfully I was able to pull out of clinically diagnosed depression with the help of a Christian nurse who was extremely wise, knowledgeable, and perceptive.

Unfortunately not everyone does...and a few get to the point where they see no way out.

If you feel like there's no way out...that the black tunnel will not end there's help. Try a different doctor, or a different therapist, or try a different medication because they are not all the same. You have to find what medication works for you...

If people around you are saying it's all in your head you should probably get away from them, at least for awhile, because they are not helping in any way, and in fact may be making it worse...

And Yes, pray like crazy and get around people who will pray with and for you, because it could be your life. Thanks.                 

I'm just the Sax Player...

The life and Career of a professional musician is something like this...

    If a working musician is really good... they'll have a ton of gigs or music performances in their lifetime, even thousands, especially when they're in their 20's, 30's and 40's and even up into their 50's or 60's, but they will also most likely be teaching students in some form. Whether it's at a school music dept., a College, or private lessons. There's a real possibility they'll also have a day job of some kind, say, bus driver, or website builder, or a computer graphics designer, or maybe on staff part time at a church playing every weekend.

If They're REALLY good and get lucky, they may be in a band that's touring and playing gigs in front of a lot of people and be fairly well paid for it, at least for awhile, but even those musicians have to find some sort of work when the Rock and Roll tour ends for the season and they're back home for 4 months.

Even those who get very lucky and land those coveted touring gigs where you're traveling all over the country (and out of the Country) those situations don't last forever...a player may have a touring job with a well known artist or band for maybe 4-6 years unless you're playing for the Rolling Stones, but even those touring situations end at some point...

Then the Band breaks up, or the artist that writes most of the songs gets a big head and breaks up the band and moves to Nashville or L.A. to be a rock star with no notice, and you are left floundering trying to find work...Or 2 members of the band can't get along and decide they want to do their own thing and so the band breaks up, and there goes the touring gigs with an almost steady paycheck coming in but not quite...

Most musicians don't reach that stage where they get hired by or help found a nationally known band that's doing arena rock gigs, and they'll most likely play thousands of gigs in local situations for several different bands in the same city. These high quality musicians will most assuredly have a teaching job of some sort, a private teaching studio, or some sort of day job as well as performing hundreds of gigs at corporate parties, weddings, clubs, bars, and social events such as summer in the park concerts locally every year.

Many of these musicians may have a steady church gig of some sort that pays them (If they're lucky) that they do after playing a couple late night shows locally in their town, and they will do this week in and week out for many years or even decades, while raising a family performing late night gigs until midnight or 1 am, then playing at church having to be there at 7:00 am (I did this for 20 years myself)

Even Bach had steady Church gigs...

If a musician is exceptionally good, they may make a partial living by playing on other people's records, or by running a recording studio themselves, where other artists pay them to use their recording studio. However, to do that you have to purchase a lot of very expensive professional recording equipment. and keep it updated constantly which is very costly...

In today's digital online virtual world some musicians make money uploading videos and their songs to streaming sites or huge video sites like YouTube. I myself do this and have hundreds of videos on YouTube...But these digital upload sites pay pennies, and I mean pennies for thousands of views or streams...

Some musicians land what's called a steady gig at a resort, restaurant, club, amusement park, or posh hotel where they'll stay employed for perhaps a few years and it will provide a decent living for that few years. But even those players may have to have a second job of some kind especially if they're married and have kids.

There are highly trained musicians that land long time gigs in symphonies or orchestras in the largest cities or for touring shows that come through big cities, but only the best of the best get hired for those big city symphony jobs and they are extremely competitive and not easy to land. Even those highly trained and world class symphony players may have to have a teaching gig or a private studio, or online private lessons to pay rent in expensive big cities like New York or Chicago.

Those who compose music for Movies and TV shows are well paid if they're for network TV shows or large scale Films otherwise the pay may be meager for second rate films.

The reason I'm telling you all this is because a lot of people have no idea how a musician makes a living, and there are some today who think musicians should just play music for free because they download and stream music all day for free or pennies, so why should I have to pay a band or musician anything?

Yes, I've talked to those types over the last 20 years, thankfully most people are not that clueless, but please remember this what I've typed here the next time you want a band or a musician for your company event, party, wedding or social gathering. Thanks. 

I'm Just the sax player...

Why the Climate Justice crowd is dead wrong...

 Everything we use today is made of plastic or something derived from oil... The interiors of cars including electric cars are plastic or a synthetic material derived from oil, the computer screens that are in everything from cars to gamers monitors to iphones and all cellphones, to Macbooks, to the carpet in houses is made from synthetic materials derived from oil. Every drug we take whether prescription or non prescription comes in a plastic bottle that is derived from oil.

Eye glasses lenses and the frames are made from plastic derived from oil, the toothbrushes we use today including the bristles are made of plastic derived from oil, as well as the tubes our toothpaste is encased in. I remember in the 1970s toothpaste came in a soft metallic tube not plastic...the containers of everything from laundry detergent, to peanut butter jars, to quarts of motor oil, to ketchup and mustard bottles, to wrappers of bread keeping bread fresh are made from plastic derived from oil. 

The TV screens these millenials that rant about destroying big oil companies and STOP FRACKING watch Netflix on and the back panels are all made from plastic. The smart devices that millenials love to talk to and that make life so convenient are encased in plastic derived from oil. The tires on their cars are made from rubber and some form of synthetic materials or tar. The roads we all drive on are made from tar derived from oil...The bumpers, fenders and all lights on their Prius' and Teslas are plastic made from oil.

 Vinyl albums that woke climate justice millennials ( and older people) buy are made from oil. I bought many of those same vinyl albums 45 years ago and they were still made from oil back then...Their Bluetooth speakers are mostly plastic as are their blutooth headphones and car speakers are all plastic derived from oil... Their phone plug wires are coated by plastic, the phone plugs are encased in plastic, and the power strips we plug a hundred appliances and computers in are made of plastic...all derived from oil.

Anything we store food in to keep it fresher including refrigerator and freezer doors are plastic derived from oil. The credit and debit cards we're all becoming dependent on are made of plastic as are the card readers...

These climate justice people like AOC and most of that entire generation ( and older people who should know better) are so dependent on plastic derived from oil yet they're so ridiculously ignorant they think it all just appears out of nothing...they will destroy everything including their own standard of living ( and ours) and believe they're righteous and moral doing so...blindingly stupid.

Ghostbusters afterlife review ( From a Christian perspective)

First I'll say I'm a Ghostbusters fan I admit it and this new Ghostbusters film didn't disappoint. 

I've written about this film series before here's the link...

I'm just the sax player: Prophetic Biblical implications of Ghostbusters (imjustthesaxplayer.blogspot.com)

This was obviously a labor of love for director Jason Reitman and an homage to his Father Ivan Reitman's two adored films of 37 years ago...

There are a large number of throwbacks and insertions in the new film of dialogue lines, ideas, and props taken straight from the original movie of 1984 which fans of these films will love including the one writing this...

This film had me laughing out loud in several places particularly the Stay Puft miniaturized living marshmallow men wreaking havoc in Walmart, a bizarre but hilarious scene straight out of todays Americana...

The first film in 1984 was extremely entertaining and had a lot of great humor, wit, a great plot line, and a certain spiritual element to it I've always found intriguing as a bible believing Christian...

Who can forget Dan Ackroyd and Ernie Hudson talking about God, Jesus, and the dead rising from the grave as if it were the biblical last days in Ecto one in the first movie...

The paraphrase in that scene that Ackroyd quotes ( or misquoted the wrong verse number) is Revelation 6:12  "And I looked as he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, the sun turned black as sackcloth and the moon became as blood" which is also used partially in the new films scene where the characters are driving through the gates of Egon Spenglers "Dirt Farm"

Having said that, I also keep in mind that the makers of Ghostbusters ( including the most recent film) don't really hold a Christian world view. Why? one might ask.

These films are extremely entertaining and fun to watch, but I've done my research on the filmmakers and screenwriters of the original two Ghostbusters movies, Harold Ramis and particularly Dan Ackroyd who is an extremely talented actor, musician, and filmmaker. All of the ideas used in the brand new film are derived straight from Ackroyds and Ramis' original screenplay of 1984.

Dan Ackroyd was raised a Catholic in Ontario Canada and even went to a Catholic seminary at one point and was considering becoming  a priest, but then quit school and became a comedian instead. From his own statements Ackroyd reveals he's brought his Catholic beliefs and inserted them into his films but also his Occultic beliefs he learned from his grandfather who was a Spritualist

Dan Ackroyd has stated a few things publicly that are a bit confusing and somewhat contradictory concerning his spiritual beliefs, like in one interview he says " I'm a Christian " but in a different interview he states he's a "Spiritualist". 

Spiritualism and Christianity are adamantly opposed to one another and here's why. 

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, inteprets Omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord. Deuteronomy 18:10-12

You must not  turn to Mediums or spiritists, do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:31

Mr. Ackroyd says his grandfather was a Spiritualist which means they likely had seances at their house and spoke to the dead including dead relatives. 

He fully admits his belief in Spiritualism and that means it's likely he practices those rituals of seances, using mediums to speak to the dead, which would certainly explain the plots of some of his movies of which there's a plethora of dead spirits in the first film and this one demonic entities.

In The original film there's a scene where Sigourney weaver's character is possessed by "Zuul" as well as Rick Moranis' Character Louis Tully which holds true in this current sequel. 

The film makers admit to even naming the demons that possess their two characters as "Demon Dogs" so there's no hiding the fact that we're dealing with not just ghosts but demons.

The bible specifically forbids performing occultic rituals of speaking to the dead, or communicating with any supposed dead human, because it's not dead relatives you're talking to, its actually demons and this is dangerous.

Some might say "Well that's nonsense I don't believe in demons" but it's likely those same people believe in ghosts, or aliens, or area 51, or the earth is flat or "Speaking to dead relatives"

In Ghostbusters afterlife, the young character Phoebe (Played by the talented McKenna Grace) is in her grandfather's basement that was actually a scientific laboratory of sorts where objects begin to move on their own like lamps pointing her to certain things, or machines and computers just turning on by themselves.

I'm certain The Phoebe Character was modeled after a high functioning autistic child because she has few friends and doesn't really want any, but has a highly detailed and scientific mind of a much older girl. I mentioned this to my son while watching it who is a high functioning autistic and he agreed.

In another scene she moves a chess piece and other chess pieces begin moving by themselves. We are led to believe that this is actually Phoebe's Grandfather The Ghostbuster Egon Spengler prompting her...

As a bible believing Christian I know that any dead spirits communicating with living humans are not ghosts, your dead uncle, or your beloved grandfather, but actual Demons posing as such and they do this to deceive...

I enjoyed this film a lot and it was a needed break from 2021's deep division, constant barrage of pandemic coverage and increasing lawlessness I see happening. But as a Christian I know it's just entertainment and the idea of innocent Ghosts or spirits from the dead being benevolent versions of your grandpa are actually a lie.

This film had quite a few sexual references just as the first Ghostbusters did so I wouldn't take any child under 12 to it. We also watched a Grandma taking her 6 year old granddaughter out into the lobby because some of the Demon and Ghost battling scenes were too scary for her so keep that in mind if you plan on seeing this one.

Don't shoot me I'm just the Sax player...