This blog will be retired until further notice. Thanks you graciously, for following, subscribing, commenting, watching and/or reading. I am grateful for your support. For those of you who still wish to continue the journey, you will be updated with my new URL in the coming days.

Thanks, the Author
–Keep it clean…

Green Valley, a senior community, neighboring Tucson, is where I have embarked. Stepping out of the charter bus taking note of miles stretched and stained turquoise green. The western horizon dams the valley, with oxidizing copper mines.

Unrest and unkempt, I am alone and the one who had held up the charter by half an hour in Phoenix. A Samaritan takes pace with me as I gather my wits. She is fragile, and her features are boyish; she strikes up conversation in a native New York tongue that has probably taken sixty years to perfect.

A sister organization to Tucson Samaritans, these seniors were birthed in January of 2005 supplying food, water and medical supplies to nomadic Mexican migrants.

These particular Samaritans are outreaching to illegal border crossers birds eye from their front porch. Our group of college students is herded before a barbed gate; there is sign next to it stating: STATE TRUST LAND–NO TRESPASSING–Enter only with written permission.

We make our way around though a wash a hundred yards to the south and crawl under the fence, tromping like red-coats through desert, which appears to be cattle ranching land, hence the steaming cattle fodder evaporating away with other mid-morning scents.

I didn’t feel like writing today, so just watch this crap. Yes, I know I am a hypocrit.

Thanks,
The Author

By Nathan J King

“We’ll help you start a house of prostitution, if that’s what you want to do,” narrate-sings recording artist and songwriter Ray Stevens in his ‘Come to the USA’ music video.

The video is a mock invitation for illegal immigrants who wish to enter Arizona through the Mexican border.

In the video Stevens portrays an IIAP (Illegal Immigration Assistance Program) secretary recording an automated telephone menu options list, or Stevens could possibly think that someone is in actuality on the other side of the line of all telephone option lists.

Just imagine the 71 year-old man with a rotary phone attached to the wall in his den shouting ”four” into the telephone’s receiver. In the video IIAP secretary-Stevens says press four for Farsi, here is a peek at the list; press one for Spanish, three for Arabic, six for Swahili. The list goes up to eight options.

Stevens’ message is straight-forward: attention illegal-immigrants! Come to the USA and receive healthcare, welfare, free education, voter registration. Need I repeat more?

To further understand Stevens’ political position, he quotes Governor Jan Brewer, and celebrates Brewer and Sheriff Joe Arpaio for being real patriots in his ‘God Save Arizona’ music video.

Here is the Brewer quote that Stevens used “No one in Arizona is laughing, do your job and secure the border.” If you are confused, Brewer is addressing the federal government.

But I think that I like this quote more “There is a headless body in the desert. I sat next to it at the debate.”-Barry Hess, Libertarian candidate, on Brewer and her comments that headless bodies had been found in the desert. (Brewer was describing the magnitude of the Mexican drug-cartel violence spilling over into Arizona, during a televised gubernatorial debate hosted by Ted Simmons on Horizon). I discovered Hess’ quote in the Arizona Republic, Wednesday, October 6, 2010.

I know that you may be thinking “but, how do these two quotes correlate”; the answer is that they do not, I just really liked Hess’ quote.

I found the Stevens video on ‘The #immigration Daily’ @ http://paper.1:/tag/immigration

Do you agree with this man’s point of view?

Maricopa County Community Colleges Governing Board President, Ms. Colleen M. Clark “steps down” from a rocky and controversial term of 2006- August 24, 2010. Clarks resignation is the result of “Economic realities require that I maintain full-time employment” wrote Clark in an August 24, 2010 e-mail addressed to the ‘Citizens of Maricopa County.’

Colleens Legacy

Clarks first claim to fame, then only 26 years old, hit the back pages of the Arizona Republic on Friday, September 11, 2009. The article written by Alex Bloom, on page B3 of VALLEY & STATE, indicated that Board member Deborah Pearson contacted the press via e-mail calling for the Presidents resignation, earlier that Wednesday.

Later it would come to light in an article posted online by the Phoenix New Times where Clark was satirized as a lush drunk driver during a routine traffic stop. Indeed Clark had withheld knowledge of her DUI charge from her fellow board members, over a 2 month period from July 11- September 8.

Clark was arrested in Old Town Scottsdale after blood-alcohol tests concluded she was operating at 0.204 BAC (blood-alcohol content). Mesa Legend reporters M. Obbards and J. Smith reported Clark had released to them in an interview that she had let this time expire due to finding “an attorney and figure out what I was going to do,“ said Clark. Though it was not because of this incident that Clark was being asked to resign.

Although the DUI provided an adequate smokescreen for Clark whose resignation offered by Pearson within a day that Clark announced her arrest to her piers and public September 8, during a board meeting.

Clarks resignation was being questioned in lewd of heading the spending of “$1.143 million to hire Alvarez & Marsal [A&M], a crisis consulting firm,” wrote Pearson on her Solutions blog, posted Tuesday July 28, 2009,” since 2004 the district has contracted with outside consultants on 15 occasions-$68,000 a week to do what we as a Governing Board can and should be doing.”

As a result of Clarks actions proposing and later contracting A&M , Art Decabooter, Maricopa’s liaison to Maricopa County Community Colleges Governing Board Chancellor Rufus Glasper, posted an email sent to faculty members that stated “In May 2009, the Higher Learning Commission [HLC], the organization that is responsible for accrediting colleges in the region that includes Ariz., received an anonymous letter from Maricopa employee’s. In the letter, the writer said,” We believe our Governing Board is overstepping their role. They are acting as a chief operating officer and ignoring the shared governance structure.”

This was not the first time that Anonymous contacted the Governing Board. July 23, 2009 Anonymous posts,” To even consider hiring a group who specializes in crisis companies is a slap in the face… MCCCD has been and continues to be a leader in the country for innovation and initiative- not a crippled company like Lehman Bothers… A&M’s documented failure to improve St. Louis public schools- causing financial problems and accreditation issues, does not promote confidence that they have the skills necessary to analyze MCCCD.”

The real question is if Colleen offered A&M a friends with benefits proposal (possibly a 1 million dollar contract for a fulltime job), and what is Colleens full-time job? If you know please leave a comment. Photography by Andreanna Sullivan

In the November 2009 issue of Puma Press J. Berry reported that Clark had stated via a July 29 email that “This is an opportunity for us to identify what we do well, maximize those programs, processes and services and then improve upon the areas that may not be giving our students and improve upon the areas that may not be giving our students the best chances to succeed,” in regard to A&M currently listed at the top of Clarks employment history from June, 2008 to Present: A&M Partnership, as Project Manager, among other employment occupancies.

Clark has also been employed from April, 2008 to Present as the East Valley Bible Church, Women’s Ministry Coordinator. In the August 24, 2010 email Clark noted to her community that “I am proud of the work accomplished, including the 21st Century Maricopa Effectiveness and Efficiency Review (A&M), improved transfer opportunities for students, and strengthened external partnerships.”

What Happens Next?

Arizona Republican and CD3 candidate Ben Quayle releases a public apology on his campaign website, in regards to a political ad campaign where he referred to POTUS Barack Obama as the worst president in US history or otherwise.

Arguably, it is not at all uncommon for a candidate to attack Washington in this years race, but Quayle may have overstepped his boundaries by attacking an individual, rather than an ambiguous entity like  ’Washington’.

For instance, another CD3 candidate Paulina Morris (R-AZ) almost seems to be as racy, intense, for the shock value or just ‘in yo’ face-’ when it comes down to political ad campaigning.

In her most recent video Morris remarks that she will “Knock the hell out of Washington” and she “Damn well approves of this message.” Either the response was symbiotic of Quayle or vice versa, Quayle also stated in yet another retracted video from his website “Somebody needs to go to Congress and knock the hell out of the place.”

And there it is, simply stated, the argument at hand. Maybe they should get divorced from their current spouses and marry each other. Either that or their campaign ad writers should consumate on the trail of the long and distorted road of the Arizona politcal stey.

24 year old Haitian raised girl, hosts a fundraiser in Tempe in hope to feed those less fortunate in Haiti on the 5th of September, the day after the forty days of prayer.

Haitian host of the fundraiser, Landdy Antione has a passion in life for cooking, which she does for living at True Food, a Fox Restaurant concepts.

“I feel that a person with a full belly is a happy person,” said Antione,” the people need a little help: A. because they can’t afford it and B. because they can’t get to it. It won’t help in the long term…, but it will be remembered.”

The proceeds from ‘A Hope For Haiti’ held August 15th at Fiddlesticks Family Fun Park, 1155 West Elliot Road, will go to feeding over 1,000 homeless a traditional Haitian dinner.
Antione proposes a three course catering of black mushroom rice, Bourangrai beet salad and pork Gryos or Haitian fried chicken.

For $10 (adults) and $8 (kids), Antione invites family and friends to “chill out and have fun and at the same time help a good cause.” The fundraiser will feature musical performances by Lady Stalet and Electric Groove Machine, as well as mini-golf and face painting.

For Antione who has not been home since the devastation of the earthquakes, “unable to face reality”, this event is “close to heart… and home. I have to use my talent for good within my families Christian ministry,” said Antione. “ I want people to understand that the pastor supports the congregation in the US. In Haiti the pastor and the family support the congregation.”

Antione’s parents have four churches in Haiti with an estimated thousand members each. Landdy, a US born citizen came back to US to go to school, but plans to move back Haiti as a full-time resident and open her own restaurant. A Hope For Haiti fundraiser starts at 6:00pm, for more information contact Landdy Antione@ 1-478-390-5400.

###

Beyond the lack of self-preservation and common human decency that weighs the burden on every illicit adult nighttime city stomping ground, I somehow find the story that I was promised earlier that week.

Whether the poet calls himself or herself the rapper, the Indie, the hipster, or the hip-hopper, sometimes others just prefer to refer to him or herself as their-self rather than force their poetry through their rap persona (self), or otherwise.

Sitting atop a street bench is a 58yr old man. His feet are on the seat and back is free to the wind. An unlit cigarette dangles from his grey whiskered mustache and the soles of his leather shoes are unraveling like fabric in jeans at the knees.

He is playing a Takamine twelve string guitar with a linen where his elbow rests on guitar because he has been playing so long he is beginning to sweat all over the wood. The poet calls himself ‘Twelve String John’ and he does not care who his audience is this evening or any other evening.

Twelve String John’s story:
“I used to open shows with crowds of 35,000 people. It was all about taking out the bimbos with bleach-blonde hair and fake breasts. Spending time with people that have nothing in concert…drugs, egos, money–the unnatural things. We lose sight of what is important.

All the music is fabricated now, no more poets with a good rhythm. There’s a difference between knowing how to play a guitar and having passion to play. The texture to just play and stop, then keep on going (just singing the song, no guitar), it gives me goose-bumps.

"The music scene and traffic can seem to be as diverse as one might expect to be on the streets on NYC in relatively small area." Photography by Nathan J King

I was playing in Hawaii and big Hawaiian saw a man give me disrespect. He knocked that man out with one backhand for giving me disrespect.

I taught inner-city children. I got them pawn shop guitars, street price.

My music should mean something when I’m gone.

I was on Nashville TV in a prisoner rehabilitation program to be introduced back into society. I was their golden boy.

The twelve string is high-low, high-low. I’m a Gibson Les Paul SG guy, I used to rock and roll…not anymore. I don’t want to be rich, I want to be happy with what I’m doing. I worked Mill Avenue for 4yrs, and some nights I may $270 a night playing in the rain. Other nights I made nothing. I just want to be comfortable and happy with what I’m doing.

All I need is smoke and food money, because I don’t drink no more. And a lot of these people here in Scottsdale don’t want me here because I don’t fit into their cookie cutter world. They don’t want me here…

I remember one night in particular. So all of a sudden this guy comes walking out and then there were five of them, and they were the ‘Sons of the Founding Fathers of Scottsdale’ and they identified themselves as such.

So he says to me “get the hell out of Scottsdale and don’t come back.” And I thought I was hearing things and I say “what the f*** you gonna mob on me for playing” and I say “what?” The one on the end, big…burly beard gets right in my face and says “get the f*** out of Scottsdale and don’t come back.”

I say “gentlemen, gentlemen first thing: stay away from the television, because the Sopranos your not. Secondly, the Superior Court judge told me I should stick around. You know what, she wins.” So I’m going to be on the street corners every night, if it snows or rains I’ll be here. I love what I do.

The cops here love me, because I slow down the drunks. They picked me up on a warrant once and apologized the whole time. I told them your just doing your job, because I couldn’t do your job.”

###

Tight jeans exposing the butt-knuckle and sheik salon skater hair cuts, gold chains and crooked backward baseball caps with 56 inch waist Dickies or acoustic back-alley impoverished 12-stringers, take your pick they’re all available for the listening most Friday nights in old town Scottsdale.

For the most part the pose for the pictures is more important to those performing down “douche-bag central” rather than the actual ability or message they produce, musically speaking of course, noted ‘Twelve String John’, an alleged terminally-ill street musician.

The review started with an interview with a local rapper named Ian who was to open that evening for The Game. Ian performing with his group called KPT at the Venue of Scottsdale (7117 East 3rd Avenue), formerly the old Cajun House, was verbally accosted during his performance by club goers shouting “get off the stage already.”

It is hard to say if this part of town is as welcoming as the other territories of greater Maricopa in the ’scene districts’. They are all pretty even on the narrow balancing-beam of the hipster community, because you either fit into the equation of the one particular scene, or not.

Despite the lack of one particular eminent music Mecca in Arizona, it is impossible to follow all the local acts sprouting across the Valley. There are just too many.

"The music scene and traffic can seem to be as diverse as one might expect to be on the streets of NYC in relatively small area, such as Old Town Scottsdale." Photography by Nathan J King

For instance, young Indie acts like the Technicolors performing at the Sola coffee shop are unlikely to hit the mainstream of the Venue that evening because they are cast into a sub-genre all their own.

Very few local acts bridge the gap and just for that very reason, because they would scare away their audience. A country song cannot be followed up with a gangster rap, and encoring with a death-metal and pop classic.

And as far as free performances at coffee shops go, one can be presented a coffee shop drink the ‘Dirty Chai’ (the combination of espresso and Chai tea), most will indefinitely pass it up where very few order it on special request.

“Could you please add a little more Brahms with my Jay-z and Thelonious Monk?” inquires the thirsty patron.

“Why certainly,” says the barista,” Can I offer you a complimentary cup of Sergio Vega and Hanna Montana blend with your order today?”

And then 12-string John sits down right next to you.