One Nation Under A Groove

Sometimes, you just get so discouraged, so pissed off that you just gotta, you just gotta grab some of the good stuff! I have personally encountered so many utter assholes on line today that I have to wipe the slate....I mean I just have to wipe my own ass and flush it! So, instead of listening to me vent...c'mon and check this shit out! The History of The Music! The written in stone biblical scripture of the greatest American band of all all time, Parliament/Funkadelic! I still wanna be Bootsy Collins when I grow up!

The Next Revolution?

10,000 people stormed the Gun Show at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California buying guns and ammo because they were in a tizzy worried that Obama was going to take away their guns...and they of course were ready to start the next American Revolution to defend their right to own multiple assault weapons to defend themselves against...something...or other...what ever...

Most of the gun rights advocates I have had the privilege of communicating with seem to have issues and problems even with trying to provide decent health care for their families, but damned if they are gonna let Obama force them to have affordable socialist communistic government sponsored health care. If they are gonna die, it's gonna be on their own terms, dammit, because they cannot afford the 1000 buck or so a month ransom the insurance companies demand to have any kind of peace of mind to believe they have the best damned health care system in the world!

But these same folks can spend hundreds, thousand of dollars to buy the biggest, most powerful guns on the planet and enough ammo for "what ever"  to protect themselves from Joe Biden and their Xenophobic conspiracy nightmares of Librul type infestations or what have you. Now that's marketing.

And part of the markting genius of the Arms Manufacturers and their Puppet Organization, the NRA is to to spread the paranoid meme. Most of the knee jerk tea brained idiots, if asked why they needed to buy more guns now, would answer that they had to because, Obama was going to take them all away and if that was gonna happen, well, it's time for another American Revolution! Well,um they have made a mint off of Obama is coming for your guns BS, even after he signed into law a bill allowing people to carry guns in national parks, and SCOTUS struck down hand gun bans as unconstitutional, gun owners today have more freedom than when the Bush boys were in office; Mean while republicans are trying to register every vagina in America, outlaw abortion, so they will have cannon fodder to throw at the Chinese when we default on all the money (mostly fucking republican presidents spent) we owe and start WW3. Not to mention the 19% of the national debt that is owed to social security, the republicans are all for double taxation when it comes to the money taken out of S.S. but capital gains is double taxation even though your making money that has never been fucking taxed.

Another Revolution? Sorry guys...The biggest noise I expect to hear from these lame ass tea brains is the sound of a 10.000 TV screens being shot out across America by 10,000 lame ass tea brained fat Elvis wannabees...but how the fuck are you gonna explain that to your insurance company? 

Hang Em High

I've had a pretty hectic day working my way through a huge pile of oak with my chainsaw and I got involved in helping my neighbor rent the little house on her property. We want to help her, so I am designing a little card we can put in a few villages around here and help her screen potential renters. It's important for us, because who ever she rents to will be our closest neighbors. It's a very charming little house, with a big garden space and frankly, this is one of the most beautiful places on the planet, if and when the fog ever lifts.........250 Euros a month. You couldn't rent closet space in Paris or NYC for that...I had to post the Booker T and The MGs 1991 live version of Hang Em High...they were after all the most potentially dangerous band on the planet!

That Sweet Smell Of Crack Cocaine

Well in the last posts yesterday regarding the professional lunatic, Ales Jones and why his ilk have the audience they have in America, there was a comment by doggone in which she stated her theory that there was a kind of sexual thrill that many Americans experienced when they indulged in right wing nut conspiracy theories. She might have a point, but I think it's more like the thrill you would get from the explosion of a meth lab in a tacky trailer park in Tennessee...or that tingle of excitement walking through Tompkins Square Park at dawn and catching the fumes of someone smoking crack on a bench....
I personally have never been part of a nationwide conspiracy that includes staging shootings in multiple states, spoon-feeding the story to the media, and using a ton of Black Ops and bribes to cover it all up each time an investigator puts two and two together but I would imagine that it would get fairly expensive and kind of complicated.
At least that seems to be the logic behind one of the latest conspiracies to spring up in the wake of the recent tragedy I was discussing in my last post; these guys are claiming that many of the families, news reporters, victims and in some cases even the perpetrator are all actors hired by the government to play roles in staged tragedies and massacres. Apparently the major conspiracy that controls the entirety of the USA is trying to keep costs down by re-using these actors in different places.
No, I’m not kidding you. This is a real thing. People actually claim to believe this.
The lovely folks have Snopes have traced the origins of this theory to Wellaware1, a site that, amongst other things, has claimed that both Hitler and Walt Disney were characters portrayed by the son of US President Theodore Roosevelt. And that Jack White was the real perpretrator of the Aurora shootings, amongst others. So clearly they know what they’re talking about.
Others have taken this nuttyness and run with it since then, however; this video uses a photo of the Two and a Half Men actor Angus T Jones from when he was around eleven years old (he’s nineteen now, by the by) to claim that he portrayed one of the victims of the tragedy just a few weeks ago. Oh, and apparently Fox News, CNN and many other news sources are all under the control of Obama as part of a conspiracy to destroy the Second Amendment and take away the guns.
Obama’s even more cunning than we thought; he’s using Fox News’ frequent and excessive criticism of him as a smokescreen for the fact that they secretly do his bidding, the diabolical bastard.
I know I’m not really giving this thing a fair trial but honestly, what else am I supposed to do? The people spreading this particularly noxious brand of shit aren’t just paranoid as hell, they’re insulting the real people who were affected by this tragedy, insulting the memories of the real victims. It’s deplorable.
Seriously, if such a widespread, quasi-omniscient conspiracy existed you’d think they could afford to hire better actors.

The Great Flydini

GREEK TRAVEL ALERT

Members of the Fascist Golden Dawn Party demonstrating in Athens.
The group has established representation in the Greek Government and
has many members in the Greek Police force. Unfortunately, The Golden
Dawn Party has begun to recruit in Queens, NY!

On October 15th, The United States State Department issued a travel warning on its website advising Americans about potential problems they might encounter if they decise to vacation in Greece. Tourist of any suspicious ethnicity are being stopped and arrested by the police. There have been many incidences of pass[ports being seized and brutal beatings. The Greek Police have not acknowledged any culpability or addressed and complaints from the State Department. This has happened to American  black tourists but it has happened to white Americans as well.
The Greek Police claim it is part of their crackdown on Illegal immigration which they have labeled, Operation Xenios Zeus, strangely named after the ancient Greek god of hospitality. Unfortunately, Greece in its economic crisis austerity, needs tourism, but the extreme right wing xenophobic nationalism of the Golden Dawn Fascist political party has permeated and infected the Greek Police force from top to bottom. Greece had been obsessed for years by the mass exodus of its citizens emigrating to other countries, now they are afraid that foreigners might be trying to enter Greece. Admittedly, Greece is a entry portal for Europe from the Middle East and Northern Africa, but most illegals coming into Greece are trying to get somewhere else, fast. The violence has been experienced by corporate businessmen, academics and any one who is legitimately in the country and randomly is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There was a BBC article today which documents the experiences of Korean and American tourists who were brutally beaten after being arrested for looking non Greek. It doesn't matter if you have a passport or documents. You are dealing with xenophobic hate inspired fascist violence. If you were a victim of the Greek police, you cannot expect them to compensate you or even admit their  involvement. Greece may need tourism bucks, but until they learn to curb their fascist nationalistic brutality, STAY OUT OF GREECE!

The Frikin Meth Lobby

I have to thank Laci The Dog for this. I posted the exchange on CNN between Piers Morgan and Alex Jones yesterday and then his totally paranoiac, if I was an independent observer, I would say an obviously drug influenced rant from his hotel room in NYC after the interview....

Laci found this history of Jone's insane on the air predictions on YouTube. There are thousands of people who listen to him! Is there some kind of equivalency between what Jones is doing and making Meth crystal and selling it out of the back of his trailer? It should be very interesting to watch him blow hisself up...cause he's gonna do it hisself real good!

Now, We Gonna Play With Our Rules!

The hacktivist group Anonymous is known mostly for efforts to expose wrongdoing involving governments, multinational corporations, and large financial institutions. That might be about to change with the alleged gang rape and kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl in Steubenville, Ohio.
The alleged attack, on a girl who reportedly was unconscious, happened last August. But it did not become national news until The New York Times reported a story titled "Rape Case Unfolds On Web And Splits City" on December 16.
Witness accounts via social media caused the story to spread. Anonymous helped break it wide open last week when it gathered information suggesting an official cover up and placed it on a WikiLeaks-style Web site.Here's one of the original links from Anonymous which told the story.
Two members of the town's football team have been arrested and charged with rape. But the Anonymous reports hint at misconduct that goes way beyond two student-athletes--and it might include efforts by law enforcement and town officials to cover up crimes.
Could this be a sign that Anonymous is prepared to help fight the kind of rampant corruption in America's justice system that affect us all in our daily lives, small and big time local corruption? They  last surfaced in the presidential election when they sent a warning to Karl Rove. They still claim to have the goods on Rove, but when will they drop that bomb? Many writers claim that Anonymous actually sabotaged Rove;s efforts to steal the election.  Is Anonymous set to train its sights on rogue judges, prosecutors, and lawyers--and those who guide them, or in some cases, buy them off?
For example, let's ponder these scenarios:
* What if Anonymous took an interest in hacking various accounts that might reveal who caused Alabama resident Sherry Carroll Rollins and her daughters to be cheated in a Shelby County divorce case where the judge did not even have jurisdiction to hear the matter? What if Anonymous decided to scrutinize those who appear to be behind the Rollins v. Rollins fiasco--including Ted Rollins and his company, Campus Crest Communities; Randall Rollins and his company, Orkin Pest Control (Rollins Inc.); and Michele Rollins and her companies, Rollins Jamaica and Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment? What if that scrutiny extended to the Birmingham law firm of Bradley Arant, which apparently played a leading role in getting the case unlawfully shifted from South Carolina, where it had been litigated for three years?
* What if Anonymous took an interest in hacking accounts that might reveal who caused Chilton County Judge Sibley Reynolds to unlawfully send Clanton resident Bonnie Cahalane (Knox) Wyatt to jail for almost five months because of an alleged debt connected to her divorce case? What if Anonymous shined light on communications among Reynolds, Shelby Concrete president Bobby Knox, and various lawyers in the case--and that includes our old friend William E. Swatek, who was deeply involved in theKnox v. Knox divorce case?
Anonymous, understandably, has focused on matters that are national and international in scope. But the Steubenville rape case helps show that many American communities, of all shapes and sizes, are infested with cultures that protect certain individuals while encouraging abuse of others.
How powerful are reports on social media and via Anonymous? You can get an idea by checking out a LocalLeaks site called The Steubenville Files, which provides insights about a number of central figures who appear to have conflicts of interest or disturbing secrets in their closets. These include Jim Parks, the owner of a private fan site for the football team; sheriff Fred Abdalla; prosecuting attorney Jane Hanlin; and football coach Reno Saccoccia.
As for Anonymous, it has launched Operation Roll Red Roll, including a Web site that describes efforts to get at the truth of what happened in Steubenville. What impact has Anonymous had on the story? Consider this from a report at New York Magazine:

National interest in the August incident was renewed earlier this week thanks to the efforts of hacktivist group Anonymous, which has accused town leaders of trying to cover up the crime. In addition to a twelve-minute video of some Steubenville High School students joking about the victim, Anonymous released the names of a so-called "Rape Crew" (boys who may have known about, witnessed, or even potentially participated in the rape.) They also charged the sheriff tasked with investigating the matter, Fred Abdalla, with destroying evidence and running an illegal gambling operation. On Friday, Abdalla told a local news station that he intended to "come after" Anonymous, who he accused of "character assassination." However, he seemed to take a softer stance on Saturday, when he appeared in front of the 1,300 attendees of Occupy Steubenville, an Anonymous-organized rally in support of the victim.
Anonymous clearly has grabbed the nation's attention and caused serious discomfort for Steubenville officials. We are betting that the hacktivists eventually will greatly enhance the cause of justice in a small Ohio town. 

I have to add my personal observation here. Growing up in Southern Michigan and Northern Ohio was a harrowing experience, if you had any kind of conscience or awareness to what was happening around you. The Catholic Church's involvement in prostitution and child trafficking in Monroe County was almost a back beat to what was going on socially. We all knew about it, it was the urban mytho reality we grew up with, yet, you dare not speak of it. Small planes between Ontario and Monroe which were authorized and abetted by the Monroe Sheriff Department. What is the biggest financial entity in Southern Michigan? You don'r want to go there.  I knew of many incidences like the Steubenville event during my adolescence in Detroit. Gang Rape by the elite high school sports subculture was a legendary almost mythological event which was repeated endlessly ab nauseum....

What happened in Steubenville isn't a new phenomena..what is new is the ability of the rest of us to demand justice! This is the real social revolution. Mike Nodianos, now claims that he is the victim because his internet video bragging about the rape was hacked by Anonymous....his lawyer claims that he had to drop out of college because he feels "threatened" That's the first and most convenient line of defense for fascist bullies...they are the VICTIMS! Don't let this little over privileged weasel get away with this!
Will this lead Anonymous to shine a spotlight on corruption that directly affects Main Street, USA? We hope so--and we can promise that "hackers for justice" will find no shortage of juicy material, here in Alabama and beyond.

The following video provides background on Anonymous' role in the Steubenville fray:

O Welly Welly Now, A Little Of The Old Ultra V!

Piers Morgan tries to have a discussion with an insane idiot. 

And then of course, the tragic meltdown, Alex Jones tries to deal with the pile of
 psychotically sloppy shit he deposited in front of Piers...Babe, there ain't no
poop bag big enough to pick up this mess!

We have to thank Piers Morgan for letting this happen. It might be the wake up call, the cold slap in the face that thousands of Americans might need to realize they are just about a half a bubble off of the center of reality.

Where Are We Now?

Very interesting elegiac first release from David Bowie's new recording. It has so much of what you might classically expect from him, but it's almost even more surreal to actually hear the sense of time in his 66 year old voice.  I can't wait to hear more.

Uurghhh!

This is the 1981 film, Urgghhh...a compilation of what the state of the art of the ridiculously fertile and licentious cross breeding of punk, new wave, no wave, art, avant garde/semi mainstream that was occurring at that point in time, and let's face it, will never really be allowed to take place again.  

Featuring The Police, Devo, The Go-Gos, Oingo Boingo, X, The Cramps, Joan Jett, UB40, Pere Ubu, Wall of Voodoo, Echo & the Bunnymen, XTC, Klaus Nomi, Gary Numan, Joan Jett, Gang of Four, UB40 and X, Urgh! is a two hour compilation of live performances by both well-known and obscure bands of the early 80's Punk, new wave and electronic genres recorded live in L.A., London, New York City and elsewhere. Every performance is a jewel, a time capsule of the influenced and the influential in rock music right up to today. I will admit to being in attendance at the Klaus Nomi performance at the Ritz. He was an amazingly strange human. We were all trying to be amazingly strange humans. I did my part.....For pretty good taste of the brilliance, scroll to about 1:13 in the video to see David Thomas and Pere Ubu...Clevelands unrecognized genius in residence! Followed of course by Kent States Finest, Devo, who have an Uncontrollable Urge! Incredible Art!

Un Natural History

ALERT! FILIBUSTER REFORM! ACT NOW!!!!

This is from Americablog, a truly great blog which for some bizarre reason has been blocked by the Department of Defense! by Gaius Plubius, posted just a few hours ago:
Filibuster reform is critical to making the Senate a functioning body again. There are two moves toward reforming the filibuster rule — the requirement that 60 or more votes are needed to do most actions. One is a strong move, led by Sens. Jeff Merkley (OR) and Tom Udall (NM).
The other is a weak move — a counter-reform move if you will — led by Sens. Levin (MI) and McCain (AZ). (Yes, Carl Levin has joined with John McCain to kill real filibuster reform by offering a alternate phony-reform proposal. Remember that name — Carl Levin is the enemy of filibuster reform.)
The Merkley-Udall proposal is not a complete solution, but it has teeth, unlike the Levin-McCain fake-solution. The vote on this will occur within days — Reid is delaying it, presumably to allow lobbying to get the last few pro-reform votes. Here’s how you can help. It’s a majority vote: 50 Yeas plus the Vice-President can pass the rule change.
According to Merkley and Udall, they have 48 Democratic/Independent votes plus Biden’s promise to vote Yes as well. It’s very close. The seven Democratic senators listed below are the last to hold out. We need at least two of them to say Yes.
Please help by making calls for filibuster reform!
Capitol via Shutterstock.
Please call the senators listed below today, and if you can, every day until the vote is held. The Senate needs filibuster reform to be a functioning body.
One of these senators is a self-branded “progressive” — that’s you, Barbara Boxer. You could ask her — What on earth is she thinking? Maybe she could be a progressive when a real one is needed. This is a crucial vote.
In addition, two of the senators below are in the freshman class — Heidi Heitkamp (ND) and Mazie Hirono (HI). Ask them directly — Do you really want to start your senatorial careers with this reputation? It’s really hard to undo a first impression, and this is a terrible one for a Democrat to make. Heitkamp and Hirono will stay on my radar a long time if they don’t change their minds.
But don’t limit yourself — Leahy’s on that list; perhaps your senator is as well. Do you live in California? Both of yours are on the potential-perp list. Please do call.
Baucus Max MT D (202) 224-2651
Boxer Barbara CA D (202) 224-3553
Feinstein Dianne CA D (202) 224-3841
Heitkamp Heidi ND D (202) 224-2043
Hirono Mazie HI D (202) 224-6361
Leahy Patrick VT D (202) 224-4242
Reed Jack RI D (202) 224-4642
Returning the Senate to majority rule has huge implications. It’s a high-leverage item. Please help — and thanks!
To follow or send links: @Gaius_Publius

New rule: If you wanna filibuster,  You better do it like a man or shut the fuck up, Mr. Boner!
In reality, Americablog is being blocked by the DOD because they openly support Gay Rights and the DOD is using the same internet blocking filters as Syria, Saudi Arabia and Burma!

Fasten Your Seat Belts.....

I did this mash up in 2010....The Zombie Speaker refuses
 to die and his zombie army wants your Social Security,
 Medicare and to eat your BRAINZZZZZZZ!

What an eventful week it has been! First, the Tea Party-infested reactionary Republicans were unable to drive The Country off the fiscal cliff. The Senate overwhelmingly passed a measure which prevented taxes from going up drastically on the vast majority of citizens by a whoppingly uneven bipartisan vote, and the House followed suit, although by a lesser margin. It was signed into law by the President on January 2. This meant, of course, that for the first time in over 20 years, the hated Bush tax cuts for the rich had been partially done away with, and the GOP played a decisive part in actually increasing taxes on the wealthy – Grover Norquist be damned! It was a tremendous victory for President Obama and the Democrats. However, it was far from perfect. Obama had to scale back his request for tax hikes on the rich from his initial starting point of $250,000 per year to a higher $400,000 per year ($450,000 for couples filing jointly). Still, the rich WILL be paying higher taxes starting immediately.
John Boehner, the biggest drunk on the Hill and the worst, most ineffectual Speaker of the House in perhaps this nation’s entire history, was totally marginalized and looked miserable and completely helpless. So very afraid of the government-hating Tea Party faction of his wretched party, he was obviously trying to not anger them too much out of fear that he would lose his Speakership due to them in a few days. At one point, he even came up to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and hatefully said to him, “Go F*ck yourself!” Hardly the type of demeanor one would expect from the Speaker of the House! Of course, what else could we expect from him? I say, ”Go FUck YOURself, Boehner, you pathetically inept little boy!” To Boehner’s credit, though, he did vote in favor of the measure, even as his Majority Leader Eric Cantor and his Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy votedagainst it. Such treachery is becoming standard operating procedure every day among this hopelessly fractured party.
Upon completing this vote, Boehner promptly called for the adjournment of the House, completely ignoring his prior pledge to the governors of the states which suffered severe damage from Hurricane Sandy that the House would vote on and then appropriate the very necessary Federal damage relief funds they needed immediately. Republican New Jersey governor Chris Christie was understandably furious at this betrayal and tried unsuccessfully FOUR times to reach Boehner by phone. He was told each time by a Boehner spokesman that the Speaker was unable to take his call. The next day, Christie deservedly lambasted both Boehner and his Tea Party-infested House majority for this unforgivable neglect. A very angry Republican New York Representative Peter King also strongly voiced his outrage and even urged regular contributors to NOT donate to this year’s Republican congressional campaign fund! Boehner ignored them and simply put out a statement which said that he would no longer meet with President Obama on any further budget talks – an utterly unprecedented dereliction of duty by a very small, cowardly man who is apparently in way over his head!
This Republican Civil War is on full blast, folks. The narrow-minded, debt-obsessed, government-hating reactionary Tea Party faction is paralyzing and destroying the party altogether. With the debt ceiling and budget debates looming menacingly ahead, this spells bad things in store for not only the Republican Party, but also our nation and the entire global economy as well. To quote Betty Davis,

Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting

#1 in a series of condensed histories customized
 for your contemporary attention span

Move To A Real Democracy! Fuck Yeah!

 The first time that Bill threatened to pack it in was his panic over the Health Care Bill. Sunshine O'Reilly,  the drip dry patriot, threatened to quit his job, hah...liar, liar...and then last September, he threatened to leave the country if Obama raised his taxes. Someone has to remind Bill of his
 own words. He's not the only one who has threatened to leave America if he didn't get "his" way...Limbaugh said that he would leave America over health care and then again, if Obama was re elected.and.we're still waiting, fat boy...

Depardieu 2 weeks ago...too damn fat, too damn
 drunk to even take a piss with out
assistance....

But where would they go? Where on the world would they find a place as Conservative as they fantasize about, with a strong macho white guy for them both to cream on? In fact, if they really were serious, Vladimir Putin would probably find a place in a rotting high rise in St. Petersburg or Vladivostock to display them as his guests and recipients of the Freedom of Mother Russia. In fact that's what all the really trendy senile, fat and greedy turncoats are doing these days. Putin extended his warm welcome to Gerard Depardieu and granted him instant citizenship because he disagrees with The French Socialist Administrations plan to temporarily raise the tax rats on the very richest. The Hollande plan was rejected by the French Constitutional Commission last week on a technicality, but they will re submit it in the next few weeks. Depardieu for his part, graciously accepted and said he would be happy to be a citizen of a real democracy. Maybe he thinks Putin will introduce him to the members of Pussy Riot. The only thing I can say in Depardieu's defense is that he just plain too incoherent and in the control of his "advisors" who are just waiting until he finally blows himself up. The man is not well and it's a real case of auto destruction at it's butt ugliest!

Then, well, because it's the in thing to do if you're a fat useless brain dead rich fascist, the semi conscious corpulent sex symbol, Bridgette Bardot said she wanted to move to Russia as well today...It's kind of fuzzy as to why, but it has something to do with taxes and some elephants, what ever...I'm sure Vladimir Putin will figure out what to do with her. Perhaps they can do some kind of extension on the Lenin Mausoleum. If they can get Limbaugh,( krikey, the thought of Depardieu and Limbaugh in the same room...my very bowels shudder....) in there as well, they will have to install some kind of high tech ventilation system, but I'm sure they will manage to somehow find the happiness they are seeking so desperately together, somehow or what ever.....

Proud New Russian Citizens Brigette Bardot and Gerard Depardieu

the perfect cohost for Ted Nugents next Cable TV show!
"Hey, Brigette, if you'd get your fat ass out of the way, 
I might get a clear shot at this damn elephant...oops,
desole, excuse-moi , Monsieur Depardieu. 
Doesn't look too bad, 
only a flesh wound"

You know, another possible fun guy for this menage a quatre...making it a menage a cinq, would be Teddy Boy Chicken Hawk Nugent, who publicly promised he'd either be dead or in jail if Obama was re elected. Unfortunately, Diaper Boy reneged on both of his promises and he's still gracing us with his odious presence, but he did lose his Cable TV Show. Maybe he can get a new deal in Russia and get Putin to come on and shoot elephants with Brigette Bardot...and as a very special guest star, Sarah Palin! She likes guns. She loves to hunt and hey, she's like already a neighbor of Vlad's...why not get the entire Palin Clan to relocate to Mother Russia? Russia is a very big big place, and there's always room for a few hundred more Palins! Extra bonus, Bristol Palin, although she lost her TV Reality show in the USA, she could actually make it really big on Russian TV...as far as the Russian esthetic goes, she is a real hottie! Anyone up for Dancing With The Czars? Now, that would be entertainment!

WIRE

A live performance by perhaps my favorite band of the late 1970's.

Minimalist Brilliance!

La Vielle

I had the rare privilege today of seeing these musicians give a recital in La Collegiale St. Martin de Brive. Patrick Bouffard is one of the great masters of le Vielle, a medieval instrument, a variation of the hurdy-gurdy, which is an integral part of Occitan folk culture.  I really would love to own one. A unique expressive instrument which is being rediscovered and reinvented by creative musicians in France. The form here is a traditional dance melody called a Bouree. The other instruments are accordion and chabrette, a sort of cornemuse or bagpipe. There have been a series of concerts held in La Collegiale St. Martin de Brive to celebrate the restoration and renewal of the center of Brive, where the 12th Century Church is located. I wrote about St. Martin last year when I was able to go into the open excavations around the church where an 8th century cemetery had been exposed and archaeologists were doing research before it was all sealed up again.