Neuromonakh Feofan! Heroic Russian Rock Music with a Dancing Bear - Sami Yaffa visits St Petersburg on Sound Tracker TV Show - Link TV - They DON'T Make 'em Like This in LA...

https://www.linktv.org/shows/sound-tracker/episodes/russia-st-petersburg
 After Watching this episode THREE times I was able to Read the Name of the Band! Here it is!  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuromonakh_Feofan

In this episode, Sami Yaffa travels to St. Petersburg and examines the vast musical diversity present in Russia's most European city. From St. Petersburg's underground musical scene to Tuvan Buddhist throat-singers, Yaffa explores a wide range of musical talents. Rooted in the multitude of musical forms present in St. Petersburg is a sense of multiculturalism, a diverse Russia. Yaffa not only shows all that St. Petersburg has to offer musically, but engages in a dialogue of what music can do in a state with issues of freedom of speech.

and HERE is a Working Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNpLuXOg7xQ

and HERE is Another! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thZTZk09Cp4

The project consists of the author of songs and performer Neuromonakh Feofan (real name is Oleg Stepanov), DJ Nikodim (Mikhail Grodinsky) and the Bear (originally — Feofan's wife, Irina Stepanova). Neuromonkh Feofan is a tall man with a beard whose face is hidden behind a hood, dressed in a Orthodox-like hoodie and bast shoes and holding a stave with a laser pointer hidden inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thZTZk09Cp4

Neuromonakh Feofan (Russian: Нейромонáх Феофáн, lit. 'Neuromonk Feofan') is a musical project from St. Petersburg, Russia, performing music in drum 'n' bass styles. The project is popular on the Internet and got the status of an Internet meme. The group members remain anonymous.

Neuromonakh Feofan's performances are stylized as Russian festivals with group members dressed in bast shoes, kosovorotkas and sarafans. The lyrics of Feofan's songs abound with Slavic and obsolete Russian words, and the vocals are filled with characteristic rope. Neuromonakh Feofan performs his songs with balalaika side by side with drum 'n' bass rhythms.

Neuromonakh Feofan / Нейромонах Феофан

https://popkult.org/neuromonakh-feofan/

Neuromonakh Feofan (Нейромонах Феофан) is a mysterious and extraordinary product of the Russian club scene. The name “Neuromonakh” is derived from “Neurofunk,” a subgenre of drum and bass, and the Russian word for “monk.” The band sings exclusively in Russian, but mixes contemporary language with obsolete words and Old Church Slavonic to create epic verses set to electronic drum and bass mixed with traditional instruments like the balalaika.

Members of the three-man group remain anonymous, but we know the lead singer-songwriter, Feofan, conceals his face behind a hooded robe and false beard, wears sandals, and occasionally swaps his balalaika for a staff with a hidden laser. He’s also quite tall. He’s assisted by DJ Nicodemus, who sports an embroidered tunic and foot cloths, and is accompanied by a guy dressed in a bear costume. They never break character, and refuse to comment on politics, religion, or beards.

The legend of the group, as told by the group, goes something like this: Feofan began as a solo artist in St. Petersburg in 2009. Tired of city life, Nicodemus joined him in 2013 after they bumped into each other in the woods. The duo shared a cup of tea, relaxed on a tree stump and, disconnected from the overpowering rhythm of the city, conceived of a way to marry the fantastic energy of folk music to techno. They wrangled the bear, re-recorded old songs, wrote a few new ones and Neuromonakh Feofan was born.

Even MORE! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FNlRYExO0

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

Peace and Love is Not Only a Great Idea, But It's a Practical and Efficient way of Life. Just Think of the Money You Will Save by Not Buying GUNS!

Peace Pie Chart 

Metal Sculpture in Eureka, California

and Biff Rose Said: 

• The Daily Beast

  Putin Ally Blames Crisis on Rise of Black U.S. Music Stars He Calls ‘Descendants of African American Slaves’

  In a sign of the times for Vladimir Putin’s twisted Russian regime, a regional governor has been backed by the State Duma after saying the “descendants of African-American slaves” are to blame for the country’s growing crisis.

  Vadim Shumkov, governor of the Kurgan region, said Russian society was collapsing—as exemplified by the rising rate of suicide and depression among young people—and it can all be traced back to the popularity of Black American stars in the music industry.
  In a bizarre rant posted on his official Telegram channel, Shumkov described a gaping hole of emptiness at the center of Russian culture, which he argued was not the result of poverty, war, or rampant corruption, but “an underestimation of the importance of native national culture.”
  “Many of our children… are already growing up without knowing or remembering their kindred tribe,” he lamented, claiming that they are instead “singing songs written by the descendants of African-American slaves, often playing the ape and imitating the habits and language, brimming with, frankly, second-rate quasi-cultural vulgarity. Clinging to this secondariness, being proud of it.”
  “Hence the growth of overt spiritual emptiness, depression, suicides. The lack of meaning in life,” he wrote.
  Though Shumkov did not mention Russia’s war against Ukraine as a possible reason for the bleak mood in the country, he went on to hint at a growing rift between ordinary Russians that he blamed on outside forces, claiming that a “neglect of native culture” has led to a biblical Cain and Abel situation, with brothers pitted against brothers by “foreign ‘well-wishers’” who see them as “expendable.”
  While Shumkov’s remarks were simultaneously mocked and criticized on social media, the Russian State Duma found nothing offensive in his argument.
  Alexander Sholokhov, the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture, told local media there was nothing inflammatory in his comments because he’d used the term “African-American.”
  “I think that depression is connected with the lack of ideology in our country,” Sholokhov said. “I disagree with [allegations of] incitement. He used the word African American. The governor acted more than politically correct, using literally the American version to designate this race, and besides… this same African-American culture occupies a significant part of show business and variety shows.”
  BIFF: what? Did you really say "“Hence the growth of overt spiritual emptiness?

  Well I would have to say and all word wise Fanzenfrenz would have to say "Just wait till you hear Biff Rose' new band "Black Cootchie Riot"
• ~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

Trump Received Money From Roman Vasilenko (a Russian Businessman) for His 2016 Campaign. GOP operative Jesse Benton was convicted of funneling Russian donations. The "Russia Hoax" was Not a Hoax After All. Trump Actually Got Rubles to Help Him Campaign AND HE KEPT THEM!

Why Hasn't Trump Been Arrested and Convicted for This Crime?


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/gop-operative-convicted-of-funneling-russian-donation-to-trumps-2016-campaign-.html
Republican political operative Jesse Benton was convicted in federal court of funneling $25,000 from a Russian businessman to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.


DOJ: Political Consultant Sentenced for Scheme Involving Illegal Foreign Campaign Contribution to 2016 Presidential Campaign.
A Texas man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in funneling illegal foreign campaign contributions from a Russian national to a 2016 presidential campaign.
According to court documents, Jessie R. Benton, 45, of The Woodlands, schemed with another political advisor to funnel political contributions to a 2016 presidential campaign from a Russian national seeking to meet and take a picture with the presidential candidate.


https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/political-consultant-sentenced-scheme-involving-illegal-foreign-campaign-contribution-2016

READ MORE: 

https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2022/11/trump-got-russian-money-2016.html

It's Wonderful that Columbus discovered "America" - A Place That People Can Escape To When there is a Disaster in the Old World. In My Own Family, My Great Great Grandmother...

got pregnant while Unmarried. Shocking! a Scandal! So she Left the Busybodies in Holland and moved to New Amsterdam on the Hudson River... and Her Child was Nobody's Business but Her Own. Later the English renamed that city New York. The Dutch people were pretty Tolerant of Everything... If you wanted to have a different God, OK... That's Your Business... If you wanted to Speak a Different Language, OK... If You were a Native American and We were Europeans, OK... Let's see if we Can do Business... Trading, Farming, Hunting, Furs... We were all Just Folks trying to Earn a Living and Raise up our Kids...


People Have Been fleeing Disaster and Coming to America for Centuries. The Ukrainians today. The Afghans, The Irish, The Chinese, Central Americans, Haiti, Vietnamese Boat People, The Hmong... and The Spanish Colonized Mexico and then California, Texas, Colorado, New MEXICO and Arizona.

During the Russian Revolution, The "Reds" Won and the "Whites" had to Get Out of Russia or get Killed... So... Many Fled to America! That's what happened people I Know... They Came to America, Shortened their Name and Built a Business, raised Kids... Truly enjoying the Blessings of Capitalism.
Who were the Reds and Whites in Russian history?
The civil war occurred because after November 1917, many groups had formed that opposed Lenin's Bolsheviks. These groups included monarchists, militarists, and, for a short time, foreign nations. Collectively, they were known as the Whites while the Bolsheviks were known as the Reds.
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/russia-1900-to-1939/the-russian-civil-war/






And all of those people that came to America had to pay for their boat ride... The Irish often had to work for Seven Years as an Indentured Servant to Pay off the Debt for the Boat Ride...


as a Matter of Fact, Only Slaves from Africa got a Free Boat Ride and a Guaranteed Job for Life! Who Could Turn Down That Offer? Not Many...

Seems pretty Obviously Racist...

READ MORE: 

https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2022/04/columbus-discovered-america.html

"We Were DUPED by a KGB Agent." - Says Jim Jordan - The Biden Impeachment Inquiry has become a Disaster for the House GOP! "WE GOT NOTHING!"

Republican impeachment probe 'Insane' US president's son Hunter Biden says.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-presidents-son-hunter-biden-testify-republicans-impeachment-probe-2024-02-28/"You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn't any," Hunter Biden said...
Asked how the hearing had gone as he left the building, Hunter Biden replied, "Great."
Republicans, who narrowly control the House, are pushing ahead with their impeachment inquiry even after a person who provided accusations at the heart of their case was charged with lying to the FBI.

James Biden reportedly says his brother was never involved in his business ventures –
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/feb/21/campaign-updates-trump-trials-biden-politics-latest

House Republicans’ long-running effort to impeach Joe Biden was rocked by news of the arrest of a former FBI informant whose claims about Hunter Biden’s business with a Ukrainian gas firm were a key part of the GOP’s case against the president. Alexander Smirnov is accused of lying to the government, and yesterday, prosecutors revealed that he said he received information from Russian intelligence.

House GOP Goes Crazy. Why Do They REFUSE to Make America Great? Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan Lead the ANARCHY PARTY!

READ MORE: 
https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2023/09/house-gop-goes-crazy_21.html

Put Putin in Prison T-Shirt for Sale... Remember: Russian Oligarchs Have the Power to send Putin to Siberia... Well, GET BUSY!


LINK to Buy This Shirt!
*
LINK to All My Ukraine Merchandise:

In other News:

The USA is Sending Depleted Uranium Shells to Ukraine. That Will Cause Miscarriages for Thousands of Years. It's a Form of Genocide.

Those People Over There Have Proven That They Are Insane... and Now They Won't Be Having Insane Children... or Any Children...

In My Humble Opinion: President Biden Made a Mistake sending Depleted Uranium Munitions to Ukraine... The Genocide Will Harm People for A Thousand Years... LONG After the Memory of Why Putin Invaded Ukraine... or even Who Putin was... Obviously HE'S Insane... but He Could STOP Behaving Crazy if He Just "Happened" to Be Dead... Did you notice That Osama bin Laden Stopped Behaving Crazy After President Obama sent the Seal Team Six to Assassinate Him...

By Shooting Depleted Uranium Bullets from Guns We are Distributing that Radioactive Metal... Making Sure that Future Generations WILL NOT HAVE as Many Russians and Ukrainians. Classic Definition of Genocide...

PLUS... at no extra Charge... It's a Way to Dispose of Radioactive Waste from Nuclear Power Reactors... Why Store it in Casks when we can Simply Dump it on our Enemies?



HEADLINE: Depleted uranium munitions: what are they and what risks do they pose?
The US says it will start delivering the controversial weapons to Ukraine soon; Russia denounced the decision as ‘an indicator of inhumanity’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/07/depleted-uranium-munitions-what-are-they-and-what-risks-do-they-pose


HEADLINE:
What is depleted uranium ammunition? How deadly shells tipped with dense metal can blast through tough tank armourDepleted uranium is considerably less reactive than uranium in its natural form
It is used in tank shells to pierce through armour because it is incredibly dense

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11889801/What-depleted-uranium-deadly-shells-tipped-dense-metal-blast-tank-armour.html

Click Here to Buy a Depleted Uranium Button With Futuristic Letters





Click Here to buy a DU Button!

Photographs of a Journey to the Headwaters Forest - Now a State Reserve... Near Eureka, CA - Plus The Story of How It Came To Be!

Photo of a Redwood on the way to The Headwaters Forest. It's an Old Growth Park with an excellent paved trail that's popular with people on wheels... Bicycles, Baby Buggies, Skateboards, Tricycles and Wheelchairs...

https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/headwaters-forest-reserve

American History: MAXXAM - Charles Hurwitz and Michael Milken Junk Bonds... Earth First!

The 7,472-acre Headwaters Forest Reserve was established in 1999 after a decade-long grassroots effort to protect the world’s last unprotected, intact, old-growth redwood forest ecosystem. Several threatened species call the Reserve home, including coho salmon, the northern spotted owl, and the marbled murrelet. Deep in the heart of the Headwaters, old-growth forest is the beginnings or headwaters of the South Fork Elk River and Salmon Creek. This is how the area got its name. The Reserve is managed by the BLM in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

There are two public trails in the Reserve. The Elk River Trail winds along the South Fork Elk River for 3 miles, followed by a 2-mile ascent to a short loop through an old-growth redwood forest. Interpretive signs along the first mile of trail describe the history of Falk, the historic company mill town once located along this section of trail.

To Get There: Drive North on Highway 101 and Turn Right at ELK RIVER ROAD Just before you get to Eureka. Travel a Couple of Miles Down That Road and Take Another Right at the Sign that says Headwaters Forest... Keep on Going Until You Get There...




Highway 101 Just South of Eureka
























There are Maps in the Quest Box for a Guided Tour of the Forest... A Ranger Built Educational Adventure...

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

and Now for something Completely Different!

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

A Free Concert in Old Town Eureka!
An unknown Tie Dye Artist...
Had these Shirts for sale...
































Samantha Toste - singer for Eureka CA Bands.
Vintage Soul and Blue Rhythm Revue.
Soon to Be Tim Day's Wife!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX2utDYfzCY

Samantha Toste sings
"With a Little Help from my Friends"
Blue Rhythm Revue Band

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

and Now for something Completely Different!

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

American History: How the Headwaters Forest Came to Be:

https://www.multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1994/09/mm0994_07.html


Ravaging the Redwood: Charles Hurwitz, Michael Milken and the Costs of Greedby Ned Daly

The fate of the largest unprotected redwood forest in the world may now rest in the hands of an unlikely savior, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Since the 1985 MAXXAM takeover of Pacific Lumber, the redwood ecosystem known as the Headwaters Forest, located in Humboldt County on California's North Coast, has been under siege. Lawsuits, direct action, legislative efforts and all other attempts at preservation have so far failed to curb MAXXAM's ravenous appetite for redwood lumber. Now many environmentalists and community activists are hoping the FDIC can stop the forest from falling victim to corporate greed. The federal agency may be able to acquire the redwood forest as partial or full payment for the $548 million outstanding claim against the United Financial Group (UFG), a holding company for United Savings Association of Texas (USAT), a failed savings and loan controlled by MAXXAM and its chief executive officer, Charles Hurwitz.

Hurwitz is not averse to transferring part of the Headwaters Forest to federal government control, but he is insisting on rather different terms than environmentalists are proposing. Ignoring the fact that a company he controls, UFG, owes $548 million to the government, he has asked the government to pay him $600 million cash for a small grove of redwoods; if the offer is refused, he has threatened to liquidate the forest.

"If the federal government does not purchase the Headwaters Forest, Pacific Lumber will go ahead with its timber operations," says MAXXAM's Director of Public Relations Scott Lamb.

A Wall Street Journal article said Hurwitz's proposal "brings new meaning to the term greenmail." Hurwitz paid approximately $900 million for the 196,000 acres owned by Pacific Lumber. If the government were to accept his proposal to buy 4,500 acres for $600 million, Hurwitz would earn a profit of more than 2,800 percent.

The people of California's North Coast know Charles Hurwitz and MAXXAM well enough to take his threat seriously. Twice in 1992, the company cut hundreds of trees in the old-growth grove of Owl Creek on holidays and weekends when state regulators were not working, in violation of the California Board of Forestry cutting regulations. Both times the cutting was eventually stopped by court injunction. Under current plans, MAXXAM will harvest all the remaining old-growth redwoods it owns within the next 14 years.

One of the last stands

The government's response to MAXXAM and Hurwitz's threat will determine the fate of a unique ecosystem.

Many trees in the Headwaters Forest are as old as 2000 years. The cornerstones of an old-growth ecosystem are species diversity and a continual recycling process interlocking life and death. After a 300- foot redwood falls, it serves as a nurse log to help new seedlings grow. The seedlings grow right out of the nurse log, which provides nutrients to the new trees as it decays. As the older tree falls, it creates one of the few canopy breaks in an otherwise shady forest floor. The nurse log lies basking in the sunlight, offering the new seedlings essential light as well as nutrients.

Logging, especially clearcutting, stops this ecological recycling process and seriously threatens the forest's ability to regenerate. When loggers remove cut trees, they also remove the nutrients that the trees would have returned to the soil. The soil itself will be lost after a rain because it no longer has trees holding it in place. As topsoil is depleted, desertification begins.

Though the redwood forests still support a diverse array of species, including California black bear, mountain lion, Pacific fisher and steelhead trout, logging is taking a severe toll on forest wildlife. Many rare and endangered species also call the redwoods of Humboldt County home, among them the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, pacific giant salamander, tailed frog and coho salmon. Their survival is dependent on a diverse and healthy old-growth forest.

Carl Ross, co-director of Save America's Forests, the nation's largest grassroots forest protection organization, says, "If we fail to protect these last stands of redwoods, we will lose one of the greatest wonders of the living world for all time. Less than 4 percent of native redwoods are still standing, and that tiny percentage is being hacked and cut for the last shred of money that can be sawed from their red roots. If we allow the extinction of these largest of all living things, we will be condemned as a society that knew the price of everything and the value of nothing."

Takeover plunder

The redwoods of Humboldt County may seem a long way from Houston, and United Savings Association of Texas, but whether the FDIC decides to pursue the connection may determine whether the Headwaters Forest survives.

There was little need to worry about the Headwaters Forest before Hurwitz's takeover of the Pacific Lumber Company. The family-run business was one of the most economically and environmentally sound timber companies in the United States. Pacific Lumber rarely if ever clearcut; it generally left standing 30 to 50 percent of the timber in a harvested area. This not only created natural canopy break for new growth, it also kept much of the soil stable, increasing the forests' growth potential.

The company was also generous to its employees. Pacific Lumber rented housing at below market rates to employees and maintained a "no layoff" policy despite downturns in the timber market. The company also funded a very generous pension fund.

Pacific Lumber's strength soon became its weakness, however. The pension fund was overfunded by $60 million, and, because of its sustainable cutting practices, the company held tremendous assets (old- growth redwoods) that could be liquidated quickly. Assessing Pacific Lumber in 1985, Charles Hurwitz decided it was ripe for a takeover, and he plucked it in the fall of that year.

Almost immediately after the takeover, Hurwitz raided the pension fund and doubled the rate of cutting to pay off the loans and junk bonds used to finance the takeover. If there was any doubt about Hurwitz's intentions and his dedication to preserving the sustainability of his new acquisition, it was cleared up in his first meeting with the workers of Pacific Lumber. Hurwitz was quoted by Time magazine as telling his new employees, "There is the story of the golden rule: he who has the gold rules."

Creative financing

The story of MAXXAM's takeover of Pacific Lumber is itself a tale of intrigue, shady dealings and questionable business practices. MAXXAM announced that it would make a cash tender offer for Pacific Lumber on September 30, 1985. Drexel, Burnham, Lambert structured the financing, which consisted of a $300 million short-term loan from the Irving Trust Company and $450 million dollars worth of junk bonds sold by Michael Milken's high-yield bond department at Drexel Burnham.

Shortly after MAXXAM made its offer, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) initiated an investigation into the heavy volume of trading in Pacific Lumber stock which took place in the days before MAXXAM made its offer. A House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation report states that the NYSE investigation uncovered significant evidence of insider trading and parking stock, although no civil or criminal actions were brought against MAXXAM or its associates for their activities related to MAXXAM's purchase of Pacific Lumber.

The NYSE investigation, the subcommittee's report and subsequent congressional hearings all make a strong case that stock parking took place. Parking stock is the practice of buying stock for another party in order to conceal the identity of the true or eventual owner. If Hurwitz had someone park stock for him, he could have accumulated Pacific Lumber stock anonymously and at a lower price than after the company was put "into play" (when it became known a single party was accumulating large blocks of the company's stock), which would drive the price of stock up almost immediately.

Boyd Jefferies, former chairperson of the Los Angeles brokerage firm Jeffries Group, Inc., who later pleaded guilty to parking stock for Ivan Boesky, accumulated 539,600 shares of Pacific Lumber stock and sold the shares on September 27 to MCO Holding Company, a Hurwitz-controlled enterprise. Presumably, this purchase gave Hurwitz enough stock to begin the hostile takeover of Pacific Lumber which he commenced three days after MCO purchased the stock.

Hurwitz and Jefferies both deny any prior agreement to park stock, but Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell, D-Michigan, and Representative Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, concluded in October 1987 that it was unlikely that the sale took place without a prior agreement, because the stock was sold well below the trading price on September 27, 1985. Since there had been so much trading before Hurwitz's offer, the stock price had already begun to rise. On September 27, Pacific Lumber was trading at close to $34 per share. In what was probably one of the more philanthropic stock sales ever seen on Wall Street, Jefferies sold the Pacific Lumber stock at $29.10 rather than its market trading price of $34. The discount sale was not attributable to a prior agreement, according to both parties, but apparently to the fact that Boyd Jefferies felt good-hearted that day.

Jefferies' generosity was not enough to ensure the financial stability of the newly acquired company. Though the interest payments on the junk bonds Hurwitz and MAXXAM used to finance the takeover were not due for four years, it was evident soon after the purchase of Pacific Lumber that it would be difficult to cover the debt. The annual interest payment on the junk bonds was more than the historical annual profit of Pacific Lumber.

To make the bonds more attractive to potential bidders, MAXXAM announced it would terminate the pension plan and sell most nontimber assets to pay the bank loan. MAXXAM also decided it would increase Pacific Lumber's timber cutting rate to pay off the junk bonds.

Getting to the pension fund required some slick maneuvering. According to William Bertain, a lawyer representing shareholders in Pacific Lumber and residents of Humboldt County in a suit against Pacific Lumber, the company attempted to protect the pension fund before Hurwitz's raid by declaring that the pension fund's excess $60 million would vest directly to the employees and retirees in the event of a hostile takeover.

Under pressure from a suit by MAXXAM, the Pacific Lumber board of directors agreed to a "friendly takeover," and MAXXAM agreed to defend the Board if it was found to have breached its fiduciary duty to the shareholders. MAXXAM increased its offer by $1.50 a share, for a total increase of approximately $33 million. But since it was now undertaking a friendly takeover, MAXXAM had access to the $60 million excess in the pension fund - so MAXXAM came out $27 million richer, despite the higher price paid.

Hurwitz was later sued by the U.S. Department of Labor and employees for investing Pacific Lumber's pension fund with the now-failed Executive Life Insurance Co. allegedly in return for Executive Life's junk bond financing of the Pacific Lumber takeover. The suit is still pending.

Failing Finances

Three years after MAXXAM's takeover of Pacific Lumber, another piece of Hurwitz's empire, United Savings Association of Texas, failed. The circumstances of the failure remain hazy. Although MAXXAM's Lamb claims that "USAT's decline can be attributed to a decline in the Texas real estate market," the S& L's deep involvement in Michael Milken's junk-bond schemes appears to have been an important factor in its downfall.

By the time USAT failed in 1988, Hurwitz had already gained the attention of regulators. In 1971, Hurwitz was sued by the Security and Exchange Commission for alleged stock manipulation, and charged by New York State regulators with looting Summit Insurance Company. Hurwitz was not found guilty in either case.

In the three years prior to its failure, USAT purchased more than $1.3 billion worth of junk bonds underwritten by Drexel Burnham. During those same years, the Milken group raised about $1.8 billion for Charles Hurwitz and his takeover ventures, including the takeover of Pacific Lumber, according to a FDIC lawsuit against Michael Milken.

The FDIC told the United Financial Group (UFG) that the company and its officers are liable for breach of fiduciary duty for wrongfully failing to maintain the net worth of a failed savings and loan. The FDIC also alleges that Hurwitz used USAT to aid Michael Milken's scheme to manipulate the junk bond market. And the FDIC accused UFG of wrongfully causing USAT to pay dividends to UFG.

At the time of the failure, MAXXAM owned approximately 22 percent of USAT and 28 percent of United Financial Group, the thrift's holding company. Charles Hurwitz was chair of both MAXXAM and UFG when USAT failed.

The questions of propriety surrounding the takeover of Pacific Lumber and the collapse of USAT may provide hope for the preservation of the Headwaters Forest, as Congress and environmentalists try to fashion a response to Hurwitz's demands.

One possibility is for the government to accede to the proposal for a $600 million cash buyout of the forest. The Headwaters Forest Act, introduced by Representative Dan Hamburg, D-California, would authorize the Department of Agriculture to buy 44,000 acres of the forest. Because of Congress's understandable reluctance to pay $600 million, the bill leaves the amount and method of payment open to negotiation between the Department of Agriculture and Hurwitz.

Hamburg's bill has passed the House of Representatives and Senator Barbara Boxer, D- California, has introduced a Senate version of Hamburg's bill, but it currently has no co-sponsors.

Another, bolder approach would avoid the need for Congress to directly or indirectly authorize funds for the purchase of the Headwaters Forest. Prodded by some environmentalists, Representative Ron Dellums, D-California, Chair of the House Banking Committee Henry Gonzales, D-Texas, and other members of the House have asked the FDIC to consider "disgorging" Pacific Lumber from MAXXAM, on the grounds that MAXXAM's takeover of Pacific Lumber was inextricably bound up with USAT's failure.

The case for disgorgement, Dellums wrote to FDIC Chairman Andrew Hove, "is based on the assessment that MAXXAM acquired Pacific Lumber as a direct result of certain alleged breaches of fiduciary duties owed United Savings Association of Texas (USAT) by MAXXAM, as controlling stockholder, and by similar alleged breaches of duty on the part of certain overlapping officers and directors." The letter explains, "These alleged breaches include causing USAT to invest heavily in junk bonds underwritten by Drexel, Burnham and Lambert as a quid pro quo for Drexel's underwriting of the bonds MAXXAM used to acquire Pacific Lumber."

Jill Ratner, a lawyer at the Oakland-based Rose Foundation was the first to look into the idea of disgorgement. According to Ratner, "We based our theory on the FDIC's own allegations in a related case. The FDIC's complaint in FDIC v. Milken alleged that Drexel, Burnham and Lambert and MAXXAM's CEO, Charles Hurwitz, arranged for the S& L [USAT] to purchase millions of dollars of Drexel's underwritten bonds in return for Drexel's securing the financing that allowed MAXXAM to buy out Pacific Lumber. In the end, these alleged interested insider transactions were very much to MAXXAM's advantage and very much to USAT's detriment."

In sum, Ratner says, "What we're saying is that if the FDIC can prove what it already alleged, MAXXAM should be made to surrender the profit it made on the allegedly improper financing deal, and that profit is Pacific Lumber."

The FDIC has responded to the calls for disgorgement by stating that it is still reviewing the matter, and that it has entered into an agreement with UFG and others who may be responsible for losses resulting from the failure. The parties have all agreed to hold off legal actions and negotiate toward a settlement.

Disgorgement would put the Headwaters into federal ownership, but many in the communities throughout Humboldt County would like to see Hurwitz pay for his actions with more than just trees. Darryl Cherney, an Earth First! activist in Garberville, California, has been working on this issue since MAXXAM took over Pacific Lumber. Cherney has a deep disgust for Hurwitz and his business practices. "Hurwitz has pilfered the Pacific Lumber pension fund, ripped off the redwoods, and swindled a savings and loan to do it. We say three strikes and you're out. The only thing that is up for negotiation as far as old growth redwoods are concerned is the length of Hurwitz's jail sentence."

You may read MORE Blog Posts
by Clicking on the LABELS Below...

TV News Talking Heads Say: Republicans are BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE of Representatives ...and... ROCK THE CASBAH takes on New Meaning since Hamas Murdered 260+ People at a Music Festival!

Guernica by Picasso... 

Different War, Same Insanity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3eC35LoF4U

Mindless Vegetables in the Republican Party 

FAIL AGAIN! They remind me of the Song

LUNATIC FRINGE by Red Rider!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ

Lyrics:

By order of the Prophet
We ban that boogie sound
Degenerate the faithful
With that crazy Casbah sound...

Headline: Hamas attack on Israeli techno festival leaves at least 260 dead and many missing...

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/10/1204950063/hamas-attack-on-israeli-techno-festival-leaves-at-least-260-dead-and-many-missin

Madmen Killing People Dancing??? We Certainly Don't Need PEOPLE LIKE THAT in The Future... Both Israel and Hamas are Killing Each Other. WONDERFUL... I believe there are Bad People on Both Sides... With 8 Billion People Alive Today, I'm Glad they are Taking Action to Reduce the Population! THANKS!

and Now, Israel has Commanded all Civilians to WALK SOUTH out of Gaza City... GTFO! Because Intense Bombing Will Kill People That Remain... Quite an Insane Twist of Fate as Hamas Has Commanded Everyone to Stay... So... Choose Death or Not... That's a Classic Darwin Survival of the Fittest Choice!

I'm not sure that Telling People to Walk South will Actually Work... After all, Americans Have been Telling Immigrants to Walk South and NO ONE Seems to Listen... Don't they KNOW that Brazil is Like, Totally Excellent?

Christmas Ornaments for Sale at Zazzle Gregvan

Link to the Main Page of my Webstore!

"The Path Forward" - 20 Simple Suggestions for Making the World a Better Place to Live... 

#1. Tax the Rich, Cut Taxes for the 99%. All that Extra Money in People's Paychecks Will Bubble UP Thru The Entire Economy; Increasing Sales, Increasing Profits...EVERYBODY WINS!

2. OUTLAW GERRYMANDERING: That way We Could Have Majority Rule in the USA. In Fact, Most People Prefer Majority Rule... We Tried Corporate Rule and That Was a Disaster!

3. Trump's EPA=Enable Polluters Agency. Let's FLIP The Mission to Protecting the Environment;

4. Legalize Marijuana Nationwide, Tax It and Free All Cannabis Prisoners; We Will NEED Empty Jail Cells to House TRAITOR TrumpNiks!

5. Legalize Medicinal Psychedelics; Let Doctors and Patients Decide What the Best Medicine Is... DUH...

6. End The Electoral College; Let The People Decide Who Becomes President.

7. Overturn Citizens United; Get Corporate Bribery OUT of Politics.

8.Cut Pentagon Spending in Half; Why Pay for BOGUS WARS?

9. Build Solar Powered Desalination Plants - We Need Fresh Drinking Water!

10. Wear a Mask, Practice Social Distancing and GET a Vaccine. Let's End Trump's Coronavirus!

11. Medicare for all. Costs Less, Works Better! Just Look At CANADA, They Pay Less Money and Live Longer... DUH...

Click Here for 9 MORE Simple Ideas!


If YOU Have Any Ideas, Tell Me and I'll Include them in this eBook. gregvan[at]yahoo[dot]com

TELEVISION SCRIPT: Allah and Moe Were Drinking a Beer at The Mecca Bar and Grill When Suddenly... (Absurdist Fiction by Gregory Vanderlaan)

In walked Angry Boy...
"Well, Look, Moe Ham Mad, It's Brett Kava Kava NOOGIE! When did you get Out, Brett?" - said Allah

"Arrgh!" - Said Angry Boy

"Oh, don't be like that Brett, We're Your Friends" - Said Moe

"Arf Arf Arf" - Said Angry Boy

"DUCK!" - Said Allah "It's Dick Cheney and he's Got a Gun!"

"BLANG BLANG BLANG A Rat a Tat Tat" - Said Dick with his GUN.




The Bartender Grabbed his Face and slid under the Bar...

"Oh Great, you Numbskull, Now we will have to serve our own Beer..." - Said Moe Ham Mad.

BANG BANG BANG Said Dick...

and when the smoke cleared, Dick Cheney was lying Dead on the Floor and Condoleezza Rice was Standing over him with her own GLOCK .45 with a snide grin on her face...

"I've wanted to do that for years... Where is Ronald Dumbsfield? He's on my little list too... They made me look like an accessory to mass murder... like I was one of the Manson Family..."

Then George W [The American Idiot] said... "Please find in in your heart to forgive them Condi... after all, they were really just following my directions... and George Tenet's LIES"

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG said Condi Rice "Eh? What did you say? I'm Having trouble understanding you with all those bullet holes... and I don't like the directions you gave ME either. So There! Were Even. "

"Blargle Fargle Blorp" - said George W - "I'm Melting"

"That reminds me of a Story." - Said Allah... - "It's all about Remembering US, Allah and Moe...

READ MOE!

https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/11/allah-and-moe-were-drinking-beer-at.html

2,017 Years Ago, Three Wise Guys Saw Jupiter and Saturn Align and Said: "ROAD TRIP!" - Got on their Camels and Headed West... Found a Homeless Woman With a Baby and...

Said: "This Kid is Going to Be Special." and In Fact He was Special... SO... If any of Your Friends Have a Baby this Week... Check to see if they are a God!


1/21/2020 Jupiter and Saturn Right in the Center of the Photo...

I'm Looking for Information About a SUCCESSFUL LIBERTARIAN UTOPIA. a Town, a Commune... ANYTHING! I'm Writing a Book About Libertarian Ideas and It Appears That THEY ALWAYS FAIL! Please Name Names in the Comment Section Below... or Email Me gregvan[at]yahoo[dot]comThanks!

Maybe Like "Warp Drive" in Star Trek, Their Beliefs Work Great in FICTION But Never in Reality... Remember: The Unseen Hand of the Free Market CAUSED The Power Failure in Texas in 2021... Without Federal Regulation, The Power Company FAILED to Winterize Their Natural Gas Generators and DISASTER!

It would Really Suck if I Published this Book and then Found Out That Their Ideas ACTUALLY WORK!

Why Do Ayn Rand's Grand Ideas Always Fail?
Because They are a FICTION PLOT DEVICE
not an Actual Plan for Running the World... DUH...

Classic Stories: "THE UMMAGUMMA OF CAMBRIDGE" - by gvan42 - "The Golden Spoon of Montezuma" - "The Origin of Popcorn" and "The Glazier with a Rock" and Trippy Mushroom Drawings!



When the aliens found out that their spaceship was infested with Ummagumma they stopped at the first planet (eARTh) and dumped them. The place was called Stonehenge. The Ummagumma are an annoying life form that supports themselves by petty thievery. They were first reported in Dickens books...you know... Oliver Twist...Pickpockets...They also have an annoying habit of taking things apart and not putting them back. Have you ever noticed that for some unknown reason things just "go on the blink" ? That's the work of the Ummagumma. For centuries they lived in the swamps near Oxford (Cambridge, England - the land of Eng) but one day they walked down to the docks and snuck aboard a boat. When the captain found out that his boat was infested with Ummagumma he stopped in the first port and dumped them. He threw them right overboard and into the San Francisco bay. They swam to shore and quickly blended into the population. You see, they are short and brown and could be mistaken for Chinamen...............................Stay tuned... next time they disassemble Sutro tower in a futile attempt to "call an intergalactic taxi". ............................And then they wander down the coast and climb... Mount UMUNHUM... The giant box on the mountain overlooking the city of Saint Joe. ...................................................The Ummagumma always stowaway and they just had to get off the planet eARTh. This planet's just too boring. Got to get back to the Swinging Planets in the Crab Nebula...That's where all the Fun Is. and so, gentle reader Ta Ta For Now...

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

Psychedelic Poetry - "CEREMONY AND RITUAL" - a story - Fiction - written by Gregory Vanderlaan about a Trip to Philadelphia - Grateful Dead at JFK Stadium and The Spectrum Arena - deadheads: stories from fellow artists



OUR MINDS HAVE BEEN FUSED INTO ONE SHIMMERING
COLONIAL ANIMAL…
FLOWING IN THE
CURRENTS OF THE MUSIC…
adrenaline, serotonin, synapses on fire !


IN THE SHADOWS,TORCHES FLICKER IN THE BREEZE.
THE ORACLE BEGINS TO SPEAK,
FEEL THE HEAT…
adrenaline, serotonin, synapses on fire!


WE DANCE OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL
REALM OF TIME AND SPACE.
THE CROWD ERUPTS IN OUTBURSTS OF FREE-FORM MOTION
AS THE INTENSITY OF THE JAM PEAKS
adrenaline, serotonin, synapses on fire!
MY BODY IS TRANSFORMED INTO A PINBALL AND
I RICCOCHET AROUND THE SPECTRUM
ARENA BOUNCING OFF THE FLASHING LIGHTS.
A CROWD OF DEADHEADS
SURROUND ME INTENT ON TELLING ME STUPID JOKES…
THEY JUST…know… THAT I WILL LAUGH…
adrenaline, serotonin, synapses on fire!


THANK YOU DR. ALBERT HOFFMAN
***************************************
This was written after attending a Grateful Dead concert in JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I was sitting up above the crowd in the bleachers and could see the dancers move more enthusiastically during peaks of the music… less motion during gentle passages… as the dynamics of the improvisation ebbed and flowed, the dancers moved accordingly… like sea anemones moving in the currents of the ocean… I also mention the Spectrum in Philadelphia… It has many blinking advertisements for Atlantic city casinos in the area where refreshments were being served…



Trippy Mushroom Drawing by gvan42 - psychedelic Art - psilocybin - magic mushroom - hippy freakout - quest for knowledge - inner space journey - Original Image: Gregory Vanderlaan - copyright free art - Pirate at Will! - more images at gvan42.blogspot.com





"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, [Except Blacks and Women] that they are endowed by their Creator [Named Jesus, Allah, Yahweh, Odin, Thor, KRSNA, Buddha or a Thousand Other Names] with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” [Unless your Pursuit uses Marijuana or Psychedelics as a Sacrament]

DANG... So Many Exceptions! Were the Founding Fathers Racist and Sexist Pigs? Betsy Ross Can Sew a Flag While We Manly Men Go Kill Us Some Brits!




Classic Stories: "The Glazier with a Rock" - and - "The Golden Spoon of Montezuma" - and - "The Origin of Popcorn"

"The Glazier with a Rock"
(a glazier is a person that replaces broken windows)

When I lived in Maryland in an apartment complex with 500 units there was a man who replaced broken windows... When there were no windows to replace he hired children to throw rocks thru windows... Then he had work to do and got paid for replacing the broken windows. This plan is not that unusual... I have heard that firefighters in Trinity County, California often are arsonists... Start a fire, get work as a firefighter...

~~~~~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~~~~~

"The Golden Spoon of Montezuma"

When Cortez arrived in Mexico, he was interested in GOLD. He also wanted to impress the people he met with how rich and powerful his KING was. He told an Indian that his King was so rich that he used a golden spoon for EVERY meal and then discarded it after he was done. His King was so rich that he could afford to THROW AWAY gold. The Indian was not impressed. The Indian said that HIS King was so rich that he could afford to use a NEW GOLDEN SPOON for EVERY BITE! How was this possible? Well, Montezuma used TORTILLAS for a spoon. He would scoop up his food using a tortilla chip (golden spoon) and so he used a new "golden spoon" for each bite. I love telling this story when I'M eating Mexican food at a restaurant.

~~~~~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~~~~~

"THE ORIGIN OF POPCORN"

Way out in the Ozark mountains Sandy Chapin built a house out of rocks.He found an old farmers fence that had fallen down and he just moved it onto his land and stacked it up. Near the front door he put two abalone shells. Here in California, abalone shells are quite common but out there in the Ozarks they caused quite a fuss. The hillbillies came from miles around to see the "pearls as big as a possum". Pretty soon rumors got around that the "pearls" were magic. Folks said that they helped the old folks with their bones on rainy days. You know how people talk around the stove in the general store. Tall tales indeed. They said it was a cure for Rheumatism and arthritis. Then the shepherds got into the act. When they get to talking the stories get exagerated all out of proportion.

Pretty soon animals were lined up down the road all the way to the creek. A mooing and a quacking like you never heard. Barking dogs and oinking pigs. But the old dog 'zeke just lay there on the porch. Night fell and the moonshine appeared. Who brought it? The moonshiners, of course. They cooked it in a still and squeezed the goodness out of the corn. By the light of the moon the corn sparkled. A wind came up and the stalks moved like they were dancing. Waves of motion like they were dancing to a string band. Somebody started a fire to bar b-q a pig and that's when things really started popping. You see, the wind blew the glowing coals out into the field and the cornstalks caught on fire. Pretty soon the whole field was in a conflagration and presto chango ... POPCORN!

Sandy is a real person and does live in the Ozarks with a dog, Zeke in a rock house...

Popular Posts:

• 

  The Cosmic Eye - FREE Clipart - New Art Added Today! - and Decorated Merchandise for Sale on Zazzle Gregvan - over Two Dozen FREE IMAGES! Have Fun!

    Cosmic Eye - Free Clipart by gvan42 -  go ahead and pirate this art, use it for any purpose Click Here to Buy the Cosmic Eye Christmas Orn...
• 

  Thank You, President Biden. The Economy is Doing Great! Jobs are UP, Wages Are UP, Stock Market is UP, Infrastructure, American Climate Corps and Work Permits for Immigrants. ... Vote for Democrats Everywhere... Protect Social Security, Medicare, Police and The US Military.

  Biden Unveils the American Climate Corps, a program with echoes of the New Deal.  https://www.npr.org/2023/09/20/1200483937/biden-climate-co...
• 

  Protest tRUMP: Sept 30th in Costa Mesa, CA - At His Fundraising Dinner: $23,200 Dollars a Couple. The Location is Secret... SO... Let's Shut Down the Entire Town!

  Thanks to everyone that showed up at the Anaheim Protest!! Good Job! I wonder... Does anyone Know where the Secret Costa Mesa  Location is? ...
• 

  CRIME IS LEGAL FOR REPUBLICANS. Obviously Guilty: Texas Attorney General Paxton. But He was Acquitted! That's INSANE!

  Impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted on 16 impeachment articles on Saturday, thwarting an  effort to remove him  from o...
• 

  Trump's Dementia: Is His Failing Brain a Danger to the USA? Obesity and Advanced Age are Undeniable... #RUNAWAY Movement Gains Momentum... Millions of Former Republicans Leave Party.

  Trump's cognitive deficits seem worse. We need to know if he has dementia:  We all see signs that the president's abilities are dec...
• 

  Millions of Republicans #RUNAWAY from the GOP. Burning Down the House Triggered a Massive Exodus... #FreeNestor "I Just Can't Stand the Crazy Anymore!" says Susan Q of Youngstown, Ohio

  "I Worked as a Third Grade Teacher My Whole Life and I Recognize This Behavior... I'm Voting for Adults From Now On!" #FreeNes...
• 

  Madman Trump Makes Death Threats on Truth Social. If He is Elected, Expect TOTAL ANARCHY! We Got a Preview - US House of Representatives TOTALLY SHUT DOWN! - Just To Make CRIME LEGAL for Republicans!

  Trump Wants His Enemies to Fear for Their Lives...  https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/trump-milley-death-fbi-threats.html Last Friday,...
• 

  Embroidered Slogan Hats for Sale. Over 100 Designs or WRITE YOUR OWN! Also: Buttons, Christmas Ornaments and Posters. All Royalties Donated to Charity.

    CLICK HERE to Shop For Hats! Main Page of My Webstore: Buttons!  - Ornaments!  - Posters! MAGA GAGA GOO GOO GO Sign for Sale  Printed on a...
• 

  RFK Jr is Wrong. COVID-19 Is Not a BioWeapon Designed to Kill Republicans. Yes, That's What Happened but It Was Not Intentionally Engineered that Way... We Were Just Lucky...

    Remember: ANTI-VAX LIES On The Internet Have Killed Off More Republicans Than Democrats. THANK YOU FOR DYING! We Certainly Don't Need ...
• 

  FREE COMPUTER ART MANDALAS by gvan42 - Feel free to Pirate these Images and Use them Anywhere - Make Decorated Gifts at Zazzle, Spice Up a Blog... whatEVER!

  LINK to All My Christmas Ornaments for Sale at Zazzle Gregvan   Link to All My Buttons for Sale Go Sign Button for Sale: GO Sign - Positive ...