Category: Uncategorized

It is only the end of the third month of 2005, but already 2o persons have been killed in the Compton area of Los Angeles. Twenty persons! All shot dead by guns.

The Pope, the President, Congress, the entire media, the courts, all have intervened in the Schiavo case. Now that Terri Schiavo has died, will the “pro-life” religionists move their protests over to Compton to demand the end of murder in the streets?

Americans are dying in cold blooded killings and we dare to call ourselves a compassionate nation?

Jose Promis is a talented songwriter who lives in Silver Lake. Born in Chile, he and his family moved to Tuscon, Arizona when Jose was a young boy. After several years in Los Angeles, working at “a really boring and intellectually insulting glass-ceiling job” he started to frequent the open mike nights around town. His songwriting efforts intensified as he started to receive positive feedback and praise for his imaginative lyrics and Francophile melodies.

At his keyboard–in an apartment decorated with books, CDs, family photos and a small crucifix crowned shrine– he writes with pathos and wit. What inspires him? He seems to be under a triumvirate spell of Latin romanticism, Catholic mysticism and American urban reality. His music emanates sensitivity, eccentricity, rhythm and intelligence.

He can be seen performing his erudite and poetic cabaret songs at such venues as: vermont, the Gardenia, the Other Side and the Wyndham Bel Age. There is a growing following for his music which borrows and blends European folk melodies.

Cole Porter would approve.

Here is a small sample of his songwriting:

Delusions of Grandeur
performed by Promis

produced by Zendo

My generation of kids were reared on TV
All the while watching thinking that there should be me
And who were our heroes? Media stars…
And with those ideals
we strove to get real far

I heard it said, I think it was on TV
That dreams turn into regrets in maturity
With that ammunition we seek out our day
And long to be heard without a lot to say, without a whole lot to say

The world opens up and proceeds to take us in
And all that we’re told to survive is just to win
So in this state who can say for sure
If we’re misguided by delusions of granduer

Because deep in our hearts we’re convinced we’re doing fine
As we contribute to the world's steady decline
But what does one say since there’s a strange sort of allure
Getting ourselves caught up in some actions so impure
For our survival to be assured, we need our delusions of grandeur!

We’re not born bad it’s just how things turn out
It’s not happy or sad it’s what history’s all about
But we must avoid waking up with regret
Our fast moving world is fast to forget
What does one say? There’s a rusty allure
Being caught between life and delusions of grandeur
Delusions of grandeur

c2004jfpmusic

According to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist(R-TN), “These are extraordinary circumstances that center on the most fundamental of human values and virtues: the sanctity of human life.” He was speaking, of course, on the Congressional intervention into the debate over the maintainence of life for terminally brain dead Terri Schiavo.

Perhaps cynicism into the motives of the Republican right would not exist if these true Christians believed that the “sanctity of life” extended to death row inmates and those wounded and murdered Americans who die everyday from unregulated guns.

As long as Republicans state that the protection of life is the highest moral value, we will expect them to protect endangered species in the Alaskan National Wildlife Region. May they also think twice about applauding and financing pre-emptive wars. Would not a National Health Insurance plan also promote and enhance health and forestall death?

Only when Republicans and their devout supporters protect the right to life from the placenta to the prison, will we believe the solemn oaths they pretend to subscribe to on the “sanctity of life”.