There Trump goes again!

So Trump is at it again. Asked about potential problems involved with building a wall across the entire length of the US-Mexico border, from Brownsville-Matamoros (or even El Paso-Ciudad Juarez) to San Diego-Tijuana, the "T-Rump" browbeat reporters in the following (paraphrased) way: "I can do it. That's what I do, I build stuff.... I built a 98-story building....." Der Donald was referring to Trump Tower in NYC. First and foremost, Trump - YOU DIDN'T build it; LABOR creates ALL WEALTH! Secondly, there probably isn't a single dairy farm in my home state of Wisconsin which would stay in business for a single week without help from "illegal alien" laborers, who come from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala. I hate to start this whole "debate" again, if that's what I'm doing right now. But fact is fact, no matter how inconvenient the truth is to SOME "people;" to Trump, & his tag-along Scott Walker, for example. http://www.jsonline.com/business/wisconsin-dairy-farmers-push-for-immigration-reform-b99541375z1-317681341.html

Sweet Dreams!

I recently dreamed about some shite that was so gosh darn mundane I'm not even going to tell you about it. But of course, me being me, I just told you about it. TGIFOCKINGFRIDAY!

The Bernie Factor

All things considered though, I'll almost certainly still opt to support Bernie Sanders in the Wisconsin primary. Maybe even in November 2016. At least he's better than the rest of the rat bastards running - be they Demwits or Rethugs. www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/02/strange-words-from-st-bernard-and-the-sandernistas/

The Evil of Two Lessers, or Vice Versa

Regarding the hysterical, rabid, avaricious congressional Republicans who are threatening a government shut-down, using Planned Parenthood as their pretext: At least Hillary Clinton isn't presently a GOVERNMENT employee who is presently threatening to harm other government employees, as well as the entire country, in the way that the GOP leadership in Washington is scheming. That's the de-facto job description of long-term government employees like (among others) Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, who claim to be "anti-government," "running against the Washington insiders," and yet pick up a government salary every year. The sheer hypocrisy is mind-boggling, and the obscene pandering is off the charts. I'm no Clinton fan; I support Bernie Sanders, but Hillary's email peccadilloes pale in comparison to GOP malfeasance on a colossal scale. Like, for example, Dick Cheney's fervent desire to further bankrupt the US Treasury by renewed, unwise, unwarranted intervention in Iraq. Of course, I DO deplore Hillary's eagerness to invade in 2002-2003, as well as numerous other foul deeds the "House of Clinton" have committed. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/planned-parenthood-shutdown-government-funding-213232

Walker vs. Trump

If one were to stage a contest to determine who was worse, Scott Walker or Donald Trump, there would only be losers. And that result would include the residents of Wisconsin, the USA and the whole world - at least those of us who are constantly subjected to the ravings of these two especially deranged "candidates." http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/30/scott-walker-canada-border-wall-immigration-terrorists#comment-58532935

Psychotic commentary from the heavily Republican-leaning Chicago Tribune editorial board.

The only people crazier than Dick Cheney, who would like to re-invade Iraq on a massive scale, are certain Chicago Tribune op-ed contributors. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-chicago-katrina-financial-disaster-landrieu-new-orleans-mcqueary-emanuel-pers-20150813-column.html

Europeans are Trump-crazy, and so am I

I called it! Trump is an Evil Clown, I said. The Observer described him basically as a malign buffoon. Same difference. But this creature must be taken seriously. Although Trump's on stage performance is that of a one-man "political" freak show, he is DANGEROUS. He accurately reflects and represents the intellectual status quo (the lowest cultural denominator) of a large American demographic. The massive, nearly all-white crowd that turned out for one of his "electoral reality shows" in Mobile Alabama was a prime example. I think I need to coin a neologism - "Polititainment." http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/09/donald-trump-malign-buffoon-exposed-republican-party?CMP=share_btn_fb

A very well hung structure

Last month, while on a religion binge, I even prayed a couple times. But the mean old man upstairs knew I still refuse to have my sins forgiven and accept J.H. Christ as my personal saviour. So it didn't count for much, seeing as the wily old fox was plenty aware I was looking for the easy way out, an agnostic's loophole. HAR DEE HAR HAR. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/31/1252103/-Phallic-shaped-church-to-get-fig-leaf?detail=emailclassic

Do you remember these dreadful tunes from 1971?

"I beg your pardon - I never promised you a rose garden...." "Where's your mama gone, little BABY boy? Little baby BOY...." "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head.... "The candy man can, 'cause he mixes it with sand, and makes the world taste bland...." The last one I modified myself. It's strange to think I'll have all this musical rubbish from forty years ago in my mind until the day I die....

This story is just plain sad and I have no clever headline

Look, I'm pro Second Amendment, within reason. I've gone deer, small game and turkey hunting and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But this is just plain crazy - letting nine year olds fire actual machine guns, especially in such close proximity to other humans. Unless they're like, six foot six nine year olds who can handle these severe implements of death, "safely." Author and journalist Greg Palast called the USA an "Armed Madhouse;" incidents such as these - which are sadly a dime a dozen in America - prove him right. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/us/year-after-death-business-as-usual-at-gun-range.html

Just How Focking Rich IS Donald Trump?

I guess Trump's so focking rich, this praise from ex-KKK'er David Duke isn't the political kiss of death for Donald. He's pretty much admittedly out to buy the election, not win it, the old-fashioned way, by campaigning in a meaningful sense. Hey wait a minute..... that applies to ALL of them except Bernie Sanders. "Birds of a feather...." http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/politics/david-duke-donald-trump-immigration/

Ronald McDonald Trump

"An uneducated man rarely refuses the opportunity to speak." When I first heard The (Ronald Mc)Donald ranting against "Mexican rapists," I felt the kind of disgust I would towards anyone who effectively employs such revolting prejudice and pandering. His diatribes are not mindless though; they're adroitly utilized by an evil clown with $10 billion to throw around in search of votes. I've gained a new appreciation for Trump, as he's really thrown a wrench into the establishment Republican works. I'd been waiting literally for years for SOMEONE, anyone to make Scott Walker take a dive; who knew it would be this bombastic buffoon from the East Coast. Keep at it, and feel free to "lend" another $1.8 million to your own "campaign," Donald. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/inside-the-gop-clown-car-20150812

President "Jimmah" Carter: Some thoughts on his presidency, legacy

I was born in 1963, so Jimmy Carter is by far the best president in my political memory. He told the American people what they didn't want to hear - that we needed not only to conserve energy, but develop and utilize alternative, renewable sources of energy. As you may already know, he installed solar panels on top of the White House. The Carter administration, while hardly having a perfect human rights record, prodded Congress cut off military aid to Guatemala in 1977; a number of other militaristic regimes were also de-funded. Lord knows there were economic problems, especially in 1979-1980. But the national debt was about $150 billion dollars at the end of Jimmy Carter's presidency; it ballooned to more than $1 trillion under Carter's successor, Ronnie Reagan. I certainly took issue with some of Carter's polices, foreign and domestic; but looking back, the years 1977-1981 were a hell of a lot better than what came afterwards! At least the old peanut farmer and pro-nuclear veteran of the US Navy has had a better legacy as ex-president than he did while in the Oval Office. Can't think of a single other Twentieth Century ex-pres. who founded anything as useful as Habitat for Humanity. The Carter Center has also done some good in places like Equatorial Africa. And of course, there's the following instructive quote from "Jimmah:" “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marijuana.” ― Jimmy Carter http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/20/jimmy-carters-hometown-cancer-hundreds-signs#comment-57972200

A 9/11 Memoir

9/11, I was up on 110th, near the corner of Broadway. Brother in law comes into the room and says "Dan, a 757 has crashed into the World Trade Center....! " Being a late riser, I began in my grogginess to say "you gotta be kidding m...," but could tell straight up that he was serious as a cardiac arrest. He found out because he'd been listening to NYC radio; suddenly there wasn't a station to be found on the dial. The Twin Towers' antenna had already plunged with the towers, I believe. Or maybe not, just out of service, because when we took the elevator up to the roof of the 15-story building, we saw - from about 6-8 miles distance - the first tower still burning. Then we saw what we thought at the time to be an Air Force fighter sent late to intercept, but during the last 9 years my bro-in-law have compared our experiences. We now both believe that the plane we saw was the one that struck the second tower.
We went back to the first floor and watched the coverage on TV, as the transmission had been switched to the Empire State Building by then. Made me cringe to see "NYC Under A State of Emergency." Of course one must expect it, but it was a very uncomfortable sense of being imprisoned on Manhattan. Which we effectively were, for two days. I went back to the roof a little later and saw a vast cloud of dust and ash where there had been sinister smoke and flame before. I apparently viewed the aftermath of the collapse, rather than the collapse per se.
Thinking we would be under a protracted state of martial law, I went to a nearby supermarket and stocked up on supplies, as did so many others.

It was still Tuesday, 911: We watched the TV and listened to the radio coverage, as transmission had been switched to the Empire State Building. I unsuccessfully tried to donate blood at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and stopped in on the way at the Cathedral of St. John The Devine for a little "quiet time." Later, I tried to purchase heavy boots for, can you believe it, volunteering - for the "rescue" effort. No dice; I bussed or subwayed or walked down as far as 40th street near Times Square; Manhattan was blocked off south of that point. The whole day we were under the impression that 10-20,000 were dead and thousands more injured. All day Sept 11, 2001 there was a caravan of first responders screaming down the Henry Hudson Parkway from upstate, and black SUVs and NYPD squads screeching through the streets. Still Tuesday, 9/11, I heard about the Pentagon and the Plane that went down in Pennsylvania. I wondered if Bush and Rummy were behind the Terrorist Attack, as Rumsfeld was conviently on the opposite side of the Pentagon from impact. Bush and Cheney, by our reckoning, were god knows where. Wednesday I walked the dog down by the Hudson River and smelled the burning plastic in the air, as the wind had shifted northwards.
The Siege of Manhattan was lifted on Thursday the 13th; bugging out, I got to experience the bedlam and bomb threats at the Port Authority Terminal that day. As the bus emerged from the Lincoln Tunnel on the New Jersey side, there were gasps from the passengers as we all turned to see the smoldering ruins at "Ground Zero." The coach continued almost non-stop to Cleveland, where the station was mobbed. There were hundreds of passengers trying to board various buses, and a near-riot, because those of us originating at New York and continuing to Chicago got precedence over all other newcomers. Some of the transfers who got on in Detroit had been waiting for 12, 18 hours or maybe even longer.

Noticed, between Cleveland and Chi-Town, for the first time in my life, not a plane in the sky! Arriving in Chicago, the skyline never looked better. This is all to the best of my recollection; I've probably got many things out of sequence.

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Never Trust a Billary!

This was good on the BLM activists, very good. We can't allow the Lib-Dem-leaning electorate to immerse itself in complete political amnesia. President Bill Clinton presided over a full eight years of get-tough-on-crime rhetoric and actions, much of which was constitutionally questionable. Senator Hillary Clinton has an equally distinguished record as US Senator from New York. Never trust a Billary Clinton! Chelsea might be OK, (and I doubt it) but as for her parents.... HRUMPH! http://www.democracynow.org/2015/8/19/when_black_lives_matter_met_clinton

Considering religion, once more

Buddhism holds no particular fascination for me, not at this time. I did like "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse, but as for Buddhism - it's sort of the same way I feel about Yoga, rightly or wrongly. My impression, one that I've had for a long, long time, is is that both Buddhism and Yoga, not that they're one and the same by any means, but they both put one hell of a damper on revolutionary thought AND practice. I have always felt as if... well, not only AM I a malcontent - I wish to remain that way, to my last dying breath. Not in any particularly brave or sacrificial way, mind you - just a major part of who and what I am. For better or worse, two of the "Big Three" monotheistic religions perk my curiosity. Though I will say right off the bat - the violent patriarchy IS a huge problem - has been for thousands of years. Also the numerous other atrocities they have certainly promulgated, shamefully and ceaselessly, over the centuries. Or religious versions thereof, at least. Still, my most inner FEELING is, "Spirituality? Schmirituatlity!" If I ever catch the faith, you can rest assured, I'll "Go for God!" What else would you expect from, for lack of a better word, a "fanatic?" Again, rightly or wrongly, I must add that I find Islam, GENERALLY speaking, considerably worse than Roman Catholicism even, in terms of its sheer misogyny. There is a mosque right off Madison's West Beltline Highway - it has, quite prominently displayed, a "Women's Entrance" and a "Men's Entrance." Need I add a whole lot more. P.S. Hinduism is kinda neat and colourful, but it's just as much a fairy tale as the most preposterous Christian denomination or Jewish sect. Maybe even more like the Brothers Grimm, Hinduism is, with its official polytheism. The more Gods a creed has, the more ludicrous it probably is! And Hinduism's caste system SUCKS!

Waukesha County D.A. Office is more emotionally disturbed than accused "Slender Man" girls

"Geyser was diagnosed with early onset schizophrenia during court competency evaluations, and she still believes in the existence of the mythological Slender Man and fictional characters such as Harry Potter. She is opposed to taking medication because she believes it would stop her ability to talk with these 'friends,' the (Milwaukee) Journal Sentinel reported." http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/10/slender-man-stabbing-13-year-old-wisconsin-girls-will-be-tried-as-adults/ Yes, these two GIRLS, at least one of whom has been definitively diagnosed with a serious mental illness, are ADULTS, in the sense of being legitimately susceptible to "adult" punishments. "Adult" punishments being the kind of penalization that is already ludicrously severe and excessive in these United States. They're "grown-ups!" That explains why both these defendants legally purchased alcohol and tobacco previously, before the stabbing. (NOT!) That's why these two defendants have driver's licenses. (NOT!) That's why they were both registered to vote in Waukesha County. (NOT!) That's why the two kids viewed R-rated films, unsupervised, at a theatre way back in the day. (NOT!) While I AM plenty well aware and informed as to the horrifying nature of this offense.... Get real, America! Knowing something about the Waukesha County criminal injustice system, I seriously doubt the prosecutors' motives are as altruistic as some insist. The media frenzy alone has had the whole judicial apparatus fervently seeking retribution, from the moment this attack hit the news. There are better options for getting these GIRLS the psychiatric help that's required. If not, there SHOULD be such options. We as a society need to improve the juvenile "justice system" to the point where Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser can get the kind of help they need, without pretending they are now miraculously somehow a pair of "grown-ups." Then the "pragmatists" who claim the girls' psychological problems will be better served by waiving them into adult court won't have to bend over backwards trying to rationalize their irrational position. Again, these are two GIRLS. Waukesha County, Wisconsin and the USA can't have it both ways - if they are indeed juveniles in need of treatment - and all the factors I listed above prove that much - then they are by definition NOT ADULTS, and not properly under the jurisdiction of adult courts. Rather than entertaining the idiot notion that a couple 13 year-olds are "young ladies," as some commentators would have it, the "pro-punishment for punishment's sake" crowd needs to simply admit they're WRONG. But hey, maybe, just maybe there are grounds for agreement between us. Since the "tough on crime" set maintain Morgan and Anissa ARE adults, for all intents and purposes, who have by virtue of their grievous offense forfeited all legitimate claims they ever had to be considered children, I propose the following. My proposal is at odds with the current reality, to be sure, but no less realistic as an intellectual exercise than some of what's been asserted: If Anissa and Morgan were two good, well-adjusted, mentally sound 13-year-olds who had kept out of trouble their entire lives, well then.... they should have been given the opportunity to enter basic training, with a view to a future in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard. Indeed! At the age of twelve! So I disagree with the officers of the court. I most definitely disagree with ALL who actually believe a twelve or thirteen year-old has the same emotional maturity, ethical compass and overall cognitive capacity as an eighteen year-old. And I do so without even taking into account how limited an 18-year old's psychological development is in comparison to a young adult's in his/her twenties.... Of course, I do understand the view from the other side. Those folks clearly believe the girls need additional confinement, past the age of 18. But whether or not the girls remain an obvious danger to the community at that future date remains to be seen. That determination should only be made by actual experts, not by vengeful prosecutors, jaded and/or corrupt judges, or paid consultants of dubious integrity whose services are employed for the very purpose of imposing the harshest penalty possible. Sad, in a way, as it is to say it, neither should that determination be overly influenced by understandably hostile relatives of the victim. Revenge isn't nearly the same thing as justice. It is true, however that this is all my OPINION, and I am not an expert in any field of mental health or penology. A prison sentence as long as forty-five years would be quite excessive, even for a crime this horrific, since said crime was committed by a couple of delusional girls who were twelve years old at the time of the attack.

Addition thoughts re: Master Soglin's cruelty toward the homeless

I especially liked what my friend of 40 years, Abigail Julius had to say about homelessness in Madison, and (in MY words) Master Soglin's obsessive callousness toward those he doesn't seem to realize are his fellow human beings. I've commented extensively on Soglin's relentless inhumanity; "His Honor" actually responded personally to my most recent email in opposition to the idea of meting out additional punishments to people without a place to call home. I was shocked "Paul" even bothered to reply, but in so doing he displayed no improved enlightenment. Honestly, I've never seen Soglin so captivated with any one issue, unless it's his equally deranged preoccupation with the "nuisance" of State Street's sidewalk cafes and advertising signage. Madisonians, let us devise solutions, not more ways to castigate those whose living situation already constitutes a severe form of punishment. http://www.isthmus.com/news/news/soglin-alarms-council-homeless-crackdown/

Try it - you MIGHT like it

When I shave my head, it's not a political statement. Such an invigorating, sensation! "If it feels good, DO it!" isn't a sensible approach in all things human, but it is with regard to hair style. Try it - you MIGHT like it. No selfies though; that whole (originally) American trend of boastful self-absorption has gone too far already.

Watts '65 - It Weren't No Jive!

Here we are, on the 50th anniversary of the profound and bloody Watts Riots, that CONVULSED South Central LA just days after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law. I never thought I'd live so long, and many of my drugged-out generation thought the same. Some are dead and some living of course, but I bet few of them remember this particular societal catharsis. Here's the best book I've found on the subject to date: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/832992.Rivers_of_Blood_Years_of_Darkness

Lady GaGa Agrees....

Ten percent are Gaybies, because they're BORN that way.

Cookie Monster like!!

Best fortune cookie in a while contained no fortune. But it did say "Some men dream of fortunes, others dream of cookies." Sharp cookie!

Master Soglin replies

Here's what mean Master Soglin - who just proposed that WE ALL (this is targeted at the homeless, obviously) be limited to one hour only on Madison's regal public benches - had to say in response to my protest: "Dan: The benches belong to everyone: it is not fair to seniors and parents with children to find the benches occupied by people nodded out – often from drugs and liquor. Meanwhile, there is plenty of room at the shelters. We can be compassionate and have rules. In the meantime, there are sexual assaults, fights and needles. All I am asking is that we be compassionate and understanding and have rules and responsibility. Paul R. Soglin Mayor City of Madison 210 MLK Jr. Blvd Madison, WI 53703 Office: 608-266-4611" And NO, there is not plenty of room at the shelters; many are overcrowded, have had problems with such issues as violence and vermin infestation. If you've used up your "shelter days," your options can be dangerously limited. Dangerously, I say, in a climate where winter temperatures have been known to drop to -30 Fahrenheit.

Let's rii-think Inglish Speling, for Kid'z Seik

Ai'm STIL veri muhtsh in feiver uhv uh baedli-niidid Inglish laengwidj speling riiform. Thaet wud impruuv literasii reits for Uhmericuh'z tshildrin, espeshuhlii. I'm still very much in favor of a badly-needed English language spelling reform. That would improve literacy rates for America's children, especially.

Too bad I'm no Southpaw.

Too bad I'm no Southpaw. (I don't have the faintest idea what I was about to say, five years+ ago.)

"The Black Cat's something I can't explaaaaainnn!"

Saw a black cat comin' outta the woods this mornin' - Ah said "here, kitty, kitty, kitty.... ?" No fool feline it - went thataways before I even got the door ajar. Do they know me by my obvious canine tendencies? Ah feel firmly restricted to the Rejection Section. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbIMx2MYNXk

Have you heard the word of the Lord, today?

I finally "found" religion." Last night I stayed up late, reading to myself out loud and silently, too. I learned that the Roman Catholic Church distinguishes itself by insisting on the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, and has a very bureaucratic, ritualistic and redundant nature. "Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary." Then there is the Trinity, and there are the sacraments and the beatitudes, the latter of which I never even knew what the hail they are. "Blessed be, blessed be...." Protestantism, on the other hand, distinguishes itself by being in opposition to the Pope and the Vatican hierarchy, and Protestants, are in a sense, like Jews. They are another People of the Book, inasmuch as they take their cues about faith from the Bible, or one particular version thereof, rather than marching in lockstep with those who promulgate Church doctrine. Of course, there is also the distinguishing characteristic that Protestantism has about a thousand, or at least many, many hundreds of schisms, isms, denominations and sects, NOT sex! Then I checked out the article on Judaism - thank G*d I only had an old World Book encyclopedia from 1965 to draw upon, or I wouldn't have slept at all! Did you know....Jews have no Holy Head Honcho in Jerusalem, in the sense that Catholics do what the Pope says.... or else! Rabbis are really like teachers, and many of them are well-versed in non-religious subjects. There are so many other distinguishing features of Judaism; I never really cared enough, for example, about the major groupings - Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Plus, Jews really ARE the People of the Book - Oy Vey! The Torah, the Talmud, the Mishnah and everything written by Franz Kafka is their Guiding Light. Just kidding about Kafka, but Kafka war Jude. By the time I got to the volume that deals with the "Eastern Orthodox Church," my eyes were already starting to bug out. Simply TRY to figure out just how The Eastern Churches and the Roman Catholics differ - and how they believe in and practice SOME of the same things....and venerate some of the same people, and how reconciliation has been sought, just as many Protestant denominations have sought, in vain it would appear, to "Get back Together again." I DARE ya. I came away with only the dimmest "understanding" of Greek and Slavic Orthodoxy. BTW, just where can I get a copy of the Roman Catholic Bible - is it even available to infidels like me, the Blasphemer Supreme? And what about apostates, heretics? Or just guys and gals (like me) who are recently.... INTERESTED, in the most academic sense of the word? I swear to Gawd I've never seen one - do they keep the Catholic Holy Book, along with the Holy Spirit (whatever the Heck that is) strictly "All in the Family?" Not any such problems laying layman's hands on the Gideon, or the King James, or any number of Modern, Protestant English language bibles. Get a hotel room! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRsSfNXW01A

Three Strikes and You're Out, revisited

Torture can take many forms. Like, for example, locking up some poor schlep for 19 years, or 31 years, or even LIFE, because he made the stupid-ass mistake of stealing a set of golf clubs, maybe on top of having done some real crimes - or some NOT SO REAL crimes, back in 1973, 1978, and lastly, in 2002. California has finally come to its senses, a bit, with respect to its notorious, cruel, sadistic, unfair, destructive "Three Strikes and You're Out" penalties, inflicted not just on the poor schleps who were consigned to a dungeon all these "get-tough-on-crime" years and decades, but upon us all, who may or may not come in contact with that law's shell-shocked victims. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/19/magazine/you-just-got-out-of-prison-now-what.html?_r=0

Donald T. Rump speaks one piece of truth

Gawd help us all when Donald Trump says anything TRUE, but he was right the other day when he criticized Scott Walker. As all thoughtful people in the Badger State know, Wisconsin IS a disaster! http://www.nationalmemo.com/wisconsin-economy-falls-to-49th-in-economic-outlook-under-scott-walker/

Jonathan Pollard to be released after serving 30 years

I am well-known as no friend of the state of Israel. But life, or even thirty years in prison for "espionage" strikes me as a typically excessive sentence. The US notoriously overdoes it in the length, severity and harshness of it's sentencing patterns, whether at the state or federal level. Not to mention the sheer NUMBER of people locked up, the majority for non-violent offenses. It's obscene. Mr. Pollard deserves to be released - the best years of his life are already forfeit. Remember the Rosenbergs! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/world/middleeast/jonathan-pollard-spy-for-israel-to-be-released-on-parole-in-november.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

1979-1980

It's beginning to feel a lot like 1979-1980 in Decatur, Alabama, Greensboro NC, Buffalo NY, Boston MA, and so many other cities and towns across America. Anyone who remembers the climate back then will realize - that's not a good thing. These Confederate freakazoids were guilty of disorderly conduct, AT LEAST. Why did the cops do nothing? Because police are often hesitant to restrain, let alone arrest or cite their friends. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/27/1406207/-Armed-Confederate-supporters-interrupt-Black-child-s-birthday-party-w-racial-slurs-death-threats?detail=email#

You, You..... YOU took me away from my place in litrerature...?!?

"You," as in the "you" of "the generalized other;" including "you" as the sender and recipient of electronic communications, all having the effect of ripping most possible introspection, dispassion and quiet asunder; the "you" of various, often poorly defined social obligations.... Addressing "you" collectively.... YOU weren't the ones who pried me away from my cool and soothing preoccupation with literature. But it happened, and I found myself firmly planted in that "other" world, of swirling emotions and infantile emoticons. And I lost it - lost sight of it, anyway - the POSITIVE aspect of being the bookworm. I succumbed to a certain unstated but very real form of pressure. For I had, for many many years, the incomprehensible and still not fully comprehending LUXURY of a great remove, an elite remoteness, whether I wanted to admit to that or not. But I NEEDED it then, and I still NEED it today. That calm, maybe a BIT contrived but absolutely essential objective mood. Contrived, I ask myself? And I ANSWER: that sort of artifice becomes real enough when you seek it - carefully, silently, intently. Meet me halfway there, even, and and you will BEGIN to know the "sane" me. https://books.google.com/books?id=FfdhjEhoYeYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+death+of+innocents+sister+helen+prejean&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAGoVChMIldzRipDwxgIVSY0NCh1OLQgN#v=onepage&q=the%20death%20of%20innocents%20sister%20helen%20prejean&f=false

A change is in the air above Key West & Havana

It's been a long time coming, but the thaw is here at last, and it's palpable. You can feel it in the tropical air over the Straits of Florida. Or you COULD feel it, NOW, if you stood at the "Southernmost Point" in Key West, as I did in 1998, 2000 and 2005. Back then, I felt that a trip to Havana would present me with nearly insurmountable diplomatic obstacles - the Gusano (Miami Cubano) presence in South Florida being mostly too reactionary, too persistent, and too influential in the worst way. The economic blockade remains in place of course - that won't change without cooperation from the US Congress, and as that demented body remains firmly in Republican hands, one has a hard time envisioning the Senate and House coming to its senses - doing the obviously right thing and opening up unrestricted trade with Cuba. But all the Ileana Ros-Lehtinens in the world, particularly in South Florida, couldn't stop Obama from doing this one, decent thing before he's out of office. I don't know if I would have "Liked Ike," but the embargo imposed against Cuba was one of Dwight D. Eisenhower's worst acts ever. Let us enter a new era of mutual cooperation in terms of trade and especially health care! (Don't forget Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate than the USA.) For the skeptics out there, among my fellow Americans reading this - Consider how Midwestern US farmers stand to benefit with the opening of this eager market so close to the American mainland. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/20/cuban-embassy-opens-washington-embargo-guantanamo

SURPRISE SUPREME! Scott Walker has thrown its hat into the ring

How 'bout those Brewers! How 'bout that Gub'ner Walker! Can't comment expertly, to say nothing of expatriately (not yet, anyhow) about the our state's major league LOSERS, recently transformed into a major league phenom, but.... As for Scotty Boy, isn't it an historical oddity - nah, historical obscenity is a better term - to realize he would be the first EVER president from our ripped and ruined state? Some testimonial to the intelligence of nearly half the purported Cheesehead electorate who repeatedly voted for the sorry oligarchical figurehead, and gawd help US all if a notable minority (bare majority?) of eligible Americanoids actually elevate this eminently presidential, plasticized political mandroid to the executive, ahem, function.

Leave this imperfect, soiled and sullen Earth behind!

THIS IS BIG. THIS is HUGE! It's the most important thing in my petty little almost meaningless and comparatively insignificant life since "Welcome Back Kotter" made its debut in 1975. Check out the eerie pictures, here and on other sites. YOU MUST, you WILL. Thou SHALT know Pluto and his underworld, if not his underwear. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=49503 Except for the babies and the children, and a very few special adults, Humanity offers so little and asks for SO MUCH. Now you know what I meant about the petty, insignificant, almost meaningless realm of human affairs, at least as contrasted with the glories of interplanetary and interstellar space. The "news" isn't news and "current events" aren't current, let alone relevant. Take off for better planets, if you've got the billions to do it. https://www.google.com/search?q=new+photos+of+Pluto+july+15+2015&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB4QsARqFQoTCISWzrCS3sYCFQQ2iAodP8oLrQ&biw=1137&bih=565&dpr=0.9#imgrc=jcEc5jFF9OhViM%3A

The Homos and Dykes, and various other epithets

While I must admit a certain fatigue with the issue of Same-Sex Marriage being in the forefront of the news, and interminably so, IMO.... I DO GET IT. As a practical, everyday matter, workplace discrimination IS discrimination. At least when it's based on a false premise, as in discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc., rather than on one's level of achievement, skill, talent or basic qualification for a particular position. And discrimination in the realm of housing or public accommodation is just wrong, period.

Another extremely interesting, possibly instructive read

"Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis: https://books.google.com/books?id=OF-YSMKCVwMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=mere+christianity+cs+lewis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lFqhVYfuGYLVoATutoW4Dw&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=mere%20christianity%20cs%20lewis&f=false

A divine contradiction in terms(?)

"Biblical Interpretation and Christian Ethics." A concept that my parents always inculcated in their offspring was/is an oxymoron. I'm trying hard to be more rational, logical, sequential, dispassionate, detached, disinterested and objective about the subject. An endeavor which God in His infinite wisdom has rendered utterly futile! (LOL!) https://books.google.com/books?id=eMvUFYlGvtIC&pg=PA52&dq=biblical+faith+and+christian+ethics&hl=en&sa=X&ei=a_6fVeOEKZKBygSF5JS4CQ&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=biblical%20faith%20and%20christian%20ethics&f=false

Catechlysmic

Had a go at "The Catechism of the Catholic Church" (1992 edition, "revised" by the Polish Pope and his groupies) yesterday. I have to confess, no pun intended, that except for the "Social Gospel" more or less included therein, it seemed pretty much like meaningless mumbo-jumbo, over and over again, page after page. But I'll continue TRYING to keep an open mind!

Mind Control is a theme I just can't get out of my mind

Americans, generally speaking, are among the cleanest people on Earth. This has to do with the fact they wash their brains, frequently.

Californians Dreaming of a Right to Die

What's so damn controversial about this humane idea? Geography is ONE thing: American culture is now so repressive its "leaders," some of whom are supposedly counted among the society's "Brain Trust" refuse to let any but the privileged out of that three million square mile prison the USA has become, without a passport, an X-Ray scan (or grope) and a hassle. I haven't escaped its borders, myself, in over 12 years. But to not allow those on the verge to die, hopefully with a minimal amount of dignity and grace? I'll let the audience consider the implications with no further editorializing. (I lied about no more comments from the peanut gallery) Remember Jack Kevorkian, with GRATITUDE! "California aid-in-dying bill shelved for the year" http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-aid-in-dying-bill-shelved-for-this-year-20150707-story.html

FREE LEONARD PELTIER!

On this 40th anniversary of the incident that lead to Leonard Peltier's false imprisonment - Mr. Peltier having been illegally extradited from Canada and framed for the killing of two FBI agents - it is time to redouble our efforts to have this brave freedom fighter LIBERATED! Mr. Obama, PARDON Leonard Peltier! http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/home/about-peltier/activist/

Virginia Slims

You've come a long way baby To get where you are today You've got your own cigarette now baby You've come a long long way! (Still copyrighted, ya think?)

We've No'n each other all these years.

You mean anything to me - you're my best acquaintance!

A teeney little millimeter longer

Put your thumb and index finger together in the "OK" position, separated by one millimeter's distance. Your opinion counts - that much!

Ford four by four

You can pick your truck, you can pick your pickup truck, but you can't pick up your pickup truck.

LED ZEPPELIN

Led Zeppelin was so influential, with their astronomical, ecstatic, incendiary, in some sense dangerous Jimmy Page guitar catharsis, and ethereal, "histrionic" Robert Plant vocals, that I could never deal with their impact intellectually, only emotionally. That is, from the time I first smoked MJ and hash at the age of seven - and storm-danced to The Zep all wild and childish - till just Yesterday when I started reading the volume below. The band has been accused, perhaps with some justification, of dabbling in the occult; but I FEEL some of Mr. Page's Mega-best guitar riffs belong in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. I "talked" (SHOUTED) to myself at great length last night, while reading the book; a kind of "Thank-you-for-that, Dude!" affirmation I've been waiting most of my life to toss out there at no one, at everyone.... https://books.google.com/books?id=lZXkAAAACAAJ&dq=led+zeppelin+cross+flannigan+preston+1991&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4eiIVeeEC4SfyQTDlo7oCA&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA

The Mother Tongue, Morning Headlines and Manufacture of Consent

Language itself, even as cynically utilized by the movers and the shakers, by the architects of "acceptable" public opinion, is bursting with meaningful messages. But its meaning actually resides in the intent of the professional propagandist. It resides within the usually unstated goal of various "brainwashers." The language utilized is typically meant to instill a certain set of "values." Why give an impressionable person, especially a young person who may be future "Leader," - or, by contrast, a dissident - the opportunity to think in a way that may be counterproductive to the aims of those whose intent is the Manufacture of Consent? Why foster the possible formulation of ideas that are contrary to the relentless pursuit of what is commonly known as Mind Control. "Those guys ain't dumb;" they know their job description calls for conditioning millions to accept the status quo, not for encouraging the "Sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be determined," if I might plagiarize and paraphrase the Late Great University of Wisconsin's mission statement. Dumbing down the discourse, applying false labels, muddying the waters is one way - perhaps the best way - to render masses of people docile in the face of injustice; both the injustices directed at others, and the injustice that's meant to contravene the search for one's own best interest. "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media:" https://books.google.com/books?id=Kv_-bvCqgrEC&dq=manufacture+of+consent&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UYSFVaa7LsmLyASj0YPACQ&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ If you think what I've written here just now is off-base, just check out this morning's headlines in the Wisconsin State Journal, USA Today or New York Times. Or examine critically Isthmus's newly intensified focus on fine wining and dining, sports, and what for lack of a better word, has become known as "Identity Politics." All of which are propagated to appeal to the lowest common intellectual denominator, and to the detriment of genuine, hard hitting News and Information. "Public Opinion: An Important Work on the Theory of Public Opinion in Relation to Traditional Democratic Theory" https://books.google.com/books?id=6weo9GKptAYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=public%20opinion%20walter%20lippmann&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6YSFVeDII4eXygTGr4foCw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=public%20opinion%20walter%20lippmann&f=false

Yesterday's subject continued

From the Salon.com piece I posted yesterday, "Fascism is rising in America. The Koch brothers and democracy's dispiriting demise:" "As the American Heritage Dictionary noted, fascism is: 'A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism.'” Fascism is either on its way, or has already arrived, as it pertains to a number of crucial societal traits. The ubiquitous "security" cameras; the plethora of draconian laws, scarcely improved as the "USA Patriot Act" is hurriedly subjected to a number of rather minor amendments, and becomes re-christened, with President O'Bomber's enthusiastic support, as the "USA Freedom Act." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Freedom_Act I intend to stick to my guns, to employ a slightly regrettable cliche. The moniker "President O'Bomber?" It stays, as it is literally true. The US remains the world's foremost military power, with more than 800 military bases in over 140 countries, last I checked. Year after year, the Pentagon's massive and bloated budget has no real rivals. American society has been thoroughly corrupted by unchecked militarism and nationalistic aggression. Our American Gulag, for lack of a better term, is the biggest in the world, hands down; no other country that I'm aware of locks up as many of its own citizens, a significant majority for non-violent offenses. But I'll concede, instead of the highly charged and controversial term "Ultra-Fascism," I should have used the term "Techno-Fascism." President Kennedy, in his inaugural address of January 20, 1961: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." It is up to all of us to guarantee JFK's words do not ring hollow; not today, and not in years to come. Except for Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and a handful of other intrepid souls, we've all fallen short of the mark.

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean Fascism is an illusion

The other day, in commenting on the rise of Fascism in America, I referred to this nation's chief executive as "President Obomber." That was pure hyperbole, of course. I now regret the error of my ways. Taking into account his Irish ancestry, I should have written, "President O'Bomber." "Fascism is Rising in America:" http://www.salon.com/2015/02/08/fascism_is_rising_in_america_the_koch_brothers_and_the_painful_demise_of_democracy_partner/ "Eroding Liberty: Rights and Freedoms We have Needlessly Lost in the Name of National Security" http://www.nyclu.org/pdfs/eroding_liberty.pdf "The Illusory Eighth Amendment:" John F. Stinneford (University of Florida Levin College of Law) http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1439&context=facultypub "- Where Big Corporations Have Become Our Government -" FascismUSA.com "Is the U.S. a Fascist Society? Fascism is a Political Economic Structure Which Serves Corporate Interests" http://www.globalresearch.ca/is-the-us-a-fascist-society-examining-the-existence-of-fascism-in-the-united-states/5377146 "2 out of every 3 Americans lost Fourth Amendment protections to DHS" http://www.computerworld.com/article/2474541/data-privacy/2-out-of-every-3-americans-lost-fourth-amendment-protections-to-dhs.html

Home School 'em?

I used to think the vast majority of hard-working parents weren't really up to the task of imparting a comprehensive education to their kids at home. I may still feel that way, but in this era of enormous Walkerite (Republican) budget cuts directed against K-12 teachers and schools, home schooling may be more necessary than I ever believed. https://books.google.com/books?id=wlrGrW4pJpAC&q=homeschool+taking+the+first+step+borg+hendrickson&dq=homeschool+taking+the+first+step+borg+hendrickson&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAGoVChMI_pWI37SSxgIVBBesCh0nyAB4

RusskiTroll.con

Everything I tell you is the truth; the last statement I uttered was a lie, and that's no paradox. I'm genuinely outraged - I demand the REAL fake news, as it appears daily on Fox, CNN and MSNBC!I hear some of the employees at RusskiTroll.con are grossly under educated; they demonstrate a poor command of English grammar, among their other major failings. Think I could get a job with the American counterpart? My writing's improved dramatically since I hooked up with the American Legion. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html

US-Cuba Rapprochement opens big can of worms

From the article, which I refuse to purchase from TIME's online store: "The literacy rate is 99.8%, and the health system is among the world's best. Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate than America." Mind you, this is TIME Magazine talking. http://www.amazon.com/Time-April-Change-Americans-Arrive/dp/B00VC9T1JO On the one hand, potential business opportunities abound, for both Cubans and Americans; charter-boat fishing tours will now probably span the Florida Keys to the Cuban islands. Eventually, there will be direct ferry service between Key West and Havana. Ordinary Cubans' diet may improve markedly, if US agricultural interests are able to ship Midwestern grain and other products right down the Mississippi, then across the gulf to Cuban ports. On the other hand, Cuba will no doubt lose some of its major appeal, such as its relatively pristine natural areas, likely to be overrun in the future by hordes of tourists riding personal watercraft. Havana's beautiful and authentic historic neighborhoods may also be in peril. Still, this thaw in relations stands to benefit both countries, if carried out with caution and concern for the PEOPLE.

President Obomber strikes (out) again

Time keeps on slippin', slippin. slippn', into the Future. The slippery slope to yet another major foolhardy military engagement may be directly ahead of us. If so, that can only spell anguish for Iraq and the USA. We needn't do the stupid and brutal thing merely because that's what we've done before, time and again. But I suppose the US Empire, in its waning years, utterly lacks for imagination, and our society is so thoroughly permeated with militarism the powers that be - the "men in the shadows" who represent General Dynamics, Raytheon and Halliburton - would never let Mr. Obama do things differently, even if he were so inclined. One doesn't have to be an "isolationist" to clearly recognize the fact that renewed military engagement ANYWHERE is in no way beneficial to the real interests of this country, and that the "threat" supposedly posed by ISIS to those interests is a complete fabrication. Let's stay the hell out of Iraq, as much as practically possible, and deal with the pressing needs of our former republic head-on. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33076238

Those daring dudes straight outta Dannemora

I may not approve of the crimes for which they were convicted, but Run Boys Run! Wanted to post this yesterday, the anniversary of the glorious 1963 "Escape From Alcatraz;" such escapes prove the indomitable spirit of human freedom survives, even in these ultra-fascist times. Dannemora is only twenty miles from Canada, boys - hope you make it across! After all, President Obomber meets every Tuesday morning with his "Nationa Security team," to discuss who on his "kill list" will be the unfortunate victim of an unmanned drone strike. These two guys, bad as they may be, hardly rate! http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/dannemora-prison-break-how-dangerously-charismatic-escapee-richard-matt-is-at-the-centre-of-a-new-york-manhunt-10316193.html

About Sheboyganland

The corporation that outsources the most flies the biggest American Flag. I just visited Sheboygan and Kohler Wisconsin over the weekend. The Kohler Corporation makes bathroom and kitchen fixtures, and a variety of other ceramic and metal products. The company still employs several thousand people here in Wisconsin, but they used to employ thousands more than they do nowadays. So much cheaper to exploit vulnerable, low-wage workers in Mexico and elsewhere, don't you know! But Kohler, WI, is now largely a resort town with a world-famous golf course, as if that were a major asset to most of the displaced blue-collar workers who once manned the assembly lines. Sheboygan itself was formerly a formidable manufacturing city - these days many of those once-busy factories are gone, forever. And don't even get me started about the de-industrialization of Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Beloit and Janesville. Even Madison has lost thousands of jobs at Oscar Mayer since circa 1977, to say nothing of the complete elimination of the jobs that used to employ hundreds, if not thousands, at Gisholt, Marquip, Rayovac and Mautz Paint. Nevertheless, Sheboygan County and just about the entire tier of counties along Lake Michigan reliably vote for Republicans every election. It's extremely distressing to see working-class Americans voting for candidates who work so tirelessly against the best interests of blue-collar voters. And unfortunately, most Democratic candidates are scarcely any better when it comes to outsourcing. Just look at the support in both parties for the "Trans-Pacific Partnership." Even as these "patriotic" companies take cynical advantage of the lack of workplace safeguards and environmental regulations in the Third World, those politicians who promote the business interests of the Super-Rich work indefatigably to lower workplace standards and expectations here, in Europe and Britain. I'm just not so confident as I used to be that those of us who oppose massive outsourcing of US jobs are capable of retaining our natural political allies in the American working class, be they Republican, Democratic or Independent; so many stubbornly refuse to see sense. The Mass Brainwashing Apparatus is a hell of a lot more powerful than we are. I know this is a bit of a digression, but the exporting of US manufacturing predates Walker and the present GOP crew by at least three, more like four decades. I'd love it if someone on this forum could PROVE me wrong, of course.

Patriotically exporting jobs

The corporation that outsources the most flies the biggest American flag.

Friggin' deer ticks, wood ticks, etc.

I've got nothing to say except.... if you live in the Wisconsin countryside - or even on the fringe thereof - be on alert for deer ticks. A potential case of Lyme disease is no small matter. I got a big ugly wood tick that lodged itself into my left tit the other day - fortunately I was able to dig it out, head and all. But for a while I thought I'd grown a second nipple. This life has so many interesting twists and turns.... Have an ICE day, and welcome Winter when he returns!

Soglin still $ucks, and Blaska bloviates big time

Any society that values human greed over human need is not just worthy of reform, it merits being on the receiving end of an actual revolution. Mayor Paul Soglin and the rest of the so-called Liberals on the Madison Common Council (Conservatives like Blaska too, but they aren't numerous on the council) really need to be put out on the street, for at least a full month. Then maybe they could empathize.... but who am I kidding? That ain't never gonna happen in this era of unmitigated heartlessness. http://www.ibmadison.com/Blogger/Bring-It/April-2015/Three-cheers-for-Paul-Soglin--Enough-is-enough-is-right/

Eponymous - or "danagol rants"

I realize Danagol has been ranting - and also, from time to time speaking out forcefully but reasonably - on the subject of Police abuses in the United States. I wouldn't blame anyone if they were sick to their guttiwuts from all my rhetoric. But I must add.... that it should be obvious by now I feel it's relatively inconsequential, that some folks are "sick of all this sick shit." Fact is, I matter less than the things I say, or propagate, in the context of this blog. We need to diagnose police abuses and harassment, and properly condemn murders by our public servants in the field of law enforcement when they take place; we supposedly hold our police officers to a higher standard than the errant meth-lab tweaker or urban gang-banger. And we must propose solutions to vexing societal problems, such as the ones I've been protesting, in my imperfect way. I proposed, a while back on various forums, a Socialist or at least a mixed-economy, of the type formerly found in Sweden and Norway. A "mixed" economy ought to possess the "best" qualities of Capitalism, though they be few and far between, in my estimation. I think our Laissez Faire structuring of the American economy leads to a wide and unnecessary array of social pathologies that would be substantially ameliorated, if we as a people were truly resolved to try another approach. Y'all have other solutions you'd like to propose, no doubt, and I'd like to hear them. But I feel no obligation, neither social nor digital, to cease and desist with the postings I've been posting. Let the people speak in regard to my postings - I DO want to read their responses. But I offer no guarantee (why the hell should I?) that I'm gonna change my methods. I AM one stubborn schmuck when I feel a crucial principle or two is involved! NO APOLOGIES.

"Aquarius"

I really want to see this, but the look of the characters, from what I can see on this preview, isn't quite right. They should have cast someone who actually LOOKED like Charlie Manson, with an accent closer to Charles Manson's West Virginia twang. Also, the girls/women, or most of them anyway, are wearing either too much makeup, or just the wrong sort of cosmetics. Also, the girls/women cast are too skinny, as is the fashion in this different era of 2015. Women back in 1967-1969 didn't need to starve themselves to appear to be attractive - on the contrary, they could be what present-day fashion calls "fat," and still be considered quite sexy. I look forward to seeing "Aquarius" come May 28, but the producer should have strived harder to get the ambiance right. The David Duchovny character, however, is at least pretty authentic-looking, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l-JIiuQXGE

Winter's Bone

I remember reading a review of this film a few years' back. I knew I must see it, but I filed the memory away in the deeper recesses of my consciousness. Watched it the other night - and it didn't disappoint. I've always winced at jokes about "White Trash," "Oakies" and "Arkies." My own family, half of it anyway, hails from Black River Falls, WI - not all that different in a socioeconomic context, from the setting of "Winter's Bone.". I couldn't help but have my emotions manipulated while I watched, if "manipulated" is the right word. And the scenery from a part of rural America I've never visited was.... evocative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0XS6BAoB9Y

Aw. Ow, Ouch! Things ain't no fun no more....

I really miss the bad old days of the latter Cold War, when at least we knew who our Frenemies were! It's hard to believe now, but President Ronald Rogaine could be a bit of fun, with his fully-demented, rather cordial, dysfunctional, kinda joshing anger and hatred. I'm not unaware of the slaughter and suffering the Reaganauts caused, what with the Central American Death Squad Syndrome, and the like. I don't mean to downplay the down-side of the '70's and '80's. But at least the denizens of the "other side" were good for a laugh and a half. Where are all the fine ideological adversaries I used to enjoy sparring with - nowadays, the ignorance of the "average Tea Bagger" is to such a point, my opponents don't even rise to the level where I might confer on them a minimal measure of respect. To say nothing of the "I-couldn't-care-less" crowd. There's just no satisfaction to be gained anymore. Practically all my real fiends from back in the day are either too busy, too alienated, moved too far away, dead or.... a couple are in prison of course, despite their advanced age. I mean you'd think they would have "chilled" as regards their traditional "criminal activity." There just ain't no fun in it anymore. Shucks, gawsh, gadzooks and egads! Very nearly all the drugs I used to enjoy in great profusion don't do anything positive for me, now. I never saw THAT one coming, and THAT''s really weird, Things just ain't the same, ain't now and never will be, no-how. Worse yet, the "MUSIC" the kids like these days.... It's just NOISE!

Looks to me like Tony Robinson was murdered

You can watch the dash cam video, which had been suppressed, interestingly, until Tuesday, May 12. Judge for yourselves. MY conclusion is that a scared cop - who'd already been rewarded by the department for killing a man back in 2007, committed murder when he fired SEVEN shots into Tony Robinson, regardless of what kind of provocation said cop allegedly endured. Maybe second-degree murder, but murder nonetheless. http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/attorneys-experts-draw-differing-conclusions-from-video-of-tony-robinson/article_5421a2e8-855e-5904-a7d8-768ebe886bd9.html If you've no Madison.com account, you can watch it here: http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/12/us/tony-robinson-madison-killing-investigation/

"Legalize it!" AGAIN, I implore the states and feds to implement sane drug policies!

Illegal drugs are, needless to say, illegal. But the criteria explaining why they are banned are arbitrary at best. Alcohol is not illegal, except in certain specified circumstances (open container in a moving vehicle, etc.) for adults. Coffee is a much more serious drug than acknowledged, but it's legal. Marijuana is thankfully legal in Colorado and Washington, but the Federal Government stubbornly refuses to see sense with respect to cannabis policy. A wide variety of prescription drugs - many far more damaging than marijuana or "shrooms" - are legal with a doctor's authorization. Our punitive and regressive policies of prohibition do more harm than the drugs that they outlaw. We need full legalization, with social and medical oversight. I've been to Holland, and while hard drugs are still illegal there, the overall situation is far better! “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marijuana.”

Walk Tall, kids. And be proud of your principled defiance!

The superintendent is WRONG. Well before the Tony Robinson killing, Madison (or for that matter, most American) kids have had a lot of legitimate grievances. The schools, for whatever reasons, are completely prison-like institutions. Many are constructed by the very same corporations that built America's ultra-modern, entirely barbaric penal facilities. Students have been expelled for infractions as minor as bringing a Midol tablet to school. Ever since the 1990's, the children haven't really been allowed to be.... well, children. This has gotta stop, and something's gotta give. Walk out kids, and remember to ALWAYS walk tall and proud! What the F does the "Super" have against principled, non-violent protest, anyway? http://www.channel3000.com/news/education/school-district-encourages-parents-to-talk-to-children-about-protests/32929778

Climate Change and the terrible specter of Progress

How do you know the Republicans have it bass ackwards on the subject of evolution? They started with Abe Lincoln, and ended up with Scott Walker! http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/05/america-politicians-evolution-climate-change

Statistics don't lie. Or do they?

As an amateur statistician, I gotta "love" these statistical anomalies. http://dailykos.com/story/2015/05/03/1381214/-The-most-racist-areas-in-the-United-States?detail=email

Go ahead: make my day. Privatize Everything

I wouldn't worry too much - you can always drive on your personal, privatized highways. If you got the money, honey. http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/05/04/five-step-process-privatize-everything

Easy liking

I get a lot more likes when I keep things "light." I know why, but don't think it's right.

What makes a Good Cop? What constitutes a Fair Deal? You tell me!

Let's see if I can comment in a fashion that conveys what I really feel about the proper function of police in a decent society. In a decent society, the police are there to protect ALL the people from the predators, from the most incurably pathological who will, sad to say, always reside among us. However, America is most decidedly not a decent society - it is probably the most stratified society on Earth, with respect to economic inequality, just to begin with. We highly literate folks, who were we to be honest, probably count ourselves among the relatively unscathed, really shouldn't be TOO surprised when people who have been confined to absolutely APPALLING social conditions resort to "street crime." It logically follows that the real, de-facto function of American police agencies is to protect the strong from the weak, in economic terms. The Madison Police Department's TRUE and primary function, as is true of all US police agencies, is to keep our most affluent residents safe and secure, free from potential threats posed by the vast majority of the population, who are actually quite poor by contrast. Put simply, if you're Black, lower-income Hispanic or White, or merely just homeless-looking, you already KNOW you have no business walking the streets of Palm Beach, Whitefish Bay, Madison's "Highlands" or "Upper Maple Bluff." You may have the "right" to walk there, even after dark; but as a practical matter, you'd be well-advised to stay out. In a social system that locks up two million of its citizens, the great preponderance for non-violent "crimes," one can expect a certain degree of bitterness from the denizens and ex-denizens of our barbaric jails and prisons. Prison guards must remain ever vigilant to ensure that those prisoners, most of whom will eventually be released, are carefully monitored, confined, set up against each other along racial lines, even tortured and/or killed. Police agencies routinely profile, harass, injure or kill such people after their incarceration; ex-cons, especially those on probation, are "natural born victims" here in the USA. Put simply, if you're "on paper," you'd better watch your back and mind your P's and Q's. In a social system wherein most workplaces are run in a literally fascist manner, with a totally top-down, hierarchical employee vs. management structure, another main function of the police is to be prepared to fight to the DEATH, in order to maintain that top-down structure, against all those who seek, by hook or by crook, to implement a more equitable arrangement. Unfortunately, the police are also obligated to combat psychotic individuals who go on workplace rampages; though it should be noted a number of such psychos went over the edge at least partially as a result of being on the receiving end of a multitude of workplace abuses. The police officer is essentially here to "protect disorder," as the late Mayor Richard M. Daley said. Chicago's most famous "Boss" may have uttered a malapropism, but he was spot-on, just in a dramatically different way than he intended. American society prefers, for the most part, a Laissez Faire economy in which the winners take all, and social disorder on a massive scale is inevitable. A more just and systematic approach to organizing our economy would go a LONG way towards reducing social strife in our cities, blue-collar suburbs and impoverished rural areas. The implementation of a more sane and compassionate "Justice System" would make the cop's job more viable, less brutal and unyielding. Maybe that would ameliorate the cops' typically demented ideas as to what constitutes ethical and acceptable conduct. We need to overthrow American Capitalism and replace it with a more just social system. Call it Socialism, call it what you will - but we will NEVER have Justice under the corporate hegemony that rules "our" country. If we as a people diligently endeavored to change the system, we would at least be on the road to recovery; perhaps there would be fewer shootings by cops AND less PCP use and violent behavior committed by "street criminals." But I've concluded that most Americans who even entertain ideas concerning the redistribution of wealth would rather keep things the way they are - after all, they desperately cling to their (mostly forlorn hopes) that THEY may become the next Mark Zuckerberg. And so, most of us will continue to fervently support a fundamentally violent, racially and socially unfair status quo, in which the police can only be expected to function as a "necessary evil." To act as the unthinking brutes so many of them are. But a different world is possible; in a different world, the idea of what a public safety officer should be would HOPEFULLY undergo a profound change. Have you any ideas to that effect?

For American Police, Shooting is the new Arresting

The following is deeply, deeply disturbing. I suggest you don't watch it unless you can handle witnessing homicide by cop. Yeah right, I bet a taser feels JUST LIKE a service revolver in a cop's holster. Oh yes, that's true - the "Reserve Officer," whom you can hear saying "I shot him; I'm sorry" is 73 years old and maybe not in possession of all his faculties. In which case, he shouldn't be on the Tulsa (or any other) force! And the police kept yelling for this guy to "quit resisting," etc.... after he'd been shot. I'm SO sick of these homicides by PIG. Far as I'm concerned, Anyone who seeks to "justify" this bears the sort of moral culpability borne by the "Roman mob." I mean the type of troglodytes who cheered on the murder of sacrificial human victims in the arena. In my OPINION. But feel free to try to exculpate the cop, be my guest - it IS a Free Country, right? http://news.yahoo.com/video-released-showing-killing-black-oklahoma-suspect-202659435.html Yet another atrocity from America's Armed Madhouse; the same warning I wrote above applies here, too. I counted EIGHT SHOTS. This cop shot the fleeing, unarmed victim eight times. Then the freaking pig can be heard demanding the gunshot guy put his hands behind his back. This murderous pig's vile act was too much for even a South Carolinian (The first Confederate state to leave the Union) District Attorney, or Grand Jury to countenance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4f45msfgpM P.S. I "like" this latest development, pertaining to the killing by cop out of Tulsa Oklahoma: "The 73-year-old reserve cop who mistook his gun for a Taser has been charged"

British General Parliamentary Elections, on May 7

Finally found the best source on American TV (C-SPAN Channel 738, via Charter-Spectrum) to follow the upcoming British general (parliamentary) elections, scheduled for May 7. Such a profound contrast to the softball treatment directed toward American candidates; the anchor asks real, pointed questions. The candidates are required to at least make an effort to answer his queries. When they don't, SKYTV's Jeremy Paxton keeps asking till he gets something like a satisfactory response. However, Mr. Paxton appeared to be much harder on Ed Miliband (Labour) than on David Cameron (Conservative). That kind of bias seems almost universal these days. Anyway, I was impressed by Mr. Miliband's poise, intelligence, and what seemed like his basic integrity. I'm going to "like" Ed Miliband, since that's all I can do on his behalf. Was pleased to discover during the televised debate (not live here) that Labour and Tories are running neck-and-neck, at least. I guess I just figured the Tories had "manufactured the consent," vis-a-vis the British corporate media, to coast to victory, even if it be a close one. I can only hope there is great disaffection amongst Britons regarding Conservative policies: Austerity, cuts to the social safety net; messing about with the National Health Service, etc. Go Ed! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a very large turnout come May 7th. (Here's a synopsis of the debate, from "The Independent;" couldn't find a link from SKYTV). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-tv-debate-the-real-winner-jeremy-paxman-10140318.html Also, coming up: http://www.c-span.org/video/?325021-1/british-political-party-leaders-preelection-debate

Bring the troops home from Afghanistan.... in 2045!

This doesn't surprise me. While I appreciate that the US presence is dramatically reduced from previous levels, I still take exception. Obama is the president who massively escalated the illegal US war against Afghanistan in 2009. Yet another flagrant violation of international law as well as the US Constitution. Nice move, Mr. President, you all-too-willing tool of the military industrial complex. http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/03/24/obama-announces-no-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-2015

All Lives Matter

You will recall, or can find out by backtracking, that ONE thing I haven't done here is insist the Tony Robinson shooting was a race-based killing. Accordingly, below is another lengthy observation/opinion from my point of view. The commentary below might seem like a matter of "comparing apples and oranges" to some, or merely a digression to others. I saw the "Buddha Bus" across the street from the scene of Tony Robinson's killing last Friday. It had a massive sign on the top: "ALL LIVES MATTER." I couldn't agree more. I've made a good faith effort to judge this most controversial cop shooting case on the facts, as they are known thus far. You can read my previous, hopefully relevant commentary here on this page. But one thing I haven't said till now is just that: "All Lives Matter." I was one of those who protested vociferously after unarmed Paul Heenan was murdered by Officer Stephen Heimsness in November 2012. We protested to the mayor, to the common council, and to Madison's former police chief Noble Wray, who scandalously stonewalled a proper investigation of the case. There was at least one "Justice for Paulie" rally on the steps of the City-County Building. It was a good and spirited rally, but had a much smaller turnout than the demos of the last two+ weeks here in Madison. As hard as this is going to be for some of my Facebook friends to read, I can only conclude that the 'White Guilt," so conspicuous and widespread within Mad Town's "Progressive Community," had something to do with this month's massive protests. At least with respect to the Caucasians who showed up. After all, Paul Heenan was WHITE. It seems if you're White and feel sufficiently guilty and personally responsible for each and every evil historic deed committed by others, you'll probably make a special effort to turn out when it's a Black kid gets killed by the MPD. Rather that say, an innocent White or Hispanic. There's been a significant number of non-Blacks killed by Dane County law Enforcement, some under very questionable circumstances, within recent years. Yes I know, Blacks, especially young Black men are shot by cops at a wildly disproportionate rate. Still.... "ALL LIVES MATTER." https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Paulie-Heenan-Case-Advocacy-Timeline-Page/365447626897037

Still rather fact-starved concerning this shooting

Maybe I've gotten too cautious in my old age. I like to have some definitive, hopefully reliable information - up till now sorely lacking in this case - before I call anyone "Murderer." Even a two-time killer cop. So I'm still awaiting further information before I accuse Officer Kenny so explicitly. But Madison's mainstream media have largely tried their best to speak in platitudes of "reconciliation." I've felt starved for the facts, as they're known at this time. Yes, various human eyewitnesses always seem to remember things quite differently. The exclusive from Britain's Guardian may be a journalistic "smoking gun" as far as this case is concerned, and makes clear It the entire "fight" seems to have gone down within 18 seconds of Officer Kenny forcing entry. (Thanks Diane.) http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/13/tony-terrell-robinson-madison-wisconsin-police-shooting-how-it-happened (Next Day:) What really got to me yesterday is that eighteen second interval between Officer Kenny forcing entry and Tony Robinson's death. The time frame makes it seem all the more possible the cop was knocked on his ass, and responded with a cold-blooded execution. Not insisting this is what happened, as I wasn't there. But the article from the Guardian I posted yesterday makes one really WONDER....

RE: Tony Robinson

And now, to address, at length, the killing of 19-year old unarmed Tony Robinson by a Madison cop. I think some people, mostly White liberals, have a rather sentimental view of what cops are, and what cops actually DO. The very nature of law enforcement entails the potential implementation of the most violent tactics imaginable. True, Madison Police are statistically less violent, use less lethal force than cities such as Milwaukee, Albuquerque or New York City. But still.... While Madison's Chief Koval, quoted recently in the Wisconsin State Journal, denies the existence of 1. A systematic pattern of racist abuse among his officers, and 2. The existence of "rougue cops" on the Madison force, I beg to differ. I wish Koval were right, and I understand why he would say such a thing, given his official position. But his assertions are contradicted by "the facts on the ground." (Not to mention the theory of statistical averages - there will always be SOME "rogues," after all.) The common MPD practice of extreme over-reaction and provocation in many, if not all, interactions with black "suspects" often creates an impression dramatically different from Koval's. Especially during traffic stops. In the mind of say, an innocent young Black male motorist who is confronted by numerous heavily-armed Madison officers, all pointing semi-automatic weapons threateningly at himself and his unarmed passengers.... supposedly because he matched the description of some other suspect.... and, what's more.... hopefully, those police weapons aren't FULLY automatic! It happens a lot more than most White Madisonians realize. If I were routinely treated in such a menacing way, which I'm not, I too would be continuously upset, or concerned, or livid, or all of the above. So I was extremely impressed by, and sympathetic to the large, militant, and mostly Black crowd that turned out in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. It all happened so fast. I'd never seen anything quite like it in Madison. Very impressive response, and quite a moderate, verbal reaction on the part of demonstrators, considering the rage and pain so widely shared. Having said that, I'm not yet convinced this White cop (who it must be noted, shot the guy FIVE TIMES!!) killed unarmed Tony Robinson because he was a Black, or bi-racial youth. A strictly racist motivation is POSSIBLE, but that remains to be proved. Officer Kenny may have simply been so afraid, he lost control. He may have been losing the fight. Not a good enough reason to shoot an unarmed suspect five times, it would seem to me. Some well-deserved soul-searching is needed among the top brass about the use of lethal force generally. Madison's weekly, "Isthmus," reports that cops in this state have killed five non-whites and six whites since April 23, 2014. That's the date Wisconsin passed a law requiring officers who kill a person be investigated by a minimum of two investigators from an outside agency. Some were unarmed, like Tony Robinson. That's quite a substantial number, actually! It's WAY too high. I remember when a ROGUE Madison cop killed slight-of-stature, unarmed Madison musician and personality Paul Heenan, who happened to be White. The cop told an unlikely tale about the admittedly drunk Heenan making a move for his service weapon during a November, 2012 altercation. Eyewitnesses to the shooting contradicted Heimsness' account, as the article below reports. Many of us in the community protested THAT police murder, through demonstrations, emails and calls to the mayor and Common Council. And other means. (Check Paul Heenan's Facebook page). The actual facts surrounding Paul Heenan's death have been widely contested during the intervening years. But one thing's for sure - Paul's killer, Officer Heimsness, was FINALLY fired from the MPD in the wake of scandalous revelations about his personal conduct UNRELATED to Mr. Heenan's death. Rogue ex-cop Stephen Heimsness lives comfortably now, on disability pay. http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=44662 It takes a lot of work to achieve even the most minimal amount of justice, when police unjustifiably kill citizens, of any color. But the recent unpunished killings, by vigilantes and cops nation-wide, of many unarmed Black males probably amounts to a systematic violation of the 14th Amendment's guarantee of Equal Protection Under the Law. Where have all the "radical lawyers" gone?

Only-est thing that done got to me....

Terrible, the great stuff I miss when I deactivate this account. Lately I've much preferred the crackle-crunch of the ffffrigid snow under my boots, as I navigate the ffffrigid wastes we can only hope will persist longer than usual. Makes me feel alive again, out there, being. Being There! Only-est thing that done got to me was when I'd think of the ice fishermen - I ain't gonna just SIT there! The whole point, when out on the frozen lake or on land, is to keep moving. Like some strange species of Winter Shark.. ..Don't ever get your gloves wet- it's all over then, daddy-O! Well, those liberal doses of various legal stimulants helped considerably. I truly felt like a 15 year old after one of those sub-Arctic soirees! "Here we go again....!" !

Analyze your Freudianism. Embrace Jungian interpretation

This is something I've been searching for a long time. Although the therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists (Greek for "spirit doctor") and other assorted "experts" who did the research have a decidedly authoritarian streak, I've gained some valuable insight into the more sordid aspects of my, and others' rationalization, projection, obsession, hysteria, mania, depression and so many more healthy/bizarre human emotions. Have a mentally nice day! https://books.google.com/books?id=FyWBuQAACAAJ&dq=personality+and+psychopathology+assessment+john+graham&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hk3NVNmdAdOcyATA-IGoCQ&ved=0CCAQ6wEwAA

Mr. Cross Speaks up for Faculty

A positive development, though the State Journal's website thus far hasn't allowed me to access the story online. I'm not a subscriber, nor would I even consider it. No matter, I scrounge and read the print edition. It's about time someone perched high-up in the UW bureaucracy stood up for the faculty. Too often, the prevailing attitude has been: "Scott Walker says jump! my only question is.... how high?" "UW System president 'frustrated' by Scott Walker's comments on faculty:" http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/university/uw-system-president-frustrated-by-scott-walker-s-comments-on/article_3218845e-b4bd-52fa-8bf2-0c710445a90c.html

Revealing far too much

I've had a reevaluation of the "sagging trousers" issue. At first I thought the whole topic was something of a non-issue. Today, however, I saw a guy in the grocery store parking lot who let his pants fall to such an extent that he revealed more than just a bit of "plumber's crack." I can handle that without experiencing feelings of revulsion. But this fellow was actually showing about HALF of his "man-butt." Quite distasteful and inconsiderate, no matter how much CERTAIN people MIGHT approve. Still, I don't favor passing more laws in order to deal with the "problem." Sensitivity training, hopefully voluntary, would be an appropriate counter-measure.

Manic Mannix

Some things just never leave my musical-obsessive mind. I hadn't actually heard this strange bit of a jingle for over thirty-five years. But the ad-men types really know what works on a subliminal level; the tune was running around inside just a week or three ago. Yes, the "Mannix" theme remained, and will remain till death, indelibly impressed in my alleged cerebellum. Long, long after the bridge Mannix runs down the middle of was torn down, or collapsed, or simply expired from sheer boredom. Go Mannix! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLTb3_-pdU4

Totalitarians of Temecula

This wretched tale of an undercover cop in sunny Temecula - the place didn't LOOK that bad to me when I passed through a decade ago - who targeted an autistic youth made me cringe. It's the kind of American story that has that effect. Unless the reader is, shall we say, "uncringeable," or "cringeless." http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-entrapment-of-jesse-snodgrass-20140226 But at least there's a silver lining: http://hemp.org/news/content/california-autistic-teen-who-was-entrapped-cops-graduate

The unbearable sadism of Scott Walker

Just the kind of punitive measure you'd expect from this vile criminal, who is a total coward, and who attacks those he feels are in no position to fight back, in order to pander to his ignorant and bigoted "base." If Scott Walker had been urine-tested for cocaine use in 1986, while he was a "student" at Marquette University, it's quite likely our current "governor" would have tested "Positive." http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/walker-budget-to-bar-drug-users-from-getting-food-stamps-b99431090z1-289450411.html

Teeth. Removed. Efficiently. Thankfully.

Had three hopelessly damaged lower molars yanked out today - at first the docs wanted me to pay over $1200.00, as we weren't sure either Medicaid or Badger Care would cover the cost of the triple extraction. But then I politely, carefully, tactfully complained a bit about medical assistance - how it's so deficient in terms of covering dental procedures. And so I ended up getting Medicaid or Badger Care to cover it, not sure which. Final bill for this necessary operation? A whopping nine dollars! Sometimes ya lose - but sometimes ya WIN the battle of wits, or empathy, or WHATEVER, too! Remember that, on this beautiful, mild day. "It's the squeaky hinge that gets the grease!!!!"

Thanks, President Obama

Thanks Mr. President, for more hollow words. What you SAY you will do - you'll prolly do the exact opposite. The rest is plucked right out of your devious grab bag of delusionary thinking - the Congressional Repubs will thwart anything decent you have in mind. Still, last night's speech gave me a couple of laughs. I think John Boner had been hitting the merlot beforehand, as is his wont, and he was more orange than ever. "Whatever, losers."

A caution, for my more politically correct Madison "friends," especially those of "leftist" persuasion, who BTW make me sick to my stomach.... if youse hate the New York Times that frikkin' much, the problem is easily resolvable - don't read this interesting article. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/when-will-the-north-face-its-racism.html?ref=opinion&_r=1

The Kill Team - no longer secret

Even notoriously lukewarm PBS is airing a show that documents US war crimes committed in Afghanistan, and the subsequent cover-up. Word must have really gotten around, preventing this harrowing story from being suppressed. Wow. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/kill-team/

Hurrah! The Packers LOST!!!!

I am ecstatic the Groin Spray Packers LOST on Sunday. I am sick to the point of nausea seeing the Packer-backers' every whim being catered to on our local "News," where non-stories about the green and gold lead the coverage every sad and sickening game day. I got news for you, boob-toobers: That AIN'T real news. So I'm thrilled that people who claim to have a functional mind had their hopes dashed by Seattle - people who have no greater concern than whether "our" steroid-addled jocks should prevail deserve the sour, not the sweet. Though to be consistent about this - if I lived in Miami, I'd love it every time the Dull-fins lost. If I were a Chicagoan, I'd roar at every defeat suffered by the UNBEARABLE Bears. Football is just an excuse for the ignorant to get their testosterone or estrogen keyed up - I fervently hope those hormones spurt up, up, up into the air, and come crashing down HARD, every single time. I only regret that there has to be a "victor" at all, in every pathetic contest of mass imbecility. Fuck football, and GodDAMN the WILLFULLY IGNORANT people who know nothing worth repeating.

THIS Inconvenient Truth NOT authored by Al Gore

An "Inconvenient Truth:" The West, including the US Air Force (USAF), killed quite a few journalists (though perhaps not cartoonists) throughout the course of the 2003-2011 Iraq War. Never heard much from Americans in the way of complaint for the USAF bombing of radio stations in Baghdad, etc. http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/…/2013481202781452.html

Hypocrisy in the wake of "Charlie Hebdo"

I wonder if those who are sounding off interminably about the Charlie Hebdo assault remember the Gulf War of January-March 1991, in which France participated. Or France's recent intervention in Mali. While I deplore the use of murderous thug tactics employed against cartoonists, the western world ought to keep in mind that US warplanes over Iraq bombed a non-combatant Muslim civilian population for 43 days straight. As many as 250,000 Iraqis were killed. Ah, but that was just a preview. According to reputable sources, anywhere from half a million to a million Iraqi kids died as a result of the sadistic sanctions imposed by Bush the first, and steadfastly maintained by the Clinton administration. All that death and destruction was followed by the Iraq War, beginning in 2003. The Iraq War resulted in at least a million more Iraqi dead, victims of a criminal, US-led aggression that had no moral justification. I'm certainly not seeking to justify acts of terror, but let's at least try to keep the real kill ratio in mind, as it's extremely lopsided! http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-charlie-hebdo-rally-media-distortions-and-hypocrisy-in-paris/5424180

Rev. Alex Gee speaks out forcefully, articulately.... AGAIN

Whichever side of this argument you find yourself on - that is, for the obvious minority of Madisonians that even gives a care - this article by my former schoolmate Alex Gee is well worth the time it takes to read. Just as Alex's ground-breaking article of a year ago was a must-read. Inequality of opportunity is a subject of some urgency. Do we in this sick and sorry country want to go on raising generation after generation of intellectually-disabled, profoundly damaged, exceedingly vulnerable individuals, whatever "race" they are considered to be? http://host.madison.com/news/local/city-life/justified-anger-rev-alex-gee-says-madison-is-failing-its/article_14f6126c-fc1c-55aa-a6a3-6c3d00a4424c.html

It's not as cold here, now as it was at STALINGRAD!

Try this one on for size, for a portrayal of death and destruction that's truly awesome. A fight to the death between implacable enemies in WW2 Stalingrad, as the combatants went crawling on their bellies through the smoldering ruins, searching for the errant crust of bread. At night, the temperature dropped to -53 Fahrenheit. We don't need no movies of monsters and mayhem - our Human History, all five thousand years or so, provides ample example of what can go terribly wrong, between nations and even individuals. STALINGRAD! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ3bzg-Tvt4

A not-so-staggering contradiction? Go Negativ!

Approaching an issue in a different way, Negativland seldom disappoints. I suppose it's a paradox that I can support the Second Amendment, by and large, and still acknowledge America has a SERIOUS gun violence problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGF5Pte3TKs

Farcebook focks up again

I'm just wondering: Why did Farcebook go back to circa 2010, inasmuch as it informs me (AGAIN) of every last posting by anyone and everyone. I thought that's why the company made certain changes about 5 years ago, resulting in less clutter in one's email account. OK, so I can easily figure out how to reconfigure, but why should I have to, when I'm already paying the price in wasted time? In know FB is a "useful" drag, but perhaps the Brainionaires behind this social network might care enough to try to minimize the not-insubstantial negative effects. Who needs one step forward accompanied by three steps back? Take this criticism to heart, Mr. Zuckerberg! A lack of the requisite imagination, of notable creativity is in evidence, here....