The Diary of Judge Feldman
Dear Diary: Well, it’s been a pretty heady time for me. A few days ago, I blocked that Presidential six-month moratorium on deep water drilling. That’s right, I overruled the President of the United States. How cool is that? I got your “separation of powers” right here, Obama. It’s no surprise, but some people feel I wasn’t the right man to make the decision just because I’ve had holdings in Halliburton and Transocean Ltd., two of the companies being sued because of this little oil spill accident. Picky, picky, picky.
Dear Diary:
Well, it’s been a pretty heady time for me. A few days ago, I blocked that Presidential six-month moratorium on deep water drilling. That’s right, I overruled the President of the United States. How cool is that? I got your “separation of powers” right here, Obama. It’s no surprise, but some people feel I wasn’t the right man to make the decision just because I’ve had holdings in Halliburton and Transocean Ltd., two of the companies being sued because of this little oil spill accident. Picky, picky, picky.
My decision was quite logical. What I said was, just because one rig failed, that doesn’t mean that other rigs present a danger. America is the country of second chances. We gave Bush a second term, didn’t we? We don’t know that this kind of oil accident will happen again. It’s like when a guy kills another guy. We don’t know that he’ll kill again, so why put him in jail? Give him another chance. If he kills somebody else, then you put him in jail.
I thought it was great when Congressman Joe Barton apologized to BP for everybody picking on BP. It’s a shame that he was pressured into an apology for his apology, but he did it in a graceful manner. I have it right here, because I may use the same words someday: “If anything I have said this morning has been misconstrued to the opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstrued misconstruction.” It’s just the kind of obfuscation I like for obfuscating.
I know that supporters of Obama’s drilling moratorium point out that the moratorium is not forever. It’s for six months, and during that period they’re supposed to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. Doesn’t it make more sense to keep the other rigs drilling, and if we find out what went wrong, then just fix it?
There’s also been some talk about the Gulf area not being able to survive another disaster after this one. This is an insult to the people of the region. We’ve seen how resilient the people from New Orleans have been — well, those who didn’t move away.
This is the real world, and it’s not run by seafood, fish, and other wildlife. It’s run by us – federal judges who have been appointed for life. (I still can’t get used to that, my beloved diary). Let’s face it, which is more important: keeping stockholders happy or a little bit of oil on a few birds?
Of course, some people think I should recuse myself just because of all of the investments I have had in the oil business. They don’t feel I can be fair and impartial in this case. They believe it’s “conflicto interesto.” To them, I say, “tough-o nougie-ohs.” Like I said, I was appointed for life. Besides, my involvement in the oil industry does not affect my decisions on things. Last night, I went out to dinner – I got a great table, by the way. Anyway, I debated between the salmon and the filet mignon and went with the filet. Believe me, my choosing the steak had nothing to do with my involvement with the oil industry. That proves I can be impartial, doesn’t it?
That’s it for tonight, diary. Oh, I almost forgot. I got this fantastic fruit basket delivered to me today. There was no name on the card. Just initials. B.P.
Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from “Sesame Street” to “Family Ties” to “Home Improvement” to “Frasier.” He has also read many books, some of them in hardcover. He can be reached at lloydgarver@gmail.com. Check out his website at lloydgarver.com and his podcasts on iTunes.
AMERICAN ALERT: Israel and Iran
Worldwide, from Israel to Iran and throughout both U.S. mainstream and alternative media, articles are making an alarming argument of a U.S. false flag attack as the beginning of a world war. We may be about to discover the true meaning of the “Global War on Terror.”
— World War and False Flag —
HOUSTON, 6/28/2010 – Worldwide, from Israel to Iran and throughout both U.S. mainstream and alternative media, articles are making an alarming argument of a U.S. false flag attack as the beginning of a world war. We may be about to discover the true meaning of the “Global War on Terror.”
I leave it to the discerning reader to peruse the links below, which make the case:
World War
1. “US, Israel Warships in Suez May Be Prelude to Faceoff with Iran,” Arutz Sheva, http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/138164
2. “Reports: IAF Landed at Saudi Base, US Troops near Iran Border,” Arutz Sheva, 6/23/2010, http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138231
3. “Israel to spy on Iran with new satellite,” Press TV, 6/23/2010, http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=131613§ionid=351020202
4. “Iran on war alert over “US and Israeli concentrations” in Azerbaijan,” DEBKAfile, 6/23/2010, http://www.debka.com/article/8868/
5. “G-8 ‘fully believes’ Israel will attack Iran, says Italy PM,” Haaretz, 6/27/2010, http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/g-8-fully-believes-israel-will-attack-iran-says-italy-pm-1.298597
6. “USS George H.W. Bush Conducts First Missile Launch,” Space Daily, 6/28/2010, http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/USS_George_HW_Bush_Conducts_First_Missile_Launch_999.html
7. “Turkey ‘closes airspace’ to Israel,” Aljazeera, 6/28/2010, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/06/201062871949989367.html
False Flag
1. “Kristol: ‘Better’ For US to Attack Iran Than if Israel Did,” World News Daily, 4/5/2010, http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25140.htm
2. “Napolitano: Internet Monitoring Needed to Fight Homegrown Terrorism,” FOX News, 6/18/2010, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/18/napolitano-internet-monitoring-needed-fight-homegrown-terrorism/
3. “American-born al Qaeda spokesman appears in new video,” By the CNN Wire Staff, CNN, 6/20/2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/20/al.qaeda.video/
4. “Supreme Court upholds terrorism support law,” Reuters, 6/21/2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65K4B420100621
5. “Times Square Car Bomber Details Chilling Plot,” Boston Globe, 6/22/2010, http://www.zimbio.com/Faisal+Shahzad/articles/nDgGx-4AJ6V/Times+Square+car+bomber+details+chilling+plot
6. “Obama Internet kill switch plan approved by US Senate,” TECHWORLD, 6/25/2010, http://news.techworld.com/security/3228198/obama-internet-kill-switch-plan-approved-by-us-senate/?olo=rss
7. “FBI/DHS Attempt to Seize Colorado Indymedia Server,” CLG, 6/26/2010, http://www.legitgov.org/FBIDHS-Attempt-Seize-Colorado-Indymedia-Server
8. “CIA’s Panetta: Iran has enough uranium for 2 bombs,” World News, 6/27/2010, http://article.wn.com/view/2010/06/27/CIAs_Panetta_Iran_has_enough_uranium_for_2_bombs_y/
Recommended Reading
1. “U.S. troops would enforce peace under Army study,” Washington Times, 9/10/2001, http://www.public-action.com/911/sams.html
2. “Report: Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel,” Haaretz, 4/16/2008, http://www.haaretz.com/news/report-netanyahu-says-9-11-terror-attacks-good-for-israel-1.244044
3. “9/11 Was Good for Us! — The Case against Israel,” The Lone Star Iconoclast, 4/19/2008, http://tinyurl.com/3n7lmp
Captain May, a former army general staff officer and later NBC editorial writer, is the founder and commander of Ghost Troop Cyber Militia, an all American group of veterans and activists. CNN did a widely read “hit” story against them this year, which helped the unit to recruit more Internet activists:
“Some suspect conspiracy in Holocaust Museum case,” CNN, 6/16/2009, http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/16/museum.shooting/
To join Ghost Troop contact the unit executive officer, 1LT Patti Woodard <ghosttroop@spiritone.com
BP – FALLOUT 2.0
We are all aware that fallout from the BP offshore disaster, which might best be described as “fubar”, has been devastating on many levels around our Planet.
We are all aware that fallout from the BP offshore disaster, which might best be described as “fubar,” has been devastating on many levels around our Planet.
The most tragic, heartwrenching, and immediate results, of course, are centered amid the 11 workers on the doomed rig who lost their lives. Typically, people don’t leave home for work and expect not to return.
Words cannot express my deep sympathy for these men; I won’t even try to imagine the pain and suffering that their families and friends must be enduring.
To their survivors, as well as the 17 workers who were injured and their families, please know that you’re in the minds and hearts of people all over the world.
Next to be severely impacted are those hard-working shrimpers and other seafood gatherers of the Gulf region.
These folks have a job I know I could never do, working insanely long hours (days and weeks non-stop, in many instances) at one of the most physically challenging occupations, for pay that hardly seems worth the effort unless the catch is sizable – with the hazard of death always just beyond the horizon.
It is distressing to think that their livelihood, perhaps their entire way of life, may be shattered for generations, possibly never to return.
Then, the commerce from tourism, a huge source of income for all the states which share the Gulf region, will be largely non-existent this year, and for untold seasons to come.
Moving on to the corporate level, BP itself is in deep trouble, its image as well as fiscal viability having sunk lower than whale shit.
However, nobody has taken the time to look at the “trickle down” effect this calamity has had across Main Street, USA and beyond.
Independent dealers who have contracts with BP, small operators of convenience marts, our neighbors, are getting shoved into oblivion by a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to something over which they have absolutely no control.
Drive by any BP station and note the absence of activity. It has become quite apparent that people have forsaken their regular coffee and donut stop in an effort to boycott the big corporate bad guys.
In the process, they’re ruining small business owners whom just two months ago were considered friends.
I can fully understand it if someone doesn’t wish to use products that carry BP brand name, specifically gasoline and diesel fuel.
However, in bypassing the convenience store that just happens to be contractually associated with BP, by getting your cigarettes and soda at the Shell (or whatever) mini-mart down the street, you’re effectively putting the person you’ve always done business with out of business.
I know of one guy who showed up one morning and found the locks to his store had been glued shut. How freakin’ stupid is that?
It didn’t cost BP anything to get his locks replaced; it cost the station owner.
On top of that, his business has been off by some 80% since the oil rig explosion. That figure is store receipts as well as gasoline sales.
The loss of revenue doesn’t stop at the individual shop. A boycott of the stores that operate under the BP logo trickles down to those people who derive their income from supplying these marts.
These same salespeople may not supply the Shell mini-mart two blocks away, so they will not necessarily recoup the loss elsewhere.
Thus, they and their families have to adjust for a reduction in income.
And, the companies they work for will also feel the pinch.
You don’t wish to buy BP gasoline, fine. The dealers don’t set the retail price, and generally only make a couple of cents per gallon, anyway, so in itself filling up elsewhere won’t be the end of the world for them.
But, it would be to everyone’s advantage to make the extra stop – change your gasoline brand, but make a concerted effort to get your totable stuff from the guy where you’ve always shopped.
Of course, only the wholly unsophisticated wouldn’t realize that no matter where one buys gas or diesel, it’s entirely possible the source refinery was owned by BP…
Was it irony, coincidence, or intentional that just this past Sunday the Sundance Channel reran “Who Killed The Electric Car?” (2006), the four-star documentary that examined the success of GM’s EV1, and its subsequent destruction by the corporate giant?
Happy motoring, my fellow American!
Shalom.
(Jerry Tenuto is an erstwhile Philosopher and sometime Educator. A veteran with seven years of service in the U.S. Army, he holds a BS and MA in Communications from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Depending upon your taste in political stew, you can either blame or thank Jerry for his weekly “Out Of The Blue” feature in The Lone Star Iconoclast. Visit his blog Blue State View at illinoiscentral.blogspot.com)
Toad Relocation Program
We’ve known for some years that there was a burgeoning toad population at the ranch. Frogs, toads, not sure I can tell the difference without a few minutes on the Internet to refresh my memory (some other time).
We’ve known for some years that there was a burgeoning toad population at the ranch. Frogs, toads, not sure I can tell the difference without a few minutes on the Internet to refresh my memory (some other time).
When our large, shallow stock tank fills up each winter or spring, we hear the frogs begin to “sing.” (I don’t know where they go when the tank dries up each summer). When there was a leak under our ancient hot tub on the back deck, every toad within a 50-mile radius seemed to congregate there. They formed a community, met, courted, coupled, and made little toads. LOADS of toads. Once the leak was repaired, the majority left, moved on, went to college, whatever. A few stayed on. Two weeks ago, we started seeing Tiny Todds all over the place. I had to scoop several up from the breezeway and put them back outside. They are all alternately called Todd (for the way “Todd Toad” just mellifluously rolls off the tongue) or Pete (after the toad in “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”, one of our most favorite Coen Brother’s movies of all time).
Big Pete (or Todd, if you like) has been around for at least a couple of years, perhaps many more. He took up residence for a while in Stinky’s dog house on the back deck (near the hot tub, obviously a place of fond memories for the enormous amphibian). We would find him happily curled up in the old blankets there during the winter. This is the same, huge, $2 doghouse I happily dragged home one year from the County Wide Garage Sale — the same doghouse Stinky gleefully deserted when we allowed him onto the breezeway (and he finally figured out the doggie door). Now he shelters under a tarp draped table when the wind blows. This is a dog that hates wind and storms. But I digress.
I’ve found a couple of smaller Petes and Todds happily hopping this same general vicinity over the years. Even when we don’t see them, there’s ample evidence of their presence. Who could have imagined that toad droppings could be so large? I thought we had rats until our friend Ron the Hunter/Gatherer matched the poop with the proper poopee. How he’s so certain of these things, I’ll never know. But he’s rarely wrong.
One of the smaller Todds took to entering the doggie door and bothering the dog. This became pretty annoying when it happened repeatedly in the middle of the night. Poor dog was startled from a peaceful sleep, had no idea what had hopped on him, and barked like a banshee (just under our bedroom window). And we were growing pretty tired of catching Todd or Pete and putting him out both day AND night. (“Zack, that toad’s on the breezeway again. Zack. ZACK! Never mind, I’ll do it myself!)
One Todd made his way into the greenhouse where he hibernated all winter, dug deeply into a potted plant. With my live and let live attitude (unless it involves a snake, mouse, or insect in the house), I looked the other way. We’ve had lizards winter in the greenhouse before as well. I could live with it. The larger Todd took up residence last summer in a planter box on the back deck, and that’s when the problems began. He would torment the dog, then dash back to his planter box. Poor Stinky is not by nature a digger and has, to his credit, NEVER dug up my flowers or the yard in general. But he couldn’t seem to help himself no matter how many times I told him no. He’d look sheepish and do it again — dig up the planter box going after the toad. I moved the toad a few yards away to a moist spot near the green house hose, but he always returned to the back deck. We never actually caught Stinky digging in the planter box. I believe this was strictly a nocturnal event. The first few times it happened, we thought he was burying kibble, another quirky habit our overweight pooch developed when he finds a little extra food in his bowl. Like one day he might starve. This is unlikely. But it soon became obvious that this was no kibble situation.
As the toad became larger and was able to tunnel deeper and faster, Stinky kept up stroke for stroke. He’s dug out my moss rose plants three times so far this season. Just that planter, no other. Same as last year. Once a Pete picks a planter, he rarely relocates by choice, even when chased by a large, determined dog. A smaller Pete had taken up residence in a different planter, and finally, early this morning, I had enough. As I gazed sleepily out my kitchen window, there was the pile of dirt next to the planter, moss rose here and there, dead soldiers in the war of the toads. Marching outside with murder on my mind, I spotted Big Pete on the deck. Luckily I was one of those little girls who played with grass snakes and horned toads. Frogs and everyday toads never held the same appeal, but I didn’t miss a beat in grabbing the enormous, surprised Pete. I marched into Zack’s shop, stuck out my hand with the squirming toad — like I had singlehandedly captured Hamas. “Give me a box and where should I put him?” I demanded. Zack was busy putting a coat of stain on a shelf, so I knew I was on my own. And just like that, the Toad Relocation Program began.
Big Pete was unceremoniously transported to his new, damp home under the overhead water tank — in a wood screw box from the hardware store. Just the right size. I feel certain he’ll love his new digs, especially when the tank overflows. This is several hundred yards from Stinky’s back deck and my moss rose, so we’ll see if toads can find their way “home” as cats and dogs are able to do, often from great distances.
Within minutes of my return, a stroke of uncanny luck! I spotted Little Pete in another corner of the back deck, and repeated the entire relocation process (right down to presenting the creature to Zack before I placed him in his travel case (which I had left in the workshop trashcan from whence it originally came). I suspect this won’t be the last time I use the wood screw box. From now on, I’m keeping it handy.
Gene Ellis, Ed.D is a Bosque County resident who returned to the family farm after years of living in New Orleans, New York, and Florida. She’s an artist who holds a doctoral degree from New York University and is writing a book about the minor catastrophes of life. Check out Genie’s blog at http://rusticramblings.wordpress.com/
Why America May Be One Step Away From Becoming An Abomination
Faintly in my memories I recall an America that was beautiful in many ways. We were a righteous national community, in a good way, respectful and hard-working. During my lifetime, I have watched with much helplessness as we reached middle age the beauty started to fade, and our actions became centered on greed and self-fulfilling daily lives with eyes that could only envision a myopic short-term span. More or less we evolved into an “if it feels good, do it” and “whoever has the most toys wins” mentality that forced a massive change in our general climate, as a nation and a people.
The Long Journey To Nowhere Brings Us Back To Ourselves
Faintly in my memories I recall an America that was beautiful in many ways. We were a righteous national community, in a good way, respectful and hard-working. During my lifetime, I have watched with much helplessness as we reached middle age the beauty started to fade, and our actions became centered on greed and self-fulfilling daily lives with eyes that could only envision a myopic short-term span. More or less we evolved into an “if it feels good, do it” and “whoever has the most toys wins” mentality that forced a massive change in our general climate, as a nation and a people.
Perhaps the greed and narcissism were always there, when we were colonial children in the eyes of our controlling and callous English King, rebelling against our “parents” and finding a home of our own. As children often do, it seems that as a nation we continue to carry the baggage inflicted upon us by our parents. For example, as a new nation we wanted a peaceful existence and religious freedom for ourselves and our families and we had a distain of extreme taxation — and yet, here we are in the 21st Century where our military and imperialistic intent invade our global neighbors, forcing our strength and beliefs on each other and throughout the world, with little respect flowing from within to all we do.
I don’t mean to say that I have done nothing to face the rapid transgression, but I am no more than one grain of sand on the vast plain of the Sahara. The winds cause the sands to drift and the powder burns during the intensity of the day; at night they become dark, cold and seem merged as one. We are intermingled as people of the world and some forces change our faces and that one of the planet. Some are natural occurrences, but during the years man-made propulsive forces have taken a blackened toll on all the grains of sand.
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.”
Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s words still make sense when it refers to oppressive and tyrannical leadership. One person cannot start and win a revolution, much as one grain of sand more or less will not alter the Sahara; however, a surging of grains will make a statement upon the desert floor.
“Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels – men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower was a gifted General and President and an intelligent human being, but his words have been forgotten. He understood the dangers inherent in government and leadership. He was a strong Republican who acknowledged the dilemma of strong and fair authority. During his administration, Eisenhower enabled government, military, business and the American community to prosper together, not at the expense of treading one upon the other. In my mind he was the consummate leader, who believed in profiteering while ensuring the common good. Eisenhower believed in maintaining America as a respected world leader by his own actions. How many of our current leaders follow his example?
The U.S. has become the bully on the world block. We seldom think in long-terms and do not consider the total consequences for our behavior and actions. During the past decade we grossly underestimated our “enemies” in Iraq and Afghanistan. How could we think that the insurgents in those countries would be easy to defeat? They have learned to do without modern technology and have retreated back to ancient times. They got rid of their cell phones and instead speak face to face. They have learned to do without conveniences and they have blended into the everyday population. We cannot tell who the bad guys or the good guys are any more. We have invaded their lands and have wreaked havoc upon their lives. They call us “the western infidels” and they may be right. We never were the ones to start a fight, but we did finish them.
Wherever we go we seem disrespect and destroy people and cultures. In contrast, we are simple to destroy because we are in plain sight and we must have our conveniences. We are prime targets and we may still pay for our arrogance and illogical aggression. At this point we may have no alternative but to continue our aggressive actions in the Middle East because if we stop it will permit the insurgents the safety net that would enable them to distribute their wrath upon our nation and soldiers and further attack throughout the world. The U.S. has made many poor decisions and even more enemies. We have acted without much forethought and potential consequences for our actions and thus we have inspired hatred for our nation and for Americans.
The U.S. via President Obama and Congress must stop the worldwide blunders started by previous administrations which have evolved into the ongoing military actions throughout the world. It is time to step-up and become more responsible and respectful towards our world neighbors. During the years the world has become smaller and we all must live in it peacefully. Military actions inspire imperialistic profiteering. Peace can also provide mutual profiteering without the callous loss of lives and friendships. It is time for humane kind to be kind to one another and find the peaceful means to coexist. On the other hand, maybe it’s already one step too late.
Peter Stern, a former director of information services, university professor and public school administrator, is a disabled Vietnam veteran who lives in Driftwood, Texas.
Primary Mystery
Since I come from Chicago, people often tease me about the politics of my home city and state. South Carolina is starting to take the heat off my homeland when it comes to scandals. First there was Governor Mark Sanford who claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was actually on a trail to his Argentinean mistress. Then Nikki Haley, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor in the recent election was accused of having an extra-marital affair with a “conservative blogger.” Who accused her? The conservative blogger. The latest shocker came when a complete unknown with no ties to powerful politicians, who had not waged a smear campaign, and who made no campaign promises won the Democratic nomination for Governor. Naturally, the professional politicians were outraged.
Since I come from Chicago, people often tease me about the politics of my home city and state. South Carolina is starting to take the heat off my homeland when it comes to scandals. First there was Governor Mark Sanford who claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was actually on a trail to his Argentinean mistress. Then Nikki Haley, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor in the recent election was accused of having an extra-marital affair with a “conservative blogger.” Who accused her? The conservative blogger. The latest shocker came when a complete unknown with no ties to powerful politicians, who had not waged a smear campaign, and who made no campaign promises won the Democratic nomination for Governor. Naturally, the professional politicians were outraged.
Alvin Greene, an unemployed veteran, beat Vic Rawl, a former judge and state lawmaker, 59% to 41%. Greene said that he ran because he had turned to the office of Republican incumbent (and candidate) U.S. Senator Jim DeMint for help in dealing with his disability, but got nowhere. When you listen to Greene talk, you certainly believe that he could have some sort of disability, so your heart goes out to him. When I first heard the story, it sounded like an old Frank Capra movie in which a non-politician, a man of the people who lives with his elderly father, whips the political insider. It was just too good to be true.
And it might be. In the movie version of this story, Greene would’ve made rousing speeches to the common man. Other veterans would have marched to protest the way in which they are mistreated all too often. He would’ve won debates with his simple, but honest talk. However, none of this happened. So how did he get elected? Also, he’s currently facing charges of showing pornography to a college student. How did that fact elude his opponents? Of course, usually college students are showing the rest of us pornography.
One theory is that since South Carolina holds “open primaries,” plotting Republicans were behind Greene’s election so that Senator DeMint would face an easy foe in the fall election. However, this cynical plot would only work if the bad guy politicians had put Greene’s face in front of the voters, if they got throngs of people to show up for rallies, and if they had organized a huge grass roots movement for him to help him win the election. None of these things happened. So even if you believe that some untrustworthy Republicans got his name on the ballot, how did they make him win while keeping him a secret?
Race has been a staple of political scandal, and it has come into this story. State Senator Robert Ford said that he thinks Greene won because he’s an African American. (He’s not the same Robert Ford who killed Jesse James). Anyway, Ford theorized that the reason Greene won was that even though nobody knew who he was, he got a huge percentage of African American votes because his name ends in an “e.” According to Ford, “No white folks have an ‘e’ on the end of Green. The blacks after they left the plantation couldn’t spell, and they threw an ‘e’ on the end.”
So, he’s saying that when African Americans see “Greene,” they think black. I don’t know. When I see “purple,” I don’t think “orange.”
Besides, what about Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Greene, writer Graham Greene, and, of course, “Bonanza’s” Lorne Greene? They were all “white folks.” To make Ford’s definitely bizarre and seemingly racist statement all the more interesting is that Ford is black.
If we learn that Greene is a seriously disabled man who really is unqualified for the job, it will be a sad situation. But the question will still be there: how did he get elected?
I hope it turns out that Greene is legit. I hope it’s the movie plot in which the simple American citizen defeats the professional politicians just because he is a simple American citizen. On the other hand, if it turns out that chicanery has taken place in the Palmetto State, none of us will be surprised. As I said before, South Carolina is replacing the Windy City and the Land of Lincoln as the home of weird politics. In fact, this replacement might have already taken place. After all, I can’t remember the last time I heard a newscaster or a late night host utter those two famous words: Rod Blagojevich.
Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from “Sesame Street” to “Family Ties” to “Home Improvement” to “Frasier.” He has also read many books, some of them in hardcover. He can be reached at lloydgarver@gmail.com. Check out his website at lloydgarver.com and his podcasts on iTunes.
Coming Full Circle
I was sitting in Zack’s woodworking shop this morning, shelling black-eyed peas I picked from our garden. This is the same garden we painstakingly prepare each year, agonizing over late freezes, then melting in the Texas heat to tend, weed, water, and pick. Between the cost of the plants and seed, the water, wear and tear on equipment, the high fence we built ourselves, and our time; each vegetable ends up costing astronomically more than what might be procured from the supermarket. Is there a difference? Oh yes. And it’s not only the taste and purity; it’s so much more than that. Besides, you’re able to complain for months about the heat and all the work, such a definite plus.
I was sitting in Zack’s woodworking shop this morning, shelling black-eyed peas I picked from our garden. This is the same garden we painstakingly prepare each year, agonizing over late freezes, then melting in the Texas heat to tend, weed, water, and pick. Between the cost of the plants and seed, the water, wear and tear on equipment, the high fence we built ourselves, and our time; each vegetable ends up costing astronomically more than what might be procured from the supermarket. Is there a difference? Oh yes. And it’s not only the taste and purity; it’s so much more than that. Besides, you’re able to complain for months about the heat and all the work, such a definite plus.
Zack was in his own world, making shelves for his workshop. I knew when I tried to carry on even the simplest conversation that he wasn’t paying the least bit of attention. Eventually, and with great effort, I managed to stop myself from talking entirely. He was concentrating on dimensions. Best I keep silent to avoid distracting him. So my mind wandered as I shelled the peas, not usually one of my favorite occupations.
It’s all in the attitude, you know. I convince myself of this daily, because it makes mundane chores so much more pleasant. Instead of dreading ironing, I find it “relaxing (when I finally manage to find the time, often after everything in the basket has gone out of style). Instead of despising dish washing, I find it “therapeutic”. And before I know it —- IT IS! Because we put in two little stationary when we made this old farmhouse habitable, I have a wonderful view of the back yard, “The Lane” the cattle use to reach the windmill trough, the wild grape vines on that fence, the field beyond, and the hills in the distance. Because I positioned my bird feeders (seed and hummingbird nectar) and birdbath in my line of sight, standing at the sink is a tremendous joy instead of a chore.
As I shelled the peas, a tedious task, I remembered doing this same job as a very young child —with my mother and probably my aunt as well. I did so many things with both of them. The long years since they left me sometimes fog the details of my earliest memories. “Unzip them”, my mother would laughingly instruct me regarding the peas, coaxing my little fingers into control. And as peas popped and rolled all over, we’d laugh. Being an older-than-usual, first time parent — a career behind her and only one child to raise— with a supportive (even older) husband, Mom found more patience than she might have otherwise been able to muster).
I’d already had childhood and summertime on my mind. Last week I planted yet another gardenia bush. Perhaps the third time’s the charm. They’re temperamental creatures. The blooms began to open a few of days ago, much to my delight. Each time I catch a whiff of that wonderful fragrance, it takes me back to a time long past, my childhood backyard, and my mother’s three gardenia bushes.
As I sat shelling peas, I considered how life can swing full circle, perhaps only for an instant — or sometimes as a large, conscious, premeditated choice (as in our case). There was Zack happily working away, probably with a few thoughts of his uncle’s workshop that he loved as a child. And I was lost in memories of peas, gardenias, and parents. Most likely neither of us could have appreciated the gifts of this lovely, peaceful morning during earlier stages of our separate lives. We were busy with school, careers, families, cities, action, and the grindstone. But here we are now, happy as can be, feeling very lucky for a thousand reasons (that one of us isn’t paralyzed, for one thing), and living a simple life very close in some ways to the deep roots from which we grew. A great aunt (by marriage) shared something with me in her later years. (And it was, quite frankly, the only thought she ever imparted that had any wisdom to it at all). “Each stage of life has its pleasures”, she said. And indeed, it is so very true.
Gene Ellis, Ed.D is a Bosque County resident who returned to the family farm after years of living in New Orleans, New York, and Florida. She’s an artist who holds a doctoral degree from New York University and is writing a book about the minor catastrophes of life. Check out Genie’s blog at http://rusticramblings.wordpress.com/
Cunning Con Artist Finally Gets His Comeupance
The case against Monroe Edwards, con artist and fugitive from Lone Star justice, went to a New York jury on June 17, 1842.
The case against Monroe Edwards, con artist and fugitive from Lone Star justice, went to a New York jury on June 17, 1842.
The cunning Kentuckian never earned an honest dollar in his life. Already incorrigible when he came to Texas in 1827 at the age of 19, Edwards made a fast and fabulous fortune smuggling slaves from Cuba. He invested most of his ill-gotten gains in prime real estate, which became the Brazoria County plantation Chenango.
Edwards took on an equally unscrupulous partner named Christopher Dart and remained active in the illicit slave trade right up until the independence insurrection. Although he dodged the dangers of the historic conflict by leaving the province, his cowardly conduct did not keep him from masquerading as a hero of the Texas Revolution.
Deciding to dump Dart, Edwards devised a fiendishly clever way to dissolve their partnership without sharing the proceeds of the joint venture. He chemically erased the text of a letter from his associate and above his signature wrote a phony bill of sale for the patsy’s portion of the plantation.
Dart retaliated with a lawsuit, which was tried at Brazoria in March 1840. The jury found in favor of the plaintiff awarding him substantial damages and freezing the assets of the dismayed defendant.
But that was only the beginning of the con artist’s problems. He was arrested the very next day on a forgery charge and held without bond in Brazoria. Jailbird or not, Edwards was entitled to the special treatment accorded any gentleman. As a result, the sheriff allowed Kitty Clover, a mulatto slave disguised as a manservant, to join her master and lover in his cell.
Granted bail at a habeas corpus hearing in San Antonio, Edwards sent Kitty back to Brazoria to snoop around. She found out that fresh charges had been filed to ensure his pretrial detention and rushed to warn him. The couple quickly fled Texas with all the gold they could carry.
During a brief layover in NewYork, Edwards wrote a number of renowned Americans to obtain their autographs. Employing the same technique used in the failed attempt to cheat his business partner, he transformed polite replies from Daniel Webster, Martin Van Buren and other prominent personalities into glowing letters of introduction.
Edwards then traveled to England, where the counterfeit credentials opened every door. Posing as a saintly abolitionist dedicated to freeing the slaves he had sold into bondage, the charlatan was warmly welcomed by the British elite and even presented to parliament.
The Lone Star minister was not nearly so gullible and dug up the dirt on the flashy fraud. James Hamilton put the impostor on notice in November 1840: “I beg to inform you that I have been apprised that you are a fugitive from the public justice of the Republic of Texas charged with the commission of an infamous crime.”
Threatened with exposure and possible imprisonment, Edwards caught the next boat back to New York. But he had one more trick up his silk sleeve.
With a few expert strokes of the pen, Edwards invented an impressive identity – John P. Caldwell, wealthy Arkansas planter. Putting up a thousand nonexistent bales of cotton as collateral, he applied for a $25,000 loan from a merchant bank in Manhattan. He cashed the check on Aug. 28, 1841 and vanished into thin air.
Edwards and his latest accomplice, Alexander Powell, hid out in Philadelphia waiting for the bamboozled bankers to lose interest in their whereabouts. But the five-figure reward offered for their apprehension only turned up the heat and persuaded the pair to split up.
The plan called for Powell to slip into Boston, where he would book passage for Europe, while Edwards headed south for New Orleans. To divert attention from his own departure by sicking the law on his confederate, Edwards mailed an anonymous tip on the date Powell was supposed to sail.
But the swindler outsmarted himself. Powell’s cruise was delayed three days enabling the police to grab him on the gangplank. He took one look at the unsigned letter responsible for his capture, recognized the handwriting and in a fit of temper unmasked “John P. Caldwell.”
Edwards still would have made a clean getaway if not for an uncharacteristic act of compassion. He stayed overnight in Philadelphia in order to provide for Kitty and their five month old child. Moments after opening an account in her name, he was collared by the cops.
Convicted in the cotton caper, Monroe Edwards was sent up the river to notorious Sing Sing prison. Abandoned by his beloved Kitty, he tried twice to escape. A severe flogging following his second attempt commuted the fugitive Texan’s long prison term to a death sentence in 1847.
Nine “Best of This Week in Texas History” column collections to choose from at twith.com. Order on-line or by mail from Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549.
High Wheat Yield Gluts Rolling Plains Elevators
Rain came to Texas, relieving drought conditions in many areas. It also slowed the wheat harvest in the Rolling Plains, but this year that might be a good thing, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.
COLLEGE STATION — Rain came to Texas, relieving drought conditions in many areas. It also slowed the wheat harvest in the Rolling Plains, but this year that might be a good thing, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.
Rolling Plains wheat producers were reporting above-average yields and average protein levels in most cases. But grain elevators in many areas were having a hard time handling the volume of wheat, said Steven Sparkman, AgriLife Extension agent for Hardeman County, northwest of Wichita Falls.
This has resulted in something of a crisis for both elevator operators and growers, Sparkman said, and it all began with high yields combined with the best of intentions on the part of the local grain elevator management.
“Both of the grain elevators in our area built shuttle-train loading systems. They can load a unit (100-110 car train) within 15 hours,” he said. “Because of their access to the railroad and that they offered attractive prices, they had an inflow of wheat from as far away as 100 miles.”
Many other elevators in that 100-mile radius have lost their railroad access in the last 10 or 15 years, which contributed to the problem. That added to high yields but with low prices for wheat growers, multiplied the problem. In some cases, the line for farmers waiting to unload their wheat was 70 or more trucks long, with day-long waits, according to Sparkman.
The problem was not limited to Hardeman County, he said. In nearby Wilbarger County, the co-op ran out of room and was storing wheat in cotton compresses.
The increased volume at some elevators was due only in part because of the good regional yields, Sparkman said.
“Our basis from Kansas City right now is from a $1.40 to what I’ve heard is $1.75 (per bushel). Usually we’ll be at a 60 to 70 cents basis. Down at Knox City or Stamford, where a lot of the wheat is coming from, it’s even worse than that, so it makes it feasible to truck it up here.”
Basis is the difference between local prices and those at the Kansas City Board of Trade, which is the standard pricing method for hard red winter wheat, Sparkman explained.
Many farmers are angry with the elevators, but the operators are just trying to make an honest profit like everyone else, Sparkman said. The problem is one of supply and demand.
“That’s huge basis. I’ve just never heard of it being that big. The problem is that there’s just so much wheat,” he said
The bottom line? The price is down, locally hovering $3 to $3.35 (per bushel), Sparkman said.
“Most producers will need $4.50 to $5 to have a decent year.”
But the rain helped in a way, he said. “We’ve been getting rain for the last three days, so the lines have diminished. Last night, there were about six in line sleeping there, waiting for them to open this morning. I bet there was 60 or 70 — more than you can count — before.”
Does Israel Have A Right To Exist? Yeah, But…
Forget about Israel’s right to exist. Let’s talk about America’s right to exist. And let’s also talk about every other nation in the world’s right to exist as well. At approximately what point does a nation — any nation — lose its right to exist?
http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com/2010/06/does-israel-have-right-to-exist-yeah.html
Forget about Israel’s right to exist. Let’s talk about America’s right to exist. And let’s also talk about every other nation in the world’s right to exist as well. At approximately what point does a nation — any nation — lose its right to exist?
When it stops behaving itself?
When it starts using its power and resources for obscenely selfish reasons — or even for evil?
When a country deliberately starts breaking the world’s rules as set forth in the U.N. charter and the Geneva convention, does it then forfeit its right to exist? When America not only condones torture but performs medical experiments on the victims of its tortures, has America gone too far?
Did America lose its right to exist by lying about the Tonkin Gulf incident in Vietnam or the non-existent WMD incident in Iraq? Does Israel lose its right to exist because it lied about what happened during the recent Freedom Flotilla incident?
In the past, our world community has decided that the Soviet Union, Corporatist Germany and Italy and Imperial Japan did not have a right to exist — but at what point did these nations cross over the line? Is America and some of its allies slowly edging up to that line now?
Let’s look at this issue from a personal level. For instance, would I lose my right to exist if I murdered someone? Can they send me to the electric chair if I maliciously take human life? And just exactly how much human life will I be allowed to take before I am no longer allowed to exist? Will I be allowed to kill over a million people before I am stopped? Even if I present a really good excuse? And make money on the deal as well? And get some extra oil and real estate thrown in?
“An eye for an eye…” the old saying goes. Does that mean that if Americans and/or their allies have killed hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people in the Middle East, then Middle Easterners will be perfectly justified in killing hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Americans in return?
At what point does a nation — or even a person — lose its right to exist?
How come murderers in Texas are given lethal injections but murderers in Washington become billionaires?
Where exactly DO we draw the line regarding who has a right to exist?
PS: This brings up another point as well: If a person or nation misbehaves, do we take them out and shoot them? Or just send them to bed without any dinner? And who decides on the punishment?
PPS: America has just proved to me that it DOES have a right to exist. I just took my two-year-old granddaughter to Disneyland — and any country that can produce something as joyful as Disneyland might possibly have a shot at redemption.
PPPS: I just came back from my Jin Shin Jyutsu class, where I learned about how to make our kidneys and adrenal glands work better — by gently holding certain places on our bodies for three minutes each.
Our class covered a lot of material today but basically I learned that, “Sometimes we exacerbate our adrenal glands’ load by expecting the world to be different than it is. People with adrenal burn-out suffer from angst because they can’t get the world to be the way that they want it to be. And the more that we try to control the outside world, the more frustrations we will have.”
So how much control of the outside world is really necessary? Or even effective? Dictators and tyrants try too hard to control their worlds. Billionaires seem to think that if they only accumulate enough dinero they will also be able to control their world. And I bet that people like Saddam Hussein, Republican neo-cons, media censors, Israeli commandos and BP executives thought that if they just had enough money, jails or guns, they too would be in control. But guess what? You can’t EVER control the world (or the people) around you. You’ll never be able too — no matter how hard you try.
Unjust punishment ALWAYS leads to resistance.
PPPPS: Here’s a step-by step description of the Jin Shin Jyutsu exercise I was talking about. It’s good for calming ourselves and stopping us from tearing our hair out because we cannot control the uncontrollable.
First, take your left hand and place it gently over your right baby toe, holding it lightly from its top to all the way down to the very base of its bone at the ball of your foot. And while you are holding your left hand over your right little toe, take your right hand and cup it lightly over your public bone. Pretend that you are a hip-hop star. Hold this position for three minutes.
Jin Shin Jyutsu points are much larger than acupuncture points, BTW. Each one is the size of the palm of your hand. You pretty much can’t miss them.
Next take your left hand and place it over your coccyx and just leave it there until further notice. Then take your right hand and place it over the middle of your bottom left front rib. Hold that position for three minutes too.
Feeling calmer already? We’re almost half-way done. Persevere, okay?
Next, with your left hand still lightly clutching your coccyx, move your right hand to your left top front rib, right under your collar bone. This is the “I Pledge Allegiance” hold. Three minutes more.
And, last, keeping your left hand still on your butt, cup your right hand onto the back of your neck, on the left side, just behind your left ear. And hold that for three minutes — and then you’re done. Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j76_EnbV10
And you can do this whole thing while watching TV if you want. “Survivor” or “Big Brother” would be good shows to watch. No one can truly control who will get voted off next on those shows.
And if everyone in the world everywhere did this exercise every single day, then perhaps we might not have so many blooming control freaks trying to run our world — trying to run MY world. Then torture chambers and vast checkpoints and nuclear weapons and religious fanatics and Wall Street bailouts might no longer be necessary — as people stop trying to control others and work more on trying to get their own selves under control.
What Is Behind Israel’s Illegal Persecution Of Palestinians
The primary reasons for the Palestinian War is that Great Britain supported the Zionists via the Balfour Declaration of 1917 favored and claimed Palestine as the new home of the Jewish people. The problem with this declaration and imperative is that Great Britain did NOT have a legal right to make that determination. Palestine was already settled by the indigenous Semite population who had been there for 1,200 years. Naturally, the Jewish people could not settle in Palestine without illegally removing the people already living in those villages and on their properties.
Israel Must Stop Its Aggression
The primary reasons for the Palestinian War is that Great Britain supported the Zionists via the Balfour Declaration of 1917 favored and claimed Palestine as the new home of the Jewish people. The problem with this declaration and imperative is that Great Britain did NOT have a legal right to make that determination. Palestine was already settled by the indigenous Semite population who had been there for 1,200 years. Naturally, the Jewish people could not settle in Palestine without illegally removing the people already living in those villages and on their properties.
Furthermore, the Palestinians were removed aggressively from their properties via assaults by the Zionists who were determined to make Palestine the home of Jews regardless of any impedance. Consequently, the Zionists, with the support of Great Britain, the U.S. and other Western European nations, began the assault which forced an estimated 500,000 Palestinians to flee their homes and properties, fearing for their lives. Illegally and without any restitution, the Zionists permitted Jews to occupy land and structures previously owned by Palestinians stating that the people had left their homes and land and any claim to them. However, under the rules of the Geneva Convention, the act of leaving their homes and land did NOT provide the Jews with the legal authority to seize those properties as their own. Palestinians still had claims to their property but Israel refuses to acknowledge those rights.
So, what we have now in Palestine is extreme animosity against the State of Israel and the Zionist movement that forced Palestinians from their homes and properties. In addition, Israel now has forced Palestinians to live in small groups inside restricted areas and has placed a boycott on all goods and services marked for the Palestinian people. In addition, the Jewish population continues to develop settlements in Palestine that remain illegal in nature.
Israel continues to use the threat of Hamas as the means for continuing the boycott and to imprison the Palestinian population. Furthermore, Israel uses severe aggressive attacks to maintain its hold over Palestine, as per the recent Flotilla travesty, in its quest for Jewish expansion throughout Palestine and in essence push the Semite population into adjacent countries. Unfortunately, Israel’s aggression against and inhumane treatment of the Palestinian population has been permitted by the United Kingdom, the United States and other Western nations.
Israel refuses to recognize the legal right of the Semite population to live and work in Palestine. It is for this reason that the Palestinian “War” continues. Since Israel is hell bent on its aggressive expansion and development in Palestine, the U.S. and the U.K. should be the world leaders to stop Israel from continuing its illegal agenda. As a means towards ending Israel’s aggression, Western nations could cut or eliminate economic support to Israel until that nation acts in a more reasonable and legal manner that would ensure the greater chance of peace in Palestine and throughout the Middle East.
Peter Stern, a former director of information services, university professor and public school administrator, is a disabled Vietnam veteran who lives in Driftwood, Texas.
Painting The Carport, Part II
Last week I began this column, but it became much too long. I ended with a joke about an exhibit of bulls and a husband who ended up in traction after the wrong comment to his wife. Now that might not have made much sense at the time, but perhaps it will after reading the following. Or not.
Last week I began this column, but it became much too long. I ended with a joke about an exhibit of bulls and a husband who ended up in traction after the wrong comment to his wife. Now that might not have made much sense at the time, but perhaps it will after reading the following. Or not.
Let me paint you a verbal picture of our painting escapades, with Zack still physically challenged, recovering from Guillain-Barre:
There we are on the scaffolding, a smallish model for two grown people to share. The conditions are hot but windy. We should have waited for a calmer day. Everyone knows you don’t paint in the wind, but Zack has a schedule in his head. It might as well be written in stone. The painting was planned for this particular week. One thing hinges upon another. Windows and doors have been covered with paper in preparation; spackling and detail work has been done. There will be no postponing. There will certainly be no arguing or even discussion. I have learned better.
The sun is often in our eyes. Zack holds the paint sprayer, sometimes above the level of his elbows, a very difficult task for any length of time in even a healthy person. We take breaks if he needs them. When he becomes overheated, dehydrated or exhausted, he loses all perspective and pushes on instead of resting, until I insist (and insist and insist) that we stop.
We’re tired, uncomfortable and having difficulty keeping our balance. We concentrate hard to avoid tripping on the electrical cord (connected to the sprayer) as it weaves to and fro at our feet and Zack moves about the scaffolding (scaring me to death as he often backs close to the edge). This would be challenging even for someone with normal balance.
Tubes from the bottom of the sprayer lead into the full, heavy paint can. Normally this paint might be hooked to a ladder or scaffolding. But because of Zack’s difficulties, it is instead attached to ME. I’m holding it as high as possible (not easy), bobbing and weaving, attempting to anticipate his every move and gesture (like a shadow. I still have a little trouble with that telepathy thing sometimes). I’m trying not to spill the paint or let the cord trip us up. I’m hoping not to step off the high platform and drag him with me, connected as we are by the cord and tubes. I’m trying not to catch a face full of paint. If I’m not quick enough following his movements, the tubes will pull from the sprayer, requiring reattachment and copious expletives.
My “assistance” is criticized frequently and with little tact as the “boss” barks directions. No matter which way we turn or spray, the breeze blows the paint all over us. Soon we’re both covered with a fine mist of white, then a thin layer. I spill some paint. I’m too slow. I‘m standing in the wrong place. I allowed the tubes to pull loose (again). Intent as Zack is upon finishing the job (in this century) and staying upright, his mind slips into auto pilot. Polite discourse is not high on the agenda. I decide to forgive him until later. He has no idea exactly how I’m managing to do all that I’m doing. , nor does he care. He doesn’t need to, never thinks about it. Not his job. A multi-tasker I am NOT (by nature). Fast I am NOT. But neither of us fell off the platform or met with serious injury. By the time we finished, I was ready for a rubber room. In solitary.
I began last week’s piece by writing the following: I’ve heard it said that the most stressful times in a person’s life may involve moving, having a child, breaking up or divorce, undergoing construction —or experiencing a death. I joked that at least one of these things might lead to another. As with many of our “adventures”, it was a minor miracle neither of us was hurt while constructing the carport. We were fortunate we didn’t split up during the “close quarters” and stress of togetherness during the painting phase especially. And Zack was very, very lucky I didn’t put him in traction.
(Now that he’s better, I can joke about it).
Gene Ellis, Ed.D is a Bosque County resident who returned to the family farm after years of living in New Orleans, New York, and Florida. She’s an artist who holds a doctoral degree from New York University and is writing a book about the minor catastrophes of life. Check out Genie’s blog at http://rusticramblings.wordpress.com/
‘Where’s The Truth?’ (with apologies to Clara Peller)
Long ago, I ceased to be amazed at the complicity of the corporate-run mainstream electronic media to skew the public discourse in favor of the right, and the arrogance which it displays in doing so.
Long ago, I ceased to be amazed at the complicity of the corporate-run mainstream electronic media to skew the public discourse in favor of the right, and the arrogance which it displays in doing so.
Until the seventh year of the American people and our Constitution being held hostage by the RoveCheneyBush regime, when Democrats finally wrested control from a Republican Congress dutiful to the Party rather than constituencies, Dubya was treated as though he truly was King George XLIII.
The guy was given a pass on virtually everything he said (no matter how lunkheaded), or did (despite its blatant illegality).
Every bona fide reporter, longstanding members of the Press Corps included, or recognized and respected news service that dared to question Dubya’s actions or policies was summarily banished from official briefings.
None but those overtly willing to regurgitate precisely what the White House line happened to be at the moment were allowed to sup from the official feast – most of which was talking-point propaganda.
And, of course, George the Younger was typically portrayed in a glowing light.
Even now, those of the mindset that Dubya made a first-rate leader carp that he was hounded by the media, while the press now allows President Obama all kinds of leeway.
It’s convenient to forget that: Only those who would report favorably were allowed on Executive field trips;
None but avowed Bush loyalists were ever allowed into any venue where George made an appearance. On the rare occasion that a heckler might make it through the intense scrutiny of the gatekeepers, that person was silenced, forced out of the hall, and, often, arrested for exercising a right granted all Americans by the 1st Amendment;
The White House used taxpayer money to finance its own scripted “news” items, which were supplied at no cost to (alleged) news outlets, then gladly aired by stations with Right-wing agendas;
Operatives within the Executive Branch, primarily the newly-redefined untouchable Vice President Branch, were allowed to make policies and award contracts behind closed doors – with no Congressional oversight whatsoever.
Through it all, the unwashed masses, made up largely of self-righteous Christian zealots and the frightened elderly, were suckling at the teat of FOX(NotReally)News.
FOX, lorded over by Neocon activist Australian Rupert Murdoch, had, since its inception, been fostering the far right agenda; it created George W. Bush as a candidate, and we all know how instrumental this ersatz news channel was in getting him illegally installed as High Sheriff of the United States.
The bile which flowed through FOX’ teat poisoned its dunderheaded viewers, already sorely lacking in balanced perspective due to years of manipulative misinformation, with far more divisiveness and animus than we’ve known in this Nation since antebellum sentiment resulted in civil war (or, as southerners still refer to it, the “unpleasantness between the Nauth and the Sou-uth”).
Now, FOX has created its own corporate-based, synthetic “political party”, bullshitting its adherents into believing that this is a “grassroots” movement.
Truth be damned! Rupert further crosses the line by paying political hacks, the likes of Newt Gingrich, Sister Sarah, Karl Rove, et al, to muddy the waters of public opinion through espewment their own unified Rightology, with no counter-argument permitted.
Meanwhile, as this Australian megalomaniac maneuvers the American political landscape into his version of what our Nation should be, does the rest of the corporate media expose Murdoch for the turd he is?
No. They do everything possible to emulate Rupert’s channel, in a futile attempt to siphon off some of its ratings.
But the fiercely loyal FOX audience doesn’t care if they’re being lied to and manipulated – they want to believe, accepting FOX’ message as gospel. No open-minded media outlet is ever going to pull these jamokes away from BillO, Sean and company.
The one true anti-FOX alternative, MSNBC, has unfortunately swung so far to the Left that its pontificating has turned off even hardcore Liberals (yes, I am a Liberal, and damned proud to admit it).
However, in order to best FOX in the ratings, the other news services have fallen into a well of non-thinkism, the result being Americans are left only with newspapers as the purveyors of truth… sort of.
Sadly, we all know where the newspaper industry is headed.
My fellow American, you and I are screwed.
Shalom.
(Jerry Tenuto is an erstwhile Philosopher and sometime Educator. A veteran with seven years of service in the U.S. Army, he holds a BS and MA in Communications from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Depending upon your taste in political stew, you can either blame or thank Jerry for his weekly “Out Of The Blue” feature in The Lone Star Iconoclast. Visit his blog Blue State View at illinoiscentral.blogspot.com)
Royalty In The U.S.?
One thing our Founding Fathers were sure of is that they didn’t want a king in this new country. They didn’t want one person to be regarded as something so special that people would have to bow down to him and treat him almost like a god. Well, I wonder how the founding fathers would feel right now as there is a campaign throughout the country regarding someone known as King James.
One thing our Founding Fathers were sure of is that they didn’t want a king in this new country. They didn’t want one person to be regarded as something so special that people would have to bow down to him and treat him almost like a god. Well, I wonder how the founding fathers would feel right now as there is a campaign throughout the country regarding someone known as King James. In case you’re one of those people I don’t understand who’s not a sports fan, this young man’s name is actually LeBron James, he’s a great basketball player, and his contract is up. As James decides where he’ll play basketball next, ordinary citizens and government officials are treating him like, well, a king.
James is a fantastic player, he’s charismatic, and would bring baskets full of cash to whatever city lands him. He wears Number 23 on his jersey, but in the free-agent market, he is Number One. He’s only 25 years old, so he probably has many years of basketball left. If you have teenage kids that you’d like to pursue a higher education, don’t let them hear LeBron’s story. He never went to college, and his next contract will probably be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s nine-figures! The downside, of course, is that he has missed out on cramming for organic chemistry and analyzing “The Scarlet Letter.”
Yet, some people think he’s a bargain. His being on a team guarantees more people in the seats, and his being in a city means more visitors, more full hotels and restaurants, and more forged autographs being sold on the street. That’s why so many people are kissing this king’s ring, or something else of his.
For the past seven years, he’s played in the not so flashy city of Cleveland. Now, flashier places like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles are trying to lure him away from that city on Lake Erie. James is from Akron, Ohio, just a few of his giant steps from Cleveland. This is one of the reasons that he just might stay and play in Cleveland. One Clevelander has started a website called pleasedontleave23.com. There’s also a 212 member LeBron James Grandmothers’ Fan Club. The Cleveland Orchestra has made a video praising LeBron, as has Ohio’s Governor Ted Strickland.
Chicago Bulls fans have a website called, “sendLeBrontochicago.com.” David Geffen, media mogul, music producer, and all around rich guy has said that if he can buy 51% of the Los Angeles Clippers, he “guarantees” that he can get LeBron to join that hapless team. And then there’s New York.
New York City has a campaign called “C’mon LeBron” that includes T-shirts, billboards, and messages on taxis begging James to come to New York. New York’s Mayor Bloomberg actually made a video trying to get LeBron to take a bite of the Big Apple. Fortunately, it’s not a music video, but it’s still unseemly and embarrassing. Some might even think it’s blasphemous (a word that I don’t think I’ve ever used in a column before). At the end of the video, the mayor says, “As the Good Book says, lead us to the promised land.” And then with a wink and bad comic timing he adds, “And that’s a quote from the King James version.”
I know what it is to be a sports fanatic. I admit that I have watched the exact same Sports Center show more than once in a four-hour period. But this goes way beyond the usual abnormal behavior of sports fans. I understand that it’s about money and civic pride, but how much pride can a place have if it’s willing to do anything to get a 25 year old kid to play a game in their city?
In case you don’t think it’s more than a bit weird that James has gotten all this attention, there’s more: President Obama has weighed in on the subject. First he said that it would be great if James played in Obama’s hometown of Chicago. Then I guess his advisers or pollsters told him that statement was a mistake, so Obama said it would be nice if James stayed in Cleveland.
That’s right. The President of the United States actually gave his opinion on this issue of vital interest. Who’s next? The Dalai Lama? Could be. “Come on, LeBron, play in Tibet. We won’t just give you money. If you sign for five years with an option for six plus revenue sharing for public appearances, I’ll throw in the secret of life.”
Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from “Sesame Street” to “Family Ties” to “Home Improvement” to “Frasier.” He has also read many books, some of them in hardcover. He can be reached at lloydgarver@gmail.com. Check out his website at lloydgarver.com and his podcasts on iTunes.
Some Stargazing Ideas While Camping Out
Recently I received the following email from Joe Garcia who reads Stargazer in the Kingsville (Texas) Record: “I am a Cub Scout leader and am taking my boys camping June 11-13. I want to do an astronomy section one of these nights, something that the boys will enjoy and learn from. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have. I am new to this and want my boys to learn and have fun. Thank you for your time.”
Recently I received the following email from Joe Garcia who reads Stargazer in the Kingsville (Texas) Record: “I am a Cub Scout leader and am taking my boys camping June 11-13. I want to do an astronomy section one of these nights, something that the boys will enjoy and learn from. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have. I am new to this and want my boys to learn and have fun. Thank you for your time.”
After re-reading my response to Joe, it occurred to me that my ideas might be of interest to others, especially those who, like Joe, work with kids. So here are some of my offerings.
As the Sun is setting in the west, have the kids watch the western sky and see who can be the first to spot the “evening star.” After it gets darker and other stars begin to appear, it will be apparent that this “star” is much brighter than all the other stars because it’s not really a star — it’s the planet Venus, the nearest planet to Earth.
Then as it gets darker, have the kids look all around the night sky and try to find the Moon. They won’t be able to, so ask them why there’s no Moon out. Answer: June 12 happens to be new Moon when the Moon is in the same direction as the Sun, thus it sets at sunset and won’t rise until sunrise the next morning. Each night thereafter, the Moon rises and sets nearly an hour earlier than the previous night. This can lead to a discussion about the phases of the Moon.
Depending upon how near to a city you are camping, you will likely encounter light pollution. Point this out to the kids, especially if you can see more light pollution in one direction than another. Show how the more light pollution there is, the fewer stars one can see. If you happen to be far from city lights, show them the Milky Way which they can’t see from town.
For a final activity, help the kids learn to use the stars to find north and the other directions. Have them search the sky for the Big Dipper. Then show them that the two stars at the outer end of the dipper’s bowl are “pointer stars” pointing to Polaris, the North Star. As they find and identify Polaris, have them notice that it is NOT the brightest star in the sky as many think.
To dig a bit deeper, these and other topics are elaborated in previous “Stargazer” columns which are archived on my Web site, and in my book, Learning the Night Sky, about which you can also learn more on my Web site.
Sky Calendar
* June 14 Mon. evening: The crescent Moon is below Venus low in the west at dusk, and to its upper left the next evening.
* 16 Wed. evening: The crescent Moon is below Mars, and to its left the next night.
* 18 Fri. evening: The 1st quarter Moon is below Saturn.
* 19 & 20 Sat. & Sun. early evenings: Venus passes within two moonwidths of the Beehive star cluster low in the west; use binoculars to see the subtle cluster.
* 20 evening: The Moon is below Virgo’s bright star Spica.
* 21 Mon.: Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere
* 26 Sat.: The full Moon, called the Flower Moon, Rose Moon, Strawberry Moon, and Honey Moon, shows a barely visible partial lunar eclipse low in the east just before dawn.
* July 2 Fri.: The midpoint of the year 2010.
* 3 Sat. morning: The Moon is above Jupiter.
Naked-eye Planets. (The Sun, Moon, and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth’s west-to-east rotation on its axis.) Evening: Venus is prominent in the west northwest, Mars is mid way up in the west, and Saturn is high in the southwest. Morning: Jupiter, rising around 2 a.m., is brilliant in the southeast by dawn.
Stargazer appears every other week. Paul Derrick is an amateur astronomer who lives in Waco. Contact him at 918 N. 30th, Waco, 76707, (254) 753-6920 or paulderrickwaco@aol.com. See the Stargazer Web site at stargazerpaul.com.
Saving American Veterans and Saving American Money – Dr. Gay Larned Has a Solution
Surviving & Prospering in the New Economy
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said in a speech that “health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.” For returning active duty troops and veterans the problem goes way beyond considerations of the cost to the VA system. These veterans are returning but the war is coming with them in ways none of us imagined possible. An alarming percentage of America’s military are returning home with from Iraq and Afghanistan with Traumatic Brain Injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to a system of health which is sadly lacking.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, because of increase in head injuries and the rise in mental health issues, substance abuse and suicides, there is a driving need to redouble efforts to protect veterans.
Additionally, Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD has also announced recently disturbing news. Results of his research into the “series” of veterans’ deaths acknowledged by the Surgeon General of the Army cast questions on the present use of medications for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Baughman reports these drugs may account for veterans dying in their sleep.
Andrew White, Eric Layne, Nicholas Endicott and Derek Johnson, four West Virginia veterans, died in their sleep in early 2008 and their deaths were reported as suicide. Baughman’s research suggests this was not the case. All were taking Seroquel (an antipsychotic) Paxil (an antidepressant) and Klonopin (a benzodiazepine). All were diagnosed with PTSD. All seemed “normal” when they went to bed. Over medication, and medication, which may not be called for, could be killing vets even after they return from war.
If what is being used does not work, is there an alternative. One woman, Dr. Gay Larned, believes there is. Instead of what she calls ‘talk medicine’ and ‘chemical medicine’ because of the heavy use of prescription drugs, she suggests the use of a 21st century technology called ‘energy medicine.’ In use around the world, these therapies alleviate symptoms, are not intrusive, work rapidly, and are inexpensive. This, says Dr. Larned, should be the therapy of choice for active duty troops and veterans.
Dr. Larned is a neuropsychologist with over twenty years of experience working with serious head injuries in children and adults. Her career path was, in part, dictated by a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) when she was seven years old. The massive injury destroyed one–third of her brain leaving her unable to hear, walk or talk. Recovery was slow and agonizing and continued after she received her Ph. D. in psychology. Since then, she has made it her life mission to find successful treatments for head injuries and assisting others with serious neurological disorders.
Aware of the plight of returning troops and veterans with severe head injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dr. Larned refocused her work to design a program, called the Reclaim Program for the Treatment and Prevention of Head Injuries. She is proposing its adoption by trauma and rehabilitation centers and the VA.
By testing all technologies and advances in the fields of neurofeedback and energy medicine, Dr. Larned has been able to combine the most advanced and powerful systems in the world for head injuries – and she is determined to see that American veterans have the benefits of these technologies which are now in use in countries around the world.
“Veterans deserve the very best America can offer them – and neurofeedback provides a technology which rapidly extinguishes, or eliminates altogether, the symptoms of brain injuries. The same relief can also be provided for those suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” said Dr. Larned during a recent interview.
“Many,’ Larned said, “view PTSD as just a mental health problem, but at its source it’s a neurological issue, and the anxiety and other symptoms accompanying PTSD can be relieved or removed altogether, sometimes in just a few sessions.” Asked about the cost, Larned said, “The cost of the technology in the Reclaim Program is far lower than anything else in the world today used for the treatment of head injuries and PTSD. And this technology could be made available to all returning military, and veterans, for just a few hundred dollars a person – once the installation of equipment and training of technicians is complete. The Reclaim Program can make this available to those suffering from TBI and PTSD in just months,” Larned said.
Mental health care accounted for almost 40 per cent of all days spent in hospitals by servicemen and women (one in seven troops are women) last year, the report said. Of those hospitalizations, 5 per cent lasted longer than 33 days. For most other conditions, fewer than 5 per cent of hospitalizations exceeded 12 days, the report said.
Larned went on to the horrific number of returning troops and veterans who become statistics. At home, and on active duty, tragically – a record 6,000 last year – commit suicide, a number which shocks all of us. National figures show, “veterans constitute about 20 per cent of the 30,000 to 32,000 US deaths each year from suicide” and “of an average of 18 veterans who commit suicide each day, about five received care through the VA healthcare system. More than 60 percent of those five had diagnosed mental health conditions.” The DoD/VA has announced an outreach program and is now promoting a toll–free suicide hotline.
Along with suicide as a serious problem, returning active duty military are experiencing increasing levels of mental health problems, alcoholism and substance abuse. In an interview last week, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent said “alcohol abuse is an indication of the stress, particularly since active military are being redeployed at increasing rates. Alcohol can tie into a lot of things, and we’re just keeping a close eye on it,” Kent said.
The rate of Marines, for instance, who screen positive for drug or alcohol problems, increased 12 percent from 2005 to 2008, according to available Marine Corps statistics.
“The symptoms of head injuries, PTSD, mental health problems and substance abuse can be treated very successfully with neurofeedback,” Larned continued. “We cannot fail the troops and veterans who have put their lives on the line to serve us and our country. It would be unthinkable, especially since, by so doing, we can save the Department of Veterans Affairs billions of dollars.”
According to Dr. Larned, the military has long been using neurofeedback – but not for those suffering with TBI or PTSD.
After completing studies at UCLA in 1968, neurofeedback received FDA clearance. In 1973 the United States Military Academy at West Point initiated a program called the Alpha Training Center, which used neurofeedback for peak performance training for their athletes. Results from the Alpha Training Center were so dramatic, not only in athletic improvement but in overall academic and leadership performance, the center was opened to the entire corps of cadets and the academy’s teaching staff and their families. The name was later changed to the Center for Enhanced Performance.
In September 2005, Dr. Louis Csoka, a retired Colonel and former head of the Center for Enhanced Performance at the Military Academy, announced that the Pentagon had approved and funded expansion of these same centers to three Army bases for 2006. This expansion, using Neurofeedback Peak Performance, was to be used to optimize performance for officers prior to deployment to the Persian Gulf. The program was expanded to ten more bases in 2007.(1)
Dr. Larned has kept up with the tremendous growth in this technology, and the Reclaim Program for the Treatment and Prevention of Head Injuries will use only the most advanced systems. Personnel from VA facilities and bases in the US will receive training specific for the treatment of TBI and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for returning troops and active duty servicemen and women. Bases, medical facilities and personnel in Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq will also receive similar training beginning just months after the Reclaim Program is approved.
Asked by a listener how much could be saved by the VA, Larned replied, “The VA has estimated that the total cost of long term care and treatment for veterans, over a 30-year period, will be between one and two trillion dollars. The savings for the VA are incalculable, but certainly will be in the tens of billions. This dramatic cost savings is due largely to the decreased need for expensive convalescent facilities, and a means to reduce the drain on limited VA resources for ongoing treatment for hundreds of thousands of veterans from the Persian Gulf wars and earlier. Because of the Reclaim Program, veterans will be able to receive successful treatment over a short period of time and remain with their families where they belong.”
(1) Source: Dr. Jonathan D. Cowan, Ph.D., Neurotek and Dr. Gary Ames, Ph.D., AlertFocus.com
My Front Row Seat: Streisand Tells All At Book Expo
At the 2010 Book Expo in New York City recently, the keynote speaker was Barbra Streisand. “No videos, no photographs and no taping during the event please,” they told us beforehand – so I just took notes like crazy. If I didn’t get Streisand’s words exactly right or get all of the words down, it’s my fault. But I really tried. I even sat in the very front row.
http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-front-row-seat-barbra-streisand.html
At the 2010 Book Expo in New York City recently, the keynote speaker was Barbra Streisand. “No videos, no photographs and no taping during the event please,” they told us beforehand – so I just took notes like crazy. If I didn’t get Streisand’s words exactly right or get all of the words down, it’s my fault. But I really tried. I even sat in the very front row.
“How many people do you think are at this talk?” I asked a woman sitting next to me, but she didn’t know. So I started counting all the people myself. I was up to 75 when an usher asked me what the freak I was doing. “Counting the house.”
“2,700 people.” Oh.
Streisand was here at the Expo in order to plug her new book, “My Passion for Design,” all about her experiences in building her dream house. And on the cover of the book, there’s a photo of her and her little white dog. Then, just before the lights went down, a man came out of the wings, carrying that very same little white dog. How totally cool! I just saw Streisand’s dog in the audience!
Then someone introduced Streisand. “She has spent the last ten years obsessing about getting her home just the way she wanted it,” said the person doing the introduction. “We went to her home recently and were supposed to only interview her for half an hour but we ended up staying for four and a half hours, fascinated with the craftsmanship and attention to detail that she put into her home. And all the care that she has put into her house, she has also put into her book.”
Then Gayle King came out on stage. She’s an editor and collaborator for Oprah Winfrey and was going to conduct the interview. Then Streisand walked out and got a 2,700-person standing ovation.
“Everybody knows that Barbra doesn’t like orange,” said King, “so I changed the color of my toenail polish color just for this event.” And if King is gonna call her Barbra, then so am I. “You seem to be a very private person, so why did you decide to let everyone into your home?”
“When I was directing ‘Prince of Tides,’ the script called for an old southern mansion and I needed to design that house – so I did. I did everything, including the closets. We live in our closets, don’t we? I visualized a two-story closet even, but never got to actually build that house. And then I wanted to do a movie, ‘The Normal Heart,’ and this project fell apart too. So instead of making the movie, I built a house.
“I have kept journals over the years and wanted to write an autobiography but that was hard so I wrote a book about design instead. It was easier.”
One subject that keeps coming up in the book, apparently, is the play between opposing forces. “The tension of opposites intrigues me – such as masculine wood combined with feminine roses. And also the soft complimenting the hard.”
“You had a hard childhood growing up?”
“We never had a couch. For me, couches were special. We sat on the dining room chairs. A1940s reproduction of European furniture. My brother slept on a roll-away cot. Then my mother remarried and we moved to a housing project and we finally got a couch. It was an ugly couch but I loved it.”
“So. What’s the matter with orange?” And Gayle also gently needled Barbra about not liking yellow either.
“I don’t know why I don’t like it.” Barbra doesn’t even have orange fish. They are mostly black and white. “Other people like orange. That’s fine with me. I personally just don’t like orange. It must be psychological, left over from our childhoods. When I was young, I went to a health camp because I was anemic. And we all had to dress the same – except that I had a burgundy sweater that the woman who watched me during the day knit for me. A burgundy sweater. With wooden buttons.”
Barbra really cares about detail. “I feel that the exterior of a house should match its interior.“ Good grief. She even matches the flowers in her garden with her couch.
“There’s a chapter the book called ‘The Elegant Barn’.” Then a photo of the elegant barn flashed onto a big screen on the stage. And the barn really was elegant. It had a waterwheel and everything. No, wait, that was the Mill House that had the waterwheel. There are four or five structures on the property. Streisand’s place is huge. It has a whole bunch of buildings, not just the house.
“I like photography and I also like the process of building. I took most of the photos in the book myself.”
And Barbra herself apparently had collected a lot of the furnishings found inside her home. “What is people’s reaction when you show up when you’re antiquing?”
“I don’t even notice. I’m too tied up in the search.”
Then Gayle changed the subject to Barbra’s recordings and movies. “You don’t like to look at your records or movies after you’ve done them?”
“Because there is so much work going into them. I’m so sick of a record by the time I’m through with it that I never want to hear it again!”
“If you had to pick a favorite song…”
“That’s a terrible question. Don’t ask me that. I don’t want to offend any of my songs!”
Then they got back to talking about the house. “Here’s a photo of the Mill House. The beams inside are 200 years old. It’s both a curse and a blessing to see things the way I do.” Streisand tends to be a perfectionist and to want things to be perfect – which has its good and bad aspects. “I see symmetry and that’s sometimes a curse because you can always see what is wrong. Like in that photo of the mirror – it’s 3/8 of an inch off. There are things that you have to compromise on and accept what the universe is presenting — so you have to accept what is here. But sometimes I don’t like to take no for an answer.” But she is also aware that sometimes you have to.
“One time a stone mason ripped out a little hill and replaced it with concrete blocks. But I had just returned from the north of England where there were no concrete blocks — so I had to say no.”
“She let another contractor go,” said Gayle, “because he made a storm cellar too large because he thought he was bound by the building code.”
“I have two men who work for me and if I need something done, then they do it. They have no patience with waiting. I’ve worked with these men for years. But professionals promise everything and don’t deliver.”
She is also sometimes taken advantage of. “There is that factor; it’s a reality. They will charge me more because I am Barbara Streisand.”
“But you like what you create.”
“When I was growing up, I had a hot water bottle instead of a doll and my caregiver knit her a little pink sweater. But it made me use my imagination. And I don’t regret it. It added to my success.”
And Barbra, who was raised in Brooklyn, has a fondness for the architecture of the northeast. “Architects in the western United States use Douglas fir because they work in the west. I was disappointed with western architects because they don’t know about eastern architecture.” I think she was talking about the use of mortar and bricks.
“Does your home remind you of your childhood house?”
“No. My childhood home was a $40-a-month apartment.”
Barbra also had something to say about the color red. “I do appreciate a good red — I’m not that crazy — but I prefer red in a lipstick.”
While Barbra doesn’t miss or regret anything that she has given away, she hates it when she loses things. “There was this pin that you wanted,” said Gayle, “and you tracked it down and paid four times too much for it — but don’t wear it.”
“It’s the hunt that I like. I never had a father. You can’t get a person back — but you can always get an object back.”
“Do your regret being called a perfectionist?”
“I search for excellence. And I also understand that nothing is perfect.” I thought that the interviewer was being a bit hard on poor Barbra and had a sort of pushy tone of voice, but Barbra didn’t seem to mind and talked openly and candidly about whatever subject the interviewer brought up. Listening to Barbra talking onstage before 2,700 people was less like listening to a performance and more like eavesdropping on two people conversing in private.
“When I worked with one contractor, he had his vision and I had mine. People called me difficult because a contractor said to me, ‘Can’t you just leave the plans with me and leave?’”
She had a draftsman or two on site most of the time. “Who is going to notice if a beam is off? I will. And if it’s off, it’s off. They say that men are commanding but women are demanding. I make no apologies. They say that a man is a perfectionist, while a woman is just a pain in the ass.”
She also thought that a king-sized bed is too big for two people and that a queen-sized bed is too small. “So I built a bed that was in between. And I used king-sized sheets and pulled them tighter with a string.”
“But wouldn’t that be tacky?”
“Hey, sometimes I can be tacky.”
“You? Not you!”
Then Barbra and Gayle talked about cars. “I never drive. My husband drives. I found myself going up a down-ramp on a freeway one day and realized that my mind was too occupied with other things to drive.”
“Does your husband accept that you do everything at the house?”
“But I don’t. He designed his part of the house, and I like that about him. He has a life of his own.”
“Where does your fascination with details come from?”
“Perhaps from my dad. He died when he was 35 and I was 15 months old. But he was a scholar. He taught English at a reform school. His thesis was about Shakespeare and Ibsen. So what is the DNA? I didn’t find that out until I was doing Yentl, when I discovered some of his old books.” And it surprised her that she too loves Shakespeare and Ibsen.
“I don’t like TV. My husband has a TV on his damn wall, but I hide them. And for a while I hid my awards too, thought it was too egotistical.”
And during the time that she worked on her house, for five of those years she was hoarse from shouting above the whine of power equipment. “And the house took so long to do that I just recently had to redo the den — based on a room that I saw 20 years ago. And it was a challenge to do that in just three weeks.”
“Do you have a junk drawer in your house?”
“I have several.”
Then as the interview ended and Barbra left the stage, she laughingly asked Gayle, “Can I take the flowers home?”
Since no one was allowed to take photographs, I didn’t. But almost EVERYONE in the room was snapping away surreptitiously. You could hear the cameras click and whir everywhere. So I figured I’d at least video part of the interview. My bad. So here’s my YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVQdnclhn0E But only the sound part came out. I hope that I don’t get sued.
PS: As you may or may not remember, I had a choice of going to NYC to see Barbra or going on that ill-fated humanitarian aid flotilla to break the illegal siege of Gaza. And, due to financial constraints, I chose going to New York. But boy did I miss a hecka good story in the Mediterranean! The boat I would have sailed on got hijacked! You can’t get a better story than that.
According to an article in Global Research entitled “Terror on Aid Ship: Plan Was to Kill Activists and Deter Future Convoys,” all hell broke loose when the Israeli navy illegally seized the flotilla ships.
“An Arab member of the Israeli parliament who was on board the international flotilla that was attacked on Monday as it tried to take humanitarian aid to Gaza accused Israel yesterday of intending to kill peace activists as a way to deter future convoys. Haneen Zoubi said Israeli naval vessels had surrounded the flotilla’s flagship, the Mavi Marmara, and fired on it a few minutes before commandos abseiled from a helicopter directly above them.”
Global Research’s article also stated that, “Terrified passengers had been forced off the deck when water was sprayed at them. She said she was not aware of any provocation or resistance by the passengers, who were all unarmed. [The Knesset member also] added that within minutes of the raid beginning, three bodies had been brought to the main room on the upper deck in which she and most other passengers were confined. Two had gunshot wounds to the head, in what she suggested had been executions. Two other passengers slowly bled to death in the room after Israeli soldiers ignored messages in Hebrew she had held up at the window calling for medical help to save them. She said she saw seven other passengers seriously wounded.”
One of the dead was a United States citizen.
The article then quotes the Knesset member further: “’Israel had days to plan this military operation,’ she told a press conference in Nazareth. ‘They wanted many deaths to terrorize us and to send a message that no future aid convoys should try to break the siege of Gaza.’”
So. I missed getting terrorized and executed? Wow.
Wonder what happened to the eight ships and the 10,000 tons of humanitarian cargo? It went on to Gaza? Yeah right. I’ll bet you anything that somebody somewhere scored a big bunch of booty on that one!
PPS: Here’s my report on the experiences of my friend Paul Larudee, who was also on board the flotilla:
Update on Paul Larudee: Non-violent pacifist badly beaten by Israeli commandos
http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com
San Francisco Bay Area resident Paul Larudee, who is instrumental in Berkeley’s Free Palestine Movement, was taken and detained when Israeli commando forces boarded ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on Monday. The ships were in international waters. Official Israeli sources are stating that their peaceful boarding parties were met with violent resistance by passengers on the ships they were boarding and that the boarding parties only used force when necessary to protect themselves.
However, I have known Paul for many years and his whole credo is one of non-violent resistance. Working with the NorCal branch of the International Solidarity Movement since approximately 1996, Paul is very much a believer in and practitioner of Gandhi’s principles of non-violence.
Given what I myself know about Paul, it seems rather odd that Paul would have been mercilessly beaten by Israeli forces. Yet I and other members of FPM just received the following e-mail stating that he was badly and, according to another e-mail I just received, “brutally” beaten:
“Hello, my name’s Lindsey, I’m living with Betty Larudee while her husband Paul is overseas with the Gaza flotilla. We just got an email from the Israeli Consulate General Andrew Parker in Jerusalem.
“He said that Paul is alive and seriously beaten. Paul told him to call us so this is the closest contact we’ve had so far. He asked us to spread the word as much as possible. Betty was the one that talked to Parker but now she is upset and doesn’t want to talk to anyone until she gets an email from the consulate tomorrow.
“Paul silently refused to follow Israeli orders so they beat him. Now he’s being held in prison. He’s in the same room with the captain of the boat. They have no windows, no telephone, nothing. He refused treatment by Israeli doctors, and only let the ship doctor give him aspirin.”
Furthermore, I am currently receiving several other reports from various European, Greek and Turkish eyewitnesses that the Israeli boarding forces hit the ground running, armed with stun guns, tear gas, metal batons, rubber bullets, etc., and with clearly violent intent.
PPPS: I just got the following e-mail from Paul, who is currently receiving medical treatment in Greece:
“I and my colleagues are practitioners of nonviolent resistance, in the tradition of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others. I have not struck anyone in decades, and refuse to do so. However, I also refuse to comply with illegal procedures and activities. Unfortunately, this fact was apparently lost on our captors. Their operating principle seems to be that if pain and misery fail to achieve compliance, apply more pain and misery. There’s hardly a joint in my body that was not twisted, or a bare patch of exposed skin that is not now multicolored.”
And, yes, the Israeli hijacking really WAS illegal — under the Geneva Convention (a document that American legislators signed on to originally but now pretty much chose to ignore).
****
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Pardon-Happy Governor Frees Cop-Killing Folk Hero
When the lukewarm trail of a horse thief led the Karnes County sheriff to the Cortez place on June 12, 1901, retired Texas Ranger Brack Morris and two of his deputies dropped by to ask a few questions.
When the lukewarm trail of a horse thief led the Karnes County sheriff to the Cortez place on June 12, 1901, retired Texas Ranger Brack Morris and two of his deputies dropped by to ask a few questions.
Following a familiar pattern, the Cortez clan came over to the Texas side of the Rio Grande in 1887. Romaldo and younger brother Gregorio spent a decade hiring out as temporary hands until they saved enough money from their meager wages to buy a modest spread in Karnes County.
Few words passed between Sheriff Morris and the older Cortez before the lead began flying. As the Mexican fell, two bullets in swift succession struck Morris, who staggered several yards before collapsing. Gregorio pumped a third slug into the defenseless lawman, grabbed his gun and escaped with his wounded brother.
Abandoned by his panic-stricken deputies, who did not lift a finger during the brief battle, Brack Morris slowly bled to death. Meanwhile, Gregorio deposited Romaldo, who was in no shape to travel, with kinsmen in Kenedy and fled on foot.
Scores of riders combed the countryside and soon took Romaldo into custody. Figuring his straight-shooting sibling would make a beeline for the border, all routes west were closely watched.
But the fugitive did the unexpected by heading due north. He ate breakfast the next morning in his victim’s hometown and went on his way unnoticed by grieving residents paying their last respects to the slain sheriff.
At sundown the following day, Gregorio found shelter at Belmont east of Seguin. A posse recklessly rushed the hideout in the early hours of Jun. 15, and when the smoke cleared a second sheriff, Robert Glover of Gonzales County, lay dead.
Gregorio again eluded capture but not before plugging a civilian member of the posse. Ten miles away near the banks of the Guadalupe, he picked up a pistol and a fresh horse from a friend, whose generosity cost him two years in the penitentiary.
Scrapping his plan to seek sanctuary in North Texas, Gregorio lit out for Mexico cleverly weaving a zigzag course. Running two mounts to death, he dodged one posse after another as hundreds of volunteers joined the manhunt and heeded the advice of the San Antonio Express “to fill up every nook and corner and guard every avenue of escape.”
The tenth day of the chase, Gregorio came upon a deserted sheep camp 30 miles from the Rio Grande. He huddled inside a crude hut and calculated the date – June 22, his birthday. What a celebration there would be once he waded the river!
But a fellow Mexican spoiled the party. Spotting the famous fugitive with the thousand-dollar price on his head, he flagged down a passing patrol of Rangers. Moments later, the most wanted man in the Lone Star State surrendered with a struggle.
Gregorio was jailed at San Antonio, as the competing counties argued over which would get first crack at him in court. Only then did the exhausted prisoner learn to his amazement that Mexicans on both sides of the river hailed him as a hero.
The editor of a Spanish-language newspaper in the Alamo City organized a legal defense fund for the destitute defendant and in no time at all was up to his ears in cash contributions. The money came in handy as Gregorio stood trial six times in three years on a long list of charges.
Three convictions were overturned on appeal, and an all-Anglo jury in Corpus Christi ruled the killing of Sheriff Morris a case of self-defense. But Gregorio would not go unpunished. A Columbus trial ended with a guilty verdict in the death of the Gonzales County peace officer and a sentence of life imprisonment.
Gregorio entered the state pen at Huntsville on New Year’s Day 1905. As the years dragged by, loyal supporters lobbied tirelessly for clemency and in 1913 finally found a receptive ear.
Gov. Oscar Colquitt had marked his 51st birthday the previous December by freeing 51 inmates. In spite of the fact that Gregorio stubbornly refused to express the slightest remorse for the murder, he was released after serving only eight and a half years.
Reactions to the pardon split along racial lines especially in The Valley. While most Mexicans applauded Colquitt’s controversial act of clemency, most Anglos agreed with the Beeville paper that blasted him as “a chicken-hearted governor” for turning loose “the state’s most heinous coward and murderer.”
Following a series of public appearances, Gregorio went to Nuevo Laredo and jumped feet-first into the Mexican Revolution. Shot up for his trouble, he retired to the West Texas town of Anson to lick his wounds.
After three short years of freedom, Gregorio Cortez died suddenly at the age of 41. The official cause of death was a heart attack, but his devoted fans suspected foul play. To this day, many believe the cop-killing folk hero was poisoned by South Texans seeking revenge for the murders of their two sheriffs.
Bartee Haile welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions at haile@pdq.net or P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549. And come on by www.twith.com for a visit!
Painting The Carport, Part I
I’ve heard it said that the most stressful times in a person’s life may be moving, having a child, breaking up or divorce, undergoing construction — or experiencing a death. I’ve often joked that at least one of these things may lead to another.
I’ve heard it said that the most stressful times in a person’s life may be moving, having a child, breaking up or divorce, undergoing construction — or experiencing a death. I’ve often joked that at least one of these things may lead to another.
I told Zack the other day that construction of the carport (with me as his up close and personal painting assistant of several days) could have led to a breakup, had it continued much longer. He joked (as usual) that he liked to think of that possibility as “trading me in on a newer model.” I joked back that he was lucky I didn’t prefer to think of it as homicide.
If we had a video of the two most stressful days, he would never have believed it. Who was that impatient, grouchy man? It was like Laurel and Hardy on the way to divorce court. Zack can become so focused on the job at hand that he blocks out everything else. In part, this is a survival tactic during recovery from paralysis. He was having a hard enough time keeping his precarious balance on the scaffolding, holding the sprayer level — at a challengingly high level for his recovering arms. His hands and fingers weren’t working so well either. I was having problems of my own. But he wasn’t aware of or interested in those.
Assisting Zack during his recovery from Guillain-Barre hasn’t been easy — mainly because he’s chosen such difficult challenges all the way through, at whichever level of recovery he’s been. We call our ranch the Rehabilitation Camp. Never one for patience, he’s pushed and pushed, refusing to allow the syndrome (and the recovery) to hold him back more than or longer than absolutely necessary. Zack is a man of purpose. He has things to do. Even when he wasn’t ready to take on a certain project, he assumed that with my help, we would make it happen. And so we did, often with great difficulty (and often distress) — because he wouldn’t give up — or wait until he was better. Zack wasn’t going to sit around and wait. I’ve often insisted that this drive has fueled his recovery.
Zack’s refusal to accept even understandable restrictions required more of me than he had any right to expect. He never seemed to realize this, and I rarely pointed it out. I figured I could at least try to do whatever he asked of me. It never seems to occur to Zack that I’m physically unable or ill equipped to do certain things, lift heavy items, etc. He often doesn’t register that after helping him for hours, I still must find time for my own chores, shopping, cooking, laundry, paperwork, bill paying, maybe even a little writing, catching up on a myriad of things, etc. (Whine, whine). Sometimes I must actually rest, an alien thought to Zack. This seems to perplex him. After all, what have I to be tired about?
“You complain that you don’t have enough time, yet you sit for hours at your computer,” he tells me. He doesn’t realize that sometime sitting’s all I can manage. (So why not in front of the computer? When Zack needs to rest, he watches old movies. We all have our opiate of choice).
Things ARE so much easier now that I’ve gone from caregiver to assistant. I even have a little time to myself, much less than he thinks and worlds less than I need. I have the feeling that to wrangle a full day or two off from THIS demanding boss, I’d need to be so sick in bed that I couldn’t function. And not wanting that, I won’t complain further. I figure if HE can push himself to come back from total paralysis, persevere through the physical disabilities and challenges he still must overcome, then I should be able to follow along. Next week I’ll describe our painting scenario, and you’ll better appreciate the inclusion of the joke with which I’ll close (not that I approve of physical abuse. I am however a fan of self defense).
A man sporting various casts and tubes lies in traction in the hospital, black and blue, covered with bandages. His visiting friend asks how he ended up in this sorry state. “I’m not quite sure,” the man replies — and goes on to describe a livestock show he and his wife attended. “We were viewing an exhibit of bulls, each with a sign showing how many times the animal had serviced a cow in the previous year. “Look, honey, this one says 63,” says the wife. That’s more than once a week. Hmmm.” She gives him a little wink. They move from stall to stall. “Wow, this sign says 150! That’s more than twice a week. You could sure take a lesson from this bull here,” she chuckles and pokes him in the ribs. The next sign reads 365. “Honey, that’s every day!” She gives him a long, meaningful look. “Yes,” the man answered his teasing wife, “but I’ll bet it wasn’t with the same old cow.”
“And that’s the last thing I remember before I woke up here.”
Have a great week everyone!
Gene Ellis, Ed.D is a Bosque County resident who returned to the family farm after years of living in New Orleans, New York, and Florida. She’s an artist who holds a doctoral degree from New York University and is writing a book about the minor catastrophes of life. Check out Genie’s blog at http://rusticramblings.wordpress.com/
Shenanigans In D.C.
On March 20th, about 8,000 people attended a permitted and almost lethargically tame protest in Lafayette Park, which is next to the HUGE White House. Then there was a march around in circles that landed the protest right back in front of the White House. Four people decided to lie down on the sidewalk in protest (four out of 8,000), and four of us decided to cross the police line (a metal barrier on the sidewalk between the street and the high iron-barred, sniper guarded fence that surrounds the HUGE White House), to try and join the measly four that were lying there begging people to join them.
I was one of the ones arrested for crossing the police line. I did not push the barrier down, but when it fell, I crossed — I was immediately body slammed and arrested. That was at approximately 2:44 p.m. An amended police report misleadingly lied and said that I was given three warnings to leave — I was not and subsequent evidence shows that the warnings to disperse over the bullhorn didn’t even begin until after I had been arrested. Once anyone in authority is caught in a lie-from president to the police-everything that is claimed from thereafter is immediately open for suspicion.
So, after our arrests for infractions, we were processed at the Park Police Station in Anacostia, and six of us were transferred to lock-up where we spent the next approximately 45 hours (we already spent about eight hours at Anacostia). Why were six of us held and two released? The police said because the two that were released “lived in D.C.” and us out-of-towners couldn’t leave until we saw a judge.
WE WERE ARRESTED FOR INFRACTIONS! Why isn’t the D.C. lockup constantly filled to bursting with out-of-towners who commit infractions: jaywalking, running a stop sign, speeding, littering, etc? Because as one officer “kindly” pointed out to me a few years back when I was protesting in front of the Lincoln Memorial one night: I am not “normal” because I am a “protester.” It’s a sad commentary that “protesters” are not considered “normal” in a society that was built on the foundation of a Bill of Rights.
We “Peace Criminals” were to be back in D.C. tomorrow, June 10th (two from Pennsylvania; one from D.C.; three from NY State, and me from California), at great inconvenience, and sometimes at great expense, for our trial. When we were arraigned on Monday, March 22nd, the prosecution gave all of my co-defendants the opportunity to “pay and forfeit” with “time served.” Except me-I was forced to return to DC for trial, even though one of the other detainees, Elaine Brower, has far more arrests in D.C. than I do. All of the other defendants rejected that offer in order to stand up for our rights and for what IS right.
ll together with the judge, defendants, prosecutor, and defense lawyer, we picked the date of June 10th. We didn’t just pull that rabbit out of a hat–EVERYONE agreed on that date. We arranged a legal team; and I raised money for my travel expenses and legal fees for the Peace of the Action defendants (three of us). As of Monday of this week, our lawyer had been in touch with the judge and everything was hunky-dory and the trial was on.
I had an early flight out of Sacramento this morning and on my way to the airport at 6 a.m., I got a message from one of our lawyers that the trial was going to be continued because a judge couldn’t be found due to some “judge’s conference.” So, from Monday to Wednesday, a Judge Convention (golf games?) arose which necessitated the postponement of our trial? I would like to believe that’s true, but with all of the other harassment and outright lies put together, I logically doubt the integrity of the court system. Not to mention, the officer at the Park Police station who practically admitted that I was being singled out for harassment when he said, “If you would stop protesting this stuff would stop happening to you.”
Not only all of the above, but I am calling for more protests in D.C. from July 4th to July 17th and I have a “stay away order” from the perimeter of the White House which includes the sidewalk in Lafayette Park that borders Pennsylvania Avenue. The order is in place until our tria —-whenever that is going to be. This stay away order will seriously hamper and limit my right to free speech.
I call “Shenanigans” on the entire episode — the system knows that we are correct about the wars and they know that our civil rights have been violated. The system should be on trial-not we anti-war activists.
A nation built on lies seldom, if ever, wants to hear the truth.
UPDATE: THE “LEGAL” SYSTEM IN DC IS SAYING THAT WE PROBABLY CAN’T RESCHEDULE THE TRIAL (FOR AN INFRACTION) UNTIL AUGUST, SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FINANCIALLY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY. SINCE I HAVE ALREADY LOST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON AIR-FARE AND DAYS OUT OF MY LIFE THAT I WILL NEVER GET BACK, ETC FOR THIS TRIAL, I AM DEMANDING MY SIXTH AMENDMENT RIGHT TO A SPEEDY TRIAL TO BE HELD WHEN I AM IN D.C. FOR SIZZLIN’ SUMMER PROTESTS IN JULY.
THEY WANT TO BREAK ME, BUT I WASN’T BROKEN WHEN THEY KILLED MY SON — WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY CAN DO TO ME NOW?