March 2, 2024

Yes.

" want toI tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beat
Comes out of the Virginia swamps
Cool and slow with plenty of precision
With a back beat narrow and hard to master....."
-- Jim Morrison; The WASP (Texas Radio 7 the Big Beat)


We are having spring-like weather in the northeast. Some birds and flowers that usually aren't seen are popping up. The coyotes aren't howling at night as much as they were last week, but the young males are still out looking for a date. Perfect time to be blasting The Doors.

I'd like to tell you about a town and a school board. First, the town board of Sidney, NY, which became infamous when the supervisor, Bob McCarthy, and two board members attempted to force a tiny Sufi settlement to destroy their 100% legal cemetery. Though the three had run for office as republicans, they were from a regional Tea Party that did not take kind to Muslims in the area.

Those of you who were on this forum back then may remember when my friend Andrew broke the story, and Keith Olbermann named McCarthy the "worst person in the world." (I remember Keith from when he covered sports for an area news station as a university student.) I'll link one of Andrew's stories below:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sidney-ny-stands-up-to-bo_b_1134320

Soon, an number of people, including Sean Lennon and my nephew (Sean's bodyguard) were attending the town board members. Although I live in another county, I started attending these meetings myself, at the request of the town and that county's Democratic Party. Soon that asked me if I would help run their candidates for office.

I knew that in the town's history, there had never been more than one Democrat at a time on the town or village board. More, at this time, the majority of registered voters were republicans, followed by independents, and then Democrats. Safe to say that the odds were against the Democrats at that time. How could I refuse their request for help?

Back then, hard as it is to believe, a lot of people got their "news" from area television stations and newspapers. It seemed doubtful that many republicans read Huffpost or watched Olbermann. Because I had numerous media contacts, I assigned myself to outreach and coordination with area newspapers, radio, and television. I connected reporters with the town's best spokespersons.

Tensions at the board meetings rose, as larger crowds -- inclufing media -- would attend. It reached a point where the vase was being covered by some European media. The regional Tea Party came out with a statement that they had kicked McCarthy and the offending two board members out of their ranks. The people in the community did not like the negative attention.

One of the most important things we did was have our people go door-to-door and campaign for the Democratic candidates. Now, there were a lot of people working on the campaign. I only mention my role because that's what I'm most familiar with. I had the most experience in door-to-door campaigning -- decades of it -- so I led this up.

On election day, we put the first Democratic Party majority on the board. We could not have done so without the votes of republicans, independents, and all two Green Party members of the community. When I first had begun working on this, Democrats were concerned that because McCarthy wasn't up for re-election for a couple more years, he would continue to hold power. Baloney. Replace board embers, and make him miserable. And we did.

I remember many years ago, on this forum, one person telling me that I didn't know what I was talking about when I said school boards are the entry level for local politics. Considering, say, Florida, I'd say one of us was clueless. So when some teachers from my daughters' school asked me to run for the board, I agreed. The night of the candidates' debates, the gentleman I was running to replace was walking down the hall. I heard him tell a friend he had spent the day in Albany to "oppose the gay agenda in public schools." Now, I love debate, and think I'd have beat him anyhow. But his saying that gave me a paddle to spank him with, both in the debate and election.

The school had recently hired a new superintendent. It soon became apparent to me that he lacked the ability to tell the truth twice in any month. Yet he wasn't a dumb man at all. Stupid, because he began taking a teacher and the board president -- on different nights -- for rides on the baloney pony. Within a few months, his wife left him, taking their daughters. He viewed himself as the victim, and at the time I was the only BOE member seeing him for who he was.

More, I was the only BOE member with a retired BCI Senior Investigator uncle and a retired FBI Agent cousin in private business. There had not been a proper background check on the guy, as those responsible had taken him at his word. He had a strong personality, and liked to note he had two PhDs. But the free background check my relatives provided presented a very different picture. He had been fired from his last two jobs, including from the State University. They had learned his second "PhD" had been purchased for a small sum from a "university" in the Carribean. He had also lost his driver's license, though he drove all around.

The faculty and support staff (non-baloney pony riders) soon were complaining about his constant lying and threatening their jobs. BOE members were slower to catch on. The one I got along with best told me numerous times that he didn't dare confront him on lies "because he's so smart." I said it doesn't matter how smart a person is when they lie and deny the truth. The BOE president learned he was mating a faculty member, and resigned. I can only speculate if the non-official information I provided her aunt had helped.

One night, after a tense meeting, the teachers' union president yelled at me on the school lawn. He was saying the BOE 'had pounded the last nail in the union's coffin." I told him to quit behaving like a spoiled brat, to act like a man and a union leader. He stopped yelling at me, and he and a group of teachers talked to me off the cuff.

I had already protected five people's jobs -- one teacher, and four support staff. The superintendent had threatened the union president with arrest over some nonsense that could not result in the police or prosecutor of taking seriously. I had experience as the VP of the county workers' union, and knew how close to impossible it was to fire a union leader.

Both of my daughters did well at the school. One was class valedictorian, and the other earned her two year college degree a month before graduating high school. So these were good teachers, who I respected. I had been friends with many of them for years. But the pressure from a guy I now saw as a sociopath intimidated them. Job satisfaction had dropped, and one of the very best teachers took another job. There was at that time only one employee, an art teacher, who dared stand up to him.

Through my daughters, she expressed an interest in learning about both union and grass roots activism from me. In time, the union started functioning properly. They supported the campaigns for two potential board members I had talked into running. This included in the media, and door-to-door. Both one. The guy who beat the fellow who didn't dare confront the superintendent because he was "so smart" one by a single vote. He called for two re-counts, and lost both by one vote.

Within a year's time, by our calling the superintendent out on every lie, and on bullying employees and stidents, the older board members began to turn against him. This led to one funny thing -- the guy had told me he heard I had been a good boxer, and asked me about my various experiences. Then, a board member who attended a state convention overheard him telling others that about "his" boxing experiences. That board member had known me since I was a fighter, and recognized his bold-faced lies. (I can say with zero risk of error that he had ever boxed. I didn't need my uncle or cousin to research that!)

Shortly thereafter, the superintendent was let go. He got a job at a school across the state line, and was largely forgotten inside our school. Because I felt that my work was done, I told the BOE that I was filing for a divorce, and handed my resognation in. They've asked me a few times to consider returning. But my efforts these days is more focused on assisting in other campaigns for Democrats running for political office. However, when the old superintendent got fired from his new job, I did e-mail newspaper articles to a few board members and teachers.

I've told these two stories for a reason. It's not to brag about what I did in either situation. I am just an ordinary guy that local people seem to consider an odd or curious character. But that is because it is human nature -- especially in the context of today's culture -- for most people to become convinced that things are getting worse, and there is nothing they can do about it. So I'm here to tell you that you've been lied to.

It's as much a lie as anything that superintendent ever spread. It's as much of a lie as anything that the defendant currently running for president has told. The truth is that this election season -- at all levels -- will be decided by how hard you and I work for the Democratic Party. Believe it. And believe in yourself.

February 28, 2024

Milking Blood

“Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action. As long as you gotta sit-down philosophy, you’ll have a sit-down thought pattern, and as long as you think that old sit-down thought you’ll be in some kind of sit-down action.” -- Malcoolm X


I have six LPs of Malcolm X 's speeches, that came out in Detroit. But I do not have a turntable now. Some of the speeches are covered in books, or on old films on youtube. Others are not, including one that went into detail about how what one processes information influences one's behaviors. So I'm going from memory, many years later, and late on a windy night.

Malcolm noted that if someone is attempting to steal something of value from you, by human nature you will fight. He used the example of if someone came up with a pair of pliers, trying to yank your teeth out, you would fight. It is only when a dentist injects novocaine that you will sit quietly while he pulls out your teeth.

He said that too many people were unaware that a non-dentist was pulling their teeth out. As Malcolm could do so well to illustrate a point, he said they were sitting around smiling, while blood was dripping down their chins. Since we can be confident that Mr. X was not suggesting that those seeking to steal their rights from them had literally been dosed with novocaine, I'll suggest that he was speaking of social novocaine.

In the context of today, I will suggest that there are not only types of social nonocaine that numb feelings, but others that inject fear and anger, as well as others that vause hopelessness and helplessness. Let's consider each of these types.

The legal drug alcohol can be used responsibly, but it is often abused. One reason people abuse alcohol is to numb themselves to avoid the often unpleasant aspects of life. It is likely that we all know someone who does this, and possible that we have done so at some stage of our life.

We also have seen a rise in the abuse of meth. This creates changes in philosophy, thought patterns, attitudes, and behaviors in individuals. Even in my tiny home town, which I drive through every so often, each night a group of homeless people hooked on meth come out. They search the dumpsters behind businesses, and some break into houses to steal. I am not unsympathetic to the situations they are in. I talk with some of them. They have no teeth to steal.

There is also a significant amount of "pain-killers" being abused in American society. These include oxycodone, oxycontin, fentanyl, and heroin. Neal Young's song "The Needle and the Damage Done" sounds differently to me today, than when he first released it. I was tempted to tell of some examples involving family members and friends when I started this paragraph, but they are too raw.

Those that sell alcohol, meth, or various pain-killers do so for profits. Purdue and the Sackler family were not concerned with how people were harmed. Those bringing in fentanyl and heroin are not doing so to enrich America, only to enrich themselves while damaging citizens of our country. For this is their nature, and the essence of their making money off of peddling social novocaine.

This brings us to the production and distribution of the social novocaine that social scientists refer to as "the media." Lengthy exposure to Fox News and the like has created changes in the philosophy, thought patterns, attitudes, and behaviors of iys audience. It does not kill their pain, of course. It injects fears, which festers into hate, and is the sibling of the defendant's calls for his followers to be violent. Indeed, the defendant is not the only one seeking to collect money by peddling social novocaine.

We need to pay attention to the fact that other media sources target Democrats and other human beings. They intend to keep you glued to your television, computer, and/or cell phone for as many hours per day as possible. It might be something as exciting as "Breaking News" that reports that President Biden is old, or any of an array of things of similar value. One of the most poison is the "new" poll that suggests the defendant is likely to be elected for a second term in November. This to to put the shadow of hopeless and helpless in your mind, to create a sit-down inaction on your part.

Healthy people consume some media, exactly as responsible drinkers consume safe amounts of alcohol. They stay informed, but know that overdosing on the media's social novocaine is self-defeating. That it leads to thinking the sky is falling because the media isn't "fair," or some poll scares them. Instead, they do things like going for a walk to clear their minds. Maybe a walk in nature. Or a walk to the nearest Democratic Party headquarters.

February 22, 2024

Help Wanted

About those "frozen embryos" ...... I thawed of sending this as a private message, because it's not for public conception. It's important that no republicans learn of this, because it's a secret. Starting today, the Deep State has employment openings for those who can go undercover to register frozen embryos to vote in states with republican majorities.

As we know, Tim and Lydia Ridgeway set the Frozen Embryo Olympic record. See below:
https://abc7ny.com/longest-frozen-embryos-twins-born-lydia-and-timothy-ridgeway-30-years-ago/12479248/

We will focus on registering those frozen embryos that will be 18 by election day, and signing them up for mail-in ballots. Note: Because Phase Two of the Secret Operation is undercover, when you apply at the Deep State, ask about free trips to Central and South America, to smuggle frozen embryos in time to register them.

February 20, 2024

Fixing a Hole

" The moment that I express what I experience exclusively in thought and words, the experience has gone: it has dried up, is dead, a mere thought. Hence being is indescribable in words and is communicable only by sharing my experience. In the structure of having, the dead word rules; in the structure of being, the alive and inexpressible experience rules."
-- Erich Fromm; To Have or To Be; 1976


Last week, I had the pleasure of watching Fani Willis on the witness stand. I was happy to share that experience along with a lot of people, on the telephone, and in various regions of the internet. That included communicating with the Good People here, on an OP/thread. Even the next day, I had conversations with people of my generation, about how we had just witnessed history.

I was not surprised, however, to see that our opposition viewed it much differently. Their interpretation of D.A. Willis's testimony was very different than my own, or all but one of the people I communicated with that day. They seem incapable, for example, of even recognizing what an honorable her father was when he testified the following day.

This led me to go back to a letter from my late friend Rubin, that hw wrote on Tuesday, June 26, 1979 at 9:45 a.m. This was during a long period of self-isolation that his supporters called his "Buddha phase," when other than lawyers, I was one of two people he communicated with.

"In fact, most people do not what the word 'being' means -- or even what the word 'understand' means, for that matter -- and yet both are essential for the acquisition of knowledge. Although, of course, this point of view is completely contrary to what you have been taught in school and, in fact, contrary to all Western thought! For here in the West, here in this den of thieves and charlatans, it is usually supposed that a man is capable of attaining great knowledge, provided that he possesses sufficienr intelligence, and, of course, this is the viewpoint that we inherited from the ancient Greek. ...."

This reminded me of Thomas Merton's introduction to his 1964 classic, "Gandhi on Non-Violence." He starts by paraphrasing Lauren Van Der Post's description of Western man being a one-eyed giant when invading Africa, America, and Asia. "The one-eyed giant had science without wisdom, and he broke in upon ancient civilizations which had wisdom without science; wisdom that transcends and unites, wisdom that dwells in body and soul together and ... opens the door to a life in which the individual is not lost in the cosmos and in society but found in them."

Merton was concerned, as my generation will recall, that human beings were going to poison life on Earth -- if not blow it up with WMDs -- without understanding what "being" means. By no coincidence, this is much the same message that my late uncle, Tadodaho Chief Leon Shenandoah, speaks of in Steve Wall's book, "To Become a Human Being."

This requires balance in a world that is currently out of balance. That balance requires an understanding of human nature, as we are the last in our particular line of primates. Our large brains are complex, and the growth of the frontal lobes has increased our ability -- when used properly -- to understand what it means to be a human being, experiencing the mracle of life on this living planet, at this time in the eternal Now. And to think ahead.

Obviously, not everyone around you or I gets that. For there are those that, in his day, Dr. King called "our sick brothers and sisters," that have thinking that rarely inhabits the front of their brain. Rather, they are driven by four chemicals that come from a lower level of the brain --dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. Some are easily identified by their addictions to meth, heroin, or other "pain killers." Others get a similar kick from those activities that we associate with the maga crowd. Both of these pose serious threats to the health and stability of our country.

The maga crowd is presently incapable of processing information on specific topics. They might be good at their jobs, and other routine activities. But they do not inhabit the level of consciousness that would allow them to understand that they are being played. On social and political issues, they are like little children who are convinced they are capable of understanding things, if someone explains them. That's why we don't let little children drive. It's why we cannot allow the maga crowd to drive our country.

We have to recognize that besides the half-wits of maga proper, there are others that add force to the negative momentum that is today's republican party. There are business people who are calling President Biden a "socialist," acording to a news clip I recently saw. There are wealthy people who don't like the defendant, but like his tax cuts. And there are numerous officials in all three branches of the federal and state's governments, that Rubin described in that letter:

" Because here, in this Western world, and particularly in America, it has always been accepted that a man may possess immense knowledge but without ever having seriously considered his level of being. In America it is acceptable that a man may be a Supreme Court Justice, or Doctor, a National and International Politician, or an abled Scientist -- and at the same time it is considered legitimate and even fashionable, in this country, that this Supreme Court Justice, or Doctor, or Politician, or Scientist has the right to be a racist, or a petty, egoistic, caviling, mean, envious, vain, and malicious snake! The people of America have placed great value on the level of a man's knowledge, but have no shame on their own level of being."

I'll admit that a lot has changed in America in the 45 years since Rubin wrote that letter to me. But while there have been some improvements, a whole heck of a lot has become worse. We need Good People to step up now -- especially in the months until November -- to continue the effort of President Biden to bring stability and the rule of law back to firm ground.

February 15, 2024

Fani Willis

A couple of things: first, watch her on the witness stand. She is telling the Truth. Second, don't take the media's word on this. They aren't in the business of selling the Truth. As Malcolm X often said, if you believe the media, you'll be carrying an umbrella on a sunny day, and getting soaked when it rains. (Malcolm told the Truth.)

Think for yourself.

February 9, 2024

Our Father

"Quit your god-damned belly aching!" -- Dad


My brother and I have fond memories of out late father saying this frequently in the years of our childhood. It was usually followed by an exact version of the combination that Bob Fitzsimmon's used to knock out heavyweight champion Jim Corbett on St. Patrick's Day in 1897. And it never failed to deliver both a head- and belly ache.

I do not know how the US Supreme Court will rule on this one. Neither do you. If I were a betting man, I'd wager in the defendant's favor. Not only because of the corrupt scum and right-wing christians on the court, but because the issue at hand is in a gray area. Timing is everything, and it would thus have been different if decided after Jack Smith convicts the defendant for January 6. While a good argument can be made for state's rights in keeping the human shit-stain off of the ballot, his not being convicted yet will likely translate to the defendant being on the ballot.

Even if he had already been convicted -- by either the Senate or in federal court -- there are enough issues involving the lone federal election, that it was unlikely individual states could take the defendant off the ballot. While I would prefer he be flushed to the septic tank of history, I recognize the republican party would -- at very least -- attempt to abuse the precedent.

Let me assure you I'm not crying about that, and not because Dad would give me something to cry about if I didn't stop crying. No gnashing of teeth here, nor anticipation of the smashing of them, either. I don't even have to remind myself to have some self-respect, because in the context of the real struggle, the attempts to keep him off the ballot have already served a delighful purpose.

Being of zero skills with technology, I go immediately to my abacus. I count how many times the defendant has fared well in the courts since 2020. It's not a record that earns the defendant a title shot, despite my desire to see him fight Mike Tyson. Mike would give him something to whine about.

The important case right now has to do with the defendant whimpering that he has absolute immunity. According to my figuring on the abacus, I can say without any chance of being wrong that this is at least a thousand times more important than the ballot case. And that there is less than one in a billion chance the USSC will agree with him.

Now, my friends liked talking with my father about politics, because he never punched them. But when one complained about the media, my father asked, "What are you? Empty-headed or dense? Because the purpose of the media is to confiscate your common sense, and hypnotize you with commercials. Try thinking for yourself for once in your life. It's better than being such a cry baby. You ever see a team named the 'cry babies' win in sports?"

I surely miss my father, though not his Joe Louis-like combinations. I am glad that he isn't around to see the republican mess in DC. It bothered him enough to see Newt Gingrich elected to the House. I remember him snarling, "St. Patrick drove the god damned snakes off our island, and it's up to your generation to keep them from holding office in this country. Now get off your dead ass and campaign for Democrats."

February 6, 2024

On Being Human

In times of humanitarian crises, good people who are not affected want to lend support. This has included the two best known types of humanitarian crises; natural disasters, and the man-made disasters commonly known as war. There is a third type, lesser known but surprising common, known as "complex emergencies." This is when there is significant or total breahdowns of the institutions in a society.

Why am I writing about this tonight, no one may ask? For while there are a few man-made disasters (aka wars ) going on. They are half-way around the earth. No Americans are "officially" participating in them. There's no realistic threat that they will spread, is there? So why am I even thinking about this stuff? And what does it have to do with Taylor Swift?

This weekend, I saw where a person on an internet forum said, among other things, that Taylor Swift was a demon, coordinating with the Democratic Party to send people to hell. At my cousin's request, I added my thoughts. My first contribution was one of my favorite Mark Twain quotes: "Heaven for the climate, hell for the company."

The person took great offense to this, and to me as a person. Besides assuring me that I will burn in an eternal hell for worshipping Ms. Swift, he attributed a large quantity of beliefs and behaviors to me. I noted that this was interesting, because the only thing he could actually know about me is that I know at least one Mark Twain quote. I said that I know very little about Ms. Swift, and that it was him that appeared obsessed with her.

He angrily denied that he had any obsession with her. I said that the fact he had posted 18 pictures of her and links to three of her music videos suggested that he might not be consciously aware of this obsession. I suggested he might benefit from reading Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark." This was met by him attacking science, and expressing his faith in the defendant to deliver believers to their promised land.

I can no more talk for Ms. Swift than I can sing for her. But I consider both her contributions to charity and her encouraging citizens to register to vote are good things. Likewise, I consider those who hate her are other than good. And thus we find an illustration of a complex emergency that the United States is confronting.

The Robert Strauss Center has a chart to help identify various types of complex emergencies that can be helpful for the international response to humanitarian crises. It includes factors such as political, environmental, economic, and demographic instability, in terms of being acute, chronic, urban, and protracted. Thus, for example, if there are people moving north from Central America due to the combination of violence and prolonged drought, the country they seek to enter will have a crises. When these migrants have cultures different from the larger population, it increases the stress incurred.

Likewise, if a country seeks to expand its territory by way of a military intervention in a neighboring people's land, there will be a humanitarian crisis. This includes, but is not limited to, the Russian war of aggression in the Ukraine.

When a country -- let's say the United States -- experiences a number of the factors of complex emergencies, a couple things will happen. There will be increasing divides on how the country will respond to external humanitarian crises, and there will be an increase of hostility not only for "others," but even for a young lady like Taylor Swift for encouraging others to register to vote -- as if that is "un-American."

February 2, 2024

Regarding Pornographic republicans

"To understand how any society functions, you must understand the relationship between the men and the women." -- Angela Davis


(Note: It has been more than 35 years since I had the pleasure of spending an evening with Ms. Davis. But the impression she made is still strong, and I'm glad my daughters and sons study her teachings.)

I had a meeting with two old friends today, to begin organizing for November. One is a talented artist, who has assisted me on various social-political issues for over 40 years. I brought him a John Lennon drawing, circa 1966, of a guy with a dead fish for hair. He drew the defendant with dead fish hair, captioned "A Fish Rots From the Head Down." A friend who did artwork for the NY Times' op-ed page may make T-shirts and sweatshirts, and I will surely share the picture on internet sites I can post pictures on.

Then I had a phone call from a lady asking for my help with a near-by count's Democratic Party. Of course, I'm honored she asked, and happy to assist in any way. After that, I sat down to watch the news, and to think. I found myself concentrating on three names: Taylor Swift, E. Jean Carroll, and Judge Tanya Chutkan.

The maga-ites seem mighty upset about Ms. Swift. The defendany has attacked Ms. Carroll. And I can say without hesitation -- with zero chance of being wrong -- we shall soon hear insults coming from the defendant's mouth about Judge Chutkan, as he will fear and hate her more than he has feared and hated any human bein.

It is important to remember that the defendant has only "won" one election,though he lost the popular vote then. Since then, in 2018, 2020, and 2022, he has been a ball & chain on the republican party nationally. What can we learn from this?

In 2016, two groups under-voted, and one had a higher than usual vote for republicans. This struck me as curious, because among other things, the defendant's essence was exposed on the Access Holywood tape. Still, young voters did not turn out in the number that they have since. White women from the suburbs voted republican in significant numbers. And many black women -- the backbone and soul of the Democratic Party -- under-voted in large numbers.

I understand that many blame Sanders, Stein, and Comey for the 2016 defeat. But I think that the elections since then document that if we get everyone to vote, it doesn't matter what the defendant and maga-ites bring to the table, We win. What is not to admire about a young musician who gives to charities and encourages her fans to register and vote? Why do internet trolls spout shit like Ms. Carroll appears to be drugged? And how the hell will they respond to an educated black female federal judge that won't allow the defednant and his legal team to pull shit?

One last thing, for as a cranky old man, I have the right to rant. The defendant has two compulsions I find repulsive. One is his "she isn't my type" balony. Thus I appreciate the tape where the defendant mistakes Ms. Carroll for one of his ex-wives. The second one is his calling his opponents "nasty women." Like, why? I appreciate all of the nasty women I've known in life. Some of the greatest experiences of my life. For I agree with the philosopher Woody Allen that sex properly done is nasty. I think that the defendant is angry that his money couldn't but such pleasures.