July 1, 2024

Attack of the Killer Trees

Many of us remember when an evil ass-clown known from television first burst upon the national political scene. It was when a B-grade actor named Ronald Reagan was featured on a pre-recorded program on October 27, 1964 for the Barry Goldwater campaign. The program used FDR's phrase "Rendezvous with Destiny" (from a June 27, 1936 speech) as its title. The Gipper's speech is known as "A Time for Choosing."

I should mention that President Johnson beat Goldwater rather handily, with the delegate vote at 486 to 52. That was 44 states plus DC, to 6. However, it brought Reagan to national attention in the world of politics, if only because the television generation knew him as a "white hat" in cowboy flicks, a war hero in Hollywood movies, and a commercial spokesperson. It was his lack of acting range -- rather than bone spurs -- that limited his career in movies.

In 1966, Reagan was elected as governor of California. In 1968, he hoped the republican party would find him the most attractive candidate, as documented in "An American Melodrama" (Viking Press; 1969) by British authors. In 1976, he tried to win the republican nomination, and replace Ford. By then, I was convinved this ass-clown could never become president. I thought the republicans had learned with Goldwater that the right-wing of their party couldn't win a national election.

Then it became 1980. Yikes!

As a television person, he had enough ability to act like he was a politician, rather than a tool. He could perform in front of a camera, smoothly contradicting any past position, telling any lie. He was a cowboy in film and imagination, capable of claiming that trees cause more air pollution that automobiles in 1981.

How about an example, you may asking. At one point in his career, he called the Ku Klan Klan ""capably organized systematic campaign of fascist violence and intimidation and horror" on the radio program "Operation Terror." He also claimed that Medicare represented "the end of individual freedom in the United States." In his speech for Goldwater he said that the Founding Fathers "knew that governments don't control things. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose."

He was a terrible president. A cruel man with no respect for the Constitution. (See: Iran-Contra scandal) He never should have been governor or president. But somehow, someway, we are confronted with an even worse human specimen, the felon. And his cult is more rabid than the jackasses that followed Reagan.

In 1969, John Lennon was asked to write a campaign song for Timothy Leary, who was planning on running against Reagan for governor. This was after John & Yoko's "bed-in" for peace in Canada. While Leary was among the odd characters of the era, with zero chance of winning an election, John's song would be released with no association to him. It was on the double A 45 with Heorge's "Something," and the opening track of the LP "Abbey Riad."

In 2024, it is a great song that has a message that all Democrats should take to heart.

June 29, 2024

Not About the Debate

"But plow up a new field there, and you will find the omnipresent arrow-points strewn over it. .... Myriads of arrow-points lie sleeping in the skin of the revolving earth."
-- Henry David Thoreau; Journal, March 28, 1858.


It is interesting how archaeology has interested some notable characters in American history. Thomas Jefferson conducted the first "scientific" study recorded in the US. This involved excavating a burial mound, something that is both illegal and frowned upon today. But he was a product of the then-current society, and despite his flaws, he is one of the most important and interesting people in our nation's history.

President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn collected projectile points on their farm. By the time they did, thanks in part to Jefferson's grasp of stratificarion, a heck of a lot more was known about such artifacts. I would have loved to walk the fields with the Carters, two of the most good and decent people to have every inhabited the White House. I would have enjoyed talking with them the most.

Thoreau, however, would have been the most interesting to me. 990 of his projectile points are still, so far as I know, kept in the Peabody Museum at Harvard. I suspect that is only part of his collection though -- a late friend who started collecting in the 1930s told me that he generally found between 75 and 100 perfect points each day. His collection numbered over 12,000 the last time I saw him

Of these people, it seems that finding artifacts made the greatest impression on Thoreau. I can relate to that. In the mid-1960s, I watched every National Geographic special on Louis and Mary Leakey's discoveries at Olduvai Gorge. At the time, their discoveries changed the understanding of pre-human evolution. This was, of course, tied to the use of stone tools. Those tools were crude compared to what our ancestors made and used, but allowed for changes in diet. Added to the use of the hand, brains began to grow.

To the right of me, as I write this, is a late friend's collection of Olduvai Gorge artifacts he found while working with the Leakeys. He also was the NYS Museum's Iroquois board. When I found a paleo site -- I'd say at 1:15 pm/est on May 19, 1993 --the state called a fluted point "the most spectacular find in upstate New York." The quarry where the flint came from is more than 150 miles away, at a time when seasonal migrations up and down the rivers was the way of life.

A local professor that I'm friend with and I were going to do a limited excavation there. I sat in his office while he spoke with a friend from National Geographic who was very interested. But with the death of a friend who had given me permission for us to ended the plan, and I didn't know if such an opportunity would pass my way again. The next family member to own the land wasn't open to people being there, much less an archaeological excavation.

It has since changed hands again, to another family member. I've run into him a few times at the grocery store. We mainly talk about our grandsons. He had seen pictures of mine, not quite two yet, out in the fields this spring. He said that my son and I could bring my grandson and do an excavation. So today I gathered everything the three of us will need to get started.

I haven't led any excavations since the 1980s. One was a rockshelter cave, not that large, that I did a report on for the State Archaeology Association. It took me eight years to do a slow, well-documented excavation. I found three levels: the top one was from around 800 ad, the second around 100 ad, and the lowest was about 2200 bc. Another was at a mountain top "flint factory," that the state archaeologist visited.

But I have taught my son the proper way to conduct, record, and report on a site. My collection will be his collection soon enough. In time, it will be his son's. So my son will do all the work that requires strength, I'll do the sifting, and my grandson will be busy playing in the field of his ancestors' ancestors.

June 28, 2024

Random Thoughts on the Debate

I did not get anywhere near enough sleep last night, and am starting this before having so much as a sip of coffee yet this morning. However, a large pot is brewing, and so if you read to the end, it's possible that I will start to make sense. And I'll make a mighty effort not to offend anyone. I promise.

There are two views of the debate that I'm not comfortable with. I've heard them on the numerous phone calls and "face-times," and read them on a few internet sites, including DU. All of the phone calls and "face-time" conversations were with relatives and good friends. Most of the internet stuff I read on another site came from people I've known as Good People who have been Democrats for decades. And here on DU, I've read these things from people I like and respect ...... but disagree with.

The first view I disagree with is that President Biden did great last nigh, and that there is no problem as a result.. The second is that he appeared old and confused, and that the sky is falling. Both extremes are incorrect. Now that I have resolved that, let's look at other random thoughts I have.

Expectations are important. The felon is a known quantity. It was anticipated that he would be rude, lie, and project his sins on others. No one sat in shock while watching him, saying, "This is a side of him I've never seen before." No Democrats or republicans changed their opinion of him last night. None. Zero. But this election will be won in the margins, including the results in several key states. That means it comes down to undecided voters, those who have not made firm decisions (including those not paying close attention yet), and each side's ability to get out the vote.

Optics count. In the 1960 election, those who watched the debate on television thought Kennedy won. Those listening on radio thought Nixon won. If one were to read a transcript of last night's debate, I think Biden wins. But the optics were not good. A friend here noted last night that most people were not watching the debate. Yet those same people likely will watch the news, or view clips of the debate on the internet. Let's not bury our heads in the sand, no matter how comfortable that may seem.

So, are we in a tough fight that just got tougher? Hell yes. Did anyone who recognized that the felon and his cult present a dire threat to our country think this would be easy? Did anyone tell us that? What the fuck! One of my relatives called me and said the "we have to replace Biden" bit. I was as polite as possible in stressing that it is never good to try to make important decisions when emotions override rational thinking. I'm not sure he understood what I was saying about him, and he might not until the weekend. (Also, who the fuck is this "we"? Seriously.)

A number of early polls indicated that about 80% of the public did not want to see a rematch between Biden and the felon. Before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, that doesn't translate to 4 out of 5 disliking both of them. It includes the 100% of Democrats who never wanted to see the felon's face -- or hear his nasty voice -- again. Still, there are good Democratts who had concerns about Biden's age being an issue. A respected DU member who I try my darnedest to never agree with warned about this. Because I understood what he was saying, I considered returning to the catholic church to attend confession. But since I couldn't afford that, I instead searched for leeches to drain a pint of blood. However, I was frustrated in my search, because all the leeches in this area have the felon's yard signs on display.

I was surprised by the number of relatives and friends who turned off the debate after about 15 minutes. I suspect that only Democrats did so, and that leaves an incomplete impression of what took place. Not a totally false impression, mind you, but they missed the numerous times when President Biden nailed the scumbag with solid shots. The felon came across poorly by the end of the debate. I will say that, if Joe didn't have a cold, he would have exploited a number of openings, gotten under the felon's hide, and caused him to react more than respond.

The news cycle might change if the USSC delivers its ruling on immunity this afternoon. More, there are a lot of good Democrats in office that can speak out. Of former officials, Barack Obama is the obvious choice. There is no human being that the felon hates worse than the former president, nor anyone with any where near Obama's outstanding skills at communicating.

Finally, yes -- we are in a fucking tough fight. It shouldn't be, as no one should consider the felon as worthy of holding office. Any office. But we are in a fight. And that's fine with me, because I know it is more rewarding to win a tough fight than an easy one. And that's the truth. So don't let your enemy lie to you, and convince you that there's nothing you can do, that you do not matter. The exact opposite is true. It is the grass roots that will decide the outcome in November.

June 26, 2024

Hurricane

"To live in a world where truth matters and justice - however late - really happens, that world would be heaven enough for us all." -- Rubin "Hurricane" Carter


The first fight I watched on television with my father and brothers was when Rubin knocked out welterweight champion Emile Griffith in the first round on December 20, 1963. I have my old scrapbook of articles on his boxing career from back then. A few years later, a newspaper report said he had been convicted of a triple murder.

At age 13, the second biggest boxing magazine featured an article -- complete with 13 pictures -- about my boxing. About the same time, a NYC news station did a story that raised doubt about the Hurricane's legal case. So I wrote to him at a New Jersey prison, saying I had decided to get him released from prison. I also noted that upon release, I'd be willing to let him manage my ring career.

How could he refuse such a generous offer? A few weeks later, I got the first of many letters from Rubin. This was before the movement to release him, led by Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan. So materials about his case were scarce. Thank goodness for public libraries.

In time, I had my tenth grade class communicating with Rubin through letters and cassette tapes. We started making plans for the teacher and a few of us students to visit him. But two things prevented that: the teacher was fired for letting the class communicate with a convicted triple murderer, and the new support from Ali was frowned upon by the prison administration.

In letters, Rubin told me that the prison was becoming tense. He had been in a prison riot before -- and was credited with saving the lives of a couple guards. So, with all the insight of a young teenaged boy, I urged him to take control and prevent violence. Rubin told my brother that this prompted him to come out of self-imposed isolation, and run for the presidency of the inmate council.

He won. And soon lawyers, college faculty, politicians, and some media were going to the prison to meet with Rubin. I have a stack of the communications between them and Rubin. I remember when, after talking to the leaders of prison gangs, he convinced them to assist him in getting inmates to hand in weapons.

In response, the administration followed Princeton University's Gresham Sykes' 1958 study of New Jersey's prisons. In it, Sykes recommended that inmates considered "leaders" be move to the Vroom Psychiatric Building for the "criminally insane." He actually wrote that this was similar to when "troublesome slaves" were sent to the deep south. Hence, Rubin was moved to Vroom, where he was held until a federal judge released him. Rubin was awarded $2500 in compensation for this, money that went to hiring a detective to investigate the murders he had been falsely convicted of.

Eventually, Rubin told me to quit boxing and go to college. This was at the time when Rubin was in what we called his "Buddha phase." Other than his lawyer, I was one of two people he communicated with. I joined the progressive frat in college, and we were planning to play the republican frat in a fundraising basketball game. The winning team would pick a charity for the money to go to. We picked Rubin's legal defense.

The morning of the game, I went to my sociology class. The teacher started class by saying, "We have a celebrity in class today." He explained that the FBI had visited the deans, and told them to shut the game down. The doors to the gym were locked that evening, so I had to climb through a window to get in and open it up. We won, of course, and sent the money to Rubin's lawyer.

From isolation, I got a series of amazing letters from Rubin. He was convinced he would die in prison. Some of those lettrs were 40+ pages. This was before te Canadians became involved with Rubin. I would continue my small investigation. I'd hear from the DA who convicted Rubin, the judge that oversaw the second trial, the FBI, and I'd talk to the second cop who arrived at the murder scene, as well as a guy who had been in the bar before the murders.

Once the case was brought to federal court, his conviction was overturned. We got together a few times. I went to Canada, and he came here. I liked that he would introduce me to university audiences, saying I saved his life when he was at his lowest point. Usually, we talked on the telephone about such things as flower gardening or when he was meeting with Nelson Mandela.

I worked with Rubin on contributing a chapter to a college professor's book on the power of forgiveness. We talked late at night when he was writing his second autobiography. He had me write the press review of the book, and I was planning on going on the book tour with him until his being in an auto wreck ended that. I was able to introduce Rubin to most of my co-workers from the mental health clinic, and to my nephews and their friends. And the best thing was my children's relationship with their "Uncle Rubin."

I've said all of the above, to say this: as an old man, I have great respect for the American justice system. I am very aware of its many imperfections. Still, in the years between 2017 to 2021, when that system was under attack by the felon and his cult, I told my sister Malaise that the institution would hold. And it did, though perhaps imperfectly.

But if the felon somehow wins in November, the institutions of our justice system willbe utterly destroyed, from local courts to the USSC. That thought should motivate each one of us every day between now and election day to work very hard to re-elect President biden, and every Democrat running in our state and local contests.

Thank you to anyone who may have read this far.
H2O Man

June 21, 2024

The Train Station

Is human history a series of repeating cycles? Perhaps those who say it rhymes are correct? Or might history have the rhythm of a song?

There was a brief thunderstorm today, which served to both water my garden and to break what many consider a brutal series of hot humid days here in the northeast. More, as every old farmer knew, an afternoon shower brings forth the most amazing firefly (lightening bug) show when the sun goes down.

I conducted my daughter's wedding Saturday. The ceremony was held at a specific place, where Onondags Chief Paul Waterman's ancestors and ancestors' ancestors held meetings. Payl was my children's "third" grandfather. I opened with the prayer that he had taught me should be said at the beginning of every important meeting. It speaks to the cycles of human life, as participants in the Natural World.

The reception was at my niece's house, which was my parents' and where I grew up. My son-in-law's family had come from Europe, and there were lots of people from Boston and New York City. In the days they spent "in the sticks" of rural upstate New York, they were impressed with the beauty of the land, lakes, and rivers.

Yesterday, I dropped the couple off at a train station, to head to Boston before re-locating to Europe. My father and grandfather had worked with this station. It is where my daughter first met her future husband. This was at a time when, as a professional woman, she had been asking me when she would meet "Mr. Right"? I had said when she least expected it, and since she travels, it might not be an American. Nailed that one!

At the reception, those from a couple European countries expressed concerns about two things: the felon and Judge Cannon. They noted that in their countries, the US's stability is essential, and that there is a great fear that might win in November. They asked if people here understood that if the felon wins, democracy ends -- and that trend would spread. They recognize Putin as an extremely serious threat. And I was pleasantly surprised that they had a solid understanding of how corrupt Cannon is.

Now, at any gathering -- especially where massive quantities of alcohol absorded into the majority of the group consciousness -- my sons are sure to make rude, insulting, and generally hilarious jokes about me. They warned people not to bring up Cannon or the justicesystem with me. That since my serious head injury a few years back, complete with what the doctors called "dead brain matter," I have been hooked up on a unique form of life support: constant programming about crimes and trials.

This resulted in my son-in-law asking what trial I was currently watching? I noted the Karen Read trial in MA, as the governor has recently spoken out about the lead investigator. Now, I do not know if Ms. Read killed her Boston cop boyfriend. Or if she did, was it on purpose or by accident. But I do know that at very best, the police investigation was seriously flawed. The governor, for example, was upset that the lead investigator's testimony included his calling Ms. Read a c__t, searching her phone for nude pictures, and making crude remarks about her health issues -- she had had ten surgeries on her digestive tract in the last 18 months. More, his displaying bias against her violates the state's laws.

My daughter previously worked for the state attorney general, and the two remain friends. So the couple has started watching trial coverage. They agree that it is not clear if Ms. Read killed her boyfriend, or if something happened at the party with heavily intoxicated police officers that is being covered up, or something else. But the prosecution certainly has failed thus far in proving their case.

There's another interesting case going on, a RICO case involving a fellow known as "Young Thug." The current case involves him and five others. It has been going on for 18 months, which might suggest to readers why prosecutors hesitate to bring RICO cases, however justified they may be. The judge is a good man, and is usually tough on both the prosecution and defense. But last week, he made a terrible mistake -- meeting alone with police, prosecutors, and a witness who had already been sworn in, without telling the defense.

Maybe he was tired by the length and complicated nature of the case. But that is grounds forhim to recuse himself, if not declare a mistrial. But he is stubborn, and behaving like a pre-teen caught doing something wrong. And that is thething, in my opinion: our justice system is the best, yet it is imperfect. That's because it involves human beings. Some make stupid mistakes, like that judge. Others are fucking assholes, like the lead detective in the Rea case. And still others are corrupt, sick individuals, like Cannon.

One thing is clear: if the felon were to become president again, our justice system would be purposely destroyed. It really is that simple. And that is why it is so important that we get out the vote in November. Obviously, that includes supporting President Biden. But it also includes supporting the many, many good and talented Democrats in every office, local, state, and ational. We need to be like a train traveling coast to coast, flattening the maga threat to justice and democracy.

June 12, 2024

The Slaughter of the Innocents

Imagine; three of them

As though survival
were a rat's word,
and a rat's death
waited there at the end

and I must have
in the century's boneyard
hefy of flesh and bone in my arms

I picked up the littlest
a boy, his face
breaded with rice (his sister calmly feeding him
as we climbed down)

In my arms fathered
in a moment's grace, the messiah
of all my tears, I bore, reborn

A Hioshima child from hell.

-- Daniel Berrigan


I was fortunate to know Daniel and his brother Phillip. I knew that along with Thomas Merton, they had been early voices of opposition to the US involvement in the civil war in Vietnam. Daniel had the haunting look that I imagine the great prophets of the Bible had, a seriousness about the injustices that the powerful wreck upon the poor throughout history.

Daniel, a Jesuit, taught at unoversities such as Cornell in his early career. But he recognized the sins of wardare, and would join with Rev. Neuhaus, Rabbi Heschel, Rev Niebuhr, Rev. Coffin, and Rev Martin Luther King, Jr., to form "Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam." Daniel would participate in protests such as the "Baltimore Four," where he baptized draft records with human blood.

He spent time incarcerated, and then on the underground. One of my favorite things is a copy of a letter he sent to other anti-war activists who were underground. Daniel was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

At the time, there were those from below, who were incapable of grasping his message. They believed he was an Enemy of the State. Years later, I used the above poem in an op-ed in the largest newspaper in my region opposed to the US war in Iraq. I, too, was deemed an enemey by those of lesser understanding. And today, upon reading some OPs on DU:GD, I see a few friends assigning the same nonsense to those opposed to the Slaughter of the Innocents in Gaza. "They aren't Democrats," etc. If they only knew.

June 5, 2024

My Prediction.

"And there assume some other horrible form,
which might deprive your sovereignty of reason,
and draw you into madness? Think of it."
William Shakespeare; Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4.


Horatio's warning that the ghost could transform into a savage beast that drives Hamlet to insanity has been ignored by the maga cult. I suppose that most of them are unfamiliar with both the play and its author. You and I, on the other hand, are watching a Shakespearean play unfolding on the big stage.

The felon -- formerly known as the defendant -- is a sociopath. A reading of the first of my three interviews with Ft. Bandy Lee documents this. As such, growing up in a comfortable, wealthy environment, he did not experience stress. As an adult businessman, filing for bankruptcy, he knew he had his daddy's forune to draw from, and felt no stress. The lack of stress was not because he was a genius, with a very big brain (did I mention his uncle was a professor?), but because he is a human that operates on the lizard brain.

Look at the felon's eyes. What do you see? Look closely at two pits of evil (in the psychological sense, rather than religious). In general, I learn as much about a criminal by studying their eyes as I do from listening to their words plus watching their body movements. This is in large part of learning forensics from two legendary investigator uncles.

However, every day between now and July 11, we will do well to watch everything the felon says and does publicly, as well as read his rambling posts on his web site. For the defendant is experiencing stress for the first time in his adult life, and he does not know how to deal with it. Being paranoid by nature, he fears the possibility of being incarcerated. In his mind's eye, he sees his best option as the threat of violent revolution in the streets of America if that happens ..... and thus he will continue to make threats, at an increasing pace.

As it gets closer to July 11, the hard core of his cult followers will become more excited. The christian nationalists will behave in sexually aroused ways, believing they are experiencing the divine. But the non-hard core registered republicans will find it increasingly difficult to support him. His enablers and apologists in the House and Senate will feel the growing weight of the ball & chain the felon has attached to their ankles. Some will step back, though not fully away. Marjorie Taylor Greene will do something akin to shaving her hair and slicing an "X" on her foreskin, er, forehead.

The felon was tossed into the deep, dark waters of his mind by the jury's verdict. He does not know how to tread water, much less swim. Enjoy the show!

June 4, 2024

Power

"With the power of soul
Anything is possible
With the power of you
Anything you wanna do." -- Jimi Hendrix, Power of Soul


I have an invitation to a Democratic Party meeting in another county in upstate New York. Two candidates for office -- neither of whom I am familiar with (yet) -- will be there. I've assisted people in that county elect Democrats to local and state offices, as well as one to the House of Representatives. Although I like to focus on the county I live in, I like that I still get invitations to help in three other area counties.

In the context of political and social realities, I tend to start by thinking about "power." These thoughts occupied my mind as my older son was driving me to pick up lawn shears. I spoke of conversations that I had with the Hurricane about power. The root of the word comes from Latin, with two words -- "potere" and "posse" (in early, not middle or late) -- which translate to "to be able."

My boy seemed less interested in this, than avoiding having me yelling in a store about how the last shears broke after a mere 28 years. And how hard it is to find quality tools these days. Instead, he took me to where I could get a better pair for cheaper at a small, out of the way garden supply store. It was at the edge of a public park, where the owner was cooking out with a multi-generational band of people dressed like hippies from my youth.

As I was paying for the shears, the owner asked if I knew anything about farming and gardening? My son replied, "My father knows more than anyone else you'll ever meet," which is not true. The fellow had bought an old farm, and wants to grow produce to feed the area communities. Thus, I was able to transition from Wal Mart shears to the price of groceries faster than Muhammad could do the Ali shuffle.

A Democratic Party meeting, a hippie picnic, and a community garden are all examples of power. Each allows us to consider the Power of Ideas. Today, I'll opt to focus on the power of grass roots political action.

In 2008, the country witnessed the greatest grass roots insurgency campaign in American history. A young US Senator, who had briefly gained national attention at the 2004 Democratic Party's national convention, decided to run for our party's preidential nomination. Few anticipated him doing well against a field of more experienced and highly qualified stalwarts. But Barack Obama did not run the usual top-down campaign organization.

Instead, his campaign was a powerful blend of top-down and bottom-up that took him from insurgent to nominee. People from the Reagan administration were quoted as saying the country had never seen anything even close to this, and predicted that if Barack Obama won the presidency, it would change politics forever. However, there is often truth in the old saying that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Eventually, Obama was talked into turning his organization's resources, such as its e-mail list, over to the Democratic National Committee. Now, the DNC is not only necessary, but very capable of doing the things they do. Our party could not coordinate at the levels necessary without it. Yet, in terms of leadership, they have only two of the three types: traditional and bureaucratic. I appreciate that due to size and scope, it cannot be otherwise.

Because the Democratic Party is -- unlike the republican party -- highly diverse, the job of the DNC is often compared to trying to herd cats. President Obama had planned for the campaign structure to continue as a needed grassroots force in the party. But the New Republic article "Obama's Lost Army" (February, 2017) featured documents, e-mails, and memos that showed the party's bureaucracy did not welcome this idea.

In the months after the 2008 election, the DNC failed to harness the grass roots energy that powered Obama's campaign. The "Organizing for America" was a top-down effort that was unable to keep the campaign's energy going. In time, it became "Organizing for Action," and eventually merged with the "National Democratic Redistricting Committee." This can be seen as their sincere attempt to take a pragmatic approach ro instituting meaningful change.

However, it left a vacuum where grassroots energy had once been. The top-down method ignored the Alinsky model of community organizing. And those who used variations of the Alinsky model thought they were be told how to think, rather than being asked what they think. An infamous example of this was found when Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called those pressuring conservative Democrats to support the public option for healthcare "fucking retarded."

By nature, vacuums are filled. What started as a libertarian movement called the Tea Party quickly attracted the ignorant racist white republicans in the southeast. Republican leaders mistakenly thought they could adopt this new movement of old hatreds, and capitalize on its energy. Surprise, surprise! It morphed into the maga movement that brought the felon to power, and took over the party. This has contributed to the rise of independent voters who, in reality, can decide the outcome of any and every election. And here we are today.

I'm encouraged by President Biden's re-election campaign. I'm good with the work of the DNC. What I am focused on is having all cylinders firing. I'm no mechanic, of course, but I know an engine's cyliners includes a piston, two valves, and inlet and exhaust valves. That translates to all of us, from top to bottom, and bottom to top.

Maga has not gone away, but the 34 felony convictions have weakened its force. With the active campaigning of grassroots individuals and groups, we can knock it to the ground, and crush it. Everyone, at all levels, must recognize that they aren't going to get everything they want, for reality does not work that way. But our united effort can crush the shit out of the felon/ maga, and that is not only what we all want, it is a reality open to us.

June 2, 2024

Cry Baby Cry

What a bunch of cry babies. The very definition of "sore losers." Zero self-respect. They are as detached from reality as the felon (formally known as the defendant).

I watched the felon's 30+ minute run-on sentence today. Back in 2015, he combined the public speaking tactics of Hitler and Don Rickles. The felon thus wooed the crowds of maga-ites, and brought wirra to non-maga republicans. In time, the republican party had become a cult -- for only a cult member could watch the felon sputter on stage and think, "He is my leader."

Certainly other enemies of American democracy hope to inflict him on our nation once again. But it is cult that poses the immediate risk, as they seek to play the same role as those in Jim Jones cult in Guyana, forcing those who wanted to live to drink from his poison cup. For the felon has almost completely morphed into his Jones phase, in the manner of all sociopathic "leaders."

I understand that we have to exist in a country where a significant number of adults live in an alternative reality. But that makes it all the more important that we win not only the presidential election in November,but as many as possible in both houses of Congress and in the states. For the cult has turned republican office holders into flying monkees.



Note: I am not in the best of moods this evening. I got up early, and on my way to the pharmacy I came upon an accident on the highway. What had once been a motorcycle had turned into debris scattered in both lanes for a significant distance. I was there before any of the emergency responders, able to see the body of the man who had been enhoying himself moments before.

Although I'm a hermit, who prefers to leave my house/property but once a month, I had to make two other trips in the afternoon, and one in the evening. Being old, the old roads and newer highways that I drove on took me past where, over many decades, I came upon scenes where both friends and strangers died in accidents. Motorcycles, cars, and trucks.Some good dtivers, not at fault, some speeding.

I found myself thinking the crybaby republicans are like people ticketed on the interstate for speeding, complaining that others were speeding, too. And agreeing with Jim about ghosts on dawn's highways.

Please drive carefully. Do the speed limit, at most, depending upon road conditions.

Thank you,
H2O Man

May 29, 2024

Hurry Up & Weight

I have been working in my garden today, thinking about how miserable the defendant is while waiting for the jury to decide his fate. This reminded me of his recent attempt to gain the support of the libertarian party last Saturday. Due to the negative response he got, the defendant did not bother to file the paperwork for their nomination.

The defendant has a fairly limited comfort zone. It includes being in front of a cheering crowd a rabid maga types, cheating on a golf course, and being spanked while consuming fast food. He does not do as well outside of that zone. Indeed, if one listens to his full presentation on Saturday, he goes from being confident to capturing the cadence of Jim Jones on his final day.

"We've been so betrayed. We have been so terribly betrayed," the recording of Jones says. "I've tried my best to give you a good life. In spite of all that I've tried, a handful of our people, with their lies, have made our life impobsible." Just as Melonia plagiarized Michelle, I anticipate the defendant's upcoming remarks to mimic Rev. Jim's for paranoid thinking.

A number of people I respect have said they think the verdict will come in on Friday, or Monday at the latest. Until then, enjoy knowing the defendant is unhappy. Very unhappy, indeed. And he's going to carry that weight a long time.