Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Cruel times
Saw a homeless guy give up on a dollar when it blew under the rolling wheels of a bus. Thought about Scott Walker.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Black Splatter
Friend told me he made a home brew called "Black Splatter." Thought of judge Prosser.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Decency aside
Somewhere in the entire world there must be some decency that can rise to the level of political leadership. First to tell you, I don't get it. Some congresscritter tweets his junk and the news cycle carries on for days about it. Corruption gone venial, endemic moral disregard for humans in legislative agendas, entire economic policies forked over to greed, public education tossed off the boat...
Republicans have been squeezing public education long enough now that the results are showing up. Enough people with only a biased and limited education are easy to manipulate no matter how smart they are. The facts, as they know the facts, are based on false premises. Add a completely corporate media talking tweet junk 24/7 and you elect more republicans.
But I digress. On one hand, corporate media demands a puritanical moral cleanliness from political leadership. On the other hand, the right hand it seems, corporate media spins 24/7 about the virtues of the most vile sorts of non solutions to real problems. You end up with a Paul Ryan being treated as some sort of hero when in fact anything he has so far proposed would literally cut millions of the most vulnerable people off at the knees.
You can learn more about Ryan's greasy hair watching and reading news than you'd ever be offered about the consequences of his Medicare policies. At this stage, Ryan could probably pull his junk out and slap it right on the podium during a speech and he'd get lauded in the media not only as a hero but a damn manly hero.
Or not. I don't know. It'd burn up a lot of bandwidth at any rate.
Even given the rather narrow educational levels of our country, I'm still not sure where the sense of decency has gone. Christianity isn't helping much here. Isn't religion supposed to provide people with some sort of moral compass? If so, the magnetic fields have reversed.
So it is, I guess. No more public education but hey, look on the bright side, we'll be able to all hide a gun in our pants!
Republicans have been squeezing public education long enough now that the results are showing up. Enough people with only a biased and limited education are easy to manipulate no matter how smart they are. The facts, as they know the facts, are based on false premises. Add a completely corporate media talking tweet junk 24/7 and you elect more republicans.
But I digress. On one hand, corporate media demands a puritanical moral cleanliness from political leadership. On the other hand, the right hand it seems, corporate media spins 24/7 about the virtues of the most vile sorts of non solutions to real problems. You end up with a Paul Ryan being treated as some sort of hero when in fact anything he has so far proposed would literally cut millions of the most vulnerable people off at the knees.
You can learn more about Ryan's greasy hair watching and reading news than you'd ever be offered about the consequences of his Medicare policies. At this stage, Ryan could probably pull his junk out and slap it right on the podium during a speech and he'd get lauded in the media not only as a hero but a damn manly hero.
Or not. I don't know. It'd burn up a lot of bandwidth at any rate.
Even given the rather narrow educational levels of our country, I'm still not sure where the sense of decency has gone. Christianity isn't helping much here. Isn't religion supposed to provide people with some sort of moral compass? If so, the magnetic fields have reversed.
So it is, I guess. No more public education but hey, look on the bright side, we'll be able to all hide a gun in our pants!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Republican ghoul fest continues unabated
The screams and death spasms of innocent people being eaten by republican zombie legislators in Wisconsin are unbearable to witness. But for me, it's the sounds of bones cracking and the lip smacking jowls of the ghouls as they feast. Seeing Scott Fitzgerald actually pick his rotten teeth with bone splinters makes me gag.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Cognitive Dissidence: Putting Protests Into Perspective
A very thoughtful cog dis as usual. But I don't know. Of course I wasn't there and can only be there once in a while. Right wing squawkers will commit fuckmookery with anything. Civil disobedience really trips their triggers. In another way, too, "protestors disrupt meeting" might be a +5 yawn factor. I just don't know. Could, perhaps, a little more aggressive style of protest be more effective? Mostly I don't want to get hurt or see friends and family get hurt. But forcing officials to physically remove and arrest people has worked in the past to make a point. Let's face it - about the only media paying attention are the right wing floggers.
Cognitive Dissidence: Putting Protests Into Perspective
Cognitive Dissidence: Putting Protests Into Perspective
Monday, May 30, 2011
A word (or few) on service
This is a weekend dedicated to military service. Memorial Day is a melancholy holiday for me. I think of my many family members and friends who served in the military. Aunts and uncles from the WW II age are almost all gone now. Nephews and cousins have served from Vietnam to the Gulf War. Friends and sons and daughters of friends are on active duty right now.
My generation of high school graduates faced Vietnam. My draft number was 36. Flunked the physical at the induction center. While I went home on one bus, another bus headed in another direction carrying more than one of my high school cohorts toward military service.
That day I was relieved to tears. And I was remorseful with guilt. The direction my bus traveled opened completely different doors than what were opening for that other bus full of people with draft numbers like mine.
Eventually, I joined the Peace Corps serving in South and Central America. It's not the military. Yet, I've always hoped that in some measure small or grand that I had represented my nation as best as I could.
You see, I really love this country.
My generation of high school graduates faced Vietnam. My draft number was 36. Flunked the physical at the induction center. While I went home on one bus, another bus headed in another direction carrying more than one of my high school cohorts toward military service.
That day I was relieved to tears. And I was remorseful with guilt. The direction my bus traveled opened completely different doors than what were opening for that other bus full of people with draft numbers like mine.
Eventually, I joined the Peace Corps serving in South and Central America. It's not the military. Yet, I've always hoped that in some measure small or grand that I had represented my nation as best as I could.
You see, I really love this country.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Leave Bratfest Alone
The following is probably easy for me since I've never been to a Bratfest in my entire life. But as protest/boycott efforts go, targeting Bratfest is the all-wrong choice of all-time. Indeed, the guy who runs Johnsonville is a republican asshole contributing to the Walker campaign. And contributions are one thing but he had to then run his mouth off about it. We've established his assholishness.
Then there's your other major event sponsor - Metcalf's. They, too, donated to the Walker campaign. In fact, a lot of people and organizations donated to the Walker campaign. I don't like that but it's hardly a foul and besides campaign donations are how the process is greased. Metcalf's is as solid a local citizen business as you can have in a community. Its charities are widely felt and appreciated. Want good corporate citizenship? Look to Metcalf's as an example.
Finally, there's Bratfest itself. The event is a community fund raiser, fergawdsakes. And a generous charity at that. World's Largest Bratfest has a whole page of benefactors for the proceeds. Sweet.
The object of a boycott/protest is to hurt the other guy. Oh, and I'd love to hurt Walker and his minions. But a boycott of Bratfest won't have any affect what so ever on Johnsonville Brats or Metcalf's. It will however, take money out of the charitable pool. Sure, your alternate fests can raise some money but my guess is not as much as what might be lost at the main event.
One possible silver lining to the alternate fests, and I think there's now about four, is that they don't affect Bratfest in the slightest but do manage to bring whole new audiences out for charitable causes.
Such a turn of events would be a net gain. Meanwhile, go to Bratfest, eat, drink, listen to music and be happy. There are better ways to hurt republicans than to threaten a solid local charity event
Then there's your other major event sponsor - Metcalf's. They, too, donated to the Walker campaign. In fact, a lot of people and organizations donated to the Walker campaign. I don't like that but it's hardly a foul and besides campaign donations are how the process is greased. Metcalf's is as solid a local citizen business as you can have in a community. Its charities are widely felt and appreciated. Want good corporate citizenship? Look to Metcalf's as an example.
Finally, there's Bratfest itself. The event is a community fund raiser, fergawdsakes. And a generous charity at that. World's Largest Bratfest has a whole page of benefactors for the proceeds. Sweet.
The object of a boycott/protest is to hurt the other guy. Oh, and I'd love to hurt Walker and his minions. But a boycott of Bratfest won't have any affect what so ever on Johnsonville Brats or Metcalf's. It will however, take money out of the charitable pool. Sure, your alternate fests can raise some money but my guess is not as much as what might be lost at the main event.
One possible silver lining to the alternate fests, and I think there's now about four, is that they don't affect Bratfest in the slightest but do manage to bring whole new audiences out for charitable causes.
Such a turn of events would be a net gain. Meanwhile, go to Bratfest, eat, drink, listen to music and be happy. There are better ways to hurt republicans than to threaten a solid local charity event
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wutz that in your pants?
Concealed carry law? Really? I've always assumed the guy next to me had a loaded gun in his pants. But I'm funny that way. Thinking about what girls conceal in their pants.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Is that a gun in your pants or are you having a breakdown?
Concealed guns? Hell, yeah! I'd throw public education off the boat any day to have a gun hidden in my pants.
Ghoul fest
Never satisfied, the Ghoul-in-Chief signed the hateful, odious voter suppression law today licking his lips greedily at the shrieking death scream of democracy. Surprising he could take the Koch out of his mouth long enough to hold a pen.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Quote of the day
State Senator Fred Risser being interviewed on the TeeVee: "Wisconsin has a tradition of democracy."
Heh? Someone needs to clue Risser's republican cohorts in on the tradition. And I think democracy is more than a tradition.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Heh? Someone needs to clue Risser's republican cohorts in on the tradition. And I think democracy is more than a tradition.
A job creating engine
It's a long list that I can only dimly summarize: Budget ruination, voter suppression, ending planned parenthood, public authority...
These republicans are a damn job creatin' engine now ain't they?
These republicans are a damn job creatin' engine now ain't they?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Republican filth parade continued in Wisconsin senate today
It's not every day you get to see actual ghouls eating the flesh of living humans. But you can see it in the Wisconsin senate. Like today. Wisconsin Eye has the gruesome video if you have the stomach for it.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Why did I read that anyway?
Wisconsin State Journal, you know. Letters to the editor. Comments sections. Editorial page. You see, editors make choices about the letters they publish, the stories they run. So when I see a letter comparing damage done to the Wisconsin state capital to terrorism my head hurts.
Why would an editor choose to run with such a letter? Seriously. Protestors are terrorists? Fuck. If I think generously, I'd say the paper picked a letter calling demonstrators terrorists just to illustrate the sheer stupid.
It's sheer stupid alright but I doubt making a letter writer look stupid was what the Journal had in mind with the selection. No, watching the Journal over time my guess is they're pandering.
They're trying to be fair, you see. Never mind that one of our citizens thinks demonstrations are acts of terrorism. Hell, that's a valid point right? Let's run with that one, Earl, you know, to show we're being fair.
The Wisconsin State Journal is a rag.
Why would an editor choose to run with such a letter? Seriously. Protestors are terrorists? Fuck. If I think generously, I'd say the paper picked a letter calling demonstrators terrorists just to illustrate the sheer stupid.
It's sheer stupid alright but I doubt making a letter writer look stupid was what the Journal had in mind with the selection. No, watching the Journal over time my guess is they're pandering.
They're trying to be fair, you see. Never mind that one of our citizens thinks demonstrations are acts of terrorism. Hell, that's a valid point right? Let's run with that one, Earl, you know, to show we're being fair.
The Wisconsin State Journal is a rag.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saudi's finest
Greetings,
Swung by the gas station to top off the old car and get a couple of gallons of lawn mowing fuel. $30 later I'm asking myself why the fuck don't we boost the tax on this crap? The price of gas can go up 10-15 cents overnight and we just keep self-fleecing.
Almost every single penny leaves. Much of the money spent on gas leaves the country. If we'd slap an other 10-15 cents tax on it right now we could at least keep some of the cash closer to home. Gawd forbid we'd spend that gas tax on public transportation but even if the tax was spent on more and better roads and bridges we'd at least have some increased economic activity to show for our pain.
Of course if the citizens of this country were genuinely interested in bitch slapping a few of these oil rich despots around the world we'd go on a conservation binge like no other. Energy conservation is decidedly unprofitable for a few people. Conservation would be great for a guy at the pump like me.
The cheapest gallon of gas you'll ever have is the one you never have to buy.
Swung by the gas station to top off the old car and get a couple of gallons of lawn mowing fuel. $30 later I'm asking myself why the fuck don't we boost the tax on this crap? The price of gas can go up 10-15 cents overnight and we just keep self-fleecing.
Almost every single penny leaves. Much of the money spent on gas leaves the country. If we'd slap an other 10-15 cents tax on it right now we could at least keep some of the cash closer to home. Gawd forbid we'd spend that gas tax on public transportation but even if the tax was spent on more and better roads and bridges we'd at least have some increased economic activity to show for our pain.
Of course if the citizens of this country were genuinely interested in bitch slapping a few of these oil rich despots around the world we'd go on a conservation binge like no other. Energy conservation is decidedly unprofitable for a few people. Conservation would be great for a guy at the pump like me.
The cheapest gallon of gas you'll ever have is the one you never have to buy.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
No worries
Greetings,
My grandfather sold horses, mules and hay to the crews building US HWY 51. No worries. Nobody's grandkid will ever have to tell stories about grandpa selling gravel, sand and concrete to build the supertrain in Wisconsin.
My grandfather sold horses, mules and hay to the crews building US HWY 51. No worries. Nobody's grandkid will ever have to tell stories about grandpa selling gravel, sand and concrete to build the supertrain in Wisconsin.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Ya think maybe? Duh!
Here's the deal: Greed isn't exactly fresh. We're all a little inclined, no? But normal humans resist. Decency prevails among the decent. And we're fucked for the decency. Meanwhile the whores of gluttony lick their lips and bletch satisfied.
Speculation explains more about oil prices than anything else | McClatchy
Speculation explains more about oil prices than anything else | McClatchy
Still a softy
Greetings,
We'll be talking about The Great Rescission Garden 3.0. And the revolution. Random yet focused. There will be pictures.
Me
We'll be talking about The Great Rescission Garden 3.0. And the revolution. Random yet focused. There will be pictures.
Me
Totally mine
Greetings,
Desperate times. And I hate being oppressed. Time to speak up, speak out.
Me
Desperate times. And I hate being oppressed. Time to speak up, speak out.
Me
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