Actually, this kind of looks like Star Fighters hovering around the Mothership.
Got the shot this past Sunday as David and I hiked the Clear Creek Trail through Wheat Ridge and Lakewood.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Oh, what a tangled web...
Monday, August 22, 2005
Friday, August 19, 2005
George In Denver Goes Camping - Part II
My normal daily routine is a run in the morning, usually about two miles. I did the same during our camping trip to the Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area.
This guy/gal, this beautiful fox, followed me, ran in front of me, paced me on both days of my run to the entrance of the Piney Lake Lodge, which was about a mile from our campsite. I suspect he/she was expecting a handout, a bit of bread or meat from me that most campers probably--innocently, but wrongly--provide to him/her.
I had nothing. Just my camera. But, I remain honored, privileged to have been so close--close enough to have touched--this magnificent creature.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Looking Back - Dubya's Lies - Red and Blue - Spontaneous Fictions
Slightly less than a year ago, I wrote the following post.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Now, Let's Just Take a Few Steps Back
An guest editorial in the Denver Post the day after the election provided the essential advice that I know I've been seeking; some definitive, rock-hard, common sense conclusions that will, undoubtedly steer me in the right direction . I didn't save the hardcopy and I can't seem to locate the piece on the Post's website but, what the young lady -- I believe her name was Linda Chavez -- advised, in essence, was for all of us pointy-headed liberals to get our heads out of the Sunday New York Times review of Books and into the Bible which, incidentally, is located within a church everywhere in America on Sunday morning where, some of us, might prefer to -- or, indeed, ought to -- spend some quality time rather than with the Sunday New York Times.Anti-intellectualism, fear and religious fundamentalism -- now that I think about it; now that I've taken a few steps back -- are the stuff of Dubya's real and acknowledged victory on November 2nd. And, I have no problem in observing that Dubya's victory was real, was genuine, was conclusive.But, to concede that it was the religious right who handed this victory to Dubya is a little misleading; a little too comfortable for my taste.
Take, for example, Colorado. While Colorado remained in the Red column for Dubya, Colorado elected a Hispanic Democrat, Ken Salazar, over a beer mogul, right-wing Republican Dubya clone, Pete Coors, to represent Colorado in the United States Senate. And, AND, Democrats captured both the Colorado State Senate and the Colorado State House of Representatives IN SPITE of Dubya's victory in the national race.In Denver -- I kid you not -- Kerry/Edwards led Bush/Cheney by 69.51% to 29.41%; and the U.S. Senate race between Ken Salazar, the Democrat, and Pete Coors, the Republican, ended up as 72.50% for the Democrat and 25.91% for the Republican.
My prior post was about "spontaneous fictions." We all know the definitions of "spontaneous" and "fiction."What is significant to me is that I would classify issues such as Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq as sublime "spontaneous fictions," as well as all the other bullshit Dubya utilized to justify the invasion of Iraq. I would classify as "spontaneous fictions" the fear -- Oh, the enormous Fear -- that "gay marriage" will destroy the institution of marriage in America -- as if marriage in America has not already been sorely compromised by a fifty-percent divorce rate amongst heterosexuals.
Yes, I'm taking a few steps back and looking closely at November 2nd.It's interesting to note that our Governor, Bill Owens -- sweetheart of the Bush administration -- suffered significant defeats in Colorado on November 2nd: His candidate, Pete Coors, was soundly defeated by Ken Salazar for the United States Senate; In the 3rd congressional District in Colorado, Owens' support of Greg Walcher for the US House of Representatives fell flat; Owens' opposition to what is called "FasTracks" -- a significant expansion of our light-rail system throughout the Front Range -- was passed overwhelming by the electorate; and, Owens' support of a significant change to the civil service system in Colorado was defeated, also significantly.
So, I'm taking a few steps back and really looking at what occurred on November 2nd. And, I'm happy to say, I am heartened; I am energized; I am optimistic.And, with that conclusion, let me repeat part of an earlier post that included a bit of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's,
I am waiting.......
and I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder
and I am waiting for someone to really discover America
for the discovery of a new symbolic western frontier
and I am waiting for the American Eagle to really spread its wings
and strainghten up and fly right...
No, I reject Garrison Kiellor's suggestion that we -- in reflecting on Dubya's victory -- simply enjoy our morning coffee and the feel of the dog next to our legs and the ten mile hike to relieve the angst of another four years of Bush.We can do better than that. And, we must start now. We must push, and push and push and never relent in pushing for what we believe in; for what we believe is America's promise.
Dubya is, today--August 18, 2005--running about a 44% approval rating with the American people. That's the lowest approval rating of any president during this time in a second term since, I believe, Harry Truman. So, goodness--in spite of Rush Limbaugh's belief that the fledgling anti-war movement is peopled with "maggot-filled" something or others--do you suppose that Dubya and Rove, Condi, Donny and Dickie might be getting just a wee bit nervous about the 2006 elections?
Looking over what I wrote almost a year ago, it is interesting that the more things change the more they stay the same, except, of course, for a good portion of that 51% who, apparently, today are beginning to understand what a whole lot of us understood way back in '03 and '04: Dubya is a lier and a cheat, as are his inner circle of sycophants.
And, by the way, why have gasoline prices gone up almost 19% over the past month?
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Now, Let's Just Take a Few Steps Back
An guest editorial in the Denver Post the day after the election provided the essential advice that I know I've been seeking; some definitive, rock-hard, common sense conclusions that will, undoubtedly steer me in the right direction . I didn't save the hardcopy and I can't seem to locate the piece on the Post's website but, what the young lady -- I believe her name was Linda Chavez -- advised, in essence, was for all of us pointy-headed liberals to get our heads out of the Sunday New York Times review of Books and into the Bible which, incidentally, is located within a church everywhere in America on Sunday morning where, some of us, might prefer to -- or, indeed, ought to -- spend some quality time rather than with the Sunday New York Times.Anti-intellectualism, fear and religious fundamentalism -- now that I think about it; now that I've taken a few steps back -- are the stuff of Dubya's real and acknowledged victory on November 2nd. And, I have no problem in observing that Dubya's victory was real, was genuine, was conclusive.But, to concede that it was the religious right who handed this victory to Dubya is a little misleading; a little too comfortable for my taste.
Take, for example, Colorado. While Colorado remained in the Red column for Dubya, Colorado elected a Hispanic Democrat, Ken Salazar, over a beer mogul, right-wing Republican Dubya clone, Pete Coors, to represent Colorado in the United States Senate. And, AND, Democrats captured both the Colorado State Senate and the Colorado State House of Representatives IN SPITE of Dubya's victory in the national race.In Denver -- I kid you not -- Kerry/Edwards led Bush/Cheney by 69.51% to 29.41%; and the U.S. Senate race between Ken Salazar, the Democrat, and Pete Coors, the Republican, ended up as 72.50% for the Democrat and 25.91% for the Republican.
My prior post was about "spontaneous fictions." We all know the definitions of "spontaneous" and "fiction."What is significant to me is that I would classify issues such as Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq as sublime "spontaneous fictions," as well as all the other bullshit Dubya utilized to justify the invasion of Iraq. I would classify as "spontaneous fictions" the fear -- Oh, the enormous Fear -- that "gay marriage" will destroy the institution of marriage in America -- as if marriage in America has not already been sorely compromised by a fifty-percent divorce rate amongst heterosexuals.
Yes, I'm taking a few steps back and looking closely at November 2nd.It's interesting to note that our Governor, Bill Owens -- sweetheart of the Bush administration -- suffered significant defeats in Colorado on November 2nd: His candidate, Pete Coors, was soundly defeated by Ken Salazar for the United States Senate; In the 3rd congressional District in Colorado, Owens' support of Greg Walcher for the US House of Representatives fell flat; Owens' opposition to what is called "FasTracks" -- a significant expansion of our light-rail system throughout the Front Range -- was passed overwhelming by the electorate; and, Owens' support of a significant change to the civil service system in Colorado was defeated, also significantly.
So, I'm taking a few steps back and really looking at what occurred on November 2nd. And, I'm happy to say, I am heartened; I am energized; I am optimistic.And, with that conclusion, let me repeat part of an earlier post that included a bit of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's,
I am waiting.......
and I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder
and I am waiting for someone to really discover America
for the discovery of a new symbolic western frontier
and I am waiting for the American Eagle to really spread its wings
and strainghten up and fly right...
No, I reject Garrison Kiellor's suggestion that we -- in reflecting on Dubya's victory -- simply enjoy our morning coffee and the feel of the dog next to our legs and the ten mile hike to relieve the angst of another four years of Bush.We can do better than that. And, we must start now. We must push, and push and push and never relent in pushing for what we believe in; for what we believe is America's promise.
Dubya is, today--August 18, 2005--running about a 44% approval rating with the American people. That's the lowest approval rating of any president during this time in a second term since, I believe, Harry Truman. So, goodness--in spite of Rush Limbaugh's belief that the fledgling anti-war movement is peopled with "maggot-filled" something or others--do you suppose that Dubya and Rove, Condi, Donny and Dickie might be getting just a wee bit nervous about the 2006 elections?
Looking over what I wrote almost a year ago, it is interesting that the more things change the more they stay the same, except, of course, for a good portion of that 51% who, apparently, today are beginning to understand what a whole lot of us understood way back in '03 and '04: Dubya is a lier and a cheat, as are his inner circle of sycophants.
And, by the way, why have gasoline prices gone up almost 19% over the past month?
Sunrise - Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area
The Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area is 133,688 acres of the Colorado Gore Range administered by the White River and Arapahoe National Forests.
Bush - Untreated Recovering Alcoholic - Hmmm...
This, from the blog Capitol Hill Blue, is a hmmmmm.... for me. And, a hmmmmm... for me is just something to think about, not necessarily something that I believe.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Jersey Shore - Part III
You might assume that the boys (that's Andrew facing us and my Great Nephew, Michael, with his back to us) are saying a little prayer...their heads bowed. But, I'm sure you've already figured out that their attention is not captured by the Almighty but, rather, by their GameBoys: a block from the beach, and the boys--not unlike children everywhere in America--manipulated electronic characters jumping, hopping, killing, fighting and God knows what else.
To be fair, the boys put their GameBoys away shortly after breakfast on the veranda of the hotel and headed to the beach. But--remembering my own youth--I can't help but note that today's children are so imbued with such wonderful technological advances, it is difficult to simply just be a kid.
But, then, I guess that's what Andrew and Michael were doing on the veranda that day and later at the beach: just being kids.
Vigil for Cindy Sheehan (From MoveOn.org)
Dear MoveOn member,
Late last night, a pick-up truck dragging chains ran over the rows of white crosses on the side of the road near Cindy Sheehan's vigil. Each cross commemorated a dead soldier; this morning, many of them were broken or gone.1 But Cindy and the other moms in Crawford have vowed to stay, and now a neighboring rancher, who is a veteran, has offered them some of his nearby land if they have to move from the roadside.
The spirit of that rancher standing up in his own pro-Bush community is the sort of public support for Cindy Sheehan and her cause that is growing across America. Tomorrow's vigils for Cindy Sheehan will be the most visible measure of the size and strength of public concern about the war in a long time. It is critical to have as many vigils as possible and as many attendees as possible to demonstrate the wave of public support for Cindy.
Can you join us? You can find a vigil near you by clicking this link:
Vigils for Cindy Sheehan 7:30 PM :: Wednesday, August 17, 2005
http://political.moveon.org/event/events/?action_id=24&search_distance=30& =&search_zip=80211&submit=1&id=5899-5543148-I0ioAFH_KEvtOy53wM4onw&t=4
You can find the vigil closest to you by typing your zip code and clicking search. There are more than 900 vigils already planned across America. From Anchorage to Miami, and hundreds of towns in between, people are gathering tomorrow. There is a vigil in Cindy's hometown of Vacaville, California and more than a dozen in New York City.
Most of them are organized by single individuals. Some are organized by groups of people working together. Just like the folks in Crawford, Texas we can all do our part.
Attending a vigil is really easy. All you have to do is grab some candles and show up. If you're an Iraq veteran, or a family member of a soldier, it'd be especially meaningful for you to join us. Bring a photo of your loved one to remind all of us what is at stake. We've also made some downloadable placards you can use. Click below to download them.
http://political.moveon.org/cindyvigils/attendmaterials.htm?id=5899-5543148-I0ioAFH_KEvtOy53wM4onw&t=6
These vigils aren't rallies or places to give long-winded speeches. They are moments to solemnly come together and mark the sacrifice of Cindy and other families.
Please find the vigil nearest you today and RSVP.
Thanks for all you do.
–Tom, Nita and MoveOn moms Carrie, Marika and Joan Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Sources:
1. "A Bad Week for Protesting Mom" CBS News/AP. August 16, 2005http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/16/politics/main780687.shtml
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTIONNot authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Late last night, a pick-up truck dragging chains ran over the rows of white crosses on the side of the road near Cindy Sheehan's vigil. Each cross commemorated a dead soldier; this morning, many of them were broken or gone.1 But Cindy and the other moms in Crawford have vowed to stay, and now a neighboring rancher, who is a veteran, has offered them some of his nearby land if they have to move from the roadside.
The spirit of that rancher standing up in his own pro-Bush community is the sort of public support for Cindy Sheehan and her cause that is growing across America. Tomorrow's vigils for Cindy Sheehan will be the most visible measure of the size and strength of public concern about the war in a long time. It is critical to have as many vigils as possible and as many attendees as possible to demonstrate the wave of public support for Cindy.
Can you join us? You can find a vigil near you by clicking this link:
Vigils for Cindy Sheehan 7:30 PM :: Wednesday, August 17, 2005
http://political.moveon.org/event/events/?action_id=24&search_distance=30& =&search_zip=80211&submit=1&id=5899-5543148-I0ioAFH_KEvtOy53wM4onw&t=4
You can find the vigil closest to you by typing your zip code and clicking search. There are more than 900 vigils already planned across America. From Anchorage to Miami, and hundreds of towns in between, people are gathering tomorrow. There is a vigil in Cindy's hometown of Vacaville, California and more than a dozen in New York City.
Most of them are organized by single individuals. Some are organized by groups of people working together. Just like the folks in Crawford, Texas we can all do our part.
Attending a vigil is really easy. All you have to do is grab some candles and show up. If you're an Iraq veteran, or a family member of a soldier, it'd be especially meaningful for you to join us. Bring a photo of your loved one to remind all of us what is at stake. We've also made some downloadable placards you can use. Click below to download them.
http://political.moveon.org/cindyvigils/attendmaterials.htm?id=5899-5543148-I0ioAFH_KEvtOy53wM4onw&t=6
These vigils aren't rallies or places to give long-winded speeches. They are moments to solemnly come together and mark the sacrifice of Cindy and other families.
Please find the vigil nearest you today and RSVP.
Thanks for all you do.
–Tom, Nita and MoveOn moms Carrie, Marika and Joan Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Sources:
1. "A Bad Week for Protesting Mom" CBS News/AP. August 16, 2005http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/16/politics/main780687.shtml
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTIONNot authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Monday, August 15, 2005
George In Denver Goes Camping - Part I
Yes, George In Denver went camping over the weekend at the White River National Forest about nine miles northwest of Vail. That's me (in the white hat, of course) on Saber, a beautiful-- albeit headstrong--five-year-old gelding; that's Clayton on a three-year-old gelding. The Gore Range is directly behind us, with Mount Powell jutting up at the far left of the picture.
There were three others in our party who didn't want to have anything to do with horseback riding. So, it was just me and Clayton. It was a great ride.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Jersey Shore - Part II
This is my niece Katharine Linda who, during our Ocean Grove visit, attacked her fourteenth month on this earth with--and this is really an understatement--extraordinary enthusiasm.
She is a beautiful baby, with gray eyes and a personality that includes constant jabbering and a physical predilection for perpetual motion. We taught her in one day to do "high fives." Every stranger who comes into her view, she greets with a loud clearly articulated, "Hi!"
Her name, Katharine Linda, reflects my little sister's--Michelle--respect and admiration for Katharine Hepburn and the memory of Michelle's mother, Linda Gail.
"Weird Science on the Religious Right" - Good Read from Alternet
p.s. I think it's weird that the word "weird" doesn't fit the "i before e..." thing. Maybe the religious right's fascination with phonics rather than "whole language" learning can explain this little discrepancy. Then again, maybe not.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Jersey Shore - Part One
My nephew, Jack--who lives in Rutherford, New Jersey--was seven this July 30th and, as always, his birthday was celebrated on the Jersey Shore at Ocean Grove.
Ocean Grove is a "Mecca of Methodism." Indeed,
"In 1869 Osborn founded Ocean Grove on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean as a holiness camp meeting and Christian resort. That same year he and other leaders formed the "Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association," and secured a charter from the New Jersey State Legislature. The members elected Elwood H. Stokes as the first president of the new association. There is a sense in which the story of Ocean Grove is the story of Elwood Stokes, and the story of Elwood Stokes is the story of Ocean Grove. He gave his heart and soul to the place. He more than loved it; it was as if he instinctively knew that it was God's will for him to be there. And the years proved him right. Under his leadership Ocean Grove grew until it became what Delbert Rose has called the 'Mecca of Methodism,' or as others have put it, Ocean Grove was 'God's Square Mile.'
"The main reason for that was Dr. Elwood H. Stokes.
"The Reverend Doctor Elwood Haines Stokes served as a New Jersey Methodist minister for over fifty years, a time frame that covered almost the entire last half of the nineteenth century. Stokes rose to national prominence as a religious leader due to his twenty-seven year presidency of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. His aggressive leadership enabled that encampment to achieve meteoric growth, and it became the premier Methodist holiness camp meeting resort in the world."
If you're interested, more history of Stokes and Ocean Grove is available here.
Now, being the recovering Catholic that I am--(Jews think they've cornered the market on guilt!)--I'm not even really sure what Methodists believe ... Godwise. Ol' Elwood looks pretty stern, though, and I'm thinking his God is probably just as stern.
Every time we enter the Ocean Grove community, I actually get a little concerned that somebody--perhaps an elder in the church hierarchy or some young thing (in service to the Lawd)--will want to check my suitcase for, um, well gadgets or gizmos, substances or stashes of, oh, say, a bottle of Wild Turkey wrapped in underwear. (That's just an example. I would never actually do such a thing.)
Anyway, more to come. It was a good trip. Missed my blog. Missed David and Melissa.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The Young'uns - Oh, How Times Have Changed
Bob, whose blog, A Ridiculous Raw Youth, is consistently articulate, clever, sometimes quite naughty, but always interesting and surprisingly insightful for such a young man, provided a comment to one of my prior posts which asked the following:
I am wondering where the young'uns are with regard to Dubya's war "...that never ends..." in Iraq. I listen daily to John Fogerty's (on my iPod shuffle as I run my two miles) "Deja Vu (All Over Again)," every morning:
Well, I can't speak for all the young'uns, but I can try to explain, for me, at least.
There was an article in the Onion when Bush got first elected, it had something to do with outrage fatigue. You had all of these people with deep concerns and cares, with the drive to go out and change the world, but after the first month, it just got to be too overwhelming. There's just too much to protest. The war isn't the only huge catastrophe of our generation.
Plus, nothing seems to count. I mean, I can sign all of the online petitions, I can picket, I can make signs and shop selectively. But Bush doesn't seem to listen to the people, he 'listens to God' or, more likely, Karl Rove. The 49% that didn't vote for him don't count.
My generation doesn't trust politicians. We grew up with the Republican outrage. Most of our memories of the govt consist of the impeachment trials and the various '-gates' of the Clinton era. Everytime someone tries to speak to our generation, they get destroyed. Republicans have killed off the Democratic heroes.
Bob's comments brought back some memories that, I hope, are relevant if, for no other reason, than to point out (I am understanding this "truth" as I write it) that time marches on; that it is probably quite ridiculous to hold each new generation of Americans (the young'uns) to the standard that was established by prior generations. Let me set the scene.
The word "ominous" was on a lot of people's minds in 1963 (I was in middle school at the time). And, by the end of the decade, people would look back and use phrases like "social catharsis" to describe that ten year period from 1963 to 1973.
Indeed, the social eruptions in '63 came in Chicago, Philadelphia, Birmingham, Savannah. These great American cities saw cops using dogs, fire hoses and cattle prods against black citizens. And, all of it in living color on the nightly news.
In 1964 a bomb threat emptied an all-black high school in Jacksonville, Florida. When the cops arrived the students let loose with a barrage of Molotov cocktails and rocks. In New York City, a crowd of angry black kids smashed windows of businesses after a cop killed a kid who had attacked him with a knife. Days after the shooting, police were still battling black mobs in Brooklyn and Harlem where Molotov cocktails had started uncounted fires all over the area. When the mobs started throwing bricks and bottles at police and firemen, the cops responded with gunfire. The National Guard was called to Rochester, New York after two days of street violence. Two nights of mob violence in Philadelphia followed the attempt by a police officer to move a stalled car from an intersection of a black area of the city.
In the summer of '65 the National Guard was called into Watts, California where, following the arrest of an intoxicated driver, the city erupted like a powder keg laid too close to the fire. In all, 4,000 people were arrested, thirty-four people were killed and property damage was estimated to be about $35 million.
In 1966, Chicago police officers turned a water hydrant off where black children had been playing. A mob formed and started throwing rocks and bottles ... windows were smashed out and fires were started. On the next day, police who responded to emergency calls from that same black neighborhood were met by gunfire. The firebombings and looting continued and, finally, forty-two hundred National Guardsmen were called in. That same year in Cleveland, rioting continued for four nights and resulted in the deaths of four blacks.
The National Guard was called to Jackson, Mississippi in 1967 to disperse black crowds which had gathered after the arrest of a speeder on the campus of Jackson State College. In Houston, Texas, police were met by rocks and bottles thrown by students at the campus of Texas southern University. Gunfire from the men's dormitory brought police reinforcements who returned the fire.
The summer of 1967 provided the same pattern of violence in Newark where twenty-five people died. Forty-three were killed in Detroit. Tampa, Cincinnati, Atlanta ... these great American cities were seeing what had, by then, become a familiar pattern: a relatively minor incident involving blacks and the police in each city would initiate violence out of all proportion to the incident.
In May, 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed four and wounded seventeen students on the Kent State campus where anti-war demonstrations had persisted for several days.
Night, after night, after night, the American people were assaulted with the most vivid (living color) blood, gore and guts that was the essence of Viet Nam; the t.v. journalists did not sanitize the horror in those good ol' days. It was right there in front of us every single night, year after year after year. The racial/cop violence in America's cities--the burning, the looting, the killings, the confrontations--were, too, vividly reported on the nightly news.
That decade--from 1963 to 1973--could not help but give rise to the supposition that the whole world was standing precariously close to the abyss, the final abyss and quite ready and insanely willing to take the leap into oblivion.
The Internet was not then at our fingertips. No blogs. No Google. No chat rooms. No Internet petitions. What we had then was, simply, ourselves and our solidarity; our bodies and voices and, certainly, our persistence.
I understand Bob's argument, above. I also understand that while I may have wondered if the whole fucking world had gone insane way back in that infamous cathartic decade, '63 to '73, I also understand that Bob's generation may face an even more insidious threat to humanity. Islamic and Christian fundamentalistically justified violence in the name of Allah or the Lawd is probably more dangerous than anything I or anyone experienced during the sixties and seventies.
Bob, thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't get many comments and I do appreciate the thoughtful articulation of your views.
I am wondering where the young'uns are with regard to Dubya's war "...that never ends..." in Iraq. I listen daily to John Fogerty's (on my iPod shuffle as I run my two miles) "Deja Vu (All Over Again)," every morning:
Day after day another Momma's crying
She's lost her precious child
To a war that has no end
She's lost her precious child
To a war that has no end
and, I guess I'm wondering where the spirit, the energy, the altruism, the idealism of the young'uns is. Where are they? Why are they not in the streets questioning a war predicated on lies and deceit? Was my generation so different from today's generation of young people that we simply should not expect today's youth to question authority; to be able see the "...writing on the wall..." that seemed to be so clear, so undeniably clear to my generation?
Bob's comment:
Well, I can't speak for all the young'uns, but I can try to explain, for me, at least.
There was an article in the Onion when Bush got first elected, it had something to do with outrage fatigue. You had all of these people with deep concerns and cares, with the drive to go out and change the world, but after the first month, it just got to be too overwhelming. There's just too much to protest. The war isn't the only huge catastrophe of our generation.
Plus, nothing seems to count. I mean, I can sign all of the online petitions, I can picket, I can make signs and shop selectively. But Bush doesn't seem to listen to the people, he 'listens to God' or, more likely, Karl Rove. The 49% that didn't vote for him don't count.
My generation doesn't trust politicians. We grew up with the Republican outrage. Most of our memories of the govt consist of the impeachment trials and the various '-gates' of the Clinton era. Everytime someone tries to speak to our generation, they get destroyed. Republicans have killed off the Democratic heroes.
Bob's comments brought back some memories that, I hope, are relevant if, for no other reason, than to point out (I am understanding this "truth" as I write it) that time marches on; that it is probably quite ridiculous to hold each new generation of Americans (the young'uns) to the standard that was established by prior generations. Let me set the scene.
The word "ominous" was on a lot of people's minds in 1963 (I was in middle school at the time). And, by the end of the decade, people would look back and use phrases like "social catharsis" to describe that ten year period from 1963 to 1973.
Indeed, the social eruptions in '63 came in Chicago, Philadelphia, Birmingham, Savannah. These great American cities saw cops using dogs, fire hoses and cattle prods against black citizens. And, all of it in living color on the nightly news.
In 1964 a bomb threat emptied an all-black high school in Jacksonville, Florida. When the cops arrived the students let loose with a barrage of Molotov cocktails and rocks. In New York City, a crowd of angry black kids smashed windows of businesses after a cop killed a kid who had attacked him with a knife. Days after the shooting, police were still battling black mobs in Brooklyn and Harlem where Molotov cocktails had started uncounted fires all over the area. When the mobs started throwing bricks and bottles at police and firemen, the cops responded with gunfire. The National Guard was called to Rochester, New York after two days of street violence. Two nights of mob violence in Philadelphia followed the attempt by a police officer to move a stalled car from an intersection of a black area of the city.
In the summer of '65 the National Guard was called into Watts, California where, following the arrest of an intoxicated driver, the city erupted like a powder keg laid too close to the fire. In all, 4,000 people were arrested, thirty-four people were killed and property damage was estimated to be about $35 million.
In 1966, Chicago police officers turned a water hydrant off where black children had been playing. A mob formed and started throwing rocks and bottles ... windows were smashed out and fires were started. On the next day, police who responded to emergency calls from that same black neighborhood were met by gunfire. The firebombings and looting continued and, finally, forty-two hundred National Guardsmen were called in. That same year in Cleveland, rioting continued for four nights and resulted in the deaths of four blacks.
The National Guard was called to Jackson, Mississippi in 1967 to disperse black crowds which had gathered after the arrest of a speeder on the campus of Jackson State College. In Houston, Texas, police were met by rocks and bottles thrown by students at the campus of Texas southern University. Gunfire from the men's dormitory brought police reinforcements who returned the fire.
The summer of 1967 provided the same pattern of violence in Newark where twenty-five people died. Forty-three were killed in Detroit. Tampa, Cincinnati, Atlanta ... these great American cities were seeing what had, by then, become a familiar pattern: a relatively minor incident involving blacks and the police in each city would initiate violence out of all proportion to the incident.
With this backdrop--throughout this "cathartic" decade from roughly 1963 to 1973-- to include the intense frustration and rage with the "...war that has no end..." in Viet Nam, the young'uns of my generation took to the streets with an intense distrust of politics and politicians and with a demand that the promise of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution necessarily be fulfilled.
In May, 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed four and wounded seventeen students on the Kent State campus where anti-war demonstrations had persisted for several days.
Night, after night, after night, the American people were assaulted with the most vivid (living color) blood, gore and guts that was the essence of Viet Nam; the t.v. journalists did not sanitize the horror in those good ol' days. It was right there in front of us every single night, year after year after year. The racial/cop violence in America's cities--the burning, the looting, the killings, the confrontations--were, too, vividly reported on the nightly news.
That decade--from 1963 to 1973--could not help but give rise to the supposition that the whole world was standing precariously close to the abyss, the final abyss and quite ready and insanely willing to take the leap into oblivion.
The Internet was not then at our fingertips. No blogs. No Google. No chat rooms. No Internet petitions. What we had then was, simply, ourselves and our solidarity; our bodies and voices and, certainly, our persistence.
I understand Bob's argument, above. I also understand that while I may have wondered if the whole fucking world had gone insane way back in that infamous cathartic decade, '63 to '73, I also understand that Bob's generation may face an even more insidious threat to humanity. Islamic and Christian fundamentalistically justified violence in the name of Allah or the Lawd is probably more dangerous than anything I or anyone experienced during the sixties and seventies.
Bob, thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't get many comments and I do appreciate the thoughtful articulation of your views.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
The Relevance of Libraries - The Young'uns - Other Stuff
I've been thinking about the relevance of libraries. Indeed, when was the last time you took the time to travel to the library for information, data, background that can be easily gleaned from search engines on the internet?
Every morning Sweet Melissa and I visit a park in which sits a branch of the Denver Public Library. And, each morning, we see folks slipping DVDs into the steel slot next the the library's door. Has the library become primarily a place where DVDs can be checked out; where movies that otherwise could be rented from Blockbuster are checked out for free on someone's library card?
I do understand the relevance of libraries with regard to historically relevant materials that are not in books but in collections that must be safeguarded and handled with care.
But, really, are libraries, "probably the only secular gathering place in the community," as the linked article claims?
I suppose I'm a little confused about the use of the word "secular" by this guy, Michael Gorman, who is the president of the American Library Association. This particular choice of words tends to imply that the only other "...gathering places..." for Americans are religious edifices.
But, then, such is the polemic today. Religious fundamentalism has permeated not only American politics but the skewed insights of the American Library Association, as well.
Every morning Sweet Melissa and I visit a park in which sits a branch of the Denver Public Library. And, each morning, we see folks slipping DVDs into the steel slot next the the library's door. Has the library become primarily a place where DVDs can be checked out; where movies that otherwise could be rented from Blockbuster are checked out for free on someone's library card?
I do understand the relevance of libraries with regard to historically relevant materials that are not in books but in collections that must be safeguarded and handled with care.
But, really, are libraries, "probably the only secular gathering place in the community," as the linked article claims?
I suppose I'm a little confused about the use of the word "secular" by this guy, Michael Gorman, who is the president of the American Library Association. This particular choice of words tends to imply that the only other "...gathering places..." for Americans are religious edifices.
But, then, such is the polemic today. Religious fundamentalism has permeated not only American politics but the skewed insights of the American Library Association, as well.
*
I am wondering where the young'uns are with regard to Dubya's war "...that never ends..." in Iraq. I listen daily to John Fogerty's (on my iPod shuffle as I run my two miles) "Deja Vu (All Over Again)," every morning: Day after day another Momma's crying
She's lost her precious child
To a war that has no end
and, I guess I'm wondering where the spirit, the energy, the altruism, the idealism of the young'uns is. Where are they? Why are they not in the streets questioning a war predicated on lies and deceit? Was my generation so different from today's generation of young people that we simply should not expect today's youth to question authority; to be able see the "...writing on the wall..." that seemed to be so clear, so undeniably clear to my generation?
*
The other stuff I'm thinking about today has more to do with Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper and his ten-year plan to end homelessness in Denver. It would only cost $1.3 Million a year and I guess that us property owners might be taking on that burden through a mill levy increase.
I read somewhere that pretty much every Democratic mayor in the country is touting this "house the homeless" plan on a ten-year basis as suggested by Dubya's Czar of the homeless. However, I've also read that it takes about $125,000 a year a house one homeless person. Make sense? Hmmm... I'm thinking there's are little bit more to the story than meets the eye. Sure, noble ideals from ol' Hick, but, Jesus, $125,000 a year? And, ultimately, at my expense. Ummm... Let's think about this one a little bit more. Shall we!
Denver's Skateboard Park - In South Platte Valley Parkway Near Coor's Field
Denver's Skateboard Park - In South Platte Valley Parkway Near Coor's Field, originally uploaded by George In Denver.
And, green undies to boot!
Stepping over the Derelicts Across the Street from the Colorado Convention Center
Stepping over the Derelicts a block from the Colorado Convention Center, originally uploaded by George In Denver.
This is what the conventioneers saw as they made their way to an early Sunday morning session at the Colorado Convention Center. Looks a little, oh, New Yorkish!
Sunday, July 24, 2005
"I See What You Mean" - Colorado Convention Center
David's and my hike this morning (eight miles round trip) took us back to downtown Denver specifically to see the big blue bear at the Colorado Convention Center. This link provides detail on Denver artist Lawrence Argent's, "I See What You Mean," skulpture. It's great. That's David at the bear's foot. I'll post another angle above.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Bomb Mecca
I really doubt that you haven't heard about Colorado's Sixth District Congressman, Tom Tancredo, who suggested a possible scenario whereby America would advise the world that Islamic holy sites would be bombed if Islamic fundamentalist terrorists "nuke" American cities or historically significant sites.
The site, Crooks and Liars, provides the following (listen carefully to the audio):
Tom Tancredo-"Bomb Mecca"
"Well, what if you said something like -- if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered. "You're talking about bombing Mecca," Campbell said.
"Yeah," Tancredo responded.
Audio-Mp3
Now, whether or not you think Tancredo is an idiot, or a nut; or you think he's absolutely prophetic and one of the very few politicians with a backbone who doesn't test which way the wind is blowing before he opens his mouth; whether you like him or despise him, here are the questions:
What do you think this country would do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device on, oh, let's say the Empire State Building? What would America do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device within the Lincoln Memorial? What do you think this country would do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device in downtown Atlanta or Denver or Houston or Portland? What would America do if Lady Liberty is nuked by Islamic fundamentalists?
What would America's response be?
After 9/11 -- c'mon your memory can't be that short -- there were a whole bunch of otherwise reasonable Americans who suggested (I'm remembering General Curtis LeMay's quote from the Viet Nam era) that we bomb the nation of Islam (approximately 1.4 billion human souls ) back to the stoneage. Right?
What would America's response be?
I can't answer that question. I'm working on it, though. All I can provide is what I said in a prior post:
The terrorism of religious fundamentalists is, however, a whole new ballgame. And, I do believe the old, sacred notions that drafts or the requirement that all persons--once they reach eighteen years of age--be conscripted into the armed forces, with few exemptions, are probably necessarily going to have to be tossed like last year's cell phone. There's something new on the death, hate and destruction market and Uncle Sam better be prepared. Dubya's little wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are remnants of an age-old war mentality that argues to the victor goes the spoils. That just doesn't work anymore, buckoes.
Bring our soldiers home. Protect our homeplace. Retool the armed forces for the conflict that is, sadly, based upon religious zealotry where one's death in the good fight against the infidels necessarily opens that golden stairway to heaven; necessarily promises nirvana.
The site, Crooks and Liars, provides the following (listen carefully to the audio):
Tom Tancredo-"Bomb Mecca"
"Well, what if you said something like -- if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered. "You're talking about bombing Mecca," Campbell said.
"Yeah," Tancredo responded.
Audio-Mp3
Now, whether or not you think Tancredo is an idiot, or a nut; or you think he's absolutely prophetic and one of the very few politicians with a backbone who doesn't test which way the wind is blowing before he opens his mouth; whether you like him or despise him, here are the questions:
What do you think this country would do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device on, oh, let's say the Empire State Building? What would America do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device within the Lincoln Memorial? What do you think this country would do if Islamic fundamentalists detonated a nuclear device in downtown Atlanta or Denver or Houston or Portland? What would America do if Lady Liberty is nuked by Islamic fundamentalists?
What would America's response be?
After 9/11 -- c'mon your memory can't be that short -- there were a whole bunch of otherwise reasonable Americans who suggested (I'm remembering General Curtis LeMay's quote from the Viet Nam era) that we bomb the nation of Islam (approximately 1.4 billion human souls ) back to the stoneage. Right?
What would America's response be?
I can't answer that question. I'm working on it, though. All I can provide is what I said in a prior post:
The terrorism of religious fundamentalists is, however, a whole new ballgame. And, I do believe the old, sacred notions that drafts or the requirement that all persons--once they reach eighteen years of age--be conscripted into the armed forces, with few exemptions, are probably necessarily going to have to be tossed like last year's cell phone. There's something new on the death, hate and destruction market and Uncle Sam better be prepared. Dubya's little wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are remnants of an age-old war mentality that argues to the victor goes the spoils. That just doesn't work anymore, buckoes.
Bring our soldiers home. Protect our homeplace. Retool the armed forces for the conflict that is, sadly, based upon religious zealotry where one's death in the good fight against the infidels necessarily opens that golden stairway to heaven; necessarily promises nirvana.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Sharp Curve
Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver has one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the country. I don't believe it's still operable.
Holy Place?
No, this is a shot of the entrance to the Lakeside Amusement Park in Northwest Denver from Inspiration Point. (See below.)
Mosque?
Visitors to Denver often see this structure and immediately think it is a place of worship for Muslims. It's actually the entrance to the Lakeside Amusement Park in Northwest Denver.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Operation Save America Can Bite Me
Oh my!
David and I walked our usual two miles when he got home from work and decided to go to one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants for dinner. And, oh my God, they were in there! They were in one of our favorite restaurants eating food! A whole bunch of them! Ick! Ugh!
And, if that was not bad enough, we found out they were having a big pow-wow not two blocks from our house. More ick! More ugh! And, after David and I finished our dinner, we walked home and, oh my God, they were coming and going right there in front of us; they were crossing the street to enter the Redeemer Community Church where they were gonna whoop it up for the Lawd!
Actually, this is a little tee-hee post. These folks (some of whom wore t-shirts condemning homosexuality) can simply bite me. They're no better than ol' Fred Phelps and his lovely crew at the Westboro Baptist zoo.
(I really don't like them hangin' out in my neighborhood, though. But, okay... Just for the time being. They need to go home though as soon as possible. Gotta keep my property values up!)
David and I walked our usual two miles when he got home from work and decided to go to one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants for dinner. And, oh my God, they were in there! They were in one of our favorite restaurants eating food! A whole bunch of them! Ick! Ugh!
And, if that was not bad enough, we found out they were having a big pow-wow not two blocks from our house. More ick! More ugh! And, after David and I finished our dinner, we walked home and, oh my God, they were coming and going right there in front of us; they were crossing the street to enter the Redeemer Community Church where they were gonna whoop it up for the Lawd!
Actually, this is a little tee-hee post. These folks (some of whom wore t-shirts condemning homosexuality) can simply bite me. They're no better than ol' Fred Phelps and his lovely crew at the Westboro Baptist zoo.
(I really don't like them hangin' out in my neighborhood, though. But, okay... Just for the time being. They need to go home though as soon as possible. Gotta keep my property values up!)
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Pretty Kitty
David and I walked about 6 1/2 miles (round trip) yesterday from our home to what is called "Inspiration Point," a park at the far Northwest corner of Denver. I, of course, took the camera and got a few good shots (hazy day in Denver, ugh!) Anyway, the first one is "Pretty --can't wait for Christmas -- Kitty," above.
Denver's skyline looked pretty dismal through the haze. I'll post a few more photos later.
Friday, July 15, 2005
The Army - Viet Nam - Iraq - Dubya
I've posted three pictures within the last couple of weeks from a thousand years ago (actually 31-32 years past) when I did my time in the U.S. Army. This was during the time when the "All Volunteer" concept was being implemented after the Dark Prince of the GOP, Richard Milhouse Nixon, realized enough was enough with the tragedy, the quagmire (good word) that Viet Nam had become for the United States. Yes, it was Tricky Dicky who finally pulled the U.S. out of Viet Nam in 1972-1973, after another GOP president, Dwight Eisenhower first sent military "advisors" there in the late fifties ('58 or '59). Of course, Nixon was savoring his second term triumph, while dealing with the imbroglio of Watergate and Deep Throat and Dirty Tricks and all that shit which would eventually lead to his resignation from the presidency in 1974.
I keep reading and hearing both Republicans and Democrats insist--under the cover of promulgating and supporting the glorious western-style democracy that they claim the Iraqi people have embraced unconditionally (bullshit) --that the United States can't just pull out of Iraq; that we have obligations and a moral imperative to stay the course. (I'm remembering some of this same horseshit that was so jingoistically bantered about during the Viet Nam conflict.)
To tell you the honest to God truth, I'm getting so sick and tired of writing about Dubya's war that I'm having a little trouble just being coherent. I mean, I and so many others declared Dubya's war a disastrous move even before he got that little hard-on and gave the okeydoke to start bombing that godforsaken shithole and maiming and killing hundreds of thousands of the indigenous population, as well as over 1700 of American soldiers. I am so weary of this bullshit.
Anyway, the pictures I've posted from my Army experience provide a view of a "peacetime" Army--if there is such a thing in this crazy world--where duty assignments were generally not life-threatening; where, if needed, each and every one of us who had passed through the love/hate experience of Basic Combat Training could defend our country against legitimate threats.
The terrorism of religious fundamentalists is, however, a whole new ballgame. And, I do believe the old, sacred notions that drafts or the requirement that all persons--once they reach eighteen years of age--be conscripted into the armed forces, with few exemptions, are probably necessarily going to have to be tossed like last year's cell phone. There's something new on the death, hate and destruction market and Uncle Sam better be prepared. Dubya's little wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are remnants of an age-old war mentality that argues to the victor goes the spoils. That just doesn't work anymore, buckoes.
Bring our soldiers home. Protect our homeplace. Retool the armed forces for the conflict that is, sadly, based upon religious zealotry where one's death in the good fight against the infidels necessarily opens that golden stairway to heaven; necessarily promises nirvana.
I keep reading and hearing both Republicans and Democrats insist--under the cover of promulgating and supporting the glorious western-style democracy that they claim the Iraqi people have embraced unconditionally (bullshit) --that the United States can't just pull out of Iraq; that we have obligations and a moral imperative to stay the course. (I'm remembering some of this same horseshit that was so jingoistically bantered about during the Viet Nam conflict.)
To tell you the honest to God truth, I'm getting so sick and tired of writing about Dubya's war that I'm having a little trouble just being coherent. I mean, I and so many others declared Dubya's war a disastrous move even before he got that little hard-on and gave the okeydoke to start bombing that godforsaken shithole and maiming and killing hundreds of thousands of the indigenous population, as well as over 1700 of American soldiers. I am so weary of this bullshit.
Anyway, the pictures I've posted from my Army experience provide a view of a "peacetime" Army--if there is such a thing in this crazy world--where duty assignments were generally not life-threatening; where, if needed, each and every one of us who had passed through the love/hate experience of Basic Combat Training could defend our country against legitimate threats.
The terrorism of religious fundamentalists is, however, a whole new ballgame. And, I do believe the old, sacred notions that drafts or the requirement that all persons--once they reach eighteen years of age--be conscripted into the armed forces, with few exemptions, are probably necessarily going to have to be tossed like last year's cell phone. There's something new on the death, hate and destruction market and Uncle Sam better be prepared. Dubya's little wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are remnants of an age-old war mentality that argues to the victor goes the spoils. That just doesn't work anymore, buckoes.
Bring our soldiers home. Protect our homeplace. Retool the armed forces for the conflict that is, sadly, based upon religious zealotry where one's death in the good fight against the infidels necessarily opens that golden stairway to heaven; necessarily promises nirvana.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Couple Things- Home Grown Terrorists; Military Recruiting
Is it just me or do you find the consistent neocon argument/justification for destroying Iraq and it's people absurd. That argument (for those of you who have been living under a rock) is that we're -- apparently meaning the United States and Great Britain -- fighting the good fight in Afghanistan and Iraq so we don't have to fight a decidedly more dangerous fight in, oh, let's say the streets of Topeka, Kansas or DeMoines, Iowa. The presumptive reasoning for this absurd justification is that surely Islamic fundamentalists bent upon destroying the infidel (us) cannot and do not thrive within the glorious clutch of western democracies which, of course, we're creating in Iraq (:-])
Now, according to all the reports I've read, the -- what appears to have been -- suicide bombers who fomented the recent violence in London were, yes, children of western democracies. Sure, they were born in Pakistan (and a very late report that one was born in Jamaica??), but they were raised, lived, worked within that sacred -- or so say the neocons -- mystically cleansing western-style democracy of London and its quaint suburbs.
So, of course, the question occurs: Why are American young men and women dying in the hell that is Afghanistan and Iraq; why are (probably) hundreds of thousands of Iraqis being killed and their cities destroyed by the Christian, democratic infidels (I have read that Islamic fundamentalists look upon democracy as a religion) when, in reality, the ultimately more important battle is within those western democracies themselves? Sleeper cells? Yes, we're being told that the CIA has identified thousands of Islamic fundamentalist sleeper cells just waiting, waiting, waiting within our own glorious republic to be awoken and, Allah be praised!, bring the jihad home to where it belongs, yes, in the streets of Topeka and DeMoines, Paonia and Pueblo.
Yet, Dubya and the boys and girls just don't get it. Gotta have a war to sustain the neocon GOP at least through the 2006 elections. Right? God, I hope the American people are ON to this disastrous, costly strategy; this strategy that leaves mother's without sons; wives without husbands; children without fathers and, yes, lovers without their partners.
Hispanic Barriers to Enlistment: a project to "identify the factors contributing to under-representation of Hispanic youth among military accessions" and "inform future strategies for increasing Hispanic representation among the branches of the Military."
College Drop Outs/Stop Outs Study: a project "aimed to gain a better understanding of what drives college students to... 'drop out' and determine how the Services can capitalize on this group of individuals (ages 18-24)."
Mothers' Attitude Study: "This study gauges the target audience's (270 mothers of 10th- and 11th-grade youth) attitudes toward the Military and enlistment."
During the Vietnam War, Hispanics took disproportionate numbers of casualties and similar disparities have been reported in Iraq. JAMRS, apparently, is looking to make certain that this military tradition is maintained. Additionally, eyebrows ought to be raised over a Pentagon that is looking at ways to influence the mothers of teens to send their sons and daughters off to war and at a military eager to study what it takes to get kids to "drop out" of school and how the military might then scoop them up. Perhaps the most intriguing line of research, however, is the "Moral Waiver Study" whose seemingly benign goal is "to better define relationships between pre-Service behaviors and subsequent Service success." What the JAMRS informational page doesn't make clear, but what might be better explained in the password-protected section of the site, is that a "moral character waiver" is the means by which potential recruits with criminal records are allowed to enlist in the U.S. military.
Now, according to all the reports I've read, the -- what appears to have been -- suicide bombers who fomented the recent violence in London were, yes, children of western democracies. Sure, they were born in Pakistan (and a very late report that one was born in Jamaica??), but they were raised, lived, worked within that sacred -- or so say the neocons -- mystically cleansing western-style democracy of London and its quaint suburbs.
So, of course, the question occurs: Why are American young men and women dying in the hell that is Afghanistan and Iraq; why are (probably) hundreds of thousands of Iraqis being killed and their cities destroyed by the Christian, democratic infidels (I have read that Islamic fundamentalists look upon democracy as a religion) when, in reality, the ultimately more important battle is within those western democracies themselves? Sleeper cells? Yes, we're being told that the CIA has identified thousands of Islamic fundamentalist sleeper cells just waiting, waiting, waiting within our own glorious republic to be awoken and, Allah be praised!, bring the jihad home to where it belongs, yes, in the streets of Topeka and DeMoines, Paonia and Pueblo.
Yet, Dubya and the boys and girls just don't get it. Gotta have a war to sustain the neocon GOP at least through the 2006 elections. Right? God, I hope the American people are ON to this disastrous, costly strategy; this strategy that leaves mother's without sons; wives without husbands; children without fathers and, yes, lovers without their partners.
*
This from AlterNet this morning, "An Army of (No) One," that reads, in part:
It's been a tough year for the U.S. military. But you wouldn't know it from the Internet, now increasingly packed with slick, non-military looking websites of every sort that are lying in wait for curious teens (or their exasperated parents) who might be surfing by. On the ground, the military may be bogged down in a seemingly interminable mission that was supposedly "accomplished" back on May 1, 2003, but on the Web it's still a be-all-that-you-can-be world of advanced career choices, peaceful pursuits, and risk-free excitement.
What I find really interesting, though is this:
What we do know, however, is that JAMRS is currently focusing on the following areas of interest in an attempt to bolster the all-volunteer military:
Hispanic Barriers to Enlistment: a project to "identify the factors contributing to under-representation of Hispanic youth among military accessions" and "inform future strategies for increasing Hispanic representation among the branches of the Military."
College Drop Outs/Stop Outs Study: a project "aimed to gain a better understanding of what drives college students to... 'drop out' and determine how the Services can capitalize on this group of individuals (ages 18-24)."
Mothers' Attitude Study: "This study gauges the target audience's (270 mothers of 10th- and 11th-grade youth) attitudes toward the Military and enlistment."
During the Vietnam War, Hispanics took disproportionate numbers of casualties and similar disparities have been reported in Iraq. JAMRS, apparently, is looking to make certain that this military tradition is maintained. Additionally, eyebrows ought to be raised over a Pentagon that is looking at ways to influence the mothers of teens to send their sons and daughters off to war and at a military eager to study what it takes to get kids to "drop out" of school and how the military might then scoop them up. Perhaps the most intriguing line of research, however, is the "Moral Waiver Study" whose seemingly benign goal is "to better define relationships between pre-Service behaviors and subsequent Service success." What the JAMRS informational page doesn't make clear, but what might be better explained in the password-protected section of the site, is that a "moral character waiver" is the means by which potential recruits with criminal records are allowed to enlist in the U.S. military.
*
Okay. I posted a picture of my Basic Combat Training outfit, Delta 1-1 from way back in 1972. There was an "all volunteer Army" happenin' at that time, too (although there were still a few draftees in the mix). But, something has gone terribly wrong here. Take a look at the picture (blow it up by clicking on it and click the + sign and then the "Original" option in Flickr). Tell me how many white, black and Hispanic faces you see in that picture? (Lawdy, lookit all them white boys!) Can you pick out those with criminal records? What I think is that way back when I volunteered for service to my country there was still a little integrity left in the system; there was still a little reason to stand-up and be willing to give two or three or four years or a lifetime to your country as a soldier, whether you were white, or black or brown or polkadot. Not so today.
*
I'm thinkin' the Department of Defense is gettting a little desperate. Yup, I'm thinkin' that ol' Rummie and his crew are shitting bricks wondering where in hell they're going to get those young men and women to fight their fucking nasty little wars that serve only to prop-up a president who can't even find the Oval Office shithouse without Karl Rove holding his hand. And, what about this nation's National Guard and Reserves? What about Homeland Security? What about the Mexican and Canadian borders where anyone, literally anyone can enter the United States with impunity?
Jesus... And the Democrats? Well, I'm thinkin' there's a lost cause there as well.
*
I guess it's time for the people to take back their government.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Outing Karl Rove for Treason (And, Maybe Robert Novak, too??)
This from AlterNet is an interview with Joe Wilson titled, "Bush's Culture of Unaccountability." Wilson, you will recall, is a former ambassador under George the First, whose wife, an undercover CIA agent, was outed by columnist Robert Novak from information most likely received either directly or circuitously from Karl (Fuck anybody and everybody who dares get in Dubya's way) Rove.
Joe Wilson is also the authoritative source who traveled to Niger to disprove that nuclear "yellowcake" was being sold to Iraq, thus embarrassing Dubya who made the claim of WMDs in his State of the Union address.
The interview reads, in part:
I have always said that I believed the outing of Valerie was a signal to others that, should they step forward, the White House would do to their families what they did to mine. I have also had a number of journalists share with me their own experiences of being intimidated by senior officials in the White House. We should not be surprised that a climate of fear prevails in Washington.
The sentencing of Judith Miller to jail for refusing to disclose her sources is the direct result of the culture of unaccountability that infects the Bush White House from top to bottom. President Bush's refusal to enforce his own call for full cooperation with the Special Counsel has brought us to this point. Clearly, the conspiracy to cover up the web of lies that underpinned the invasion of Iraq is more important to the White House than coming clean on a serious breach of national security. Thus has Ms Miller joined my wife, Valerie, and her twenty years of service to this nation as collateral damage in the smear campaign launched when I had the temerity to challenge the President on his assertion that Iraq had attempted to purchase uranium yellowcake from Africa.
The real victims of this cover-up, which may have turned criminal, are the Congress, the Constitution and, most tragically, the Americans and Iraqis who have paid the ultimate price for Bush's folly.
Joe Wilson is also the authoritative source who traveled to Niger to disprove that nuclear "yellowcake" was being sold to Iraq, thus embarrassing Dubya who made the claim of WMDs in his State of the Union address.
The interview reads, in part:
I have always said that I believed the outing of Valerie was a signal to others that, should they step forward, the White House would do to their families what they did to mine. I have also had a number of journalists share with me their own experiences of being intimidated by senior officials in the White House. We should not be surprised that a climate of fear prevails in Washington.
The sentencing of Judith Miller to jail for refusing to disclose her sources is the direct result of the culture of unaccountability that infects the Bush White House from top to bottom. President Bush's refusal to enforce his own call for full cooperation with the Special Counsel has brought us to this point. Clearly, the conspiracy to cover up the web of lies that underpinned the invasion of Iraq is more important to the White House than coming clean on a serious breach of national security. Thus has Ms Miller joined my wife, Valerie, and her twenty years of service to this nation as collateral damage in the smear campaign launched when I had the temerity to challenge the President on his assertion that Iraq had attempted to purchase uranium yellowcake from Africa.
The real victims of this cover-up, which may have turned criminal, are the Congress, the Constitution and, most tragically, the Americans and Iraqis who have paid the ultimate price for Bush's folly.
Tom Cruise is Nuts
This site, TomCruiseisNuts, via my newest link, Drunken Lagomorph, (Yeah, I know, I had to look it up, too. A lagomorph is a rabbit, hare or pika -- as opposed to a "Poohka" which was the species of the invisible six-foot tall rabbit in the movie Harvey).
Take a look at the site that suggests Cruise is headed for an inevitable implosion. One of the quotes from Cruise which they cite is: "I can be a quite excitable person."
No shit!
Incidentally, Mary Chase wrote the play, "Harvey," while living in a small west Denver bungalow which one of my friends owns. I've even slept there and, yes, there were bumps in the night and the rooms in the old house embraced me within a warm and very, very cuddly clutch.
Take a look at the site that suggests Cruise is headed for an inevitable implosion. One of the quotes from Cruise which they cite is: "I can be a quite excitable person."
No shit!
Incidentally, Mary Chase wrote the play, "Harvey," while living in a small west Denver bungalow which one of my friends owns. I've even slept there and, yes, there were bumps in the night and the rooms in the old house embraced me within a warm and very, very cuddly clutch.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Friday, July 08, 2005
Westboro Baptist Church - The Epitome of Slime
Thought I'd check in with the epitome of slime, the Westboro Baptist Church, and here's what I found:
http://www.godhatesfags.com/featured/20050707_subway-bomb.html
Kewl, huh. If these folks weren't so pitifully stupid, they'd probably be dangerous.
http://www.godhatesfags.com/featured/20050707_subway-bomb.html
Kewl, huh. If these folks weren't so pitifully stupid, they'd probably be dangerous.
Gossip
This is "Gossip," a bronze sculpture by Martha Pettigrew. The piece sits in Writer's Square in Lodo (Lower Downtown Denver). David and I discovered the great piece during our city hike last weekend.
Martha Pettigrew
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Is a Military Draft in the Cards for you Young'uns?
I came across this site and even though it appears to be a rather morbid tongue-in-cheek attempt to raise the specter of a new military draft, it does provide some credible information.
Although I was "Regular Army" (I volunteered) many of the boys/men with whom I served were draftees.
Just to give you young'uns a little taste of what might be in store for you, I'm posting my Delta 1-1 group photo from what was probably the last week of our Basic Combat Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. I'll probably have some further narrative to add to this picture. For me, the Army was the loss of innocence store, which I may expound upon further.
Can you find George? If you can, I'll send you a free copy of my novel (once it's finally published).
Incidentally, blogspot's picture utility doesn't seem to be working. So, I'll post the picture via flickr, below? above?
Although I was "Regular Army" (I volunteered) many of the boys/men with whom I served were draftees.
Just to give you young'uns a little taste of what might be in store for you, I'm posting my Delta 1-1 group photo from what was probably the last week of our Basic Combat Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. I'll probably have some further narrative to add to this picture. For me, the Army was the loss of innocence store, which I may expound upon further.
Can you find George? If you can, I'll send you a free copy of my novel (once it's finally published).
Incidentally, blogspot's picture utility doesn't seem to be working. So, I'll post the picture via flickr, below? above?
"Mission Accomplished!" Yeah, Right!
This from AlterNet on the London bombings this morning.
Now, Dubya's logic has been that we're fighting the terrorists in Iraq because we don't want to fight them here at home. I guess Londoners might be questioning that logic this morning.
Now, Dubya's logic has been that we're fighting the terrorists in Iraq because we don't want to fight them here at home. I guess Londoners might be questioning that logic this morning.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Karl Rove's Treason
Jim Moore writes in the Huffington Post about Karl Rove's duplicity in the the exposure of Valerie Plame, the CIA undercover operative who happened to be the wife of former American diplomat and charge d'affaires in Iraq during the first Iraq "war," Joe Wilson. Joe Wilson, you may recall, is the authoritative source who visited Niger, Africa to investigate Dubya's State of the Union claims that Iraq was buying uranium "yellowcake" from Niger in order to create WMDs. Wilson found no such evidence and exposed Dubya's lie for what it was (not that it ever seemed to matter to neocons and a whole lot of the folks back here in America who, like Dubya/Rove needed, no wanted a war. We had to kick ass after 9/11 and, by God, Dubya/Rove delivered. Moore notes that:
Positioning is Rove's favorite political sport and that's the purpose of this admission. It's a metaphorical "so what" shrug of the shoulders. But the sub text of Rove's words shows another strategy. The presidential advisor undoubtedly knows he is guilty of a federal crime but, for obvious political reasons, he needs it to be something less than treason. Perjury will be his default position. The political harm to be done to his president and his party for a conviction of treason is incalculable.
The legal points of the case against Rove and the other White House Plame leakers almost seem irrelevant. Justice is a kind of bonus if it ever comes to this case. There has never been any real denial by the Bush administration that people working closely with the president made a concerted effort to contact reporters and promote the idea of writing stories about an undercover CIA agent. And yet nobody on the right seems to have any outrage. The confessed unethical behavior, regardless of whether it is legally treason or not, ought to be enough to prompt the "accountability" president to send Rove and his consorts home.
In Texas, progressives are hoping Rove's trail of tears has led him to his own inevitable sadness. And there is the slight chance that the awful weight of all of his wrongs has finally begun to crush Karl Rove. There is a moment of hubris in most great achievements. But I am skeptical that this is Karl's moment. His justice may be long overdue. Unfortunately, however, in Rove's case, the law has been about as reliable as karma.
Positioning is Rove's favorite political sport and that's the purpose of this admission. It's a metaphorical "so what" shrug of the shoulders. But the sub text of Rove's words shows another strategy. The presidential advisor undoubtedly knows he is guilty of a federal crime but, for obvious political reasons, he needs it to be something less than treason. Perjury will be his default position. The political harm to be done to his president and his party for a conviction of treason is incalculable.
The legal points of the case against Rove and the other White House Plame leakers almost seem irrelevant. Justice is a kind of bonus if it ever comes to this case. There has never been any real denial by the Bush administration that people working closely with the president made a concerted effort to contact reporters and promote the idea of writing stories about an undercover CIA agent. And yet nobody on the right seems to have any outrage. The confessed unethical behavior, regardless of whether it is legally treason or not, ought to be enough to prompt the "accountability" president to send Rove and his consorts home.
In Texas, progressives are hoping Rove's trail of tears has led him to his own inevitable sadness. And there is the slight chance that the awful weight of all of his wrongs has finally begun to crush Karl Rove. There is a moment of hubris in most great achievements. But I am skeptical that this is Karl's moment. His justice may be long overdue. Unfortunately, however, in Rove's case, the law has been about as reliable as karma.
Woman
During our downtown hike, David and I walked through the galleria of the Denver Performing Arts Center where Fernando Botero's companion pieces, "Man" and "Woman," are displayed. Unfortunately, the lighting on "Man" was bad. However, "Woman" came out just fine. Good piece!
Monday, July 04, 2005
Colorado's Senator Ken Salazar - Just Stupid, or What?
Seems that the compromise to avoid the "nuclear option," -- the neocon plan to destroy the filibuster in the U.S. Senate -- which seven Republicans and seven Democrats (Yes, Colorado's junior Democratic Senator was one of what has become known at the "Gang of 14") will have some very distinct consequences when Dubya presents his choice for a replacement for the Supreme Court seat Sandra Day O'Connor will be vacating.
This from the Washington Post which reads, in part:
Democrats' hopes of blocking a staunchly conservative Supreme Court nominee on ideological grounds could be seriously undermined by the six-week-old bipartisan deal on judicial nominees, key senators said yesterday.
With President Bush expected to name a successor to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor next week, liberals are laying the groundwork to challenge the nominee if he or she leans solidly to the right on affirmative action, abortion and other contentious issues. But even if they can show that the nominee has sharply held views on matters that divide many Americans, some of the 14 senators who crafted the May 23 compromise appear poised to prevent that strategy from blocking confirmation to the high court, according to numerous interviews.
The pact, signed by seven Democrats and seven Republicans, says a judicial nominee will be filibustered only under "extraordinary circumstances." Key members of the group said yesterday that a nominee's philosophical views cannot amount to "extraordinary circumstances" and that therefore a filibuster can be justified only on questions of personal ethics or character.
Like I said before, Salazar was elected from a decidedly red state. His election was backed by a whole lot of big money folks (Democrats, liberals) and an enormous coalition of blue collar working folks, Latinos, African Americans, gays and lesbians, unions; the traditional--but fading-- power base of the Democratic party. But, what you do and what you say to get yourself elected to the Senate and then what you do or say once you get there are, of course, really, really distinctly different things.
Ol' Ken will probably pull what his predecessor, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, did and switch parties toward the end of his forst term.
And, now that I think about it, it's not just Ken Salazar who appears to have become quite stupid upon his ascension to the Senate. There are a whole lot of other nominal Democrats who have become stupid, lazy, braindead and appear to have been (willingly) castrated in the face of the Dubya/Rove two-headed monster who'll disassemble each one you dipshits if you don't toe the line.
What's scary is Dubya could nominate the reincarnation of Attila the Hun for the Supreme Court and the nomination would succeed much to the credit of limpdick liberals and deadass Democrats.
Regardless of whatever fire Howard Dean's got in his belly, somthin' just ain't right with the party of FDR and Kennedy. Yup, the only thing we have to fear are lily-livered (isn't that a cute word) liberals and spineless Democrats who have lost sight of their base; who fear the two-headed monster.
Oh well... So, what else is new.
This from the Washington Post which reads, in part:
Democrats' hopes of blocking a staunchly conservative Supreme Court nominee on ideological grounds could be seriously undermined by the six-week-old bipartisan deal on judicial nominees, key senators said yesterday.
With President Bush expected to name a successor to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor next week, liberals are laying the groundwork to challenge the nominee if he or she leans solidly to the right on affirmative action, abortion and other contentious issues. But even if they can show that the nominee has sharply held views on matters that divide many Americans, some of the 14 senators who crafted the May 23 compromise appear poised to prevent that strategy from blocking confirmation to the high court, according to numerous interviews.
The pact, signed by seven Democrats and seven Republicans, says a judicial nominee will be filibustered only under "extraordinary circumstances." Key members of the group said yesterday that a nominee's philosophical views cannot amount to "extraordinary circumstances" and that therefore a filibuster can be justified only on questions of personal ethics or character.
Like I said before, Salazar was elected from a decidedly red state. His election was backed by a whole lot of big money folks (Democrats, liberals) and an enormous coalition of blue collar working folks, Latinos, African Americans, gays and lesbians, unions; the traditional--but fading-- power base of the Democratic party. But, what you do and what you say to get yourself elected to the Senate and then what you do or say once you get there are, of course, really, really distinctly different things.
Ol' Ken will probably pull what his predecessor, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, did and switch parties toward the end of his forst term.
And, now that I think about it, it's not just Ken Salazar who appears to have become quite stupid upon his ascension to the Senate. There are a whole lot of other nominal Democrats who have become stupid, lazy, braindead and appear to have been (willingly) castrated in the face of the Dubya/Rove two-headed monster who'll disassemble each one you dipshits if you don't toe the line.
What's scary is Dubya could nominate the reincarnation of Attila the Hun for the Supreme Court and the nomination would succeed much to the credit of limpdick liberals and deadass Democrats.
Regardless of whatever fire Howard Dean's got in his belly, somthin' just ain't right with the party of FDR and Kennedy. Yup, the only thing we have to fear are lily-livered (isn't that a cute word) liberals and spineless Democrats who have lost sight of their base; who fear the two-headed monster.
Oh well... So, what else is new.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
A Downtown Hike
David and I walked to downtown Denver from our Northwest Denver home this Sunday. The route we took was about six miles roundtrip and, of course, I had to take photographs.
This is the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River where Denver City was first platted in 1858. There is a park here called, what esle, Confluence Park. Cherry Creek is to the left and the South Platte is to the right.
The tower you see in the background is Six Flags Elitches Amusement Park.
I'll post more of the sights (photos) from our "Downtown hike."
Friday, July 01, 2005
Our Hike
Ever since our epic ascent of Mount Bierstadt--one of Colorado's fourteeners (elevation over 14,000 ft.)--David and I have been anxious to continue our discovery of the magnificent sights, terrain, environment of the Colorado Rockies. Our hike on Sunday, June 26th, 2005, was not epic and certainly didn't demand the effort and determination of climbing another of Colorado's fourteeners. But, it was a good day; it was an sweetly serene and intimate experience between the two of us and the raw stuff of nature that is so gloriously prevalent in the Colorado Rockies.
We headed for the Golden Gate Canyon State Park which is about thirty miles from the city of Denver and sits within the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. No, the "Golden Gate" designation has nothing to do with San Francisco. Golden is the city at the base of the Colorado Rockies where, among other things, Coors beer is brewed and the Colorado School of the Mines is located.
Within the Golden Gate Canyon State Park are a number of trails and camping sites that are, apparently, utilized by a great number of folks given their convenient distance from Denver. However, our early arrival--about 7a.m.--assured us a rather quiet solitude amongst the miracles of nature within the park.
David and I chose the Burro trail which leads up to what is called, "Windy Peak." The trail is about 4.5 miles long (nine miles round trip) and David and I handled the round trip hike in about three hours. And, no, it wasn't windy at the peak. Shucks!
It was a good day until we sat down at the end of the hike to eat our turkey sandwiches and six mountain bikers whizzed past us on their way up the trail. Not that I have anything against mountain biking. It's just that, well... If I were a dad with three kids and a wife doodling along the skinny trail up to Windy Peak and, all of a sudden, here comes six hefty guys on mountain bikes demanding the same space my family was, at the time, occupying... Well, it'd probably piss me off. You can see how narrow the trail was.
Then again, I am were one of the mountain bikers...
Like I said, it was a good day. I wish I could have taken you all along with us.
p.s. I just added the above picture within the post with the new utility provided by blogspot. Looks pretty good.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
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