portrait

          Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

five jacksons walk into a bar...

Mr. T wrote "is the purpose of a union to help equalize wealth?"

Not really. The purpose of labor unions in the 1940's, 50's, & early 60's was to get a good, sound, living wage for those under union protection, to offer the benefits (medical coverage and a pension) commensurate with that lifesyle, and to insure decent working conditions.

"Equalization" isn't possible or desirable. In the process of accomplishing the above, unions of the 1940's & 50's did somewhat make incomes not anywhere near equal, but less unequal.

I know where you're going with this, Mr. T, so in anticipation of what you've probably already said, What we have today in America is a class of people so rich they've bought the gov't.

They're a plutocratic oligarchy, or as George Carlin put it, "The assholes who run things."

"It's a big club" Carlin said, "And you ain't in it.

"That's right -- you and I are not in the Big Club."

And here's the hard part to get your head around, only if you want to deal with reality, you must:

WE NEVER WILL BE.

friday cat blogging

Bib bob

I got an intresting writing prompt @ F___B___. a few days ago, I forgert from whom. The idea of it is to characterize each of your nine most frequent F___B___ friends -- the  9 pictures in the left sidebar in a box/  The prompt suggests a few words 4 each, in order, starting at top left and moving horizontally.

Here's what I came up with.


1. Bib-Bob -- Ciggy-smokin roundup expert, inventor of carbonated beef suet.

2-Terry G -- Tequila-soaked intellectual, radical good timer, former colleague of Ed Norton, now retired. 

3- Ellen -- cabaret chanteuse, yogini, co-author of the song "Reggalar Guy" (& I'm not schizophrenic).

4- Pam - yogini, former varsity cheerleader at PU (Cal. state @ Pismo Beach)

5- Meredith -- prolific blogger, author of the memoir, "My life on the Intenet Tubes" theraminista.

6- julie F.A. -- Graphic artist extraordinaire, graphic, world-class joneser, long-winded raconteur (See Twains "Jumping Frog..."

7. Bobadilla -- Mexican Peacelord, political wonk, author of "Howard & Me."

8. Jennifer -- femme fatale, former roadie 4 the Rolling Stones, everybody's fantasy 2nd wife.

9. Chris --Former Nun, lives with Tom Trailmaster, clmbs mountains, trees, rocks, & rooves.

Mystic City

Liv'd there in the Mystic City of the Empire that's unseen...

So, what's the deal? The wingers are all pissed at Obama (so what else is new?) cuz he doesn't like the term Islamic terrorism. I always say "What's in a name? A Rose by any other name smells just as sweet..." (OK, Bill the Bard said it first). And if you call garbage cordon bleu? 

Of course it's not religious in origin.

How many people refer 2 the KKK as "Christian terrorists?"

But I sorta kinda in a way see the wingers' point on this, so here's something 4 our "friends on the other side of the aisle" 2 chew on: The Christian hate group League of the South is planning big party on April 15 to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Abe Lincoln's assassination, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. (SPLCenter.org/blog/)

And as long as this flap is going on, I'll never speak or write "KKK" without saying "The Christian terrorists of the Ku Klux Klan.

Also, calling them the Christian terrorists of the KKK fits in with their self description, as "Christian, gentile, native, white men."*

All I'm sayin is it's a 2-way street. If their terrorists R motivated by their religion 2 do the things they do, so R ours. But if they're motivated by racism or ethnic chauvinism...who can make such fine distinctions, and where's the profit in doing so? 

*From the song "Mystic City," released in 1927 on the KKK label (Indianapolis). 

friday cat blogging: how safe is your pussy?

Is yr pussy safe & secure? U should know that if she wanders outdoors a lot she's prey 2 coyotes, raccoons, & the dreaded Giuliani monster!


This pussy is safe & secure, Not only is she in a box, but once she pulls that paw in she'll be completely secured, in a box in the house (It's not 4 nothing they call me "Catboxxer"). Some folks might laugh at this, and say "Why worry about the Giuliani monster? He's in NewYork City, amirite?"

Wrong! The monster was sighted here in AZ a week ago, complaining about Obama & claiming he LOVES all pussies, without mentoning he loves em with a side of cole slaw.

Don't  let your sweet little pussy outside, even though this monster is back in NYC right now. He gets around amazingly quickly. You may B in Arizona or Washington state, but I'm sure you don't want your little beast exposed 2 STD's or worse. I'd rather be killed and eaten by a dozen coyotes than fall into the claws of this thing.

mim

Yesterday we visited the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix & were overwhelmed. We saw maybe a quarter of it, but it was only our first time there. We kind of grazed thru the African & Mideastern rooms 4 a couple hours, then took a cursory look at the rest.

Here's a shot of the section of wall devoted 2 a Yoruba masquerade (carnival?). The Yoruba live on the landward corner at the bottom of West Africa's bulge, today part of Nigeria. The display is typical of the Museum's set-up -- a ritual costume and a plethora of instruments, and best of all, each  features a monitor playing a tape loop which shows the instruments in the display being played, in ensembles and by soloists. You're wearing headphones and quickly become immersed in the music and the sight of the instruments.

Turkey gets a comprehensive treatment, with an urban wall (left) and a rural space on the right. The dress looks like the one the Dervishes wear, but it might just as easily be a female costume. Even tho I read all the descriptions, I can't remember what any of them said. I think it's called "Sensory overload."

Some of the most rhythmically complex, passionate, and inspiring music in the world comes from the Balkans, and you can hear several exuberant samples at Bulgaria's space, in the Mideast section if I remember. The bagpies made from half-goatskins are beautiful to look at, and the eerie sound they make frightens some. Bulgars, Romanians, Albanians, & others in the region sometimes play goat bags with 2 pipes, enabling highly-skilled musicians to play real counterpoint.

Speaking of double spout bapipes, I can't sign off tonite without showing you this thing, played with a bellows. I'm not sure how many hands it takes to operate this monster, and don't remeber where I saw it, although I'm reasonably certain it was somewhere in the Balkans.

Click on these little thumbnails 2 C the pix in full size.

pizza pizza

Best Pizza Ever! (& actually good 4 U!) Very 

thin scratch crust w/ 1. King Arthur 

unbleached flour.2. Lots of Kit's homemade 

vegan red (spaghetti) sauce (Lots of it!) 3. 

VERY LITTLE cheese (Monterey jack, 

Asiago, Parmesan), 4. topped with Kalamata 

olives, sautéed mushrooms, scallions, & fresh 

basil. Is "health pizza" a contradiction?

oral flatulace losing its fragrance

We've known 4 quite some time that Rush is in financial trouble, due 2 a campaign 2 get him defunded run by Media Matters & others.

But a story in the Wall St. Yurnal last week

points out that the trouble brought by Rusty has now spread, involving the entire hate radio sector.

According 2 the Yurnal, "More than 50 million people in the U.S. tune in each week to news-talk radio.

"But" the Yurnal continues, "many national advertisers have fled from such situations in recent years, seeking to avoid associating their brands with potentially controversial programming. As a result, advertising on talk radio stations now costs about half what it does on music stations, given comparable audience metrics, according to industry executives." 
             
           The damage hate radio's violent language & its tendency 2 champion stupid opinions have done 2 us politically, socially, spiritually, & ethically is impossible 2 calculate. 

friday cat blogging

A.M. The cat creeps stealthily
along the side of the house.

Click pic 2 embiggen.

marshawn the magnificent

Marshawn Lynch, running back, Seattle Seahawks

(Photo by Carlos Serrao 4 ESPN Magazine's 2014 Body Issue