tag:stephenleerich.com,2005:/blogs/it-s-all-vaudevilleIt's All Vaudeville2022-05-22T15:58:40-05:00Stephen Lee Richfalsetag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724402015-12-29T21:16:11-06:002020-01-25T02:24:27-06:00"Joe Hill's Last Will" Is A Play to Remember
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<p>Worldwide it has been a banner year for centenary celebrations. 2015 is, for example, the two hundredth anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, and the eight hundredth anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.</p>
<p>In America, one centenary which has received much attention at the grass roots level, but no attention at all from the mainstream media, is the hundredth anniversary of the execution of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) organizer and songwriter Joe Hill. Hill is credited with popularizing the practice of rewriting well known folk tunes and hymns to use as organizing tools. Many of his songs, such as “The Preacher and the Slave” and “There Is Power in the Union”, are still in use to this day.</p>
<p>Hill was much maligned and persecuted for his activism. On Nov. 19, 1915 he was executed by a firing squad in Salt Lake City, Utah for a murder he did not commit. It has always been thought, by his supporters, that he was railroaded into conviction more because of his union organizing than any actual suspicion of guilt for the crime.</p>
<p>During the past year many celebrations of his life and work have been staged throughout the United States. Most were local efforts in various cities. There was even a national troupe of musicians calling themselves “The Joe Hill Roadshow” featuring performers like David Rovics and Anne Feeney.</p>
<p>One of the most interesting and insightful commemorations has been a play by civil rights, labor and community organizer and musician Si Kahn called “Joe Hill’s Last Will”. It is part of a series of one character plays which Kahn has written about the lives of prominent, early labor organizers. Others include “Precious Memories” about Sarah Ogan Gunning, and “Mother Jones In Heaven”.</p>
<p>The audience meets John McCutcheon (songwriter, performer, multi-Grammy nominee) as Joe Hill in a Utah prison cell a scant hour-and-a-half before Hill’s scheduled execution. The whole thing runs in more or less real time. This gives an edge and immediacy to everything that Hill has to say. Even when the character is doing something as benign as bragging about being the most requested piano player at dances the audience is aware that, as he speaks, rifles are being loaded.</p>
<p>This marks McCutcheon’s shining debut as an actor. His power as a performer is focused in laser-like sharpness in his portrayal of Joe Hill. I dare you to try not to shout out the responses when McCutcheon, as Hill, begins singing “The Preacher and the Slave”. Si Kahn’s biting and insightful script, of course, gives the actor much to work with.</p>
<p>The talent and experience of director Elizabeth Craven (former head of the MFA Performance Program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, current Artistic Director of Main Stage West in Sebastopol, California) weave text and performance into a seamless whole.</p>
<p>McCutcheon plans to continue touring with the play in 2016. You owe it to yourself to witness this moving and uplifting experience.</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724392013-09-18T18:31:22-05:002020-01-25T02:24:27-06:00Reconsidering The Capitol Sing
<p> I will probably be politically pilloried for what I am about to say, but it is something that needs to be said. We need to take a very long, very hard, and very <em>different</em> look at what is happening each weekday at noon in Wisconsin’s Capitol. </p>
<p> First I should point out that I am not entirely objective about this. I have participated in the Sing. No. I have not been there every day as have some people. No. I have not even been there even as often as I, perhaps, could or should have. To be completely honest, I have been to the sing about two dozen times since it started. I am very proud of my participation, however small, in this remarkable, ongoing event, though. There is something amazing and energizing about a group of people raising their voices in song, particularly when those voices are being raised to achieve a constructive goal. That political, emotional, and artistic attachment to the Sing makes it difficult to write this essay at all. The fact that I have not been totally immersed in it makes it possible for me to examine it from a different point of view than most. My commitment to progress and my belief in the ultimate goal of the Sing makes impossible to refrain from writing this.</p>
<p> The ultimate goal of the Sing, as I see it, has been two-fold. The first goal is, of course, to make certain that nobody forgets about the damage that Gov. Walker and his minions have done to our state and to keep their minds open to getting rid of him in the next election. How well they have succeeded at this is open to debate. The second goal is a different matter. The second goal is to make sure that Scotty and his cronies don’t forget that there are still a lot of angry Cheeseheads in Wisconsin. How have they done at that? Let me put it this way. If they had not been so wonderfully and brilliantly successful at achieving that goal the Capitol Police would not be doing what they are doing. Nobody would have been cited, harassed, beaten, or arrested. The Sing is an ongoing thorn in the side of the Powers That Be. One of the functions of public demonstrations is to annoy and frighten those who would oppress us. That’s why they feel the need to annoy and frighten the Singers.</p>
<p> It is, however, that very success that calls the success of the first goal into question. The success of any public demonstration depends, in a very large part, on public support. Inside of Madison the Sing has that. The public support within the city staggers the imagination. The farther one gets from Madison the more that diminishes. Outside of Dane County the only information people are getting about the sing is wrapped in the Great American Mythology About Protesters. It’s that police-bravely-confront-the horde-of-dirty-obnoxious-rude-noisy-hippies malarkey. Whether it is because they are not getting any information that would dispel the myth (which they probably aren’t), because if they <em>have </em>gotten that information and have not believed it (which is possible), or some combination of the two is not known. What is known is that the perception is helping Scott Walker to solidify his political base. Those are people we don’t actually need to worry about. Those folks will vote for Walker in the next election anyway. The people we need to worry about are the right-leaning moderates, who understand the damage that the governor is doing to the state and are willing to hold their noses and vote for a Democrat to get rid of him, and the left-leaning centrists who saw the danger from the start. Neither group wants to be seen as being allied with anarchists. These are the swing voters that we need to reach if we are to remove Walker from office. Under current circumstances we may not be able to do so. The general perception of the Sing outside of Madison may prevent that. It is possible that the Sing has run its course. It has served a great purpose. But, it may be time to move on to the other work that needs to be done to oust the Walker regime.</p>
<p> The counter argument to this is, “That’s all well and good. But, what about the suppression of Free Speech? We should not have to ask the government’s permission to petition the government! The actions of the Capitol Police are just, plain wrong! We can’t let Erwin and Walker win! We have to keep up the pressure.”</p>
<p> That’s a valid thought. It’s an important battle to be fought and, one hopes, won. One has to ask, under the circumstances (by which I mean <em>all </em>of the circumstances which I’ve outlined so far), if the Capitol Rotunda is the right battlefield in which to fight this. Make no mistake here. I am not in any manner supporting the court decision which allowed the Capitol Police to require permits. Nor am I in any way condoning or supporting the actions of the Capitol Police. You are quite right that we should not have to ask the government’s permission to criticize the government in public. The Capitol Police have unquestionably misinterpreted and misused the decision. But, consider this if you will. The very existence of some 300 odd citations and arrests give us more than ample opportunity to defeat this in the courts. Somewhere in those 300-plus bites at the apple are several good arguments to prove the misinterpretation and misuse. Even if the permit decision is not struck down it is not unreasonable to expect that the courts will more finitely and reasonably explain the decision in such a way as to block the Capitol Police from going any farther down their current path. We still have many thinking grown-ups sitting on the bench in Wisconsin. In this particular instance singing cannot modify police behavior. The courts <em>can!</em></p>
<p> None of this means that letting go of the Sing will be easy. It won’t be. It can’t be. There are too many passions, emotions and issues tied up in it to make walking away easy. Besides, let’s be completely honest about this, it’s a heck of a lot of <em>fun. </em>It will be missed. But, right now the State of Wisconsin needs every able hand to put as much time, energy and passion into defeating Scott Walker in the next election. It’s going to take a lot of work to win over the moderates and centrists we will need to achieve that goal. We need to look carefully at the larger goals and <em>all </em>of the facts to decide how the cause can best be served. If we shift our efforts now from public demonstration to grass-roots organizing we <em>can win out </em>over the Right-Wing Agenda and the Koch Brothers’ money. We can turn Fitzwalkerstan back into Wisconsin.</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724382012-12-24T22:47:06-06:002022-05-22T15:58:40-05:00Observations on Christmas and Christians
<p>As Christians celebrate, on this day, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I would like to remind the Fundamentalists why we are called Christians.</p>
<p> It is not because of The Book of Genesis, although that book is certainly important. It is not because of the Book of Leviticus, although that book has much to tell us. It is not completely in the Book of Revelation, which seems to be the Fundamentalist’s sole concession to the New Testament.</p>
<p> Christianity is in The Gospels. Those books exist to tell us what our Lord said, taught and did. Those books exist to tell us what the Heavenly Father wants us to be.</p>
<p> These books will tell you that we are a Faith of peace and love, not of weapons and hatred. We are a Faith of hope and progress, not of cowering in fear at the possibility of change. We are a Faith which embraces all of the Almighty’s Creation, not just one, tiny group of humans.</p>
<p> Although many of the traditions of Christmas stem from ancient pagan practices, it is still the perfect time to celebrate the birth of our Lord. The Winter Solstice marks the time when the days become longer as we move closer to the rebirth of Spring. It is the most appropriate possible symbol of who and what we are as Christians.</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724372012-11-21T13:52:50-06:002020-01-25T10:25:55-06:00Gratitudes
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<p>I am grateful that Ingrid Frances Stark is part of my life. She marks the second time in my life that I have found a soulmate. Many people never find one. I am truly blessed.</p>
<p>I am grateful that I am able to make a living in pursuit of my various passions.</p>
<p>I am grateful for friends, real and virtual. It is a miracle to be able to laugh, cry, joke, get crazy, and generally hang out with people close to you. I also, however, value my Facebook friends. The ongoing banter and debate always gives me dozens of new ideas to ponder when I logoff.</p>
<p>I am grateful for the existence of imagination. Without it the universe would be lost. It gives us our only chance to envision a life beyond our immediate, physical reality. Without imagination there would be no science, no philosophy, no capitalism, no socialism, no communism, no activism, no physics, no metaphysics, no quantum physics, no way to plan methods to improve our lives or our world. It may be the most valuable thing that we have as human beings. It’s not so much that the imagination helps one to think outside the box. It’s that it helps one to realize that the box only exists in one’s imagination.</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724362012-07-10T16:18:37-05:002020-01-25T02:24:26-06:00We Need To Start Using The "F" Word!
<p> The word is “Fascism”! I am not using this word lightly. I am not using this word, in any manner, facetiously or as any form of epithet. I am using the word because it best describes our current political reality.</p>
<p> “When corporate interests and government are working from the same agenda, you have fascism” – Benito Mussolini</p>
<p> That’s just about the most succinct and authoritative definition of the word that one is likely to find.</p>
<p> If we are to overcome this reality it is <em>vital </em>that we say the word out loud and without fear that it might offend. If we cannot name the problem we cannot solve it. Without use of the word we become like the Right Wing legislators who want to pass laws governing women’s reproductive rights but won’t let anyone say the word “vagina”.</p>
<p> In order to use the word we must first accept its presence on our political landscape. We must accept that it is now the law of the land. We must understand that it his been made so by the one-two punch of the Citizens United decision and the Montana decision. The former decision is one that most of us know well. It declared corporations to be people (which is like calling linoleum part of a nutritious breakfast) and equated the spending of money with free speech (which is like calling a hungry crocodile a safe and soothing house pet). The Montana decision stripped individual states of their ability to regulate money in politics by overturning Montana’s very good, century old law which did exactly that.</p>
<p><strong>Then and Now</strong></p>
<p> The Grand Shift to the Right is not new. The only new thing about it is the outright legalization of corruption. We’ve been building up to this since the end of the Second World War. The phrase “liberal media bias” came into our political lexicon during the McCarthy era. Then it meant anyone who failed to parrot the Senator’s fear-mongering without question. Now, it means the same thing in relation to GOP talking points. In the 1960’s many people thought that if Barry Goldwater took two steps farther to the right that he would fall off the edge of the Earth. Now, the positions of “moderates” or “centrists” are nearly indistinguishable from the positions which Senator Goldwater espoused back in the day. The top tier leaders of the GOP <em>have </em>fallen off the edge of the Earth. They have gotten to the point at which “GOP” may no longer stand for “Grand Old Party”. It may stand for “Greedy Oligarchical Plutocrats” (note: I do not regard the Democrats any more highly than the Republicans). The shift maintained itself through President Nixon, President Reagan, President Clinton (yes, a Democrat), and both Presidents Bush.</p>
<p><strong>Now</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong>Where does that put us now? It puts us in a right-wing, fascist state. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we still have a chance to turn it around. Obviously, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has no motivation to stop it. They are the chief instigators. We cannot, however, change things by looking to the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The DNC, as much as the RNC, has no more interest in maintaining this more perfect union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity than a cow has in space flight. I can already hear the Liberals howling. Ask yourselves this. If the Democrats are on our side why did they help to pass the USA Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)? Why have they supported bills like absurdly misnamed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)? If President Obama is so interested in our well being why did he allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to declare the Gulf of Mexico clean up to be finished when it’s not even close? Why was BP issued new drilling permits when such permits should never again be issued to such a reckless and corrupt company? Why did he happily, and without question, <em>sign </em>NDAA? Why has he appointed a top executive from the Borgia Corp--- I’m sorry—I mean Monsanto to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? The Democrats are not our friends either! We, on the political left, need to stop denying this fact. The DNC is under as much corporate ownership as the RNC. Some will start listing what small legislation the Democrats <em>have </em>passed as a counter argument. These are just crumbs from the table at the big house. They are tokens designed to create the illusion of two opposing parties. What we have, in reality, is a one “party” that is aggressively promoting Fascism and another “party” which is trying to pretend that it doesn’t want exactly the same thing.</p>
<p><strong>A Word of Explanation</strong></p>
<p> Many who read this are probably upset because I have listed the myriad sins of the Democrats without listing those of the Republicans as well. This is because I’m addressing the political left not the political right. One of the lessons to be learned from Wisconsin’s failed effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker is that the rank and file Republicans are going to be completely useless in any realistic attempt to effect change. While it is true that many life-long Republicans circulated and signed petitions, an overwhelming majority of the GOP sheep happily allowed themselves to be to be lead back to the pasture for more brutal shepherd shtuping when it came time to actually vote. It is then, if you’ll pardon the expression, left to the Left to change things.</p>
<p> We are already bombarded, on a daily basis, with the insanities of the GOP. We know them all too well. We have, however, a very large blind spot when it comes to evaluating the Democrats.</p>
<p> Consider this. Every President since the end of World War II has waged some kind of war of his own. I mean <em>every president. </em>There have been no exceptions. Despite that the last Democrat against whom the anti-war movement made any substantive noises was Lyndon Johnson. The silence might be forgiven during the Carter years (note that I said “might” not “should”) because we were preoccupied with The Iranian Hostage Crisis. However, Bill Clinton waged the exactly same kind of war in Afghanistan that Dubya later waged in Iraq. We howled mercilessly against the younger Bush’s war. But, there was almost not a peep about Clinton’s war. Perhaps the anti-war movement didn’t notice because all of the television news shops were busy trying to cram their cameras down Clinton’s pants to talk about Monica Lewinsky. That’s still no excuse.</p>
<p> Since Nancy Pelosi tabled impeachment of George W. Bush, that’s almost all I have heard from the Democrats that I know. They have griped mightily about the GOP, yet have produced a grand parade of absurd, irrelevant, preposterous, and sometimes downright pin-headed excuses for why the Democratic Party has made virtually no effort to fight the Right Wing Agenda.</p>
<p> We need to finally admit that the DNC in not going to be any help in the fight which we <em>must </em>wage against fascism.</p>
<p><strong>Now and Tomorrow</strong></p>
<p> So, what do we do? We build a third party!</p>
<p> “But,” many of you will say, “a third party can’t win!”</p>
<p> I say, “ BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…winkle.”</p>
<p> The only reason that the above statement has become part of our political orthodoxy is because the talking butts on television have repeated that idea during every election for over sixty years! If you tell a lie often enough it begins to feel like the truth. That does not make the lie true.</p>
<p> On those rare occasions when television has deigned to cover a third party candidate at all they have introduced him or her by mentioning that a third party win is impossible. That’s not a coincidence. Television news operations are owned by multi-national media corporations which have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. They don’t want any third parties rocking the boat.</p>
<p> If we do enough substantive, boots-on-the-ground work a third party <em>can</em> win an election.</p>
<p> While it would be most desirable for there to be one third party, that’s not currently practical. What is practical and possible is to build a coalition of left-leaning independent parties. I strongly urge all of these parties to reach out to one another. Combine forces and resources. Each, by themselves, are too small to make much of an impact. If combined into a coalition, however, they can have enough clout to get things started. The coalition should then reach out to OWS. That’s where they will get the number of people that they will need to make things really move.</p>
<p> We need to set our goals at a reasonable level. We shouldn’t worry about the Whitehouse for the moment. We should work on capturing as many local and statewide offices as we can. The national goal, for the moment, should be capturing five Senate seats and twenty House seats. That doesn’t sound like a lot on the surface, but think what that could achieve. It could effectively <em>end</em> legislative gridlock in the Senate and go a long way toward ending it in the House. It would provide a voice for positions that are not even considered now. Once we have achieved those goals we can start worrying about seriously running someone for the presidency.</p>
<p> Yes. It’s true that both sides of the aisle may combine forces to fight us. It is just as likely that each side will fall all over themselves to court our votes to advance their respective pet bills. Think of it. We could restore pragmatism to the legislative process.</p>
<p> It will take one hell of a lot of work. But, it <em>can </em>be done</p>
<p><strong>One Last Thing</strong></p>
<p> Even if you disagree with me, would you, please, share this essay? I realize how odd that request seems. However, the primary goal of this essay is to generate discussion outside the boundaries set by the talking butts. They are ignoring two thirds of the facts and two thirds of the possibilities about which we should be speaking. I do, indeed, believe what I have written. I also understand that I am human and capable of error (sometimes I’m quite good at it). I’m always willing to listen to and consider other points of view. I espouse the creation of a third party because I only see two alternatives. One is to give in to fascism. The other is to take actions which involve the use of firearms. I find neither alternative to be desirable nor acceptable.</p>
<p> The bottom line, as it were, is that we need to start talking about this openly, planning a strategy, and taking action as soon as we possibly can. I pray that we are not already too late.</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724352012-03-07T21:12:21-06:002020-01-25T10:25:54-06:00Making Changes
<p>Reinvention
Back at the end of the 1980’s and into the beginning of the 1990’s there was a fellow named Tom Peters who was making quite a splash in business news circles.
He was also catching on with much of the general public with a delightfully radical idea. He thought that, for any business to stay healthy and profitable on a long-term basis, it needed to reinvent itself every three years or so. For me it the idea came as vindication of a sort. I had, from a creative standpoint, been doing that since I started my career as an entertainer in 1970.
What you are seeing or hearing on this website is my long overdue self reinvention. The stage persona has changed. The style and substance of the comedy has changed. Much of the music is being changed. That is not to say that I’m ready to throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are things that ain’t broke so I ain’t gonna fix ‘em. I am not, for example, about to stop yodeling. It’s too much fun. But, I’ve been cruising along on that cowboy stage character for more than a decade. He’s a good character and I like working in him . But, he’s no longer enough to handle what I need to be doing as a singer, songwriter and satirist in these early years of the 21st century. Some radical changes have to happen.
Other than that I won’t bore you with all of the dopey details of what I need to change and why. I’m only bring it up as ajumping off point to pass along what I think that I have learned from my various reinventions. Note that I am not claiming to be particularly wise or to be telling you anything that you don’t already know. I may have an experience a couple of weeks from now that will prove that everything that I think I know is completely wrong. That’s part of the nature of change and growth. So feel free to take the following with a grain or so of salt.
Renewal
A friend of mine once told me that every once in a while you have to unscrew your head from your shoulders, put it on a table in front of you, and talk to it. It’s a colorful variation on one of the oldest pieces of good advice on the planet. ”Know Thyself.” This is particularly important for artists of any kind. A good deal of your core identity is going into your chosen medium. Thus, the best way to get control of your art is to have a good handle on what’s going out there. Even if you’re not an artist it is still important to know who you are inside. Some go therapists to find this stuff out. Some people go to support groups. Some people join a religion. We each have our own way. Unfortunately, a lot of us don’t feel that we have the kind of time needed to achieve any demonstrable level of self knowledge. That’s not always true, though. There are a lot of points in our lives when we are not actually doing anything except to wait; on the bus or train commuting to and from work, in a doctor’s waiting room, in line at the supermarket, or in line anywhere for that matter. You can’t honestly say that you’re doing anything especially useful at moments like that. Use that time to ask yourself some of the following questions.
1) What makes you laugh?
2) Why?
3) What makes you angry?
4) Why?
Obviously, questions about all of the emotions between those two points
will occur to you while you’re thinking. As you start to cross-reference the various questions the answers may start to surprise you. You will like some of them and want to hide from others. But, it’s important that you know both. The tricky part, of course, is in answering the question honestly. The most universal and widely practiced art form in the world is that of self deception. I say this knowing that I’m as guilty as anyone (maybe more than some). Sometimes what you need is a way to jumpstart a different point of view.
This is going to sound wildly absurd, but stay with me for a couple of minutes. I’ve found this to be a darned useful technique for changing my view of things. Early in the morning, when you are standing in front of your mirror to shave or put on makeup (or both), spend three minutes mugging. Spend three minutes making strange, goofy, or weird faces at yourself. Spend three minute being five years old.
You may be thinking, “That’s really stupid! I can’t do that!”
Yes, it is and yes, you can. It’s a bit startling what doing something that childish and ridiculous can achieve. For a start, it forces you, quite literally, to see yourself differently than you normally do. That’s never a bad thing. Beyond that it will carry you into your day with a slightly different and, possibly, more positive attitude. The knowledge that you have spent three minute of your day doing something shamelessly silly will make it very nearly impossible to take yourself too seriously. With that barrier removed it will be a lot easier to prioritize the degrees to which you need to take the rest of the world seriously. With that barrier removed it will diminish the degree of self deception in play when answering the previously discussed questions.
Try it. If nothing else it’s a heck of a lot of fun.</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724342012-02-15T12:26:27-06:002020-01-25T10:25:54-06:00What Happened In Maine?
<p>Once again the Republican Party is actively proving something which I’ve been saying for years. You can’t have a circus without elephants. This is not about Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker’s union busting (and budget busting) agenda. This not about the twisted parade of spoiled rich kids, whacos, megalomaniacs, nitwits, and outright fascists that the GOP has trotted out to run for the Presidency. This isn’t about Corporate Personhood (although, I would like to see CitiCorp’s long form birth certificate). This isn’t even about the GOP’s war on reproductive rights (although, the mandatory ultra-sound bill in Virginia gives a whole new meaning to the term “intrusive government”). This is about one of the GOP’s other pet issues: Vote Fraud. This was reported last night on MSNBC by Rachel Maddow.
Republican controlled state legislatures all over the country have been passing “anti-vote fraud” bills the only intent of which is to undermine the voting power of those who would oppose them. Right problem. Wrong solution. It should come as no surprise to anyone that in many states Republicans are under investigation or are being prosecuted for (drum roll, please) VOTE FRAUD, and other forms of election chicanery. After all, those restrictive voting laws can only disenfranchise finite number of people. They need an extra, little push. Thus, it should be even less surprising that the GOP has finally turned on its own.
It happened in a place not that far away; in a land not of sight and sound, but of mindlessness; a shadow land of things from ideologues. Signpost on the left: you have entered (long, dramatic pause) the Maine Caucuses!
The GOP in Maine has rigged up a way to double-cross their own voters. Washington County had heavy snows on the day they were scheduled to vote. They postponed the voting until February 18th (this coming Saturday). State GOP officials told them not to worry that their votes would be counted anyway. Somewhere between then and now things changed just a wee bit. Earlier this week Republican officials in the state announced that America’s favorite spoiled rich kid, Mitt Romney had won the Maine Caucuses.
Washington County Republicans exclaimed, “Wait a minute! What about us? What about our votes?”
“Sorry,” said the state GOP condescendingly, “too late!”
Meanwhile, in the town of Belfast in Waldo County a top official tried to call in the numbers from their vote. The conversation went something like this.
State GOP: (smugly) We already have those numbers.
Belfast GOP: (with the general level of incredulity that one ordinarily would reserve for that moment when one sees a rhinoceros flying over a carwash) What? Wait a minute! That’s impossible! I’m just calling in the numbers now!
State GOP: (even more smugly) We have the numbers right here and Mitt Romney won in Belfast.
Belfast GOP: (through clenched teeth) NO! I have the numbers right here and Mitt Romney DID NOT win in Belfast!
State GOP: (to get exactly the right tone for the following bit of dialogue try to imagine a cartoon rabbit in drag talking to a very befuddled hunter) Reeeeeeeeealy?
The officials in Belfast complained to the State Republican leadership and were assured that the numbers would be adjusted. The official “adjustment” showed that nobody in Belfast had voted for anybody. According to the Maine GOP there were no votes cast in Belfast. This was also the official result for seventeen out of the eighteen caucuses held in Waldo County. Nobody voted for anybody. No votes were cast. This was also the result for Republicans in the town of Waterville in Kennebec County.
Needless to say the voters in those locations are madder than a New York theater critic who found himself seated in the second balcony. They want their votes counted. The Maine GOP leadership has vowed to review the numbers, but not until after Super Tuesday when it will, of course, be irrelevant.
Whether these things happened by intent or ineptitude it would seem that the GOP has been so far removed from any known form of reality for so long that they can’t seem to get their minds around the simplest and most fundamental rule of common sense which is, “Don’t poop where you eat!”
The Republican Party in Maine may wind up having some trouble rallying support for anyone come November. It may help to make re-electing the President a touch easier. In the overview Maine would merely seem to be one of the more absurd manifestations of the GOP’s insanity.
That having been said, we still have a lot of work to do. Keep at it. Remember what we have proven and will continue to prove, here, in Wisconsin. Boots on the ground are stronger than any rich man’s war chest!</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724332012-02-15T12:23:38-06:002021-12-15T16:41:36-06:00Frog Fight
<p>Frog Fight
No frogs were waiting on the front porch to greet Winthrop when he got home from school on Tuesday. The frogs had been there to greet him every day for as long as he could remember (given that he was only seven years old, however, that wasn’t a heck of a long time). Though he called and croaked for hours, no frogs came . Winthrop was very disappointed.
Where were they? Why had they stayed away? Had he offended them?
If so, how? He hadn’t called them any unpleasant names. He wasn’t even sure that there was any sort of unpleasant name which one could call them.
They were, after all frogs.
There had to be a way to get them back! Winthrop thought and thought. Myabe if he put out some food he could lure them back. Even frogs liked a nice gnosh now and then. But, he had no idea what kind of bugs frogs ate or how to catch them had he known.
Wait a minute! Everybody said that Uncle Marvin was a little buggy. He could lash Uncle Marvin to the porch swing! That would help him to coax the frogs back!
So, he went to talk to his uncle. Uncle Marvin said that he would do it. Everybody was right. Uncle Marvin was a little buggy (maybe a lot). Winthrop jumped for joy (but, only after he had scared up enough duct tape to lash his uncle to the porch swing).
It worked! As soon as Winthrop had secured the last strip of tape to the swing, the frogs slowly began to return. Winthrop was ecstatic. The frogs were ecstatic. Uncle Marvin was very uncomfortable.
None the less, they all lived happily ever after (except for Uncle Marvin, who died of warts).
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Facing Monday is still available.
</p>
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Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724322012-02-07T14:53:23-06:002020-01-25T10:25:54-06:00Random Thoughts
<p>You can always tell when a trend has run its course. Justin Bieber Singing Toothbrushes (yes, there really is such a thing) were selling for $29.90 each. Now you can get two for $14.00 from Groupon.com.
What is frightening isn’t the selling price or even the fact that someone would shell out good money for such a product. What is frightening is that a grown person actually got paid to think of it in the first place.
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Thoughts on Theodore Roosevelt
In school we were taught about Theodore R.
He kept the world hopping both here and afar.
A friend of mine read of his vigor and vim and said,
“When I grow up I want to be him!”
That bounced around gibbon-like inside my head,
So I asked my friend, “You want to be dead?”
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The Super Bowl was actually an interesting, and fun game to watch this year! I suppose that’s why I’ve found the phrase “freezing over” springing to mind.
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Now In Theaters: The new animated, fantasy adventure, The Dragon With The Girl Tatoo.
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What’s the difference between the Zombie Apocalypse and the current slate of Republican presidential candidates?
The zombies WANT brains.
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Be well. Dream on!
Steve</p>
Stephen Lee Richtag:stephenleerich.com,2005:Post/61724312010-03-25T21:39:20-05:002020-01-25T10:25:54-06:00Security?
<p>Recently singer/songwriter, Randall Williams posed an interesting question on Facebook. He asked his friends to define the word “securityâ€. One suspects that for every five people one asks one is likely to get seven or eight answers. There will always be folks with more than one definition.
My immediate answer was to tell Randall that, while many people may define security in financial terms, I took security from the knowledge that I was able to make music and would probably be able to do so for quite some time to come. Security is hearing that first laugh from an audience. It tells me that I’m doing my job right.
Subsequent posts discussed everything from jokes about weapons to one of the better Peter Gabriel albums. Shock the monkey, indeed. There were a few which stood out as interesting thoughts.
For example, Kate Robertson said,â€knowing that there is a Love-inspired imperative operating in each of us...individually and collectively...urging us towards our best selves..an irresistible desire to live with, and for, others, to give generously, to share our lives and talents with one another, build family and community, and to trust and be trusted. this is the ‘space’ that feels most secure for me.â€
Needless to say, that made me feel just a bit self-serving after what I had posted on the subject. It does, however, raise an interesting issue about what the word “security†might mean to in a larger context.
Is it a question of values?
I was raised to believe that if you see something wrong and are in a position to set it right, it is your responsibility to do so. This was reenforced by my childhood heroes; the cowboys of television and movies. There was always the underlying theme, in these productions, that we live as part of a community, have a duty to serve said community, and, in so doing, serve ourselves. This simple idea is part of the foundation of every religion in the world. I have heard it argued that the effort to spread this concept is one of the primary reasons for such a thing as religion to exist.
Thought he principle is simple, it’s enactment takes a bit of doing. It requires an act of will. It requires effort. Without these the principle is meaningless. Without these the principle has no reality.
We currently live in a world in which words like “security†seem to have little meaning or reality. I will leave it to the social scientists, theologians, and historians to determine and explain why we have come to this point. Suffice to say that we live in a world which frequently seems, to many, overwhelmingly frightening. That can be changed. Each of us can be one of the agents of that change.
One is reminded of a song written by Mason Williams (he of “Classical Gas†fame), called “Godsendâ€.
“I can tell there has been a cave-in
By the look in your eyes.
You’re trapped down deep in the mines,
Half buried in lies.
I’ll try to reach you if I can.
I just hope it’s in time.
Start working this way from your end,
And I’ll start from mine.â€
Making the effort to act in one’s community is not, necessarily, a political act (although, obviously, it can be). More often than not, it’s the smaller, more mundane things which have the largest impact. Do you know someone who is going through a tough time and just needs an ear to bend? Make yours bendable. Are you about to cross the street, a bus is coming up to the corner, and you see someone running like blazes to catch it, but they might not make it? Flag down the bus for them. So, you missed your light. There will be another “walk†light long before the next bus shows up. Treat everyone you meet with respect and grace. Learn (if you haven’t already) to disagree without becoming disagreeable. In short, do anything and everything you can to help make the lives of the people around you, at the very least, less miserable.
I’ve no doubt that you are already thinking about a couple of dozen other little-bitty things that you could do to help out in your corner of the universe. These things don’t sound very important, but the long range effect can be profound. The concept of the “ripple effect†of these sorts of actions is a cliche’ because it keeps being true. It’s repercussions can be staggering.
Mind you, I’m not saying that we should ignore the big issues. We still need to clean up the environment, shield ourselves against greed and stupidity in the banking system, keep the health-care bill from death by amendment, etc. All of these things need to be done. But, in order to make the world better we need to work as hard, maybe harder, at improving the micro-verse as the macro-verse. We need to work on our lives and our society at the molecular level.
Think of it this way. Is there not a certain comfort factor, for all concerned, in being kind and courteous? Is there not a certain security in knowing, at the end of the day, that you have done your best to do the right thing? Does it not help to create what Ms. Robertson called “an irresistible desire to live with, and for, others†?
Does it not make it easier for you to start working this way from your end while I start from mine?</p>
Stephen Lee Rich