Don’t Boycott It: Rub their Noses in It.



Remember this "Pride"?

The article cited below had given me pause for thought. Given the Russians vile homophobic public posture, I was thinking “Boycott the bastards”.  But the article reminded me of the Olympic Black Power salute given by Tommie Smith and John Carlos to protest segregation in America and Apartheid in South Africa. This iconic moment could be played over and over again in Russia.

Maybe Something like This?

The US teams could wear Rainbow patches, carry rainbow flags, and display rainbow colors everywhere they go or hold hands with each other whenever possible. Damn little the Russians could do about it, and the GLBTQ community in Russia would see the solidarity. So my advice is to read the article cited below, and then get going on advocating for Gay Colors for American Olympics.

We can show the bastards what solidarity really means. Don’t boycott them; Beat the Shit out of them.

Must Read Article: http://www.sbnation.com/2013/7/24/4548656/sochi-winters-olympics-2014-russia-boycott-gay-rights

Image: http://www.bet.com/news/sports/photos/2012/02/famous-black-olympic-athletes/_jcr_content/leftcol/flipbook/flipbookimage.flipfeature.dimg/011912-sports-famous-olympic-athletes-tommie-smith-john-carlos.jpg

Image: http://www.ruffinflagcompany.net/images/products/gadsden/AZ%20gadsden%20flag%20md.jpg

 

We, You and I, Pay This Guy 80Thousand Dollars a Year to Kill Us.

 

Surely he is worth 80k a year?

“Hasan has admitted to shooting his fellow soldiers, saying in June that the Nov. 5, 2009 attack on Fort Hood in Texas was done in the "defense of others," in his case, the Taliban.”

This guy admits premeditatedly killing American soldiers and through a loophole in pay regulations continued to get 80 THOUSAND DOLLARS a year since. He has now collected 300k. Our money. While the victims get nothing because the government refuses to classify this as an act of terrorism.

BULLSHIT!!!!!!

Oh, and the Army, read that you again, has already spent 4MILLION DOLLORS on the case, including a ton of money paid to his legal advisors, since he is representing himself in the trial.

BULLSHIT!!!!!

You think there is a government conspiracy to take away your guns and invade your privacy? No Way. A government this stupid couldn’t figure out how to get out of a paper bag. What a disappointment.

Photo: NPR Morning Edition.

Harry Potter, Trevor and GLBTQ

I am glad you failed, too.

In case you didn’t know this, GLBTQ youngsters (I am old enough now to use this term) have a higher suicide rate than straight youth. Why? God, the reasons are many, but it boils down, in my view, to the anxiety and depression of not being accepted for who you are by ones you love and the rest of the world as well. Or the fear of this.
So “coming out” isn’t easy. It is viewed and probably is in many situations dangerous. I know a man, the father of a gay son, who for years after the boy came out would not talk to him or have him involved with any family activities. He blamed his son for choosing his gay life. They are somewhat reconciled now, and I hope will continue to grow closer as time goes on. My own son came out to us many years ago, and we are a family. His husband, officially, is a wonderful man and they are a loving couple.
 
In neither case was suicide the outcome of the anxiety of being gay. But it often is and this is where Daniel Radcliffe steps in. He is a spokesperson for the Trevor Project that exists to help GLBTQ youths through the dark days of disclosure. Is Radcliffe gay? Well, he has a girlfriend doesn’t he? You don’t have to be on the GLBTQ team to care about them, or to love them for who they are, or to be an advocate for them. You just have to not be judgmental. (Think “WWJD”. And for the rest of you, think WWWD.)

Check out the Trevor Project and watch the PSA from Harry. And remember it. You may just save a life someday. Maybe even your own

Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Image: http://pinkinourlives.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/trevor-project-girl-2.jpg.

Thomas University West Campus: Well Done!!!

TU Logo

I have been critical of TU in the recent past. Being an  Emeritus Professor and Honorary Alumni is a good thing, and having been through some of the darkest days and then seeing the flourishing of the recent years makes being critical even harder. I have usually been guilty of speaking out when I felt it necessary. Over the years I served TU in various capacities I opposed a number of changes I thought were ill conceived and supported many I thought were right. My concern was always for the students, the family of TU and the institution itself.
My latest and probably last remarks revolved around what I considered an ill-conceived plan to outsource all maintenance without any provision for protecting the loyal employees who carried that burden very well for years. I still think it ill conceived. It shows a total lack of caring for TU family.
 

Renovated TU Basketball Facility

I visited the Main Campus to retrieve some boxes that had been stored in the “barn” and decided to have a drive through look at the West Campus. The last time I saw it there was a huge hole in the ground and crappy looking buildings. Well let me tell you this: It looks really good now. Stark landscaping but that is ok because the vast grassy area to the front and left of the Gym will be built on soon I think. So I drove around the building (not the gym and I don’t know what it is called) and parked. I went in to take a look and ran into a former student of mine, Sarah, who greeted me with a big smile and a hug. Thanks, Sarah, nice to know one is welcome. The lobby is well done if a bit sparse, but it is a work in progress I hope. Needs some plants and art. Daryl, another old friend, joined me from his office and I quickly figured out that this is “his” building. He didn’t say that, but the pride was there in his voice. He showed me the offices, workout gym, athletic training room and the unfinished back rooms. What is finished is impressive. Nicely done and looks very functional.  First  Class.

We walked to the gymnasium which I had last seen after our last basketball game from the first attempt to have a basketball team. In those days everything was ratty except the playing floor. Now it is really nice. All new everything. First class work. Great court, locker rooms (awaiting lockers but they are coming). Everything looks good. Even the original walls and floors have a "new" look.

But more. The enthusiasm of Daryl and the other folks I talked to was infectious. The athletic department and athletic programs are really, really enthusiastic. It comes through. The West Campus is the new “old” Thomas College. Personal buy
 in; love of the place and hope for the future.

For the West Campus I say a loud ‘Well Done TU.”

Image: Google images (Problem: damn few images of TU on Google)

From the Sensei of a friend: What to say to the police.

What to say to police:

When involved in a lethal-force incident, where you fired
shots, otherwise  attempted to apply deadly force, or even brandished a gun
without firing, you'll  likely be confronted by police a short time later.
They're just doing  their job, but you need to be the one to look after your own best interests.

In light of the recent "Salinas Case" ruling by the US Supreme
Court, my  advice to students in this regard has changed only slightly.
In any event, it bears reiterating.

I've recently consulted with a group of distinguished a
lawyers, who are  also my friends and colleagues, on this subject, and what follows is in general agreement by all:

 Simply "remaining silent" is not sufficient, by itself, to assure your rights and best interests are preserved.  Interesting that we live in a country where you have to speak, in order to assert your right not to speak!
And, once one stops answering police questions and demands that his lawyer be present before continuing, he shouldn't start up again prior to his lawyer arriving. When he does, we get into an ambiguous situation, where the prosecution can later claim that, having asserted the right to
remain silent at one point, the defendant subsequently changed his mind, thus, in effect,  waiving his rights.

 In addition, one should not wait until he is arrested to invoke his  rights. Any time you are party to a
police investigation, certainly when your are "Mirandized," your rights need to be unmistakably,
unilaterally invoked, and without delay!

 Invocation of your 5th Amendment rights to decline to answer questions and have your lawyer personally present before questioning resumes must be unconditional and unambiguous. "Do you think I should have an attorney?"  won't suffice!

 No need to be snotty, but you must be clear, and you must mean
it!  Confusion and ambiguity are always the enemy! Slam the door
shut with a clear, unequivocal statement that you wish to exercise your 5th
Amendment rights, now. Don't ask them what they think!

Insisting that police call an ambulance for you that will take you to a  hospital may also be a good strategy. Most will agree that going to a  hospital to be checked-over is probably good advice for anyone who has been involved in a lethal-force incident.

 So, here is my advice when confronting arriving police in the wake of a  lethal-force incident:

Palms out at chest-level, no weapons in sight:
1) "Officers, thank God you're here!"
2) "I'm the one who called."
3) "Those men:
     (a) attacked us,
     (b) tried to murder us,
     (c) We were in fear for  our lives"
4) "I will sign a complaint"
5 "I'm happy to chat with you when my lawyer is present. I
absolutely request my attorney, and I am respectfully invoking my 5th
Amendment Rights to decline to answer any questions until he is personally
present, sir."
 It is appropriate to call officers' attention to:
    (a) evidence that may not be obvious,
    (b) witnesses who may not be  obvious,
   (c) danger that may not be obvious (eg: an armed suspect still in  the area)

Always be polite and non-threatening, but take a deep breath
and speak clearly.  Don't mumble and don't become chatty.

 Finally, when you are "Mirandized," the officer will probably ask you, "Do you understand your rights, as I've explained them to you?"

The best answer is, "Officers, I'm not answering that
question, nor any  other, until my lawyer is here, nor will I sign, nor
initial, any  document."

We could go on for many more pages, but the foregoing pretty much sums it up. You must protect yourself, as no one else will!

"After victory, tighten the straps on your helmet."

Image: http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/79000346.png

Race. Or Juries? Or Crappy Prosectuion?



All Failed by the System.

This isn’t about Race. This is about the laws in Florida, the Jury System, the prosecution and defense lawyers and the Constitution. Not about GZ or TM.

Something happens. A crime is charged. A District Attorney or Grand Jury, of both, agree there is enough evidence of a crime to prosecute. Now here is the clue, folks, that we live in America: Innocent until Proven Guilty. By a Jury. INNOCENT OF WRONG DOING. Get it?
So, the prosecution gathers evidence and the defense gathers evidence. Here is Florida Jury instructions, in part:

To overcome the defendant’s presumption of innocence the state has the

burden of proving that the crime was committed and the defendant
committed the crime.
It is to the evidence introduced in this trial, and to it alone that you are to
look for the proof.
The defendant is not required to present evidence or to prove anything.

 So, the prosecution must define the crime, then prove beyond a reasonable doubt the accused committed the crime.

In the GZ vs TM case, the prosecution chose to prosecute the wrong crime. The Jury unanimously found reasonable doubt on all the charges and found “not guilty”.  Carping about what should have been the outcome, or was GZ a bad man, or was TM just an innocent kid should not be the issue. The issue is did GZ do what he was charged with? The Jury said “NO” loud and clear.

Now the dissection of what a million people think happened goes on, and has no end in sight. For God’s sake folks, people are still debating the OJ thing. This never ends. But, say what you want, in the eyes of the Law, a person found “not guilty” is INNOCENT.

Maybe you could vent your hostility on, oh, the current trafficking of slaves? Or, maybe the morons who deny climate change? Continue pushing the moral lessons of this event with the hopes that things may get better some day. But don’t subvert the system by second guessing the Jury. Say “The Prosecutors Fucked Up” (quite likely they did) but go with the Jury. Lawyers around the country repeatedly say that juries have an uncanny way of seeing the “doubt” in cleaver arguments. Lobby to change the laws or even the Constitution, but move on to more important things. Life is too short.

Image: http://wordsofthesentient.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/innocence-project.gif

Reasonable doubt: http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/flsupct/SC00-906/00-906comments5.pdf

Another Republican Shows His Ass.

 

Congressman Austin Scott, (R, Ga. ) replied this to a friend of mine who contacted him: 

Asshole with Flag.

We have made great progress over the last few decades in preserving our natural resources. However, there is still no agreement among the scientific community on the effect humans have on our environment. 

 As an avid outdoorsman, preserving our natural resources and promoting outdoor recreation is important to me. Growing up in South Georgia instilled in me a passion for the outdoors and a desire to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to share that same feeling. Many of my fondest memories involve visiting and camping in some of our nation's public lands.

 Thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to do so in the future. It's an honor to represent the Eighth Congressional District of Georgia.

My Friend replied to him:

Spoken like a well trained, do-nothing politician.  My father, an  environmentalist and undefeated Republican GA legislator,  would be disgusted at what has become the anti -science, anti -environment, new Republican party. There is clear agreement on man's impact on the environment. It has been accepted in the established scientific knowledge base for decades. The debate is OVER and science has won!  Climate reality is telling the story in tornadoes, droughts, floods, wild-fires, hurricanes and melting polar ice caps. I do not accept your non-position and will continue to advocate for the future of our planet on behalf of my two granddaughters. Physics is not altered by political rhetoric, nor is the Earth's atmosphere protected by political spin or talk radio buffoons. You do not represent me and you do not represent the thousands of informed people in your district who know the impact of environmental degradation and atmospheric alteration. You do not represent the millions of literate scientists around the world who are begging for rational political policies in hopes of salvaging Earth's capacity to sustain human life. You and other like -minded ostriches, with heads in the sand, are accountable, as the cost of extreme weather and environmental homicide take their toll in money and profound suffering.  More than hunting and fishing is at stake here.  The food, water, air, lives and survival of our grandchildren and their descendents are what you are  exchanging for your party's short sighted policies and political ambitions. Those of us who care are not going to stay silent in the face of cultivated ignorance and suicidal denial.  

Pray for Peace? Won’t Help.

Auto Accident. Three young men killed, one in bad shape in the hospital. Outpouring of calls for prayer on

Gotta Luv House

Facebook. Pray for the families; for the community; for the kid in hospital; for Santa Clause.
What I don’t get is this: Why someone thinks praying to the God that LET the kids crash and burn will influence the same God to have mercy on the rest?

No one will ever convince me that prayer works. Ah, but it really does, Woody. Yup, it helps people cope with the insanity of random bad crap happening. Gives people a prop to get them through the tough times. One Hundred Percent internal. Probably delusional. But it doesn’t work in the real world.

For nearly 2000 years Popes have Prayed for Peace. You see any peace around? Ever been a time when peace reigned the world? No.

Prayer is a personal act that makes people happy. It doesn’t work on a grand scale. Pray for reduced carbon dioxide in the air. Won’t help. Pray for someone not to die from pancreatic cancer. Won’t work. Why doesn’t it work? Simple.  Nobody on the other end of the phone.

Image: House.

The High Desert Yields Another Jewel: Granite Mountain Brewing

 
What do you do in Prescott Arizona if you are Woody? Why of course! You look for breweries. You ask Mr. Google. You peruse the websites. Then you go and sample the brews.

But wait! One of them is funded with Kick Starter. Now that gets my attention. A brewery funded with local money, and exceeded their goal. This is definitely worth a closer look.

Sally and I dropped in one afternoon during the Prescott arts festival and found the GMB quiet and not crowded. Very casual seting with comfortable easy chairs, seating groups and a beer garden out back. And, a nice locally made bar. The brewery is behind the bar where everybody can watch

Michael, the brewer, work his magic. We tasted the IPA and ordered a pint each. Nice color, hoppy up front, nice nose and mouthfeel. Hmmm, I thought, this is a good start. We sat in the beer garden and enjoyed our brew with an order of GMB nachos. Good combo. I talked a bit with Audra while we were up front and she enthusiastically explained the origins of the brewery. She is the “business" partner and everything else too. She keeps the books and keeps the whole operation on the rails. I asked to talk to Michael when he had a break (cleaning kegs).

He joined us in the garden as the samples of their dark brews arrived. We chatted about his background as a home brewer turned nano brewer. Guys like Michael have a passion to brew, and when the combination of supportive spouses, funding and community come together it is a beautiful thing to see. Audra and Michael now work full time at the business while their partners have real jobs. Well, they go to work and earn a salary while Audra and Michael go to the brewery and play. Don't get me wrong here: running a business and making barley magic is very hard work, but, the passion I see in these young entrepreneurs glows, and that is what makes their work "play".  And, the spice also help out at the brewery from time to time.

Back to the dark brews. We tried the Muddy Wash Milk Stout, Mr. Smith's Espresso Stout and Honey Vanilla Porter. All had a rich dark color, nice mouthfeel and lingering tastes. The milk stout was flavorful and just a slightly sweet but not cloying taste. The porter delivered its promise with subtle aroma and taste of honey and vanilla. Personally, I would save this brew for a snifter after a good meal, but many drinkers will make this their first choice.

The final surprise of the day was the espresso stout. Brewed with locally roasted organic beans, this is a masterful blend. It is richly flavored and malty with a slight hoppiness that combines to really please the pallet. It is the kind of brew you want to swirl around in your mouth forever, dreading the moment when the glass is empty. I noticed that Michael won a gold medal as a home brewer for a vanilla bourbon porter. So, he knows the beauty of bourbon and brew. I would love to see him get a freshly drained bourbon barrel and fill it with Mr. Smith's Espresso Stout. After a few months of marriage I believe this would produce a nectar worthy of the gods. Worst case? Fifty gallons of good coffee bourbon stout.

All in all, Sally and I had a great afternoon at Granite Mountain Brewing, had some fine brew and met some dedicated and nice folks. Couldn't get any better. Don' miss it if you get near Prescott Arizona. You won't be disappointed.

Images ©Granite Mountain Brewing, used with permission

Just Pisses Me Off, Thats All

President in front of paid for  $4.5 million building, but killing jobs.

Just got an email from the CFO of my former University. The bottom line is this: TU is outsourcing maintenance. As I understand it, all the maintenance staff will go as of the end of June. Then a company takes over. They may or may not hire some of the staff back.

Doesn’t matter. This is a small-minded nasty decision at any time, but in this economy even more so. Even worse with so many of the staff long-time employees.
This is strictly business, someone will say. This is bullshit I say. Loyalty should count for something, even if it costs a bit more. The de-personalization of TU began several years ago with expedience favored over compassion. My advice to everyone left up there is this: Watch your back, because for sure no one else is. And job hunting probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Just saying.

Image: http://www.thomasu.edu/uploads/images/president-in-front-of-s-b-hall-cupola-web.jpg