Tom Waits - Silent Night & Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis

Let's get ready for Christmas with a Tom Waits song!

Mr. Roger's receives his Emmy

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood won four Emmy awards, and Rogers himself was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Daytime Emmys,[33] as described by Esquire's Tom Junod: Mister Rogers went onstage to accept the award—and there, in front of all the soap opera stars and talk show sinceratrons, in front of all the jutting man-tanned jaws and jutting saltwater bosoms, he made his small bow and said into the microphone, "All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence." And then he lifted his wrist, looked at the audience, looked at his watch, and said, "I'll watch the time." There was, at first, a small whoop from the crowd, a giddy, strangled hiccup of laughter, as people realized that he wasn't kidding, that Mister Rogers was not some convenient eunuch, but rather a man, an authority figure who actually expected them to do what he asked. And so they did. One second, two seconds, three seconds—and now the jaws clenched, and the bosoms heaved, and the mascara ran, and the tears fell upon the beglittered gathering like rain leaking down a crystal chandelier. And Mister Rogers finally looked up from his watch and said softly "May God be with you," to all his vanquished children.

Darlene Love "Christmas" from David Letterman

Don't miss Darlene Love signing "Christmas" even though David Letterman show is off.

"See the violence inherent in the system? I'm being repressed! Great Monty Python skit. Just as applicable for consumers shopping on Black Friday. An orgy of materialism, pointless consumerism, buying crap they don't need at prices that still preserve the concept of "surplus labor" - if they weren't making a profit off the labor of others, why would they be selling it? Because the're nice guys? Because running a discount mart is their hobby? To make money! That's the point. And once an American family makes about $75000 per household, any further increase in money does not equal a proportionate increase in happiness. True.

Here's a throwback Mark R. Daniels picture, when I had color in my hair. And when I wore civil war battlefield ties (?).

This was at a national conference where all three of my books were on display. A trifecta so to speak. Pictured is my editor from ME Sharpe. I think she liked me because I was one of her few academic authors who had a sense of humor. She telephoned me once, on a conference call, and asked me if I could come up with a "sexier" title for my Terminating Public Programs book. So I immediately said, "I wanted to call it Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, but someone beat me to that title." Hearty laughter followed. they weren't expecting that. We added "An American Political Paradox" as a subtitle, sounded better.

Just a warning: I grew my beard and hair out, so I look different now.

Celebrate the passage of the 18th Amendment Prohibition Nov 16 at Round Robin Bar Willard Hotel

The Willard Hotel, Washington DC, where Gen. Grant arrived in 1864 with his son, he was given a small room at the very top (attic) of the Hotel. Then he signed in: Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant and son. Bang, he got a suite. He was not recognized (he often wore a private's uniform with his general's rank showing, confusing but so cool.) Anyway, when Grant was President the rumor was that deals were made in the lobby of the Willard Hotel, that is, payoffs etc. That is where the term "lobbyist" comes from. Of course now Pres. Trump has his own hotel, down from the Willard a few blocks (Trump hotel is closer to Lincoln's Waffle Shop than the White House) and I am sure that Trump International Hotel is now the center of lobbying. Anyway, the Round Robin Bar is known for the location where the drunks in Congress congregate and their James Bond Martini is direct from the books of Ian Fleming: Its 3 parts gin, one part vodka. Its also called the Vesper Martini and here is the link for the recipe.

Lt. Col. Oliver North, Nixon apologist

So here is an editorial by Ollie North about how Ken Burns gets his facts wrong about Vietnam. The editorial is essentially written from Nixon's perspective. No depth here. he even mentions the "silent majority" backing Nixon. For those of you not familiar with the silent majority, Nixon claimed he was supported by a majority of people who were patriotic but not demonstrators, so they appeared silent. Yes, the white majority of America is the silent majority. Wait, weren't they in control? yes they were. Nixon was speaking for himself and the power elite running the country. When John Kerry ran against Bush-Cheney, I remember Lynn Cheney saying something to the effect "we didn't demonstrate in the street like that." Of course not, your husband was working for the White House, with numerous exemptions from military service. I could start on a rant about how clueless our leaders are, Bush, Cheney and the ignorant Condolezza Rice, but I wouldn't know when or where to stop. Old Condolezza should be skewed in academic circles, but I have never seen a political science article critiquing her service as national security advisor or Sec of State.

trying to find a high school friend killed in Vietnam

I only know his nickname, The Batman, he loved the TV Batman series. Nice guy. upper classman. On the same CTA bus as me. Always funny, polite, nice guy. Joined army after graduation and was killed within less than a year. Not much mentioned at High School about him. Found a list of those servicemen (and women) killed in Vietnam from Chicago: 955 names! I had not idea. I could not recognize his name.

hungry cat

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Original Ad for the Gun Oswald used to kill Pres. Kennedy

Here is the ad for the gun Oswald used to kill Pres. Kennedy. Third down on left, Italian carbine.  the Gunsmith for Klein's Sporting Goods was contacted by FBI the next day, ordered to test fire an identical gun in their firing range (the basement).  Gunsmith said the carbine had a delay in firing, making it difficult to hit an aimed moving target.  The delay didn't matter on a stationary target, with no wind.  But a moving target would be hard to hit.  He said it was a crap rifle.  He also said Oswald was "very, very lucky" to have hit two of three shots (and Pres. Kennedy very unlucky).  What he really meant, is Oswald probably couldn't have done it.  Mystery continues.  I have visited the book depository (now a tourist spot) and looked out the window that Oswald was at: there are two yellow X's on the street where the bullets hit.  It is a perfect ambush location.  That Oswald just happened to be at a perfect ambush location and just happened to make two very, very lucky shots is quite a coincidence. 

border customs

Now that I am required to have Medicare, even with my supplement I have found internet sales to be much more affordable.  But my latest purchase was seized.  Controlled substance means prescription.  I am prescribing myself, after all I completed a graduate level pharmacology and psychopharmacology class.  What we need is regulation of phamaceutical prices in the US.  Our medications cost more than any other country.  If I lived closer to Mexico I'd drive there and buy a supply.  By November I can get on my hospital's group insurance even though I am over 65, and opt out of Medicare at least while I am employed.  My health care costs are doubled since turning 65.  Luckily, I have a half pension and income to live on.  I don't know how a person can survive on just social security, but many retired Americans do that. 

Nancy Reagan: the banality of evil in a little red dress finally dead.

Yes, Nancy Reagan just died, and all the politicians have praise for her.  Her are some none praiseworthy things:  the "just say no" to drugs campaign was stupid, he husband national security team had CIA teams bring drugs out of Nicaragua to keep the Gen. Noriega anti communist: CIA also had mercenaries fighting in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and mercenary militias ("Freedom Fighters") we could call them terrorists now invading Nicaragua from the north and south.  All this because of the "domino" theory, that once Nicaragua went Red, Cuba would start to control the entire peninsula and the US Army would eventually have to fight a communist invasion of Texas (Reagan actually said that).  Also deregulating savings and loans which made many people rich, including members of Congress, before the crash: the savings and loan bailout cost the average american taxpayer something like $3400 each (if I remember correctly).  Then there was the bombing of Lebanon from the USS New Jersey, a WWII battleship that was vaguely lobbing artillery at places where bad guys probably were, but ended up hitting mostly civilians.  In retaliation,  the Marine barracks was truck bombed killing hundreds of marines.  The Marines were stationed in Beirut, in a low area, surrounded by hills and the sea. sitting ducks, and were NOT ALLOWED to load their guns, don't wanna make a marine trigger happy.  What were they there???? If for show of force put them off shore on ships, if they are on land then you must plan to use them militarily, but then they need weapons with real bullets.  After loading the caskets, Reagan evacuated the remaining live marines.  Two days later he invaded Grenada, also a "domino" for the Cuban take over of Texas.  And Nancy was often mispercieved (by her self and others) as being the President's chief of staff, in fact some CHO's resigned because of her.   She also cheated on Ronnie with Frank Sinatra, but this was Hollywood and I am sure Ronnie had a few coke and champagne fueled threesomes.  These are horrible people who have done horrible things and when they die we honor them.  Good riddance.

Nancy Reagan going for a walk with Salvador Dali, on of her many lovers

Our Option for President: Slam Poetry with rock backup

Great slam poetry about our Presidential choices!

"Dismalland" an artist's statement about amusement parks

To paraphrase and English philosopher, "life...is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short."  To this end, British artists have created Dismalland, an amusement themed seaside park that embraces the world as it it, rather than as it should be.  here is a short video tour.
It features refugee boat people (including the floating dead), a dead Princess in a flipped over pumpkin carriage, and a dystopian castle. But hurry, it's only open for a few weeks then disappears.

Sam the Lion says Goodbye...

Scene from The Last Picture show, Sam the Lion says goodbye in his own way.

My son Nathan featured as an Alumnus of UCLA Anderson School of Business

My son Nathan featured in a brochure

for UCLA Anderson School of Business.

Turkish Wedding couple feeds 4,000 refugees

This Turkish couple decided to feed 4,000 refugees from Syria instead of having their banquet.  They even served some of the refugees themselves.  What a great way to start a life together, by being compassionate and generous.  This shows there are some truly enlightened people around the world.  If only.......

George W. Bush's latest artwork

I have already posted about George W. Bush's artwork.  But what we have now is some additional artwork.  This is not painted by Bush, but painted in the Bush style, as in "what if George Bush painted this?"

Who is the babe George is taking a bath with?  We see his feet, but whose booty is that?  I also like the one with Vladimir in the shower.  And of course, Angela Merkel nude is something I am sure Bush fantasizes about.  The top one of Hillary is Bush interpretation of how Hillary looks to him.  These should really be part of his artwork gallery.

Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State documentary available on NetFlix

Just finished watching "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State" on netflix.  What is fascinating is that Auschwitz came into being in an incremental fashion.  It started out as a Polish army cavalry barracks in 1939 and turned into a concentration camp for Poles and dissident Germans: enemies of the Reich. But from the beginning the camp was run in a brutal fashion including forced starvation (locking someone in a basement cell, in the dark,  and simply forgetting about them).  It expanded due to Russian prisoners.  Industry set up around the camp because of natural resources of the area, then slave labor was needed for the industries.  By 1943 the final solution was in full swing.  So the Auschwitz of 1945 was never a rationally planned facility, but one that emerged piece by piece in an incremental fashion.  But there was an initial insanity that gave rise to Auschwitz, the racism, the brutal ideology of superiority, that some lives were less than human, some people less then human, could be treated like brutish animals.  Auschwitz became as much a factory as the factories set up around it.  As this documentary shows, there were many locations for "Auschwitz" - it was not just one camp but a network of related camps.  The documentary shows the "problems" that camp designers had to deal with: first, how to systematically kill vast numbers of people (turns out, it's not that easy and 2) how to get rid of the bodies.  The methods of killing were not very creative, carbon monoxide and industrial strength gas disinfectant, but how it was organized was textbook operations management.  It also seemed that those who worked there were self selected: they worked there because they wanted to, or because they found a way to make their work profitable or advantageous to them (promotions, theft).   And of course Auschwitz is just a small part of the magnitude of genocide and murder that went on from 1939-1945 in Europe.  There are books published about post war Europe, especially Germany - that showed millions more died after 1945 in ethnic cleansings across Europe.  Maybe Europe is a laboratory that reveals the true nature of human beings: brutal, cruel, murderous, jealous, paranoid, egocentric, delusional, and devoid of feelings for others.