The War on Labor

Before the Republican Party absorbed, and then was consumed by the Dixiecrats, Republicans hated workers.

Before Republicans became the Party of God (the White Protestants God only), they despised those children of creations who toiled in the fields and factories.

Before Republicans conflated intelligence and reason with treachery and treason, they believed that laborers were seditious plotters.

Before Republicans ever thought to attack them as communists, they denounced workers who tried to organize into labor unions as unwashed bomb throwing foreigners and anarchists.

The very same people who content that "corporations are people" believe that real people should not have a right to organize unions to counterbalance the power of corporations. Michigan is the latest battleground in the war on workers where an aggressively anti-union Republican legislative majority and governor are working to reduce the rights of laborers in the state to the menial status they hold in Alabama and Mississippi.

Republicans hope Democrats and unions don't fight back because for labor such a fight will be long, hard, and success uncertain. They hope workers will meekly accept being reduced to a lower social class. Republicans also hope if they can suppress labor rights in Michigan, one of the homes of organized labor, they will be able to beat workers into submission across the country.

Such battles are not new in Michigan. In 1932 unemployed workers peaceably marched on the Ford plant in Dearborn. Police and private security fired on the marchers killing four and wounding dozens others. The wounded were handcuffed to their hospital beds.

Workers flee police violence, Dearborn, MI, March 7, 1932

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Thought on the Mayan Apocalypse

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice. ~ Robert Frost

Katla volcano, Iceland

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The Thing Is, I'm Not That Old

I watched "Death Valley Days" when it was hosted by the Old Ranger and not Ronald Reagan, watched "Leave It To Beaver" when Larry Mathews was tiny, and remember when Mary Tyler Moore was the sexist MILF on television.

Even the back of her head was titillating.

I've programmed computers using punch cards, plug boards, and removable storage that was 14 inches in diameter.

It would take more than 5,000 of these babies to fill one 160GB iPod and they would weigh 25 tons.

When I first protested the Vietnam War it was already seven years since the 1963 Lyndon Johnson escalation and 17 years since French colonists were driven out of Vietnam.

The war would continue for another five years.

I've used a rotary dial telephone, a manual typewriter, and those little plastic inserts that allowed you to play a 45-rpm record on a record player.

I've been on car trip vacations before the interstate highway system was constructed when there were water stops on the road over the Tehachapi Mountains because many car radiators couldn't make the crossing without overheating.

Smart drivers carried an extra water pouch too.

I've watched the Yosemite Firefall more than once.

And to me the most amazing advance is still computer spell checkers.

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Political Game Theory Revisited

The "fiscal cliff" negotiations are really just a big ole game of chicken.

There are four possible outcomes:

1. I lose my nerve and turn away and you don't. You win; I lose.
2. You lose your nerve and turn away and I don't. I win; you lose.
3. We both turn away. Compromise. No one wins and no one really loses.
4. No one turns away. CRASH! Everybody loses!!!

"The only winning move is not to play."

When rational people play chicken the only rational result is compromise. But rational people seldom play chicken. Chicken is a game for suicidal maniacs.

Lunatics have a big advantage playing chicken. If you know your opponent doesn't want to die you can recklessly plow ahead confident your opponent will turn away first.

Chicken really gets fun when both sides are insane. Republicans are crazed zealots who would rather amputate their arms than shake hands with President Obama. They might crash the economy just for the hell of it. Democrats confidently believe they will survive the worst possible collision. It's situations like this that remind me of a favorite Mythbusters saying.

Failure Is Always an Option.

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Republicans Hate Disabled Children

The UN treaty for the rights of persons with disabilities failed in the Senate solely through the opposition of Republicans. I couldn't figure this out. It takes a particularly cruel variant of Scrooge to knock the crutch out from under Tiny Tim yet Republicans proudly wielded the cudgel. The opposition is irrational since the treaty simply spreads current United States law to the rest of the world.

The public reason usually given is they had to oppose the treaty to defend home schooling, which makes no sense, so I have dug a little deeper.

1. Black Helicopter Terror. It's a UN treaty. Republicans hate anything to do with the United Nations. They especially fear this treaty is part of a master plot to impose a UN dictatorship on the United States.
2. Women's Rights. Because some disabled people are women, Republicans fear "Article 6(2) is a backdoor method of requiring the United States to comply with the general provisions of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women." Republicans have fought against women's rights for decades.
3. Torture Rights. Republicans object to a ban on "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" in the treaty. Specifically they demand the right to beat disabled children.
4. Children's Rights. Republicans object to this sentence in Article 7, "In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration." Republicans want to be able to ignore the best interests of the child.
5. Birth Certificates. Republicans hate Article 18 that states all disabled children have the right to a birth certificate.

Here are some sources from the Home School Legal Defense Association.
Threat to Family Integrity by William Estrada
Dangerous UN Treaty from Examiner.com
A Danger to Homeschool Families by Michael Farris

The next time someone tells you Republicans are capable of rational thought, remind them of this treaty.

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San Diego Dis-Chargers

Every year I find the time to write about my hometown professional football squad. This year my team is leading the league in pathetic.

The KC Chiefs are a horribly coached team of lousy players yet they managed to win the week one of their players murdered his girlfriend and committed suicide while thanking his coach.

The NY Jets used a third-string QB to play the most boring sporting contest of the decade (including the 2008 World Tiddlywinks Championship) on Sunday yet they manged to squeak out a victory.

The San Diego Chargers have gotten so bad even their cheerleaders have taken to mooning them. For the second consecutive week the Chargers had a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter and managed to lose. My team has mastered the art of blowing second half leads. The question is, who is to blame?

Owner Dean Spanos
Like many idiot sons of successful men, Dean is terrified of making decisions. He would rather explain inaction as deliberation than act and reveal himself as a fool.

General Manager A. J. Smith
Smith inherited the job when the man he schlepped coffee for (John Butler) died of cancer. Spanos decided to just give the job to Butler's gofer rather than interview actual professionals for the position. For a few years Smith didn't look too bad because the Charger's head coach, Marty Schottenheimer, was acting as the de facto GM. Even after Smith fired Coach Marty the Chargers put together some fine seasons because of the personnel Marty had accumulated.

A. J. loves to cut proven talent, like All-Pro receiver Vincent Jackson, relying instead on injury prone replacements like Jarad Gaither and Danario Alexander. He is piss poor at judging draft talent. In the six years since Schottenheimer left A. J. has found only four decent players in the draft while his list of busts is extensive.

Head Coach Norv Turner

Norv is living proof the Peter Principle is still valid. He was an excellent offensive coordinator and is a lousy head coach. He is as inspirational as Eeyore on a bad tail day. His inability to manage a clock is legendary. He panics easily and has the killer instinct of a koala. Norv folds up under pressure like a Walmart lawn chair.

Quarterback Philip Rivers

There was a time a few years ago when people were say he was the best quarterback in team history. That was exaggerating. Even when things were going well he tended to whine and pout too much. Now that things are bad and he has become a turnover machine pouting is just about all we see. It's clear Philip has developed the yips. You can see him cautiously short-arming throws he once heaved with confidence.

The real question is whether Philip's psyche has been permanently ruined by the morose Turner and incompetent Smith or can he recover his old swagger under stronger leadership.

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My Personal War on Christmas

I like any holiday whose theme is "peace on Earth and goodwill towards all men." What I don't like is people being very unpeaceable and generating ill will in trying to shove their religious faith down other peoples throats. I'm talking to you, Bill O'Reilly!

What's Wrong With 'Happy Holidays?'

I don't get upset if I hear "Merry Christmas" or "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Hanukkah" (although I don't think I've ever heard any member of the Jewish faith use that phrase). Yuletide is a pagan Germanic festival but saying that word won't piss off angry Christians as much as the phrase "happy holidays."

Everywhere a Creche

Wander about my suburban neighborhood and you'll see dozens of nativity scenes. Some are funny, some religious, some cheap, some expensive. But there is absolutely no shortage of holiday nativities. Why then do Christmas warriors demand government funded nativities on public property? Why do they insist the city, state, and federal governments endorse their religious expression?

Salvation Army Doesn't Care

The Salvation Army is not a charity, it is a church with a unique doctrine that includes hateful discrimination against homosexuals. Their bell ringers smile and wish me a Merry Christmas. I smile and return the greeting but I reserve my charity for more worthy organizations.

What Kind of Tree?
Bill O'Reilly got infuriated at Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee because that state erected a "Holiday Tree," contenting angrily that "Christmas tree is a secular symbol." Funny, but "Christ Mass" sound awful religious to me. Besides, the Yule Tree is a pagan tradition and were originally brought into a house to provide a warm and inviting place for woodland elves to winter.  Holly and mistletoe have similar back stories. "Deck[ing] the halls with boughs of holly" was a pagan ritual to ward off evil spirits carried on the harsh winter winds.

Santa Claus Is a Shopping Mall Ho

Maybe that's too harsh but, really, what does Santa Claus promote except consumerism run amok? The message of Santa is to buy stuff. Buy until it hurts and keep going. Buy until you are so far into debt it will take months to pay it all off and then it is next December and time to do it all over again. Most of the absolutely worthless yet expensive trinkets sold every year are bought during the Christmas holiday. Yes, giving gifts are a token of love but, really, does anyone need a singing fish?

I love you THIS much!

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