The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Richard Day's picture

    I GET THINGS WRONG SOMETIMES

    By Richard Day on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 11:20am |

    I get things wrong

    sometimes--or most of the time.

    They are currently playing Have Gun Will Travel on one of the five cable stations dedicated to old tv shows available to me.

    From the age of 7 or so I came to wonder at how someone could go through life with the first name of 'Wire'.

    As an adult, I thought that one of the stars of L&O was Christ North.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Noth

    As a young adult, I thought that the Albino looking private detective on Perry Mason was gay. As it turned out he was not gay. But Raymond Burr was. hahahahAH

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Burr

    I grew up on the 50's and 60's knowing that 'The South' was responsible for all racism in this country.

    I now believe that most Americans (white) are racist without regard to whether they reside in the North or the South.

    Jim Crowe lives whether one is speaking about de jure or de facto.

    Just take a look at how we fund education in this country. Property taxes supply most of the funding for education. So if one lives in a rich community, schools perform better. And if one lives in a poorer community, schools do not appear to be up to snuff. (Generally speaking, of course)

    http://www.academia.edu/912843/Property_Taxes_and_Public_Education_Funding_Inequality_in_the_System

    I used to think that Bush/Cheney were war criminals.

    But looking at the track record of that administration, compared to other administrations, it appears that I might have been wrong in my assessment.

    We 'lost' 38,000 soldiers during the Korean War.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War#Casualties

    We 'lost' 58,000 soldiers during the Vietnam catastrophe.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War#Casualties

    From the neo-con point of view, the loss of 5,000 lives during the first decade of this millennium was not that bad.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War#U.S._armed_forces

     

    From my point of view, the cost of war in terms of American lives is way, way down.

    Like Carlin used to say:

    We are always at war and that is because

    WE ARE SO FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOD AT IT.

     

     

    The Obama Administration has preferred to use drones and bombers to 'protect' our interests.

    http://www.fourwinds10.net/siterun_data/government/obama_government/news.php?q=1484159239

    And over the last 8 years or so Americans have lost fewer and fewer soldiers.

    Of course, over the last 16 years foreign folks have died by the millions. And that includes children and so-called civilians.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    I used to think that our nation could do no worse than under the Bush/Cheney Administration.

    GW was stupid and incapable of oratory. He was merely a stooge for the rich and the military industrial complex.

    HOW COULD THINGS EVER BE WORSE THAN THIS?

    In three days we shall witness the installation of the worst man to ever sit at the helm of our government.

    I have never witnessed anything like this during my entire lifetime.

    The powers that be shall always attempt to protect the property of the rich and they shall always attempt to appease (as best they can through propaganda) the middle classes.

    So Ryan will never agree with a President who wishes to provide proper medical care to all Americans.

    It aint gonna happen.

    http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-tom-price-republicans-obamacare-233605

    http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-ryan-medicare-233610

    Senate Repubs will never provide 20 billion bucks for the installation of a perfect wall to protect our borders and they will never ever appropriate another 50 billion bucks in order to inter 20 million 'illegals' into camps installed all over this nation.

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/06/politics/donald-trump-wall-mexico-border-republicans/index.html

    ON THE OTHER HAND

    Will Congress agree to enlarge the schism between rich and poor by removing the 'death tax'?

    http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/237479-abolish-the-death-tax-say-senate-republicans

    Would Congress agree to permit capitalists a free ride with regard to non-earned income from dividends and interest and capital gains?

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/04/upshot/rubios-call-for-no-capital-gains-tax-is-a-break-with-the-gop.html?_r=0

    Would Congress agree to further limiting the one group that has at its purpose the protection of the working class in this nation?

    Would Congress agree to limiting the ability of the poor from voting?

    I could be wrong.

    But I believe that this current Congress could conspire with the new President to accomplish all these goals and much more!

    You could of course disagree with a guy so stupid as to think that Richard Boone portrayed guy named

    WIRE PALADIN

    Now if we could just get Congressional repubs into some sort of rehab program:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Comments

    I am increasingly in awe of George Orwell. We are now 'at war' with East Asia the EU, NATO Germany and not Oceania Russia, it can change overnight. When Big Brother Trump and Josef Goebbels Bannons Briebart tells us. Two minutes hate time....Hillary Borg Queen Kenyan Usurper #!!@#@€¥......

    The Trump Ministry of Love Labor to be run by a guy who abused low wage workers and allegedly beat his wife.

    And Uncle Putie our democracy freedom loving supporter is vouching for Trumps legitimacy and integrity from the Ministry of Truth Kremlin.


    by NCD on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 12:43pm

    Uncle Putie. hahahahah

    I view this era as the end years of my life.

    What the hell is going on when I shall soon not be going on, so to speak?

    Labor? We can surmise this man's sins against his workers by simply looking at the reported stats. The lies contained in those reported stats give us more reason to investigate?

    Beating one's wife is one thing. Documenting basic rules of decency with regard to employees is another.

    Although it would behoove a plaintiff against this ogre to ask:

    WHEN DID YOU STOP BEATING YOUR WIFE?

    It would be fun to ask the PE the same question?

    What can we prove?

    Supposedly there is a difference between proof and denial.

    We shall see if there is a difference between these two ideas.

     


    by Richard Day on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 1:40pm

    We are certainly in unchartered waters.  I have no idea what will happen.  

    But I am proud of the voters who last week raised hell with the 13 Democrat Senators that voted against the drug bill that would let us buy prescription drugs from Canada.  Their names where all over the place on social media with their contact information.  Also there was lists of  how much money the drug companies have donated to them on social media. 

    Booker was hammered for it.  If he wants to run for President in 2020 he better watch where he votes no.

    I think it was just a little warm up for the push back.  Sanders held several big rallies this week end in support of health care.  He packed his venues.   


    by trkingmomoe on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 5:22pm

    Maybe the Democratic Senators wanted to keep their powder dry and save their votes for a bill that would actually make a difference.

     

    edited to remove mixed metaphors


    by CVille Dem on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 7:13am

    Or just being foolish by not paying attention to the life and death needs of their working class base.  


    by trkingmomoe on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 12:13pm

    I always got a chuckle out of the way Dubya would refer to Putin as "Vladimer," (as he pronounced it).  I was pretty sure he did that because he couldn't say "Putin" without laughing.


    by CVille Dem on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 3:59pm

    I hadn't thought about "Have Gun Will Travel" for a long time.  We kids used to call him, Palladin, MUSCLE NOSE!   Geeeez, those close-ups were downright painful!   Now I realize he just had rhinophyma, a condition some people get from heavy drinking.   

    I can even remember the first line of the jingle for the program:

     Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?

    I have a suggestion for a nickname for the Speaker of the House:  "No-Lips Ryan"

    That's all I've got!


    by CVille Dem on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 4:08pm

    Ryan's autobiography title: "The Grand Cru, Living Large without a Conscience - A Life Spent Liquidating Our Democracy"


    by NCD on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 4:29pm

    I remember reading about that $350 Pinot Noir. 2004 was not a stellar year in Burgundy. I think I wrote that Ryan was robbed. In 2017, you can get that bottle at $150-175 retail. I don't remember the retail price in 2004, but it most likely was lower. Ryan paid top dollar for a less than optimum wine. There must have been better bottles on the wine list. French wines are tricky because weather plays havoc with how the grapes develop. If you are getting an expensive wine from Burgundy, you need to know the impressions experts have of the vintage. Restaurants tend to double or triple the price of the bottle depending on the clientele. 


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 5:02pm