Sunday, May 27, 2018

Fractured Fairy Tales


Grim  Fairy Tale I

Once upon a time, there was an Ogre or a Monster. Call it Grendel or maybe Baba-yaga. It committed unspeakable vulgarities. It had a crown of bristles circling its head, and a voice so loud it could make volcanoes shudder beyond the Western seas, and spew their boulders (targeted for precision strikes) over the mountains of the East.
But one day the ground opened up and swallowed the Ogre or the Monster whole, and the volcanoes stilled, and the Ogre or Monster was never seen again.

Grimmer Fairy Tale II

Once upon a time, there was an Ogre or a Monster. Call it Grendel or maybe Baba-yaga. It committed unspeakable vulgarities. It had a crown of bristles circling its head, and a voice so loud it could make volcanoes shudder beyond the Western seas, and spew their boulders (targeted for precision strikes) over the mountains of the East.
One day the ground  opened up but the Monster or Ogre was safe inside his house, his voice still growing louder and louder. Photographers photographed the hole. Maintenance crews erected traffic cones around it; cops strung caution tape around it.  And while the Monster howled, the hole kept getting bigger and bigger.

Even Grimmer Fairy Tale III

Once upon a time, there was an Ogre or a Monster. Call it Grendel or maybe Baba-yaga. It committed unspeakable vulgarities. It had a crown of bristles circling its head, and a voice so loud it could make volcanoes shudder beyond the Western seas, and spew their boulders (targeted for precision strikes) over the mountains of the East.
One day the ground  opened up but the Monster or Ogre was safe inside his house, his voice still growing louder and louder. Photographers photographed the hole. Maintenance crews erected traffic cones around it; cops strung caution tape around it. And while the Monster howled, the hole kept getting bigger and bigger.
Some people hoped the hole would swallow the Monster or the Ogre up as it had so reliably done before. Some people eyed the hole with growing apprehension.

 

Grimmest Tale of all

Once upon a time, there was an Ogre or a Monster. Call it Grendel or maybe Baba-yaga. It committed unspeakable vulgarities. It had a crown of bristles circling its head, and a voice so loud it could make volcanoes shudder beyond the Western seas, and spew their boulders (targeted for precision strikes) over the mountains of the East.
One day the ground opened up but the Monster or Ogre was safe inside his house, his voice still growing louder and louder. Photographers photographed the hole. Maintenance crews erected traffic cones around it; cops strung caution tape around it. People watched it grow. But while the Monster howled, the hole kept getting bigger and bigger.
Some people hoped the hole would swallow the Monster or the Ogre up. Some people eyed the hole with growing apprehension. They loved the Monster or the Ogre so much, one day they discovered that they looked just like him because all along they had been growing bristles just like his and howling in louder and louder voices. And by now, there were so many of them, no matter how big it got, the hole couldn’t swallow them all up.


Opinion


Witness what is happening on the White House lawn.  With efforts seriously afoot to sink the Trump regime and scores of people changed with digging while tweeting, the mainstream media reported that Evangelicals, reluctant to tell the truth that sinkholes are the mark of God’s disfavor, are claiming it’s a conspiracy by what’s left of the Left (sinkholes have also appeared at Mar Lago, making it unsafe for golfing) and some are even claiming it’s a sign Mother Earth is mighty pissed. Lefties want to do away with Trump and all his trappings, including his 99 eyesore hotels–worldwide, and scientists, always the ones to have the last word, are saying it’s a symptom of man-made climate change.


Sign on to the nuclear ban agreement.   Since 122 nations adopted the treaty at the United Nations on July 76, 2017, 58 countries have already signed and 7 countries have ratified the treaty. Once 50 countries ratify the treaty, it will enter into legal force, becoming binding under international law.



 

(The good news this week is that there are too many roses to be able to provide any links. For further reading, please look them up.)

With its draconian reduction in food stamps, (SNAP) House farm bill collapses amidst Republic disarray.

Nation-wide, cooperative utilities far exceed total of investor-owned and public power utilities, according the Smart Electric Power Alliance. 

In a huge step toward holding police accountable in California, and ending a blue wall of secrecy, SB 1421 passes out of committee.

With a vote of 360 to 59, the federal criminal justice bill passes through the House  of Representatives.

Houston police chief calls for gun control.

Vancouver bans plastic straws and foam containers.

Estonia becomes the first country to offer free public transportation in the city of Tallinn before going nation-wide.

Challenging high prices, Vermont passes a drug importation law.

The Matsés, an Amazon people, create a 500-page traditional medicine encyclopedia—in Matsé.

The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment preventing Federal interference in State
medical marijuana laws is adopted in the Appropriations Committee.

Eleanor Holmes Norton becomes the first member of the U.S. Congress to pledge support for the UN agreement on he prohibition of nuclear weapons.

Activists disrupt Morgan Stanley’s annual shareholder meeting by blocking vehicle access to protest financing for Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access, Bayou Bridge, and Marine East Pipelines.

New protest site blocks Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Grandfather scales tree, erecting mid-air camp to stop Kinder Morgan clear-cutting.

Atlantic Coast Pipeline faces civil rights complaint after key permit is blocked.

In France, demonstrations have been held nation-wide opposing the government’s official policy of support for Israel, with cultural figures refusing to take part in the government’s cultural activities designed to promote Israel.

The “Freedom” flotilla to Gaza vessels dock in Copenhagen with aid, and activists from the world over.

Michigan sets a massive precedent by passing law effectively banning  the NSA.

In a Gloucester Country, N.J. bathroom use case, a federal judge rules in favor of a transgender student.

In Connecticut, Senate Governor Dan Malloy, has signed the National Popular Voter bill, making Connecticut the latest state to enact it. So far the bill is now law in 12 jurisdictions with 172 electoral votes.

Amy McGrath wins the Democratic nomination in Kentucky’s Six Congressional District.

David Richardson qualifies for the ballot in  Florida’s 27th Congressional District.

Paulette Jordan, a Native American state legislator wins the Democratic nomination in Idaho.  In other states, non-politicians, women, veterans and non-whites lead the effort to take back the House and Governorships.

Seventy-two percent women dominate the primaries, including 62 Democrats.

Lupe Valdez, a gay Latina sheriff wins the Texas Governor’s primary.

Gina Ortiz Jones, the first LGBTQ candidate, is nominated to run in Texas 23rd District.

A school teacher!!! ousts the majority leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

The NRDC announced election protection initiatives in Ohio, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

Winning 92.6 percent of votes, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro wins his second presidential term, despite the U.S. announcing—even before the voter—that it would not recognize the election results.

Four Guatemalan ex-officials, 3 of them torture “School of the Americans” graduates, are convicted of kidnapping and rape and the forced “disappearance” of members of the Theissen family.

Palestinian journalists form committee to file legal case against Israeli with the International Criminal Court after two of them are slain by the IDF.

Pope Francis chimes in, telling gay man “God made you like this.”

After three years of organizing by Arab Youth Programming, San Francisco  Board of Education votes to continue allow it to provide cultural linguistic and academic services to Arab youth.

Pacific Fishery Management Council votes to close a Washing-state-size area to bottom trawling.

Despite Trump’s announcement that U.S. public libraries can be zeroed out, France’s “we sign it” announced that with a petition of 14,000 plus signatures, it allowed libraries to remain open evenings and weekends.

In Europe, (not in the U.S.) Amazon signs a contract with unions regarding work shifts.

Ireland makes abortion a reality after voting overwhelmingly to repeal eighth amendment of their constitution.

No comments:

Post a Comment