Thursday, February 13, 2025

I’m in Steamboat Springs - most posting begins on Sunday

 However, I had to post this. Everything is kind of poopy now (see no curse words). So I take humor were I can.

 





Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Hello from Steamboat Springs

 


Black History Month - Homer Plessy

 Homer Plessy is both an unsung hero and a name of anger. Homer Plessy in 1896 boarded a train in Louisiana and sat in the Whites Only section. He knew he would get arrested and his case was taken to the Supreme Court. 

At the Supreme Court, Plessy was found guilty. This was the decision that allowed “Separate But Equal” doctrine. But “equal” didn’t mean equal quality, just an accommodation. So separate schools, libraries, retail establishments, everything was segregated and allowed by the Supreme Court.

It was the law of the country until the 1950s. Mr. Plessy was a symbol of all that was wrong with segregation.



Monday, February 10, 2025

Black History Month - 10 - Jordan Peale


Jordan Peale is probably not what one expects looking at the History part of Black History Month. He gained fame as a comic writer and performer.

But he has since morphed into one of the best directors working now. He has made 3 movies so far: Get Out, Us, and Nope. For Get Out he was nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. He won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, becoming the first Black Writer to win this award.

I think he will be long remembered because these movies make points about being Black in America, but always in an analogy form. He does not beat you over the head with it. They are also Horror / Comedies, but in the Alfred Hitchcock mode, psychological, not bloody and graphic. Although there is plenty of gore in Get Out and some in Us.


The endings of these movies mark the end of the movie but rarely the end of thinking about what you just saw. I left Nope, wondering what the hell just happened and had to ponder a bit. This is definitely not everyone's cup of tea.


Anyway, I think that, years from now, his movies will be studied for their meaning and content.


Sunday, February 9, 2025

Black History Month - 9 - George Poage, first Black Olympian


 The Olympic games were one of the few places that Black Americans were allowed to shine. Not to be flippant, but the American desire for winners outweighed American's racism against Blacks.

The 1904 Olympics in Saint Louis was considered an adjunct to the St. Louis World's Fair (remember "Meet Me In St. Louis"). Here is a quick overview from Wikipedia.

George Coleman Poage
(November 6, 1880 – April 11, 1962) was an American track and field athlete. He was the first black and the first African-American athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games, winning two bronze medals at the 1904 games in St. Louis.

He was a University of Wisconsin graduate. After winning the medals, well .. let's visit Wikipedia again:

Later years

[edit]

Poage remained in St. Louis after the Olympics, working as a school principal for a year before becoming a teacher at segregated Charles Sumner High School. At Sumner, he was the head of the English department, teaching English composition, literature, and Latin, helped coach the school’s sports teams, and supervised various extracurricular activities such as debate and theater.[2][4] 

In 1920, Poage moved to Chicago. He worked in a restaurant for four years. In 1924, Poage was hired by the United States Postal Service and worked as a postal clerk for nearly thirty years. After his retirement in the 1950s he remained in Chicago until his death in 1962.

Personal life

[edit]

Decades after his death in 1962, George C. Poage was revealed to have been a part of the LGBTQ+ Community. As featured in a 2023 PBS documentary entitled Wisconsin Pride. 

In those times, winning at the Olympics was not the ticket to the financial success that many of our Olympians find today. In fact, even Jesse Owens, the famed Hitler beater of the 1936 Olympics ended up working low paying jobs. Owens struggled to find work and took on menial jobs as a gas station attendant, playground janitor, and manager of a dry cleaning firm.  Sometimes he resorted to racing against motorbikes, cars, trucks and horses for a cash prize. He said you can't eat gold medals.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Black History Month - 8 - Hiram Revels, the first Black Senator

Hiram Revels - First Black Senator

I find the story of Hiram Revels fascinating.  I mean, Senator Revels was interesting as a person, but the story of Hiram Revels is more indicative of some things. First things first; 


So, he was an impressive man.

But that isn't what we learned in school history. 

When I was in school, 100 years AFTER the Civil War, we didn't hear about equality in the South after the war. We did not learn that ex-slaves voted in real change.

We were taught that "carpet baggers" from the northern states went to the south to exploit the population. We were told these carpet baggers rounded up illiterate ex-slaves to vote and to put uneducated Black men in office. Then, they exploited the men and the South for any wealth they had.

It only ended when reasonable white men ran these carpet baggers out of the South.

This was in California! 

I have since learned that the "reasonable white men" were Klu Klux Klan killers who struck laws that disenfranchised the ex-slaves and free black voters. They kicked out elected leaders and lynched hundreds of black men to strike terror into those left. This racism brought on Reconstruction. And we were taught Reconstruction was good - not the flagrantly racist system it was

When I was in school—and when most of you were—there hadn't been a Southern Black Senator since Reconstruction. The first Black Senator from the South was Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina in 2013, 150 years after the Civil War. (Remember, this was the war in which the South started to protect slavery and lost.)

So, I hope that future generations learn about the evils of Reconstruction, not from revisionists but from people who honor Hiram Revels. The First Black Senator who was a war hero and a minister - and history has treated badly.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Living Desert Conservation

The Living Desert (zoo) out here used to be a different kind of zoo / preserve. It had large grounds and cages for cats of all sizes. Well, it has changed significantly now. It now focuses on desert animals and ecosystems from around the world.

It is also now part of the conservation zoos that rehabilitate and breed desert animals. Here is their news from the magazine.

PS. Before we start, the Channel Island Fox has been recovered from near extinction.




Black History Month - 7 - Tuskegee Syphilis Study

 Black History Month should not only look at the contributions of American Blacks. We should also study aspects that we must not forget. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is one such event.

Some of the original participants

The study also goes a long way toward explaining WHY Blacks were so hesitant to trust the government regarding COVID-19.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study started in 1932. In 1932, the United States began a study on a group of 400 Blacks in Georgia. They were diagnosed with Syphilis, and the US government reached out to them. They were all promised free medical care if they participated in the study. However, only 1/2 the men were treated, and the other half were given placebos. Even after it was found that penicillin would end Syphilis in 1947, they were not given it.

They were told the study would be for 6 months, it lasted 30 years until it was ended in 1972 when it was uncovered. During those 40 years:

  1. 28 patients died from syphilis
  2. 100 died from complications from syphilis
  3. 40 of the patients infected their wives
  4. 19 children were born with congenital syphilis at birth

It was an act perpetrated on Blacks with no thought about the impact on the men in the study. A lot of new information was uncovered, but they were never told the truth. Finally, the full story came out in 1997.

It is a part of Black History that is terrible, but must be remembered so it doesn't happen again.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Black History Month - 6 - Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice

When we think of our merry band of imbeciles now running the government, I think back to the sound administration of George W Bush. Now, only President Trump can raise my impression of the Bush II administration.

However, thinking back, I don't think George Bush was a particularly smart man. He was a moral person (yeah, I don't believe in God, but I do believe in morality) and surrounded himself with great talent. 

Today, during Black History Month, I remember the first two Black Secretaries of State, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell.

Both excelled in pushing America's influence and interest in measured and intelligent ways. As opposed to today, when the following comments were made by the administration in the last two days:

  • MAGA Podcaster Ridicules Mexican President, Claiming “She’s Fresh Off A Hysterical Menopausal Meltdown”
  • Rubio Declares Himself Acting Director Of USAID
    • By the way ALL USAID has now stopped. Not only did it provide some critical funds for poor nations for medical treatments and stopping starvation, but it built up a ton of American goodwill in those nations.
  • GOP State Rep: Overthrow Mexico’s “Jew” President
  • Vance: We’re Taking Greenland, Let Europe “Scream”
  • Trump: Panama Better Hand Over The Canal Or Else “Something Very Powerful Is Going To Happen” [Video]
  • Homocon AfD Leader Slams Holocaust “Guilt Cult”
  • Trump: I’m Ending Future Funding To South Africa
  • Canada is a failing nation.
It's been two busy weeks. By contrast both Rice and Powell showed strength without resorting to idiocy.




I see both sides of this. I just don't like the repercussions.

President Trump signed an executive order - this time with teeth - that transgender students cannot compete with women in school sports. They are only worried about transgender women who might have testosterone. Here are my 2 cents - sure to be disliked by many.

The order does not bug me. TO ME: 

- There are plenty of intelligent reasons to not worry here. One reason, which I disagree with, is that it only affects 10 people out of the 500,000 girls who play sports. Everyone deserves an equal opportunity, and calling out these 10 girls isn't fair.

- What I agree with is this: If a person identifies as another gender, I think, that should be protected. Those students should not be subject to ridicule and bullying. 

- But if a person has decided that they are a different gender and start to transition, giving up school sports is a price you have to pay. It sucks, but being stuck in the wrong body sucks. If you aren't willing to give up your chosen sport, it doesn't seem - to me - that you are not willing to pay the price of a transition.

There is still the opportunity to play the sport for fun. After you graduate from high school, there are more opportunities - College intramural sports and off-campus sports. If you are out in the world, there are club sports that will embrace you in co-ed or female only leagues.

The horrible side effect:

The horrible side-effect, however, is the need to prove you are a girl to random strangers. This is already happening now in many kids' leagues. Parents or grandparents are accusing little girls of really being boys. And demand to see their genitals. That has destroyed some of the girls' confidence who are taunted for looking like a boy.

Pass the anti-trans bill, remove parents from the enforcement process, and let the coaches be the controlling officiants. Under this rule, parents would have to defer to the coach and could only sue the league, not the parents or the little girl.

I KNOW that this sucks for kids that want to need to transition. But if you allow this rule and demand a rule of respect for all other areas - I am amenable to that.

Of course he was offensive and rude signing this, but he is offensive often.


Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Black History Month - 5 - Paul R Williams


Paul R Williams is a personal semi-hero of mine. He worked in Los Angeles designing some of my very favorite buildings. Okay, my very favorite the LA Airport Theme Building. It was the centerpiece of the airport. The airport is now cluttered the crap to make it more accessible, with the Theme Building hidden behind parking lots and people movers.

So here the poop about Paul R Williams and his stunning run in LA and Palm Springs.









AMAZING - right?

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Black History Month - 4 - Ed Dwight

 

I will let you read about Ed Dwight from an AP story (the full story is here). The super-short version is as follows: Ed Dwight was part of the first class to select astronauts. He was championed by JFK (President John F. Kennedy) and was the only Black candidate who met the difficult requirements to join.

Authorities and his colleagues ignored him. He was forced out of the program because he was not included among those who graduated from the training program into the astronaut program.

After his stint in the military, he ultimately became a famous artist. Some of his work is below the article).

At the ripe old age of 90, he was one of the first people in space via private flights on the Blue Origin flight.



“I said, ‘Oh my God, they’re letting Black people fly,’” Dwight says. “I went straight to the recruitment office and said, ‘I want to fly.’”

With that decision, Dwight set in motion a series of events that would very nearly lead to him being among the first astronauts. As Dwight progressed through the Air Force, he was handpicked by President John F. Kennedy’s White House to join Chuck Yeager’s test pilot program at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert.

...

That fabled astronaut breeding ground, site of “The Right Stuff,” might have turned Dwight into one of the most famous Americans and the first Black man in space. But at Edwards, Dwight was discriminated against even with Kennedy championing him. After Kennedy was assassinated, Dwight’s path to NASA disappeared and he was never selected for the space program. Dwight departed for civilian life and largely receded from history.me

It nice to hear he got his dream in space. And impressive he did it at 90.

Here is some of his art:




Today's Post at the Intersection of Geography and Economics

 


LINK : https://open.substack.com/pub/geoecon/p/the-monroe-doctrine?r=h5b4r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

In my haste, let us not forget, we voted for this.

Re: Musk and Trump's seek and destroy policy, you may all wonder how this can happen? Why did this happen? Why aren't Americans revolting against it.

Well, we voted for it. So, we are complicit. Most (voting) Americans wanted this.


The Republicans are simply doing what they have promised Fox News for decades. They might have promised differently to their voters, but they answered to donors. 

Quote of the day

 


Well, I see at least myself in this category occasionally.

It's fascinating to watch Elon Musk take over the Government

I was going to write a long explanation of what Trump's Butt Buddy, Elon, was doing and how it was wrong. But the people who care already know, and the people who don't know don't care.

His idea to reshape a workplace is to break everything, whether legal or not, and see what happens. With "X", the value fell by 72%, losing $32 Billion. With the US Government, there will be a loss of services, many of which are critical to life for some, affecting millions of people, not dollars.

And our country shrugs.



Monday, February 3, 2025

Words to live by, if possible.

 In reading something today, an advice columnist responded to a problem with this information. And I WANT to take it to heart. I have a huge problem doing it, but I want to try.

It is from The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. As advertised, the book addresses four rules to live by, and this is the one I have to work on the hardest.

Do not take anything personally.

When somebody talks about you, they are talking about a secondary character in their story who represents you; they are talking about an image they create for you. That image has nothing to do with you; it’s just a projection of that person’s story. If you take it personally, if you agree and believe what others say, their story becomes a part of your story. If you don’t take it personally, the opinions of others do not affect you, and this helps you to avoid a lot of suffering and conflict.

Once you understand that the opinions, the beliefs, and the point of view other people use to see the world has nothing to do with you, then you no longer even try not to take anything personally. This awareness makes you immune to what other people think about you, and what’s more important, it makes you immune to what you think about yourself.”

I will try (that is a promise to me, not you). It is a tough one in a world where everyone judges and has an opinion on everything. The internet gives anyone a chance to broadcast it. 



Top trading partner of every state

 I find this super interesting - select to increase size.

AND I wonder what Indiana and North Carolina are importing from Ireland - medicine?



And now for a little ditty that is once again timely

 Ladies and Gentlemen - The Kingston Trio...


Resistance if Futile

 


Black History Month - 3- Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the US Congress. She was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 1968 from New York. As she was elected not long after the multiple race riots of the mid 1960s, and made quite a splash.


She was also the first woman to run for President in a major party. I am old enough to remember Shirley Chisholm and her run in the primaries. Simply by being in the race with all men, fighting against Richard Nixon who was very popular in 1972, was little more than an exercise in futility.

BUT, she made headlines by being who she was. She raised critical issues, including ending the Vietnam War. She made news during the primaries, with many national news organizations covering her bid, knowing she would lose.

From Wikipedia:

Her campaign was underfunded, only spending $300,000 in total. She also struggled to be regarded as a serious candidate instead of as a symbolic political figure; the Democratic political establishment ignored her, and her black male colleagues provided little support. She later said, "When I ran for the Congress, when I ran for president, I met more discrimination as a woman than for being black. Men are men."  In particular, she expressed frustration about the "black matriarch thing", saying, "They think I am trying to take power from them. The black man must step forward, but that doesn't mean the black woman must step back."

Despite the coverage, she had a very positive effect on young people like me. Still impressionable and in High School or College, her fans were not legion, but very motivated. Her success in Congress opened the door for Blacks in national politics.

US ICE Dress-up Barbie

 The Leader of ICE, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is Kristi Noem.

You may remember her from her biography in which she was trying to be Trump's VP pick - she talked about putting her dog down because he didn't hunt. Honest to God, true story. She became known as the Puppy-Killer, and that was the end of her attempt. But she was still Governor of South Dakota and rooted for Trump. She also had her teeth fixed in Texas - we know because she appeared in their ads last year. She got hair extensions to look like the Trump gals. 

Well, now she is in charge of rounding up illegal aliens and plays ICE  Barbie Dress Up. I'm not being sexist, here she is:




Love the message in her last video "Getting dirt-bags off the street!" And the Fox News Chyron from the second image, "DEMS WELCOME ILLEGAL CRIMINALS WITH OPEN ARMS". Which is sad because people believe it.

Oh wait, I thought this was another of hers, but I was mistaken...



Sunday, February 2, 2025

I am less worried about the tariffs than most

Trump started an incoherent trade war with Canada and Mexico. It isn't designed to raise money or anything, but to look tough about immigration and drugs. I am not particularly worried about this because it is performative. 



My guess is that Trump will negotiate, get a tiny change, and proclaim he won for America. This was the exact process during his first term when he "tore up NAFTA" North American Free Trade Association and replaced it with USMCA "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement". Despite the puffery from the Administration last time, it contained very few changes to NAFTA. None of the changes materially affected trade, but he sold himself as a master negotiator.

Mexico and Canada have responded with tariffs but will probably "cave" by sucking up to Trump and changing almost nothing.

Kabuki Theater at its (2nd) finest.


The posting on X (ex-Twitter) are not fact checked at all. Naturelly that is where this administration posts updates

 In the old days (pre-Trump), US Government announcements were made:

  1. Via Presidential or Agency New conferences with all media outlets
  2. Via Press Release provided to a mailing list of media that signed up (the same I got information about off-Broadway plays)
  3. Via the government websites, where the new Press Release and archives are.
Going forward, all press releases for the NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board - will ONLY release updates on X (ex-twitter). X is owned by a Trump official (and all-round asshole), Elon Musk. X does not fact-check. It does not stop hate speech. Its algorithm - which is what is pushed to various people - is designed by Musk to highlight posts for the "right", true or not.

As the kids say, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

The NTSB has two public deadly accidents it is investigating now - the crash in Washington DC and the crash in Philadelphia. Trump has blamed both on DEI hires. The NTSB will only be releasing information on a private site without limitations on lies. hazzah

Sunday - Trump's Revenge Tour

 President Trump has had a busy 10 days or so. let's look at one of his kept promises. He said he would attack anyone that attacked him (and is therefore an "enemy of the state").

Here are some of the people he has threatened or fired:

  1. Thirteen federal officials which review the legality of actions in a direct governmental department. ("Inspectors General").
  2. Head of the FBI
  3. 1,600 agents of the FBI that had a hand in investigating Trump
  4. Head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  5. All DEI officers in Federal Programs (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion)
  6. Head of Federal Employee Opportunity  Division
  7. 160 members of the National Security Council
  8. 56 Foreign Aid Officials and a pause on all Foreign Aid except for Israel and Egypt
  9. Head of the National Labor Relations Board
  10. He has offered severance to 2 million federal workers, with no promise of work if they stay
  11. He offered severance to all Air Traffic Controllers after the first deadly plane crash since his last administration (none happened during Biden's administration).
  12. Fired dozens one night at the Department of Education - saying they worked in DEI
  13. Removed thousands of web pages from every department dealing with DEI and therefore, pages regarding discrimination, anything about gender, all LGBT+ pages, and more spread throughout the Military, Education, Health and Human Services web sites.

He also took a book out of Communist Governments by requiring all federal workers to report on any coworker trying to use DEI in decisions.


I’m in Steamboat Springs - most posting begins on Sunday

 However, I had to post this. Everything is kind of poopy now (see no curse words). So I take humor were I can.