mjh's blog

the cure

my old friend
is worried about me
coughing roughly
deep in the night
he stands by the bed
searching my face
for a cue
a clue to my
senseless barking
barking
he paces the floor
for hours
he sniffs my hand
ingesting my malady
to concoct the cure
which he administers
in slow soft licks;
“be well, old friend
the pack is with you.”
and I am well again. mjh

3/17/2005

droplet

God’s Country?

If you wonder what the American Christian Fascism Movement is, you just don’t recognize it by name — you can’t have missed the movement itself.

For an example of the ACFM at work, look to Ohio, where Evangelical Christians are going to deliver the Republican nomination for governor to Ken Blackwell, who delivered Ohio to Bush in 2004 (or was it Diebold?).

Aren’t Christians allowed to campaign and vote? Of course. But “Patriot Pastors” go beyond the rights we all share, as does the Ohio Restoration Project, the Texas Restoration Project and the Wallbuilders, who decry the Separation of Church and State as something phony. Behind this movement is a cabal that looks more like Organized Crime than democracy in action. In exercising their rights, these people will happily remove rights from others. All “for the good of the nation” and because it’s “god’s will,” as interpreted by the Republican Party. mjh

NOW. Politics & Economy. God’s Country? | PBS

Evangelical Christians have been preaching politics in Ohio ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial primaries and face accusations of using the church as a vehicle for political advocacy.

The accusations come from another group of religious leaders who have filed multiple complaints to the IRS against two so-called “mega-churches” in Ohio.

One of those churches is led by Pastor Russell Johnson, who has become one of the most important figures in Ohio politics today. Johnson runs the Ohio Restoration Project, an organization that mobilizes so-called “patriot pastors” to deliver one-sided messages about social policy, secular laws and even political candidates.

The goal of the organization is to elect candidates who agree with conservative Christians on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

“When it came to find a leader, we found one, Ken Blackwell, who said yes, marriage is defined by the Bible as one man and one woman, and I will stand with you,” Johnson said at an Ohio rally in February.

God Bless Molly Ivins, II

A tough guy just bearing his cross? By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate

I never minded DeLay’s being a tough guy — it was his syrupy claims to carry the banner for Christianity that I found offensive, as he frog-marched the House toward being a cash-operated special-interest machine. The idea of putting pressure on lobbyists to give only to Republicans, pressuring lobbying firms into hiring only Republicans and then letting lobbyists sit at the table during committee meetings where legislation was written — it was just screaming overt corruption.

DeLay and Gingrich turned the U.S. House of Representatives, “the people’s House,” into a pay-for-play machine for corporations. Put in enough money, get your special tax exemption, get your earmarked government contract, get your trade legislation and your environmental exemption, get rid of safety regulation. …

“Stand firm,” he added. “Resist evil. Remember that all truth and blessings emanate from our Creator.” He then went with Tan to see a cockfight.

This is why DeLay’s professions of Christianity make me sick. He was there. He could have talked to the workers. Instead, he chose to walk with the powerful and do real harm to the very people whom Jesus mandated we especially care for.

One for you, two for me … By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate

AUSTIN – We need to keep up with the daily drip, that endless succession of special favors for special interests performed by Congress, or we’ll never figure out how we got so far behind the eight ball. While the top Bushies lunge about test-driving new wars (great idea — the one we’re having is a bummer, so let’s start another!), Congress just keeps right on cranking out those corporate goodies.

Earlier this month, the House effectively repealed more than 200 state food safety and public health protections. Say, when was the last time you enjoyed a little touch of food poisoning? Coming soon to a stomach near you. What was really impressive about HR 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act, is that it was passed without a public hearing.

“The House is trampling crucial health safeguards in every state without so much as a single public hearing,” said Erik Olson, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This just proves the old adage, ‘Money talks.’ The food industry spared no expense to ensure passage.”

Thirty-nine attorneys general, plus health, consumer and environmental groups, are opposing the law. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the food industry has spent more than $81 million on campaign contributions to members of Congress since 2000.

The bill would automatically override any state measure that is stronger than federal law — the opposite of what a sensible law would do. …

Here’s another little gem, one of those “it was after midnight and everyone wanted to go home” deals. A no-cost sweetener to encourage oil and gas companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico — and who needs more encouragement these days than the oil companies? The poor things are making hardly any money at all.

Just have the federal government waive the royalty rights for drilling in the publicly owned waters. Turns out this waiver will cost the government at least $7 billion over the next five years.

I roared with laughter upon reading that U.S. Rep. Joe Barton of Texas had assured his colleagues that the provision of the energy bill was “so noncontroversial” that senior House and Senate negotiators had not even discussed it. That’s one of the oldest ploys in the Texas handbook of sneaky tricks and has been successfully used to pass many a sweet deal for the oil industry.

“The big lie about this whole program is that it doesn’t cost anything,” U.S. Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts told The New York Times. “Taxpayers are being asked to provide huge subsidies to oil companies to produce oil — it’s like subsidizing a fish to swim.”

God Bless Molly Ivins, Part I

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs

If you don’t have a subscription to www.abqjournal.com, you may want to endure a stupid ad for the opportunity to read two guest columns today. On the Right, we have Sally Mayer and to her Far Right, Don Harris. You gotta love a fair-and-balanced debate between two Right Wingers. Especially when you get to read Harris’ concerns about totalitarianism. I’m fairly sure Harris would vote to replace the Bill of Rights with the Ten Commandments, so his concerns about totalitarianism are either laughable or terrifying. Meanwhile, it’s funny to read Mayer’s use of the word progressive without quotes or other signs she is holding her nose. Funniest of all is that these two are in near agreement on major aspects of animal control legislation. Perhaps this is a new tactic of the Radical Right to continue to monopolize the media by feigning disagreement. Or is it possible the Radical Right isn’t a monolith that crushes all dissent? Nah. mjh

PS: We love and care for our two cats and one dog, all rescued and neutered. But we object to being required to plant a bug on each of them (especially the 17 year old who barely goes beyond the perimeter of the house). There must be a cheaper and less invasive technique. Oh, I know, let’s require collars and tags!

ABQjournal: Proposed Ordinance Treats Animals Like People By Don Harris, City Council District 9

a proposal that is as breathtakingly radical as it is totalitarian.

ABQjournal: Misinformation Skews Debate on New City Animal Regs By Sally Mayer, City Council District 7

a balanced and progressive approach

—–

Duke City Fix » TONIGHT — City Council votes on “HEART”

Where are the anti-Republican Libertarians?

I am writing to warn you that Mike Blessing may be masquerading as a Libertarian. It is clearly Mr. Blessing’s intent to give people the impression that Libertarians haven’t read a newspaper since Joe McCarthy’s day. His anti-communist rhetoric ignores that there are only 3 communist regimes in the world and we have strong words for the two tiny ones and many thanks for the big one buying all our debt.

If you see Mr Blessing, calmly back away and do not risk antagonizing him by pointing out that left unregulated, the sacred Market will work you to death, pay you nothing and sell you products that don’t work but kill you. Do not mention that the self-professed anti-government “starve the beast” crowd has given everything to their corporate masters while funneling money to evangelical causes and claiming unlimited authority.

To waste a single breath against communism or socialism today is to be completely out of touch with the times. Where are the Libertarians against American Christian Fascism? Where are the Libertarians against the national debt? Where are the Libertarians against the politics of fear and loathing? Anti-communist? Where are the anti-Republican Libertarians? mjh

[printed by alibi . may 4 - 10, 2006]

alibi . april 27 – may 3, 2006
Eric the Red

Dear Alibi ,

[RE: Punch Line, “Food For Thought,” April 20-26]

Once again, Mayor Griego (sic) is preaching his religion of socialism—“Thou shalt worship Government as The One True God, and I am its prophet”—as the “solution” to a perceived “problem” here in Albuquerque. This week, it’s the lack of an “international” dining scene.

First, Mayor Griego needs to put down The Communist Manifesto long enough to skim through the “Restaurant” section of the Yellow Pages, and he’ll see plenty of ethnic restaurants—Arabic, Cajun, Chinese, Cuban, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Native American, Persian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, not to mention various styles of American (that does still count, right?).
Continue reading Where are the anti-Republican Libertarians?…

Troll Bites Man

Duke City Fix » Trains, planes, and uh, sex toys

andrew wrote:
MJH has a lot of time on his hands, and he’s not perfect either. For instance, he capitalizes “mother,” but two words later, the word “brother” is lowercase.

Is he implying that his mother is more important than his brother?

We all make misteaks.

Good one, andy (or is it Andy?).

I know I’m about to prove aNdy’s point, but he proved mine, so I’m happy to repay him.

You see, anDrew correctly apprehended the meaning of my capitalization. So, was my writing in error? Apparently not that part of it. I meant no insult to my brother, I just have trouble writing about my Mother without a capital, much as I cannot write god with one.

Still, while he grasped that subtlety of case, andY missed/ignored my sincere declaration of not being perfect.

By the way, we all have the same time on our hands, whether we realize that or not. mjh

Almost Cut My Hair

Lately, my hair has grown beyond the dandelion charm of Einstein to the look of the love child of Shirley Temple and Charles Manson. It’s a mop befitting a clown with huge balls of curls cum tumbleweeds piled below the sparse meadow that once was my glory. My negative-mohawk. For old men, hair moves like landslides, denuding the peaks and gathering in the valleys and ear canals below.

So, cut your hair already. (Or, rather, have Merri cut it as she has for over 20 years.) I don’t participate in very many rituals that are imposed on me, prefering to satisfy my human need for ritual through some of my own making. Over the years, my hair has played an important role in many of these rituals. I cut my braid on more than one anniversary of my Mother’s death. I had my friends shave my head at 40 (in Chaco Canyon). I shaved my head again for my 50th and then resolved to go unkempt for a full year following. I’m still 4 weeks away from the anniversary of my last haircut. I’m beginning to think the wisdom of age is to suspend rituals that do no good. mjh

He Had Went and Really Gotten to Myself

ABQjournal: Astorga Alone During Stop, Police Say By T.J. Wilham, Journal Staff Writer

Marcantel said Astorga, 29, knew that had McGrane, 38, taken his driver’s license and went back to his squad car, the deputy would have known about the warrant within minutes.

ABQjournal: Mayor Had a Reason to Speed By T.J. Wilham, Of the Journal

Last Friday, Schultz invited myself on a ride-along.

OK, I am officially an old-fart — something you probably already knew about me. I have to say these two abuses of language get to me, especially seeing both by the same writer on the same day in two separate articles.

Understand, I shattered my glass house years ago. I’m a recovering perfectionist whose recovery began with recognizing I can’t be perfect nor can I expect that of anyone else.

Even before that, I was shaken from incipient language-fascism by my great language mentor (after my Mother, of course), my brother, Dan. When, as a young-fart, I attacked some change in language that offended even my young ears, he set me straight on the inevitability of change and the irony of that progression from “misuse” to mainstream and the reversal of fortunes that comes when “saying it correctly” suddenly sounds archaic. Shakespeare would be appalled by my very best English and I sometimes don’t get his.

In fact, the conundrum of celebrating the richness of language is that one cannot define what is wealth. Which is not meant to give in and say “it’s all good” (snap). At any one moment, it’s not all good — context rules.

Ah, but what of journalists? Their context has its own rules and stylebooks. Is something that would be terrible in the context of oratory or literature more acceptable on newsprint? More than likely.

All that aside, these two examples really grate on me. I hope T.J. Wilham can rise above the colloquial. I wish he had an editor who would help him do so. mjh

Cognitive Dissonance

Monterey County Herald | 04/25/2006 | Bush urges realistic immigration reform By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press

Bush said community health centers are the best place for the poor to get primary care. ”There needs to be a campaign to explain what’s available for people so that they don’t go to the emergency rooms,” he said.

ABQjournal: Bush Budget Would End Aid By Leslie Linthicum, Journal Staff Writer

[A] one-line item in President Bush’s proposed 2007 federal budget that would eliminate all federal funding for urban health clinics around the country that principally serve Indians. It would slice about $1 million from First Nations in Albuquerque, forcing it to eliminate or find other funding for about half of its services.

The waiting room was full of people who count on the free clinic, which serves about 5,000 patients a year, 90 percent of them Native American.

The Doolittles’ Rich Deal

The Doolittles’ Rich Deal
How one congressional couple collected campaign checks — and put $215,000 in their pockets

IMAGINE THAT every time members of Congress received a $1,000 campaign contribution, they could skim $150 off the top and put it straight into their personal bank accounts. Sound shady? That is, in effect, how Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) and his wife, Julie, operate. According to our review of campaign finance records, Mrs. Doolittle has received at least $215,000 from Mr. Doolittle’s various campaign committees since 2001. This doesn’t include $6,800 in payments to another of Mrs. Doolittle’s companies, Events Plus, before she started doing his fundraising work. She’s taken in nearly $100,000 during the 2006 campaign alone.

The arrangement couldn’t smell more.

Sen. Conrad Burns May Be Bouncing Back

Burns May Be Bouncing Back
Polls Suggest Montana Senator Is Shedding Ties to the Abramoff Scandal
By Blaine Harden, Washington Post Staff Writer

BILLINGS, Mont. — The Republican primary debate was over, and three challengers had barely laid a glove on Sen. Conrad Burns.

No one mentioned the $150,000 he accepted from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and later returned. No one brought up the $3 million federal grant secured by a wealthy Indian tribe — and Abramoff client — after Burns pressured the Interior Department. No one quoted Abramoff telling Vanity Fair that he and his clients had received “every appropriation we wanted” from a subcommittee chaired by Burns.

Only one question during Friday’s debate even mentioned Abramoff, whose web of illegal lobbying has spawned the largest congressional scandal in years. And Burns pugnaciously dismissed it, saying, “If you want to know something about the Abramoff deal, you got to ask the Democrats.”

Polls here suggest that Burns, 71, a three-term incumbent who has been targeted by the Democrats as one of the most beatable Republicans in the Senate, may be bouncing back from the pounding he took late last year after the publication of several articles detailing his ties to Abramoff.

For a while after the stories broke, Burns essentially hunkered down, offering little response to the allegations while his political fortunes flagged. Republican strategists in Washington believe Burns stayed silent for too long. In the past three months, however, his campaign has spent heavily on radio and television ads that attack Democrats for attacking him. In a current ad, Burns tells Montana voters that “the daily partisan assault is an assault on you and what you stand for.”

After the debate, Burns was asked about the new poll numbers, which show him tied with or narrowly trailing his two most likely Democratic opponents. He is expected to win handily in the Republican primary.

“Never lose faith in the people,” he said with a tight smile.

Would he answer any questions about Abramoff?

“No!” Burns said, with a tight smile.

For all his bravado, Burns remains in trouble, especially in a state that generally tilts to the Republicans. But his experience also suggests the challenge that Democrats around the country will have in turning this year’s scandals into tangible gains at the polls.

Every Day is Earth Day

“Because of all the place’s within a year’s ride of here, this is the only place to be.” — World Party

Love Your Mother

Happy Earth Day, Everyone!

Some say the “Environmental Movement” has itself become a corporation indistinguishable from its foes. Some say that “the people” no longer trust “the movement.” Some even say the movement is irrelevant because everyone is an environmentalist now. Yeah, that last one is especially funny.

Whatever bits of truth float in those views, all of us are coming to realize how fucked up the World has made the Earth. We see the climate change, and the severity of destruction it spawns. We see the diseases that may very well be Earth’s antibodies against humans. We see the end of the Era of Fossil Fuels and the shorter-term sputters of that dying system. We have a good sense of what is wrong, how we play into that, and how we are going to be part of the change. We all *know* that in a single lifetime everything will change dramatically. Our house is on fire. mjh

mjh’s blog — I’m Recycling on Earth Day

Earth Day 2002

I celebrated Earth Day idling in line at the drive-up window. As I burned my part of the world’s resources, I waited for chemical-laden beef raised on clear-cut forest land, served with genetically modified potatoes grown in the desert, watered by rapidly melting polar icecaps. On the radio, the president called for arctic drilling. On the TV, the vice-president called for nuclear power plants. On my cell phone, I called for replacement batteries for my laptop, my digital camera, my CD player, my pacemaker. On my palm-pilot, I wrote “need to get away.” I used a search engine to look for a campground with hook-ups, preferably near a convenience store. mjh