Wild Turkeys Celebrating Their Own Way

No enforced gratitude required

Nice display by the one guy.

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I've believed for a long time that holidays are used to keep people in line, a perspective that is shared with a writer in the current Psychology Today magazine. 

Jon Hanson of Harvard University analyzes ' Thanksgiving as "System Justification" ' and supports that view. 

  Of course, promoting the status quo describes the whole Christian religion as practiced by most Americans, but the Thanksgiving holiday is specially adapted to pay homage obeisance to the inequalities in society as just and good.  After all, if you are giving thanks then how can you get mad at the conditions in the world or the powers that keep people hungry, broke, or even homeless?  I'm sure every preacher, and politician, both of which are supported and promoted by subdued followers and generous right wing donors whether wealthy individuals or money happy businesses will be sure to use this holiday to bolster their own standing over others in society.

At least the liberal leaders are working to enact some changes, and liberal supporters work to keep their feet in the fire.

Maybe we should start a new holiday though called "Change Now". 

Okay, I'm sure someone can think up a better name, but you get the idea.

I suggest one of the big changes would be to stop listening to men talk about eating and watching football all day, and be more involved with preparing food or helping around the house.  I suck at cooking, so I spent some time cleaning bathrooms and the living room so everything would look fresh.  I also put myself in charge of loading and unloading the dishwasher.  I really should learn to cook more things, but Turkey Day is not the day to mess with learning.  A lot of things must be cooked just right today and there's only so much room in the kitchen.

I did not excerpt or completely summarize what Jon Hanson at PT wrote within this post.  Please visit the link above to read his article.

Domed Buildings in Kiev

One tower seems slightly tilted

It's hard to remember that there are places in the world with no Thanksgiving.

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As my sister-in-law tweeted very early this morning, it may appear that we were silent Wednesday  due to the call from a Democratic Representative for a complaint free day before Thanksgiving, but we were just busy.

To add to our mortification, we remembered the last post was one that actually found some positive news. 

We really tried to do the extra work we needed to do to get the extra day off and not disappoint our clients, as well as doing a good cleaning job around the home to make it special for the kids, and still get something posted yesterday, but, as you can see it didn't happen.  

When I have some free time I'll finish what I started earlier today. 

Thanks for keeping that hope that we will find something depressing to take the edge off this feelgood family holiday.  

LOL

Cedar, Ponderosa Pine, and Dogwood, Yosemite Valley

Not just relaxing, the proper forestry can help salmon cultures revive.

There is a photo at the Bee of one spot on the stream about which they write.

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Logging has been banned from within 30 feet of certain streams that are well, suited for spawning and for  feeder streams to spawning ground.  The shade from trees near such streams keep the water cooler to enable successful reproduction.

Timber companies wail that they planted many of those trees and ones within 30-70 feet from the waterways which can only be cut up to 30%.  These rules apparently apply on private and public land.

 So a bit of good news in a state which has seen little of that in the last 6 years.

See Sacramento Bee "Bid to rejuvenate salmon will protect trees near streams"

Alaskan Salmon Stream

Salmon can't spawn in warm water

One of the great strengths of salmon are their tolerance, even need of cool water and their strenuous feats of travel

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Don't Even Think About It

Cats fight back if they need to

Treated well they can be fantastic, almost human companions, though, as noted by many women, needing less upkeep than most men.

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Last year a Facebook group, which Canadian Press reported at one time had 5000 followers, took a message from a 2005 South Park episode and called November 20th,a "Beat a Ginger day".  The cartoon episode might have actually been an attempt to show how discrimination is unfair and just plain stupid.  I haven't seen it. But it doesn't seemed to have worked as intended.

The beating of a 12 year old  with red hair on this year's anniversary shows that violent prejudice can work into action rapidly. Apparently November 20 has been selected as an ongoing selection for that to happen though concerted steps were taken in British Columbia to work directly against a re-occurrence of last year's violence.

 I think the political temper tantrums in our nation that are ongoing right now are adding to both prejudicial tendencies and breaking down of normal personal restraints.

We have groups practically promising violence and extolling the virtues of carrying weapons who join in groups to disrupt public discussion by our elected leaders.

Young people are just mirrors of their parents and lots of adults and corporations are focused on forcing their demands on the nation, no matter what the electorate voted for last year.

Mainstream news is going to use the news of the boy's beating to assert that going back to the old ways of getting all your news, entertainment, and morals from them is the way to live, ignoring the major wars and behind the scenes deadly atrocities, not to mention ongoing bigotry they themselves allowed and even at times inspired.

So we're stuck between a has been model of corporate sponsored media that helped create the horrors of the past and new media models that create smaller ones and are more transparently spurred on by the rampaging adults trying to replace democracy (or something close to it) with "me firstism" (except that corporations are discovered to be funding their transportation and even paying for their time so it becomes "corporations first and I earn money for shopping sprees-ism").

The 12 year old boy was attacked by "seventh and eighth grade students" who could be 1 to 2 years his senior.  It's a relief to know the attackers weren't older, but at that time of life a young man develops so rapidly that older students are a real threat.  I wonder whether this young man will face trouble returning to the school in which he was attacked and continuing his education. 

But, of course that probably happens with inner city kids who are often given no help, no counseling, and are arrested if they join groups from which they perceive they will get some protection, you know "gangs".

If the practice of attacking red heads spreads it could create a new underclass as students find it hard to get to school and concentrate once there.

We sometimes read of returning vets unable to pick themselves up, even if not the result of the physical injuries suffered in the wars started during the two Bush administrations.  And lets not forget those who turned into terrorists themselves like Timothy McVeigh, and John Malvo Muhammed who were both finally executed for their crimes.

This young man should undergo psychological examination and given all the help he needs to succeed despite what he has experienced.

But then what can you do for entire swaths of our inner cities as they experience threats and violence throughout their lives?  

Introducing a more just and equitable society, while making sure our police and citizens don't shoot (or arrest) first and ask questions later would probably help.

For more details see LA Times report and CBS report

Though the Calabasas boy was the only report I can find for violence this year, a report from a Canadian Ski Report   says that last year "anti-ginger" violence affected three schools in British Columbia.  The report continues that a Facebook group owner, 14, apologized for problems created by his "joke" anti-ginger production.

That latest cited report, dated November 20, 2009, doesn't say when that apology came and whether this years violence was a result of that group or another one.

We can doubt that violence against  red haired people will continue, or even spread to blonds and light brunettes.  The money and power structure is against that.  But this is a good look at how artificially created prejudices can promote true differences in  lifestyles that priviledged communities, and coporate controlled media, not to mention thousands of social media outlets then cite as a natural function of the lifestyles of those who they are discriminating against.

This year some reports say that many non red haired people were dying their hair to help show solidarity with their gingered friends and that groups called for hugging redheads rather than beating them.  

I hope the sappiness works.  Otherwise the outcome will not be worth the pain of reading about such goopy activism.  I would also like assurance that dark haired and dark skinned Canadian residents and citizens will get similar hugs and understanding.

BTW, searching on the demographics of Calabasas I found this at Neighborhood Link :

91302 is an affluent (median household income: $93,378) upscale rural zip code in Calabasas, California. The population is primarily white, and mostly married couples.

 So, in case someone thinks it might have been some nefarious darker skinned, poor teens doing the beating, that almost certainly isn't the case.  I knew the demographics from instinct because of the location of the city right up near Ventura County, but that wouldn't be obvious to everyone.

I have a cheap and now aging laptop. 

But the touch pad has always been iffy, tending to make the cursor jiggle or glom onto various links that I'm would be trying to pass quickly to get to another spot or the scroll bar.

I decreased the sensitivity via the software controls to the minimum and used a function that turns off touchpad completely when I'm typing.

Still it was pretty awful.

Tonight I realized the laptops with better control that friends have seem to have a thicker layer of  coating on the touch pad. 

So I decided to try covering the pad with some clear packing tape and that is working pretty well.  I can now roll over a link without the browser thinking I'm demanding to go to it.  Yet I don't have to hit the touchpad any harder to ask to visit a link's destination. Even the bubbles don't seem to affect use of the pad adversely.  (Packing tape is the 2+ inch tape used to secure boxes for shipping or storage.)

Cheap computers tricks.  Just one more free feature of our blog.  LOL

Okay, you might want to ignore the fact that we haven't had any other posts on computer help IIRCC.  But when we come up with something, we'll put it down.

I'm not a techie but I have one thing they might not, a lot of experience with cheap old computers.  So sometimes I might know something they don't need to know.

LA Sunset From Bill and Ted's Burg

San Dimas gets a different veiw than the South-Western one we can see from our local high spot.

But we get Alpenglow off windows of the Skyscrapers.

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As ACORN claims the latest video footage the hidden video attack team is again doctored to make conversations appear to be different than they are and California's Attorney General Jerry Brown is investigating the actions of James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles who secretly video taped conversations with ACORN employees.  Unacknowledged recordings of confidential conversations are illegal in the state.

An ACORN statement released after the tape says what one can see in the tape, heavy editing and manipulation of at least one employee involved.  The employee tried repeatedly to get them to go to some other agency and took the couple to the hall to hold what conversation she was having with them because it was not one that should be had within ACORN offices.

The philly office actually called the police and told them the couple had been talking about setting up an underage call girl racket.  

ACORN statement on the LA tapes:

 As you view the videos the statements become are born out.  In fact you can see the lady trying to aid what she thinks was an underage prostitute open and then shut a door.  She, apparently, thought she the pair was complaining about Hannah being pimped when she was underage and was trying to help her get restitution or aid.  

People don't automatically think the worst of others, at least of others who come to them for help.

I think that's what this shows.

This story isn't getting a lot of traction from mainstream news.  Finding the most requires  searching on "Hannah Giles" rather than "ACORN" or "O'Keefe". 

As I surmised a few days ago, this team destroyed their credibility last month with the videoless video that could be the result of extensive editing like the LA one.

And maybe OKeefe and Giles better stay out of the Golden State for a while.

See LA Times 'Top of the Ticker' blog  James O'Keefe releases another ACORN video -- this one from Los Angeles

Abandoned Gingerbread House

Lower Ninth Ward, N. O.

The good news is that no bodies seem to have been found here.  Picture was uploaded in February 2009.  Still abandoned all that time or ?

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The flooding of the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernards Parish was due to negligence on a shipping canal from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico according to a decision on November 18, 2009 from a US District Court as reported by CNN.

 CNN also reports that that five out of six plaintiffs were eligible for damage awards from the flooding.  And I guess those will dwarf the $26k FEMA doled out to those who lost homes in the flood. "Lost your entire house?  Here's pocket change for you."  seemed to be FEMA's message.

Though the five winning couples got only about $170k each, the consensus is that 100,00 other homeowners will be eligible for awards as well.

See CNN "Court: Army Corps of Engineers liable for Katrina flooding" (no registration required) for details in a pretty thorough article that doesn't require registration or payment for access.

The sixth couple, who's home was in East New Orleans, was not awarded money or a victory or damages.  The Washington Post says that was because the judge concluded that the flooding of that area was not due to ACE negligence.

My thoughts:

If new rules hadn't been put in place forcing new housing to lack a bottom floor this could repopulate the Ninth Ward it seems.  Now that the flooding has been proven to be manmade, maybe they should rethink the restrictions as long as houses had a safe way to the roof or other safe spot at the height needed during the post Katrina flooding.

1800 killed.  Where have they been hiding that number?  That's much worse than has been reported before.

Yes, citizen this is our money, but we really owe these people and we will all be safer if we pay it out and make sure the Corps doesn't work like a bunch of slackers.

Micro payment receiving pundits in the comment section represent a libertarian lot mostly whining about people who live in floodable zones as well as other kinds of danger spots, ignoring the fact that just about every point in the US is a danger zone, if not for hurricanes and floods, then for tornadoes, earthquakes, slides, fires, etc.  Los Angeles will make Post Katrina New Orleans look like paradise if a big earthquake off shore unleashes the size Tsunami that is considered a possibility for the area.  I can guarantee if that happens half of us will end up in the Lower Ninthof New Orlieans looking for someplace safer to rebuild our lives.  And the "libertarian" commenters never think about what happens if a tornado wipes out half of the trailer park in which they live.  They'd probably even lose their entire stash of meth.  They don't seem to think about that, do they?

To get back to seriousness the constant clamor for reduced taxes by "friends" of fat cats is the biggest danger  to our nation today.   One day every libertarian and conservative activist will know that, but it is likely to be too late.

Doug Hoffman was the poster-boy for the new Conservative Republican-Libertarian-Teaparty-9/12 Party in the recent special election in New York's twenty third district, and this may be the first salvo in a new kind of campaign for the right, one which never ends. 

A fund raising letter from the Bob Hoffman campaign alleges that ACORN and unions teamed to game the NY 23 election results.

What I'm getting is that he's alleging that not all the eligible votes were counted.  

Shades of Minnesota 2008-2009.  Will we see a half-year plus hassle to verify, justify, and recount every ballot?

Or is this just about Hoffman having to  run against Bill Owens who won the vote count and has already been installed in the House of Representatives again next year, your just a kind of political bomb throwing for money (so easily diverted from campaign funds) and power? 

See Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic "Hoffman Wants Recount, Blames ACORN, Unions For "Tampering" With Election"

Santa Barbara Beach

Many nicer things to do in Santa Barbara than attend a convention of vindictive "take over the world for Exxon and Chevron" activists.

And what is their problem with energy independence? I guess they hate energy independence that isn't dependent on Big Daddy Oil Bucks.

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 Young activists have declared war on you, or at least your mind and have decided you're stupid enough you won't be able to see through their BS if they keep lying. 

These gung ho rebels liken themselves to the civil rights activists, disregarding that civil rights are natural rights and what they are pushing is a regressive national policy including more wars (which political analysts like Susan Eisenhower say will necessitate a wide-scale military draft.  They also forget to tell you that conservatives like them were against civil rights and fought  long and hard to keep people of color and women from having equal rights and they haven't stopped yet.

But some are asking their newly popular "young" (Okay Breitbart isn't that young) leaders what do the "big money bags that make young Republican activists rich" want them to work on?  One of two primary focuses is to destroy an organization to that promotes energy independence.  

Wait a minute isn't energy independence a lot like mom and apple pie?  Well, apparently not if that energy independence promoter is into alternative energy instead of drilling for gas and oil.

Another interesting thing about the LA Times is that they have not run puff pieces on young liberals and their organizations and actions.  But this is at least the second report from Sam Zell's LA Times promoting young conservative activists in the last twelve months.  Please notice Mr. Murdoch how much Sammie boy wants to be your buddy.

And, again next week LA Times reporters will be claiming to be fact checked and unbiased.  

One might even think that claim to be an act of propaganda, if he or she were of a skeptical mind.

See LA Times "Young conservative activist Hannah Giles speaks in Santa Barbara " for details about what Human Hotdog Andrew Breitbart and his fake Ho were doing in Santa Barbara last weekend.