what people say

1. SPARTY --- notes that the Republican leadership in Lansing is trying to find a way to get itself out of the problem they created. Their proposal that all pensions be taxed as ordinary income has run into hostility from the elderly and reluctance from the right-wing. Now they're trying to sneak it in the back door by suggesting taxing all future pensions.

2. IRISH MIKE -- reports:

Hamilton, Mont. A Radio Shack is offering costumers who sign up for a satellite dish, a pistol or shotgun.Those not interested can get a $50 gift card from Pizza Hut.

3. PAT W -- There are thunderstorms in The Villages.

Goodbye Lenny Weinglass

Noting the death of Leonard Weinglass, an attorney, evokes for me the Chicago 7 and Abie Hoffmann, Daniel Ellsberg, The Weather Underground, the Yippies and the Hippies, disputatious groups and people who made a "movement" and made a generation. The radicals of the 1960's who needed to be defended in court against charges legitimate and trumped up, found in Weinglass, a champion who fought ably for them, the rowdy and indiscrete, the drug-adled and the unwashed, the long-haired freaks who spit on society's frumpiness and discriminatory traditions.

There is a kind of wistfulness in all these memories, for me, because in those far distant days, things "happened" for principles with which I often agreed, and the names and places come back with a force that makes me regretful of the contorted times and circumstances we now live in.

The Loyal Opposition

This billboard has appeared in Colorado (and maybe elsewhere). It shows 4 Obamas. From the right, they are caricatures of a gay man, a bandito, a slick gangster, and a dynamite wearing terrorist.

Draw your own conclusions about the motives of the sign posters.

Obama and his Privy Council.

How like a Monarchy's is the decision of Barack Obama who from thousands of miles away is able to launch a war against a victim population without even consulting his people. He and his "Privy Council" or "War Council" or whatever, make their little secret plans and then simply announce them. Who is he? Queen Victoria?

Now is the time to make a wave -- to speak up. This is not denied you so far.

Who participated?

I have never been an Obamaniac, as those people were called who seemed to swoon over Obama and regard him as the great genius and savior and change agent.

I was pulling for Hillary Clinton, there not seeming to be a Roosevelt or Kennedy available. Yes, I voted for Barack, but that didn't mean I wanted him to go around the world bombing people. I do absolutely disagree with what he's doing, but then, he never asked anyone -- so far as I know -- what we should do. Certainly not the American people.

We have a right to discuss and debate things like whether or not we ought to hit with 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles a country we're not at war with. Who got to participate in this decision? Some military people who have to do whatever this tin-pot King Obama says?

It's enough that the Republicans want to strip away little by little, the perquisites of democracy which ought to belong to their political opponents. Now, are we to accept that the Democrats also want democracy scrapped? I think that's what it means.

Goodbye Warren Christopher

The passing of another great Liberal of the old style.

"One always wonders about the road not taken."

Who's Kidding Whom?

I don't think anything in the world could bespeak the truth of American politics better than this:

Multimillionaire Republican Businessman/Governor of Michigan Demands Tax Break for Businesses and Tax Increases on Pensions.

For Leprechauns everywhere

Being, myself, of extensive Irish background, and the name being common in county Tyrone, I feel highly qualified to wish all you with any drops of Irish blood in your gene pool, a very happy St. Patrick's Day.

County Tyrone is actually in Northern Ireland, and the family religious background is Protestant, but nevertheless, we often go bra.

Special happy wishes to those whose names speak for themselves like:

Hanley: Sean and Gigi, and Bob and Michael, and Bridget, and Laura, et. al.

Lafferty: Michael and Amy, and Danny and Matthew, et. al.

The Fitzgibbonses

Felix McGillicuddy

There are many other friends whose names do not speak for themselves, but they are included in my sweep because (a) They have the gift of the blarney, or (b) They drink Guinness, or (c) They have bad tempers, or (d) they live in shanties.

Not that I would ever stereotype.

IT'S RAINING today in Central Florida. Good day to stay home and create some creations.

Send in your nominations

Several states have or are considering license plates that celebrate the Teabaggers(Texas, Arizona, Virginia) by putting "Don't Tread On Me" promotions on them. These all show the traditional snake.(If you don't believe it, go ahead and Google.)

Please submit your ideas here for other things besides snakes that you would like to see on the Don't Tread On Me license plates.

Example:

DON'T TREAD ON ME

Here be-eth the answer

In great parts of this country, Spring has decided to give the country a real slap in the face. If it's not tornados, it's ice and snow, or floods, or high winds.

We all have learned from our fundamentalist preachers that when the weather gets really bad, it's a sign from God. So I went to my local Little Church of the High Hopes and asked around: "What's God's grievance this spring?" I talked to the Pastor, the Youth Pastor, the Four Deacons, and the Chairwoman of the Mittens for Soldiers Program.

Here are the possible answers:

1. Some Lesbians got married in Pennsylvania. Some cousins got married in Georgia. An old man married a young woman in Delaware. Some guy in Ohio married his horse.

2. We are evil people, we are terrible sinful people, we are foul creatures who have strayed from our values. We are disgusting and should purify ourselves. We are sleazy and look at naked women. We are filthy and low creatures undeserving of good treatment. We slither in slime and degradation. We are repulsive. We need a bath.

3. Charlie Sheen. Lindsay Lohan was bad enough for a hurricane, maybe, but Sheen is horrible enough to bring God's wrath on everyone.

4. The country elected a man who was born in Botswana or some such Godless place. What-did-ya expect? Kudos?

OK, I'll mention Charlie Sheen

CBS is suddenly discovering its moral standards.

It is firing Charlie Sheen for breaches of the moral clause of his contract. This is the network that created and brought us one of the sleaziest comedies ever, Two-and-a-half Men. The show celebrates inebriation, promiscuity, irresponsibility, and all the other malefactories of drink and sex.

I love Two-and-a-half Men. I hope to see every episode, if I haven't already. But, contrary to whomever governs CBS, I have no complaint about the sleaziness. I know that my watching it implicates me in its dirt. On the other hand, here comes CBS, totally without scruples, to pass judgment on someone else. What hypocrisy.

No!

I'm not happy that the American fleet has reached the shores of Libya. Why are they there? If it's to intervene, this is my vote against that mad idea. Sorry, but I am tired of running the world, especially when it's so obviously for the purpose of securing oil.

That's it, isn't it? Oil! The drug, the opiate of the masses, the purpose of our existence these days.

Thanks to Scot and his friends.

"A Teabagger, Union Member and a CEO are sitting at a table with a dozen cookies. The CEO immediately takes 11 cookies for himself. The CEO then turns to the teabagger and says, 'Watch out for that union guy he wants part of your cookie.' "

some TIGERS

Not being in a very creative or cheerful mood this day, I will confine myself to this remark:

The Detroit Tigers may not bring ANDY DIRKS to Detroit with them this spring, but I am very very confident that he will appear on your television screens sometime this summer wearing the old English "D". He is a wonder at spring training.

Also you will see AUDY CIRIACO who has played some terrific third base! Besides, we need someone named Audy on our team.