Cops with gas

Having seen the video of the policemen pepper spraying the students at UC Davis, and watching them trying to provoke those students who sat placidly on the ground without resisting, I am angry. In the first place, calling the police onto a college campus to interfere with a peaceful demonstration by students is a radical act unbecoming an administrator.

Secondly, if I were a student pepper sprayed under these conditions, I would certainly sue the cops holding the spray cans. Exceeding one's authority as an officer of the law is negligence; and battery -- even by a law officer -- is a felony.

How about never closing?

I have heard of several attempts by employees of retail stores to protest against the early openings that now accompany the "black Friday" madness/shopper rampage. These openings are going to deny vacations and holidays for many workers.

The most recent I have heard of was by some Best Buy employees. I understand that there are Facebook petitions that buyers and workers can sign, although I haven't been to any of those sites.

With the killing off of unions and the failure of government to intervene (government, after all, being now in the employ of the corporations that would compel workers to give up their holidays) there is really no reason why the big retailers cannot stay open all the time 24/7/365. To pay for the cost of this, they could pay their workers less under some guise that the government would accept as a waiver of the minimum wage laws.

Maybe Best Buy, for one example, could certify itself as a national security industry, and Walmart could certify itself as an arm of a foreign country, China, and therefore exempt itself from American law.

Let's just go back to an indentured servant economy; as the conservatives would say, "if you don't like it, don't take a job there."

ALICE'S corner

I heard some commentary this morning about Herman Cain answering every question with, "I'll consult advisors." If we look back, Rick Snyder said similar things when questioned about his plans for Michigan if he were elected. And the Saginaw News in it's endorsement of Snyder in effect said that they didn't know what he planned to do but they thought he was the better candidate. Scott Walker in WI, Rick Scott in FL, Rick Perry of TX, the governor of Ohio (can't spell it), Rick Snyder here in MI and Herman Cain all have close ties to the Koch brothers, and most have attended the ALEC seminars in CO. There must be a joke in there somewhere about so many of them having either Scott or Rick in their names. Is it CODE or something? :)

relativity

This is my older sister. She is the best activist in the family.

short quiz

Short quiz:

What's happening here?

No, you are not Penn State.

Being a fan of University of Michigan sports, because I graduated from that school, I am familiar with the feelings that go along with sports scandal. UM has had its share, especially in the basketball arena. There are people who have tried to excuse and apologize for the behavior that cast a dark shadow over my school. I have tried never to be one of those people.

When sports scandals damage the reputation of a great school like Penn State, students should rally in the direction of recovery and reform. Throwing stones, starting fires and screaming "We are Penn State" all night does even more harm to the University.

My good friend Bill has said many times that there is no sense of respect greater than going onto a campus. I agree. On campus, you wander into the promise of the future. You can feel the spirit of learning emanating from classrooms and diags. Nothing that happens in the secret places of the locker rooms, and no dishonor on the sports field, should be allowed to continue to damage that magical allure of university and student, teaching and learning, from adolescence to adulthood.

I have been on the campus at Penn State. It's a wonderful place. It's an exciting place. It's a great university. It was there before you arrived, or I visited. It will be there a long time after we are all gone. So, children, no! Screaming your chants mindlessly does not make you Penn State. On the contrary, it makes you less of a Nittany Lion.

Good Bye Andy Rooney

I didn't get old on purpose, it just happened. If you're lucky, it could happen to you.(photo: In Europe, 1943, the Year I was born.)

Notable Retirement

KASEY KELLER

American soccer goalkeeper.

At times has been called by soccer writers as the greatest goalie in the world. He has served as goalie for the U.S. MENS TEAM, 120 times. He's currently playing with the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, but has announced his retirement when this season is over.

the answer

Here's the answer to the last little quiz: How do you know my baby is both blind and stupid?

"Everybody loves my baby, but my baby don't love nobody but me." (1924)

The Loyal Opposition

A Virginia Republican Committee member has resigned after circulating this. So, I don't quite get it. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Or isn't this a matter of legality?