Hehehehehehe. Okay, if you have no appreciation of dark humor stop reading right now and stay far away from Flight–far far away. Got it? I’m warning you. This is no sweet flight of fancy tome. Our hero is an angry fifteen year old male of Irish and Indian origin with some serious grief and father issues–among other things. Now sit back and sip your hot tea, latte or bloody mary and think about a young man who refers to himself as Zits. If you can’t relate then it’s probably in your best interests–and mine (yes, I do fear homicidal repercussions from unhappy readers)–to go nowhere near this particular Sherman Alexie book. That said, last night I stayed up very late reading Flight via flashlight outside on the front porch–much to the dismay of anyone who had their doors or windows open to receive my hooting laughter when I turned to page 146. Some folks do not find boiled birdies funny–and I do understand that such minds exist. On the other hand, there are minds, such as mine and apparently Alexie’s, which find self boiled birdies absolutely hilarious–especially in the context of a potentially violent encounter between a homeless Indian man and the usual well-heeled white dude. If by some means, like using your local public library, you garner a copy of Flight you too will be in serious need of comic relief by the time you turn to page 146. Though, hopefully, you’ll have found other darkly comic things to chuckle loudly about before page 146. But you’ll also have encountered several incidents of mayhem, murder and molestation along the way. The lives of foster children are not all filled with sugar mommies and daddies. Nor do many events in American history since 1492 recount pleasant Thanksgiving din dins between Europeans and Indigenous folks.
Ever wonder how to diffuse the building anger of teenager? Well, Sherman Alexie offers one way–history lessons of the ”not me” and the “me?!” variety. Yep, direct confrontations of some dark sad truths of reality provide the fodder for the adolescent mind to chew heartily on and time travel, complete with out-of-body experiences, is the medium. From the Battle of the Little Bighorn to the grief ridden friendly skies of a private flight instructor Alexie takes us on a journey through history. Along the way he’ll shred your heart, sew it back together without anesthesia, and then shove it back into your chest. You’re going to need every last piece of humor to endure the operation. If you’re not laughing when Harry Potter takes a swan dive–then you might be dead and gone. Or you’ve abandoned Alexie’s exploration of time travelling adventures as an instruction manuel. Each episode serves as a short story with ethical issues galore. FBI agent Hank Storm may not get your heartstrings trembling–but Gus, Bow Boy and Small Saint could very well lay you flat on the floor demolishing an extra-large box of kleenex–or soaking an extra-large cotton hanky.
Zits experiences violence in many forms via his out-of-body time travelling–and this makes him seriously consider his pains of loss, abandonment and identity. Children NEED fathers–preferably decent men who care about their welfare. That lacking, one must find family where one can. Sometimes the concept of ‘family’ has not a damned thing to do with genetics and biology. It’s got to do with who gives a damn.
I’ve been a fan of Alexie’s work ever since reading his collection of poems and short stories The Business of Fancydancing. Yes, there’s a film by that title too– and it’s a great film. But–it was the text that had me wanting to scream and laugh from one page to the next. Ever felt bushwhacked by a writer? Well that’s how I felt while reading The Business of Fancydancing. It was great. Disturbing at times, but great nonetheless. I will never forget the story of the man, Eve and the post office. Hell, I’ve never entered a post office since and not thought of the story. The same holds true for Flight. It will not numb or bore you to tears. Not sure you can relate yet? Okay, who has had bad acne? Raise your hands now.
This is a global educational informative effort. It’s not perfect, but it is another step in the right direction. Catch any hour for the general information section. The discussion panels that follow offer more views while introducing scientists, activists and teachers.
Oh those tobacco commercials are great examples of how companies manipulate people while knowingly harming them with their products. Which is precisely what those who have funded the denial agenda have done.
From Alan Grayson's email information effort. Photographer unknown at present time.
If you’re clueless then you haven’t caught the video of the Republican / Tea Party debate on CNN which is making its way everywhere. Now if the audience doesn’t give a damn about human beings then they probably don’t care about Earth either. I wonder if they cheer at photos of animals dying in oil spills? Afterall, according to THEIR reasoning it would be the animal’s own fault for being in that oil. Hmm. Scary thoughts. Hey, is this domestic terrorism? Is it? Surely not. But, but, could it be? Hey if musicians can get grabbed by police in Massachusetts while travelling to the airport via public transportation and reported by some big NO ONE–then shouldn’t that audience have been arrested for expression of questionable ethical comments? Someone text Homeland Security and get those people in for questioning now. They’re all on video. Find them and haul them in for questioning. Were they vetted before the debate? Hmm…. Okay, enough of the nightmare. For the moment anyway. So much for the ONLY industrialized country which has a FOR PROFIT Medical Industry–doctors, insurance companies, suppliers et. al. Only in America will your medical bills kill you–if the insurance company doesn’t first by denying care–and they have a long history of doing so. Just ask Wendell Potter who worked for the industry.
I do believe the working people of Wisconsin are giving brand new meaning to the old slogan–”Workers of the World Unite!”
Clearly this is not the end but the beginning of a new worker movement as is evident from Facebook pages where Wisconsinites and their growing ranks of supporters organize boycotts of banks and Koch products to recalls of right-wing Republican backstabbing politicians.
Beware the enemy inside the city capital gates.
Our times, “they are a changin’” big time.
14 Democractic State Senators with guts? Who knew!?! Super Glue!
Puppets for truth in funding.
One more for just for truth telling fun.
Love cheese? Milk a dairy farmer. Cheese = Wisconsin gold.
Cows outting big pictures.
Koch whore? Who? Walker? Say it ain’t so, Scotty! We dare you.
Dumb drug money.
Who needs a little red wagon when ya got a big red tractor?
Roots digging deeper day by day.
All photographs @ “Concerned Madison Parent” 2011
Much thanks to intrepid “Concerned Madison Parent” for this ground zero visual record of the united ranks of Wisconsin’s working class people.
Consider this a public service announcement. According to the Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s website “Wisconsin is Open for Business.” Now it’s not clear exactly whose business or what sort of business, but judging from the information in Walker’s Budget Bill there will be an opportunity to purchase Wisconsin Energy operations via Uncontested Bids. Now if you’re interested in getting your hands on some gas and electric providers in Wisconsin you’re going to have to run fast to beat the Koch Lobbyists to this governor’s sale.
Wow, Charles, very cool satire bakes in your brain-oven! This is rockin’ poetic Alien news coverage of planet Earth’s residents. If you venture to slpmartin’s Read Between the Minds: Poetry, Photography and Random Thoughts of Life–you can catch his very alluring audio renditions of his poetry. I so hope there’s more from where Stellar Remnants emerged. Thank you, slpmartin, for sharing this delightful entertainment.
For those of us following developments in Mad-city the Beast Prank is “old” news. But if you’re trying to catch up on all the fuss, I’m doing my tiny part to help out. I think we’ve all got Dictator Scott Walker under our belts by now. Walker’s Koch connection might need a little of that transparency which is the current media byword that seems to have replaced truth, honesty and integrity. Every time I hear the word all I can think of are see-through dresses–huh? Yeah, go figure how my brainpan spills regarding word associations. Enough of my egocentric language allusions.
Let’s start with getting some visuals on the Koch Bros courtesy of Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now! headline:
If you’re wandering around capitol square in Mad-city, be sure to pay a visit to the Kochs’ lobbyists’ office there. I’m sure it’s clearly marked for tea party tourists and progressives liberals alike. Shh! Don’t let on if you support Greenpeace environmental actions.
Still scratching your scalp and thinking hard to place these fellows? Koch who? Wanting more info? No problem, Greenpeace has the goods on the environmental blues billionaire brothers.
Desiring something less esoteric than Greenpeace satire? Perhaps the Turks are more to your brainpan’s liking. The Young Turks clarify the Koch agenda via the Kochs’ own letters:
Oh my, where are the teabaggers when Kochs need them? These folks sure are NOT buying what the Kochs are selling. Some coverage of a recent rally to protest secret meeting of Kochs with other big wig movers and shakers, including Clarence Thomas and Antoine Scalia. Yes, those supreme court justices are Koch cozies. OMG–is this what corporate personhood is all about???
Audio Beast:
In case the Beast link FAILS, you can read a transcript of WI Rep. Gov. Scott Walker’s fun and games with faux Koch at –>
Ian Murphy of Buffalo Beast poses as David Koch and gets more ear respect from Gov. Walker than he gives to the people camped in the capital building. Being a Billionaire has benefits, right? The Beast site is back up and running. You can read and hear yourself Ian Murphy’s prank foreplay and Walker’s shamelessness:
Another quick kick at the Kochs and their billionaire cronies:
So, now is everyone “good” on the elusive Koch Bros? If you’re not a conservative billionaire Republican or a Supreme Court Justice willing to play corporate personhood ball, they could be a tough click capture for your camera safari on the mean streets of Wichita, Kansas.
BIG picture parting shot. Does your child have a dark side? Mine sure do. I don’t wonder why. I think they’re in cahoots with this kid. –>
Oh the nbc15.com video of the protestors drowning out Wisconsin’s Koch Puppet Rep. Gov. Scott Walker’s speech shows one loud defiant crowd. It must have been deafening in that lovely capital building. It requires more than a tad bit of patience to view the latest videos on nbc15.com so I thought I’d post a few recent videos here for any interested parties. But take note, the comments for each piece of local Madison news coverage are plentiful–some 900+ for one piece– and interesting to read. Yes, you can learn things right there on that news comment section from the folks posting. More than you might gather from the news coverage itself! Go figure! Then again let’s consider the location–Madison, Wisconsin–University of Wisconsin students and graduates in abundance. Many of them are much better informed than the mainstream news reporters. This standoff has also received coverage on AlJazeera English online–a news venue I’m willing to wager the Billionaire Koch brother cadre pay much to keep from being on mainstream boob tube. Okay, on with the video rally show. Do note that the satirical piece contains “colorful” language so please be forewarned instead of offended.
This is straight from news updates online from ground zero in Madison. I did not make this up. I would never have guessed that one of Scott Walker’s top ten reasons for wanting to bust up the collective bargaining rights of unions was because teachers in Wisconsin attempted to get Viagra via their healthcare plans. According to the ever increasingly delightfully insane Rep. Gov. Scott Walker this standoff in Madison is partly about Wisconsin teachers TRYING to get insurance coverage for Viagra. Who knew?!!!
Does anyone else smell burning tea? Whenever they burn the tea leaves at the production plant in Independence, Missouri everyone’s nose tells them so. Burnt tea for a tea party, anyone? Aww, no thanks, oops, down the rabbit-hole for me!
Read it for yourself on nbc15.com’s update coverage coming out of the Gov’s office.
Straight from Mad-City’s own news station’s update for the Crisis in the Capital:
Direct from Governor Scott Walker’s office at 7:55 am, Monday February 21:
Example #2: Viagra for Teachers
The Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) tried to use a policy established by collective bargaining to obtain health insurance coverage that specifically paid for Viagra. Cost to taxpayers is $786,000 a year.
You too can read the other examples of how collective bargaining negatively impacts Wisconsin at–>
As I await email updates from my progressive liberal cronies who reside in Madison, Wisconsin–and who, btw, have NOTHING good to say about Republican Governor Scott Walker who recently cost the state a HUGE chunk of money by killing a light rail project–more money than the project itself would have cost (apparently he does not comprehend which numbers are higher than others)–I am trying to find news updates of the protest which has closed down the public schools. I just read that GAME WARDENS are providing the security for the capital building? (*&^????!! Game Wardens? Are they hoping to bag some teachers’ heads for their office walls or what? Or are they just place warmers until Scott Walker calls out the National Guard to defend his office, car and home from the teachers who are hot on his math challenged Republican tail?
While trying to get news from a Wisconsin online news source I almost died laughing when I read a comment about the “liberal press” not allowing a Walker supporter post his comment. (*&^!!! the LIBERAL PRESS????? Oh yeah, Amy Goodman covered the Wisconsin protest issues on Democracy Now! but I don’t see any other LIBERAL PRESS doing much to prevent the Walker supporter from posting their comment online. I think I have a new DIRTY WORD —> Conservative. Yes, I am fed up with reading and hearing the word Liberal bandied about like a foul smell. I think the word Conservative deserves equal foul smell status at the very least. Let the Game Wardens take pot shots at all the whiners who can’t get their comments posted online. OH, but if the comment wasn’t being posted as the Conservative Republican supporter of Scott Walker claimed, then how in the world did it appear online for me to read? GO Figure that one out! Duh.
Liberal Press in America? Where? When? Who? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yes, there is a list of “my” dirty dirty words somewhere on this blog…now where is it? …ooo NO, the Conservative Word Censors have blocked my list from appearing online–whatever shall I do???
Violating copyright births bad karma---imagine a mad hacker you'll never see coming--nor catch going. Respect = my work is my work and your work is your work.
Everything posted here is my work, copyrighted, unless otherwise noted. Comments aside. Om
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