The IWW relied on street meetings like this one in New York state to organize workers.  When Spokane, Washington authorities tried to shut them down in 1909 they sparked a legendary Free Speech Fight. I didn’t start out to be probably the greatest landmark battle for free speech and free assembly in Americanhistory.   It grew out of the practical, if militant concerns of a labor union trying to establish itselfin an all important local industry—the lumber trade of the Pacific Northwest. But on November 2, 1909 the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) launched a Free Speech Fight in the streets of Spokane , Washington.   Before the first day was out 103 workers trying to mount a literal wooden soap box on Stevens Street had been h...

Note — Just five years ago yesterday as the U.S. was about to slide into disaster, the thrilling victory of the Chicago Cubs in the World Series ending a 108 year drought lifted my heart and generations of the most faithful fans in baseball.  Since then, were have endured tough times and this past season a promising team stacked by beloved players, most of them veterans of the 2016 triumph sputtered out mid-season and were dealt away in a fire sale.  Heart breaking.  But there were glimmers of hope among the replacements and Cubs fans are every ready to hope for next year.  This is the blog entry I posted the morning of the day after the game. The morning after everything changed.  Barrels of ink have already been spilled.  More ...

The colorful fishing port of Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland has lots of pubs to lure lovers of Irish music . My wife Kathy, the luckiest human on Earth, won a trip to Irelandat a drawing last week during Irish Books, Arts & Music (IBAM) festival at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago! Previously she has won $30,000 on a lottery scratch off a few years ago, a big flat screen TV, a quality original oil painting, innumerable rafflesand 50-50 drawings.  And she stays ahead playing scratch offs spending no more than 20 or 30 a week.  I win jack shit.  Our sea-side "cottage" is much larger and more modern that the Murfin Estate stateside. This time the prize was a week at a “cottage” on the sea just outside of Dingle—a beauti...

  A popular image of Guy Fawkes assembling barrels of gun power for his plot against Parliament and King James I.   Tonight is Bonfire Night across the Puddle,traditionally a rowdy celebration of the day Guy Fawkes got caught trying to blow upParliament on November 5, 1605.  Originally celebrated on the first anniversary as an official Thanksgiving Day for delivering the King and Parliament from the Catholic plotters, it became an annual official holiday until that statuswas finally dropped in 1859 because of the virulent anti-Catholic toneof the celebration.  Traditionally effigies of Fawkes were burned on bonfires.  Later fireworks also became popular along with considerable public revelry and occasional outbreaks of vandalismai...

  There are many Festivals of Light celebrated by religions and cultures around the world including Christmas, Chanukah, and Winter Solstice observances familiar in the West.   But none are more colorful or enjoyed with such gleeful abandon a Diwali, the Hindu festival of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.   In most of the Northern Hemisphere the five day holiday began this year on November 4, although some Indian states and Hindu diaspora communities start on November 5.   In the Southern Hemisphere it is observed in the Spring. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops, and work places are brightly illuminated.   In most of India the climax of the festival occurs on the third day ...

A Rutgers student later painted this imagined view of the first official college football game. According to historians of American sports the first official college football season got underway on November 6, 1869 when teams from Rutgers College, now Rutgers University, and the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, got together on the Rutgers campus for a rough and tumble game of football which was sanctionedand approved by both colleges.   It was a short season.   The next game was played by the same teams at Princeton one week later.   Season over.   Just two teams and two games. The Queensmen of Rutgers won the first game by a score of 6-4 but the New Jersey Tigers came back in the re-matchto win 8-0.   The anal reten...

Almost everyone in America will revel in an extra hour of sleep tomorrow morning.  It happens every year, no matter how many announcementsare made on the TV news, radio, newspapers, and now by cute Facebook memes.  And some folks who did fiddle with their time pieces get it wrong—is it spring forward, fall back or the other way around? Anyway, here is a heads up to set your clocks back tonight before you got to bed.  Or if you are a stickler for accuracy wait until 2 am Sunday to set them back to 1 am. It’s vexing.  And some think, foolish.  Take to oft quoted bit of folk wisdom usually ascribed to some Native American sage—Daylight Savings Time is like cutting a strip off the bottom of the blanket and sewing it to the top and...

                         Elijah P. Lovejoy shortly before his death. He was by almost all accounts, a difficult man to like.  Opinionated to the point of bigotry on innumerable subjects.  A totally humorless religious zealotconsumed with the conviction of his own righteousness—and the sinfulness of just about anyone who did not agree with him on everything, down to the comma placement.  But such men—and women—often are what is needed to begin moving the fulcrum of history.  When Elijah P. Lovejoy was cut down in a hail of bullets defendinghis precious printing press from an Alton, Illinois mob on November 7, 1837 he became the first important martyr of abolitionism and helped galvanize the infant movement. Lovejo...

Mary Tyler Moore in her self-titled TV show. Mary Tyler Moore died yesterday in Connecticut.   The star of two of television’s most beloved, iconic, and influential sit-coms, a shrewd businesswoman an Mary Tyler Moore in her self-titled TV show. Mary Tyler Moore died yesterday in Connecticut.   The star of two of television’s most beloved, iconic, and influential sit-coms, a shrewd businesswoman an

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.   It will be observed—celebrated is certainly the wrong word here—in ways big and small, significant and trivial in many places across the world.   The commemoration comes on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in Poland by the advancing Red Army on January 27, 1945.   American, British, Canadian, and other Allied Forces liberated other camps, but Auschwitz was the pinnacle of efficiency for the Nazi industrialization of mass murder. On the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation the United Nations General Assembly held a special commemorative session.   The following November the General Assembly created the commemoration day, which was first observ... Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.   It will be observed—celebrated is certainly the wrong word here—in ways big and small, significant and trivial in many places across the world.   The commemoration comes on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in Poland by the advancing Red Army on January 27, 1945.   American, British, Canadian, and other Allied Forces liberated other camps, but Auschwitz was the pinnacle of efficiency for the Nazi industrialization of mass murder. On the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation the United Nations General Assembly held a special commemorative session.   The following November the General Assembly created the commemoration day, which was first observ...

Old Blue's grave circa 1900. My Mom, Ruby Irene Mills Murfin, was my Cub Scout Den Mother—eight or nine squirrelly, squirming boys in blue shirts and caps and yellow bandanas.   I was a Bearso that made me what, eight or nine years old?   That would make it about 1957 or’58. Mom liked projects.   Big projects.   Projects that were not necessarily in her Den Mother’s manual.   Projects that helped us learn about the country around us, which happened to be the environs of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Once she had cut up a prized possession, an old mink coat that was out of style with its Joan Crawford shoulder pads.   A furriercould have used the pelts for a fashionable stole or evening jacket, but she gave them to us.   We made Indian ... Old Blue's grave circa 1900. My Mom, Ruby Irene Mills Murfin, was my Cub Scout Den Mother—eight or nine squirrelly, squirming boys in blue shirts and caps and yellow bandanas.   I was a Bearso that made me what, eight or nine years old?   That would make it about 1957 or’58. Mom liked projects.   Big projects.   Projects that were not necessarily in her Den Mother’s manual.   Projects that helped us learn about the country around us, which happened to be the environs of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Once she had cut up a prized possession, an old mink coat that was out of style with its Joan Crawford shoulder pads.   A furriercould have used the pelts for a fashionable stole or evening jacket, but she gave them to us.   We made Indian ...

Enormous snow flakes fell on Ft. Keogh in Montana in 1887. Note:   By coincidence, yesterday’s post about the fate of the cow pony Old Blue touched on one of the same series of storms as this entry which made the winter of 1886-87 so memorable on the High Plains.    The winter of 1886-87 was the most brutal ever recorded over a wide swath of the West.   East of the Rocky Mountains from Indian Territory to Montana storm after storm dumped white stuff on the open range where much of the nation’s beef was raised.   The Great Blizzard of ’87, which lasted for ten days from January 9 to 19, was worst in Montana.   Sixteen inches of snow came down the first 16 hours amid driving winds and temperatures that dipped to -47˚.   And i... Enormous snow flakes fell on Ft. Keogh in Montana in 1887. Note:   By coincidence, yesterday’s post about the fate of the cow pony Old Blue touched on one of the same series of storms as this entry which made the winter of 1886-87 so memorable on the High Plains.    The winter of 1886-87 was the most brutal ever recorded over a wide swath of the West.   East of the Rocky Mountains from Indian Territory to Montana storm after storm dumped white stuff on the open range where much of the nation’s beef was raised.   The Great Blizzard of ’87, which lasted for ten days from January 9 to 19, was worst in Montana.   Sixteen inches of snow came down the first 16 hours amid driving winds and temperatures that dipped to -47˚.   And i...

Andrew Jackson, self-proclaimed champion of the common man, had no qualms about ordering Federal Troops to squash a strike for the first time in U.S. history at the request of the politically powerful Chsapeake & Ohio Canal Company. It had been George Washington’s dream first.   And a big one.   Decades later it seemed that despite enormous obstacles, it was finally coming to pass.   But on January 29, 1834 the hundreds immigrant Irish, Dutch, German laborers downed their picks and shovels in protest to the brutal conditions of hewing the ditch by hand from the stony soil of Virginia (now West Virginia) from first light to the descending gloaming seven days a week.   Blacks were also on the job—mostly slavescontracted from local ... Andrew Jackson, self-proclaimed champion of the common man, had no qualms about ordering Federal Troops to squash a strike for the first time in U.S. history at the request of the politically powerful Chsapeake & Ohio Canal Company. It had been George Washington’s dream first.   And a big one.   Decades later it seemed that despite enormous obstacles, it was finally coming to pass.   But on January 29, 1834 the hundreds immigrant Irish, Dutch, German laborers downed their picks and shovels in protest to the brutal conditions of hewing the ditch by hand from the stony soil of Virginia (now West Virginia) from first light to the descending gloaming seven days a week.   Blacks were also on the job—mostly slavescontracted from local ...

Paul McCartney had left the Fab Four and started Wings in early 1972, but everyone still thought of him as that Nice Beatle. Affable Paul McCartney was always the nice Beatle, the one with the boyish smile and easy disposition.   Not much into politics or causes.   That was John’s thing.   One of the most gifted and prolific song writers of all time, he specialized in catchy melodies and memorable hooks.   His lyrics were simple and straightforward.   The deep stuff, well, that was mostly John, too.   As he would put it in the song for his new band Wings, “Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.   And what’s wrong with that?” But on January 30, 1972 Paul got mad.   Really mad.   Mad enough to write a song... Paul McCartney had left the Fab Four and started Wings in early 1972, but everyone still thought of him as that Nice Beatle. Affable Paul McCartney was always the nice Beatle, the one with the boyish smile and easy disposition.   Not much into politics or causes.   That was John’s thing.   One of the most gifted and prolific song writers of all time, he specialized in catchy melodies and memorable hooks.   His lyrics were simple and straightforward.   The deep stuff, well, that was mostly John, too.   As he would put it in the song for his new band Wings, “Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.   And what’s wrong with that?” But on January 30, 1972 Paul got mad.   Really mad.   Mad enough to write a song...

Day two at the Wooworth's Luncheonette in Greensboro, North Carolina James A. McNiel and Franklin McCain from the first day action were joined by fellow students William Smith and Clarence Henderson.  What were the thoughts of the young black man behind the counter?  About the same age as the students he may have needed the job to support his family.  Were the students jeopardizing that?  Did he view them as privileged and spoiled students?  Did he yearn to join them? Note— Another lesson from history in these dark days of how even small acts of resistance can have huge consequences. There was no charismatic leader that day, no eloquent preacher, no carefully planned campaign.   Just four young guys, freshmen no less, from an obs... Day two at the Wooworth's Luncheonette in Greensboro, North Carolina James A. McNiel and Franklin McCain from the first day action were joined by fellow students William Smith and Clarence Henderson.  What were the thoughts of the young black man behind the counter?  About the same age as the students he may have needed the job to support his family.  Were the students jeopardizing that?  Did he view them as privileged and spoiled students?  Did he yearn to join them? Note— Another lesson from history in these dark days of how even small acts of resistance can have huge consequences. There was no charismatic leader that day, no eloquent preacher, no carefully planned campaign.   Just four young guys, freshmen no less, from an obs...

Tom Skilling, the WGN TV weather maven and something of a local folk hero really, really hates Groundhog Day.   Old Chicagoans now tune in just to see if his head really does explode this year, which annually seems more likely as he has grown fatter year by year.   Sadly for him, it is a losing battle.   Instead of withering under scientific scorn and the weight of irrefutable evidence, Groundhog Day continues to grow in popularity and spread every year.   From an obscure folk custom observed by a handfulof German immigrants and their decedents in isolate pockets of Pennsylvania in the late 18th and 19th Centuries it has spread nationwide.   Now that Trump is in the White House plump rodent stands a good chance of being appointed he... Tom Skilling, the WGN TV weather maven and something of a local folk hero really, really hates Groundhog Day.   Old Chicagoans now tune in just to see if his head really does explode this year, which annually seems more likely as he has grown fatter year by year.   Sadly for him, it is a losing battle.   Instead of withering under scientific scorn and the weight of irrefutable evidence, Groundhog Day continues to grow in popularity and spread every year.   From an obscure folk custom observed by a handfulof German immigrants and their decedents in isolate pockets of Pennsylvania in the late 18th and 19th Centuries it has spread nationwide.   Now that Trump is in the White House plump rodent stands a good chance of being appointed he...

Note— It’s a rare two-fer post today.   Short and bittersweet. Wake Up! Groundhog Day 2017 6:00 am Wake Up! It’s not yesterday again! It will never be yesterday again. But if you don’t get your ass out of bed right now and do something today will replace it in the time loop. Trust me. You don’t want that. Today is going to be a Motherfucker. Wake Up! —Patrick Murfin Note— It’s a rare two-fer post today.   Short and bittersweet. Wake Up! Groundhog Day 2017 6:00 am Wake Up! It’s not yesterday again! It will never be yesterday again. But if you don’t get your ass out of bed right now and do something today will replace it in the time loop. Trust me. You don’t want that. Today is going to be a Motherfucker. Wake Up! —Patrick Murfin

It is Black History Month again.   You remember.   It is when TV networks suddenly pop up with Black History tidbits mouthed by stars of their shows, PBS breaks out documentaries, and actors get work showing up at elementary school assemblies portraying Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson , or some other safe and approved hero.   All in all it’s a good thing, but not uncontroversial.   African-Americans are meant to feel uplifted and honored.   Whites, hopefully, get their eyes opened to both some harsh realities and have some stereotypes shattered.   Typically the President issues a Proclamation, makes a speech, or invites iconic Black figures to the White House for special events. Under President Barack Obama—remember him?—ther... It is Black History Month again.   You remember.   It is when TV networks suddenly pop up with Black History tidbits mouthed by stars of their shows, PBS breaks out documentaries, and actors get work showing up at elementary school assemblies portraying Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson , or some other safe and approved hero.   All in all it’s a good thing, but not uncontroversial.   African-Americans are meant to feel uplifted and honored.   Whites, hopefully, get their eyes opened to both some harsh realities and have some stereotypes shattered.   Typically the President issues a Proclamation, makes a speech, or invites iconic Black figures to the White House for special events. Under President Barack Obama—remember him?—ther...

Trump's Big Beautiful Wall catapulted him to the Oval Office. Donald Trump first surged to the top of the pack of Republican presidential wannabes early in the brutal primary battles on the strength of his crowd pleasing promise to “build a big, beautiful wall” to keep out hordes of crazed and criminal illegal immigrants and that “Mexico will pay for it.”   He coupled that with vows to deport every undocumented immigrant he could lay his hands on.   Another vow sure to bring his crowds to their feet was to institute a “Muslim ban” on legal immigration and the issuance of visitor visas as well as rejection of refugees from the war torn nations that the U.S. had invaded, bombed, and destabilized.   Whenever his campaign woul... Trump's Big Beautiful Wall catapulted him to the Oval Office. Donald Trump first surged to the top of the pack of Republican presidential wannabes early in the brutal primary battles on the strength of his crowd pleasing promise to “build a big, beautiful wall” to keep out hordes of crazed and criminal illegal immigrants and that “Mexico will pay for it.”   He coupled that with vows to deport every undocumented immigrant he could lay his hands on.   Another vow sure to bring his crowds to their feet was to institute a “Muslim ban” on legal immigration and the issuance of visitor visas as well as rejection of refugees from the war torn nations that the U.S. had invaded, bombed, and destabilized.   Whenever his campaign woul...

Super Bowl Hoopla, 2015. Sometime I feel like a secular Jew on Christmas when Super Bowl Sunday rolls around.   I don’t begrudge every one having a good time.   I know the songs and will sing along.   I might even put up a tree for the kids.   But my heart really isn’t in it. Lest you think I am one of those effete snobswho disdain sports and mocks popular culture while pretending only to be interested obscure novels by lesbian hunch backs or festivals of avant-garde Montenegrin mid-century documentaries, I like baseball, hillbilly music, and the classic American sit-com.   And attractive women in all of their pulchritude.   I have hair on my chest, fire in the belly, and an occasional embarrassing stirring in my loins. But I l... Super Bowl Hoopla, 2015. Sometime I feel like a secular Jew on Christmas when Super Bowl Sunday rolls around.   I don’t begrudge every one having a good time.   I know the songs and will sing along.   I might even put up a tree for the kids.   But my heart really isn’t in it. Lest you think I am one of those effete snobswho disdain sports and mocks popular culture while pretending only to be interested obscure novels by lesbian hunch backs or festivals of avant-garde Montenegrin mid-century documentaries, I like baseball, hillbilly music, and the classic American sit-com.   And attractive women in all of their pulchritude.   I have hair on my chest, fire in the belly, and an occasional embarrassing stirring in my loins. But I l...

Facebook memes like this reintroduced Sinclair Lewis to many Americans. Note— When a version of this was posted two years ago American novelist Sinclair Lewis was at the nadir of his literary reputation.   Events have changed that.   Quotes from his prophetic but long overlooked novel It Can’t Happen Here began appearing as Facebook memes.   Like George Orwell’s 1984, the curious have been seeking out the book and discovering the author.   But while Orwell’s tale is chillingly effective, Lewis deeply understood things about the American character.   He would not be at all surprised by the rise of Donald Trump.   Hell, he could have written Trump and very nearly did.   Lewis deserves this moment.   And I urge you to look h... Facebook memes like this reintroduced Sinclair Lewis to many Americans. Note— When a version of this was posted two years ago American novelist Sinclair Lewis was at the nadir of his literary reputation.   Events have changed that.   Quotes from his prophetic but long overlooked novel It Can’t Happen Here began appearing as Facebook memes.   Like George Orwell’s 1984, the curious have been seeking out the book and discovering the author.   But while Orwell’s tale is chillingly effective, Lewis deeply understood things about the American character.   He would not be at all surprised by the rise of Donald Trump.   Hell, he could have written Trump and very nearly did.   Lewis deserves this moment.   And I urge you to look h...

Young German speaking Swiss women campaign for the vote in the 1971 national referendum. Ask most Americans about what they know about Switzerland and they will mention in no particular order cheese, pocket knives, watches, Alps, William Tell, banks, and neutrality.   The Swiss like to brag about their democratic government, fierce independence, and the armed neutrality behind the protective walls of the Alps, that has kept them pretty much out of European wars since the Napoleonic Era.    But those same conditions have led to a sometimes isolated and deeply conservative society. That may be why Swiss women did not get the vote in Federal elections until February 7, 1971.   Voters approved a national referendum on the subject on that... Young German speaking Swiss women campaign for the vote in the 1971 national referendum. Ask most Americans about what they know about Switzerland and they will mention in no particular order cheese, pocket knives, watches, Alps, William Tell, banks, and neutrality.   The Swiss like to brag about their democratic government, fierce independence, and the armed neutrality behind the protective walls of the Alps, that has kept them pretty much out of European wars since the Napoleonic Era.    But those same conditions have led to a sometimes isolated and deeply conservative society. That may be why Swiss women did not get the vote in Federal elections until February 7, 1971.   Voters approved a national referendum on the subject on that...

Versatile vocalist  Carrie MacDonald is one of the Rattle the Walls concert featured performers. Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry, will host the inaugural concert of Rattle the Walls, a Chicago-based group of musical activists, at 7 p.m. Saturday, February 18. The concert will benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.) Founded by Forest Ransburg, Tree of Life’s music director, Rattle the Walls is a new organizationof accomplished Midwest musiciansdedicated to “bring music to a world in need of music, to give aid to those in need of aid, and to stand tall against those who need to be stood up to.” Forrest Ransburg, Rattle the Walls founder and Tree of Life Music Director. Versatile vocalist  Carrie MacDonald is one of the Rattle the Walls concert featured performers. Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry, will host the inaugural concert of Rattle the Walls, a Chicago-based group of musical activists, at 7 p.m. Saturday, February 18. The concert will benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.) Founded by Forest Ransburg, Tree of Life’s music director, Rattle the Walls is a new organizationof accomplished Midwest musiciansdedicated to “bring music to a world in need of music, to give aid to those in need of aid, and to stand tall against those who need to be stood up to.” Forrest Ransburg, Rattle the Walls founder and Tree of Life Music Director.

There was no mistaking the heroes of The Birth of a Nation in the most widely used of several posters. The premier of D. W. Griffith’s epic The Birth of a Nation on February 8, 1915 was just the beginning of its vast influence for goodand mostly bad.   One of the most celebrated films in cinema history it has been lauded and reviled.   On one hand the schizophrenic flick was a stunning technical and artistic breakthrough from America’s most accomplished director—an epic on a scale never before seen chocked full of camera and editing techniques that exploded the visual vocabulary of the medium, made long-form cinema viable, and raised the ante on the low-brow comedies, turgid melodramas, and shoot ‘em ups that had dominated the ... There was no mistaking the heroes of The Birth of a Nation in the most widely used of several posters. The premier of D. W. Griffith’s epic The Birth of a Nation on February 8, 1915 was just the beginning of its vast influence for goodand mostly bad.   One of the most celebrated films in cinema history it has been lauded and reviled.   On one hand the schizophrenic flick was a stunning technical and artistic breakthrough from America’s most accomplished director—an epic on a scale never before seen chocked full of camera and editing techniques that exploded the visual vocabulary of the medium, made long-form cinema viable, and raised the ante on the low-brow comedies, turgid melodramas, and shoot ‘em ups that had dominated the ...

This past Sunday afternoon more than 100 folks gathered on just 36 hours’ notice in the cold sunshine of McCormick Park by the Chamber of Commerce Building and water tower on Rt. 14 in Crystal Lake, Illinois to rally in support of the LBGT community and others under siege by the Cheeto in Charge, his pet neo-Nazi, and half-crazed regime.   Specifically it was an anticipatory protest to an “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom” executive order reported to be in the drafting stage and ready the signature of the Tweeter in Chief.   The order would reportedly make “sincere religious belief” a carte blanch for discriminationagainst members of the LBGT communityand the refusal to sell to or provide... This past Sunday afternoon more than 100 folks gathered on just 36 hours’ notice in the cold sunshine of McCormick Park by the Chamber of Commerce Building and water tower on Rt. 14 in Crystal Lake, Illinois to rally in support of the LBGT community and others under siege by the Cheeto in Charge, his pet neo-Nazi, and half-crazed regime.   Specifically it was an anticipatory protest to an “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom” executive order reported to be in the drafting stage and ready the signature of the Tweeter in Chief.   The order would reportedly make “sincere religious belief” a carte blanch for discriminationagainst members of the LBGT communityand the refusal to sell to or provide...

When A.J. Muste died at the age of 82 50 years ago on February 11, 1967 the most of the young Civil Rights activists in the South, student protestors on campuses nationwide, and the anti-Vietnam War demonstrators crowding the streets had no idea who he was.   But the frail old man spent the last two years of his life standing a lonely silent vigil in front of the White House holding a flickering candle almost every day in all kinds of weather and his spare time building a coalition of anti-war groups, the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam that was organizing massive marches against the war in Washington, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.   He had been an icon of the American Left, pacifism, Socialism, labor mo... When A.J. Muste died at the age of 82 50 years ago on February 11, 1967 the most of the young Civil Rights activists in the South, student protestors on campuses nationwide, and the anti-Vietnam War demonstrators crowding the streets had no idea who he was.   But the frail old man spent the last two years of his life standing a lonely silent vigil in front of the White House holding a flickering candle almost every day in all kinds of weather and his spare time building a coalition of anti-war groups, the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam that was organizing massive marches against the war in Washington, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.   He had been an icon of the American Left, pacifism, Socialism, labor mo...

One of these things is not like the other. Note:   This post on the spiritual life of Abraham Lincoln is an annual fixture here on his birthday.   But it remains ever relevant.   No more so than now.   The latest—and perhaps last—Republican President could not have a more starkly different religious life than the first and greatest.   Abraham Lincoln spent a life time wrestling with the deepest religious and spiritual questions.   He kept his personal beliefs generally close to his vest.   Although not a conventional Christian, he knew the Bible intimately from thousands of hours of reading and study and could quote chapter and verse with ease.   He was a deeply moral man who agonized over the consequences of his decisions an... One of these things is not like the other. Note:   This post on the spiritual life of Abraham Lincoln is an annual fixture here on his birthday.   But it remains ever relevant.   No more so than now.   The latest—and perhaps last—Republican President could not have a more starkly different religious life than the first and greatest.   Abraham Lincoln spent a life time wrestling with the deepest religious and spiritual questions.   He kept his personal beliefs generally close to his vest.   Although not a conventional Christian, he knew the Bible intimately from thousands of hours of reading and study and could quote chapter and verse with ease.   He was a deeply moral man who agonized over the consequences of his decisions an...

Jesse and Frank James  about 5 or 6 years after the Liberty, Missouri bank job.  Frank and Cole Younger were known to be involved.  Accounts are conflicted whether young Jesse, who was recovering from a bullet wound at the time, as involved. It was reputed to be the first the first armed, daylight bank robbery in American history. On February 13, 1866 in Liberty, Missouri a passing college student was shot dead in the escape.   17 year old Jesse James, still recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest by Union troops, and his older brother Frank James have been credited with the robbery.   Not quite , but certainly an early heist, one that set the stage for bold gang assaults on banks that spread across post-Civil War America and c... Jesse and Frank James  about 5 or 6 years after the Liberty, Missouri bank job.  Frank and Cole Younger were known to be involved.  Accounts are conflicted whether young Jesse, who was recovering from a bullet wound at the time, as involved. It was reputed to be the first the first armed, daylight bank robbery in American history. On February 13, 1866 in Liberty, Missouri a passing college student was shot dead in the escape.   17 year old Jesse James, still recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest by Union troops, and his older brother Frank James have been credited with the robbery.   Not quite , but certainly an early heist, one that set the stage for bold gang assaults on banks that spread across post-Civil War America and c...

I did not write this, thank God... I admit it.   I must be a failure as a poet and probably as a male of the species.   I could never write a love poem.   That is my shame.   Isn’t that what poets do?   Eventually they all write something to their Coy Mistress, a lyric ode, a flight of fantastic metaphor, even the wounded wail of the broken heart. But not me.   Not even when I was starry eyed and deep in the throes of first Great Love and pretending to be a brooding, sensitive young man.   None of the beloveds of my life, including my wife of nearly thirty-five years has ever opened on Valentine’s Day that special missive just for hercelebrating her as my muse.   At best there would be a Hallmark Card and if we could afford i... I did not write this, thank God... I admit it.   I must be a failure as a poet and probably as a male of the species.   I could never write a love poem.   That is my shame.   Isn’t that what poets do?   Eventually they all write something to their Coy Mistress, a lyric ode, a flight of fantastic metaphor, even the wounded wail of the broken heart. But not me.   Not even when I was starry eyed and deep in the throes of first Great Love and pretending to be a brooding, sensitive young man.   None of the beloveds of my life, including my wife of nearly thirty-five years has ever opened on Valentine’s Day that special missive just for hercelebrating her as my muse.   At best there would be a Hallmark Card and if we could afford i...

Moments before things went south in Miami in 1933.  FDR shakes the hoof of a guy in a donkey suit.  Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak is in the crowd right above Roosevelt's hat.  Moments later he hopped on the touring car's running board to speak with the President elect.  Shots, as they used to say on old radio thrillers, rang out. Just what the hell were Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak and President Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt doing in Miami, Florida on the Ides of February1933?   Good question. For his part FDR had taken a breakafter the campaign in which the New York Governor had trounced Herbert Hoover winning the votes of Depression weary—and thirsty—Americans.   He had taken a leisurely sail on a yachtto fish, drink martinis, and r... Moments before things went south in Miami in 1933.  FDR shakes the hoof of a guy in a donkey suit.  Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak is in the crowd right above Roosevelt's hat.  Moments later he hopped on the touring car's running board to speak with the President elect.  Shots, as they used to say on old radio thrillers, rang out. Just what the hell were Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak and President Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt doing in Miami, Florida on the Ides of February1933?   Good question. For his part FDR had taken a breakafter the campaign in which the New York Governor had trounced Herbert Hoover winning the votes of Depression weary—and thirsty—Americans.   He had taken a leisurely sail on a yachtto fish, drink martinis, and r...

Statuary as well as painting was featured at the Armory Show.  Although nude were not unknown in American art, most were cast as classical allegorical figure,  The show shocked American Puritanism by offering up new takes on classical nudes, the frankly sensual, and non-represntational (front left) and art nouveau bas relief. The International Exhibition of Modern Art , better known to history as the Armory Show opened on February 15, 1913 at the 69th Regiment Armory (The famous Fighting 69th of Civil War and World War I fame) in New York City .   The exhibition, sponsored by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors , was the first introduction of modern art to the American public.   It featured many artists who were well e... Statuary as well as painting was featured at the Armory Show.  Although nude were not unknown in American art, most were cast as classical allegorical figure,  The show shocked American Puritanism by offering up new takes on classical nudes, the frankly sensual, and non-represntational (front left) and art nouveau bas relief. The International Exhibition of Modern Art , better known to history as the Armory Show opened on February 15, 1913 at the 69th Regiment Armory (The famous Fighting 69th of Civil War and World War I fame) in New York City .   The exhibition, sponsored by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors , was the first introduction of modern art to the American public.   It featured many artists who were well e...

Some of the conspirators caught in action--Lisa Jacobsen, Sue Rekenthaler, Janet Burns, and Nora Burns. They conspired for months in a remote church building secluded by treeson a semi-rural road on the fringes of a major metropolitan area.   They carefully gathered their materials and assembled them in quiet, cabal like meetings when the only sound was often the ominous clicking of their tools.   Then in the dead of night on the eve of a beloved holiday they launched their bomb attack on an innocent children’s playground.   Oh, the humanity! Oh, those cultish enemies of the state! Several members of the Knitting Ministry of the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry, Illinois, met twice a... Some of the conspirators caught in action--Lisa Jacobsen, Sue Rekenthaler, Janet Burns, and Nora Burns. They conspired for months in a remote church building secluded by treeson a semi-rural road on the fringes of a major metropolitan area.   They carefully gathered their materials and assembled them in quiet, cabal like meetings when the only sound was often the ominous clicking of their tools.   Then in the dead of night on the eve of a beloved holiday they launched their bomb attack on an innocent children’s playground.   Oh, the humanity! Oh, those cultish enemies of the state! Several members of the Knitting Ministry of the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry, Illinois, met twice a...

An Indian PSLV rocket with a record payload of 104 satellites blasts off from the Satish Dhawab Space Centre at Sriharikota. You probably missed it.   I know I did.   This past Wednesday, February 15 as those of us in the U.S. were transfixed with horror with the Cheeto in Charge and his imploding maladministration, India leapt to the forefront of commercial space technology when it launched a rocket that deployed a record 104 satellites in Sun-synchronous orbit.   The payloadsincluded three satellites from India, one each from Kazakhstan, Israel, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates along with 96 from the U. S.   That right, India, the teeming giant that most Americans associate with the Taj Mahal, Bollywood, c... An Indian PSLV rocket with a record payload of 104 satellites blasts off from the Satish Dhawab Space Centre at Sriharikota. You probably missed it.   I know I did.   This past Wednesday, February 15 as those of us in the U.S. were transfixed with horror with the Cheeto in Charge and his imploding maladministration, India leapt to the forefront of commercial space technology when it launched a rocket that deployed a record 104 satellites in Sun-synchronous orbit.   The payloadsincluded three satellites from India, one each from Kazakhstan, Israel, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates along with 96 from the U. S.   That right, India, the teeming giant that most Americans associate with the Taj Mahal, Bollywood, c...

Japanese-American families being hauled to internment camps in a U.S. Army truck. With President Trump’s controversial Muslim Ban and the radical right clamoring for the Muslim Registry that The Donald often seemed to promise on the campaign trail, the specter of America’s Darkest hour—the Japanese internment camps of World War IIlooms large again.   And the sudden aggressiveness with which the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency of the Department Homeland Security and the Border Patrol has launched nationwide raids threatens to overwhelm current detention facilities for those being held pending adjudication of their deportation orders is leading some to call for the establishment of large scale detention camps. Not s... Japanese-American families being hauled to internment camps in a U.S. Army truck. With President Trump’s controversial Muslim Ban and the radical right clamoring for the Muslim Registry that The Donald often seemed to promise on the campaign trail, the specter of America’s Darkest hour—the Japanese internment camps of World War IIlooms large again.   And the sudden aggressiveness with which the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency of the Department Homeland Security and the Border Patrol has launched nationwide raids threatens to overwhelm current detention facilities for those being held pending adjudication of their deportation orders is leading some to call for the establishment of large scale detention camps. Not s...

45 Presidents are celebrated today--the good, bad, indifferent, and the Deplorable Donald. Presidents Day this year may not make your heart leap in your chest.   Especially when you realize that in addition to honoring the Father of our Country, Honest Abe, both Roosevelts and other admirable inhabitants of the office we are supposed to give respect to the Cheeto in Charge.   Yikes!   The Dumbster only one month into the mission has done the impossible—knock George W. Bush off of his secure throne as the worst President in American History.   More on that below. Presidents Day is a bastard holiday, born of merchant greed on one hand and the despair of parents stuck with small children at home twice in February. The old Federalists ... 45 Presidents are celebrated today--the good, bad, indifferent, and the Deplorable Donald. Presidents Day this year may not make your heart leap in your chest.   Especially when you realize that in addition to honoring the Father of our Country, Honest Abe, both Roosevelts and other admirable inhabitants of the office we are supposed to give respect to the Cheeto in Charge.   Yikes!   The Dumbster only one month into the mission has done the impossible—knock George W. Bush off of his secure throne as the worst President in American History.   More on that below. Presidents Day is a bastard holiday, born of merchant greed on one hand and the despair of parents stuck with small children at home twice in February. The old Federalists ...

King Christian of Denmark, Norway and Sweden was in need of the services of a pawn broker. You know how it is .   An unexpectedexpense arises, say your 30 year oldrefrigerator goes on the fritz.   Money is tight.   Hell, you just replaced the dryer and you need a brake job.   You are short on ready cash and the credit cards are maxed out.   What can you do?   Maybe scrounge around the house for something that might be valuable, hopefully something you don’t use much or even like.   The Stairmaster you ordered on a health kick five years ago and is now drying rack for towels.   Aunt Martha’s ugly vase that you were always warned not to touch because it’s worth a fortune.   Or, in a pinch, some old gold jewelry from the back... King Christian of Denmark, Norway and Sweden was in need of the services of a pawn broker. You know how it is .   An unexpectedexpense arises, say your 30 year oldrefrigerator goes on the fritz.   Money is tight.   Hell, you just replaced the dryer and you need a brake job.   You are short on ready cash and the credit cards are maxed out.   What can you do?   Maybe scrounge around the house for something that might be valuable, hopefully something you don’t use much or even like.   The Stairmaster you ordered on a health kick five years ago and is now drying rack for towels.   Aunt Martha’s ugly vase that you were always warned not to touch because it’s worth a fortune.   Or, in a pinch, some old gold jewelry from the back...

The Green Sanctuary film series returns after a hiatus with a showing of the 2014 Emmy winning film for News and Documentaries Chasing Ice at the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry this Friday, February 24 at 7 pm. James Balog , a skeptic about climate change headed to the Arctic with a band of young adventurers on assignment with National Geographic . The trip opened his eyes to the biggest story in human history. Balog deployed time lapse cameras across the Arctic to capture the changing landscape, delivering evidence of climate change and hope for the future. The film has won armfuls of awards.   In addition to the Emmy it was the Sundance Film Festival Excellence winner for Cinematogra... The Green Sanctuary film series returns after a hiatus with a showing of the 2014 Emmy winning film for News and Documentaries Chasing Ice at the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry this Friday, February 24 at 7 pm. James Balog , a skeptic about climate change headed to the Arctic with a band of young adventurers on assignment with National Geographic . The trip opened his eyes to the biggest story in human history. Balog deployed time lapse cameras across the Arctic to capture the changing landscape, delivering evidence of climate change and hope for the future. The film has won armfuls of awards.   In addition to the Emmy it was the Sundance Film Festival Excellence winner for Cinematogra...

That's a lot of candles, Sir. Today is George Washington’s Birthday except it isn’t unless you live in Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, or New York.   Those are the only states that still mark the occasion as an official stand alone holiday.   And outside of the old boy’s native Virginia you would be hard pressed to find evidence of it outside of mattress sale ads.   Nobody gets off work for it anymore.   Schools are generally in session working too hard cramming for standardized testing to do much about it.   Since Ditto machines became obsolete I doubt if second graders even get silly Cherry Tree handouts to sniff and color.   Of course, George usually gets top billing with Abe Lincoln for the Presidents Day Federal holiday, but i... That's a lot of candles, Sir. Today is George Washington’s Birthday except it isn’t unless you live in Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, or New York.   Those are the only states that still mark the occasion as an official stand alone holiday.   And outside of the old boy’s native Virginia you would be hard pressed to find evidence of it outside of mattress sale ads.   Nobody gets off work for it anymore.   Schools are generally in session working too hard cramming for standardized testing to do much about it.   Since Ditto machines became obsolete I doubt if second graders even get silly Cherry Tree handouts to sniff and color.   Of course, George usually gets top billing with Abe Lincoln for the Presidents Day Federal holiday, but i...

There is a lot wrong with this Currier and Ives American Centennial print of Washington accept command from the Continental Congress in 1776.  Washington in this is a much older man than accepted the job, the image based on Gilbert Stuart's famous standing portrait of him as President.  He is also shown wearing a Continental Army uniform, not the blue and red of his old Virginia Regiment. Note:   Part II of a series in which we look at George Washington as the Continental Army Commander in the American Revolution. On June 15, 1775 the Continental Congress appointed George Washington as the Commanding General of the Continental Army.   With Massachusetts and other New England militia units already besiegingthe British Army in Boston, ... There is a lot wrong with this Currier and Ives American Centennial print of Washington accept command from the Continental Congress in 1776.  Washington in this is a much older man than accepted the job, the image based on Gilbert Stuart's famous standing portrait of him as President.  He is also shown wearing a Continental Army uniform, not the blue and red of his old Virginia Regiment. Note:   Part II of a series in which we look at George Washington as the Continental Army Commander in the American Revolution. On June 15, 1775 the Continental Congress appointed George Washington as the Commanding General of the Continental Army.   With Massachusetts and other New England militia units already besiegingthe British Army in Boston, ...

As Washington looks on General Benjamin Lincoln accepts the sword of surrender offered by British General Charles O'Hara on behalf of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown ending major combat between armies in North America during the Revolution--but not ending the war itself. Note — Yesterday we left George Washington in winter quarters in January 1777 at the end of a little more than a year and a half of eventful active command of the Continental Army.   . The British musicians had it right when they played The World Turned Upside Down on October 19, 1781.   On that day British forces commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis marched out of their fortifications at Yorktown, Virginia between ranks of Continental Army and French troops. ... As Washington looks on General Benjamin Lincoln accepts the sword of surrender offered by British General Charles O'Hara on behalf of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown ending major combat between armies in North America during the Revolution--but not ending the war itself. Note — Yesterday we left George Washington in winter quarters in January 1777 at the end of a little more than a year and a half of eventful active command of the Continental Army.   . The British musicians had it right when they played The World Turned Upside Down on October 19, 1781.   On that day British forces commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis marched out of their fortifications at Yorktown, Virginia between ranks of Continental Army and French troops. ...

George Washington takes communion with his aids and officers at an outdoor service supposedly held by the Morristown Presbyterian Church which claims he officially joined during the period when the Continental Army was headquartered there.  The claim is boosted on right wing web sites trying to prove that Washington was a fervent evangelical Christian. Note— Once again a long and ambitious blog series has overwhelmed and exhausted Ye Olde Prop.   In order to catch my breath and catch up, we interrupt these biographical essays with a related poem you may have seen here before. Back in 2012 by calendar happenstance George Washington’s Birthday and Ash Wednesday coincided.   As regular denizens of this refuge for flying electrons kno... George Washington takes communion with his aids and officers at an outdoor service supposedly held by the Morristown Presbyterian Church which claims he officially joined during the period when the Continental Army was headquartered there.  The claim is boosted on right wing web sites trying to prove that Washington was a fervent evangelical Christian. Note— Once again a long and ambitious blog series has overwhelmed and exhausted Ye Olde Prop.   In order to catch my breath and catch up, we interrupt these biographical essays with a related poem you may have seen here before. Back in 2012 by calendar happenstance George Washington’s Birthday and Ash Wednesday coincided.   As regular denizens of this refuge for flying electrons kno...

Washington in retirement at Mt. Vernon and Martha greet visiting French generals, just some of a steady stream of visitors. Note— We left our hero George Washington resigning his commission before Congress.   Today the veteran comes home. When George Washington rode up to his beloved Mt. Vernon in May of 1783 he had not seen it in nearly eight years.   After receiving his commissionfrom the Continental Congress as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in 1775 he had ridden post haste to Cambridge, Massachusetts to take up his duties.   He had stayed with his Army throughout the long war.   Unlike other senior officers, he never took a furlough and thanks to his amazingly robust constitution had never fallen seriously ill with ... Washington in retirement at Mt. Vernon and Martha greet visiting French generals, just some of a steady stream of visitors. Note— We left our hero George Washington resigning his commission before Congress.   Today the veteran comes home. When George Washington rode up to his beloved Mt. Vernon in May of 1783 he had not seen it in nearly eight years.   After receiving his commissionfrom the Continental Congress as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in 1775 he had ridden post haste to Cambridge, Massachusetts to take up his duties.   He had stayed with his Army throughout the long war.   Unlike other senior officers, he never took a furlough and thanks to his amazingly robust constitution had never fallen seriously ill with ...

When Maryland tavern keeper Mary Surratt was hanged for her alleged part in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln her Catholic faith led to charges that the Vatican was somehow also behind the plot. Note— We interrupt this series on the First President and Father of Our County with a tangentially related post so the blog proprietor can come up for air.   The careful reader might observe some modern parallels and lessons. Naturally it was blamed on a woman.   A Mary no less.   Mary Surratt was a middle aged Maryland tavern keeper who had just got herself hung as one of the conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and attempts on the lives of the Vice President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of War.   John Wil... When Maryland tavern keeper Mary Surratt was hanged for her alleged part in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln her Catholic faith led to charges that the Vatican was somehow also behind the plot. Note— We interrupt this series on the First President and Father of Our County with a tangentially related post so the blog proprietor can come up for air.   The careful reader might observe some modern parallels and lessons. Naturally it was blamed on a woman.   A Mary no less.   Mary Surratt was a middle aged Maryland tavern keeper who had just got herself hung as one of the conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and attempts on the lives of the Vice President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of War.   John Wil...

Note:   Nope, I haven’t forgotten to wrap up the exceedingly epic George Washington series, but it is, after all, Fat Tuesday and all that means.   Mardis or Carnival, call it what you will, revelers around the world will be out misbehaving joyously.   Precisely the kind of libidinous excess that Gerorge, always the soul of decorum and dignity, would have abhorred.   But we will celebrate today with the classic re-run. There are a downsidesto having been raised vaguely Protestant and residing in sometimes inhospitable northern climes.  Perhaps the biggest is regarding with wistful envy the liberating extravagance of Carnival and Mardi Gras.   It is the un-religious holiday—a day of wallowing in the ways of the flesh and merry m... Note:   Nope, I haven’t forgotten to wrap up the exceedingly epic George Washington series, but it is, after all, Fat Tuesday and all that means.   Mardis or Carnival, call it what you will, revelers around the world will be out misbehaving joyously.   Precisely the kind of libidinous excess that Gerorge, always the soul of decorum and dignity, would have abhorred.   But we will celebrate today with the classic re-run. There are a downsidesto having been raised vaguely Protestant and residing in sometimes inhospitable northern climes.  Perhaps the biggest is regarding with wistful envy the liberating extravagance of Carnival and Mardi Gras.   It is the un-religious holiday—a day of wallowing in the ways of the flesh and merry m...

Late last week Carlos Acosta, the former long-time leader of the old Latino Coalition in McHenry County, Illinois, brought to the attention of the community to that a notorious anti-immigrant group called Main Street Patriots, and amalgam of old Tea Party types, Minutemen style anti-immigrant activists, the new alt-right a/k/a Fascists Light, and Trumpistas was planning so-called Spirit of American Rallies targeting immigrants and refugees all across the country.   The only Illinois rally was scheduled this Saturday, March 4, on the Square in Woodstock at Noon. On their Facebook Events page local organizers claim, “ We’ll be gathered to support our country and President Trump. This is an event to support one another; the community; ... Late last week Carlos Acosta, the former long-time leader of the old Latino Coalition in McHenry County, Illinois, brought to the attention of the community to that a notorious anti-immigrant group called Main Street Patriots, and amalgam of old Tea Party types, Minutemen style anti-immigrant activists, the new alt-right a/k/a Fascists Light, and Trumpistas was planning so-called Spirit of American Rallies targeting immigrants and refugees all across the country.   The only Illinois rally was scheduled this Saturday, March 4, on the Square in Woodstock at Noon. On their Facebook Events page local organizers claim, “ We’ll be gathered to support our country and President Trump. This is an event to support one another; the community; ...

Note— I seem to have woken up channeling a Trumpling…</span> Well that was close!   The country just escaped the annual ordeal of Black History Month.   There should be an investigation of that.   Clearly a Barack Hussain Obama Muslim Commie Plot to bring this Great Country to its knees.   We have to endure those smug Black History Minutes on our TVs and other assaults on White goodness. Now no sooner is that nightmare behind us than we discover the whole damn month of March is supposed to be given over to Women’s History!   Don’t get me wrong, I adore women.   Love ‘em to death!   I always open the door for Ladies and tip my Make America Great cap to them.   My sainted Mother was a woman and my wife—when she is not i... Note— I seem to have woken up channeling a Trumpling…</span> Well that was close!   The country just escaped the annual ordeal of Black History Month.   There should be an investigation of that.   Clearly a Barack Hussain Obama Muslim Commie Plot to bring this Great Country to its knees.   We have to endure those smug Black History Minutes on our TVs and other assaults on White goodness. Now no sooner is that nightmare behind us than we discover the whole damn month of March is supposed to be given over to Women’s History!   Don’t get me wrong, I adore women.   Love ‘em to death!   I always open the door for Ladies and tip my Make America Great cap to them.   My sainted Mother was a woman and my wife—when she is not i...

Rallying point and route of march for the Hate Has No Home in Woodstock event this Saturday. With two events in and around Woodstock Square on Saturday with very different positions and outlooks there has been some concern about possible confrontationsor that one group might be trying to interfere with the free speech rights of the other.   Organizers of the Hate Has No Home in Woodstock counter event to the Spirit of America Rally being held around the Gazebo in Woodstock Square Park have issued clear guidelines to their participants emphasizing that it is a peaceful, non-confrontational, and inclusive event. The Hate Has No Home Rally will meet in front of the Old Court House on Johnson Street on the North Side of the Square at 11:30 ... Rallying point and route of march for the Hate Has No Home in Woodstock event this Saturday. With two events in and around Woodstock Square on Saturday with very different positions and outlooks there has been some concern about possible confrontationsor that one group might be trying to interfere with the free speech rights of the other.   Organizers of the Hate Has No Home in Woodstock counter event to the Spirit of America Rally being held around the Gazebo in Woodstock Square Park have issued clear guidelines to their participants emphasizing that it is a peaceful, non-confrontational, and inclusive event. The Hate Has No Home Rally will meet in front of the Old Court House on Johnson Street on the North Side of the Square at 11:30 ...

The Town of Chicago was incorporated in 1833, four years before the place became a chartered City. It’s official.   Today is the 180th birthday of the City of Chicago.   Must be.   It says it right there on the official seal, “Incorporated March 4, 1837.”   Well, that just makes it the birthday of an official municipal incarnation.   Other dates could also be the occasion of breaking out the birthday cake, depending on your taste. The City, being the City, of course prefers the date when the Illinois General Assembly issued it official letter or marque granting it exclusive rights to legally fleece the citizenry within its boundaries.   In the good ol’ days, say back in the reignsof Jane Byrne or Daley the Younger the anniv... The Town of Chicago was incorporated in 1833, four years before the place became a chartered City. It’s official.   Today is the 180th birthday of the City of Chicago.   Must be.   It says it right there on the official seal, “Incorporated March 4, 1837.”   Well, that just makes it the birthday of an official municipal incarnation.   Other dates could also be the occasion of breaking out the birthday cake, depending on your taste. The City, being the City, of course prefers the date when the Illinois General Assembly issued it official letter or marque granting it exclusive rights to legally fleece the citizenry within its boundaries.   In the good ol’ days, say back in the reignsof Jane Byrne or Daley the Younger the anniv...

Just a small slice of the Hate Has No Home in Woodstock march taken from the steps of the Old Court House. Credit where credit is due.   The Trumpistas and anti-immigrant folks turned out between 250 to 300 people at one time for their Spirit of America Rally yesterday in the sunshine on Woodstock Square.   Probably another hundred came and went over the course of their 2 ½ hour rally.   That’s better than many local pro Trump events around the country which have had a hard time mustering a corporal’s guard.   But then again this is deep red McHenry County and their numbers were swollen when word got out about a counter event. Organizer Crystal Squires had just finished giving out the last of 400 Hate Has No Home in Woodstock Bu... Just a small slice of the Hate Has No Home in Woodstock march taken from the steps of the Old Court House. Credit where credit is due.   The Trumpistas and anti-immigrant folks turned out between 250 to 300 people at one time for their Spirit of America Rally yesterday in the sunshine on Woodstock Square.   Probably another hundred came and went over the course of their 2 ½ hour rally.   That’s better than many local pro Trump events around the country which have had a hard time mustering a corporal’s guard.   But then again this is deep red McHenry County and their numbers were swollen when word got out about a counter event. Organizer Crystal Squires had just finished giving out the last of 400 Hate Has No Home in Woodstock Bu...

A depiction of the Boston Massacre. Some parts of the tale of the so-called Boston Massacre, an iconic moment in pre-Revolutionary Colonial history that used to be familiar to any school child echo in today’s world.   All of the ingredients—a rowdy protest boiling spontaneously up from streets where outrage over long time grievances was sparked into violence   by a trivial incident was met by either firm and appropriate action by responsible authorities or a vicious and violent over reaction depending on the political bias of the observer.   And not only was the first victim a Black man who became a symbol of rebellion but his uniformed killer was let off virtually scot free at a trial on the flimsiest and most arcane of grounds. ... A depiction of the Boston Massacre. Some parts of the tale of the so-called Boston Massacre, an iconic moment in pre-Revolutionary Colonial history that used to be familiar to any school child echo in today’s world.   All of the ingredients—a rowdy protest boiling spontaneously up from streets where outrage over long time grievances was sparked into violence   by a trivial incident was met by either firm and appropriate action by responsible authorities or a vicious and violent over reaction depending on the political bias of the observer.   And not only was the first victim a Black man who became a symbol of rebellion but his uniformed killer was let off virtually scot free at a trial on the flimsiest and most arcane of grounds. ...

The organizers of the hugely successful Women’s March on Washington last January have gone all in—their pile of chips in the center of the table represent their call for a Day Without a Woman—a virtual General Strike—tomorrow, March 8 which also happens to be, not so coincidently International Women’s Day.   It’s a huge gamble.   Can they pull it off? The Women’s March began as a spontaneous reaction to the totally unexpected loss of Hillary Clinton—an Electoral loss despite a two million vote popular vote edge—and the elevation of the loathsome serial sex abuser and notorious misogynist Donald Trump to the White House.   After recovering from shock and grief spread like a sudden algae bloom across social media.   I... The organizers of the hugely successful Women’s March on Washington last January have gone all in—their pile of chips in the center of the table represent their call for a Day Without a Woman—a virtual General Strike—tomorrow, March 8 which also happens to be, not so coincidently International Women’s Day.   It’s a huge gamble.   Can they pull it off? The Women’s March began as a spontaneous reaction to the totally unexpected loss of Hillary Clinton—an Electoral loss despite a two million vote popular vote edge—and the elevation of the loathsome serial sex abuser and notorious misogynist Donald Trump to the White House.   After recovering from shock and grief spread like a sudden algae bloom across social media.   I...

Queen Esther Revealing Her Identity from a stunning series of contemporary mosaics of the Purim story by Lilian Borca. This year Purim begins as sunset this Saturday, March 11 just three days after International Women’s Day and the A Day Without a Woman strike in the USA.   Close enough for horse shoes and hand grenades.   But back in 2012 Purim, which wanders all over the late winter/springGregorian Calendar because it is fixed to the ancient Hebrew calendar fell smack dab on the same day.   If you have been hanging around this joint for long, you know what that meant—calendar coincidence Murfin verse. Since then, I have generally recycled the poem in Purim posts most years.   But this year the laughing defiance of Queen Esther ... Queen Esther Revealing Her Identity from a stunning series of contemporary mosaics of the Purim story by Lilian Borca. This year Purim begins as sunset this Saturday, March 11 just three days after International Women’s Day and the A Day Without a Woman strike in the USA.   Close enough for horse shoes and hand grenades.   But back in 2012 Purim, which wanders all over the late winter/springGregorian Calendar because it is fixed to the ancient Hebrew calendar fell smack dab on the same day.   If you have been hanging around this joint for long, you know what that meant—calendar coincidence Murfin verse. Since then, I have generally recycled the poem in Purim posts most years.   But this year the laughing defiance of Queen Esther ...

When I brought the idea of a Poets in Resistance Reading and Rally to the folks on the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Justice Committee early this year, I was not really sure it would fly.   After all poetry is not the most popular of public art forms these days.   In fact, it occupies a narrow niche of interests among such exotic forms as Inuit folk dancing or Tibetan throat singing—a built in audience of literally dozens.   Folks would rather “get their eyeballs sanded” has been my standard crack about verse and it always gets a round of knowing laughter. Secondly, although few people actually read poetry, a lot of folks try to write it, most of them trying to jam their thoughts about their cat, lost l... When I brought the idea of a Poets in Resistance Reading and Rally to the folks on the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Justice Committee early this year, I was not really sure it would fly.   After all poetry is not the most popular of public art forms these days.   In fact, it occupies a narrow niche of interests among such exotic forms as Inuit folk dancing or Tibetan throat singing—a built in audience of literally dozens.   Folks would rather “get their eyeballs sanded” has been my standard crack about verse and it always gets a round of knowing laughter. Secondly, although few people actually read poetry, a lot of folks try to write it, most of them trying to jam their thoughts about their cat, lost l...

Transfer of Louisiana by Ford P. Kaiser for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition--The St. Louis World's Fair--in 1904. On March 10, 1804 the final official transfer of vast lands stretching northfrom the mouth of the Mississippi River and far into the interior of North America was conducted at St. Louis.   A small French Army detachment brought down the Tri-Colors and a not much larger contingent of U.S. Army regulars ran up the Stars and Stripes in the muddy streets of the settlement.   A few score civilians, mostly French with a sprinkling of early bird American land speculators, trappers, and Native Americans watched.   After shaking hands all around, everyone went to celebratewith plenty of good stiff drinks.   With that the whole v... Transfer of Louisiana by Ford P. Kaiser for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition--The St. Louis World's Fair--in 1904. On March 10, 1804 the final official transfer of vast lands stretching northfrom the mouth of the Mississippi River and far into the interior of North America was conducted at St. Louis.   A small French Army detachment brought down the Tri-Colors and a not much larger contingent of U.S. Army regulars ran up the Stars and Stripes in the muddy streets of the settlement.   A few score civilians, mostly French with a sprinkling of early bird American land speculators, trappers, and Native Americans watched.   After shaking hands all around, everyone went to celebratewith plenty of good stiff drinks.   With that the whole v...