Friday, November 25, 2011

THE MEEK AND THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT: IT'S TIME FOLKS, LET'S CLAIM OUR INHERITANCE-IT'S THE EARTH!!!

Early on, Simon and Garfunkel offered their take on the Beautiful Beatitudes with "Blessed"

A beautiful girl

BEAUTIFUL BEATITUDES:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you, falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Words attributed to Jesus, viewed by millions worldwide over 2,000 years following his death as the Christ or the Messiah, in a Sermon delivered on a mountain within Israel while it was under Roman domination to ‘multitudes’ as reported by a disciple of Jesus’ deemed an Apostle by Him, Matthew, in his book contained in the Holy Bible. The Bible is a lengthy document (more accurately an amalgam of ancient documents) considered sacred including both an Old Testament (recognized and held sacred by those of the Jewish faith) and a New Testament based upon the basic Christian tenet that everything changed with Christ’s conception, birth, death and resurrection. This translation is of what Matthew is attributed with having documented is the English Standard Version, and these words are found in Chapter 5 of Matthew’s first book in the New Testament, one of four referred to as The Gospels, which document Jesus' life, with the gospel writers' focus primarily on his ministry as an itinerant preacher, really. These excerpts come from Matthew's Chapter 5, verses 3 through 11.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offered certain blessings, promises really, that He and His father, God, would grant those so described in each of his Beatitudes. Webster’s online defines beatitude as follows:


be•at•i•tude noun \bē-ˈa-tə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\

Definition of BEATITUDE
1a : a state of utmost bliss b —used as a title for a primate especially of an Eastern church
2: any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–11) beginning in the Authorized Version “Blessed are”


I find the first definition offered as very revealing. These ‘blessings’ promised by Jesus are in fact to be a state of bliss for certain individuals is the message I received from looking up various definitions of the term beatitude with a lower case ‘b’ at the beginning. So He promises bliss, and of a specific nature for certain classes of people. I’ve highlighted those classes of people, so the highlights are my own, not contained in the English Standard Version, or any English translation version of which I am aware. I’ve highlighted them in order to review the list and make a point or two about the most important sermon ever delivered. Agree, disagree. Believe or not, like it or not, like Him or not, like His followers or not; it would be difficult to argue that Christ’s words on that day were anything but Earth-shattering and perhaps the most important words uttered. These words, and His life have altered the course of the species and life on the planet for the past 2,000 years like none other.
The most beautiful woman ever conceived: Judy Garland. What a concept!
So first He addresses the “poor in spirit.” Who are they. In my mind immediately I think of the despondent, those perhaps suffering from depression, having had such a diagnosis of my own and having been depressed as a kid, had one legitimate attempt to off myself over 25 years ago, and having worked as a counselor to those with mental retardation and mental illnesses and as a manager of programs for such persons for most of my adult life. I think also of persons of faith who have had tragedy befall them in life and stray from that faith or who still have belief in God but are not happy with the cards dealt to them or to others that they love. My experience has been that almost universally those suffering from either or both of these conditions in a chronic manner have not been primarily responsible for their outlook. Often their upbringing as children, when environment is beyond a child’s control, results in a PTSD sort of situation resulting in chronic depression. Or an action by another, rape perhaps, assault of a loved one or their unjust demise, enforced poverty or deprivation beyond one’s control often triggers these chronically “poor in spirit” folks in my experience. Genetics do play a part as well, I firmly believe, quite often. The promise Christ offers these wonderful people is a Kingdom, which to me implies empowerment, and heaven is never referred to as something of an after-life thing, necessarily. This promise of this empowerment does not necessarily mean it is deferred to the demise of the bag of bones carted around by us in this life. When I think of the poor in spirit I think of Judy Garland, my all-time favorite movie actress/singer, because I relate to her life so well. Born to a wealthy power family (I do not relate to that so much) and successful beyond belief with skills, charm, beauty and talent even as a tyke, a great career admired by millions, and yet suffering despondency and addiction. Perhaps Elvis Presley might fit that category. And Senator Thomas Eagleton
In the day, Neil Young, along with his musical pals Graham Nash, David Crosby and especially Stephen Stills put
"Ohio"
into stark perspective

Ohio
“Those who mourn” could be anyone who attains a level of consciousness in this life. But I think Jesus was more tuning in to those who mourn for people who not merely die, but are in a lesser condition than themselves. I think he felt a special bond to those who worry about the hungry, the impoverished, the enslaved, and the survivors of breadwinners and of those who suffer injustice. Mourning the loss of loved ones because they’ve loved us is something that’s easy and all of us do it. Christ found more appealing those who mourned for strangers, or even for those who do themselves and those they love harm, I do believe. That’s just my take. He promises comfort to those who mourn for those in desperate straits, which implies to me that those desperate straits, those yokes or what-have-you can be removed from others, thereby comforting ‘those who mourn.’ Funny, but what comes to mind here is Neil Young and his inspiration to write the song “Ohio” in response to the murder of 4 promising, bright and moral young student protesters at Kent State University by Ohio “law enforcers” and of Stephen Stills’ “Find the Cost of Freedom.” I believe that both Young and Stills mourned and continue to be deep mourners for others and very effective ones at that.
A very happy Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior said we have to get it done with peace and love
I’ll defer discussion of “the meek” till last. Next on Jesus’ hit parade of the specific audience he seeks to receive his message are “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” These people are those, I believe who actively engage on behalf of those who are treated unjustly. Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. is one obvious example. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela certainly would appeal to Christ I believe in this manner. And again, keeping in mind that these promises are not pie in the sky, nor something to wait for following our death and parked on a cumulo nimbus playing a harp (I looked, it just ain’t in ANY of those gospels), Jesus promises that thirst and hunger for righteousness shall be satisfied. Strong language indeed. He certainly didn’t mince words on this promise.
John Paul II went into a Roman prison to visit Mohammad Atta, the man who shot him trying to kill him
“The merciful” is pretty self-evident I think. Hitler and Stalin, for example wouldn’t fall into this category. Jeffrey Dahmer, NOT! ‘Reverend Jim Jones’ certainly wouldn’t qualify, neither would Pat Robertson. Neither Glenn Beck nor Rush Limbaugh either. I think of John Paul II visiting his attempted assassin in a Rome prison. I think of the recently deceased Betty Ford admitting her problem with alcohol and dedicating her reputation and life to aiding others so afflicted. And I often think of the desperate challenge perhaps of a rape victim, or the parent of a child victim of a sex offender who has found it within themselves to forgive their or their loved-one’s victimizer. These are heroes, I do believe, in Christ’s book. The one being reviewed here, the New Testament. And what he promises to the merciful is mercy, which I find fascinating. I know I’ve had resentments in my life. Which I’ve heard defined as reliving anger over and over. If the anger is justified it’s even worse. I take it out like an evil gem stone and polish it up from time to time and poison my soul with such resentments. If I find mercy and am able to forgive, then I am freed from the resentment, thereby earning and being blessed with mercy in return. Again, I don’t have to wait for that whole six-feet-under phenomenon for this benefit promised by Him. If I go further and work on behalf of obtaining mercy for my victimizer or the class of people I perceive as my victimizers, then the mercy I receive is that much greater.
Caylee Anthony, let's please have mercy on Casey
“Pure in heart” is Caylee Anthony. An infant. A puppy. An abused dog or cat. At our core I think all our hearts are pure, however attaining adulthood makes that Ivory Snow bar soap purity the only possible level perhaps. Even the white stuff on the old porcelain soap holders wasn’t claimed to be 100% pure, only 99 and 44/100ths percent pure if I recall correctly. John Paul II, Mother Teresa, MLK, Gandhi, etc. were all good guys. But none of them even, as pure as the Ivory Soap claim. And I dispute that claim for the white stuff too. Just cuz it floats don’t mean its all purity and virginity. But we all have purity at our center and it is who we are at the soul level. Caylee died before she lost it. Any SIDS victim does. Casey Anthony needs mercy. Caylee, the SIDS victims, and so forth have seen God if Jesus’ promise is true. We all will if His promise holds up (and I'm sure it will).  :)
A legendary man of peace: President Anwar Sadat of Egypt
“The peacemakers” who come to mind are of course your Anwar Sadats, Barack Obama by rendering freedom fries back into French fries and so earning the Nobel Peace prize following the alienation of the world by his predecessor, and such. But on a day-to-day basis peacemakers are office workers who go way beyond their job description and make sure fisticuffs don’t break out at the water cooler. Or friends who lend an unbiased listening ear to two arguing friends. Or members of 12 Step groups who help to mend lives and families without financial compensation or credit. We are the sons and daughters of God; and He promises that we shall be so named. Ya gotta luvit!
“Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake” are the jailed Nelson Mandelas, and perhaps WW II Jewish Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who, like MLK was tied in closely to an institution I love and was privileged to be a part of at a young age, Boston University. Persecuted not just for political beliefs, perhaps a Mom persecuted for going to court to get her child support money due her children, or a man going to court to exercise his right to safety and security by getting a restraining order or exercising his rights to safe housing against an assaultive and threatening spouse. Being judged simply for exercising rights is a difficult one indeed. This is persecution. Prejudgment, which is prejudice, is persecution and always lacking righteousness. He promises these folks who have had their rights stripped from them the same empowerment He grants the “poor in spirit,” which is that blessed kingdom of heaven. And if yer gonna wait till the next life for it, good luck toya!
A minister within the traditions of the United Church of Christ, the Congregational Church,
Reverend Jeremiah Wright
“You when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” brings to mind the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and Eric Holder. Reverend Wright was taken out of context by Fox News and the mainstream media with his inspirational “God Damn America” sermon! I wish I’d have been there for that barn-burner of an inspirational talk, if you read the entire text of that sermon, you’ll understand what I’m saying. And for Barack to be called a Muslim, a socialist and worse, when he’s a card-carrying Congregationalist—an active member of the United Church of Christ when he’s not running for President and being President and his politician opponents won’t let him worship, is exactly who Christ had in mind. And Eric Holder, being accused of dropping charges against fools who call themselves “New Black Panthers” and intimidate voters at the polls, when the charges were dropped by Bush’s Justice Dept. 11 days before President Obama was even inaugurated, simply because Eric and Barack are themselves black and accusing Attorney General Holder of running a racist Justice Department no doubt offends his sensibilities. He comforts these persecuted folks by comparing them to the prophets who have preceded them and been likewise persecuted despite their good motives, good intent and good actions. His promise is that they should rejoice at a great reward in heaven (which I submit can, will be and is here on this Earth, not on that cloud drifting by on a partly cloudy day after they’re dead and buried).


meek adj \ˈmēk\
Definition of MEEK: enduring injury with patience and without resentment : mild 2: deficient in spirit and courage : submissive 3: not violent or strong : moderate
— meek•ly adverb
— meek•ness noun
Examples of MEEK
a meek child dominated by his brothers
She may seem meek and mild but it is all an act.
Origin of MEEK
Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjūkr gentle; akin to Welsh esmwyth soft
Related to MEEK
Synonyms: demure, down-to-earth, lowly, humble, modest, unassuming, unpretentious
Antonyms: arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

Your genuinely meek unabashed author, Steve Alexander aka Unabashed Left acronym UL same as:
Unconditional Love
<3       :)       ;o)
“The Meek” I’ve also heard defined by biblical scholars as anyone who is downtrodden, the physically and mentally incapacitated especially, the addicted, the alcoholic, some even might argue it may include those with criminal proclivities and such. I am “The Meek.” I was bullied in junior high school, please see a series of articles on this blogspot headed “Bully, Bully, Bully” for details. As I’ve indicated, I’ve been diagnosed psychiatrically and also misdiagnosed at times. I’m a recovering alcoholic and addict. I am in poverty as defined by the federal and state government and presently disabled. Don’t, however, feel sorry for me. I’ve never had it so good, and nobody has it better than me! <3 Thank YOU Lord! The meek are the impoverished. The meek are the handicapped, the elderly, the illiterate, the discriminated against, etc…

I am a male of European descent. I’m a white guy. Western ‘civilization’ as I see it is primarily the history of attempted and frequently successful intimidation of the rest of humanity and the other species by males of European descent, going back to before the Romans ruled over Jesus when they were the occupiers of Israel and enslaved the Jews in the day. Before the Romans it was the Greeks. Then it was Europeans doing it in Christ’s name with things like their absurd and vicious “Crusades.” You had your Dark Ages, your era of European Colonialism (the British and French and Dutch ‘Empires’ etc. ad nauseum). In the 20th century we European guys brought you ‘the big one’ WWI, Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini among others. And since Truman and his European male cronies at the War Department made the choice to launch a first-strike nuke attack on two civilian targets at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 the U.S. materialistic demands, nationalism and consequent militarism have intimidated the world like no other killing machine in human history. In 1776 European slave owners for financial reasons broke from Europeans in London and wrote a couple of documents, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution which enslaved millions for nearly a century, kept all but property owning males from any rights whatsoever, deprived women of even the right to vote for nearly a century and a half, and has kept women and the entrenched poor out of real power for 235 straight years! Let’s look at the antonyms of meek once again:

Antonyms: arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity
Super-greedster Wal-Mart CEO Rob Walton
In other words the worst of the ‘un-meek’ are entrenched wealthy European males. It was true when Christ spoke the words, and has not changed at all. Now it’s Wall Street and the Republicans and the French and NATO in Libya, Britain and Tony Blair and George W. Bush and what-not. And what’s happening in Washington this week with these Debt Ceiling “negotiations” is just an obscene sideshow.
Charles and David Koch
The Koch Brothers
Have made it their lives' work to centralize wealth and power into the hands of
the few
in order to press down the 99% of us who are
WE
THE MEEK
We “the meek” are we disabled, impoverished, addicted, ethnically discriminated against, educationally deprived, mentally and emotionally challenged, persecuted religious believers, persecuted non-believers, atheists, agnostics, women, obese, ill, elderly, terminal patients, homeless, incarcerated, home renters, and all who are not in that group that’s dominated the world since Jesus uttered his beautiful beatitudes. And His promise to us is that WE SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH. Very strong promise right here. Wow. Check it out. I really like this one. No. Let me backtrack. I LOVE this one.
Just this past weekend in California, unarmed peaceful pacifist protesters
were abusedby police with pepper spray as the
OCCUPY MOVEMENT gains steam.
I originally wrote this piece before the Occupy Wall Street movement actually took to the streets, but was in its incubation period online and being thought out by its founders. THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT IS THE GRUNT WORK IN WHICH WE THE MEEK, THAT IS, THE 99% OF THE POPULATION THAT THE NATION'S WEALTHIEST ARE INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO MANHANDLE AND SUBVERT, MUST ENGAGE. THE TIME TO TAKE BACK THE POWER, AND GRANT JUSTICE IS NOW. THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO CLAIM OUR INHERITANCE; WHICH IS, IN FACT, THE EARTH!

Remember that just a few short years ago we had crooks such as Agnew and Nixon sending our kids to unknown lands for armed occupations which were doomed to failure, and we DID force both their resignations and put an end to the U.S. aggressions in Southeast Asia. And remember that it was less than 10 years ago that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush and their crew lied to the world and to their own Secretary of State [Colin Powell], claiming nukes, chemical weapons and biological weapons in the hands of a nation a world away [Iraq] in order to justify aggression there due to the Billionaire's oil agenda. Remember that the slaughter at Kent State was well within our lifetimes.

Remember the heroes in Cairo, Alexandria and elsewhere who peacefully overthrew the triple-decade tyrant successor to peacemaker Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak. And please be aware that those same heroes are back in the squares throughout Egypt this week peacefully compelling the military council in charge now to give up its cling on power rightfully earned by those who were meek for so long under the dictator Mubarak.
An Occupy Wall Street Victim
Heroes back in Tahrir Square in Egypt this week.
Meek No More!

But to claim our inheritance requires work. Real grunt work sometimes. It’s not like S. Robson Walton inheriting Wal-Mart from his Dad Sam Walton and making sure he moved in as CEO within 48 hours of his father’s death and then profiteering by farming out manufacturing to the Communist governors of China and undercutting the competition. Not like George H.W. Bush inheriting a fortune, a political name and contacts from his father, Connecticut Senator Prescott Bush, and then passing those same things on to an ignoramus like his son George W. Bush and the other one, Jeb Bush.
We have to work to earn ours. It’s time. We are uniquely qualified to bring the tyranny of millennia of European male domination to an end here in one really offensive dynasty, the United States of America today. Our economic, military and nuclear domination of the world post WWII has been epic, but we are at a crossroads. We’ve elected a non-European President who is well motivated. The right wing may appear ascendant at times, but in fact are simply desperate. They know that they are losing their grip. We cannot relent. We have to win the election by a huge margin in both houses and return Barack to the White House next year. We have to turn the majority around on the Supreme Court, absolutely. We need to plan for a long-term strategy which will put us in political power for more than one term at a time. We need to establish a Democratic majority once again and this time we need to revamp the Constitution in such ways as to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of political and economic power between the sexes, ethnicities, denominations, non-believers and those in rural and urban areas. We need to disarm militarily and stop intimidating the rest of the world. We need to eliminate our incessant demand for an endlessly expanding economy, more consumer goods and creating and exporting a carbon footprint which is killing the atmosphere. Instead we need to focus our future economic planning on planned economic stability or even negative 'growth' with more efficiencies and more equitable distribution of resources. We are liberals. And these are liberal economic philosophies for the era of global warming and global consumerism run rampant thanks to America's own policies since WWII.
Assassinated with a handgun of all things, Mr. Peace, John Lennon

Lennon told us it 'could only mean into the streets singing Power to the People" but it's gotta be peaceful!
As John Lennon said, it does mean ‘getting into the streets and singing power to the people!” It means demonstrations and huge ones. It means love-fest style demonstrations and the spread of Christ’s central message, perverted by many so-called followers over the centuries, which is a simple message indeed: Unconditional Love. Love of one and all. We all deserve it inherently. Give some today. Hug someone before today is over. Take and give as many as ya can. The revolution starts one hug at a time. As always I emphasize that this is my own liberal Christian perspective, I absolutely adore and give massive {{{{HUGS}}}} to my thousands of atheist and agnostic friends! Luv you guys and appreciate all your hard humanistic work beyond what words could express.
The Symbol Proudly Displayed By My Atheist Friends
And Which I Proudly Reproduce Here!
<3


Unabashed Left: Right Lisa?
Lisa: Right on Uncle UL!  You know it! I love Jesus, peace, love and most especialamente...   HUGZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And me and Uncle UL,
we hugged, and hugged, and hugged, and hugged.
We hugged for a real long time! :)
The end again.
Shhhh...
That's just for now, though.
Uncle UL sez I get to write more here soon!
But don't tell ennybody.
OK?
<3
Byeeee!
:)

In Jesus' precious name...

AMEN!

Please take the time to look at the work John Lennon's widow continues, especially her annual tribute to him, the Lennon Peace Prize at this link:

yoko-ono.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ! ! ! MOMCAT RESCUED & OK; CONNECTICUT COURTS FAIL ! ! !

Ever-Lovely Melanie Safka Sings For MomCat:
I Don't Eat Animals
Cuz they don't eat me.
Elsewhere on these unabashedleft.blogspot.com pages please see a series entitled
Momcat's Vegan Project
Momcat's project was and continues to be to guide ME (not herself, Momcat requires meat) towards a
Vegan
Livestyle.
Luv Momcat!
Survivor, Hero. Life-Saver, Partner-For-Life, Friend Extraordinaire, Formerly Feral
MOMCAT!
What follows is a Facebook posting I placed on the wall of a tongue-in-cheek fan club page for Pookie the Lion (from the old Soupy Sales TV show back in the 1960’s) created by my beloved friend from all the way back to a different millennium, as far back as 1971, in fact, if you are counting. Debbie Mut Erickson, Doctor of Divinity, now spends hours on end helping pets and wildlife who need rescuing or aid of whatever sort, from dogs and cats, to her latest project, rescuing bats. Yes, I said bats! That’s Dr. Mut (her maiden name and the one by which I knew her in High School, and what a great name for a person whose prime mission is to place and protect K9’s—OMG!). Deb has been an inspiration to me in so many ways in the past year and a half especially, that I can credit her and a handful of others with helping to motivate my writing projects, unabashedleft.blogspot.com , this Hartford Government Examiner project, and my current work and studies at Hartford Seminary.
 ************************
Momcat's Partner-For-Life,
MEOW!
PAUSE (OR PAWS, IFYA PREFER) FOR THE CAUSE: I am grateful for all the people and furbabies in my life. A feral I’d fostered for 2 years, Momcat, went missing about 2 weeks ago. My brother Gary rescues ferals, has them fixed and releases them. But when he found Momcat and her partner for life, Meow, she had just had a litter of kittens in a back yard ornamental wishing well. I received a call on Sunday after being installed in my new church quite ceremoniously. :) Gary's girlfriend had spotted Momcat and had her eyes on her a few blocks from where she had gone missing in a wooded area. I packed a coupla cans of tuna and a can opener (Momcat loves the sound of cans opening and tuna) a bag of dry food, a coupla bowls, a package of her favorite treats (she also responds to the sound of treat bags rustling), and drove over. Gary was nervously waiting, and the two of us entered into the woods. He pointed out where she sat in a brushy area, camouflaged well. One eye was swollen shut, and she walked rather than ran. I rustled bags, appealed to her in my affectionate special Momcat voice, trying to lure her with her favorite line, "Hey Momcat. It's tunatime. You love tunatime. Huh? Momcat...." To no avail. She was scared. I rustled treat bags. She clearly thought about coming to her beloved Steve (only Gary and I are still allowed close to Momcat, her affections MUST be EARNED big-time; I’ll never forget the day she first honored me with allowing me to touch her--and she finally wound up getting to the point where she'd sleep on me, cuddle and just loved for me to scratch her neck, while she'd nibble my wrist gently, one nickname I have for her is nibbler-lol). I carried a heavy towel to try and capture her with if need be, she's clawed and spent all but the last 4 years of her life born in the wild and never was domesticated from birth, Meow as well (now an affectionate and friendly Tom--and both are the parents of my own product of that wishing well, the kitten I now call Bluebelle the Wonder Cat--who is now about 3 1/2 years old ) was born into the wild. Since luring Momcat in the woods only caused her to walk into a thicker portion of woods, we tried a different strategy. Gary walked behind her and she wound up going past a big tree trunk which abutted a fence. I rounded the tree and went considerably past it and walked towards her along the fence. I could see that she had the one eye swollen shut, but didn't limp, nor did she appear evidently injured in any other manner. She was just slow in her movements. I approached her in such a way as to compel her to walk between the tree and the fence where Gary was waiting on the other side. I alerted Gary that Momcat was coming through (the woods were extremely thick there, and Momcat's coat camouflaged her perfectly). I heard rustling, Gary hollered and then he emerged with Momcat in his arms, and some scrapes on his hands, where the frightened Momcat had bitten his rescuer. I opened his girlfriend's car door which was nearby, and Gary, still clutching Momcat, sat in the car as i went to get a cat carrier out of my car. I returned, stroked Momcat, and we put her into the carrier. Being a Sunday, we both deemed that her condition was well enough to await Monday morning to get her to a vet. Gary and Leslie took Momcat home. Yesterday afternoon Gary called with rare glee in his voice. We both thought Momcat might have lost her eye. Instead the swelling was gone, and her eye is fine. She's beginning to eat, and regain strength. She's lost a bit of weight, but MOMCAT IS ALIVE, WELL, RESCUED ONCE AGAIN, AND BACK IN GARY'S LOVING CARE! I AM THANKFUL FOR MOMCAT, MEOW, BLUEBELLE, GARY AND LESLIE ESPECIALLY THIS THANKSGIVING. PRAISE BE. Happy Thanksgiving Pookie, Deborah Mut Erickson, all Pookie fans, and to He who gave me all of you. Amen. Peace to all....
BLUEBELLE THE WONDER CAT!
My very own feline sister, and sister of feline Angel Orange and daughter of:
MEOW
&
MOMCAT!
***********************
Melanie again, because one Melanie tune just ain't enuff!
Animal Crackers
In my capacity as Hartford Government Examiner, I’ve followed the bizarre case of Alexander P. Bernard, guilty of stabbing his own lovely Staffordshire Terrier mix 29 times in his neighbor’s driveway in Hamden back in May 2011. Charged absurdly with a single misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, released without bail but having an ankle bracelet attached and certain very generous restrictions, Bernard clipped the electronic monitoring anklet off and had to be jailed at Whalley Avenue Correction Center and a $10,000 bail imposed in June.
Princess the Staffordshire Terrier, stabbed 29 times by her own owner.
In July recuperating at the loving and skilled hands of the staff of
North Haven Animal Hospital.
Now in a new home with a loving family.
<3
:)
 I started attending Bernard’s appearances in July, and he manipulated the Meriden courthouse like an expert. At the first appearance I attended he wouldn’t allow his public defender, Thomas Conroy, to speak, and told the Judge (Meriden Superior Court Judge Philip Scarpellino) that he was looking for another lawyer. Scarpellino said publicly from the bench that Bernard had refused an offer by the prosecutor (lead Meriden prosecutor James Turcotte) of a ridiculously short sentence of a year, suspended after 60 days served (he had already served at least 40 of those days at that point) along with the misdemeanor conviction. Bernard insisted that he rejected the offer and demanded a continuation, which Scarpellino granted to him.
 At the next appearance at the end of July, NO mention was made of the purpose for the continuance; which was Bernard’s desire to scrap attorney Thomas Conroy, and Conroy did all the talking (which wasn’t much compared to “Judge” Scarpellino’s 15 minute tirade). At that appearance Scarpellino revealed the existence of a letter he had received written by the office of State Representative Diane Urban (D-Stonington) and signed by almost 2 dozen other legislators, both Democrat and Republican, calling for justice for Princess, the stabbing victim. He had received the letter in June, kept it from public knowledge, and in fact said from the bench that he revealed it to ‘the lawyers’ that late July day instead, and then expounded upon his own ‘transparency,’ and politicked from the bench railing against the legislators’ nerve in writing, against recent laws passed by the state’s General Assembly, and then proceeded to order a second competency determination for Bernard, when Scarpellino in the very same courtroom had signed off on a determination of competency on July 1st   (just 21 days earlier) after a determination had been ordered.
Convicted 8 month old puppy stabber
Alexander P. Bernard
when released finally this month allowed his own family to go out the front door of
Meriden Court House
and face protesters while he cowardly snuck out the
back door.
Not very surprisingly at all (do you thin a fix might have been in?), Bernard was deemed incompetent to stand trial or aid in his defense the second time around in a three week period, and had the privilege now of being transferred from jail to the psychiatric Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown, instead. His next appearance was scheduled for November 1st.
 While covering the case this past summer, my Mom-in-Law passed away. I had attempted to reach the Assistant State’s Attorney, the lead prosecutor for Meriden’s GA 7 District Courthouse, but with no success. I was meeting with an elderly church deacon for lunch and counsel at the Half Moon restaurant in Wallingford’s center and I received a cell phone call (the phone was on for family emergencies). It was a clearly harassing call from prosecutor James Turcotte. I said “Hello?” He replied only (and we’ve never met before and I’d only observed him in the courtroom, and only knew his name as written on official documents as James Turcotte) and very gruffly, loudly and in an intimidating manner “This is Jim!” I responded “Excuse me, Jim who?” He said again gruffly, and simply “Jim!” I replied “I’m sorry I don’t know who this is. Who is this?” He barked “It’s Jim! From the courthouse!” I had to think for a minute, and put two plus two together, asking “Do you mean James Turcotte? Is this James Turcotte from Meriden Court?” His one word reply was “Yes!” I said to him, “I’m sorry, I’ve had a death in the family and I’m in a meeting, can I call you back tomorrow?” Prosecutor Turcotte’s reply was “How does it feel to be busy and not available to talk. NO you can’t talk to me tomorrow!” And Mr. Turcotte hung up the phone on this bizarre call he initiated. The deacon heard his every word, he was so loud, and was shocked to learn of who he was and what had actually transpired.
CHLOE!
2007-October 31, 2011
A Hero, A Life-Saver
:'(
  A dear friend, the weekend following the pre-Halloween  snowstorm which created such chaos in this sector of the state, is hospital bed bound in the neighboring apartment, and over that weekend before Bernard’s scheduled appearance on Tuesday, November 1st,  had a lovely and favored furbaby named Chloe-a darling long-haired Chihuahua, one she adored and I loved, too. Jenn was very dependent on Chloe, only about 40 and a former Kindergarten teacher; she is chronically and severely ill and disabled. Chloe was so sick that Friday I took her to the vet. Saturday morning I got a call saying she had complete kidney failure, and euthanasia was recommended. I had to break this news to Jenn. I spent much of the remainder of the weekend with Jenn and Chloe. Monday morning, the awesome Veterinarian, James Wells of North Haven and North Colony Animal Hospital, who had cared for Princess after her stabbing, and whom I had the privilege of meeting when I and some animal rights friends went to visit Princess at North Haven Animal Hospital, and spoke with on the phone about the case as well, lovingly euthanized Chloe while I cradled her.
 I was not able emotionally to be at Bernard’s scheduled appearance the next day. He was, as I had predicted, let off with his time served, 4 months, and given the misdemeanor conviction which can be easily expunged.
AUGIE THE DOGGIE!
My hero, my pal, my life-saver.
15 years old, his legs are getting tired, he's mostly deaf, still happy and not in pain.
Not many days left, but he's dedicated most of them to me
and especially when I needed him the most!
He is aka
Doc Magic.
Magicman.
Augeroooooooooooo.
The Augman.
Mr. Aag.
&
Mr. Happy.
among many other terms of endearment.
Luvya Augiedog!
You are Doc Magic,
the Doctor of Love!
<3
  Last week I had other business at the Meriden courthouse. I saw Mr. Turcotte and approached him. I confronted him about his phone call. He didn’t deny making the call, and actually began trembling as I told him my feelings about the matter and of my intent to complain to the Chief State’s Attorney in New Haven when my current medical issues allow me to do so. I actually said to this prosecutor at one point, “You’re shaking, Jim. That’s not good.” I told him that I do accept apologies, but not in private, in public. He didn’t do so; therefore I concluded our discussion by saying that I would be pursuing my complaint as soon as I could.
 A strange twist to the day is that, since I am presently incapacitated, I required a Clerk to address my needs on the other legal matter where I could sit, rather than stand. The Chief Clerk of the Meriden Court, an attorney himself, was angered that he had to come out and take the time, gestured, yelled, and became inappropriately threatening and uniformed Court Security came and witnessed his behavior. I spoke with a great officer whom I won’t identify here, and asked her “What’s wrong with this office and this court?” She rolled her eyes, and informally confirmed the insanity of the Clerk’s office and the Meriden Court. She gave me the identity of her colleague who also witnessed this absurd Clerk’s behavior, and I will soon be filing a formal complaint with Chief State Administrative Judge Quinn in Hartford over this matter.
MOMCAT!
   “Judge” Phillip Scarpellino should be hauled before the General Assembly, especially the Judiciary Committee, in particular for his comments from the bench that he’s “not afraid of the Legislature since he had been” reconfirmed last year and had “8 years before he’s up for review.”  It’s obvious that the strange case of Alexander P. Bernard was mishandled and possible illegalities committed by Scarpellino, Turcotte, and even the Public Defender Thomas Conroy. And, while Princess has recovered thanks to Dr. Wells and the loving staff of North Haven Animal Hospital and has a brand new loving home, JUSTICE WAS DEFINITELY NOT SERVED FOR PRINCESS.
 As I said to Deb and the Pookie fans, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for all the wonderful creatures which have blessed my life and continue to do so. Several have saved my life.  One of my animal rights friends, Patty Daponte, has suggested naming a new piece of legislation that the General Assembly must now consider which would make all animal abuse cases felonies, and perhaps neglect in rare cases misdemeanors, “The Princess Bill” in honor of Princess, stabbed 29 times, but strong enough to survive and deliver a message to us all. It is really a simple one. She taught it to me as I sat on the floor and reached out to her during my visit with her at North Haven Animal Hospital. She kissed me on the hand. The message that Princess brings to all of us this Thanksgiving is a wondrous one: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.  Give some out today, please, especially this Thanksgiving week, and if you believe, take time to pray and give thanks. If you’re a non-believer, please know gratitude for all the wonders of this existence. I love you all in a very special way, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY READERS.

I will close by asking my readers, friends and followers to please carefully consider this Thanksgiving week what animals have done for you. One or more has probably saved your life in some way. They've made you laugh, love and smile, they've been there for you always, they've given you kisses when nobody else would, they've LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY and set an example for our own species. The most awesome and plucky SPCA I know of, The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has also had the hardest job of any SPCA in the nation, helping families and critters following not only the debacle following Hurricane Katrina, but also managing the consequences of the Gulf Oil Spill sponsored forya by the oil industry, Haliberton and BP (more documented cases of dead cats and dogs are available as a consequence of the spill than wild mammals)! Earlier this year they stood up to the New Orleans City Council, for whom they are the municipal shelter providers, and insisted upon adequate resources or they'd walk away. New Orleans blinked, not the LASPCA! Ya gotta luv these guys 'n gals! It's Thanksgiving, please click the highlighted link below, give back to your furry friends and donate today to:


Monday, November 21, 2011

Mubarak Long Gone But Military Kills 33 Tahrir Peaceful Occupiers As NY And Oakland Wound Occupy Wall St. Pacifists!

Mr. Peace (killed 31 years ago next month with a handgun) John Lennon sings about his
favorite Bad-Assed City, New York City, and asks the lyrical question:
"Que Pasa New York?"
What's happening, New York, is greed. Plain and simple.
Ya got a billionaire for a mayor who had the charter revised specially for himself so he
could OCCUPY city hall for 12 instead of his legal 8 years,
and who retains the specialist in Police Brutality of a major city police chief, Ray Kelly.
Que Pasa New York, is that the OCCUPY MOVEMENT IS GROWING STRONGER BY THE DAY!
One pacifist.
A victim of Billionaire Wall-Street-Dependent "Mayor" Michael Bloomberg and
Police (Brutality) "Chief" Ray Kelley.
33 peaceful protesters, heroes who were veterans of the Arab Spring centerpiece peaceful overthrow of triple-decade dictator Hosni Mubarak (who ironically succeeded the well-deserving Nobel Peace Prize winner and signatory of a peace TREATY with Israel, Anwar El-Sadat) are dead this week at the hands of the now-brutal Egyptian military. The movement, which is the DNA of the Occupy Wall Street movement, now a nation and world-wide phenomenon, threatening the wealthy elite power brokers of the world who have so concentrated wealth and power in the past decades, has been peaceful but attempts in Egypt, Syria, Oakland and Manhattan to squash it with uniformed violence has been an endemic feature of the non-violent protest. 5,500 have been severely wounded in the past seven days in the Egyptian military’s murderous spree. Although elections are scheduled in the weeks and months to come in Egypt, a President won’t be selected until 2013 at the earliest under the sham plan put forth by the currently ruling military council, which is obviously seeking to cling to power. A TWO YEAR transition to civilian rule and a duly elected government is absurd.
Tahrir Square, Cairo in Egypt today, November 21, 2011
The Arab Spring movement has resulted in the overthrow of Mubarak, Muammar Qadafi, and the revolt threatening the brutal dictatorship in Syria, a peaceful revolution in Tunisia, and now the American Occupy Movement which has gone viral in a world-wide way. Unfortunately here, too, this peaceful group of protesters has been met with police brutality and violence by police ordered to use unnecessary force against unarmed men, women and children (somewhat reminiscent of the National Guard assassinations of four peaceful student protesters at Ohio State University during the Civil Rights/anti-SE Asia aggression Struggle here in the U.S. decades ago). Photos and videos of clubbings, bloodied protesters, tasings, unnecessary pepper-spray, and assaults by American cops are now all to frequent in our newspapers and on TV.
Tahrir Square Back During the Pacifist Overthrow of Dictator Mubarek,
the Progenitor of the Occupy Movement.
Of course the worst of the worst in the U.S. came just last week in the form of a military-style raid conducted by Billionaire greedster (and huge stakeholder in Wall Street) NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg via his right-wing Police Brutality Specialist Chief Ray Kelley (who has been in office for way too long, nauseatingly since the times of the prosecutor Mayor Giulliani) which forced the peaceful encampment out of Zuccotti Park last week, the epicenter and symbolic capitol of the Occupy Movement. As with all violent responses to loving and peaceful protest, this has simply galvanized the opposition, and the movement has continued to spread in intensity, focus and message.
It happened here just a short while ago! Kent State, MLK, Lennon, RFK, JFK, J. Edgar Hoover, FBI Files,
Enemies Lists, Agnew resigns, Nixon Resigns. OMG!
"What if you knew her and found her dead on the streets?"
Cried Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in their song about Kent State, Ohio!
The military went berserk and shot pacifist college kids! OMG!

Your tax dollars at work, killing and injuring peaceful protesters in Ohio a few years back! OMG!
The victims of the Ohio militia at the time of their peaceful anti-war occupy protest at Kent State
Allison.
William.
Jeffrey.
Sandra.

So young.
So idealistic.
So loving.
So peaceful.
:'(

Top: Your tax dollars at work, an officer clubbing an unarmed protester in Zuccotti Park, NYC, and below
are the fine folks of Oakland and the nation's tax dollars at work as over-protected and armed riot cops
move in on a lone unarmed woman about to club her.
OMG!
A strange irony is that recent major media reporting on the Egyptian heroes who have once again risked life and limb in peaceful opposition to abuses of power in the squares of the cities in Egypt was badly stilted last week couching the protesters as "Islamists," full well knowing that the term, unfortunately at this point in our sick political and social culture is viewed as a derogatory one. Not only did this past Friday’s hard copy of the Wall Street Journal (a reactionary right wing capitalist tool of Rupert Murdoch) and the Faux News Channel report the current protest in this manner, but the headline of Friday’s so-called “Liberal" NY Times read as follows: “Egypt Islamists Demand the End of Military Rule.” Using a descriptive term in post-9/11 America which many very inappropriately view in a negative light in this country and using out of control spin language such as this to describe the renewed opposition to Egyptian abuses such as this “The huge turnout was the first time that Egypt’s Islamists had so openly and aggressively challenged military rule, ending an uneasy truce that had prevailed as long as the military appeared willing to allow the Islamists as much of a say in Egypt’s future as they could win at the ballot box.”
Mr. Lennon taught well then, and its even more applicable now, his prescription for occupying-
Power to the People:
"Get on yer feet
and into the street
singin'
Power to the people...."
OCCUPY
The mainstream media and the Times in particular ought to be ashamed of themselves. In today’s lead story on the deteriorating military reaction to the hero pacifist protestors, the NY Times used totally different nouns and adjectives, no longer describing them as “Islamists” or exclusively members of the Muslim Brotherhood as they did just 72 hours ago. Instead today the terms used were “protesters,” ‘”demonstrators,” and even describing a situation wherein “Coptic Christians once again stood guard as their Muslim compatriots bowed to pray.”
Some Muslim folks engaged in prayer.
Heroes are heroes. And the victims of violent crushing of peaceful protest, whether in Tahrir Square, Tien An Mien Square, or Zuccotti Park is NOT to be tolerated.
Dictator Hosni Mubarek is gone thanks to non-violent heroes in Egypt
but the military is hanging on and usurping power as time goes on.
One percent of this nation’s wealthiest people now own more than those in the bottom 50 percent, in a concentration of wealth, power and greed unseen in the annals of U.S. and world history. As John Lennon said so succinctly, so successfully (in conjunction with an arsenal of leaders which included the Reverends MLK, Jesse Jackson and William Sloane Coffin, and others from the 4 dead at Kent State to Abbie Hoffman and George McGovern) and so powerfully:

A million workers workin’ for nuthin.
You better give ‘em what they really own.
We’re gonna put you down!
When we come into town!
Singing….
Power to the people…
IT CAN ONLY MEAN
GETTING INTO THE STREETS!

Yes, it’s time. Peacefully, please. And with love as the motive.

Please take some time to check out John Lennon's widow's work on the Lennon Peace Prize: