Here’s to You, Editor Robinson (Wo, wo, wo)

I want you to know the Elecpencil suffers for his readers so they don’t have to. I do something for you no mortal should have to do. I read the Warren Tribune Chronicle so you don’t have to. The least I expect from you is a thanks or condolences in my comment section.

In my last post I mentioned the editor of the Warren Tribune Chronicle, Frank Robinson. I said “Frank can’t write a column without using the word liberal.” That is the case anytime Frank writes about the federal government.

To have some fun I am introducing a new item, I will call, FEEBLE. FEEBLE stands for, Frank endlessly, erroneously,  berates liberals everyday. It could also stand for, Frank’s exaggerated, editorials bluntly lacking ethics. Give me your vote on which one you like. I will give you dates that Frank used the word liberal. I will  also count how many times he used it on that day.  Remember the word, when written by Frank, is always used as a negative.

This weeks FEEBLE count:

Jan. 27 : Liberal is used: 11 times.

Feb. 2, 2010: 3 times

Feb. 3, 2010: 1 time

Frank would have used the word more but he substituted other words for it in the past week. Those words were: bureaucratic boondoggle, radical animal rights activists, animal rights crowd, teachers’ unions, unyielding union contracts, government regulations, ridiculous social engineering, building codes, big-government blueprint and far-left wing.

On Jan. 29, 2010 Frank showed he is so far to the right he even ridiculed the conservative media. On the earthquake in Haiti even the conservative media has stated, “enforcing new building codes would mean fewer structures collapsing if another major earthquake hits Haiti.” Frank is against building codes as they are a big-government idea. Yes, the people of Haiti are poor but surely some standards can be taken but not according to Editor Robinson.

The  commenter LJC327 on the Trib’s web page addressed Frank better than I can, “Get a grip! Your libertarian, laissez-faire neo-Reaganism only goes so far.  What’s next? Take out the stop signs and traffic lights in order to save money on gas?”

Speaking of Reagan, Frank scores a big GOP huzzah for one  mention  last week of their God of gods, light of lights, President Ronald Reagan.

The two things that right-wingers like Editor Frank really hate are research and the truth. I have written letters to the editor at the Tribune in the past. Many were on how the editor was wrong on a column he had written. I pointed out how he seemed to have formed an opinion and not checked out all the facts. I can tell you those are the letters that I never got published. Letters I wrote pointing out omissions in writers to the editor or in syndicated columnists were mostly published but ones criticizing the editor never saw the light of day.

It’s nice to have a blog to be able to point out the editor’s B.S. The latest case in point was a column by the editor on February 1, 2010. The editor stated, “Venezuela has sent virtually no assistance to Haiti, despite Chavez’s oil wealth. Sometimes actions do speak louder than words.”

I question both the editor’s words and his biased action in writing the column. Had Editor Robinson done 10 seconds of research he would have found, that on January 17, 2010  President Chavez of Venezuela forgave Haiti’s oil debt to Venezuela. President Chavez also sent $20 million in immediate aid and a promise of $100 million more to come. Venezuela also sent mobile service stations and, along with Cuba, provided medical doctors and supplies within 24 hours of the earthquake hitting Haiti. If $120 million  means virtually no assistance to the Tribune’s editor he must be one Richie Rich.

When the media like Frank play loosey goosey with the facts what is accomplished? The public is misinformed and reacts wrongheaded attacking liberal thought. Look no further than to the comments on the Trib’s webpage to see how lies affect people. The commenters call for a boycott on Venezuela owned CITGO gas stations. What if this lie spread and you owned a CITGO staion that was losing business? Looks to me like the editor could be called, anti-business. He could cost someone their business just because his biased opinion meant more to him than facts.

What if such media lies led to people organizing and wanting to go after the ones lied about not the liars? Ladies and gentlemen I give you….the Tea Party Movement.

Those on the right like Frank long for the old days when Venezuela was run by right-wing  Dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez. Dictator Jimenez had U.S. support because he was friendly to U.S. oil interests. So what if Jimenez incarcerated, tortured and murdered rivals and associates. So what if he closed the national universities, banned unions, controlled the press, fixed elections and stole $25 million. For all of his misdeeds the U.S. awarded  Jimenez the Legion of Merit. If only the hard right could accomplish that agenda here it would be a dream come true for them. Don’t let it happen, never let a lie stand.

Dan Reed: The Dictator

Unabashedly Political Song

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” ~ Malcom X

Time to Empower the Powerless

I am glad to hear they picked up a suspect in the killing of 80 year-old Mrs. Fimognari. I’m sure the police worked very hard on the case. I was wondering if a rabid bear or cougar had murdered Mrs. Fimognari how would have things been different? I think people would have been worried about their families being next. Citizens would have banded together to hunt down this wild, rabid beast. Well, I propose to you that Mrs. Fimognari’s murderer was no less a rabid beast and should have been hunted down by the citizens of nearby neighborhoods.

I won’t miss anti-union Bob Mangino on WKBN radio. I will say even though he is a conservative, he is a not a GOP hack, who blindly supported GW Bush.  He did none the less worship at the feet of the powerful over the powerless.  He supported the corporations over the workers. Bob is moving on to work in Pittsburgh at the first radio station ever, KDKA. Bob will be replacing Fred Hansburger who recently died. I normally wouldn’t speak ill of the dead. I will just say, if you ever heard Fred on the radio you know he was as delusional as Rush in thinking, that he represented the people.

Please tell me WKBN is not going to give Jimbo Traficant a radio show. Worse yet would be that cackling idiot former Youngstown  Mayor McKelvey. Lord help us all.

Send me your comments on who you’d like to see host  WKBN’s morning show. My vote is for Louie Free.

Talk about delusional people who think they represent the public. I give you, the editor of the Warren Tribune Chronicle, Frank Robinson. Frank can’t write a column without using the word liberal. Frank works for a corporate newspaper and is a corporate tool who knows where his bread is buttered. Fred’s been spreading the butter so thick he’s tearing holes in the bread and clogging up his arteries. He likes to wash it all down with some tea fresh from the latest corporate sponsored Tea Party.

I loved the part of President Obama’s speech when he bitched slapped the five corporate owned stooges on the Supreme Court. He told them the truth that they were in the pocket of corporations for their latest ruling on Campaign Finance. Judge Alito can shake his head and mutter all he wants, “You’re wrong” we know he chose to represent the powerful over the powerless. He can’t help it he grew up the son of a corporate executive. As a lawyer he represented corporations and made over $1 million a year.

Let’s not forget Alito was part of GW Bush’s legal team that stole the 2000 election. When President Obama was a senator he was one of the senators  spearheading the vote against Alito from becoming judge. There is bad blood between these two and looking back I see President Obama was right in trying to keep him off the court.

Alito’s rulings so far have been on the side of the powerful. See this story by Jim Hightower.

I was sad to see that writer J.D. Salinger and historian Howard Zinn died. Salinger helped me understand I was not alone as a troubled youth. Zinn helped me understand our nations history and how we can fight to make it better, for the next generation of youth. I made sure my children read Salinger’s books, “Franny and Zooey” and “the Catcher in the Rye.”

I love history so I was blown away by Zinn’s, “A People’s History of the United States.” This book was the first history book I ever read that really got to the  truth of U.S. history, warts and all. Critics call this, “History from the bottom up” and I love it! When my son set off for college I got him a copy of “A People’s History of the United States.” I knew it would serve him well and he loves it as much as I do. I would also highly recommend Howard’s, “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train.” Howard was someone who spoke for the powerless and tried to convince them that as he said, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people can transform the world.”

Shame on NPR for asking Right-wing racist, David Horowitz to comment on Howard Zinn’s passing.

An America Empire by Howard Zinn

My Country

If those in charge of our society – politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television – can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.”~ Howard Zinn

“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”~ Howard Zinn

Time to Empower the Powerless

Excuse the lack of spacing something is wrong with my settings.

I am glad to hear they picked up a suspect in the killing of 80 year-old Mrs. Fimognari. I’m sure the police worked very hard on the case. I was wondering if a rabid bear or Cougar had murdered Mrs. Fimognari how would have things been different? I think people would have been worried about their families being next. Citizens would have banded together to hunt down this wild, rabid beast. Well, I propose to you that Mrs. Fimognari’s murderer was no less a rabid beast and should have been hunted down by the citizens of nearby neighborhoods.

I won’t miss anti-union Bob Mangino on WKBN. I will say even though he is a conservative he was a GOP hack who worshiped at the feet of the powerful over the powerless.  Bob is moving on to work in Pittsburgh at the first radio station ever, KDKA. Bob will be replacing Fred Hansburger who recently died. I normally wouldn’t speak ill of the dead. I will just say, if you ever heard Fred on the radio you know was as delusional as Rush in thinking that he represented the people.

Please tell me WKBN is not going to give Jimbo Traficant a radio show. Worse yet would be that cackling idiot former Youngstown  Mayor McKelvey. Lord help us all.

Send me your comments on who you’d like to see host  WKBN’s morning show. My vote is for Louie Free.

Talk about delusional people who think they represent the public. I give you, the editor of the Warren Tribune Chronicle, Frank Robinson. Frank can’t write a column without using the word liberal. Frank works for a corporate newspaper and is a corporate tool who knows where his bread is buttered. Fred’s been spreading the butter so thick he’s tearing holes in the bread and clogging up his arteries. He likes to wash it all down with some tea fresh from the latest corporate sponsored Tea Party.

I loved the part of President Obama’s speech when he bitched slapped the five corporate owned stooges on the Supreme Court. He told them the truth that they were in the pocket of corporations for their latest ruling on Campaign Finance. Judge Alito can shake his head and mutter all he wants, “You’re wrong” we know he chose to represent the powerful over the powerless. He can’t help it he grew up the son of a corporate executive. As a lawyer he represented corporations and made over $1 million a year.

Let’s not forget he was part of GW Bush’s legal team that stole the 2000 election. When President Obama was a senator he was one of the senators  spearheading the vote against Alito from becoming judge. There is bad blood between these two and looking back I see President Obama was right in trying to keep him off the court.

Alito’s ruling so far have been on the side of the powerful. See this story by Jim Hightower.

I was sad to see that writer J.D. Salinger and historian Howard Zinn died. Salinger helped me understand I was not alone as a troubled youth. Zinn helped me understand our nations history and how we can fight to make it better for the next generation of youth. I made sure my children read Salinger’s books, “Franny and Zooey” and “the Catcher in the Rye.”

I love history so I was blown away by Zinn’s. “A People’s History of the United States.” This book was the first history book I ever read that really got to the  truth of U.S. history, warts and all. Critics call this, “History from the bottom up” and I love it! When my son set off for college I got him a copy of “A People’s History of the United States.” I knew it would serve him well and he loves it as much as I do. I would also highly recommend Howard’s, “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train.” Howard was someone who spoke for the powerless and tried to convince them that as he said, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people can transform the world.”

Shame on NPR for asking Right-wing racist David Horowitz to comment on Howard Zinn’s passing.

An America Empire by Howard Zinn

My Country

If those in charge of our society – politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television – can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.”~ Howard Zinn

“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”~ Howard Zinn

Democracy For Sale

In 2000 the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Bush V. Gore. In a ruling of five to four they ruled for GW Bush. The five conservative judges basically ruled that if their candidate was winning it was time to stop counting all the votes.  It was surely a vote against democracy. A strange part of the ruling  had never happened before. It was the part that said, that this case could not be used as precedence in any other case.  In other words, next time the conservative candidate might be the one who doesn’t want the vote counting stopped.

Somehow after that vote the people of the United States rolled over. They did not lynch these five judges for destroying the democratic right to have your votes counted. Americans are just to polite or more likely dumb and easily distracted.

When Bill Clinton was elected president he did not win by a 50% majority. That was because of third-party candidate Ross Perot winning 19% of the vote. During the Clinton presidency, Rush Limbaugh started his shows  with an America held hostage countdown. As far as he was concerned because Clinton didn’t get 50% of the vote he was not the legitimate president. In 2000 GW Bush won election by court decree, despite Gore having 500,000 more votes. Rush had no problem with GW winning this way. He never  announced, “America held hostage by the Supreme Court.”

Once again while Americans were distracted taking sides in the Leno/Conan war the five conservative members of the Supreme Court again stabbed democracy in the back. They didn’t this by ruling for the corporate take over of our country. They have made it legal for corporations to spend any amount of money they want to advertise for the candidate of their choice. They will also be allowed to spend unlimited amounts in attack ads against the candidate they don’t want (you know the one against corporate control of our country).

Don’t expect Rush or any of those corporate stooges over at FOX NEWS to have any problem with a corporate owned USA.

Explained better by President Obama

Here is one politician on the  side of the people  fighting to end corporate control of elections.

There is a section on my blog called, “Armchair Activist.” I think it’s important and you may have ignored it in the past. This issue about corporations taking over our democracy cannot be ignored. Therefore I am putting a link you need to sign to fight back right in this spot. Here are more sites as you can’t sign enough to protect your rights: For Fair Elections and Move to Amend.

Says Senator Charles Schumer, D-New York: “The Supreme Court just predetermined the winners of next November’s elections. It won’t be Republicans. It won’t be Democrats. It will be corporate America.”

Rep. John Boehner of Ohio doesn’t understand the ruling as he has said, “The Supreme Court ruling is a victory for fee speech.” I searched various Tea Party sites around the country and found they all think it’s a victory for free speech. Which just confirms as many people having been saying, that the Teabaggers are corporate pawns.

All of this corporate controll reminds me of the 1975 movie Rollerball. I note that the movie is set in 2018 which isn’t far off. Just a movie or a premonition?

States of Mind: A Song for the Herd

Tim Hawkins: Corporate Worship Song

“Corporations, which should be the carefully restrained creatures of the law and the servants of the people, are fast becoming the people’s masters.~ President Grover Cleveland

There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains. To put an end to it will be neither a short nor an easy task, but it can be done … Corporate expenditures for political purposes, and especially such expenditures by public-service corporations, have supplied one of the principal sources of corruption in our political affairs.
– Theodore Roosevelt

Turn Up the Heat for Brother Martin

First off  is my plug for the region. I stopped at Whitehouse Fruit Farms in Canfield OH. This is one of many treasures in our area. Great prices on cheese  and lunch meats. Nice selection of produce and regional gourmet items. They are also famous for their donuts and don’t forget the apple cider.

This week I had a friend tell me about a relative’s experience in a doctor’s waiting room. The TV news was on reporting about the earthquake that devastated Haiti. A man in the waiting room said, “I’m tired of the U.S. sending money and help to other countries.” Considering the horror of what was on the TV my friend’s relative was dumbstruck by the man’s comment. She did not speak up to oppose him and felt bad because she didn’t. Her heart was in the right place but it is not easy for everyone to speak out.

This week I also had a woman at work say, “Obama spends too much time concentrating on other countries.” I know her as a good woman at heart but she is one of many who has chosen to let Rush and Beck think for them. I told this fellow worker that it’s a big world and people in other countries are our brothers and sisters and we need to care for one another. Having had more time I could have told her that many countries wish the U.S. would have left them alone. This would have required a long history lesson about the U.S. supporting murderous dictators around the world as long as they were friendly to U.S. corporate interests. Of course conservatives would label me a traitorous apologist for telling such facts.

It’s time for people to turn off Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly and all the “we distort you decide” FOX NEWS. Instead read, “Confessions of an Economic HitMan” an alarming insider book that will tell you about how corporations set foreign policy.

I heard callers to CSPAN say, that no country helped us after Katrina. The fact is that over ninety countries offered help but we didn’t accept help from all of them. Some of those countries offering help were very poor countries like, Afghanistan, Mexico, Vietnam, Honduras, Peru, Cambodia and Cuba.

I was hoping no one would try to make some political points by saying we need to take care of “America first.” I was thinking no decent human being was going to argue politics at a time when fellow human beings needed help. I forgot that people like Rush and Pat Robertson are not decent human beings. Keith Olbermann gets it right on these two subhumans.

There are lots of people like the one in the doctor’s office who think they can spew out hate no matter who is in the proximity. My friend’s relative was saddened that she didn’t stand up to this lout. Truth is ignorance is bliss and you can’t say anything that will reach the soulless. That said, I will admit I don’t let any such statements go unanswered ever. I don’t care if I can’t  change that person’s mind. I just don’t want them to think that because I remain silent I agree with them.

I would have politely said to the man, “Mothers are so poor in Haiti that they feed their children cookies made of mud to try and stop the hunger pains.” If he responded back in an attitude of I don’t care I would have gotten firmer. I would have said, “I hope you don’t consider yourself a Christian.” Any argument back from him and I would have finished with, “I’m betting you’re here to see the doctor about getting a heart that works.”

I want to caution and clarify what I am saying because I draw the line at physical violence. You have to realize you don’t hate the  person with unjust ideas, you hate the ideas. I believe in fighting verbal fire with verbal water at first but if that isn’t working by all means fight verbal fire with verbal fire. It’s high time people speak out against racist and unjust comments. Time to turn up the heat!

In a day it will be Martin Luther Kings birthday.  I am sure he would not have been silent when hearing someone trash our brother and sisters  who share this planet. I know he would have spoken out loudly because I remember his words like this: “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

I decided some time ago it was not good for my health, to not speak out against injustice when I hear it. It is better for me to verbally beat some soulless slob up then to make myself sick by staying silent. I believe as IWW labor activist T-Bone Slim said, “Wherever you find injustice, the proper form of politeness is attack.” Attack by turning up the heat for Brother Martin!

A trusted organization to send your dollars to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti is Partners in Health. Thanks to the Valley Coalition for Peace & Justice for suggesting this organization.

Linda and the Traficant Lemmings sing: The Jim Traficant Song

Shame on you Casey Malone for attending the above event.

MLK Song: Let Freedom Ring

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King

“Blogsplaining”

Hi, come on in and sit a spell. The dress is casual so put your feet up and relax.  My blog features: Typos and grammatical errors on purpose. They are there for those that look for such things. I try my best to do something for everybody.

A new year always brings some reflection. For me, I have to ask myself, what am I trying to say with this blog?

I want to continue to talk about problems around our country and the world. I want to do this so I can make some sense of the world my kids are going to inherit. A big part of what is wrong is that our politicians are purchased by global corporations. At some point I hope we realize this and decide to make a stand. No, I don’t believe the TEA Party Movement is part of the solution as they are a big part of the problem. They are part of the problem as they show how easily people are manipulated by the corporations.  Look at the photos on these pages and see if this racist Tea Party Movement is something you’d  associated with.

Another thing I want people to do on my blog is visit the Armchair Activist section. See if there is an issue that interest you and spend a few seconds signing on to a petition. A recent one asked CNN  to fire Lou Dobbs because of his racism. Lou did “quit” his job at CNN. These things work and it doesn’t take much effort. That means they earn the Elecpencil’s award for the “Lazy man’s answer to change.”

I want in 2010 to continue to do all I can to support the area I live in know as, the Mahoning Valley. I will talk about some of the great locally owned businesses in our area that have earned your support. The Elecpencil having taken vows of poverty has limited funds so I use what discounts I can find. Here are a few local sources that I use that could help you: SurfTheValley.com, ClassytheCow.com, RESTAURANT.com and YoungstownDeals.

If you have any other sites to save a buck send them along and I’ll post them. If you love the service of a local company let me know. Also for help for consumers look under my Consumer Info section.

Speaking about great things in the Mahoning Valley I want to mention my favorite local talk radio host, Louie B. Free. I see Louie is having some legal problems and I want to wish him the best of luck and give him my support. Louie does a great job of interviewing people and keeping us all informed. I co-hosted a radio talk show a decade ago for just one hour a week and know how difficult it is.

I will also blog about things that disappoint me in the Mahoning Valley. The latest one is the Struthers Presbyterian Church. Their members  want to secede from the Presbyterian Church USA. The Struthers church says they feel that Presbyterian Church USA is getting to liberal. Over the last 20 years  Presbyterian USA’s general assembly has rejected ordaining of homosexuals and same-sex marriages. So how does that make them to liberal for the Struthers church? The mere fact that over the last 20 years the general assembly’s vote for rights for gays has gotten “closer and closer” to passing is enough to outrage the Struthers  Presbyterian Church. I’m sadden to see such a homophobic bunch trying to keep our valley in the Victorian Era.

I am straight with two kids in college. That does not mean that I can’t recognize that the issues facing gays today makes it the latest civil rights issue. I recently saw a photo of a well dressed black man standing with a sign against gay rights. You would think  blacks who suffered through their own civil rights struggle would be the last ones to discriminate against women, gays or anyone else.

Truth is gay people were more likely to have marched for civil rights for blacks than the angry, anti-gay whites that blacks stand with today against gay rights. I’m betting in 1860 the same type of supposed Christian whites would have looked at their Bible and said, “Slaves obey your master.”  Remember the saying, that no one is as blind as those who will not see?

I have  a comment section for a reason, so use it. I really do want to hear your opinion.

On Tuesday Jan. 10, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. the Pig Iron Poets will have an open reading at Tomasino’s Pizza. It is located at 103 Federal Plaza West, Downtown Youngstown, OH. See you there weather permitting.

Onward to a better year and a better world!

Teddy Pantelis/Damian Knapp

Teddy Pantelis

Lighthouses are more helpful than churches. ~ Ben Franklin

Another Prostitute in a Bad Wig

I saw an area poll where 50% of those taking the poll would vote for Jim Traficant. Another question was does Jimbo wear a toupee? Again 50% said, no, it’s really his hair. I guess if you are dumb enough to not know that is a rug, you are dumb enough to vote for him.

As I’ve said, Jimbo can run on the slogan, “Put the con in congress.” It is sad that some people think a crook like Traficant is the best we can do to represent us. I think highly of my family so I want someone more honorable than Traficant to represent them. I would think it would be the same for others but I guess a politician who took bribes and stole part of his staff’s paychecks is good enough for some people.

Jimbo brings out some strange right-wing wack jobs. Here is a man from Brooklyn  who calls Jimbo a “crusader for the right” (which is enough to get me to never support Jimbo).

Here is also a man that says Traficant should team up with Minnesota’s Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. See here.

Bachmann lashed out against President Obama calling him an anti-American socialist. She has spoken at many Tea Parties railing against the evils of socialism like welfare. Rep. Bachmann meanwhile is a welfare queen who has collected over a quarter of a million dollars in welfare.

I’ve shown you two videos of right-wingers loving Jimbo.  Now for a little hypocrisy, here is a right-winger listing Jimbo as one more Democrat who is a crook. This despite Traficant voting along with Republicans over 60% of the time.

Two can play at the same game so here is a list of Republican crooks.

Of course not all politicians who are criminals have done jail time. Here is Ohio’s Rep. John Boehner admitting he was bought by Big Tobacco.

This guy speaking about marketing at a Tea Party meeting is the kind of idiot that is attracted to the Tea Party Movement that people like Traficant are featured speakers at. Guys like this marketing “expert” prove we need a health care system to get those suffering from mental illness the help they need.

Poor and middle-class teabaggers march to support the rich.

The real story of the Boston Tea Party was not against the government raising taxes on tea. It was against corporate welfare in the form of tax cuts for the largest global corporation at that time. I’m talking about the Wal-Mart of its day, the British East India Company.

I thank my friend Bob from Pittsburgh for reminding me of this. Bob made an interesting statement about the G-20 protesters in Pittsburgh last year. He said, the demonstrators who broke corporate stores windows had more in common with the 17776 Boston Tea party than the  recent Tea Party events around the country.  The G-20 demonstrators were protesting the control corporations have over “our” government.

These Tea Party events were put on by corporations who don’t want their capital gains taxes raised. The events were attended by middle-class people who have gotten a middle-class tax break. Sadly, the corporations are using  propaganda ignited by fear and racism to protect their interests. It has been a winning formula in class-warfare for centuries.

Here is the latest victory as of yesterday for the rich in this class war. It’s just one more case of the rich being taken care of and the burden shifted to the middle-class. The fight is far from over but we need to hold our politicians accountable. I’m glad ones like Traficant talked the talk and said, our politicians are prostitutes up for the highest bidder. Unfortunately  Traficant didn’t walk the walk and pimped himself  out also. It’s high time we start screening all of our politicians for lobby infected STD’s.

Happy New Year!

George Harrison: Ding Dong

U2: New Years Day

New Year’s Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time. ~ James Agate

Holiday Humor

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Best wishes to you! Whatever holiday you celebrate may it be your best ever.

As for Christmas the holiday is about the birth of Jesus. There are also songs, movies or stories that to each of us exemplify what the spirit of Christmas is about. The story about the World War I Christmas Truce is my favorite story, about the power of Christmas. To me Christmas is about peace on Earth and that is why this story means so much to me. You can read all about it in the book, “Silent Night: The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce.” If you’re not much of a reader check out the 2005 movie, “Joyeux Noel.” For me this story shows the potential for humanity to be the real solution to peace. Isn’t it high time we put all our children (every nations soldiers) before war profiteers?

Don’t you think the world needs more humor?  Here is some  R-rated humor for Christmas: William Shatner

Bishop TuTu

Taxi Cab Confessions

The Dan Band: Ho Ho Ho

Dan Band: Christmas Flip Flop

Marry an orphan: you’ll never have to spend boring holidays with the in-laws. ~ George Carlin

Enjoy the holidays!

Worshipping Satan at Christmas Time

Mrs. and Mr. Elecpencil and our friends Patti and John went to New Castle’s Scottish Rite Cathedral yesterday evening. We experienced B.E. Taylor’s annual Christmas concert tour. We went last year and loved it so much we have decided to make it an annual Christmas tradition.

B E included local special needs adults who join him singing and dancing on stage. He also had a local high school drum section and a church choir. All in all two and a half hours worth of great Christmas music with some very talented musicians. I guarantee you if you go once you’ll be hooked.

See info on B.E. here.

While in New Castle we stopped for dinner at Mary’s Middle Eastern Restaurant located at 131 E. Long Ave. I have visited Mary’s many times and always have the Chicken over rice with onions, peppers  with Syrian garlic sauce. This chicken dish is my favorite all time Chicken dish. Mary’s is small and it was packed but service, meal and price were all top-notch! Two ice teas, the health food appetizer (Tabbouli and Hummus)  and two great Chicken dinners for about $20.00 is even in the Elecpencil’s budget range!

Some questions for you:

Do you think women who do the same job as men should be paid the same? Do you think men should be promoted more than women? Do you think someone who has a family should be paid more than someone who is single but does the same job? Do you believe it’s right to discriminate against hiring the handicapped? Do you think it is right to keep most employees part-time so you can deny them health care. Do you think it’s right to not pay a livable wage and then offer health care that if  workers want they can’t afford to pay their share of? Think it’s acceptable to fire employees for wanting a union?

Do you think it’s OK to have trade laws that send U.S. jobs to sweatshops in China? Do you think it’s OK for China to have a minimum wage of  $.39 an hour? Do you think it’s OK for a U.S. company to violate that and only pay $.19 and hour? Do you think it’s right for Chinese citizens to work in dirty dangerous conditions? Do you think it right to have 9 year-old kids working in Third World sweatshops making products for U.S. consumers? Do you think it is fine if a company has 80% of their good made in China? Do you think it is alright to do business and be in debt to Communist China? Are you willing to let your children be poisoned by lead based toys from China?

Do you complain about illegal aliens taking U.S. jobs? Do you care if a U.S. companies employees (the working poor) make up the largest part of many states welfare ranks? Think it’s fine that just one companies low wages cost taxpayers up to $2.5 billion a year in the form of federal public assistance programs? Do you think that one company locating in your area should cost taxpayers $420,000 a year? Do you think it’s justified for one company locating in your area to ask for 1/3 it’s building cost to be picked up by taxpayers despite it making $12 billion in profit a year? Do you think it is right for the same company to have gotten out of paying $2.3 billion in taxes between 1999 and 2005?

Do you think it’s acceptable that only 6% of the money made by this company stays in the community it’s stores are located in? Do you care that this company destroys mom and pop businesses? Are you concerned that this company denies their responsibilities when their customers or employees are injured on site? Do you think it is alright if a company buys a term life policy on employees and profits by their death? Do you think we need to protect our ports?

The company I am talking about is Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club. They are on the wrong side of every one of these issues. So I’m asking, “Why in the fuck would you shop at this soulless company?” Does the cheapest price really wash away so many sins? Where would Jesus shop for Christmas? Isn’t shopping at Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club like worshipping Satan at Christmas time?

Ammo for the fight against Wal-Mart

A B.E. Taylor Christmas

Mary Did You Know

If I think too much about all of those Chinese factories where all the stuff in a Wal-Mart is made, I get that woozy feeling you get when you see ducks covered in crude oil. ~ Doug Copland

Local Christmas Shopping

Mrs. Elecpencil and I took a ride over to Sharon, Pa. this morning. We stopped on the West Hill at an art gallery/gift shop called, 29 Logan Ave. We then walked down the hill to the Walnut Lodge at 80 S. Irvine Ave. The lodge had about twenty artists set up selling handmade and fair trade wares.  Both places have items that would make great Christmas gifts. They will both be open tomorrow also from 12-4. The Walnut Lodge also gives yoga and dance lessons too.  They seem like great folks who help make our corner of the world a little better.

Tomorrow also check out the display of over 200 nativity sets from around the world. The display is from 12-4 at the Sisters of  Humility – Villa Maria, PA. Talk about making our world better the Villa Maria has some great classes and retreats that are well worth looking into to. Check out their gift shop for some nice Fair Trade items.

I was sad I couldn’t make the Youngstown demonstration against the School of the Americas (SOA) event, as I think it is a very important issue. A special note of thanks to Terry and Vicki Vicars for organizing the PAX Christi USA protest against the SOA. The SOA is a disgraceful place  that every American should know about.  The SOA makes for one of the reasons our country is hated in the world.

This months Catholic Exponent did a nice piece on the new Dorothy Day House in Youngstown. Check out one of our fine libraries for a copy. I went to the Newport Library for the first time last Tuesday and it is a really nice addition to our community.  They were nice enough to invite us Pig Iron Poets to do our open monthly reading which went very well. Join us the second Tuesday of January at Tomasino’s Pizza in downtown Youngstown for next months open reading.

When shopping for Christmas it’s important to not shop at the Satan store. Of course I’m talking about the soulless Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores. Instead try shopping local small businesses. Get a gift card for one of our local non-chain restaurants. Put together a gift basket of local products. You could do a basket of things like: Gia Russa pastas and sauce, Guys BBQ Sauce, Rulli’s olive oil or cheese, White House Fruit Farms produce, Haus Orchards cider,  Miller’s Horseradish sauce, Dirusso Sausage, Rust Belt Brewing beer, Mastropietro wine, Myrddin wine, L’uva Bella wine, Maggie’s Magic Muffins, Schwebels Bread, Handel’s ice cream gift card, Jimmy Chieffo’s  Pasta, etc. Feel free to comment about all the great local products I missed.

Since I mentioned wineries let me tell you about one Mr. & Mrs. Elecpencil visited last Friday for dinner. We went to dinner at the Old Mill Winery in Geneva, Oh. It’s a very old building that is favorite of local folks from Geneva. The Alan Greene Band from Cleveland was playing and they churned out some great blues tunes!  Otie (who resembles George Carlin)  filled in for missing singer, “Mr. Stress” and did a yeoman’s job. Alan is a former guitarist for “Humble Pie” and is as good as it gets on the axe. He is not into 15 minute boring guitar solos but rocks out within the frame work of a tune. This is a real blues band not one of those yuppies through the week blues on the weekend bands.  Mrs. Elecpencil had ribs in a wine infused bbq sauce she said were quite good. I had a wine burger which I’d highly recommend. We enjoyed some red sangria and took home a bottle of Grindstone Red which is a nice sweet wine. We are not wine snobs so we enjoy sweet wines. I have no use for snobby wines that taste like oak or stainless steel.

Cheap wines are just as good as expensive ones in a blind test.

For a holiday green gift that matters see here.

Alan Greene Band: High Cost of Loving

Alan Greene Band: Stagger Lee

[Wine is] poetry in a bottle.”
- Clifton Fadiman