I am listening to old radio. broadcasts from 2006. Mark Foley is the name from the political graveyard. Florida Republican congressman who sent countless sexually explicit messages to 16 and 17 year old pages. Calls went out for the resignation of the Speaker — what did he knpw, when did he know it? — from politically invested Democrats. The Speaker condemns Mark Foley and his actions, but refuses to go anywhere — denying prior knowledge.

That would be Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Former high school wrestling coach, who, years after retiring from office, wss revealed to — during his high school wrestling years — have …

I never dipped into the details, but what was in the headlines seemed enough

Oddly, had it not been for legislation advanced by Foley, his actions — despicable may they be — would not have been illegal. Hastert’s on the other hand —
On that score, Foley should have been the one distancing himself from Hastert?

Is it my imagination, or is there not a damned mayor that wouldn’t be put in this flier form and stamped with the claims — token “war criminal”?
They could add to the litany of grievances (I laugh at the one about harming small businesses … Tagged as they are by socially conscious graffiti and the sparodic riots by… Um… The allies at least of whoever put this up)… They could add to the litany of grievances… The mayor is slowing down mail delivery, goshdarnedit !

All I do is wish the Lovejoy image were on… Lovejoy Street…

So the Democratic convention was heavy on disaffected Republicans and the Security State, the Republican convention on culture war figures and a couple reality show stunts. Supposedly the naturalization swearing in is some cynical mockery of his policy, extending as it does to limiting legal immigration, though it could be said that whatever his plans for a second term, plenty of immigrants will still be naturalized, so there is that soft sell to the suburban soccer mom.

I do ponder a thing with some hooplah over the former Planned Parenthood turned anti abortion activist, Abby Johnson, who asked — and conversationaly on twitter — the question “What is the most controversial thing you believe?” — then gave an answer appropriate to the question which… Well, would surely lose any election but if you want to spitball ideas, maybe it would be fun to have a beer with her.

And I guess politically it would be an unforced error to pose the question, but as any real answer to the question is by definition unpopular or controversial… Suppose it is thrown out in an interview… How are you supposed to non respond?

Actually it should be lobbed at presidential dsbates, even though we know the answer will be still anodyne pablum or veer to the apolitical. (“The Simpsons is currently better than it has ever been!”).

In the pile of political messaging plastered onto poles, I see this:

“‘matter’ is a baseline. Black lives are magical.”. A couple other adjectives of the type follow, and maybe I will retrace my steps and refresh with a snap-shot.

Now we move way off field. I understand the reason the slogan “All lives matter” will get one slammed from cultural centers– but it has to be said… Either all lives are magical, or no lives are magical… DEpending on what your spiritual guidance is. I thought we were tearing away the “magical negro” trope of literature.

Rushed in and gnabbed a couple items at a grocery store. Standing in line at the self check-out, it dawned on me people — notably the cashier — were looking at me funny. And then buying my stuff, dollar bills in the slots I realized the readon: my face mask was off. I pulled it over my face with security giving me the evil eye. (Don’t ask me for full facial expression — mouths covered and all) — though, of course, in a two minute trip (if that)– that meant I was in protocol all of five, ten seconds.

Y’know, I was going to post a snide comment that the Republican convention — programmed as it is for the two hour infomercial block the tv allowed for airing somewhere, one for networks — should just be Trump speaking for all of it… Or maybe just that one primetime network hour each night.

But apparently that is coming close to what Trump and the RNC is actually doing. So…

Perhaps a mistake to make my way out with the explicit purpose of taking this photo, themed to the melee I need to take a closer look at the elements regarding — just what did the president say and where did everyone conjecture it toward — to determine veracities. No sooner did I snap this image than the blm brigade of honking cars through residential neighborhoods come on by, and they don’t like photo snappers — one take away from the sets of first hand accounts (and from earlier, pre feds leaving…

And why do the t shirts say “Fed’s Go Home” (sic)? Is complaining on this grammatical error nit picking or some type of microaggression?

I can’t decide if it is ahistorical or just a fill in the blank projection of what is at hand that the big take away from Michelle Obama’s speech, and the sentence about this being not the time to go wasting your vote on somebody who hasn’t a chance, contextualized as it is inferred to be coming off an allusion to the black decreased turn-out of 2016 as this not being the time to sit the election put…

… Wait. Is she referring to Kanye West?

Why Kanye West and not the party stalwarts for the 3rd and 4th place getters of 2016 — Jo Jorgensen (who recently made her biggest nrws blip of the 2020 campaign by getting bitten by a bat) and Howie Hawkins,

Where Kanye West doesn’t have their ballot access–

I can’t quite tell.

Mac Smiff — hip hop promoter and political activist — said in the local alt weekly, calling out the mayor “There are 5 thousand people out here telling you the same thing, and you’re asking what we want. Justice and getting rid of the police — what is it that you’re confused about?”

Probably the intertwining of the two — that there can be no justice without a police force. Predictably enough, as the crime rate increases, the mayor is now seeking to pull back in the once called gang task force renamed gun task force. Predictably enough, we see this deemed as a “band aid”, which may be but leaves out the fact that band aids are important.

It is puzzling how the right wing cause may the propaganda mill makes stuff up when there is plenty of gist for the mill, except that the narrative is built up and additions are made from truth and not truth.

Seeing a gathering leave into the night, it struck me how the personal is not political as the political is social. THe social outing of the season is this. I noticed this with the activities organized by political party oriented groups — what, does the Oregon Bus Product do a “pub prawl” to… Er… End the War?