What you can do

A short blog post about two things you can do.  I think you all know what I’m talking about.  Look, as the President cuts funding to programs we find value for, there’s really only one choice: pay for it ourselves.  So, with that, I urge you to take a couple bucks, throw it in an envelope and send it to Planned Parenthood or the ACLU or any one of many worthy organizations who will need help in the coming months due to budget shortfalls. 

Too complicated?  What’s in it for me?  Well, sir/madam, have I got the site for you.  Presenting a newly updated www.impeachthemotherfuckeralready.com!  Now with your purchase of ITMFA gear, “all the money raised will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the International Refugee Assistance Project.”  Let’s make this a thing, no?

Also, I see a lot of posts on FaceBook about what Congress is voting on and when they’re going to vote for something and how they’re going to dismantle this and that.  It’s time to get your civics on so that we can be informed.  A repeal of a law can only be accomplished by a simple majority vote in the House AND a super-majority vote in the Senate (60+ votes).  While Congress can gut the financials of almost any law, they can't touch the things where Federal monies don't play a part.

Secondly, google how a Bill becomes a law.  There are a number of good sites, but The Kids in the House spells it out simply.  It's all about simple majorities, folks.  So, we need to be vigilant that our elected officials are doing what we voted them in for.  That said, if you want to keep up on Congressional comings and goings there’s an app for that.  While it’s still a little slow, Countable for iOS and Android allows you to either link your FaceBook account or create a separate account with your home address so that you can keep track of not only when Congress votes on certain bills, but also when your specific Senator or Congressman/woman votes and how they vote.  You can even set alerts every time they vote.  Also, in the app there are links providing your Congress-people’s phone numbers so that you can call them with your opinion.  These days, elected officials are swamped by e-mails that are easily dismissed.  However, phone calls seem to be far more effective.  If you have an opinion about a bill on either the House or Senate floor, make sure you call your legislators so that they’re working for you.

See?  It’s not so hard to be proactive about your civic rights.  And, with apps like Countable, you’re going to be in-the-know moving forward so that you can express your pleasure and/or displeasure of the actions of your elected officials.  Now, if only they would make an app for state and local legislators…hm. 

an·ti-Sem·i·tism

This morning, my daughter's pre-school was evacuated due to a phoned-in bomb threat.  As this was happening, similar threats today were phoned in at JCCs in Edison, NJ, Boston, Detroit, Connecticut: Hartford and New Haven, Alabama, Florida and as many as 16 JCCs across the country.  Before I go on, everybody is fine.  Based on early reporting, all JCCs were evacuated by the professional staffs.  Law enforcement was called in and, in each case, the buildings were deemed safe, and staff and students were all allowed inside. 

First and foremost, when similar threats were called in to other JCCs on January 9, the staff at ours set out to be prepared.  Drills were performed in the subsequent weeks, and, I would like to thank the staff at the JCC, their management, and the first-responders, namely the Scotch Plains Police, for taking this issue seriously, and ensuring that the facility was safe to return to.

Now this:


You threatened my daughter and my family and my friends, you spineless, shit-eating, dirt-bag, mother-fuckers!  Go fuck yourselves and the horse you rode in on.

Sorry for that.  The simple fact is that antisemitism is on the rise.  Why?  I'll give you one large orange guess.  As the New York Times reports: "hundreds of Jewish journalists have been the target of anti-Semitic attacks on Twitter during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a new report by the Anti-Defamation League." If you're a Jew and you voted for Donald Trump, I, partially, blame you.  My 4-year-old daughter stood outside for 40 minutes without her jacket and huddled together with her class while bomb-sniffing dogs were used to ensure that the JCC was safe.  Thanks for peripherally supporting the rhetoric that made this possible.

Are there more racists than there were before?  No. I would argue that Trump's campaign model only brought them to the forefront.  He emboldened them.  He made it seem that his bullying rhetoric was appropriate, which is why it's happening now.  Ask the Blacks.  Ask the Hispanics.  Ask the Asians.  Ask the Muslims. Maybe I'll be putting my foot in my mouth for making this next statement, but I guarantee that the people who are making these phone calls are white and Trump supporters bordering on being Nazis. When they are caught, and they will be caught once Jared Kushner wakes the fuck up and makes this a priority, you will discover that it's a group of white nationalists who call themselves Christian despite effectuating a wholly un-Christian agenda. 

Until law enforcement figures this out, I ask that you think about your consumerism, because what else can we do?  In NJ, our elected officials, including our Governor, are sympathetic on this issue.  Why?  Jews make up over 7% of the State's population according to this well-sourced post by the JVL.  That's enough to sway a vote or two and influence and economy.  It will be a long 4-years of similar, copy-cat acts, unless we hit our politicians and their war-chests where it hurts them most: in their pockets.  Threaten to vote them out...then vote them out.  Write to businesses you believe to have influence in Washington.  Most of them have a FaceBook presence.  Barring that, call them out to the media, who are also married to social media.  Patronize businesses that openly support acceptance and diversity.

We need to end this empty threat of domestic terrorism before it becomes real.  Today it was my family, and tomorrow it may be yours.

Draining the Swamps

So, it seems that senatorial privilege will not keep Mr. Trump's appointees out of their presumed roles heading agencies that, many, have zero experience (Mr. Perry, I'm looking at you, sir).  The Constitutional provision that allows them to move forward with a simple senate majority will allow 51 republicans to push through the various industry insiders and lobbyists into national titles that exacerbate ethical conflicts, thereby refilling the proverbial swamp. 

First and foremost: I like swamps.  So, while that seems to be the accepted analogy, I would propose a different one.  Mr. Trump should have said that his coming to Washington would drain the wastewater wells and cesspools that come as the result of fracking.  No?  You don't believe that "Big Oil" is doing the environment a great disservice by pumping their special blend of frack-juice deep into the earth?  A 2012 article in Scientific American, a respected journal of over 170 years, sees it this way:

"A ProPublica review of well records, case histories and government summaries of more than 220,000 well inspections found that structural failures inside injection wells are routine. From late 2007 to late 2010, one well integrity violation was issued for every six deep injection wells examined — more than 17,000 violations nationally. More than 7,000 wells showed signs that their walls were leaking. Records also show wells are frequently operated in violation of safety regulations and under conditions that greatly increase the risk of fluid leakage and the threat of water contamination."

Swamps are clean.  Fracking is not.  

OK, let's say you're for energy independence and you don't care that much of our fresh-water will be polluted in the next 10-100 years.  Shhh.  Don't tell southern Nevada or California that the scarce amount of water they still have will cease being potable.  No, the recent rains did not refill the reservoirs, and more-so, the cleanest water needs to be naturally filtered through the soil...land that has been surrendered to agricultural and livestock uses.  Which brings me to my next gripe, the byproduct of our livestock and meat industry: animal waste.  The New York Times and CBS' 60 Minutes had articles about this in 2003, and not much has changed since then:

Quoth the Times: "A growing number of scientists and public health officials around the country say they have traced a variety of health problems faced by neighbors of huge industrial farms to vast amounts of concentrated animal waste [cesspools], which emit toxic gases while collecting in open-air cesspools or evaporating through sprays. The gases, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, are poisonous."

Quoth Morley Safer: "Cesspools or lagoons are just holding places for the 9.5 million tons of hog manure that's produced in North Carolina every year. There's real potential for damage when the manure is liquefied, and then sprayed as fertilizer onto the company's fields. There is so much manure that the fields of North Carolina can't absorb it all - and it's beginning to poison the groundwater and contaminate drinking wells. There have been other problems. Lagoons have leaked and overflowed. Lagoon walls have broken, spilling out millions of gallons of hog manure and saturating fields even more.  And where does all this hog dung end up? In the streams and rivers of North Carolina, creating a growth in green algae that has closed rivers for swimming and killed thousands upon thousands of fish."

Swamps cater to biodiversity...livestock cesspools destroy it. 


And maybe we've been misinterpreting Mr. Trump's intent.  He's doing exactly what he's promised.  He's draining the swamp of Washington.  He's killing the biodiversity and a naturally regenerative ecosystem.  One that's essential to migrating species, natural clean water filtration, clean air and overall planetary health.  What he's replacing it with is more akin to the referenced articles above...buried chemical waste and open-pit cesspools that contain known carcinogens and are poorly managed and regulated.  Being that I'm in New Jersey...have witnessed the President Elect at his "finest," and, know the development challenges of a largely built-up state; I know the positive benefits of swamps.  Congrats Mr. President Elect, this may be one campaign promise you've kept. 

A New Trick

So, I'm trying to shake the old dog attitude I frequently adopt on many issues.  In this short post, I wanted you all (both of you who read this) to know that, in addition to these weekly updates of my mostly mundane life, I will be soon be able to be heard over the interwebs.  It's not necessarily a podcast, but it will be weekly and, I believe, able to be heard through iTunes, both live and as a download.  Details are few and far between and still evolving, but I've asked (and been accepted) to be part of the Newton Theatre's live "radio" broadcast. 

For those who don't know, Newton NJ is home to a small performing arts theater that plays host to various genres of acts: music, comedy, movies, etc.  To help advertise upcoming events the theater has decided to embark in a live-streaming radio service which will offer local news, weather, event dates and interviews with artists making their way to northwestern New Jersey.  Yours truly will help by hosting a show on Wednesdays, from 5pm-7pm. 

What's the format?  My intent is to present deep tracks from well known artists, and some lesser known ones while, at the same time, help publicize the upcoming performances at the theater...some of them I'm huge fans of.  For instance, Jim Brewer (whom I've met in a local Star Bucks) will be performing there.  Also, just announced, Rusted Root will bring their world music to downtown Newton as will David Grisman, world renown mandolinist who used to perform with Jerry Garcia...yes, that Jerry. 

All in all, and this post is little more than a tease; the station at the Newton Theatre...or the Newt (i.e. Newt Radio) will go live sometime in the next week.  I'll be sure to alert one and all via the FaceBook as to how and when to listen.  Until then, start brushing up on your Frank Zappa and Phil Lesh so that you're not terribly surprised the first show.

Oh, and feel free to "like" Newt Radio here on FaceBook to be up to speed on our launch.  Wish me/us luck!