Friday Random Bloggin

Hmm, let’s see, it’s 75 degrees. Sunny and clear. Little wind. No bugs. To hell with a long blog entry, I’m staying outdoors. So consider your little brat-selves lucky to be hearing a damn thing from me on a day like this. On with the show…

I just picked up Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Poetry As Insurgent Art.” I was browsing at the bookstore and became captivated by the size and design of the elegant little book. Sure, I’ve always been a fan of Ferlinghetti of City Lights Books and Beat fame, but I’m also a sucker for design. And so up into my hands it went. The commitment to buy it was sealed when I read the quote he had in one of the opening pages from Subcommadante Marcos:

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but this is a revolution.”

Ah. Right on. Now, would someone please tell the peace ninnies standing around at the post office – you know, the one’s who’ve convinced themselves that standing around is going to stop the war – that a little inconvenience is what’s necessary for real political and cultural change. And they could start by taking their activism seriously enough to inconvenience THEMSELVES a bit more than standing around like drones for a half-hour every week with little more to say than “Bush is Bad.” Whatever. And here’s a free suggestion: How about you take your anger to the offices of Welch, Sanders and Leahy who continue to vote for billions and billions more for the Iraq out of some kind of fear that to do otherwise will be branded as an act “against the troops.” Get over it. Besides, at some point – a point we passed years ago – we’ve got to stop supporting the troops and start blaming them. And perhaps we can’t start with the Commander-in-Chief. Time’s up.

The Zuckerman Dilemma: Shhh…Don’t tell anyone but Dave Zuckerman, the Prog from Burlap, is moving. Yep. He’s the new proud owner of a very fine farm in Hinesburg, Vermont. And while he’ll still have his rental units in his old Burlington digs, the word on the street is that his primary residence will be in Hinesburg by the time the next election comes around. While the 100-plus acres of lush farmland he’s purchasing with his wife will more than occupy his time and energy, his move – and, I would assume, his resignation of his current seat in the Vermont House – could mean a fine time for a statewide run for the highest profile Prog to hold office. Zuckerman would be a much better candidate than Anthony Pollina, Vermont’s energy-less bunny who just keeps losing and losing. Zuckerman, you see, has done the work that Pollina hasn’t: He got elected at a local level, has done some fine legislative work, and he can speak in complete sentences. Given Zuckerman’s moving dilemma, let’s hope the Progs come to their senses quickly and convince Farmer Dave to take the statewide plunge.

Reading Around: Congrats to the Times Argus for making the move to haul in Ed DuFresne to write a weekly music column for its newly reformulated arts page, “Invite.” Bravo all around. Ed, of course, is a perfect choice to give readers the run down on the Montpelier music scene. He’s been smack dab in the middle of it for years. In fact, I remember seeing him running around Montpelier six years ago with his buddy, Wes Hamilton of Langdon Street Café fame, trying to ignite their dream to breathe some musical/cultural life into the quiet little town. They were looking everywhere – and anywhere! – for a place to get it all started. Now fast-forward six years and notice the difference. There’s now Langdon Street Café. There’s the Black Door. Positive Pie. And now even Vermont College is getting into the act for the bigger acts. Three cheers for dreaming…

Hide that Opinion: Speaking of the Times Argus, congrats to Louis Porter for his piece in today’s paper, “Douglas Stands Behind the President.” But the headline makes me wonder: What, exactly, is Douglas doing while “standing behind” the Prez? Never mind. I’m always amazed how Douglas gets away with being a Bush lap-dog with the Vermont media. But, thankfully, Porter has taken a stab at doing what should have been done for years: Paint Douglas as the Bush cheerleader that he is. Don’t forget, he was the chairman of Bush’s Vermont campaign committees. And he’s spent the night with the Bushies in the White House. So it’s about time someone took note of Douglas’ not-so-hidden right-wing tendencies. I’m just wondering why TA’s editor, Sue Allen, decided to bury Porter’s piece below the fold on page A7? Scared of something, Sue? It’s okay, the media’s supposed to criticize our elected officials. I know the Vermont media’s a little behind the curve on this but, trust me, it’s how democracy tends to work. More, please.

There was one little error in Porter’s reporting, however. While describing Douglas’ silly explanation that the Bush presidency is in shambles because it just seems to be the way things go in second terms (forget the war and the trampling of the Constitution!), Porter writes that Douglas pointed “to the Iran-Contra and Monica Lewinsky scandals late in President Bill Clinton’s term.” Sorry, but Iran-Contra was on Reagan’s watch. Not sure if Douglas or Porter got that wrong. But it is wrong. But not as wrong as comparing the Lewinsky “scandal” with an illegal war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Sorry, but I’ll take the blowjob over that any day. But – hey – that’s just me….

Okay, brats, you got more than you deserved. I’m getting outside. And may I suggest you do the same? Ready, set, go….