Wythe Notes » musings

the grinch who stole christmas

Ron Dees — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:22:10 +0000

I’ve had the hardest time this past six weeks trying to write. I guess I’ve been suffering from some kind of intellectual constipation that also includes this nauseous dread of what the coming year is going to be like. Virginia is one of seven battleground states because of our open Senate seat, and we can expect nothing less than a scorched earth campaign from both sides. And while it has been kind of amusing to watch the Republican presidential candidates eat their young, it’s scary as all get out when you consider that one of these bozos has a good chance of becoming president.

The cautious optimism that I felt here on the home front after the November election lasted about two weeks. It took about that long before it became apparent that the BOS Chairman-in-waiting Danny McDaniel and County Administrator- for-Life Papa Doc Dalton are moving to marginalize the new board members. We’ll know in a month or so how that works out. Watch to see to what committees the new supervisors are appointed, and who they in turn appoint to the various advisory commissions.

We don’t have to wait to see what we can expect from the new Commissioner of the Revenue. Faye Barker hasn’t even taken office yet, and she is proving to be what I thought she would be after the first and only time I spoke with her last summer at the Farmers Market: a mean spirited, vindictive woman with low self esteem and a nasty attitude. Though I would have handled things differently, I can understand her reluctance to work with Robert Kegley after the rumor driven negative campaign she ran, but Ms. Barker’s treatment of Donna Leonard is unconscionable. As was reported in the Wednesday print edition of the Wytheville Enterprise (which I have not had an opportunity to read yet) Ms. Leonard is a single mom with an honor roll student at Radford University whose only crime was to support Mr. Kegley. Not only will Donna begin the new year without a job, she will also lose her family’s health insurance. Shame on you Ms. Barker, shame on you. You consider yourself a good christian lady, but actions speak louder than words and you are neither.

Peace on earth, good will to all.

who needs saturday night live?

Ron Dees — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:08:22 +0000

All of you who love children who wear helmets and ride the short bus to school take heart: They too can grow up and be a Republican candidate for president. I guarantee they’ll act more maturely. Between the CNN and Fox News coverages of the race for the Republican nomination, we no longer need to watch Saturday Night Live or Comedy Central. They have become redundant. The straight coverage is hysterical enough. Herman Cain/Rick Perry is my new dream ticket. Theirs is a fight to see who can out stupid the other. If a box of hammers were to enter the race tomorrow, it would be smarter than these two.

Friends of mine who are in a position to know tell me that insiders at the Republican National Committee believe two things: 1) Mitt Romney is going to be the nominee 2) He can’t win. The plan is to cede the presidency to Obama, maintain their majority in the House, and put their main efforts into winning the Senate. Considering the viciousness of previous Virginia races, next year’s predicted match up between Tim Kaine and George Allen should make cage fighting look like a pre-K play date.

Electoral politics has become so predictable in this country. Candidates don’t tell us what they are for, just what they are against. They paint their opponent as not only the anti-christ but anti-American as well. They don’t want to just beat their opponent; they want to beat him so badly he won’t get up. Ever. Their side is always right, and the other side is always wrong.

Last week’s events in Libya is a prime example. From start to finish, the Obama Administration spent about 2 billion dollars to get Gaddafi. Sure, it was a young Libyan who hauled Gaddafi out of a drain pipe, shoved a stick up his ass (for real) and shot him in the head, but make no bones about it. Obama got him. Working with our NATO allies, the US helped destabilize the Gaddafi regime. Our intelligence located his convoy, and our predator drone and a French fighter pilot shot up the convoy making Gaddafi’s capture possible. Obama brought about the downfall of another despot without having to put a single boot on the ground.

Less than 24 hours later, Sen. Mark Rubio (R-Fl), a rising star in the Republican Party, was on TV criticizing the president for not having done it sooner… in February. Memo to Sen. Rubio: Fuuuuuuuuuuck Youuuuuuuuuuuu!

The time has come to Occupy America, have a Party, serve some Tea, and barbecue our current crop of do nothing politicians.

never the fringes shall meet

Ron Dees — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:22:41 +0000

First, there was the Arab Spring, followed by the Arab Summer in which millions of protestors in several repressive Middle Eastern regimes took to the streets and overthrew their governments. Here in the United States, we seem to be experiencing an American Fall.The last time something like what is happening across this country occurred was in 1776. Are we experiencing the beginning of a second American Revolution?

Occupy Wall Streeters (Owls) are mad as hell, and they’re taking it to the streets. Watching the Tea Baggers respond to having some of their thunder stolen is a hoot. Amy Kremer, the co-chairman of the Tea Party Express was positively apoplectic the other day on TV trying to point out the differences in the two movements. Tea Baggers don’t litter, for instance. (Ever wonder what happened to all the pinched faced hall monitors and teacher’s pets?) Judging from her appearance and comportment, Ms. Kremer could use a rectumectomy to remove the stick from her ass. Fox News propagandist Bill O’Reilly was aghast at the thought that some of the New York Owls were actually having sex at night in a public park (as opposed to the sex he has in his office which typically climaxes in a sexual harassment law suit.) Reminds me of all the Baptists I know who refuse to make love standing up for fear that folks will accuse them of dancing.

The Tea Baggers say that government and over-regulation is solely responsible for our problems. The Owls lay the blame at the feet of the banks and corporations and not enough regulation in some areas. I’ve been saying for years that it’s ALL OF THEM. Wall Street, the Military/Industrial Complex, Big Energy and the Multi-National Corporations OWN our federal government. Over the years, they have perfected a strategy that consistently convinces the American public to vote against our own self interest. Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.

Take the Environmental Protection Agency, for instance. The EPA was created in 1970 under Republican president Richard Nixon. Its express purpose is to work for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people. Take a look at its Mission Statement. Almost from its inception, corporations, especially in the coal and oil industries, and the members of Congress they continue to buy and pay for, have conspired to destroy the Agency by demonizing it as a job killer. Seriously, who do you think has your best interest at heart, the EPA or Massey Energy and American Electric Power? AEP is seeking another rate increase to finally bring their “dirty”power plants into compliance with regulations that they have been fighting and ignoring for 20 years. Don’t get me wrong. Both Massey and AEP do create jobs. Think of all the medical personnel needed to treat the thousands who are sick and dying from the massive amounts of pollution and waste these two companies spew into our environment. Think of all the insurance adjusters needed to deny claims to the working poor who have had their health ruined.

Job creation and protecting the environment are not mutually exclusive endeavors. However, it would make far more sense to hire a fox to guard the hen house than it would be to gut the EPA and rely on the energy industry to protect the environment.

Folks, there is no question that we need to move in a different direction. It has taken several hundred years to get to where we are now. Unfortunately, we can’t have a do over. Nor can we use a chain saw when a scalpel is called for. The Tea Baggers want to throw out the baby with the bath water. The Owls want to make more babies. The answer lies in (gasp!) dare I say it?

Compromise.

the union is in a state

Ron Dees — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:41:22 +0000

I’ve been having the hardest time getting back to writing. Every time I sit down in front of the computer, I start thinking of what I want to write about, which leads me to start thinking about what’s going on in our country, and I get discouraged.
It would be easy for me to knock off a post about the spectacular fall color this year; peak color will occur in the next few days. I could tell you about some of the traveling we’ve done in the past month and I probably will. Things are changing at the Farmers Market, an old restaurant has opened in a new location with a new name, there are lots of fun free things to do on the weekends, and the growing season is coming to a close. I have any number of subjects to choose from, but before I can get to any of them, there are a few things I need to get off my chest.
Like it or not, the presidential election campaign of 2012 is well underway. On the one hand, we have a president who talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk. On the other hand, we have a racist and a group of buffoons masquerading as candidates for leader of the free world.
Monday Night Football fired Hank, Jr, because he compared President Obama to Hitler. Ol’ Bocephus, who is not known as the sharpest knife in the drawer, has made a career out of being a redneck good ol’ boy, so what did they expect? Another dull blade who has done the same thing career-wise is Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose family leases a hunting lodge that, until the late 1990s, was called Niggerhead Ranch. The name was painted in large letters on a rock by the entrance. In the two decades that he has served as an elected official, Perry has hosted numerous politicians at the lodge, including George W. Bush. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a president who has even stepped foot on a place with such a name, much less one who leases it. Yet Perry is still considered one of the Republican front runners. As a white, Southern male, I’m not only offended, I’m damn tired of assholes like him.
Last Friday at the right wing Values Voter summit, Dr. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas introduced and endorsed Perry. Jeffress, who is a major voice in the evangelical Christian movement, later referred to Mormonism, the religion of two of the candidates, front runner Mitt Romney, and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, as a non-Christian cult. Perry didn’t immediately repudiated Jeffress (and still hasn’t,) and Jeffress has spent the last few days trying to explain that the term “cult” doesn’t really mean cult. How stupid do these people think we are? You can bet your ass that Perry’s campaign team vetted every single word Jeffress uttered. Perry used a stalking horse to get his bigoted message out. The damage is done, and he has plausible deniability.
Folks, it’s time for our politicians and elected officials to come to Jesus. There are things in this country that are broken and need fixing. In the last few years, American corporations have eliminated 2.9 million jobs in this country. These jobs are gone for good because, at the same time, these same corporations have created 2.4 million jobs outside the country. These same corporations have 1.7 trillion dollars in cash reserves, yet they can’t pay any more taxes because the economy is unstable and they might need to some day on an odd Thursday when the moon is in the right congress use the money to create an actual job in this country.
Banks have 1.3 trillion dollars on deposit with the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve (i.e., we the taxpayers) pays them tens of billions of dollars in interest on the deposit, but the banks aren’t loaning any money because the economy is unstable. WTF? Discouraging isn’t it?
Just once, I’d like to see a candidate stand up for the middle class. Just once, I’d like to see a candidate who believes in the strength of their own convictions and doesn’t pander to every batshit crazy who comes out of the woodwork. I never thought I could ever support someone like Hillary Clinton until now.

getting back to it

Ron Dees — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:04:18 +0000

Okay, so I’ve been on one of my unannounced sabbaticals. I’ve been doing a little traveling and a lot of goofing off. Anne and I just got back from a house party with some old friends in Northern Virginia, and before that, we spent some time on Oak Island. Mostly, though, I’ve just been vegging and thinking.

A few months ago, I thought the choices facing us in the upcoming election were pretty simple. “Anybody But Bucky” and “Throw the Bastards Out” seemed to be all county voters needed to consider. And to a certain extent, that’s still true. The one conclusion I’ve come to though, is that each candidate must be considered on his or her individual merits. Party affiliation should play no part in anyone’s decision. It is the political parties, Democrat and Republican/Tea Party, that have led us down the primrose path. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll talk about it.

connor world

Ron Dees — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:24:36 +0000

The Little Prince and Heir Apparent has been with us for over a week now. For the last ten days, Anne and I have looked at the world thru the eyes of a unique eight year old boy. It is a world of imagination filled with mystery and magic; made-up games with villains and super heroes (most of whom bare a strong resemblance to His Royal Highness.) Make believe rules the day.

There has also been a large dose of Harry Potter. Over the past year, Connor has become a voracious reader. He knocked off the first three Harry Potter books Anne gave him in four and a half days. The Prisoner of Azkaban DVD has had at least four viewings so far. Given a choice, I’ll take waterboarding over another episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants any day.I’m sure the spirit of Art Linkletter, the late host of a bygone television show entitled Kids Say the Darnest Things, must hover over this kid. Some of the things he says are wise beyond his years. We call them Connerisms.

“Sometimes I think the universe is out to get me.”

“Life is a great big mystery.”

“You know what they say about cats: they fight; they bite.”

He’s become a walking conscience. “Ron, why do you smoke?” “Ron, when are you going to stop smoking?” He calls us by our first names because grandpa and grandma are too much of a mouthful.

A lot of our time has been filled with sound. When not reading or sleeping, there is nonstop, constant sound. Make believe requires special effects, character voices and a sound track. A fertile young mind can be exhausting. In a couple of days, we have to give him back to his father. The third grade begins a week from today. When he leaves, the silence will be deafening. I miss him already.

the big lie

Ron Dees — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:41:54 +0000

Back during the Reagan era when politics started to turn ugly, Lee Atwater, the political genius most responsible for Reagan’s election, came up with the concept of the “big lie.” The way it works is simple. Say something really damaging and untrue about a candidate and make him deny it. The mere accusation will cost the candidate votes. Over the years, as any number of former candidates can attest, it has worked well.

It appears that someone may be attempting this little tactic in our upcoming fall election. Someone is spreading a lie about Robert Kegley, Democrat candidate for Commissioner of the Revenue. So let me set the record straight. Mr. Kegley never said that he had been endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce or the United Way. As the former chairman of both organizations, Mr. Kegley will tell you that neither organization endorses political candidates.

Folks, we have a number of issues to deal with in this election. I hope that the candidates, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, will use this blog to help get their message out. I also hope voters will voice their opinions. But, NEW RULES. Anyone posting a comment about a candidate or their stand on an issue must use their full name. No hiding behind the anonymity of screen names or first names. As much as possible, this is going to be a fair fight. Got that Curley?

wythe democrats to hold homecoming

Ron Dees — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:02:27 +0000

The Wythe County Democrat Party plans to hold a homecoming get together tomorrow evening (Thursday, July 21,) at Elizabeth Brown Park beginning at 5:30 pm. County residents are invited to a hot dog supper and an evening of entertainment featuring music by Sam Gleaves and the political satire of Marsha Turpin. The highlight of the evening may very well be a cake baked and decorated by Supervisor Gene Horney. Those who have tasted Supervisor Horney’s cake say it’s “to die for.”

Folks, this fall’s election is an important one for this county, and it is incumbent upon every voter to make intelligent choices when it is time to step into that voting booth. Tomorrow evening is an excellent opportunity to meet the democrat candidates in a relaxed setting and find out where they stand on the issues. Besides, come Friday when the whole county is asking, “Did you get a piece of Gene’s cake,” don’t you want to answer yes?
Check www.wythecodemocrats.org for additional information.

Cakemeister Gene Horney

la fete nationale (bastille day)

Ron Dees — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:12:31 +0000

Le quatorze julliet (the fourteenth of July) is Bastille Day, the French National Day. It marks the Fete de la Federation of 1790, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the infamous prison fortress in 1789 by the people of Paris. The Bastille often held writers and intellectuals who displeased the monarchy on lettres de cachet, arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed. The fall of the Bastille, which led to the First French Republic, is considered the beginning of the modern nation.

Happy birthday mes amis,

Vive le France!

PS: The Little Prince and Heir Apparent’s father, Jon, is 41 today!

listen my children…

Ron Dees — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:05:24 +0000

I’ve been using Wikipedia to research an article, and found that day-um, that sucker is just chock full of little known information. For instance, did you know that Sarah Palin is the product of a virgin birth?

America's Number 1 MILF

Her father, Jor-El, believed her mother when she denied ever having sex. As a scientist on Krypton researching global warming, he knew he hadn’t had time to seal the deal. And, oops, since the planet overheated and blew up, he just never got-r-done. Fortunately, before the shit hit the fan, they sent Sarah by rocket to a family in Idaho (thereby creating her life long interest in rocket science.) When little Sarah was only a few months old, the family moved to Alaska where they raised her up.

Little Sarah wearing her first pair of Clark Kent glasses

In high school, our Sarah blossomed. She was a point guard for the Wasilla High School basketball team that won the 1982 Alaska State Championship, all the while “heading” up the Fellowship for Christian Athletes. She was affectionately known as “Sarah Barracuda.” No shit, check it out. If I’m lying, I’m dying.

The Barracuda goes in for the kill

She also played the flute and enjoyed performing for the football team. Their nickname for her was “Luscious Lips.”

After high school, Sarah decided against Harvard and MIT, matriculating instead at the University of Hawaii at Hilo only to transfer to Hawaii Pacific University after a couple of weeks citing better surfing and a more advantageous male/female student ratio in summer school. Former classmates remember her for her “itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini” and as a serious party girl who not only inhaled, she “drank the damn bong water.”

Gimme a hit and I'll show yah my tits

By spring of ’83, according to Wikipedia, she was attending the North Idaho Community College, then on to the University of Idaho Moscow followed by the Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska, then back to the U of IM where she finally graduated with a degree in journalism. Her rumored application, and subsequent denial for a research position with NASA, could not be confirmed, though it is my understanding she passed the oral exam with flying colors.

I forgot to mention that in 1984, she placed third in the Miss Alaska contest, playing a series of “flute” solos for her talent competition. She was chosen Miss Congeniality by the other contestants, also receiving some serious high fives and one down low from the judges who awarded her the Dirty Sanchez Lifetime Achievement Award.

Luscious Lips Heath, Miss Congeniality 1984

Currently, Sarah and her daughter, pretty Piper Palin (say that 10 times real fast,) are on vacation. With her band of tea bagging Merry Pranksters, mysteriously touring the country in a magical bus, she is going from state to state, raining on her fellow Republican presidential candidates’ announcement parades. Gosh, our little Sarah is such a rogue.

Stacked and packed. Is that a doobie the dude behind her is holding?

Folks, you can deny science all you want, but you can’t rewrite history. If it’s in Wikipedia, you can take it to the bank. You betcha.

Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…..