Right-Wing Group from Utah Spearheading Effort to Recall Wisconsin Dems

Why oh why is a batshit crazy group of Utah right-wingers spending time and money in Wisconsin?

Because they are batshit crazy Utah right-wingers and they've run out of targets in Utah and its satellite states of Wyoming and Idaho and Arizona and are now spreading venom to Wisconsin.

The conservative American Recall Coalition, a group from Salt Lake City, Utah, is leading the charge to reel in eight Democratic Senators in Wisconsin who are among 14 lawmakers who left the state in protest of Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill, according to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB).

The out-of-state group last week filed with the GAB website to recall the Senators, but initial filings did not have anyone from the local senatorial district as part of the recall requests.

"They didn't have any local people involved, so we contacted them and said they need to have one local person in each district," said GAB spokesman Reid Magney. "They withdrew those initial filings and made new ones and we are waiting for the signed paperwork."

Wisconsin senators targeted in the campaign are Lena Taylor, Spencer Coggs, Jim Holperin, Mark Miller, Robert Wirch, Julie Lassa, Fred Risser and Dave Hansen.

According to a Reuters report, the American Recall Coalition is also campaigning to recall Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik of Arizona, who drew conservative fire last month after linking the Tucson shootings that killed 6 and seriously hurt 13 people, including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, to "political vitriol, prejudice and bigotry."

Read the rest at Workers' Uprising: Right-Wing Group from Utah Spearheading Effort to Recall Wisconsin Dems| AlterNet

SUPER CRIME STOPPERS -- Wisconsin/Wyoming Edition

Seen any suspicious characters lurking around Wyoming the past few weeks? Other than Republican legislators and oil company lobbyists at the State Capitol? If so, the Wisconsin governor needs you! SUPER CRIME STOPPERS wants tips on renegade Wisconsin state senators. Most people think they fled to Illinois, but valid tips have been flooding in from Tuscon to Tucumcari, Tehatchapi to Tonapah, Boulder to Birmingham, from the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters. One tipster thought he saw one of these renegades at the McDonald's in Douglas. Turned out to be a jackalope. Other sightings have come in from Jeffrey City and Medicine Bow. A suspicious duo in a Prius were stopped for driving too slowly on I-80 outside of Evanston. They turned out to be the only two Democrats in Uinta County. They were hauled in anyway for preventive waterboarding.

The Wisconsin Governor welcomes all sightings. Call now! Click on the link below and call now! And watch the skies!

SUPER CRIME STOPPERS -- Wisconsin Edition | Crooks and Liars

Forget the MSM -- Russia Today covers Wisconsin

Remember when Pres. Reagan called the Soviet Union "The Evil Empire?" I do. This clip comes from "Russia Today" and takes a look at another Evil Empire -- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his union-busting tactics. Link courtesy of our our fine friends at the Solidarity Wisconsin blog -- and others in the Wisconsin Progressive Bloggers Corps (and not the MSM).

Russia Today covers Wisconsin | Solidarity Wisconsin

On YouTube and in Wyoming: Jam with Peter Lewis and M.L. Liebler

Peter Lewis (left), one of the founding members of Moby Grape, and Detroit performance poet M.L. Liebler perform an impromptu jam in front of the deli counter during the 2010 Midwest Literary Walk in Chelsea outside Detroit. Peter and M.L. will be jammin' and workshoppin' from 2-4 p.m. today at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne. No lox and bagels at the library, but lots of poetry and music. Bring your poetry and/or guitar. And it's free!

Wyoming Sen. Kit Jennings: Guns before people!

Republican Sen. Kit Jennings of Casper on Wyoming Legislature's concealed carry bill: "We kind of drew the line in the sand and said we're going to start here and start working back toward everybody having constitutional rights." He also said that Wyoming citizens and lawmakers sent this message with the passage of the bill: "Quit taking away our constitutional rights."

So why did he vote to strip constitutional rights from Wyoming LGBT citizens? Guns before people? Does he have a list of people he is going to eventually endow with constitutional rights? If so, gays and lesbians and teachers and immigrants must be way down at the bottom.

Check out his contradictory votes at http://legisweb.state.wy.us/

Workers rally on a Wyoming Saturday

Unnamed blogger at WY rally

A few words about yesterday's rally at the Wyoming State Capitol supporting public workers in Wisconsin...

About 100 people were there. Teachers, state employees (me and others), railroaders (among them Rep. Ken Esquibel, D-Cheyenne), many teachers, members of CWA, military veterans turned union members, Postal Service workers, a Wisconsin couple who had been in on the early days of the protests in Madison, peaceniks, a former Democratic candidate for Wyoming governor, artists, at least one filmmaker, and so on.

We started with the Pledge of Allegiance and a recitation (by memory) of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

"We the People!"

Many people spoke. We did call-and-response, not always in unison. But we were unified.

Rep. Ken Esquibel spoke about how his employer contributed money to his Republican candidate during his run for the Wyoming Legislature. It was something he used in his campaign. Barbara the teacher spoke about how her principal asked her, as a newbie to the red-state school and to the red-state town, how she was going to be involved in the community. He recoiled in horror when she said, "Join a union." She also mentioned something about being a Democrat. A double whammy!

I spoke about my union, the Wyoming Public Employees Association and its mission (written about in yesterday's post) and our mission to stop the the Corporate Right's war against the middle class. I also talked about social justice and quoted a refrain from Daniel Berrigan's poem he wrote from the picket line. "Love. In the end, love." And as the Egyptians said during their protests to bring down a despot: "Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful!"

Scott followed up by noting that Dan Berrigan had been arrested many times in support of workers, peace and justice.

We got honks and waves from motorists. No one-fingered salutes that I saw, but we did get a thumb's down. A guy in a truck kept driving by waving a big American flag from his driver's side window. We didn't know if he was fer us or agin' us. I appreciated his dedication to the cause, whatever that may be. It was a bit cold for waving things out of car windows.

All in all, a great day for a solidarity rally. Getting 100 of anyone out for a February rally is an accomplishment.

NOTE: TV, Radio and newspaper reporters were not there. There were assorted citizen bloggers.

Photos from Wyoming rally supporting Wisconsin public workers

Trio of WI supporters at WY State Capitol

At the WY State Capitol with 100 of my closest friends

On Wisconsin!

Democratic Rep. Ken Esquibel of Cheyenne

Visiting WI Dems tell about experiences at Madison protests

Working Words: "You work, Buddy. You work."

Excerpt of a poem by Ohio's Ray McNiece from Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking out the Jams from Coffee House Press:

Grandfather’s Breath (excerpt)

You work. You work, Buddy. You work.
Word of immigrant get-ahead grind I hear
huffing through me, Grandfather’s breath,
when he’d come in from Saturday’s keep-busy chores,
fending up a calloused hand to stop
me from helping him, haggard cheeks puffing
out like t-shirts hung between tenements,
doubled-over under thirty-five years a machine
repairman at the ball-bearing factory, ball-bearings
making everything run smoother -
especially torpedoes. He busted butt
for the war effort, for profiteers, for overtime pay
down-payment on a little box of his own,
himself a refugee from the European economy,
washed ashore after “The War to End All Wars.”
Cheap labour for the winners.

Detroit poet M.L. Liebler, editor of Working Words, will read and perform some of his own poems and those from the book at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Cheyenne's Atlas Theatre. Tix are $5 for adults, $3 for students, military and seniors. He will be on stage with musician Peter Lewis, one of the founding members of Ground-breaking sixties rock group Moby Grape.

Here's how M.L. described the show (from wyomingarts):

"We'll do some of the songs that are sort of more or less poetic, songs we've written together and then Peter will perform acoustically some of the Moby Grape songs from his group, some of his own original pieces. We kind of have a nice little set where we're merging some of what we do together, some of my poetry in music, some of his Moby Grape and some of his original."

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle columnist: Public sector employees are "leftist ideological forces of evil"

Former government employee (U.S. Marine Corps) Bradley Harrington calls government employees "looters" and "leftist ideological forces of evil" in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. Unfortunately, you can't read it online as the WTE has a minimalist web site (nothing on it) so you have to go buy a paper. You can borrow mine. I'll bring it to today's rally at the Capitol.

BTW: Here's the column's header: "Public unions' bite could rot Wyo., too"

BTW: Wyoming is a so-called Right to Work State and its public employees union cannot be (and isn't) a closed shop. FMI: Wyoming Public Employees Association. I've been a member about 15 years. Here is its mission statement (the emphasis is provided by me):

It is the mission of the Wyoming Public Employees Association to serve as an advocacy group for state employees and Laramie County School District #1 by classified staff working toward introduction and passage of legislation positively affecting compensation, benefits, and working conditions of all employees. WPEA will work toward electing legislators and Laramie County School District #1 who might better support these goals. WPEA will support the rights and fair treatment of all public employees.

From WI People's House to WY People's House

Great photo of gathering of workers in the Wisconsin People's House. Wyoming workers will be outside the Wyoming People's House today showing solidarity with their WI colleagues. Rally is 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. See you there.

Toxic tulipmania in a Wyoming national forest?

Daily Kos going crazy with posts about Wyoming (see earlier one from today). This one is about the rush to obtain unobtainium and other assorted strategic stuff known as "rare earths" in the Black Hills National Forest. Strip mines are planned. Go to Toxic tulipmania in a Wyoming national forest?

Jackson Hole National Monument

Neat Daily Kos post on the Jackson Hole National Monument

Join us for the Wyoming Rally to Save the American Dream on Saturday in front of the Wyoming Capitol

Attend the Wyoming Rally to Save the American Dream on Saturday, Feb. 26, noon in front of the State Capitol Building, 24th and Capitol Ave., Cheyenne. You know the building -- the "People's House" where the legislature has been cooking up a strange anti-people brew for the past seven weeks.

In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under fierce attack. Instead of creating jobs, Republicans are giving tax breaks to corporations and the very rich—and then cutting funding for education, police, emergency response, and vital human services.

On Saturday, February 26, at noon local time, the Rally to Save the American Dream is organizing rallies in front of every statehouse and in every major city to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. We demand an end to the attacks on worker's rights and public services across the country. We demand investment, to create decent jobs for the millions of people who desperately want to work. And we demand that the rich and powerful pay their fair share.

We are all Wisconsin. We are all Americans.

This Saturday, we will stand together to Save the American Dream. Be sure to wear Wisconsin Badger colors—red and white—to show your solidarity. Sign up today to join in! Go to the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200463373312615

This event is a project of MoveOn.org Political Action and sponsored by nogoodnik progressive union community organizers such as public employees, fire fighters, teachers, police, nurses and bloggers. My mama union, SEIU, is a co-sponsor. Others are Daily Kos and Media Matters, the prog-bloggers that drive Glenn Beck up a wall. What other reason do you need to attend?

Wyoming Democrats launch weekend with legislative reception at Deselms Fine Art in Cheyenne

Schmooze with legislators, contribute to a good cause and view fine art on Friday, Feb. 25, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Wyoming Democrats annual legislative reception at Deselms Fine Art. You can ask your Dem legislators for their first-hand experiences with some of the wacky Republican-sponsored bills that have come down the pike this year.

A $10 donation is requested.

FMI: 1-800-739-3367 or info@wyomingdemocrats.com

Deselms Fine Art is a great place for Democrats to meet. It's a place that invokes art and creativity and historic development and creative community, all solid progressive issues. Wyoming Democrats took a shellacking in the last election but it had nothing to do with the validity of the candidates and their platforms -- not to mention hard work. It was a surge of regressive politics funded by corporate money and Tea Party wackiness and Fox "News" scare tactics and a nationwide recession caused by Wall Street greed-mongers.

Now get out there Friday evening and have fun!

WI patriots and their impromptu late-night rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner"

From a story by Dan Simmons in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Shortly after 10 p.m. Monday, the drummers and other musicians on the rotunda's ground floor wrapped up for the night. A man grabbed the microphone and, without instrumental accompaniment, started singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Most of the protesters packed tightly around the first- and second-floor balconies, joining in the anthem. Police officers and firefighters — about 40 from various departments who spent the night on Monday — sang along, hands on heart. Elliott Tomaro, a union ironworker from Oregon, sang, too, holding his hard hat over his chest as he stood with other protesters.

"It's a moving experience to have so many people singing the national anthem inside the seat of the government," he said.

They knew the words, too.

Go to Singing together in Wisconsin State Capitol

The worst Wyoming legislative session in many years

The Casper Star-Tribune editorial board offered up a fine editorial today on this year's Wyoming Legislature, hijacked by corporate interests, right-wing think tanks, and Tea Party weirdos. Here's a great line:

It’s no wonder that some observers — including veteran legislators — are calling this the worst session in many years. It’s been discouraging. Accomplishments have been few, while so much time has been wasted.

Read the entire thing at http://trib.com/opinion/editorial/article_8eb63ebd-1d4e-53e1-a9a3-2ea56b8e90a8.html

Which Side Are You On?

Dropkick Murphys rock out an old union song. And remember the struggles of the Irish in America.

Working Words: Betsy Sholl and "Pink Slip"

Betsy Sholl's poem "Pink Slip" is in the new anthology, Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking out the Jams from Coffee House Press. Anthology editor M.L. Liebler will be traveling to Cheyenne this Saturday to conduct a number of events for Wyoming Poetry Out Loud.

Betsy Sholl was named Maine Poet Laureate in 2006. She's published seven collections of poetry and was a founding member of the innovative small press, Alice James Books. She's published widely and won numerous awards, including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Maine Arts Commission. 

In "Pink Slip," Betsy explores the life of a woman fired after 20 years of hard work. In this excerpt, she gets her pink slip:

All you did was check your watch, all
you did was back me to the door,
where outside they were hauling my car,
a pirate company, so not even the cops could say
where it is. Is this America?
I've seen countries on TV where the natives 

give funny looks to the fat men they serve drinks to
on patios. "Bastard" would be
my translation. Or whatever the deaf woman is
banging onto the locked windows of cars jammed at
the on-ramp trying to leave the city....

Read the entire poem in Working Words. And many other poems and short stories and essays about working people.

Kevin the Climber, Part I: An ADHD Memoir

I’ve been blogging from Wyoming since 2005, but only a portion of my posts focused on our family’s experiences with ADD, ADHD, OCD and mental health challenges. This is fitting in a way because my blog is named hummingbirdminds after a description by Internet hypertext pioneer Ted Nelson. He said in Wired Magazine that people with ADHD have “hummingbird minds.” I always liked that. My blog, like my mind, flits from subject to subject.

Kevin the Climber, Part I

Our son Kevin was diagnosed with ADHD at 5. I guess you could say it was a pretty severe case because it was evident from the time he started walking at 9 months – maybe even earlier. Walking was too tame for Kevin. He was a runner and a climber.

He climbed out of his crib. He climbed out of his playpen. He climbed 100-foot trees. And that was all before he turned 2. Later he climbed cliffs and mountains and buildings. He was more interested in climbing on the top of playground swing sets than he was swinging on them. He liked to shinny up the metal bars that formed the arch that held the swings. Like an inchworm, he would creep along the poles until he was right over the heads of those kids below on the swings.  "Hi down there," he would say with a laugh.  Some kids greeted him; others just stared.  The parents had various reactions. Most seemed concerned for their own children, afraid that Kevin could slip and fall right on them. A falling body builds a tremendous velocity in a very short span of time. Broken bones could result. Concussions and worse.

One day I was at the playground with Kevin while my wife Chris worked. Kevin’s favorite park was three blocks from the university’s married student housing complex where we lived while I worked on my writing and my graduate degree at Colorado State University. When we arrived at the park, Kevin made a beeline for the swing set and climbed up the curve of the rusty red iron pole. Within seconds he was perched 20 feet up, poised over the head of a blonde five-year-old girl wearing a Minnie Mouse T-shirt.  Her mother looked worried.  I didn’t have to be a member of the Psychic Hotline to understand the look of concern that creased that woman’s face. She imagined Kevin losing his grip and falling through space for a collision with her daughter. I imagined a similar scene.  She was thinking: “Why doesn't his father say something to this menace of a boy.”  She pushed her daughter with both hands as she peered up at Kevin. What follows is the conversation as best as I can remember it:

-- Your boy sure likes to climb.
-- Yes he does.
-- He seems pretty good at it.
-- He is.
-- It's a long way up.
-- He likes heights. He climbs mountains.
-- Has he ever fallen?
-- From Mount Everest. But just that once.

Ha ha. I sort of regretted saying it. I just wanted to wound this mother slightly, to get back at her for thinking I might be a lousy father. I felt like it sometimes, that I was a terrible parent for letting my son climb on something that obviously was meant to swing on not climb on.

I felt guilty around these good parents. They all seemed so much more comfortable with their roles than I did with mine. They acted as if parenting is some snug undergarment that never slipped or became wedged in vulnerable bodily cavities. I used to think that parenting would be innate, that I wouldn’t have to learn a series of new dance steps to dance the parent waltz. I wonder if they had all received some sort of parenting gene from kind and loving parents that I did not.

But there was something else: their kids were classified as normal and mine was not. And I was constantly trying to deal with that fact.

Look for Kevin Climber, Part II, in upcoming posts. Also, find this post on the Easy to Love but Hard to Raise blog after Feb.22. 

Netroots Nation: In Wisconsin, Solidarity with unions AND with Bloggers

Great post by Netroots Nation on Daily Kos with info on Wisconsin protests and links to progressive bloggers in WI: In Wisconsin, Solidarity with unions AND with Bloggers

Is that a Robo-hummingbird looking in my window?

This was on Fox, so it must be true:

Pentagon researchers have taken robots for a science fiction spin, building a robotic hummingbird that's ideal for covert surveillance. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/18/robot-hummingbird-spy-drone-flies-minutes-spies-bad-guys/#ixzz1ESId5cZM

New Wyoming state motto: "etats ytilauqe eht"

Buzzfeed featured the 45 best protest signs seen at the worker rallies in Madison, WI. Here's my fave, and it could apply to WY as well as WI. The anti-gay marriage bill passed the WY Senate 16-14 on Friday. More cool signs at http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-best-protest-signs-at-the-wisconsin-capitol

The work is in the poem, the poem is in the work

This week's news on the international front has been about Bahrainis and Libyans and Yemenis and Iranians protesting their home-grown despots. News on the home front has focused on the world of work. The Wyoming Legislature refused to take federal money for unemployment benefits. Legislators also tried to take away teachers' collective bargaining rights. Rich Republicans in Congress want to cut budgets and the jobs that go with them. Wisconsin teachers and city snowplow drivers and fire fighters went on strike and staged a huge protest at the state capitol. They were outraged that their multi-millionaire governor wanted to eliminate their union rights and their jobs with it.

We're in the middle of a class war. The rich want to turn us into low-paid drones. Some of us are there already, if we have a job. 

I've had so many jobs in my 60 years. I had paper routes in grades 6-8. In high school, I was a busboy and dishwasher and grocery store bagboy. In college, I had these jobs: fast-food clerk and cook, mower of lawns, construction laborer, assembly-line worker building roof trusses, hospital orderly, cafeteria cashier, photographer's assistant, free-lance writer and a few other short-term gigs. After college, I was a bookstore clerk, reporter for a Florida construction trade journal, warehouse order-puller, editor of a journal for a Denver real estate developer, editor of a weekly arts and entertainment weekly, sports reporter, free-lance writer, telephone solicitor, corporate publications editor, tutor, junior high paper grader, college composition teacher and editor of a literary magazine. In 1991, I went to work for the State of Wyoming and, for two years in the mid-1990s, worked for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. A public employee for 20 years. 

I know what work is. I'm a Democrat and a union member in a state with a shortage of each. I deeply resent the demonizing of public employees by Republicans. It must stop. If not, who will do the work?

This week, I'm featuring writing about work. Some will be mine, some will come from the anthology "Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams," edited by M.L. Liebler. M.L. is coming to Cheyenne this time next week for a performance, workshop and judging of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition, which is co-sponsored by my employer, the Wyoming Arts Council. One of my short stories is in the "Working Words" anthology. You can buy the book and read that and other fiction and essays and poetry about the world of work. I'm glad to be in the book. My payment for my submission was two free copies. This is typical for writers. We tend to be lousy capitalists. But I am very pleased to be included with M.L. and Philip Levine and Wanda Coleman and the late Walt Whitman and the very-much-with-us Eminem.

Here's an excerpt from a poem in the anthology. It's entitled "Work Work Work" and written by the late Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (1943-2006), who grew up in Pontiac, Mich., and became a Jesuit brother who worked with juvenile offenders and prison inmates in Detroit. The excerpt:

Work, work, work, not easy to define

   but easy to delineate

by those standing in line

to punch a clock

to buy a sandwich off the truck

to catch a bus / to catch a bus

to cash a check...

easy to delineate

by those standing in long lines of unemployed, underemployed and food

stamp lines

McCarter on Daily Kos: Koch industries orchestrating anti-union 'Tea Party' protests in Wisconsin

The pride of Idaho, Joan McCarter, uncovers the dirt on the Koch Brothers. Go to Koch industries orchestrating anti-union 'Tea Party' protests in Wisconsin

Wisconsin bloggers on the ground covering the Madison protests

Looking for some great progressive bloggers on the ground in Wisconsin? Go to http://www.leftyblogs.com/wisconsin/. And some fine pictorial satire at http://www.minimubarak.com/

I am a public employee in Wyoming. A union member, too. I'm a long way from Madison, but my heart and soul is with those workers whose livelihood and futures are threatened by by the new Republican Governor and his lackeys in the legislature.

BTW -- any of you Wisconsin Democrats who fled the legislature are welcomed to my home in scenic Wyoming. It's windier than Wisconsin, just not as cold.

Wyoming is not open for business for some of us

Rev. Rodger McDaniel organized a protest today against anti-gay-marriage bills in The Equality State Legislature. The rally, scheduled for 1 p.m. on the State Capitol steps, was initially supposed to feature a burning of Rodger and Patricia McDaniel’s 34-year-old marriage license. When that began circulating on the Facebook invite, there was a hint of concern but most thought it was a great symbolic act. Flashback to the draft card burnings of the sixties and the bra burnings of the seventies. As far as I know, not too many protestors of those eras were actually burned or harmed in any way. There were, to our disgrace,  self-

immolations of Buddhist monks in Saigon and at least one within sight of the White House in D.C.

We live in a different era. The Capitol Police, which are Wyoming Highway Patrol officers, said absolutely no burning of things on the Capitol grounds.

Bummer.

Rodger, always creative, found an electronic paper shredder and brought it to the Capitol along with a very long extension cord.

Turnout was 50-60 people, straight and LGBT. My wife Chris was there. We got married in a fever almost 29 years ago, and are still together through thick and thin. Our 17-year-olod daughter was there, too. She has many gay friends. She thinks all of this is so stupid she can barely stand it. A number of legislators were there, too, including at least one Republican.

What follows are quotes from my notes scribbled on this windy day in Cheyenne. I vouch for their accuracy. 

My commentary is noted in parentheses.

Jaren Artery, Wyoming Equality: I live in this city and this state. I want to fight for what’s right. Been here for three weeks (monitoring these bills). I ask: how does this legislation benefit anyone? Takes group of minorities and says, “You can’t have what everyone else has.” That is wrong. It’s real people that this will hurt. My friends ask, “How can you stand these personal attacks?” We’ve been called “dry rot,” “abnormal,” “unnatural.” Means the world to us to have straight friends stand up for us.

Rep. Stan Blake, Democrat, Dist. 39, Green River, Baptist: I spoke against this bill in the House. I looked up at the Great Seal of the State of Wyoming and said, “there should be an asterisk on it.”

Rep. Joe Barbuto, Dist. 48, Rock Springs, Democrat, LDS: Before I left for the legislature, people asked me about jobs and about health care. They asked me about natural resources and clean air and water. Not one asked me “how are you going to infringe on equality for all.” My religion has been discriminated a lot in the past. (Knows what discrimination is).

Sen. Cale Case, Republican, Sen. Dist. 25, Lander: I’m glad that you are here. It will all happen at 3 p.m. today. Urge you to reach out and find your senators and show we’re all real people and we deserve equality.

This is The Equality State. We will prevail. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. But it will be by Friday.

Rev. Rick Vite, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church rector, Cheyenne: This is a civil rights issue. (Equated it to civil rights struggles by women and African Americans and Hispanics and Jews.) There is a great sign in the Holocaust Museum in D.C. as you go out the door: “Don’t Forget.” We forget, each generation, about civil rights. Love is love.

Rep. Cathy Connolly, Democrat, House Dist. 13, only openly gay member of Wyoming Legislature: I joke with my colleagues: For all of you heterosexuals in the room – I guess there are a few of you. (This gets laughter and applause.)

Rev. Rodger McDaniel: 

Under this law, our brothers and sisters would be marginalized.

(Tells story of his gay brother who passed away a few years ago.)

Grew up in this community and felt out of synch with this culture.

Spent 20 years in San Francisco in a committed relationship. (Still tormented by the fact that he couldn’t live in his home state.)

I’ve been around these halls 44 years, as legislator, lobbyist, government official.

I’ve never seen such a radical piece of legislation.

Yesterday, when Gov. Mead announced the new wind energy business coming to Cheyenne, he said, “Wyoming is open for business. Well, Wyoming is not open for business for some of us.

This is radical language against gay marriage.

I’m here to ask legislators: Do you want to create such a black eye for the state of Wyoming?

(Talked about visiting Mt. Sinai Synagogue web site. Quote from the Torah. Moses vs. Pharoah. Pharoah has a pre-disposition to bigotry. We all do. Bigotry stays alive because people benefit from it.)

Bigotry knocks down the value of others. HB 74 knocks down the value of others.

HB 74 creates for heterosexuals a benefit of bigotry.  Gives certain rights to us, takes it away from others. Marriage license is a tool for discrimination. My wife and I have been married for 34 years. We’re not accepting this.

There will be a vote this afternoon. Talk to your senator. Discrimination is not O.K. That’s what makes America great – diversity.

Pat, Rodger’s wife, shreds $13 marriage license.  (Much applause)

Following this, Rep. Connolly lead Chris, Annie and I up to the Senate Chambers lobby so we can send message into our Senators on this issue. I talked to Sen. Fred Emerich, a newly-elected Republican in Dist. 5, who says he is voting no. “I was the only one to vote no out of committee,” he told me before getting back to the Senate Chamber. (Note: He was the only Repub in the committee to vote no.)

Later in the day, I heard that the Senate vote was 17-12 for HB 74. Barnard didn't vote, thus the odd number. Nay votes were Burns, Case, Von Flatern, Emerich, Hastert, Esquibel, Rothfuss, Martin, Schiffer, Nicholas, Scott, Landen. Thanks to these senators. We have more work to do with the others.

Find contact info here.


Cross-posted on Daily Kos.

Seems to be a plague of "narrow-minded rubes" in the West's state legislatures

As I read Bob Wire's column in today's New West blog, I kept wondering if he'd been hanging out at the Wyoming State Capitol and not the one in Helena, Mont. Seems as if The Gem State The Treasure State is having its own troubles with right-wing knuckleheads.

“You’d better get your head wired to your ass or you’ll be standing tall before the Man.” That line, barked by a field general to Private Joker in the film Full Metal Jacket, needs to be whispered into the ear of every Republican Representative currently darkening the halls of the State Capitol in Helena. For we, the voters of Montana, are the Man. And if you narrow-minded rubes don’t acquire a measure of humanity and start doing what’s right by the people of this state, not by the special interests and GOP bosses and Tea Party hypocrites who hold your leashes, you will be out on your arrogant, clueless asses in twenty months.

Read Bob Wire's scorching "House GOP: Out There Where the Buses Don’t Run" in the New West Blog

Detroit comes to Cheyenne Feb. 26

M.L. Liebler and Peter Lewis 

Super Bowl XLV viewers were entranced by the Chrysler commercial featuring Eminem's music along with words and photos portraying Detroit's gritty nature. Detroiters have had to eat the shit sandwich the past couple decades. The results aren't so pretty. Empty factories, abandoned buildings, rampant crime, population decline, and so on. But the Chrysler ad portrayed the tough Detroit. Instead of downplaying the urban decline, it flaunted it. Deserted factories were juxtaposed with Diego Rivera's murals in the Detroit Art Museum. Snowy street scenes gave way to Eminem walking into the restored Fox Theatre to attend the performance of a gospel choir.

Detroit is a symbol of Americans at work. When all the auto companies were going full bore after World War II, Detroit was king. And then came the rise of Japanese automakers and knuckleheaded decisions by The Big Three and gubment. Plants were closed, jobs were sent overseas and Michigan kids had to forget about following in Dad's footsteps as a well-paid union worker with a future.

We loved that Detroit. It was the city that made the muscle cars of the sixties -- and provided all the hot machines that I watched racing around Daytona International Speedway. We loved those cars.

Detroit has a lively literary scene. One of its leaders is performance poet M.L. Liebler. He edited a recent book, "Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams," The "kicking out the jams" reference in the subtitle pays homage to the classic rock song by Detroit's MC5, "Kick Out the Jams." The book includes poetry and prose about the lives of working people, particularly those who labored in the Industrial Belt's factories. One of my rural West stories made the cut, "The Problem with Mrs. P." I had the pleasure of reading that piece in Detroit a few years ago. The story is set in Cheyenne but focuses on the plight of working people. By the way, one of Eminem's creations is also in the book. You may remember "Lose Yourself" from the movie "8 Mile." It's not about a Chrysler.

Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted -- one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip? 

Other contributors to the anthology, winner of a 2010 Michigan Book Award, include Phil Levine, who writes poetry about his own years on the assembly line; Ed Sanders, one-time member of the Fugs and author of the best book about the Manson Family murders; L.A. poet and performer Wanda Coleman; Appalachian-born writer and nurse Jeanne Bryner of Ohio; and Detroit writer Lolita Hernandez, who worked for 21 years at the Cadillac plant.

Anthology editor M.L. Liebler, a Detroit author and performance poet, will join L.A. musician Peter Lewis one of the founding members of Moby Grape, for a performance at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne on Saturday, Feb. 26. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $5, $3 for students, military and seniors (including over-the-hill hippies).

On Sunday, Feb. 27, Peter and M.L. will conduct a free public workshop at the Laramie County Public Library from 2-4 p.m.

On Monday, Feb. 28, M.L. will serve as one of three judges for the 2011 Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition. The competition begins at 7 p.m. at the Atlas Theatre. Peter will perform a short performance during intermission. This event is free and open to the public.

These events are all sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Here is some bio info on M.L. and Peter:

One of our judges for the Poetry Out Loud event will be M.L. Liebler, a mover and shaker in the Detroit poetry scene. He has written several books of poetry including the 2001 Finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize and was winner of The 2001 Wayne State University Board of Governors’ Award. He has read and worked with Ed Sanders, Diane di Prima, Michael McClure, Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary & William Burroughs.

In addition, Liebler has recorded his poetry with such musical legends as Al Kooper, Country Joe McDonald, Jorma Kaukonen, Mike Watt, The Magic Poetry Band and many others. Liebler also edited the recently released anthology, "Working Words," from Coffee House Press.

M.L. has been to Wyoming before, serving as one of the judges for the Wyoming Arts Council's FY 2002 creative writing fellowships and as a presenter at one of the last ARTSPEAK conferences, held in Jackson in the fall of 2001. As director of the Detroit YMCA Writer's Voice, he came to Cheyenne in 2002-2003 at the request of the YMCA to conduct poetry and music presentations and workshops with Woodstock legend Country Joe MacDonald.

Peter Lewis is a founding member of the 1960s band Moby Grape. Their debut album was released in 1967, and it is still to this day one of the most revered rock albums of all times according to Rolling Stone magazine and other cultural critics. The band's energetic and hyper-exciting combination of folk, blues, and country was a unique sound to rock & roll. It was a new kind of American roots music but the band's career never took off the way it should have, due to personal tragedies. It took Peter Lewis a long time to shake off the troubled legacy of his band and begin to make his mark again with a stellar singer/songwriting recording career. Don’t miss out on the chance to see this living legend perform.

M.L. and Peter perform together. These two artists take their audience on a historical, cultural & literary journey from poetry to blues, folk and rock up to original contemporary compositions of both poetry and music. Together they blend words & music with beautiful harmonies, memories and the art of spoken word.

FMI and tix at Wyoming Arts Council and 307-777-7742.

Is this the most rigid and close-minded Legislature in Wyoming's 121-year history?

I'm not the only one who's noticed that the Wyoming Legislature has gone crazy this year.

Lander journalist and one-time Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Sniffin decried legislative craziness in a column in today's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. He notes that

In my 41 years of covering Wyoming lawmakers, I have never seen a group this conservative.... There are fewer women and fewer Democrats in the Legislature than almost any time since territorial days.

That's a 121-year span! Nice to see that we've progressed so far in The Equality State that there is less legislative representation now than there was in 1890. Let's see, 1890 predates the entire 20th century. Wyoming women had voting rights but women in the rest of the nation would have to wait until 1920. Full voting rights for African-Americans were 64 years away. Automobiles were a rarity, and the first flight at Kitty Hawk was 13 years away. Ronald Reagan, savior of the universe, wasn't even born yet. And the source codes for Facebook were locked up in the DNA of Mark Zuckerberg's great-great-great-grandparents.

The world keeps moving ahead. Wyoming gets less equal and more rigid. Various factors have diminished the number of Democrats. One of those is decline in union membership. Another is Wyoming Democratic Party disorganization. Wyoming has a graying population, coupled with the fact that smart young people flee their rural roots for life in the West's cities, all of which, with the possible exception of Colorado Springs, are more progressive places. More Westerners now live in cities than in rural areas.

Wyoming has a part-time legislature. Many of its members come from counties of low population and run unopposed on the Republican ticket. There is a mind meld that goes on with these legislators. Everyone I know in County X thinks this way, so everyone must think this way. And we can't forget the undue influence of Fox "News" and talk radio.

So we get bills that discriminate against gays and lesbians, anti-brown-people-from-south-of-the-border bills, We Hate Obama and His Socialist Policies laws, anti-women's-choice acts, union-busting proposals and mandatory Pledge of Allegiance legislation (see my previous post).

Not all of these are generated in the windblown hinterlands. Most, notably the anti-teacher laws, are crafted in D.C. by right-wing think tanks and brought to Flyover Country by folksy predators wearing spit-shined cowboy boots. Often our legislators are brought to D.C. to be fed this pablum and they can bring it back to Wyoming their own selves.

Bill Sniffin lays out some of the reasons that our Republican-dominated Legislature is a sitting duck for bad advice. Corporate and right-wing interests select good ol' boy lobbyists that often become the legislator's best pal. Legislators are overworked and "it is almost impossible for them to obtain impartial information with coverage of both sides of certain issues." Since big money hires big lobbyists, they are the ones who get heard.

Top advisers to the lawmakers on important issues (like severance tax, for example) are the same lobbyists whose job it is to prevent such laws from passing.

Only when there is a hue and cry from the people are these lobbyist-crafted bills defeated. Sometimes it is the minority who speaks out, as we saw with women legislators (D & R) speaking against anti-choice legislation. That sometimes is not enough. As Mr. Sniffin pointed out in this column, there are fewer women than ever in the legislature.

Maybe this session is an aberration. Wyoming, for the most part, has been known for the moderate strain among its conservatives. If that disappears from the scene along with Democrats and women and Hispanics and Native Americans and African-Americans, youngsters, gays/lesbians and other dissenting voices, Wyoming is in for its own Dark Ages.

When the coal and oil and gas and trona run out, what's left will be the creativity of its citizens. If open-minded creative voices are not heard, we are in big trouble.

Teachers, get out your yardsticks to see if classroom flags measure up

Culled from this week's legislative report from the Wyoming Democrats:

Patriotism in the classroom (HB 204):  Rep. Gerald Gay (R-Casper) introduced legislation that would require all classrooms to have a standard sized American flag and that at the first period of each day students must recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  It also requires school boards to "ensure that no other flag or banner containing a political message or connotation is displayed higher" than the flag and that they have a policy for students who do not wish to recite the pledge.  The proposal passed the House on Monday and the Senate Minerals Committee on Friday on a vote of 4-1.  It now goes to the full Senate.

Wyoming teachers survived a legislative assault on their status as tenured educators. However, they now will have to carry a yardstick at all times, not to whack student knuckles (I went to Catholic school) but to ensure the proper size of the U.S. flag in their classrooms. No more of those disruptive "My American flag is bigger than yours" battles among teachers. When asked by their parents if their school room has a standard-sized American flag made in China, students can now answer loudly and proudly "yes!" or add emphasis with the German "yavohl!"

What are the consequences should a first-grader refuse to recite the pledge to the standard-size U.S. flag? That's when teachers will be allowed to use their yardsticks in a punitive manner. The details have yet to be worked out, but I'm sure Rep. Gay is working this weekend on the guidelines.

See how simple legislation can be? 

Sen. John Barrasso: Sun revolves around earth!!!

Sen. John Barrasso is a college-educated, med-school-graduating Wyomingite. He must not have been paying attention in science classes. Or maybe he's just in the pocket of energy lobbyists. Or he may be afraid of the Know Nothing wing of his own party. Difficult to tell....

Read this great letter to ed from the Lillegravens in Laramie.

Gathering of writers and fellow travelers in Cheyenne

Last night the Wyoming Arts Council held its annual Governor’s Arts Awards event. A record crowd was on hand in the Little America ballroom in Cheyenne to celebrate the awardees and to hear Gov. Matt Mead’s first “State of the Arts” speech.  For more on that, go to Karen Cotton’s article in this morning’s Wyoming Tribune-Eagle at http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2011/02/12/news/19local_02-12-11.txt

It also was old home week for artists and arts supporters from around the state. This was especially true for writers because Nancy Curtis, proprietor of High Plains Press, was one of the awardees.  Nancy runs the press from her working ranch near Glendo. In the video that accompanied her award, Nancy is shown tending to her books and her cattle, not always in that order. She also showed off her and her husband Doug’s homestead, including the room where she grew up. I never knew that Nancy lived in the same house she grew up in. She showed off the old sign on the bedroom door that said “Nanci” in big letters. Underneath that was “Press.” Guess she always knew she was getting into the publishing biz.

Nancy has been a huge supporter of writers in Wyoming. This is through her press but also through her early work organizing the statewide organizations for writers – Wyoming Writers, Inc., and WyoPoets. Both organizations have annual gatherings that are energizing, informative and fun. WyoPoets will meet during the last weekend in April in Casper and WWInc will meet the first weekend in June, also in Casper. I’ve been a WWInc member for at least a decade and plan my summer schedule around the conference. I just volunteered to run the late-night open mike sessions which are a blast. Last year in Cody we heard some intriguing new voices, one of whom (Jayme Feary) won a Wyoming Arts Council creative writing award later that summer. Another newbie, Reid Rosenthal, just published the first in his “Threads West” series of historical westerns.  To see the line-up of presenters for this year’s conference, go to http://www.wyowriters.org/conference.html.

Last night, Nancy and Doug were surrounded by long-time friends from around the state. Among them were Pat Frolander, Gaydell Collier, Katie Smith and Jeanne Rogers from Sundance, Midge Farmer from Gillette, Barb Smith from Rock Springs, Wyoming Poet Laureate Emeritus Bob Roripaugh from Laramie, Linda Hasselstrom from Hermosa, S.D. (lived in Cheyenne for a decade), Page Lambert, a one-time Crook County resident and Bear Lodge Writers members who now lives in Colorado. I know there were more but you can’t see everybody at an event with 500 people.

I sat with my wife Chris and daughter Annie. Also Joy Thompson, who hired me at the Arts Council 20 years ago and was my first mentor in the world of arts administration. She now lives in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, and hope we can visit again soon. One thing’s clear – it’s great to see old friends. I’ve lived in so many places during my six decades. I’ve met many people and had some good friends that I’ve let drift away.

We connect occasionally via e-mail and Facebook. But it’s a real treat when you get to sit down with someone and just talk. It may be a sign of age or a byproduct of our frenetic e-lives (or both). We all ache to spend time with family and friends and even colleagues. I find it strange that this shy and withdrawn kid now has a public life. Chris will tell you that one of my catch-phrases is “I hate the living.” Yes, it’s a movie quote, this one by the quirky woman coroner in “Men in Black.” I usually say it in relation to some talentless media star who materializes on the plasma TV screen. I’ll have to amend that to “I hate or at least strongly dislike some of the living.” That means you, Lindsay Lohan and Glenn Beck!  

Book Study explores "A People's History of Christianity"

Rodger McDaniel sent out this Facebook invitation to a new book study group at his church:

Diana Butler Bass’s good friend once said to her, “I don’t understand how you can still be a Christian.” Do you feel like that about religion? About Christians? But still curious about the historic Jesus, the times in which he lived, what he taught? Join us for a small group book study of Diana Butler’s book, "A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story." We will meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m. at Highlands Presbyterian Church starting February 22 and concluding March 15. Please order a copy of the book from amazon.com or another bookseller, read Part One and come ready to discuss.

Book Study, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday Evenings
February 22- March 15
Highlands Presbyterian Church
2390 Pattison Avenue
Cheyenne, WY

RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186569654717373

For more information, call Rodger McDaniel 307-634-6954

Noted historian Dr. Phil Roberts keynote speaker at Wyoming Democrats' Nellie Tayloe Ross dinner

For those of you not attending the performance of Detroit poet M.L. Liebler and L.A. musician Peter Lewis at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne --

This is from Chuck Herz, chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party:

It is my pleasure to announce that the keynote speaker for the 2011 Nellie Tayloe Ross Banquet will be Dr. Phil Roberts, one of the leading experts in the political history of Wyoming. The main focus of our Party's Central Committee meeting earlier in the day will be strategy - how Wyoming Democrats go about rising up from the electoral hole we've been in for too long to become once again a powerful force in Wyoming politics. In that connection, Dr. Roberts, a University of Wyoming professor, will offer a striking perspective on the state of Wyoming politics today in light of similar eras in the past. You may remember that Dr. Roberts was a Democratic candidate for Wyoming governor in 1998, so he knows politics from the inside as well. We are honored to have such an outstanding speaker highlight the Wyoming Democratic Party's largest annual gathering as the Legislature's general session heads into its final week.

The banquet is set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Cheyenne Holiday Inn. Tickets are $75 per person. Events kick off at 6 p.m. with a VIP Cocktail Hour with Democratic legislators and other featured guests. Tickets for the VIP Cocktail are $100. No-host cocktails for other guests begin at the hotel at 6 p.m. Buy your tickets now to either or both of these events by clicking here or by calling our headquarters at 800-729-3367.

We have a block of rooms available at the Holiday Inn for only $69, but the deadline to get that rate is Friday, Feb. 11, so please make your reservation now. Call the Holiday Inn at 307-638-4466 and ask for the Wyoming Democratic Party rate (group code WDP), OR reserve your rooms by clicking here.

Please join us if you can for this annual Celebration of Diversity in Politics and Government

Schedule of events leading up to Greg Mortenson's March 29 talk in Cheyenne

In January, I reported that Greg Mortenson, author and activist, will be speaking in Cheyenne on March 29.

There will be an entire slate of events in Cheyenne leading up to Mortenson's talk. Here they are (cross-posted from wyomingarts blog):

Tuesday, March 22.       

·       MOVIE: 12:00-2:00 in the student lounge. Charlie Wilson’s War  (popcorn and snacks will be provided).

·   PUBLIC DISCUSSION: 6:30-8:00pm in CCI 129/130 (The Centennial Room). Prints of Central Asia: Peggy Kelsey’s Afghan Women’s Project.

o      An exhibit of Ms. Kelsey’s prints will go up in the Ludden Library in early February.

o     A reception in the library will follow Ms. Kelsey’s talk on March 22

Wednesday, March 23.

·       ETHNIC LUNCH: 12:00-1:00 pm in CCI 1219/130 (The Centennial Room).

·       ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: 1:00-3:00 pm in CCI 1219/130 (The Centennial Room).  Dr. Marianne Kamp, Dr. Mohammed Salih and Arshi Nisley will discuss Women and Islam: Confronting Misconceptions.

Thursday, March 24.

·       MOVIE: 12:00-2:00 in the student lounge. The Kite Runner (popcorn and snacks will be provided)

Friday, March 25:

·       BOOK DISCUSSION: 12:30-1:30pm. Discussion of Greg Mortenson’s book  Three Cups of Tea and/or Stones into Schools.  Students interested in participating should contact Jennifer McVay for information and to make arrangements.

LCCC students will be visiting local schools to discuss Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea. Where appropriate they will also be discussing the children’s edition Listen to the Wind.

Instructors at LCCC have integrated readings from Mr. Mortenson’s books into course curriculum.

The LCCC Ludden Library will be creating displays that look at life in Central Asia.

Finally, we hope to have LCCC students prepare poster presentations that examine different aspects of life in Central Asia.

FMI: David Marcum, LCCC Instructor of Political Science and Director of Government Studies and International Studies, 307.778.1220.

Questions that relate to Greg Mortenson’s actual visit on March 29 should be directed to the LCCC Foundation at http://www.lccc.cc.wy.us/

Letter to Rep. Bob Nicholas: Stop SJ 005

Here's a letter I wrote to my state representative, Bob Nicholas, about SJ 005, the constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and civil unions. He's one of the members of the House Judiciary Committee who will be voting to send the bill out of committee. There are five members. E-mail them ASAP. Here are their names and contact info:

Rep.Kermit Brown / Laramie - kermitbrown@wyoming.com
Rep. Matt Greene / Laramie - mgreene@wyoming.com
Rep. Bob Nicholas / Cheyenne - bnicholas@wyoming.com
Rep. Sam Krone / Cody - skrone@wyoming.com
Rep.Richard Cannady / Glenrock - rcannady@wyoming.com

Find out more about these issues via Wyoming GLBT News on Facebook. Or contact Pamela RW Kandt at the Wyoming GLBT News at WyomingGLBTnews@gmail.com

Dear Rep. Bob Nicholas:

I've been a Wyoming resident since 1991. During that time, I've had the privilege to be friends with all kinds of people. They are conservative and liberal, creative and practical, gay and straight. During all that time, I've been impressed with the fact that Wyomingites are a tolerant lot. They don't seem to care so much about lifestyle choices as they do about the strength of your character. Can you be trusted and can you be counted on to get the job done?

We seem to be losing that sense of tolerance. Some of the bills that have found their way onto the legislative agenda are not only anti-gay and anti-immigrant, but anti-human. I know gay and lesbian couples who are stalwart members of our community and, frankly, the vitriol I've seen coming from the Legislature disturbs me. Gay and lesbian people are my neighbors and friends. They are artists and entrepreneurs and fire fighters and, yes, they teach our kids -- and do a darn fine job of it, too.

As a new member of the House Judiciary Committee, you have the power to halt SJ 005, the constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and civil unions. Don't let it get out of committee. It will hurt our fellow citizens and hurt the State of Wyoming.

By the way, I'm straight and have been married to the same wonderful woman for 29 years. We have two grown kids -- our daughter was born and raised in Wyoming. My wife and I have never felt threatened by the fact that gay and lesbian couples can get married. We've been to a number of ceremonies where LGBT couples pledge themselves to one another. We're long-time friends with a lesbian couple who now live in Florida. They've been together almost as long as we have and they're raising two wonderful kids, one of whom they traveled to Russia to adopt. I think of them as the Legislature considers these bills that attempt to turn people such as our friends into second-class citizens.

Live and let live. That's the Wyoming I know. Let's keep the equality in "The Equality State."

Sincerely,
Michael Shay

A river of depression runs through it

During today's Super Bowl, I'm going to think a bit about depression. I know how debilitating depression can be. But rarely do I give any thought to professional athletes struggling with the very same malady. Brendan McLean wrote a fine post for the NAMI blog, "Football: A Mind Game." In it, he tells the tales of two NFL players: Terry Bradshaw and Ricky Williams. The jocular Bradshaw doesn't show it on air, but he experienced bouts of depression throughout his career. He treated it himself with alcohol. As we know from novelist William Styron ("Darkness Visible") and TV news commentator Mike Wallace, there comes a time when alcohol no longer works and you have to face the beast. Here's how Wallace described it:

At first I couldn't sleep, then I couldn't eat. I felt hopeless and I just couldn't cope and then I just lost all perspective on things. You know, you become crazy. I had done a story for 60 Minutes on depression but I had no idea that I was now experiencing it. Finally, I collapsed and just went to bed.

Brendan quotes these stats: men are four times more likely than women to commit suicide and half as likely to seek help. So, when the breakdown comes, it can have a Hemingway end or something better. Bradshaw found help in therapy and antidepressants. The taciturn Ricky Williams smoked pot and got busted out of the NFL. He finally found some relief in yoga and meditation. The Denver Broncos' Kenny McKinley committed suicide before the 2010 season.

So, spend a few minutes thinking about the mental health of the athletes out on the field. Forget about pity. Empathy is what's called for. Just think, "It can happen to anybody..."  

Read Brendan's column at http://blog.nami.org/2011/02/football-mind-game.html

Arts and design and kookiness for a good cause: Wabisabi Intergalactic Fashion Show in Moab

For those trekking to Moab this month... This looks like a barrel of fun -- and its all for a good cause:

Each year artists and designers create outrageous theme based-fashion lines that are auctioned off as a fundraiser for Moab’s nonprofit organizations. Fashion designers whose intricate outfits are crafted by hand and only from recycled materials have sold for more than $600. Outfits from previous shows have included gladiators costumed in a kaleidoscope armor made from aluminum cans, dresses glittering with patterns made from smashed mirrors, and a "fur coat" made entirely from kids' stuffed animals. This year’s fashion show theme is "Intergalactic" with each designer creating out of this world wearable art. FMI: http://www.wabisabimoab.org

Wintry mix in Cheyenne for Farmers' Market

Trekked over to the Cheyenne Winter Farmers' Market this morning. It was getting toward lunch and I was hungry for something -- but what?

Chocolate-covered bacon. Please, I'm not Elvis. But I tried some from the guy at Cheyenne's Pioneer Barbecue. It was damn good. I was hungry, so maybe that was the difference. I bought a packet for five bucks. Let's see how it goes with tomorrow's Super Bowl and some New Belgium Ranger IPA.

Cholesterol bombs aside, my goal for today's sojourn were some grass-fed steaks and mushrooms and whatever else might be good for my wife's birthday dinner on Sunday. This is a pre-birthday bash, as her actual date is on Feb. 8. But we're tying it in with the Super Bowl. On her birthday, we'll go to McDonald's. Chris, if you're reading this, I'm just kidding. Really.

I ran into Jeff Tish, a staffer at the Historic Depot who is hard at work on stagecraft for an upcoming play at the WYO Theatre in Sheridan. He also designed the stage for an upcoming show at the Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins. Jeff also co-owns a custom furniture biz in Cheyenne.

I sampled some baked goods at Suzanne's Kitchen and picked up a few mega Bavarian pretzels at the Frank's Famous Kitchen booth. I bought some ribeyes at Meadow Maid in Yoder and cadged some mushrooms from the mushroom guy who lives in a  cave outside Fort Collins. Note to self: recharge my propane tank in the a.m.

I don't always have the dough to shop at the farmers' market. But I think it's important to support local food growers and bakers and artists. I'm learning something, too. Yes, chocolate-covered bacon is not exactly the food you want as poster child for the local food movement. Local broccoli grown in a high tunnel out on the windswept prairie is probably a better choice. But there is artistry involved in making food. I didn't ask the purveyor if the cattle was local and grass-fed. But he came up with the idea and made the darn thing. He's the artist in this equation.

These are fun events. That's what it comes down to. Food and fun.

Next Cheyenne Winter Farmers' Market is on Saturday, March 5. That day, you can get good food and then go over to the Laramie County Public Library for its used book sale. If we're in luck, it might be a good day to read and picnic outside.