The Way It's Done Now

Jason Barbour of Greensboro smears a UNCG professor in a letter to the editor. Said professor instantly appends his defense to Barbour's diatribe.

We suck, but look over there!

From Ben Holder's The Troublemaker today:

The most interesting part of this whole EEOC name game is that the city has never provided a law that proves the names on the EEOC complaint list is not a public record. The New and Record does not ask either because they suck at reporting.

The N&R totally side stepped and bullshitted their way past several stories about this issue recently. (They still refuse to clarify their Mitch Johnson black book reporting.) However, they turn a story quickly when it might make the Rhino look bad. Certainly, I am not the only one seeing this.

No, Ben. You are not alone.

Read Ben's entire post, it's important not only for understanding the EEOC complaint but also for understanding the sad state of affairs at Greensboro's paper of record.

.

Greensboro City Council-banished Web Site Now on We101

Remember this, when Greensboro City Council got all atwitter over someone promoting a "porn" website during speakers from the floor at a council meeting?

Spence had just enough time left in his three minutes to ask the council and the audience watching from home to visit www.monkeywhale.com and www.artbeatgreensboro.org.

Somewhere around this time, City Manager Mitchell Johnson got the idea that Spence and his crew might be playing an April Fool's day joke. He asked Councilman Robbie Perkins to use his PDA to search for monkey whales on the internet. And Perkins finds an, a-hem, adults-only site.

Word spread. Later, after the council returned from a temporary break, they noted that folks shouldn't take Spence's advice, that those sites just aren't family-friendly. Even further, they asked the city staff to strike his comments from the video record, which is posted online after the meeting.

I see that the monkeywhale.com blog has now been added to We101.com. Welcome monkeywhale.

Hey, Editor Moonbeam

Rhinoceros Times editor John Hammer in his column this week: "If he [President-elect Obama] has a valid birth certificate with the seal and all of that, can the stupid thing be put on the web..."

Dude.

.

Rethinking

Subject matter aside, this is a rarity: Someone reconsidering what was once a core position.

The Mountain Disappears

I read this last night.
--------------------------

The Mountain Disappears
By Leonard Bernstein

I believe in people. I feel, love, need and respect people above all else, including the arts, natural scenery, organized piety, or nationalistic superstructures. One human figure on the slope of a mountain can make the whole mountain disappear for me. One person fighting for the truth can disqualify for me the platitudes of centuries. And one human being who meets with injustice can render invalid the entire system which has dispensed it.

I believe that man's noblest endowment is his capacity to change. Armed with reason, he can see two sides and choose: he can be divinely wrong. I believe in man's right to be wrong. Out of this right he has built, laboriously and lovingly, something we reverently call democracy. He has done it the hard way and continues to do it the hard way--by reason, by choosing, by error and rectification, by the difficult, slow method in which the dignity of A is acknowledged by B, without impairing the dignity of C. Man cannot have dignity without loving the dignity of his fellow.

I believe in the potential of people. I cannot rest passively with those who give up in the name of "human nature." Human nature is only animal nature if it is obliged to remain static. Without growth, without metamorphosis, there is no godhead. If we believe that man can never achieve a society without wars, then we are condemned to wars forever. This is the easy way. But the laborious, loving way, the way of dignity and divinity, presupposes a belief in people and in their capacity to change, grow, communicate, and love.

I believe in man's unconscious mind, the deep spring from which comes his power to communicate and to love. For me, all art is a combination of these powers; for if love is the way we have of communicating personally in the deepest way, they what art can do is to extend this communication, magnify it, and carry it to vastly greater numbers of people. Therefore art is valid for the warmth and love it carries within it, even if it be the lightest entertainment, or the bitterest satire, or the most shattering tragedy.

I believe that my country is the place where all these things I have been speaking of are happening in the most manifest way. American is at the beginning of her greatest period in history--a period of leadership in science, art, and human progress toward the democratic ideal. I believe that she is at a critical point in this moment, and that she needs us to believe more strongly than ever before, in her and in one another, in our ability to grow and change, in our mutual dignity, in our democratic method. We must encourage thought, free and creative. We must respect privacy. We must observe taste by not exploiting our sorrows, successes, or passions. We must learn to know ourselves better through art. We must rely more on the unconscious, inspirational side of man. We must not enslave ourselves to dogma. We must believe in the attainability of good. We must believe, without fear, in people.

.

Greensboro City Manager Johnson on 'black book' contradicts his previous statements as reported by WFMY, News & Record

City Manager Mitch Johnson, in explaining his sworn affirmation (p.15) of the City's claim (p.13 #10) that no evidence exists of the "black book" being misused writes: "I cannot conclusively say that the "Black Book' was not used in any way other than the officer described..." (i.e. as a legitimate investigative tool).

The question was not can Johnson conclusively say that the 'black book' was not misused. He was not asked to conclusively prove a negative. The question asked is does this City have ANY information AT ALL that "INDICATES" ANY misuse WHATSOEVER of the 'black book.' To that, Johnson says no. In fact, Johnson attests with his notarized signature that the city has not one shred, not one iota, not one scintilla of evidence that the 'black book' was misused.

• Why then did Frank Mickens of WFMY report: "City Manager Mitchell Johnson claims the special intelligence division used the book to conduct bogus investigations of black officers."
• Why then did Lorraine Ahearn report in the News & Record: "Wray said in his statement the book was kept because the sexual assault case was unresolved. Yet Johnson suggested the former chief knew the book was improper."
• Why then, did Margaret Moffet Banks report in the News & Record: "Internal investigators have said the book was shown to prostitutes and drug dealers across the county in an effort to get information on any officers who might be engaging in illegal activities."
• Why then did then-City Council person Sandy Carmany write on her blog: "However, there is ample evidence that the book was used in inappropriate ways several times in efforts to implicate black officers in exchange for favorable treatment for crime suspects."

The city has legally sworn, attested to with the notarized signature of City Manager Mitch Johnson, that it has zero evidence of misuse of the line up book. On what, then, were these allegations of improper use of the back book based?

Keeping campaign promises

Obama said he would and it was an important reason for my support.

"President-elect Barack Obama may undo about 200 Bush administration decisions and executive orders, officials in Washington said." [source]

Good news! Billy's stolen street plane recovered

Billy got his street plane back. Yeah!

Election Prediction Analysis

So, how did I do on my presidential election predictions?

Prediction: Obama wins national vote by 9 percentage points.
Actuality: Obama wins national vote by 7 percentage points.

Prediction: Obama wins 352 electoral votes.
Actuality: Obama wins 364 electoral votes.

Prediction: Obama wins North Carolina by 19.200 votes.
Actuality: Obama wins North Carolina by 13,690 votes.

Please post your contact information below to hire for political analysis, fortune telling or other prognostications.

Have you seen this plane?

Billy Jones, aka Billy the Blogging Poet, had is self-made "street plane" stolen yesterday. If you see it please call the Greensboro Police Department at 336-373-2222. ( Case # 2008-1104-252 ) And please help spread the word.

Viva La Vida

Eight years. I'm breathing again.

vid:


I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
Once you know there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world
(Ohhh)

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People could not believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
(Ohhhhh Ohhh Ohhh)

Hear Jerusalem bells are ringings
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh

Three the hard way

Thanks to the jerk who stole another Obama bumper sticker off our car this morning, I decided to do one more get out the vote effort for Barack Obama.

I went to the neighborhood outpost around five o'clock and was told our area was covered but that precinct G69 was "under performing" and I could head over there. I drove over to the Summit Avenue outpost, checked in, got a map, some door hangers and minimal instructions to just turn out anybody who hadn't voted yet.

Most of the people I spoke to had already voted, but there was one house where the door was answered by fifth grader Chris. His mom and dad were not home and his great grandmother was watching them. She came to the door. She hadn't voted, but she couldn't leave the kids. "Let's take them with us," I said, "I'll drive." So this seventy-five year old black woman said to the white, bald middle-aged stranger standing on her front porch, "OK."

Chris got the car seat for his toddler sister, he and I convinced his second grade brother Tony that he could watch cartoons another time and we loaded up the car and drove to Reid AME Church to vote. While great grandma voted, and little sister slept, Chris, Tony and I sat in the car, listened to Elton John and talked about elections and school.

After getting the family back home safe and sound, I continued with the door knocking. Again, much of the same story, everybody having already voted. At 7:22, I was thinking to myself, "Well, this is about it. One more door."

My knock was met with, "You better get away from my front door." "Barack Obama campaign," I said. The door opened. I introduced myself to a young woman and asked her if she had voted. She hadn't. Neither had her roommate. "There is still time," I said, "but you have to go now."

"But my hair is a mess, I don't have a bra on."

"Obama doesn't care about your hair. He needs your vote. I'll give you a ride, but we don't have time to discuss it. If you want to support Obama we have to go now. Right now."

The woman scooped up her child. Her roommate on her heels said, "I'm coming too." We got to the polling place at 7:29, just in time to have these two women be the last to vote at the precinct.

Thanks, whoever you are, for stealing my bumper sticker. Your antics got Obama another three votes in North Carolina.

North Carolina for Obama

Friends Harvey and Matty made this video to encourage people to come to North Carolina to volunteer for Obama. Too late for that now, but the video sure makes Greensboro look nice, gives a glimpse of the local Obama ground game, and Matty's music is purty.

I voted. No wait

Voted at 10:00 this morning at Lawndale Baptist Church. No line. About six people voting when I arrived. About six people voting when I left.

Cannot run on her record, thinks North Carolinians are Goobers. Dole deserves to lose

If you are an incumbent who has represented her constituents well, you run for reelection on your record. If your record is voting with a wildly unpopular president 88% of the time, you run against your opponent. If your opponent is respected and you have no integrity and you think the people you represent are goobers, you run a campaign of deceit, like Elizabeth Dole's.

In early September, Dole launched an ad campaign that said her opponent was known as "Fibber Kay." As the Dole campaign admitted, nobody could be brought forth who actually had taken to calling Kay Hagan "Fibber Kay" nor could they offer any reason why she might be a fibber. The Dole campaign just made it up, with enough disregard for the intelligence of North Carolina voters that they thought they could just fool people with fabrications. Dole thinks you are an idiot.

A few weeks later, Dole wanted you to think that Hagan supports doing away with laws that protect secret ballots for union organizing. So Dole posted an audio clip on her website of Hagan's answer to a question about the subject. Dole edited the clip so that we wouldn't hear the complete (and sensible) answer Hagan gave. The edited clip served Dole's purpose of distorting Hagan's position, but, once again, it showed complete disdain for any desire to actually inform the voters of North Carolina. Instead, the intent was to deceive. Dole thinks you won't notice. Dole thinks you are a nitwit.

And now we have the latest Dole ad where Dole claims Hagan attended a "secret meeting." The Dole campaign itself took note of this meeting before it happened in a public press release. But "secret" is scarier than "previously announced" and Dole doesn't care if you are deceived. She thinks you are a dolt. The ad ends with a picture of Kay Hagan on the screen and a voice that sounds a lot like Hagan (but is not) saying, "There is no God." Dole knows Hagan didn't say this, but Dole thinks she can get away with deceiving the people of North Carolina. Dole thinks you are a dimwit.

I am no fan of Kay Hagan. I've found plenty for which to be critical of Hagan. I had thought I would skip voting in this race or possibly vote for the Libertarian candidate. Not now. North Carolina has a choice between a newcomer who has some things to learn about preparation and effective communication or a politician who is so unsure of her accomplishments and so desperate that she resorts to deceiving the people she is supposed to represent, thinking them to be oblivious goobers. Hagan is the promise of something better. Dole is the guarantee of something contemptuous and despicable.

John Hammer off the rails: "Put on your tinfoil hat and vote for McCain"

Rhino Times editor John Hammer has been known to put together a strong argument from time to time, but every once in a while the Hammer train jumps the rails and Hammer writes something that is just completely at odds with reality here on Earth. I'm never really sure when he does this if it is just a lapse in reason or if he thinks his readers are dumb enough that he might just be able to put one over on them.

Hammer puts on his tinfoil hat again this week (previously) in his "Under the Hammer" column. Like a dutiful soldier of the right, Hammer takes up this year's theme of fear mongering and proceeds to write:

"He [Obama] hasn't even been required by the press to prove that he is a natural born citizen. There is evidence that he is not. If he was, in fact, born in Hawaii, why not simply produce a valid birth certificate?"

Hey Editor Moonbeam, he has. It has been examined by the non-partisan factcheck.org and anybody can even see a copy of it on the Intertubes.

Hammer adds:

"McCain's citizenship was questioned because he was born in Panama. McCain went to court, produced the required documents and a judge decided that he was, in fact, a natural born citizen."

Not exactly. McCain was sued to have his named removed from the California ballot on the grounds that he was not a citizen, but the suit was dismissed. In his dismissal, the judge said that it was "highly probable" that McCain is a natural borne citizen, but no definitive finding of McCain's citizenship the way Hammer would have his saps readers believe and we still cannot see a verified copy of McCain's birth certificate.

If you are still undecided about who to vote for for president, notice who is backed by kooky fear mongers who think made up stuff is good information.

Presidential Election Predictions

Obama wins nationwide popular vote by 9 percentage points. Obama wins 352 electoral votes. Obama wins North Carolina by 19,200 votes.

Local Media Falling Down

The Troublemaker: "There is a story here. There is a relevant and news worthy story here."

Ben lays out the long sad trail of deception regarding the "black book" and wonders why the local media, specifically, the News & Record (Greensboro, NC) hasn't moved to report developments that contradict their previous reporting on the Wray affair.

59 doors

I went door to door in a get out the vote effort on behalf of Barack Obama in my neighborhood yesterday. I started by picking up materials at Jennifer's house, a lovely home in the Kirkwood neighborhood, the downstairs temporarily turned into a war room with three computers, printers, a table for people making phone calls, snacks and drinks and a steady flow of volunteers coming and going.

After a brief orientation, I was given pamphlets and a list of people described as sporadic and newly registered voters in my neighborhood and sent on my way into the beautiful fall sunshine. From 1:30 to 5:00 I knocked on 59 doors. I left behind printed materials at those that did not answer. I talked to 23 people. Of those, 8 were people who were not those listed as living at the address. 1 said he was going to vote for McCain. 2 said they planned to vote for Obama, 1 was on her way out the door to vote for Obama and 10 said they had already voted -- all ten for Obama.

The most rewarding visit was to contact Sonya. Her fiancee answered the door and Sonya was taking a nap on the couch. It was about 3:45 -- a little more than an hour before the end of early voting. When I mentioned Obama, Sonya woke up and came to the door. She said she was going to vote for Obama. When I mentioned that there was still time to vote on Saturday and told her where she could vote early, she turned to her fiancee and said, "Come on, we're going to vote." The way I look at it, I spent a few hours to triple my vote -- at least.

Triad Watch takes candidate Proctor to task for incomplete finance reports

Keith at Triad Watch loves to examine campaign finance reports and he is perturbed by the latest filing by Larry Proctor for Guilford County Commissioner (ignore the irrelevant and distracting video at the top, scroll down for Keith's post). Rightly so. Contributions to a campaign are supposed to include the profession and employer of the contributor. Keith says Proctor's reports fail to provide this information for 56 contributors.