𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗣𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗡 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗔 '𝟳𝟯 𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗢 "𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗬!"

1. submitted by Rene Torres
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𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗪-𝗜𝗡-𝗧𝗛𝗘-𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝟮𝟬 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗛, 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦

 

Joya, a glow-in-the-dark playground, is scheduled for grand opening in Farmers Branch January 20, 2024.

The park features a 27 foot sphere with mesh netting, slides cooled by ventilator holes and sun shields and tubes that twist and turn on their way down to earth.

𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗨𝗚𝗟𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘

 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Among our country's founding fathers it was Thomas Jefferson who zeroed in on the importance of the separation of church and state as noted in his famous quote below:

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State"

Most of our politicos honor this principle even though it's not included in the Constitution.

Mormon Mitt Romney has never introduced legislation to accommodate multiple wives.

JFK, despite being Catholic, did not take his orders from the Pope as some predicted he would in 1960.

Dwight Eisenhower certainly wasn't a pacifist despite early indoctrination as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim, has not called for a national day of fasting for Ramadan.

Yes, most keep their religious views separate from their work in government, but not the Christian Nationists.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, for example, is calling for "God and prayer to be put back into the schools" and he's not likely including Buddha, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva or Allah as acceptable gods to talk to on school time.

Then, we come to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who wants to shove the Holy Bible down the throats of all Americans regardless of religious affiliation.

Johnson, in fact, claims to have regular conversations with the Almighty and the God of the Universe has directed him, he claims, to criminalize same sex relationships.

Johnson, along with his wife, has repeated the mantra that "homosexuality leads to bestiality," implying that those in same sex relationships are also likely to have intercourse with the family dog.

Yes, as Thomas Jefferson told us years ago, things really get shitty when a misguided politico attempts to insert his religious views into government.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟳~𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘, 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦

submitted by Rene Torres

 

𝙋𝙃𝙊𝙏𝙊 𝙈𝙊𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙀 𝙁𝙍𝙊𝙈 𝙏𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙇𝘼 𝙁𝙍𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍𝘼

 

𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗖𝗢 𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘𝗦

 

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador

As a followup to our report that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had volunteered assistance with U.S./Mexico border challenges, we've now learned that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Mexico 12/27/23 seeking solutions for the unprecedented migration through Mexico to the U.S. border.

Also, as reported, Obrador has linked a lessening of tension between the U.S. and Cuba, relaxation of that economic embargo, requested U.S. development in the migrant's countries of origin including Venezuela.

While Venezuela may be off the table for now, an adjustment in Cuba/U.S. relations is intriguing.

One conciliation the U.S. appears ready to make would be to reopen Ports of Entry between the U.S. and Mexico that have been closed, thus facilitating trade.

The skepticism I've read from commentators deals with whether or not President Obrador was actually the instigator or initiator of this whole process.

There is a viewpoint out there that the Biden administration made the original suggestion that they would respond to such an overture from Mexican President Obrador if it were made, you know, the old "we're playing 4D chess" concept.

We may not know the answer to that until the books come out post-Biden administration or even then.

𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗗𝗨𝗠𝗕 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞?

 

It's almost astonishing the low level of intellect top and second tier Republican candidates for President have put on display.

The current "leader in the clubhouse," frontrunning Donald J. Trump, is locked into phraseology and tone of WWII Nazi Germany, not surprising since his first wife let it out that Trump went to sleep nights with a book by Adolf Hitler on the nightstand.

Then, Ron DeSantis declared war on Mickey Mouse and the elusive "wokeness," while rejecting millions in government monies for his constituents.

Now, Nikki Haley fumbles a question on the cause of the civil war, mouthing generalities while tiptoeing around the word "slavery."  

Hell, the fraud that is George Santos fits nicely in this Republican field.

The only current Republican candidate exhibiting actual brain cells is former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who seems to be sacrificing a serious presidential run to make certain Donald Trump is fully exposed for what he is.

𝘿𝙊𝙂 𝙂𝙍𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙀𝙂𝙀𝘿𝙇𝙔 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙎 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆𝙄𝙀 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃 𝙑𝙄𝙊𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝘽𝙇𝙊𝙒 𝙒𝙃𝙄𝙇𝙀 𝙂𝙍𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙂

 

Sugar

A tragic incident reported in Brownsville over the holidays underscores the need for psychological evaluation in hiring.

According to ValleyCentral.com, the incident occurred at Kanino Dog Grooming, 815 Paredes Line Road, Brownsville. 

A dog groomer, responding to what he described as "aggressive" behavior by the tiniest of dogs, a Yorkshire Terrier named Sugar, allegedly grabbed the tiny dog by the neck while violently punching the animal in the stomach, instantly killing the puppy.

Benjamin Aguilar

The groomer, 39 year old Benjamin Aguilar, was charged with animal cruelty resulting in death and booked in the Brownsville City Jail with a bond of $8,000.

Reportedly, Sugar's owners were called by the groomer to come pick up their dog because he had "fainted," but a review of the store's surveillance tape revealed a different scenario.

𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗛 𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠~𝟭𝟵𝟰𝟳

 submitted by Rene Torres

𝗡𝗘𝗪 "𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜-𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗚" 𝗪𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘

 

𝗧𝗔𝗗 𝗛𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 "𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗚" 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗠, 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚.𝗢.𝗣.

Tad Hasse

 Charles "Tad" Hasse, Brownsville's resident nerd, technology expert, mathematician, scoutmaster and currently a candidate for Cameron County Republican Chair, was honored by the City of Brownsville December 12, 2023 for his 15 year tenure as the city's IT guru.(Tad's award is not in the least bit tarnished by his connection to Brownsville Mayor Cowen's family via his ex-wife.)

Tad's office at the city's municipal building was always littered with computers in various states of dissassembly, a veritable scrapyard of reserve parts for any needed repair at a city department.

Typically, our visits to his office were interrupted with an emergency call concerning a computer malfunction and Tad usually guided the administrator through the problem on the phone, but, in more complicated situations, would simply say to us: "I'll be back in about 5 minutes."

While Hasse saw computers in his sleep, his alter ego in Republicanism, if not Trumpism, was boy wonder Roman Perez, currently a sidekick on the Erasmo Castro podcast.  Roman is now back into politics after briefly annoying the Hell out of local priests with his dalliance into Catholicism.

Roman Perez

Over Chinese food at Chopstix, Tad and Roman would totally yuck it up, finish each other's sentences, as the Cheech and Chong of the Cameron County Republican Party.  The laughter was spontaneous, continuous, interrupted only by Hasse's frequent cigarette breaks.

The county G.O.P. did experience some turbulence, with Tad and Roman not on the same page, but Cameron County Chair Morgan Cisneros-Graham assured me back in 4/09/22 that fences had been mended:

Cameron County Chair Morgan Cisneros-Graham

Roman and I are working together. It appears that years ago….we were played against each other. He’s also working with Carlos and Mayra Flores. We’ve put our differences behind us.

Morgan also told me at the time that she would not be running for re-election as county chair, but to refrain from publishing that until she'd made it official.

We've learned that Tad and Roman have also "mended fences," joining together to work for Republican victories, "exterminating" Democrats as Hasse has phrased it.

Should Tad win his race for Republican chair, will be joined in local party leadership by his old running buddy, Roman Perez, currently serving as Precinct 45 chair?

While we don't share their ideology, we like to see friends resolve their differences.  

𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙈𝙀𝙓𝙄𝘾𝙊 𝙎𝙐𝙂𝙂𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙎 "𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙊𝙉 𝙎𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀" 𝙎𝙊𝙇𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙊 𝙎𝙊-𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙀𝘿 "𝘽𝙊𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍 𝘾𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙄𝙎"

 

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said this past Friday that his country would actually like to help the United States with the "border problem," if the U.S. will commit to more development in countries migrants are coming from, open talks with Cuba and consider removing sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela.

Obrador also said that the U.S. wants Mexico to block migrants at their southern border with Guatamala, stopping buses and trains from south of Mexico crossing the country with migrants from the south.

This is an interesting "common sense" type proposal from the Mexican President, one that hints at the U.S. re-examining policies toward Cuba in place since the late 50's and the Fidel Castro regime.

The big question, a disheartening one at that, is if Republicans and Democrats would actually work together to reduce the incentive for uncontrolled immigration into the U.S. or if one party may actually prefer to maintain the "border crisis" as a political talking point.

𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗗 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗬𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟮-𝟯𝟯

Brownsville Herald Carriers of 1932-33

By Rene Torres

While the high school athletes of today have the no-pass, no-play rule, the Brownsville Herald carriers of the 1930s, who played for the daily basketball team, had eligibility rules as well; keeping their routes in excellent order and participating in all mandated Herald campaigns.

In 1933, there was much excitement when the Valley Amateur Basketball League was formed and while sometimes weather conditions slowed the league to a stop, that didn’t damper the enthusiasm on the court. 

Outdoor courts were the norm then and there was plenty of outdoor playing during this era. 

At Fort Brown, San Benito and Harlingen, though, they had indoor gyms. 

In Brownsville, the high school boys did not have their own gym until 1946 and Texas Southmost College built their facility in the 1950s. 

Prior to this period, the high school team played indoor games at the old Hinckley Hall Mortuary building and later, at the Opera House on Levee Street.

The Brownsville Herald carriers, although not part of the Valley league, participated as independents, and took all challengers and their ’32 season was marked with a record of high success.

In their 1933 campaign, the Herald squad was undoubtedly a more experienced group with all members of the team regular Herald carriers with the exception of Ruperto Loya, player/coach, a former carrier.

The season called not only to play city teams, but opponents from throughout the Valley although the team did not have a regular court and was handicapped by lack of time for practice.

The paper squad carried ten players on the team and depended on Fred Trdla and Clinton Sessoms for their offensive power. 

That was the case in their first encounter played at Fort Brown against the Brownsville Catolicos Jovenes Mexicanos. The Brownsville Herald cagers got ahead early with pinpoint shooting from Sessoms and Trdla and never looked back. When the final shot was taken the paperboys had rung up a 33-18 victory.

The Jovenes had three players, J. Gutierrez, D. Frias and A. Garza, that did most of the their scoring, but not enough to make a dent on the final tally.

As the Carriers continued to fight for recognition, they ran into a wall in their next game—as the Brownsville Mexican Presbyterians brought the Herald boys down to earth. The church quint played like a well-oiled machine defeating the paperboys 38-15.

With some bad weather in the making, the Herald team took a two week break, which amounted to no good. Upon returning to the court at Fort Brown they lost the first of three games in two days.

Their first defeat was a 35 to 17 to the Brownsville Ponies—that followed by another morning loss at the San Benito gym 43-28. By then, they were well tuckered out, and were embarrassed by the San Benito Skillet Heads 104-25.

Perhaps the complexities of playing on a wooden floor was a venue they could not adjust to. 

The Brownsville Herald cagers kept their day jobs— win or lose; the newspaper got delivered on time the next day.

In this bygone era and beyond, the Brownsville Herald, Valley Morning Star and McAllen Monitor, were actively engaged in sponsoring Valley-Wide Sports tournaments, connecting with their communities and region to help in curbing juvenile delinquency and making sure that “Being Out Was In.”

Brownsville Herald Carriers Roster of 1932-33 included: Walter Sanders, Harry Kowalski, Clinton Sessoms, Fred Trdla and Esteban Lopez Louis Kowalski, Lavern Bohlen, Woolsey Samuels, Henry Lindhorn and Ruperto Loya, player/coach.

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗬 "𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘" 𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟬

submitted by Rene Torres

From the editor:  Actually, the fine print of the ad shows the shoes are not actually being sold for ten cents per pair, but at a "net profit of ten cents" per pair.  So, for example, if the wholesale cost of the shoes was $2, they'd be sold for $2.10 the ad claims. . . LOL

𝗜𝗢𝗪𝗔'𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗦 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗧

 

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (on the right)

Iowa's Republican Governor Kim Reynolds (pictured above with a close friend) has announced that her state will not be participating in the USDA Summer EBT program.

That program gives families living beneath the poverty line $40 per child per month to cover help with food costs during the summer months they're not receiving a school lunch.

Actually, the costs to the individual states is very minimal, only 1/2 of the administrative costs to run the program, $2.2 M for Iowa.

Coincidentally, $2M is what Governor Reynolds spent on a publicity stunt this August, sending 109 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard to support Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star to "help secure the southern border."

To combat criticism of her decision, Iowa's Governor Reynolds now claims that the USDA Summer EBT program "does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when child obesity has become epidemic."

That thinking coincides with a Republican effort during Iowa's 2023 legislative session to prevent SNAP participants from purchasing fresh meat, bagged salads and sliced cheese.

While readers of this blog may have noticed that I consider Texas Governor Greg Abbott to be a self-righteous, imitation Christian, I take no comfort in the fact that Iowa's governor is equally one.

𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗘𝗚𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗡'𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗘

 

Market Square was filled to capacity for Ben Neece's funeral Saturday, actually SRO as there were three or four rows of attendees behind me as I took the photo above.

The officiating minister, a preacher who described himself as one of Ben's neighbors for "25 years," spent considerable time before his sermon adjusting the microphone, then never spoke directly into it.

No matter.  Religious platitudes provide little comfort and there's no need to hear them repeated.

To the right of the speaker's podium, a large video screen ran a montage of photos from Ben's life, even some pics from his boyhood, but what stuck out to me was Ben's pride of fatherhood, donning a hospital cap to welcome his offspring into the world, flashing the widest of smiles taking pictures with his children during their formative years.

Yes, I watched his sons sitting on the front row, patiently, graciously accepting condolences from those who knew and respected their father with the youngest and tallest of the young men intensely weeping.  Now, they all have to try to recall all the admonition, advice and counsel their father gave them as they live out their lives with their dad no longer available for consultation.

Brownsvillians from the various facets of Ben's life were represented; Adrian Foncerrada, Sr. and Adrian Foncerrada, Jr. from the local music scene, lawyers like John Shergold and Allison Bastian, fellow restaurateurs, club owners like the Joe Kinneys, friend Jerry McHale and a large contingent of Harley-Davidson riders from Los Escondidos Bike Club, Ben's affiliation.

Noteworthy by their absence were Ben's fellow members on the City Commission or either of the city's last two mayors or the current one.  Obviously, political connections are not true friendships.

Actually, most of Ben's public service, 32 years worth, was spent as Brownsville's Municipal Judge, dealing with our city's speeders, stop sign runners and insurance lapsers.  Ben handled that job compassionately, or, as the world's religious writers might put it, tempered justice with mercy.

Spiritually, Ben seemed to be an amalgamation of all the world's religions, philosophies, open to any spirit communications in a never-ending search for truth.

Yet, however you describe Ben's spirituality, it was not practiced theoretically, but practically, whether helping the homeless at Ozanam Center or doing legal work pro bono.

Describing Ben's life with a single cliche', he didn't simply talk the talk, but walked the walk.

𝙎𝙊 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙄𝙎 𝘾𝙃𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙈𝘼𝙎 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙃𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘿𝙊𝙉𝙀? (𝘿𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙨𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚'𝙨 𝘽𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙁𝙖𝙣, 𝘽𝙚𝙣 𝙉𝙚𝙚𝙘𝙚)

 

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

• John Lennon, Yoko Ono

• 
  

(Happy Christmas Kyoko)
(Happy Christmas Julian)

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red one
Let's stop all the fight

A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now

la, la, ah, ah
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas (happy Christmas)
Happy Christmas (happy Christmas)

𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙂 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙈 𝘼. 𝙂𝘼𝙍𝙕𝘼 𝙍𝙐𝙉𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝘾𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙔 𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙊𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙄𝘾 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙄𝙍𝙈𝘼𝙉

 submitted by Rene Torres

𝙍𝙀-𝙀𝙇𝙀𝘾𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙔 𝙅𝙐𝘿𝙂𝙀 𝙍𝘼𝙔 𝙍𝘼𝙈𝙊𝙉

 submitted by Rene Torres

"𝙎𝙇𝙀𝙀𝙋𝙔" 𝙅𝙊𝙀 𝘽𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙉'𝙎 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙔 𝘼 𝙎𝙐𝘾𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎 𝘿𝙀𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙏𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙃 𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙁𝙍𝙊𝙈 𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙈𝙀𝙍 "𝘿𝙐𝙆𝙀𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙃𝘼𝙕𝘼𝙍𝘿" 𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍

 

John Schneider (foreground) as Bo Duke

Just a good old boys
Never meanin' no harm
Beats all you never saw
Been in trouble with the law 

Since the day they was born

"Dukes of Hazard" theme

John Schneider, now 63, the actor who played Bo Duke on the late 70's TV show "The Dukes of Hazard," may finally be in actual "trouble with the law."

Hours ago, Schneider allegedly aimed these words at Joe Biden:

“Mr President, I believe you are guilty of treason and should be publicly hung,” Schneider wrote to Biden. “Your son too. Your response is..?" Sincerely, John Schneider.”

Schneider is now claiming he didn't send that message, but the Secret Service will trace those words to their source.

It's no secret that Joe Biden hate exists throughout rural areas of this country, although I'm not certain why, exactly, other than the fact that Biden declared his intention to halt oil and gas drilling on public lands, something he hasn't actually done.

As many realize, the Biden/Trump contest is a rural/city divide;  Texas' rural counties are clearly pro-Trump while Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso and the RGV support Biden.

It's the same in Iowa with the rural counties versus Des Moines and in Arkansas, with the farm and chicken-processing small towns going the opposite direction politically from Little Rock.

But, despite his halting speech and age, by most measures, Biden has been an effective president, far more competent in the role than Trump without even factoring Trump's woeful criminality.

While Biden doesn't sell himself well, he's pumped trillions into the U.S. economy and the infrastructure; roads, highways, bridges are the result.

Inflation is under control.  More jobs have been created than in any recent administration.  This has been accomplished despite the ineffective Republican-controlled House of Representatives, slowed considerably by infighting between traditional and MAGA Republicans.

All of this is good for the country but won't do much to aid good ol' boy John Schneider with his oncoming legal problems.

𝙈𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙀 "𝙍𝘼𝙋𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙎, 𝙈𝙐𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍𝙀𝙍𝙎, 𝙋𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙊𝙉 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙇 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙏𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙀𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙀𝙀𝙎" 𝙈𝙄𝙂𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙊 𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙍𝙔 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝘼 𝘽𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀

We've all heard the White Nationalist rhetoric from Donald Trump describing migrants to the U.S. as rapists, murderers, escapees from mental institutions and prisons.

Many of these migrants coming from Central or South America must cross the deadly Darien Gap with connects Colombia with Panama.

In the video below, "bald and bankrupt," Benjamin Rich from England, along with Timmy Karter from Greece, navigate the Darien Gap along with immigrants from Venezuela, Haiti and other countries.

Make your own assessment of the caliber, motivations and intentions of these people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aswvkdCpZYc&t=19s

𝙏𝙍𝙐𝙈𝙋 𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙍~𝙃𝙊𝙒 𝘿𝙊 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙁𝙀𝙀𝙇 𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝘿𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇𝘿 𝙏𝙍𝙐𝙈𝙋 𝙐𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙋𝙃𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙀𝙎 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙋𝙃𝙄𝙇𝙊𝙎𝙊𝙋𝙃𝙄𝙀𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙇𝙁 𝙃𝙄𝙏𝙇𝙀𝙍 𝙄𝙉 𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝘾𝘼𝙈𝙋𝘼𝙄𝙂𝙉?

 

It's not gone unnoticed that former President Donald Trump has been incorporating expressions once used by Adolf Hitler into his campaign speeches.

Trump has also theatened that, if elected, he would take a very hard line against those who've spoken out or disagreed with his approach to government, many of those being former members of his administration.

Trump claims he will be a dictator, but "just on Day One," he jokes.

But, what about the Nazi comparison?

Well, Trump's first wife, Ivana, claims that Trump used to keep a book of Hitler's speeches at his bedside during their marriage, "My New Order," by Adolf Hitler.

So, it should come as no great surprise that Trump is increasingly including phrases from Hitler's speeches as his own, for example, referring to his political opponents as "vermin" or saying that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country," both words or phrases used by Adolf Hitler to describe Jews.

Perhaps, that's why President Joe Biden resently said that Trump was "parroting Hitler," actually a pretty mild statement in view of the rhetoric.

This brings us to something currently being discussed by pundits called "Godwin's Law," a theory put out in 1990 by Mike Godwin, an author/attorney from Houston, Texas.

"Godwin's Law" is a theory that contends that, at some point, losing political candidates will eventually compare their political opposition to Adolf Hitler.  

So, is this what Joe Biden and his supporters are doing, simply comparing Trump to Hitler because they fear their campaign is losing to Trump?

Godwin, still alive, was asked about this by the news organization Politico.  We publish his comments below:

“Trump’s opening himself up to the Hitler comparison.

You could say the ‘vermin’ remark or the ‘poisoning the blood’ remark, maybe one of them would be a coincidence,” But both of them pretty much make it clear that there’s something thematic going on, and I can’t believe it’s accidental.”

So, this will be a real test for the MAGA faithful, folks I believe to be patriotic Americans.

Will they continue to support a candidate mimicking and imitating the words and approach once used by Adolf Hitler?

Do Trump's supporters really think that a dramatic shift to fascism is in the best interests of our country?

𝙍𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙈𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙄'𝙑𝙀 𝙎𝙀𝙀𝙉 𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙂𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙄 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙎 𝘽𝙀𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙀

DONKEYHOTEY 8/13/23

Something about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and wife Ginni seemed vaguely familiar, finally conjuring up in my brain the ancient memory of my late Uncle Russ and Aunt Roselie.

Uncle Russ and Aunt Roselie had nothing near the wealth accumulation of the Thomases, but they carried themselves as if they did and my prissy Aunty Roselie played a similar supporting role, always perfectly coiffed and "done up" while wearing her latest clothing from Seattle's I. Magnin.

Still stuck in my brain is the embarrassing childhood memory of my ne'er do well dad sucking up to Uncle Russ, simonizing his Plymouth for $100 to pay for a family trip back in 1958.

As a teenager, I would stop by my uncle and aunt's, listen to Russ's spiel, a constant infomercial about his greatness that he always ended with the same wornout disclaimer once he thought you were sufficently impressed;

"Oh, I'm just a simple man, like the Latin word humus, 'of the earth.' "

Damn, if Justice Thomas didn't utter a similarly phony line in 2023, after being gifted every accoutrement of wealth imaginable by Republican billionaire Harlan Crow and others;

“I prefer the RV parks. I prefer the Walmart parking lots to the beaches and things like that. There's something normal to me about it,” . . .  “I come from regular stock, and I prefer that — I prefer being around that,” said Thomas.

My late mother used to call this fake persona "putting on airs," and while it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, phoniness is still phoniness. 

𝗬𝗘𝗦, 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗔~𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟳!!!

By Rene Torres

According to those that fish the channel waters here—there is never a lack of fish to be caught.

Although, there was an exception in 1937 when two Brownsville High School boys returned from an uneventful two days of fishing.

But a bigger disappointment awaited them when they got home. Their neighbor, 12 year old Gene McNair, told them a story about a huge catfish swimming in a lake close to their backyard in West Brownsville.

“We didn’t believe the boy who told us that he had seen this monster fish in the old lake two blocks north and across the highway from the hospital.”

But being the true fishermen that they were— immediately after unloading their tackle they ran to the lake in record time and it wasn’t long before they saw this mysterious fish swimming in the shallow water of the lake.

And no, the boys didn’t need a special rod, lines or lures, for this was no ordinary fish. So John Peavey with spear in hand delivered a striking blow that caused instant death. The prize was a 26 pound catfish, a record setting catch, which measured 3 feet four inches. The young fisherman explained that the previous largest fish caught in the West Brownsville Lake came in at eight pounds.

“The lake was practically dry two summers ago, and we can’t see where this fish came from, since the lake hasn’t any inlets or outlets so far as we could discover,” Robert Dorris, Herald carrier, who accompanied Peavey on his fishing trips, told a reporter.

When asked how he speared the big fish, Peavey said, “We could see it easily and I just threw my gig at him. It didn’t strike, so I had to wade out in the water about to my knees and then I stabbed him.”

The boys believed that no part of the lake which adjoined their residence was over five and half feet deep. Peavey and Dorris received no special honors for their catch—only that intangible feeling of a “thrill.”

The next time you jump in a boat and go fishing—throw a line in the nearby resaca first.

Photo: Robert Dorris left and John Peavey displaying their prize catfish.