JohnnaRyry's Soapbox

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

2011-10-06T10:12:00.001-04:00

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Apple to buy USA...?

2011-07-29T14:58:00.001-04:00

Who would have predicted this 20 years ago?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14340470

Indescribable Grief...

2011-07-24T09:34:00.002-04:00

I cannot begin to imagine the painful grief and torment the people of Oslo and Norway are enduring today. And to think: one man brought this shameful misery to his own community - seeking to become, a hero? How grotesque.

I am sending up Smoke and Prayers for the People.
I am keeping the People close to my Heart.
I am remembering the teaching of my Elders: 'Mitakuye Oyasin'

--ryan

Norway gun suspect 'acted alone'

The man arrested following the attacks in Norway, Anders Behring Breivik, describes himself as a "nationalist", according to the police.

In the purest sense of the word, he is not alone. On this day of grief, Norwegian people have united under their flag, vowing to stand firm against terror.

But the suspect, it seems, is no pure nationalist. Instead, he is said to be a right-wing extremist of the kind that police authorities in the West have feared for some time.

Their fear has been heightened by the potentially explosive mix of economic recession and unemployment, increasing racism and an ever stronger anti-Muslim sentiment, according to the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

Norway's security police reported a mild increase in right-wing extremist activity last year and predicted that such activity would continue to increase throughout this year.

But it also suggested that the movement was weak, lacked a central leader and offered relatively modest growth potential.

Read the rest here...

Lucian Michael Freud (8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011)

2011-07-24T09:24:00.002-04:00

Lucian Freud was, and remains, a major influence on my own figurative artwork. It is my feeling that we have yet to fully realize the full impact of his work and vision on the art world...

--ryan

Obituary: Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud, one of Britain's most distinguished and highly regarded artists, who has died aged 88, was once described by art critic Robert Hughes as the greatest living realist painter.

A grandson of the psycho-analyst Sigmund Freud and the son of an architect, Lucian Freud was born in Berlin in 1922 and fled from Nazi Germany to Britain with his Jewish family in 1933, when he was 10. His younger brother was Clement Freud, who went on to become a broadcaster and writer.

In his mid-teens he went to art school in London and then to another in East Anglia and he became a British citizen in 1939.

At first he confined himself to drawing, and when he was 17 had a self-portrait accepted for reproduction in Cyril Connolly's magazine, Horizon.

He later characterised his early work as the product of "maximum observation", achieved "by staring at my subject matter and examining it closely".

Freud was recognised as a brilliant talent and, after a spell in the Merchant Navy in 1942, had his first one-man show in 1944, when he was 21.

He had begun painting in the early 1940s and after the war went to France and Greece, before returning to Britain in 1948 to teach for 10 years at the Slade School of Art. By then he was working more with oils.
Autobiographical painting

Lucian Freud's portraits were not concerned with flattery or modesty - disturbing was one adjective applied to them - and some were said to have compelling nastiness.

Though sometimes startling, his portraits could also be beautiful and intimate. Freud had been an admirer of the artist Francis Bacon and painted a striking portrait of him.

Freud, who lived and worked in London, said his work was purely autobiographical - he painted "the people that interest me and that I care about and think about in rooms I live in and know".

A close relationship with sitters was important to him. He painted several affectionate portraits of his mother and his daughters Bella and Esther were also models.

Sittings could last for a year and sitters were often profoundly affected by the process. One of them once said: "You are the centre of his world while he paints you. But then he moves on to someone else."

Freud seldom accepted commissions. His work is in a number of galleries in Britain and overseas, but much of it is privately owned.

He was one of few artists to have had two retrospective exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery in London.
A private man

Freud was married twice: his first wife was sculptor Jacob Epstein's daughter, Kitty, the subject of his celebrated Girl With a White Dog. His second wife was the daughter of the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.

Although Freud, who was made a Companion of Honour in 1983, had a reputation as a great womaniser and a reckless gambler, he was a private person, gave few interviews, and would not have a telephone in his studio.

His love of animals was demonstrated in 2010 when he was tempted out of seclusion for the short film "'Small Gestures" by the prospect of being filmed with a kestrel and a zebra.

He had vowed never to give up working, stating that he intended to paint himself to death.

Thank You for the Show...

2011-07-17T19:34:00.002-04:00

レディースをお祝いし、よくやった！("Congratulations and Well Done Ladies!")

Japan - The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Champions

http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/2011-Women%27s-World-Cup/Finals/G2392,A9651

More Vacation Pix...

2011-07-09T07:46:00.001-04:00

As promised, I'm continuing to post shots from our latest Great Biennial(?) Family Vacation. Enjoy...

Johnna, checking out our temporary digs

My Sister-in-Law, Jenny, relaxing and soaking in the wilderness

The view down the STEEP driveway. I can't imagine what it must be like to use it in the Winter...

--ryan

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Vacation 2011

2011-07-08T07:33:00.001-04:00

I'm finally getting around to posting photo from The Great Family Vacation of 2011. This time around it was hosted by the Great Smoky Mountains.

Here's a few shots of the house we stayed in.

I think the blue one is kind of "creepily cool". It was the first one of the series and I'd forgotten to check and adjust my white levels.

--ryan

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Zinio Borked! Again...

2011-03-06T02:44:00.001-05:00

I am (was?) a loyal Zinio customer. Right now I'm a very unhappy boy. For their sake, let's hope they can get their shit together, while they still have some...

--ryan

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Back in 1997...

2011-02-27T05:07:00.001-05:00

...the Apple Newton eMate 300 was the epitome of cutting edge ultra-mobile computing:

ARM 710a RISC processor running at 25 MHz
8MB of ROM, 3MB of RAM (1MB of DRAM and 2MB of flash)

480 x 320 16-bit grayscale display (with backlight) and resistive touchscreen.

Keyboard with 76 keys.

IrDA infrared port, headphone port, Interconnect port, LocalTalk, audio in and out, Autodock and phone jack.

NIMH-rechargeable battery pack or external power. 28 hours battery life.

4 pounds, 12 inches long by 11 inches wide by 2.1 inches thick.

This one was inherited from my late younger Brother. For several years, this was his daily work machine as he pursued his journalism career. He replaced this machine with a PowerBook G3 Wallstreet, which did not survive in as good condition as his eMate did...

--ryan

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Today's Self-Portraits...

2011-02-22T06:59:00.001-05:00

I couldn't resist these bizarre, accidental optical effects -- especially with a decent camera right at my fingertips...

I think I came out looking like a Golem...Cool!

--ryan

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Quote of the Day...

2011-02-22T04:39:00.001-05:00

"The White Man goes into his church and talks about Jesus. The Indian goes into his tipi and talks with Jesus..."

--Quanah Parker (ca.1845 – 23. February 1911) Comanche Nation, Quahadi Clan; Founding leader of the Native American Church.

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It's Not a Crime to Be Native...

2011-02-22T04:11:00.001-05:00

John T. Williams, a 50-year-old seventh generation Nitinaht carver of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, was shot four times by a Seattle police officer on August 30, 2010. He died at the scene. His only crime appears to have been walking across the street carrying a carving knife and a chunk of cedar. In a press conference the day after the shooting, Seattle Police Department (SPD) Deputy Chief Nick Metz said that Officer Ian Birk, 27, who has been with SPD for two years, was stopped at a downtown Seattle traffic light at 4:15 p.m. when the woodcarver crossed the street in front of his marked police car carrying an open pocketknife and a telephone-book-sized piece of cedar. “And he could see the knife,” Metz told reporters, “the blade of the knife, and he could see he was doing something to the board. The officer thought it was important to find out what was going on and why this person had in public an open-blade knife.” Metz said Birk got out of his car, approached Williams from behind and ordered the woodcarver to drop the knife three times. When Williams failed to do so within four seconds, Officer Birk fired his weapon five times from a distance of 10 feet. Williams was struck by four bullets, including one lethal shot to the chest wall, and died at the scene. In its initial statement to the press, SPD described Williams as having been “advancing towards” Officer Birk, who felt threatened and responded by firing his weapon.

Read the rest here...

It is quite disturbing to realize exactly how common this incident is.

--ryan

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Roadie Rides Again...

2011-02-22T04:00:00.001-05:00

In July 2004 we first brought you the story of a Pulaski County beagle that was severely abused after it was dragged behind a car. The beagle affectionately became known as Roadie and quickly became a celebrity. Three months later she found a new home here in Lexington.

Read the rest here...

The laws of Karma are especially harsh for ass-hats who do things like this!

--ryan

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Beth Kujawski on Power...

2011-02-20T12:52:00.001-05:00

My Good Friend and fellow blogger comments on the situation in Wisconsin.

--ryan

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Quote of the Day...

2011-02-13T05:00:00.001-05:00

"The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the Dust and Blood of our Ancestors..."

--Plenty Coups "Aleek-chea-whoosh" (1848–1932) Crow Nation, Apsáalooke Band

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The Burning Bridge...

2011-02-11T12:28:00.001-05:00

I shot this Ohio River sunset from our room window at Harrah's Casino in Metropolis Illinois, using my iPod Touch. Doesn't it look like the bridge is on fire?

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Winter Bodhisattva...

2011-02-10T13:33:00.001-05:00

Shot this on our balcony,,,

--ryan

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Location:Tates Creek Rd,Lexington,United States

Kelly Will Fly On Endeavor's Final Mission...

2011-02-10T00:59:00.001-05:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12368383

Because you can't keep good Men and Women down...

--ryan

More Winter Views

2011-02-08T08:03:00.001-05:00

I shoot these during yesterday's snowstorm...

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Winter...

2011-02-08T07:29:00.001-05:00

One thing I've discovered this year, is how good Winter weather is for photography. Recently, I've been shooting many more photos than usual. I think the unique light from all the snow and ice have been inspiring me. Also, the camera on my new iPod Touch (Christmas present from my wife) is much easier to use than the one on my infernal mobile: when I launch the iPod's camera it actually works!

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Rapa Nui Rebellion...

2011-02-07T03:46:00.001-05:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12378736

Indigenous People everywhere are continuing with the struggle to keep their lands. I applaud and support their efforts...

--ryan

Robert William Gary Moore (1952-2011)...

2011-02-07T02:51:00.001-05:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12377862

Knew I was right about that...

2011-02-07T02:17:00.001-05:00

This is just confirmation of my prior decision not to watch crap like "Jersey Shore":

http://mw.cnn.com/viewarticle?id=334244

--ryan

Two of My Favourite Things...

2011-02-07T01:26:00.001-05:00

Testing out the new Blogger app on my dreaded HTC Hero. Zoe, my 64GB iPad has now replaced my MacBook as my everyday-carry-to-work and travel computer and my 4th Gen iPod Touch has now fully usurped my aging, obsolete Palm TX's PDA duties. Now, if only Sprint could get the iPhone, then my mobile ecosystem would be seamlessly complete.

--ryan

Nuremberg Laws 2.0...?

2010-08-05T00:45:00.003-04:00

Well, it looks like someone in Israel has not only been reading the Nürnberger Gesetze, but has also taken them fully to heart. It saddens and disgusts me to see this kind of vile legislation promoted by any government, but Israel? Hello, has anyone over there talked to their grandparents lately? Given the undeniable history of the Shoah, it is particularly egregious for an Israeli government, or their beloved Jewish heritage, to carry out such actions.

They are walking in the very footsteps of their evil oppressors: creating Ghettos, disenfranchising minorities, ethnic-cleansing - what's next Israel...?

--ryan

In Israel, Miscegenation Equals Rape

21 July 2010

On Monday, Sabbar Kashur, a young Palestinian man from East Jerusalem, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for something called “rape by deception.” Apparently, Mr. Kashur had consensual sex with a Jewish Israeli woman after assuring her that he was also Jewish. When she found out that he had lied to her, she went to the police.

Imagine living in a society where you can say, “I wish I had never slept with you. I’m going to the cops.” Only it’s not funny because Sabbar Kashur will probably go to jail for a year and a half. Meanwhile, efforts to combat actual sexual violence are undermined by a cynical distortion of the term rape. The real crime here, of course, is miscegenation.

Anyone from the US should recognize the Jerusalem District Court’s ruling for what it is: an anti-miscegenation measure on par with the now-defunct US laws against “race mixing” that were once used to uphold white supremacy. For most of us in the US, dating across race lines now seems about as edgy as wearing white after Labor Day. You can read Angela Davis’ Women, Race and Class for a reminder of how white Americans’ obsession with “racial purity” was codified to keep African Americans and white women in their place. That’s the paradigm in which we should understand this case.

In the US, anti-miscegenation laws were on the books until 1967, when the Supreme Court declared them unconstitutional. That was the same year that Israel began its occupation of Sabbar Kashur’s home in East Jerusalem. Since then, Israelis have fine-tuned their own obsession with racial purity. Only they like to call it “national purity,” since Jewish privilege in Israel depends on maintaining the Jewish character of the state. In fact, race-mixing is perceived as such a threat that more than half of all Israeli Jews agree that Jewish-Arab intermarriage is a form of treason.

In the East Jerusalem “neighborhood” (it’s really a settlement) of Pisgat Ze’ev, a group of men who call themselves "Fire for Judaism” actually patrol the streets in the hopes of spotting and disrupting relationships between Jewish women and Palestinian men. The Israeli towns of Petah Tikva, Kiryat Gat and even super-liberal Tel Aviv have government-sponsored municipal programs to prevent miscegenation. The programs include psychological counseling for Jewish women who stray and a hotline for people to inform on Jewish women who date Palestinians.

The goal of this week’s court ruling (and of Israeli laws governing marriage, adoption and surrogacy) is to prevent Jews and Palestinians from forming intimate or family relationships. In the West Bank, this degree of separation is ensured by a giant concrete wall that runs through much of the territory. But where there is no wall, the state will rely on other forms of power to maintain strict separation between the two peoples of this land. By the way, the Afrikaans word for separation is Apartheid.

43 Years ago today...

2010-06-12T09:36:00.001-04:00

"...I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about..."

--Mildred Delores Jeter Loving (1939–2008), African-American/Rappahannock Nation; Co-plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia (1967).

Thank you Mildred and Richard...

Waiting For iPad...

2010-04-01T13:51:00.003-04:00

Earlier this month, on 12 March, along with thousands of other shameless Fanboys and Fangirls, I queued up to order Apple’s latest new Shiny Thing: the iPad. I had just come home from a long nightshift and waited up, nervously watching the clock with one eye, while nervously watching my eMac’s screen with the other as I compulsively refreshed the browser. Finally, the appointed hour of 08:30 EST arrived and the “Back Soon” page on the Apple Store was replaced by the “Pre-order the iPad here” link. With slightly sweaty and trembling hands, I made my selection: the 64GB WiFi model...

I have been a Mac-user since System 7. My first brand-new Mac was a 333MHz “Lime” iMac running OS 8.6, purchased from CompUSA in 1998. That iMac (her name is “Seven”) is still in my house and is quite operational. I’ve since acquired four others: a 600MHz “Flower Power” iMac SE, a 1.25GHz eMac, a 500MHz Dual USB iBook and inherited from my late brother, a 2GHz Core Duo MacBook. I even have a Newton eMate 300 (Yes, it boots!). All of these machines were either purchased second-hand, or were gifted to me.

My Apple iPad will be the first time in my Mac-user career that I have obtained the latest hardware on “Day Zero” of its deployment from the Mother Ship. I’ve been transformed back into that excited child, marking off the endless remaining days to Christmas morning!

I have some big plans for my new little iPad. It will replace my EeePC-900 Linux-powered netbook. I loved the rugged portability of my netbook, with its SSD and no moving parts but the fan. However, the worst thing about it was that it wasn’t a Mac: I was constantly forced to bend, twist and otherwise convolute my workflows to get data and content in and out of it. Not to mention that the Linux operating-system (Eeebuntu) required far more attention to keep it running than I was accustomed to. On at least three occasions things suddenly broke to the point that it totally refused to boot, requiring me to “nuke and pave” the drive, total reinstallation of the OS. Also, the unpredictable battery life of the ASUS machine pushed me to purchase a 8800mih aftermarket battery, which effectively doubled the weight of the unit. All of these impediments have led me to carry the MacBook to and from my job (and other places). Although Eve (the MacBook) can quite easily handle anything task I throw at her, it is a bit of a worry carting her around because of her sentimental value and the potential cost of repairing any damage that might occur in transit.

The iPad will beautifully fill my need for a power-efficient ultraportable Mac. It’s thin, solid-state form-factor will enhance its mechanical reliability. The 64GB model has twice the storage of my netbook. And the advertised 10 hour battery life kicks the crap out of the ASUS (not even 10 hours STANDBY time!). I’ll be managing my schedule, reading ebooks/documents, sketching, editing photos, taking meeting notes, managing my email, updating my blog and writing my papers on my iPad. It should fit nicely into the space occupied by my MacBook in my workbag with no fuss at all.

I believe that it’s very likely for me to end up using the iPad in many ways and for many purposes I haven’t even considered yet. Because of the device’s unique physical form, I’m quite sure to take it places I wouldn’t think of taking a MacBook.

I'll just be here, sitting quietly on corner... waiting for the Big Brown Truck to appear...

--ryan

What Colour Is Your Teapot...?

2010-02-06T17:57:00.003-05:00

Well, it was just a matter of time before the Wasichu made it's appearance, enit? How dare us, People of Colour, go to the polls and vote one of our own into office?

--ryan

White Racial Resentment Bubbles Under the Surface of the Tea Party Movement
The simmering movement is the whitest phenomenon on the national scene, evident not just in its Caucasian numbers but in the bedrock beliefs stirring its anti-government contempt.

Editor's Note: Rich Benjamin's commentary on the underlying "white grievance" currents in the Tea Party movement were buttressed Thursday by the statements of Republican Tom Tancredo, the opening speaker at the Tea Party convention. Tancredo told attendees that President Barack Obama was elected because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country," an allusion to how Southern states used literacy tests as part of an effort to deny suffrage to African American voters before the civil rights era.

Quote of the Day...

2010-02-06T08:20:00.002-05:00

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity..."

--Robrt J. Hanlon

Shift Happens...

2010-02-05T18:02:00.000-05:00

James Ray Goes To Jail!

2010-02-05T07:25:00.002-05:00

I wonder how long Mr. Ray will manage to last in a Southwestern jail before he ends up having a close up and person chat about his future with some fine NDN citizens...?

CAMP VERDE - James Arthur Ray returned to the Verde Valley this week to face charges in the deaths of three participants in his October "Spiritual Warrior" retreat. Ray is known as a self-help guru who espouses principles of financial wealth and freedom.

Jahrzeit...

2010-02-04T23:41:00.003-05:00

One year ago yesterday, my younger brother David Brian Waldon was found dead in his Hollywood apartment. He had died suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, from a ruptured aortic aneurysm on Groundhog Day. He was 39 years-old and a 19 year liver transplant survivor. David was an journalist, entertainment critic and an internationally published author. He was an amazingly intelligent and talented individual, a real modern day Renaissance Man.

David was a kind and giving person, generous beyond measure, both materially and spiritually. He went out of his way to help his fellow journalists, especially those who were just starting their careers.
David was well-known for his optimism as epitomized by his motto “Half-Full!” --as in the glass is always half-full.

If the quality of a person's friends is the truest measure of their character, then David was a real Mensch.

His many friends are among the most caring, devoted and giving people I've ever had the pleasure to meet. When my mother, my wife and I had to make the long painful journey to Los Angeles last February to arrange David's affairs, we were met at LAX by a brigade of his friends. They provided us with food, transportation, moral support and more. They opened their homes and their Hearts to us. My mother and I had often worried about the possibility that David was socially isolated in California, because he had no family nearby. We couldn't have been further from the truth. David had an extended “family” in Los Angeles, Altadena and Santa Monica. Without these wonderful people, I can't imagine trying to get through the situation we were facing as well as we did. I am forever thankful for their help and love.

David's passing has left a huge void in the lives of our parents, his many friends and myself. My mother and I have both, at various times, fought depression and despair. I have dealt with feelings of guilt and suicidal ideation. I can still remember the dread-shock of the moment when I received that fateful phone call from my mother. It's been a long, hard journey.

Despite the pain of the loss, we are all better people for having known L.A. Dave.

I've away from my blog for too long now, David would surely give me hell for slacking-off. If he were here, he would tell me to "move along, nothing to see here!" Life is fleeting and I must heed the words of the poem:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Godspeed Little Brother, I'll see you on the Other Side...

--ryan

Quote of the Day...

2009-01-29T09:35:00.003-05:00

--Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) American painter

20. January 2009: The Dawn of a New America

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (February 23, 1932 – December 18, 2008)

2008-12-19T12:46:00.003-05:00

Ship's Computer has logged-off. Godspeed and Good Running...

--ryan

Trek Creator's Widow Dies Aged 76

Actress Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, has died aged 76.

She died of leukaemia on Thursday at her home in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement.

The actress, who featured in nearly every Star Trek TV show and film, nurtured the legacy of the sci-fi series after her husband died in 1991.

She recently finished her role as the voice of the USS Enterprise computer in the new Star Trek film, due out in May.

Barrett Roddenberry was involved in the Star Trek universe for more than four decades.

She played the dark-haired Number One in the TV show's original pilot, The Cage, but was recast as the blonde, mini-skirted Nurse Christine Chapel for the series, which launched in 1966.

During this time, she was romantically involved with creator Gene Roddenberry, and the couple married in Japan after the show was cancelled in 1969.

'Vital Role'

She went on to play smaller roles in all five Star Trek TV spin-offs and many of the Star Trek movie incarnations. She is perhaps best known, however, as the voice of the ship's computer.

Barrett Roddenberry helped keep the franchise alive by inspiring fans and attending a major Star Trek convention each year.

"My mother truly acknowledged and appreciated the fact that Star Trek fans played a vital role in keeping the Roddenberry dream alive for the past 42 years," her son Eugene Roddenberry Jr said in a statement on the official Roddenberry Web site.

"It was her love for the fans, and their love in return, that kept her going for so long after my father passed away."

The website added that in lieu of flowers, the family have asked for donations be made to two animal rescue charities.

The actress is survived by her only son, Eugene.

A public memorial is expected to be scheduled for sometime after Christmas.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/7791210.stm

Published: 2008/12/19 09:01:23 GMT

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Betty Mae Page (22 April 1923 - 11 December 2008)

2008-12-15T13:02:00.003-05:00

50s Pin-Up Queen Bettie Page Dies

Bettie Page, one of the most famous US pin-up models of the 1950s, has died in Los Angeles, aged 85.

Her provocative poses - often in bikinis - made her a cult figure and she was one of the first models to appear in Playboy magazine.

Bettie Page was credited with helping to pave the way for the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

Some pictures of her showing bondage and spanking generated controversy and attracted a congressional subpoena.

The secretary-turned-model was admitted to hospital last month, suffering from pneumonia. She had a heart attack last week and never regained consciousness.

'Iconic figure'

"With deep personal sadness I must announce that my dear friend and client Bettie Page passed away at 1841 this evening (0241 GMT Friday) in a Los Angeles hospital," her agent Mark Roesler said.

"She captured the imagination of a generation with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality", he said. "She is the embodiment of beauty".

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner called her a "very dear person", AP reported.

"I think that she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society," Hefner was quoted as saying.

Bettie Mae Page was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1923. Her career took off after an amateur photographer in New York asked her to pose for pictures in 1950.

She featured in posters and photographs, including one of the early centrefolds of Playboy magazine.

However not everyone was happy with the pictures. Some US lawmakers were concerned they amounted to pornography and subpoenaed Page to testify at a congressional hearing, although in the end she never had to appear.

Looking back on her career, she told Playboy in 1998: "I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It's just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous."

She was married three times but had no children.

She disappeared from public view in the late 1950s, turning to religion and battling mental illness. However, decades later, she became the subject of renewed interest.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7778963.stm

Published: 2008/12/12 10:06:41 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

2008-12-15T12:48:00.003-05:00

What this Iraqi reporter really meant to say is "Thanks Dude, for everything you've done for (and to) my country. Please allow me to show my gratitude and appreciation..."

Did you happen to notice how Idiot Boy popped right back up after ducking the first shoe, presenting a nice big static target for another shot?

--ryan

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

The True Causes of the Subprime Crisis...

2008-11-24T00:55:00.004-05:00

Right Wing myths about subprime loans are yet another attempt by the NeoCons to blame Liberals, for a mess that unbridled Capitalism made...

--ryan

A Risk Worth Taking

Many ethical subprime lenders still manage to make plenty of money.

By Daniel Gross

"In recent months, conservative economists and editorialists have
tried to pin the blame for the unholy international financial mess on
subprime lending and subprime borrowers. If bureaucrats and social
activists hadn't pressured firms to lend to the working poor, the
narrative goes, we'd still be partying like it was 2005 and Bear
Stearns would be a going concern. The Wall Street Journal's editorial
page has repeatedly heaped blame on the Community Reinvestment Act
(CRA), the 1977 law aimed at preventing redlining in minority
neighborhoods. Fox Business Network anchor Neil Cavuto in September
proclaimed that "loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster."

"This line of reasoning is absurd on several levels. Many of the
biggest subprime lenders weren't banks, and thus weren't covered by
the CRA. Nobody forced Bear Stearns to borrow $33 for every dollar of
assets it had, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn't coerce highly
compensated CEOs into rolling out no-money-down, exploding adjustable-
rate mortgages. Banks will lose just as much money lending to really
rich white guys like former Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld as they
will on loans to poor people of color in the South Bronx."

Read the rest HERE

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

It's Official: Caribou Barbie IS a Hatemonger...

2008-11-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

I think the American People voiced their disapproval of her behaviour and tactics with their votes! Enit?

--ryan

Sarah Palin Blamed by the US Secret Service Over Death Threats Against Barack Obama

Saturday 08 November 2008

»

by: Tim Shipman, The Telegraph UK

The angry rhetoric at Sarah Palin's campaign events was cited by the Secret Service as a contributer to a spike in the amount of death threats against Obama.

Sarah Palin's attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign.

Sarah Palin's attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign.

The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.

Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, was so upset that she turned to her friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett and said: "Why would they try to make people hate us?"

The revelations, contained in a Newsweek history of the campaign, are likely to further damage Mrs Palin's credentials as a future presidential candidate. She is already a frontrunner, with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, to take on Mr Obama in four years time.

Details of the spike in threats to Mr Obama come as a report last week by security and intelligence analysts Stratfor, warned that he is a high risk target for racist gunmen. It concluded: "Two plots to assassinate Obama were broken up during the campaign season, and several more remain under investigation. We would expect federal authorities to uncover many more plots to attack the president that have been hatched by white supremacist ideologues."

Irate John McCain aides, who blame Mrs Palin for losing the election, claim Mrs Palin took it upon herself to question Mr Obama's patriotism, before the line of attack had been cleared by Mr McCain.

That claim is part of a campaign of targeted leaks designed to torpedo her ambitions, with claims that she did not know that Africawas a continent rather than a country.

The advisers have branded her a "diva" and a "whack job" and claimed that she did not know which other countries are in the North American Free Trade Area, (Canada and Mexico). They say she spent more than $150,000 on designer clothes, including $40,000 on her husband Todd and that she refused to prepare for the disastrous series of interviews with CBS's Katie Couric.

In a bid to salvage her reputation Mrs Palin came out firing in an interview with CNN, dismissing the anonymous leakers in unpresidential language as "jerks" who had taken "questions or comments I made in debate prep out of context."

She said: "I consider it cowardly. It's not true. That's cruel, it's mean-spirited, it's immature, it's unprofessional and those guys are jerks if they came away taking things out of context and then tried to spread something on national news that's not fair and not right."

She was not asked about her incendiary rhetoric against Mr Obama. But she did deny the spending spree claims, saying the clothes in question had been returned to the Republican National Committee. "Those are the RNC's clothes, they're not my clothes. I asked for anything more than maybe a diet Dr Pepper once in a while. These are false allegations."

Speaking as she returned to her native Alaska, Mrs Palin claimed to be baffled by what she claims was sexism on the national stage. "Here in Alaska that double standard isn't applied because these guys know that Alaskan women are pretty tough, on a par with the men in terms of being outdoors, working hard," she said.

"They're commercial fishermen, they're pilots, they're working up on the North slope in the oil fields. You see equality in Alaska. I think that was a bit of as surprise on the national level."

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Paradigm Shift...

2008-11-05T12:23:00.003-05:00

"We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation..."

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In America, almost every child is told by some adult, most often a Parent, Grandparent or sometimes a Teacher, at some point during their childhood: " One day you could grow up to be President..."

I remember being told this myself when I was young. I remember how proud and empowered this assertion made me feel every time I heard it.

I can also remember when the statement lost its magic, its power, its promises of unlimited potential for me. Because when I looked into a mirror, a brown face looked back at me. A brown face like my Mother's, like my Father's, like my Grandparents. But, I was smart and observant enough to realize, it was a brown face unlike any of the Presidents in my schoolbooks. That was when the promise the possibility of becoming president became mythic and apocryphal.

Today, 5 November 2008, the Sun rose on a different America. An America where any child, of any colour, first the first time has unlimited future potential. Last night the Citizens of our country spoke to our future generations with their votes, the message is that we are all Human and we are all Americans, regardless of our colour, race or ethnicity.

"So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice..."

I am grateful that the Creator blessed me with the opportunity to both vote for President-Elect Obama and to see him victorious. One year ago, I would have never believed this to be possible within my lifetime; someday, but not today. I'm so glad I was wrong about that.

This day, 5 November 2008, finds me with renewed faith in both my country and my fellow citizens. I am, once again, proud to be an American...

--ryan

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Victory for Obama!

2008-11-05T01:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome back America. We've missed you...

--ryan

Obama's Victory Speech

Democrat Barack Obama has become the first African-American to win the White House. Here are his remarks as prepared for delivery to a huge crowd in his home city of Chicago:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice-President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organised, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth.

This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.

And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity.

Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours: "We are not enemies, but friends though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you.

And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the colour of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome". Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Ashley Todd's Tall Tale...

2008-10-27T08:10:00.003-04:00

As both my Mom and my wise Grandmother would saw: "Lord, have mercy!"

--ryan

Fox News VP: If McCain Worker 'Mutilation' Story Is a Hoax His Campaign Is 'Over'

Ashley The Liar: Another Moment In The "Black Kid Did It!" History

I think that in Ashley's case "B" stands for "Busted!" Enit..?

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

The Tide Is Surging...

2008-10-27T08:07:00.001-04:00

Denver Colorado 26 October 2008:

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

5000 Miles From Sarah Palin's House...

2008-10-22T09:16:00.000-04:00

"Russian Bluesmen for Obama"
was an event at Roadhouse Club in Moscow Russian Federation on the 19th of October 2008.

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Cleese on Palin: a Parrot...

2008-10-22T08:56:00.000-04:00

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Quote of the Day...

2008-10-22T08:07:00.003-04:00

"Growth is a painful process..."

--Wilma Pearl Mankiller (born 1945) Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, 1985 - 1995

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

The Dogs Hold an Election (Brule Sioux)...

2008-10-19T08:34:00.002-04:00

The Dogs Hold an Election
(A Brule Sioux Legend)

We don't think much of the white man's elections. Whoever wins, we Indians always lose. Well, we have a little story about elections. Once a long time ago, the dogs were trying to elect a president. So one of them got up in the big dog convention and said, "I nominate the bulldog for president. He's strong. He can fight."

"But he can't run," said another dog. "What good is a fighter who can't run? He won't catch anybody."

Then another dog got up and said, "I nominate the greyhound, because he sure can run."

But the other dogs cried: "Naw, he can run all right, but he can't fight. When he catches up with somebody, what happens then? He gets the hell beaten out of him, that's what! So all he's good for is running away."

Then an ugly little mutt jumped up and said: "I nominate that dog for president who smells good underneath his tail." And immediately an equally ugly mutt jumped up and yelled: "I second the motion."

At once all the dogs started sniffing underneath each other's tails. A big chorus went up: "Phew, he doesn't smell good under his tail." "No, neither does this one." "He's no presidential timber!" "No, he's no good, either." "This one sure isn't the people's choice." "Wow, this ain't my candidate!"

When you go out for a walk, just watch the dogs. They're still sniffing underneath each other's tails. They're looking for a good leader, and they still haven't found him."

# Told by Lame Deer at Winner, Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota in 1969 and recorded by Richard Erdoes.

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Reversal of Fortunes..?

2008-10-19T08:11:00.002-04:00

Some good points to consider...

--ryan

WHAT IF THE FACTS WERE SWITCHED AROUND?

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the
stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant
teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating
class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe
disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his
standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair
while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to
pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable
organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating
Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989,
igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and
Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included
discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many
occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer
distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes
positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities
in another when there is a color difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in
International Relations
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho = 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

Please visit JohnnaRyry's Broomwagon!

'Caribou Barbie' goes Live!

2008-10-10T12:33:00.003-04:00

Check these out!

Find out all about Caribou Barbie's secrets of success

Don't forget the brand new T-Shirt! Get yours today!

And don't forget that Caribou Barbie knows how to Party! If you don't believe it, check out her trailer below...

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

The Truth on Obama and Ayers...

2008-10-10T12:11:00.003-04:00

Here's the truth about Senator Obama and Bill Ayers, from someone who should know...

--ryan

From The New York Times Opinion Page:

"As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was
then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of
Michigan and took over the Weathermen prosecution in 1972), I am
amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to
William Ayers’s terrorist activities 40 years ago when Mr. Obama was,
as he has noted, just a child.

"Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the
Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he
has become a responsible citizen.

"Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable
organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts
perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago.

"I do take issue with the statement in your news article that the
Weathermen indictment was dismissed because of “prosecutorial
misconduct.” It was dismissed because of illegal activities, including
wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions, initiated by John N.
Mitchell, attorney general at that time, and W. Mark Felt, an F.B.I.
assistant director."

William C. Ibershof
Mill Valley, Calif., Oct. 8, 2008

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

'Caribou Barbie' deals the Race Card...

2008-10-06T14:33:00.003-04:00

We all knew the Republicans wouldn't be able to resist the temptation all the way to November...Enit?

--ryan

Analysis: Palin's Words Carry Racial Tinge

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press WriterSun Oct 5, 10:53 AM ET

By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign.

And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret... Read More HERE

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

A Message from Bluehawk...

2008-09-28T11:12:00.001-04:00

TO CELEBRATE COLUMBUS DAY HONORS LEGACY OF GENOCIDE

When Columbus arrived on this continent on October 12, 1492, there were already more than six million people here representing hundreds of different cultures and speaking more than a thousand different languages. The indigenous people of this continent had well-established cultures in which many advances were made in the area of arts, sciences, mathematics and medicine. The Aztec lunar calendar is still the most recent and accurate ever developed. The Mayans developed the concept of zero before the ancient Greek mathematicians did and the Ho Ho Kam built sophisticated irrigation systems that allowed them to farm the deserts we now call Arizona as well as the structure Casa Grande (still standing today) in which the sunlight shines through a series of windows only on the summer solstice. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans have occupied this continent for at least 40,000 years, and Stone Age tools found in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles date back as many as 200,000 years.

By the time Columbus 'discovered' America the indigenous people had already developed their own political and legal systems, constitution and religions. However, it was the spiritual and religious differences between Columbus and the New World that were used as justification of enslaving Natives and destroying cultures that had been in existence for centuries. Columbus, a devout Catholic, began his journey in the name of Jesus Christ and saw the people he met in the New World as nothing more than 'pagans' who needed to be 'enlightened' .

Surprisingly, there are many people who do not realize that Columbus never set foot in what is now the United States, and it is disturbing to hear how many people think he landed at Plymouth Rock. The first Europeans to arrive in what is now the United States was Ponce de Leon who led an expedition into what is now Florida. The first European explorer to thoroughly document his visit to North America was the Italian explorer Giovanni Cabota, who sailed for England's King Henry VII and became known to us by his Anglicized name, John Cabot.

Cabot arrived in 1497 and claimed North America for the English sovereign while Columbus was still searching for India in the Caribbean. After three voyages to America and more than a decade of study, Columbus still believed that Cuba was a part of the continent of Asia, South America was only an island, and the coast of Central America was close to the Ganges River. Columbus made four voyages to the New World in which he visited San Salvador, Cuba, the Bahamas and Mexico.

Columbus died thinking he had visited the east coast of India. Hence we have the terms 'West Indies' and 'American Indian'.

Although crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 required a great deal of courage, Christopher Columbus was responsible for setting off the largest wave of genocide the world has ever seen. On the other hand, it should be remembered that Columbus was not a villain who acted alone.

The Spanish monarchy invested in his excursion, but only on the condition that Columbus would repay this investment with profit by bringing back gold, spices and other tribute from Asia.

This pressing need to repay his debt underlies the frantic tone of Columbus' diaries as he raced from one Caribbean island to the next, stealing anything of value.

After he failed to contact the emperor of China, the traders of India, or the merchants of Japan, Columbus decided to pay for his voyage in the one important commodity he had found in ample supply ~ human lives. He seized 1,200 Taino Indians from the island of Hispaniola, crammed as many onto his ships as would fit and sent them back to Spain, where they were paraded naked through the streets of Seville and sold as slaves in 1495.

Columbus tore children from the parents, husbands from wives. On board Columbus' slave ships, hundreds died; the sailors tossed the Indian bodies into the Atlantic.

Because Columbus captured more Indian slaves than he could transport to Spain in his small ships, he put them to work in mines and plantations which he, his family and followers created throughout the Caribbean.

His marauding band hunted Indians for sport and profit ~ beating, raping, torturing, killing and then using the Indian bodies as food for their hunting dogs. Within four years of Columbus' arrival on Hispaniola, his men had killed or exported one-third of the original Indian population of 300,000.

Within another 50 years, the Taino people had been made extinct ~ the first holocaust of American Indians. The plantation owners then turned to the American mainland and to Africa for new slaves to follow the tragic path of the Taino.

If history is witness to the six million Jews liquidated by Hitler's death camps, surely it must also remember the six million and more Native inhabitants exterminated by the Anglos as the end result of the advent of Columbus to the Americas. Columbus for all First Americans is equated to the antichrist and war criminal Hitler. If we consider the human misery and death inflicted by both men upon humanity, the cost in human life and resources on a grand scale is irreparable and can never be compensated by any terms. Can we imagine our people celebrating a holiday to a man like the Nazi dictator? Unthinkable as it is utterly despicable. Do not think for one second that the Native people will bestow any dignity upon the man Columbus. We denounce the man and his evil deeds.

The United States honors only two men with federal holidays bearing their names. In January we commemorate the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., who struggled to lift the blinders of racial prejudice and to cut the remaining bonds of slavery in America.

Americans might not have a Columbus Day if Christopher Columbus had not been born in Italy. Out of pride for their native son, the Italian population of New York City organized the first celebration of the discovery of America on October 12, 1866. The next year, more Italian organizations in other cities held banquets, parades and dances on that date. In 1869, when Italians of San Francisco celebrated October 12, they called it Columbus Day.

In 1905, Colorado became the first state to observe a Columbus Day. Over the next few decades other states followed. In 1937, then- President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day. Since 1971, it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. 1992 marked the 500th anniversary of the Columbus discovery
On Columbus Day we honor Christopher Columbus, who opened the Atlantic slave trade and launched one of the greatest waves of genocide known in history. Although I realize it probably will not change the way people treat each other, abolishing Columbus Day would be a step in the direction toward social equality for Native American people. If the people of this country find it necessary to celebrate the discovery of this continent, then we should follow Berkeley, California's example and have an Indigenous People Day in honor of the people who really 'discovered' America. Better yet, let's follow the footsteps of South Dakota, the only state in the country to honor its Native population by changing Columbus Day to Native American Day. From the Native American perspective, Christopher Columbus was an unwelcome visitor 500 years ago; he remains an unwanted presence now, and it is time for him to go away.

©Copyrighted 2004 by
Bluehawk Anderson
7 Millstream Lane
Penacook, NH 03303-1819

I have copyrighted this article but please, feel free to distribute if you wish. Maybe one day we will be able to be recognized in a proud way and have a day in honor of all Native Americans.

My people in this state joined together and we went to the New Hampshire State Legislature with a proclamation of request for such a day to be considered.. . we were turned down. I will never give up and I hope you don't either.

~ In the Spirit of Crazy Horse ~
Bluehawk, Lakota Nation

20. January 2009: The End of an Error

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