Jailhouse Rock, 2015

According to reporter Fred Dicker, the "Albany Insider" who writes a column for the New York Post,  sources close to NY megalomaniac governor Andrew Cuomo tell him that the governor is hovering somewhere near what I would designate as bonkers and paranoia land these days.  While Cuomo, understandably, has been engulfed by grief following both the recent death of his father and the double mastectomy experienced by his live-in significant other, the major force alleged to be affecting him these days is a U.S. attorney currently investigating and arresting members of Albany's legislative body -- arguably the most corrupt senate and assembly in the United States.

According to Dicker's contacts, Cuomo  --  full of himself  and  presidential aspirations, many have long assumed -- may well also be somewhere on the feds' list of persons of interest in this regard, and because of the distinct possibility that some of Cuomo's actions are about to be seriously microscoped, both his psyche and so-called leadership as governor have taken a dive into near-paralysis.

Nowhere were Cuomo's bad choices more apparent this week than when he quickly made his way to Dannemora’s Clinton Correctional Facility, a state prison, not far from Canada, scene of a masterfully executed double-prisoner escape.  Conducting himself before the national TV News cameras as if he were a museum curator guiding people through the route of departure and method of excavation used by the two escaped convicts -- each a murderer -- Cuomo appeared more like somebody playing C.Y.A. than a governor. 

But this isn't the first time the arrogant Cuomo has shot from the hip -- immediately after that loony and/or violently autistic young man in Connecticut blew away a whole classroom of kids after first taking out his mom (and we don't mean to dinner), NY's Democrat governor and his purring legislative sheep herd went to work quickly like vultures to rip apart what remained of the Second Amendment in NY, coming up with the absurd  SAFE Act.  This legislation, obviously waiting for just the right moment to jump out at law-abiding citizens like a jack-in-the-box (and these boxes are pretty much always operated by Democrats), severely curtails gun rights and effectively pronounces the innocent guilty.

So while many viewers across the nation, unfamiliar with Cuomo's ruthless brand of managing a state and determining its people's choices and destiny via his own and his willing legislative accomplices' whims, probably saw on TV only a governor taking charge of a horrible situation, I spent my TV news time measuring him up as he stood outside the prison, imagining just how fantastic he would look in prison garb himself -- though, sad to relate, should the feds grab him for something major, he would set up residence in a federal pen, not anything with state accommodations.

While everybody awaits, we hope, a safe apprehension of the two murderous prisoners whose  breakout may ultimately result in a takeout,  it's worth mentioning that the governor, among others, noted that this drama might make a good movie.  We agree -- but the governor should understand that this prison break stands firmly upon his shoulders, and whether this event evolves into either a movie or just history, Andrew Cuomo isn't going to come out of this mess looking like the hero.  Far from it.  Buffoon and Co.  is a nice motion picture title, don't you think?

Word has it that moron Republicans will attempt to "fix"  the Affordable Care Act, should the Supreme Court decide it a corpse this month.   We think the better road to travel -- without delay -- would be to re-engage in original discussions whereas insurance companies would be allowed and would have to compete, compete, compete for customers across state lines.  Not only should good ol' stiff American competition  -- capitalism is the dirty word involved here -- take hold, it would almost definitely decrease insurance rates, co-pays and such dramatically.  As things currently stand, insurance, pharmaceutical corporations, etc., have a pretty cozy relationship with both Congress and "Obamacare," and it's high time to give the American people a real choice, instead of the health insurance tyranny currently in force.

A brief return to the Dennis Hastert news:   Yep, not two days after I blogged a tad tongue-in-cheek about swim team members probably being gay -- and I could just as well have said wrestlers -- we discover that Hastert allegedly had an affair with a high school wrestler (among others?) whom he coached.  Again, I say there is nothing new here, and these things have gone on since ancient times.  However, I would emphasize that, for all his faults, Hastert (1) did not "turn" now deceased student and wrestler Steve Reinboldt gay, because he was already gay, and (2) he obviously did not give Reinboldt AIDS.  Maybe somebody should inquire, age aside, how gay people seem to find one another and, for either short or long periods of time, engage in activities apparently mutually satisfactory.  Yes, at this point in the discussion people start twitching uncomfortably in their seats, choosing instead to bring in antiquated laws and antiquated legal representatives to solve the unsolvable.

Female "Viagra," the new drone in town:   If you ladies believe you need this stuff, Flibanserin, just because men have theirs and you want yours, my only job here is to say, oh great, one more drug to be excreted into the public drinking water system.  Enjoy.

Beau Biden deserved the grand funeral procession awarded him.  We just wish the president could have found it in his heart to attend services or  do something  regarding American hero Chris Kyle after his murder on a rifle range.  To paraphrase all too conveniently from the book,  Animal Farm,  are all soldiers equal, but some soldiers are more equal than others?

A cop descends upon a 14-year-old girl at a pool party of loud morons in Texas:   The cops were called to intervene, and from what seemed clear on the cell phone video is that both she and surrounding moronic youth were not about to cooperate with the officer's instructions.  What are these cops supposed to do?  The growing number of instances where police are taunted, set up and their lives and careers threatened will eventually result in no cops and/or really bad cops.  The only cure for this despicable situation will be a change of leadership in the White House and Justice Dept., where, dare we hope, fairness and unbiased truth will prevail.  We currently have no such critter in the mix, regrettably.

President Obama should perform at Carnegie Hall  because I really do think he believes himself the real-life equivalent of Klaatu from  The Day the Earth Stood Still.  Every time he makes a speech where he talks down to us and tells us how it's gonna be with climate change, health care, immigration and other dangerous or insane Democrat policy declarations he seems other-worldly.  And that's not a compliment.

The Vietnam Era UFOs

While I was tucked safely away as a cog among the medical staff in stateside Air Force hospitals  from 1968-1972 -- the Vietnam Era -- there were rumblings in the UFO investigative community about UFO reports out of Vietnam.  As I recall, at least one was prominently mentioned in one or more of the membership journals of those years, but I don't believe anybody really knew how widespread such military-UFO encounters were at that point -- though, thinking way back, this was a subject that Coral Lorenzen had perked up about and was keeping an open mind.  Indeed, she had asked me to keep an eye open in case I learned of reports erupting during the Southeast Asia conflict, because (1) I was in the military and (2) my daily contacts in hospitals included Air Force pilots and other flight personnel..  Obviously, this was also an era when airmen just didn't broach the forbidden UFO topic during or after duty hours, so even when I operated my own clinic at a pilot training base, as much as I wanted to inquire of these exceptional military people about UFO encounters, there was just no safe or routine way to do so.  And I had already had my own little strange experiences with officials as an Air Force airman, so rocking the boat -- or the fighter jet -- was out of the question.  Further, when you sign up for military service, all of your organizational affiliations must be listed, so I've little doubt that my membership in both NICAP and APRO were well-noticed and my activities were at least worth suspicion higher up.

Over the years since Vietnam's chaos, reports of other military UFO incidents trickled in, usually not with much detail, but official documentation discovered by researchers disclosed, at least, that the government was aware of these cases, and that, despite the official line, UFOs were still of much interest and reporting is still required via military channels.

But now, thanks to the masterful efforts of long-time UFO researcher and co-author of the book,  Clear Intent,  Barry Greenwood, surfacing are details regarding 16 important Vietnam Era UFO events -- and documented blatantly with that very term in military records.  Covering, so far, the years 1967 and 1969, Greenwood's findings actually offer dates and other details of precision, but he realizes there is likely a lot more information out there because U.S. military involvement lasted a good decade or so.

This is profoundly important stuff, a fact not lost upon our favorite UFO journalist, Billy Cox, and Billy has laid it all out in his June 3 blog entry, “The Hunt for Missing Pieces,” which I encourage you to read here: 


http://devoid.blogs.heraldtribune.com/15308/the-hunt-for-missing-pieces/

At a time when inquiring minds are insulted by phony alien autopsies and our expectations dashed by slides of "aliens" that turn out to be mummies, it's great to find a researcher doing the work that actually means something.  Thanks Barry, and thanks Billy.

Abusing Abused Abuses

I don't even care about the high school wrestler relationship part of the Dennis Hastert affair, er, make that allegation.   Besides, from what I've seen, it's often the swim team guys, probably gay, craved by the coach, and further, they seem to be accommodating to an interesting degree.  Nope, what rocked me is the lengths to which the government goes to strictly monitor how much money you put into your bank account and how much you take out once amounts become even moderate.  Yes, we know the standard  why,  and the standard why usually involves drug money and extortion tactics.  However, the official peek-a-boo tactics apparently go far, far beyond the actions of non-law abiding bank depositors.

Here, we pause to remember all the screwing we received from dishonest bankers who never served a day in prison for stealing from customers, and we've little doubt to expect anything has changed, despite feel-good legislation crafted in no small part by legislators who continue to receive hefty campaign donations from the perpetually guilty.

Which is to say, all pigs, no matter size, shape nor hue, wallow about in the same slop.

But while nobody cares about the money, everybody cares about the alleged sexual abuse.  Call me crass, call me anything, but more times than I can remember, when I see press reports about man-boy sexual "abuse," it just drives me bonkers.  For one thing, isn't it strange how the "victims" often tend to come forward like clockwork once the "abuser" becomes wealthy or prominent?  That is, is it not reasonable to assume that in an impressive number of cases the love/sexual relationships were mutually fine at the time of occurrence?  The fun, the novelty, the gifts, the meals, etc.  

But your honor, my client was so young and so confused. . .” 

Is the term "underage" applicable?  Of course it is, particularly when older men and girls are involved, but the man-boy thing, well. . .

In 1972,  just weeks prior to my departure from the Air Force, a friend and I drove down to Atlanta for a couple of days.  Of course, there was lots to do and experience there, and among the stores and restaurants a fair number of adult book stores were scattered about.  Did we wander through a couple? Of course, curiosity must not be denied!

Such stores are probably in decline everywhere now, with videotapes, DVDs and the Internet having secured a niche once secured by publications made of paper and glossy photos.  But my visit to Atlanta's adult book stores was definitely "old school."  The thing is, as I wandered past shelves and racks of "normal" man-woman p-o-r-n-o-g-r-a-p-h-y and regarded other variations of human combinations with some surprise, though nudist publications seemed rather tame, I was really caught unawares by the sight of heaping volumes of magazines involving man-boy and boy-boy photography, with cover photos couched in such a way that one could only reach one conclusion as to the purpose and contents.  Not only were these displayed prolifically -- but multiplied nationally, imagine the tax money collected in large sums by cities and towns throughout America.  Yes, this was all legal, taxable stuff.

As years passed, man-boy publications apparently began to disappear as the ghost of England's Queen Victoria somehow swept into the United States to join the Religious Right and political opportunists (the true predators) in banning targets such as man-boy magazines, and I recall very well the campaigns where politicians ran on issues involving  "pornography," and they never saw a naked photo they liked, at least publicly.

Amidst all of this, at some point somebody -- probably within the lucrative law industry -- began to take a long, long look at boys violated sexually.  Law books were already replete with actions to be taken against men who raped girls and women -- but what about boys?  Voila!  The legal system suddenly realized that what was happening to boys could also be called rape - and thus a whole new financially satisfying business of defending  raped  boys and young men ensued.  Indeed, if an attorney could convince a jury that male-on-male, female-on-male or, who knows? baboon-on-human-male  rape  could be defined as equivalent to what happens to victimized females, a new money-making industry would be born, affecting law firms, judges, prosecutors and the whole freaking client-lovin’ legal merry-go-round.  Suddenly, tons of jobs for badge-wearers of Child Protective Services sprung up, even as legal mumbo-jumbo phrases such as "endangering the welfare of a child" and "inappropriate touching" took effect in a whole new light.  Is it any wonder that today we fear even saying  "hello" to anybody on the street under the age of 30?

Of course  sexually abused boys and girls exist, probably in higher numbers than ever before -- but I'm not referencing them today.  What I'm talking about is something that has gone on since ancient times, from masters and young male slaves to teachers and young male students:  Affairs so common as to be considered normal, once upon a time in a universe not so far away at all.  Right here on planet Earth.

In fact, if you have had an opportunity, as have I in the distant past, to talk with people who know people who know people regarding such issues, you would learn that it was not uncommon for male youths kicked out of their homes or as fallen victims of some tragedy to meet up with men who fed, clothed -- loved -- and sent them to school, even college -- some ending up in professional employment and grateful for their fate. 

So now we have to hear about former Speaker of the House and lobbyist Dennis Hastert and whatever messing around he allegedly did with boys way back.  Big deal.  Looks like a little extortion is the result after 30-plus years.  Still, I'm going to reserve my right to be far, way far more disturbed about a government bent upon following every dollar of our own money and demanding to know how it was spent, than in who had sex with whom.  As far as I know, nobody ended up gravely injured or dead in the Hastert ballyhoo, though be assured that the head-shrinking crew is out there with the ambulance chasers 24/7 on behalf of repressive government regs and reps whose existence and paycheck depend very much upon assembly line production of defined victims and victimizers.

Senator Rand Paul:   Oh my god!  Agree or disagree, here's a member of Congress who broke away from the sheep and spoke out against something controversial (the Patriot Act)!  If Dr. Paul only performs cataract surgery on one patient in 2015, he'll have done more good than most of these dolts can manage during their entire terms.

Anthrax on the move  alive, not dead, thanks to government, um, oversight.  Well, what's the difference?  If nukes don't take us out, biohazards dispatched by flying insect-sized bots will probably do the trick, and. . .

Obamacare will not  save us from biohazards brought in by miniature drones.

Nor would health care insurance,  put back in private hands and allowed to compete among all the states in the country, but at least you would know you had a comforting choice of providers and plans just before anthrax gifts you with a dirt nap.

New York and other states currently suffer under proposed legislation bordering on absurd, such as not allowing toys to accompany "Happy Meals" that aren't nutritious enough -- and assuring that all construction is "bird friendly."  That last one's a kicker because every diehard environmentalist's favorite energy producers of the moment - solar panels and windmills -- are currently frying, slicing and dicing enough feathered friends every day to stock a road kill supermarket.

And don't call me  Caitlyn,  damn it. . .