WE MUST DEMAND: WHERE ARE ALL THE CHILDREN?

The actual number of children still forcefully separated from their mothers is being concealed by the Trump administration.     

This is more than a national disgrace, it is a crime against humanity.

We must not get distracted by the constant outrages surrounding Donald Trump and condoned by the Republican Party.  

We must continue to outcry against state sponsored child abduction by ICE and demand the return of ALL children to their parents.   

We must not move on to other outrages while parents and children are in cages, and separated children are lost in the system










We must continue to demand a mother and child reunion.
the Ol'Buzzard

ANCESTRY-DOT-WHO

There are people who spend inordinate amounts of time tracing their ancestry.  I feel that anything past 100 years (five generations) is a waste of time as the DNA inherited from any one ancestor is so minute as to be inconsequential.  

There is no such thing as a direct line of ancestry.   Ancestry is most always followed through a particular male line, and each preceding generation (20 yrs.) is counted exponentially:

Generation #1:   2 parents – 2 grandfathers

Gen. #2:   4 grandfathers

Gen. #3:   8 grandfathers

Gen. #4:   16 grandfathers

Gen. #5:   32 grandfathers…

The DAR members attempt to show a direct blood line back to the American Revolution (about 240 years or 12 generations.)   At that point you have 4000 twelfth-generation-great-grandfathers.  And since only half of your DNA comes from your male line and half comes from your female line, any great… grandfather from that era represents only one-eight-thousandth (1/8000^th.) of your DNA.

Another interesting fact is that we share 89% of our DNA with our closest ape relative chimpanzees, and if you are of European ancestry you probably have between 2-to-4 percent of your DNA Neanderthal.  

Posted by your cousin

the Ol’Buzzard

CONTAINER GARDENING

I miss gardening.    In a number of places we lived I grew large productive gardens.   Here in western Maine our home now is surrounded by trees and there is no place in the yard with enough sun to consider planting a garden. 

I have successfully planted flowers in containers before, so this year I decided I would try vegetables in a container.   I took a large empty cat litter container, drilled holes in the bottom and filled it with potting soil from Walmart.  I planted two cherry tomato plants and one cucumber plant – again from Walmart.    I water then daily and every four weeks water with Miracle Grow. 

Now I have two eight-foot tomato plants, and a cucumber plant that is fixing to climb my porch.   Today we harvested our first cucumber and we seem to be about a week away from harvesting tomatoes.  

Next year I plan to expand the garden – more containers.   Planting in containers requires more attention than an actual garden – regular daily watering and feeding

I have a pumpkin plant by the stone wall in front of the house that seems to be thriving, but the deer keep eating the buds off.  I have some mint growing by the wall and this evening I am going to harvest some of the mint plants and put them around the pumpkin buds – don’t know if this will keep the dear away, but it seems the deer are avoiding the mint.  

Locally grown tomatoes and cucumbers are expensive at the farmers market.  If I get the harvest I expect I will more than pay for the plants and materials invested – and we are eating our own.  

the Ol’Buzzard

VINTAGE KING

I have just finished Stephen King’s new book The Outsider.   This is a dark book reminding me of Carrie.   I have always felt King’s earlier books were his best.  The last twenty years his books have not reached out and grabbed me from around a dark corner – the kind of stories that send chills up your spine – though they are always a good read. 

This book is dark and disturbing and may be an uncomfortable read for many.   It is about a shape-shifter and the violent rape, murder, mutilation and cannibalism of young children.  Some of the descriptions are guaranteed to disrupt your sleep.   I am pretty calloused, but I could not read it at bedtime. 

That said; I recommend it.  It is a page turner.

the Ol’Buzzard

SUN TEA

If you love sun tea, I hate to be the one to break your bubble; but you can put the tea bags and water in the refrigerator and get the same cold brewed tea in the same amount of time and you will not have to wait to cool it, or melt your ice cubes and water down your tea with your first glass. 

Sun tea is an urban legend.

But who am I to challenge a culture icon?

the Ol’Buzzard

  

BUDDHISM IS BULLSHIT

500 B.C in India writing was Sanskrit, and few people were capable of reading much less writing.   It is logical to conclude that all the Buddhist scriptures and texts and ceremonies were written long after the Buddha’s death.  Many were passed down by oral history and eventually written and then revised possibly hundreds of times, with each writer adding his own interpretation.   

 Steve Hagen (Buddhism Plain and Simple) –is my favorite Buddhist writer.

“Buddhism is not about beliefs and practices… it is not a religion.   It is about the teachings of awakening – about examining the world clearly.”

Steve Hagen

In his book How The World Can Be The Way It IS, Steve describes his time studying at a monastery in Japan where his mentor would beat him with a bamboo pole while he meditated to urge him into a deeper meditative state.   What kind of bullshit Buddhism is that?

The basic Buddhist story goes that after searching for the meaning of life and being exhausted and near death, the Buddha became enlightened when he was given a bowl of rice and a refreshing drink of water by a beautiful young girl.    To me that is the essence of Buddhism, and all the other bells and whistles and trappings and rituals are bullshit. 

John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” 

Close your eyes and taste that cup of tea.  Feel the texture of the chair you are sitting on.   Study the faces of the people you love.    That is Buddhism plain and simple. 

the Ol’Buzzard

WHERE THE HELL ARE THE CHILDREN?

Before you express your ire on one outrage committed by Donald Trump another outrage has been committed.

Trump places tariffs on Canada.

Trump takes children away from parents at the Mexican border.

Trump acts an ass at the G-7

Trump insults the European allies.

Trump denigrates our NATO alliances

Trump acts treasonous at Russia meeting.

Distraction, distraction, distraction…

But wait: WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE CHILDREN. 

Let’s not forget that there are still thousands of children, including many under five years old, that have been separated from their mothers with no plan to reunite them.     

This atrocity has fallen off the news radar – we have all moved on the new and latest scandal. 

WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE CHILDREN?

Let’s keep asking

the Ol’Buzzard

I'M A VERY STABLE GENIUS

MAJOR GENERAL RANDY RAINBOW DIAGNOSES TRUMP

A VERY STABLE GENIUS

the Ol'Buzzard

TRUMP A TRAITOR?

AN OVERRIPE FRUIT

I have lived through some terrible times.    I was a child during the Second World War and remember the Gold Star flags displayed by families that lost sons to the slaughter of war. 

  I remember the U.S. being the only nation to ever attack a civilian population with two nuclear weapons.

   I was a teenager during the Korean War.

   I lived in the south during segregation and was a young man during the ugliness of integration. 

 I vividly remember the assassination of President Kennedy. 

  I served during the Vietnam War where American politicians cost the lives of 58,479 military young men and women while accomplishing nothing,

 and the memory of the Twin Tower is fresh.

During all this time I never doubted the strength of the United States to recover and move on.
 

 This past week has been disgusting as U.S. President Donald Trump undermined NATO, denigrated the European Union and sided with Russia against U.S. intelligence agencies.  

We have passed the point where investigations are connecting Trump with colluding with a hostile power (Russia) in order to influence the election and elect himself President of the United States.  Now it seems we have crossed the Rubicon.

The blinders are off.  Trump is Putin’s bitch.  His actions of the past two years have crossed over to treason.  


I suspicion that Trump's business empire is totally financed by Russian oligarchs with the approval of Vladimir Putin.  To cross Putin would bring down his financial empire.  With all of Trump’s bravado he acts humble and submissive in the presence of Vladimir Putin and defers to Russian interest in deference to the United States.

In 1954 Vladimir Lenin predicted:

“First, we will take Eastern Europe, then the masses of Asia, then we will encircle the United States which will be the last bastion of capitalism.    We will not have to attack.  It will fall like an overripe fruit into our hands.”

Nakita Khrushchev in the 1960's bragged:

“You Americans are so gullible.  No, you won’t accept Communism outright: but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you finally wake up and find you already have Communism.  We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy, until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands.”  
 

Just think of what has happened over the past two years.  Trump has removed us from the Word Trade Organization.  He is inflicting tariffs that will drive the U.S. economy into an inflation.  He has broken ties with the European Union and has weakened our relationship with NATO partners.  He is now openly aligning himself with Vladimir Putin and siding with the Russian military and GRE over our own intelligence networks.  He, along with the Republican party, are manipulating our courts.    He and Republican legislators are aggressively attacking the FBI, CIA and NSA.   He has held secret meetings with Russian ambassadors and now the Russian Head of State. 

Lenin and Khrushchev seem to have visualized the outcome but mistaken the method.   Who would have ever thought that Russia would be able to elect their own operative to the Presidency of the United States?

It is treason
the Ol'Buzzard

LET'S GET DISTRACTED - WE NEED A BREAK

A little mind blowing rock and roll










Fuck Trump
the Ol'Buzzard

CELEBRATING THE 79th BIRTHDAY OF MAVIS STAPLE

She is still around.  

When my generation goes a rich culture of rock and blues and gospel will have passed with us.   Mavis Staple has covered all the bases.



























Happy Birthday Mavis
You have made the world a richer place

the Ol'Buzzard

HE WHO TROUBLES HIS OWN HOUSE WILL INHERIT THE WIND

It is time Democrats quit pussy-footing around and call out the snow flakes that tend to throw elections to the Republicans. 

Donald Trump just nominated his second Supreme Court Judge that will skew the High Court far right for decades to come.   I am not shocked by this.  Republicans have never keep a secret of their goals: to do away with Social Security and Medicare, overturn Roe vs Wade, oppose gay marriage and gay rights, enact biblical law and give massive tax breaks to the mega-wealthy and mega-corporations.  This is who the Republicans proudly are

.

Republicans play hardball – Democrats play Scrabble

Republicans fall in line – Democrats meander

Republicans demonize Democrats – Democrats talk about their friends across the aisle.

There is only one way to stop this bullshit.

If we believe in democratic socialist principles – that the government has a responsibility to improve the lives of its citizens – then we must give up our milk toast, politically correct demeanor and our fear of offending people.   We need to call it as it is.

If you could not bring yourself to vote for Hillary Clinton because of her e-mails, or you could not vote for Republicans or Democrats because both parties are imperfect, or because of your desired to appear pure and independent to your friends and neighbors you voted Libertarian or Green Party - then I don’t want to hear your lamentations when Roe vs Wade is overruled, when the Affordable Health Care is rolled back, Gay rights are no longer constitutionally protected or children are being taken away from their mothers …

There are only two viable parties in this country and in a Presidential election - either a Democrat or a Republican will be elected.  If purity required you opt out of supporting the Democratic candidate in the past election, then by default you enabled the Republicans.

  

So, if you did not vote for the Democrat in the past presidential election, then shut the fuck up.  You own this.

 

the Ol’Buzzard

I HAD A DREAM LAST NIGHT

It was a hot night without air conditioning.   When I finally fell into a restless slumber I dreamt one of those bizarre night-frights that often accompany a disturbed sleep.

THE PLACE: The White House East Wing.

Two secret service agents are stationed in the hallway just down from Trump’s bedroom.  Trumps personal agent, code name Papa Bear is talking to Melania’s personal agent who is new on the job, code name Mama Bear.

Mama Bear: Boy, this is a rough night for me.  Melania has been drinking all afternoon and she is in a shit mood.

Papa Bear:  I don’t wonder.  This is the one night each month Melania is required to have sex with PODUS. 

Mama Bear: What do you mean required?

Papa Bear: I think it is in her pre-nup.   She puts out, or else it leaves her open to the loss of any cash obligation from her husband. 

 

Mama Bear:  Hell, I’d want to be drunk too if I had to see POTUS naked, much less have sex with him.

Papa Bear:  Yeah, I have seen him naked and it's not a pretty sight.  I won’t be able to get it out of my head for a long time, if ever.  Anyway, earlier I took POTUS in a supersize bucket of Colonel Sanders fried chicken so maybe he will be distracted, and we can skip sex night.

 

Mama Bear:   Shouldn’t we be closer to their room.

  

Papa Bear:   Do you really want to hear what goes on in there tonight?

Mama Bear and Papa Bear are joined by Holy Bear, Vice President Mike Pence’s personal Secret service agent. 

Holly Bear:  What’s up guys.

Papa Bear:  We’re just standing watch as usual.  What are you doing here?

Holy Bear:  Mike is meeting with Jeff Sessions in the adjoining room to PODUS'  bedroom.   They are discussing something they want to bring before the President later tonight. 

Papa Bear:  Why isn’t Sessions agent here?

Holy Bear:  He’s in the kitchen getting snacks for the meeting.  POTUS is always more amenable when he has food in front of him.

Mama Bear:  What’s that noise?

Jeff sessions rushes out of the sitting room. 

Sessions:  Oh my god they are killing each other!   I’m getting the vapors!

  

Jeff swoons.

Holy Bear runs to Sessions and tries to revives him. 

Holy Bear:  Mr. Sessions, what’s going on.  What’s wrong?

Sessions groggily:  It’s awful, the noise coming out of the Presidents bedroom.  It is terrible!   Melania is screaming, and Trump is making the most awful sounds.  Something bad is going on.   You boys need to get in there.

Papa Bear:   I’m not going in there.

Mama Bear:  Me neither.

Sessions:  Somebody needs to go in.  It sounds like the President is having a fit!

Papa Bear:   Fuck.   Why doesn’t Pence go in?

Sessions:   He can’t.   He promised God he would never go into a room where a woman was drinking without his wife.   But he is praying.

Session swoons again.

Papa Bear:  Holy Bear: get the nurse up here.  We are going to have to go in.

Mama Bear:   What do you mean we?

Papa Bear:  You’re going with me – your charge may be in trouble too.

The Secret service agents respond.  In the adjoining sitting room Mike Pence is on his knees praying.  There is fitful guttural noise coming from the President’s bedroom and Melania is swearing in a mixture of Slovenian and English.

  

The agents knock on the door to Trump’s bedroom and after a few seconds crack the door open and look in.

Trump is lying on the bed among an array of fried chicken and smashed mashed potatoes.  His face is purple and drool is running down his chin onto his chest - he seems to be both choking and in a rage.    There is a huge red spot on the sheet covering the President.  For a moment the agents are transfixed, but then they respond with their training. 

 

Mama Bear approaches Melania and tries to calm her.  She is screaming: Fuck you – you no fucking good President– you little dick – now you no dick. 

Mama Bears efforts are in vane and Melania raves on.

Papa bear does a quick triage.  The President is having trouble breathing, though in a rage.  It appears his dick has been cut off and he is bleeding profoundly. 

 

In triage you always treat breathing difficulties before bleeding.  Papa bear grab Trump’s dick stub and apply pressure while at the same time attempting to open the President’s mouth to look for an obstruction.

 

Just at that moment the nurse arrives.   After a quick assessment she tells Papa Bear to continue stemming the bleeding from Trump’s dick stub while she tries to calm the President and look in his mouth.  

Trump slumps on his pillow in semi-consciousness and the nurse is able to view the obstruction.  With a pair of forceps, she is finally able to dislodge a full drumstick, extra crispy, from the President’s esophagus.  He begins to breath heavily, and quickly the color returns to his face.  Within a few minutes he is able to talk.

Trump:  That bitch bit off my dick when she was supposed to be giving me head.   I want you to call my lawyer right away.   I’ll sue her.  Throw the bitch in jail.  I want her executed!  Where is Kelly?

The paramedics arrive and load Trump onto a gurney for transportation.  He refuses to let them transport him until they gathered the uneaten chicken and given it to him in the KFC bucket.

 

Late that evening Papa Bear and Mama bear are comparing notes.

Papa Bear:  POTUS is stabilized.   Kelly is with him and Trump is demanding a firing line for Melania.   By the way, do you know what happened to severed penis part?

 

Mama Bear:  It seems Melania swallowed the dick and refuses to vomit it up.  The VP is wondering whether Melania can be forced to have her stomach pumped; but the ACLU has come to her defense.   Fox News is demanding Kelly get Sessions to apply for a search warrant through the federal judge of the DC court in order to force Melania to surrender the organ; but it looks like a court battle, perhaps all the way to the supreme court could ensue.  By that time the dick will be digested.   I was with Melania when she was approached to submit to the procedure, she just shook her head and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.   According to my assignment I have to protect her, with force if necessary.  Fuck, I am in the frying pan.

Papa Bear:   It is my understanding that Rudy Giuliani has proposed Caitlyn Jenner's dick as a replacement.  He says Caitlyn probably doesn't use it anyway.

The next day at the White House briefing, Sarah Sanders announces that due to an unavoidable accident the President had one of the digits on his huge hand severed; but due to his remarkable genomes he will surely be able to grow another in record time.   She added:  The First Lady is in severe distress due to her husband’s discomfort and has moved back to Trump Tower. 

 

Then I woke up.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

the Ol’Buzzard

HOW HOT IS IT?

BUT

BEFORE AND AFTER

With all the hot weather forecast this summer my wife and I decided we should get our oldest cat a haircut.   

BEFORE 

After

My wife says she looks like Dobby the house elf on Harry Potter. 

the Ol'Buzzard

WHY TICKS IN MAINE?

Maine is now one of the highest states for incidences of lime disease.  This is understandable because so many people work in the woods and Maine is an outdoor paradise for sportsmen.  

During the sixties and seventies I was a survival instructor in northern Maine.  We put as many as fifty students through our courses a week and never once did we have a tick on any instructor or student.   

Ticks came into Maine sometimes in the nineties.  Now they are a major concern whenever you go into fields or woods. 

BILL MAHER EXPLAINS WHY WE HAVE TICKS IN MAINE

We live in a new world
and we can't go back
the Ol'Buzzard