Hi everyone,
After a long discussion with Dudley Sharp, internationally
known advocate of capital punishment, including as to how
to proceed with showcasing our conversation on the merits
and detriments of same, Mr. Sharp expressed some reservations
with having our exchange posted here, as the format was not one
in which he was comfortable with after all. He did, however,
inform me that he did an exchange in this fashion ten years
earlier with Eric Zorn, a political columnist for the Chicago
Tribune, and he graciously gave me the link to it to post here
for you, my loyal readers, to view. As we never did conclude
our own exchange on this subject, I shall instead post this link
that Mr. Sharp provided.
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2000/04rhubarb-patch-the-death-penalty-.html
It is not your fair-minded Peasant's desire to make a guest,
be that guest an ally or an adversary, intentionally uncomfortable.
The Peasant wishes to thank Dudley Sharp for visiting this blog,
and to share the discussion with Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune
via the above-posted link. I apologize to Mr. Sharp and to you,
my fantastic readers, for not getting this posted earlier; there were
stories demanding your diligent Peasant's attention along with
your audience which claimed priority, as well as some holidays
and special events. Enjoy the Sharp-Zorn exchange and we'll get
together next week with the latest political news to hash out.
MEM
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
It Was A Very Good Year!
Happy First Anniversary everybody!
Your beloved Peasant has been wielding his Pitchfork for all
of one year, sticking it to the elitists, the liars, the false friends
and allies, the spineless, and the sellouts on our political scene
in the service of the cause of conservative/libertarian political
thought and its byproduct --- clean, constitutional, limited,
ethical government. Your favorite Peasant has given support
to true conservatives, while announcing and celebrating the
successes of the fledgeling Tea Party Movement. And I have
enjoed every minute of sharing with you, my beloved readers,
my observations, thoughts, and opinions on the political news
throughout this exciting inaugural year of Peasant With A
Pitchfork! Your wonderful company on this journey made it
all the more joyful!
During these past twelve months we have watched the birth of
the biggest populist movement to come along since the one which
led to the birth of our great country; the Tea Party Movement,
inspired by the movement of over 200 years ago to create an
independent, sovereign nation, answerable to no monarch or
dictator, an unheard of undertaking in its time, is the reaffirmation
of the principle of government of, by, and for the people as
opposed to that of, by, and for an arrogant, self-serving elite
like we have now. The self-styled elites in both major political
parties have been put on notice that We The People won't take
any more of their BS! We Tea Party Activists led the charge to
oust liberal and moderate Republicans from office in Congress
and in state legislatures during the party primaries --- Democrats,
your turn will be on Election Day in November!
In that time frame we have seen the legislative plans of President
Obama and the Democrats defeated or waylaid. Yes, Obama's
socialized medicine plan was apssed and signed, but at least 16
states as of this posting have filed suit to have this legislation
invalidated on the grounds that citizens cannot be mandated by
federal law to purchase any product or service; the Constitution
makes no such provision or allowance. And, the legal process
will tie up so-called Obamacare for a L-O-O-O-O-O-O-N-G
time before a ruling comes down by the Supreme Court, as the
case is sure to be appealed all the way to that lofty nine.
Although I established this blog for a national audience --- as it
is, after all, devoted to observation and commentary on the
American political scene --- your wonderful Peasant has
attracted readers outside the United States! Now I have a
cousin in Ireland and an American friend currently living and
working in New Zealand who follow Peasant With A Pitchfork;
I announced to them the launching of this blog. Recently,
however, I have gained audiences in Canada, Great Britain,
denmark, Latvia, Israel, and China (!). As to the last country
mentioned, I have to wonder just how much of my content is
actually getting through the comrade's censorship filter system.
But at least I know that some of the Chinese people are reading
Peasant, even if it is mostly (or only) their communist govern-
ment's censors! The Peasant welcomes all of you from around
the world to sip the wine of the politics of limited government!
Thank you all, my dear readers, from near and far, for helping
your diligent Peasant make Peasant With A Pitchfork a
success!
In appreciation, The Peasant wants you all to know that you're
all so very special to me. Your loyal readership, your support,
your criticisms, and your praise have lifted me and this blog to
incredible heights! Thanks to each and every one of you, my
humble blog and I have achieved so much more tham I dared
hope for, especially in this my blog's first year! A publication,
any publication, be it in print or online, is nothing without a solid,
loyal, interested readership. You are the secret to this very
publication's, and my, success! May your faithful, humble
Peasant never cease to prove himself and his Pitchfork worthy
of your support!
To quote the late, great Frank Sinatra, "It was a very good year!"
MEM
Your beloved Peasant has been wielding his Pitchfork for all
of one year, sticking it to the elitists, the liars, the false friends
and allies, the spineless, and the sellouts on our political scene
in the service of the cause of conservative/libertarian political
thought and its byproduct --- clean, constitutional, limited,
ethical government. Your favorite Peasant has given support
to true conservatives, while announcing and celebrating the
successes of the fledgeling Tea Party Movement. And I have
enjoed every minute of sharing with you, my beloved readers,
my observations, thoughts, and opinions on the political news
throughout this exciting inaugural year of Peasant With A
Pitchfork! Your wonderful company on this journey made it
all the more joyful!
During these past twelve months we have watched the birth of
the biggest populist movement to come along since the one which
led to the birth of our great country; the Tea Party Movement,
inspired by the movement of over 200 years ago to create an
independent, sovereign nation, answerable to no monarch or
dictator, an unheard of undertaking in its time, is the reaffirmation
of the principle of government of, by, and for the people as
opposed to that of, by, and for an arrogant, self-serving elite
like we have now. The self-styled elites in both major political
parties have been put on notice that We The People won't take
any more of their BS! We Tea Party Activists led the charge to
oust liberal and moderate Republicans from office in Congress
and in state legislatures during the party primaries --- Democrats,
your turn will be on Election Day in November!
In that time frame we have seen the legislative plans of President
Obama and the Democrats defeated or waylaid. Yes, Obama's
socialized medicine plan was apssed and signed, but at least 16
states as of this posting have filed suit to have this legislation
invalidated on the grounds that citizens cannot be mandated by
federal law to purchase any product or service; the Constitution
makes no such provision or allowance. And, the legal process
will tie up so-called Obamacare for a L-O-O-O-O-O-O-N-G
time before a ruling comes down by the Supreme Court, as the
case is sure to be appealed all the way to that lofty nine.
Although I established this blog for a national audience --- as it
is, after all, devoted to observation and commentary on the
American political scene --- your wonderful Peasant has
attracted readers outside the United States! Now I have a
cousin in Ireland and an American friend currently living and
working in New Zealand who follow Peasant With A Pitchfork;
I announced to them the launching of this blog. Recently,
however, I have gained audiences in Canada, Great Britain,
denmark, Latvia, Israel, and China (!). As to the last country
mentioned, I have to wonder just how much of my content is
actually getting through the comrade's censorship filter system.
But at least I know that some of the Chinese people are reading
Peasant, even if it is mostly (or only) their communist govern-
ment's censors! The Peasant welcomes all of you from around
the world to sip the wine of the politics of limited government!
Thank you all, my dear readers, from near and far, for helping
your diligent Peasant make Peasant With A Pitchfork a
success!
In appreciation, The Peasant wants you all to know that you're
all so very special to me. Your loyal readership, your support,
your criticisms, and your praise have lifted me and this blog to
incredible heights! Thanks to each and every one of you, my
humble blog and I have achieved so much more tham I dared
hope for, especially in this my blog's first year! A publication,
any publication, be it in print or online, is nothing without a solid,
loyal, interested readership. You are the secret to this very
publication's, and my, success! May your faithful, humble
Peasant never cease to prove himself and his Pitchfork worthy
of your support!
To quote the late, great Frank Sinatra, "It was a very good year!"
MEM
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Justice and Helping the Poor
Conservatives and liberals have for years argued
back and forth about how we as a society should
assist the poor among us. The debate has intensified
in recent years as our nation's government has expanded
to greater size and scope than ever before under President
Obama and the Democrats.
Liberals seek the shrinkage of the gaps between the rich
and the poor through government intervention, in the form
of taking from the former to give to the latter via taxation;
the monies going to fund government programs established
to give the poor housing, food, medical care, education,
and legal services, among many things to ease their lives.
Conservatives favor charitable giving from individuals,
giving what they are able to give to charities and places
of worship which similarly target the collected monies.
Liberals support potentially unfair treatment by government
in order to achieve equitable results. Conservatives support fair
and comparable treatment from government which may result in
potentially inequitable results, but would still give relief to the
poor while ensuring that individuals keep the fruits of their
labors and the security of their property without confiscation
by the government or anyone else.
The problem with the liberals' solution to poverty is that it
is wasteful in its allocation of resources to the poor, in that
the programs which they create, among other drawbacks,
does not both establish and enforce a means standard for
receiving the help intended for the poor. Many were the times
when programs gave out money to people who not only didn't
qualify for the payments but also to people who figured out
how to "game" the system in order to receive much more
money than they were supposed to receive, if they were to
receive any money at all. This leads to not only increased
dependence upon government programs and the taxpayers
who fund the programs through their not at all voluntary
contributions. Conservatives want to replace these programs
with private initiatives, meaning voluntary giving monies to
charities, which would have more leeway --- and incentive
--- to more efficiently steward the monies in assisting the
economically hurting. However, many people on both the
right and the left see this as an uphill battle with a dash of
"mission impossible", in that they think that there would not
be, and never would be, enough money to cure the ills of
the impoverished in the United States, so they think that while
it is fine to promote private charitable activity, we also ought
not push the government out of the process. But then, the
conservatives want to cut back on the money taken by the
government to fund its anti-poverty programs and implement
oversight measures to have accountability and efficiency
in the programs' operations, while liberals balk at both,
especially at the former, claiming that the poor would be
deprived of necessary assistance.
Lately some liberals, including some who are prominent in
government, have been referring to the Bible, in quotations
and in general references in order to exhort Americans in
supporting increased government spending on the many
programs established to lessen poverty. Funny this, coming
from the same bunch who frequently cry, "Seperate church
and state!" when discussing other issues, such as student
vouchers for children so that they can attend private schools,
some of which are schools run by the Catholic church, or
some other religious institutions. Those who would benefit most
from the vouchers would be children from low-income families,
as they would have an opportunity at a better quality education
than they would otherwise receive from the public school system
and their tired, poorly run, decaying (both physically and edu-
cationally) schools, being in thrall to the teacher's unions which
resist reform with vehemence. These same unions are hardly
citadels of conservatism, it must be stated. Let's briefly examine
Scripture to see what it really advocates re: justice for the poor.
No, I'm not going to go all "Sunday school" on you, my wonder-
ful readers, but the subject matter discussed here requires a
quick but studious look at some Bible passages:
Leviticus 19: 15 states: "You shall not commit a perversion of
justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the
great; with righteousness shall you judge your fellow." This
means that we are admonished not to "favor the poor" BEFORE
we are warned "not to honor the great," for favoring the impov-
erished is an even stronger human temptation, albeit one of
what is good and noble within us as humans. For here, some
might be harsh with those who are well-to-do just to be "just".
And in the Jewish faith, Rabbi Shlomo Rashi, an 11th century
intellectual figure who is one of the most influential teachers
of the Torah, gives us this: "Do not say that since the wealthy
man is obligated to help the poor one, it is proper for a judge
to rule in favor of the poor litigant so that he will be supported
in dignity. The Torah insists that justice be rendered honestly;
charity may not interfere with it." So, according to Rabbi Rashi,
helping the poor is and shall always be an individual obligation
on the godly, but should not be the driving force of the law in
the treatment of same. In other words, we must stop penalizing
the wealthy in order to be caring to the impoverished.
The Peasant says we ought to do two things: to make a system
of justice which allows people to keep more of their earnings
from their enterprising activities and to be secure in their property,
which in turn will give people more money for charitable activities,
and, as individuals, engage ourselves in those charitable activities.
This prescription is consistent with the scriptural passage and the
advice of Rabbi Rashi which we have just discussed here.
We must put our money where our mouths are. And in so doing, we
will shut the mouths of those who want to foist an increasingly
redistributionist system of justice on us, and have the unmitigated
gall to attempt to justify their plans with Scripture.
NOTE: Your faithful Peasant will not be posting next week, so that
I shall have the time to prepare a very special post which I shall
publish on or about September 23, the first anniversary of this blog.
"Peasant With A Pitchfork" will be celebrating one year in existence,
to the enjoyment and gladness of you, my beloved readers, and to
the frustration and consternation of our enemies: the elitist, statist,
insular politicians and their allies who want to turn our great
country into a place we patriots would not recognize, nor would
want any part of. Let freedom ring! MEM
back and forth about how we as a society should
assist the poor among us. The debate has intensified
in recent years as our nation's government has expanded
to greater size and scope than ever before under President
Obama and the Democrats.
Liberals seek the shrinkage of the gaps between the rich
and the poor through government intervention, in the form
of taking from the former to give to the latter via taxation;
the monies going to fund government programs established
to give the poor housing, food, medical care, education,
and legal services, among many things to ease their lives.
Conservatives favor charitable giving from individuals,
giving what they are able to give to charities and places
of worship which similarly target the collected monies.
Liberals support potentially unfair treatment by government
in order to achieve equitable results. Conservatives support fair
and comparable treatment from government which may result in
potentially inequitable results, but would still give relief to the
poor while ensuring that individuals keep the fruits of their
labors and the security of their property without confiscation
by the government or anyone else.
The problem with the liberals' solution to poverty is that it
is wasteful in its allocation of resources to the poor, in that
the programs which they create, among other drawbacks,
does not both establish and enforce a means standard for
receiving the help intended for the poor. Many were the times
when programs gave out money to people who not only didn't
qualify for the payments but also to people who figured out
how to "game" the system in order to receive much more
money than they were supposed to receive, if they were to
receive any money at all. This leads to not only increased
dependence upon government programs and the taxpayers
who fund the programs through their not at all voluntary
contributions. Conservatives want to replace these programs
with private initiatives, meaning voluntary giving monies to
charities, which would have more leeway --- and incentive
--- to more efficiently steward the monies in assisting the
economically hurting. However, many people on both the
right and the left see this as an uphill battle with a dash of
"mission impossible", in that they think that there would not
be, and never would be, enough money to cure the ills of
the impoverished in the United States, so they think that while
it is fine to promote private charitable activity, we also ought
not push the government out of the process. But then, the
conservatives want to cut back on the money taken by the
government to fund its anti-poverty programs and implement
oversight measures to have accountability and efficiency
in the programs' operations, while liberals balk at both,
especially at the former, claiming that the poor would be
deprived of necessary assistance.
Lately some liberals, including some who are prominent in
government, have been referring to the Bible, in quotations
and in general references in order to exhort Americans in
supporting increased government spending on the many
programs established to lessen poverty. Funny this, coming
from the same bunch who frequently cry, "Seperate church
and state!" when discussing other issues, such as student
vouchers for children so that they can attend private schools,
some of which are schools run by the Catholic church, or
some other religious institutions. Those who would benefit most
from the vouchers would be children from low-income families,
as they would have an opportunity at a better quality education
than they would otherwise receive from the public school system
and their tired, poorly run, decaying (both physically and edu-
cationally) schools, being in thrall to the teacher's unions which
resist reform with vehemence. These same unions are hardly
citadels of conservatism, it must be stated. Let's briefly examine
Scripture to see what it really advocates re: justice for the poor.
No, I'm not going to go all "Sunday school" on you, my wonder-
ful readers, but the subject matter discussed here requires a
quick but studious look at some Bible passages:
Leviticus 19: 15 states: "You shall not commit a perversion of
justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the
great; with righteousness shall you judge your fellow." This
means that we are admonished not to "favor the poor" BEFORE
we are warned "not to honor the great," for favoring the impov-
erished is an even stronger human temptation, albeit one of
what is good and noble within us as humans. For here, some
might be harsh with those who are well-to-do just to be "just".
And in the Jewish faith, Rabbi Shlomo Rashi, an 11th century
intellectual figure who is one of the most influential teachers
of the Torah, gives us this: "Do not say that since the wealthy
man is obligated to help the poor one, it is proper for a judge
to rule in favor of the poor litigant so that he will be supported
in dignity. The Torah insists that justice be rendered honestly;
charity may not interfere with it." So, according to Rabbi Rashi,
helping the poor is and shall always be an individual obligation
on the godly, but should not be the driving force of the law in
the treatment of same. In other words, we must stop penalizing
the wealthy in order to be caring to the impoverished.
The Peasant says we ought to do two things: to make a system
of justice which allows people to keep more of their earnings
from their enterprising activities and to be secure in their property,
which in turn will give people more money for charitable activities,
and, as individuals, engage ourselves in those charitable activities.
This prescription is consistent with the scriptural passage and the
advice of Rabbi Rashi which we have just discussed here.
We must put our money where our mouths are. And in so doing, we
will shut the mouths of those who want to foist an increasingly
redistributionist system of justice on us, and have the unmitigated
gall to attempt to justify their plans with Scripture.
NOTE: Your faithful Peasant will not be posting next week, so that
I shall have the time to prepare a very special post which I shall
publish on or about September 23, the first anniversary of this blog.
"Peasant With A Pitchfork" will be celebrating one year in existence,
to the enjoyment and gladness of you, my beloved readers, and to
the frustration and consternation of our enemies: the elitist, statist,
insular politicians and their allies who want to turn our great
country into a place we patriots would not recognize, nor would
want any part of. Let freedom ring! MEM
Friday, September 3, 2010
Labor Day Greetings!
To My Beloved Readers,
Your friendly neighborhood Peasant wishes all of you
a wonderful, enjoyable, and relaxing Labor Day!
May you enjoy comfortable weather, good company,
good food, and good times!
See you all next week!
MEM
Your friendly neighborhood Peasant wishes all of you
a wonderful, enjoyable, and relaxing Labor Day!
May you enjoy comfortable weather, good company,
good food, and good times!
See you all next week!
MEM
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The Tea Party Heats Up Alaska
Your wonderful Peasant brings wonderful news!
Conservative challenger Joe Miller, Tea Party pick,
won the Alaska Republican Senate primary gaining
the party's nomination to run in the general election in
November booting RINO Sen. Lisa Murkowski! It was
a real nail-biter, but after the ballot votes were counted
and the votes from Alaskans outside of the state, particularly
those in our military were starting to be tallied, the trend
began looking ominous for Murkowski. She wisely and
graciously conceded the primary to Miller, a West Point
alumnus and U.S. Army veteran.
Note to RINOs and your candidates: this is what shall continue
to happen to you in the primaries to come! We in the Tea Party
Movement cleansed Congress of your ilk in GOP contests
throughout this election year, replacing you elitist stiffs with
principled, committed, contitutional, conservative candidates
who will not be mesmerized by the beltway's siren song of
clubby, comfy isolation from the people. We shall make the
Republican Party the vehicle for conservatism and its hallmark
of limited government once again, and ride this vehicle into
battle against the Democrats and their vehicle for massive
government, assaults on our liberties, and endless confiscation
of the fruits of our labors to fund their statist programs and to
line their pockets and those of their cronies! We want no more
of Republicans who want to get along by going along and thus
enable the Democrats in further turning government into their
very own empire! We want a party which will fight for us, not
fight us! We want to have ONE political party in this country
which will be our political home, our haven, and our means of
effecting REAL change, not the "change" that Obama has foisted
upon us, and not offer us a somewhat watered-down version
of what the Democrats have crafted!
RINOs, your days are numbered. Soon, you will be but a foot-
note in the history books of our country's politics and nothing
more. And after we Tea Partiers toss you onto the scrap heap
of history we're going to do the same to the Democrats and the
entire putrid liberal establishment!
MEM
Conservative challenger Joe Miller, Tea Party pick,
won the Alaska Republican Senate primary gaining
the party's nomination to run in the general election in
November booting RINO Sen. Lisa Murkowski! It was
a real nail-biter, but after the ballot votes were counted
and the votes from Alaskans outside of the state, particularly
those in our military were starting to be tallied, the trend
began looking ominous for Murkowski. She wisely and
graciously conceded the primary to Miller, a West Point
alumnus and U.S. Army veteran.
Note to RINOs and your candidates: this is what shall continue
to happen to you in the primaries to come! We in the Tea Party
Movement cleansed Congress of your ilk in GOP contests
throughout this election year, replacing you elitist stiffs with
principled, committed, contitutional, conservative candidates
who will not be mesmerized by the beltway's siren song of
clubby, comfy isolation from the people. We shall make the
Republican Party the vehicle for conservatism and its hallmark
of limited government once again, and ride this vehicle into
battle against the Democrats and their vehicle for massive
government, assaults on our liberties, and endless confiscation
of the fruits of our labors to fund their statist programs and to
line their pockets and those of their cronies! We want no more
of Republicans who want to get along by going along and thus
enable the Democrats in further turning government into their
very own empire! We want a party which will fight for us, not
fight us! We want to have ONE political party in this country
which will be our political home, our haven, and our means of
effecting REAL change, not the "change" that Obama has foisted
upon us, and not offer us a somewhat watered-down version
of what the Democrats have crafted!
RINOs, your days are numbered. Soon, you will be but a foot-
note in the history books of our country's politics and nothing
more. And after we Tea Partiers toss you onto the scrap heap
of history we're going to do the same to the Democrats and the
entire putrid liberal establishment!
MEM
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A Little Treat For You!
Greetings everyone!
The Milwaukee Irish Fest was a blast, as always!
Your favorite Peasant participated in the fest in three
capacities: as a performer (I sang with a singing group
that I have been with for five years, the Milwaukee Irish
Fest Song Circle), a volunteer (I sold CDs and DVDs
in a music booth), and as a festival attendee. I go every
year to the event, and have done so ever since I moved
home from Saint Paul in 2001. It is how I connect with
and celebrate my part-Irish roots; I am also English and
Germanic --- Minor is an English name, and my mother,
God rest her, had parents from Ukraine who were ethnic
Austrians; my paternal great-grandmother's parents were
from Germany. The Milwaukee Irish Fest is the largest
Irish festival in the world, lasting four days and hosting
dozens of Irish and Celtic music artists. This year we had
the pleasure of having Cherish The Ladies sing in concert
(with special guest Maura O'Connell!), The Makems & The
Spains (the Makems are the sons of the late Irish music legend
Tommy Makem, who has appeared in concert here many times,
and the Spains are friends and fellow Irish troubadors),
and Blarney, a local band of American fellows of Irish descent
who play each year at the fest and are good friends of mine.
There are also presentations on Irish culture, history, and politics;
Irish theatre, workshops on playing the Irish drum the bhorain
(pronounced bo-RAN), Irish cuisine (yes, there are many potato
dishes, but many other fine foods can be enjoyed at the fest as
well!), and a fabulous Irish mass on Sunday morning with a
bishop or cardinal from the Emerald Isle itself as celebrant.
If you want more exposure to Irish culture, you must go to the
country itself! That is something that I plan to do, as I have
relations in counties Tipperary and Mayo whom I want to visit.
Meanwhile, I haven't any articles to share this week but I do have
a little treat for you, my fantastic readers --- I found a great video
from a "Troopathon", a televised show dedicated to our brave men
and women in the military who are fighting our radical Islamic
foes in the Middle East. held every few weeks, this particular
show features actress Victoria Jackson, who was a cast member
of the TV show Saturday Night Live some years back. Turns out
that she has only recently gotten involved in politics and is a
conservative! She's one of us!! Who knew!!!
Gee, that will certainly be likely to burn bridges between her
and her old friends from that show, known for its biting
left-wing brand of humor! Listen to Victoria recite a poem of hers,
honoring our military folks and see her do a hand-stand as well!
It's all right here:
http://www.troopathon.org/
When you get there, click on "Program", then scroll down to the
fifth hour of the show (it won't be live, it is a taped show that you'll
see here) and click on her name by her photo. You'll have a ball,
I guarantee it!
While at the web site, do browse other sections and pages to see
other Troopathon videos and get the latest news on the show
as well as related news on our troops and the celebrities who
support them. Move America Forward (MAF) is the fine
organization that produces the Troopathons, and they are
a fantastic bunch patriots!
Next week I'll have some more news from the political scene
to share. Meanwhile, enjoy the Troopathon video footage!
MEM
The Milwaukee Irish Fest was a blast, as always!
Your favorite Peasant participated in the fest in three
capacities: as a performer (I sang with a singing group
that I have been with for five years, the Milwaukee Irish
Fest Song Circle), a volunteer (I sold CDs and DVDs
in a music booth), and as a festival attendee. I go every
year to the event, and have done so ever since I moved
home from Saint Paul in 2001. It is how I connect with
and celebrate my part-Irish roots; I am also English and
Germanic --- Minor is an English name, and my mother,
God rest her, had parents from Ukraine who were ethnic
Austrians; my paternal great-grandmother's parents were
from Germany. The Milwaukee Irish Fest is the largest
Irish festival in the world, lasting four days and hosting
dozens of Irish and Celtic music artists. This year we had
the pleasure of having Cherish The Ladies sing in concert
(with special guest Maura O'Connell!), The Makems & The
Spains (the Makems are the sons of the late Irish music legend
Tommy Makem, who has appeared in concert here many times,
and the Spains are friends and fellow Irish troubadors),
and Blarney, a local band of American fellows of Irish descent
who play each year at the fest and are good friends of mine.
There are also presentations on Irish culture, history, and politics;
Irish theatre, workshops on playing the Irish drum the bhorain
(pronounced bo-RAN), Irish cuisine (yes, there are many potato
dishes, but many other fine foods can be enjoyed at the fest as
well!), and a fabulous Irish mass on Sunday morning with a
bishop or cardinal from the Emerald Isle itself as celebrant.
If you want more exposure to Irish culture, you must go to the
country itself! That is something that I plan to do, as I have
relations in counties Tipperary and Mayo whom I want to visit.
Meanwhile, I haven't any articles to share this week but I do have
a little treat for you, my fantastic readers --- I found a great video
from a "Troopathon", a televised show dedicated to our brave men
and women in the military who are fighting our radical Islamic
foes in the Middle East. held every few weeks, this particular
show features actress Victoria Jackson, who was a cast member
of the TV show Saturday Night Live some years back. Turns out
that she has only recently gotten involved in politics and is a
conservative! She's one of us!! Who knew!!!
Gee, that will certainly be likely to burn bridges between her
and her old friends from that show, known for its biting
left-wing brand of humor! Listen to Victoria recite a poem of hers,
honoring our military folks and see her do a hand-stand as well!
It's all right here:
http://www.troopathon.org/
When you get there, click on "Program", then scroll down to the
fifth hour of the show (it won't be live, it is a taped show that you'll
see here) and click on her name by her photo. You'll have a ball,
I guarantee it!
While at the web site, do browse other sections and pages to see
other Troopathon videos and get the latest news on the show
as well as related news on our troops and the celebrities who
support them. Move America Forward (MAF) is the fine
organization that produces the Troopathons, and they are
a fantastic bunch patriots!
Next week I'll have some more news from the political scene
to share. Meanwhile, enjoy the Troopathon video footage!
MEM
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Peasant Takes Another Breather
Hi everybody!
Your favorite Peasant is in need of a little time off
once again. I have a truck load of stuff coming at me
in the coming week, and will therefore be unable to
get together with you, my beloved readers until the
following week.
For a start, I have been working for a friend who
owns a landscaping enterprise, and will have a day
or two of work with him this coming week. Normally,
this would have no impact on my posting schedule,
but from Thursday, 8/19 through Sunday, 8/22 I shall
be at the Milwaukee Irish Fest. There, I'll be wearing
three hats; those of festival volunteer, musical performer,
and festival attendee. I am a member of the Milwaukee
Irish Fest Song Circle, and we sing in concert at our
Irish Fest every year, customarily putting on two shows
each festival; one on Saturday, one on Sunday.
As a volunteer, I shall be selling CDs and DVDs at a
booth by one of the music stages on Friday 8/20.
I did this last year as well as sing with the Circle.
Additionally, I shall be getting together with some
local friends and with some cousins from out of town
(one from the Emerald Isle itself!) at Irish Fest. This is
one of the ways in which your wonderful Peasant
celebrates the Irish part of his heritage; I am also
English and German; Minor is an English name.
So many thanks to you, my loyal readers, for both your
understanding and your indulgence! We shall get together
again in the final week of the month to sift and sort through
the political news to see who's been naughty and nice, to
commend and support the former and to castigate and
rebuke the latter --- and have a ball doing it all!
MEM
Your favorite Peasant is in need of a little time off
once again. I have a truck load of stuff coming at me
in the coming week, and will therefore be unable to
get together with you, my beloved readers until the
following week.
For a start, I have been working for a friend who
owns a landscaping enterprise, and will have a day
or two of work with him this coming week. Normally,
this would have no impact on my posting schedule,
but from Thursday, 8/19 through Sunday, 8/22 I shall
be at the Milwaukee Irish Fest. There, I'll be wearing
three hats; those of festival volunteer, musical performer,
and festival attendee. I am a member of the Milwaukee
Irish Fest Song Circle, and we sing in concert at our
Irish Fest every year, customarily putting on two shows
each festival; one on Saturday, one on Sunday.
As a volunteer, I shall be selling CDs and DVDs at a
booth by one of the music stages on Friday 8/20.
I did this last year as well as sing with the Circle.
Additionally, I shall be getting together with some
local friends and with some cousins from out of town
(one from the Emerald Isle itself!) at Irish Fest. This is
one of the ways in which your wonderful Peasant
celebrates the Irish part of his heritage; I am also
English and German; Minor is an English name.
So many thanks to you, my loyal readers, for both your
understanding and your indulgence! We shall get together
again in the final week of the month to sift and sort through
the political news to see who's been naughty and nice, to
commend and support the former and to castigate and
rebuke the latter --- and have a ball doing it all!
MEM
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