Vote for balance and equality in The Equality State's Legislature

Linda Stowers from the Laramie County Democrats sends this info: Daily through November 5 we will be making calls to precincts to get out the vote on November 6. We need all of your help. The script is very easy and more of a courtesy call. We will be calling by precincts. The calls can be made from your home or the office and can be done within this time frame. Please help the Democrats in Laramie County get elected. E-mail me at lpstowers at bresnan dot net if you can help and I will arrange to get you a list and script. Your help will make a difference this year.

Multimedia Environmental Concert in Laramie asks "What Can I Do -- to help this planet?"

Vote for Pres. Obama, for one thing.

Here's the event:

"What Can I Do?" Multimedia Environmental Concert
8 p.m., Saturday, November 3
Coal Creek Coffee Company
110 E. Grand Ave, Laramie

This is a 60-75-minute educational keynote presentation featuring the photography of renowned John Fielder, Karl Snyder and Laurie Dameron, video, information and live music. Special guest speaker Erik Molvar, Wildlife Biologist, City Council member in Laramie and Executive Director for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. 

FMI: www.facebook.com/WhatCanIDoSpaceshipEarth and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml4gzZthi5o

Think about this before you shop at the new Menards store being built in Cheyenne

This story originally ran on AlterNet and was reposted on Salon Nov. 1:

This January, as the Iowa Caucuses were underway, Menards began encouraging employees to take an at-home online “civics” course that characterizes the economic policies of President Barack Obama as a threat to the success of businesses such as Menards, and by extension, to the employees’ own well-being.

The course, titled “Civics 101: The National Self Governing Will In-Home Training,” incorporates much of the material comprising the Prosperity 101 program that AlterNet, working in partnership with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, exposed last year — a program concocted by Koch-linked political operatives Mark Block and Linda Hansen, late of the now-defunct Herman Cain presidential campaign. In March, Daniel Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the FBI is investigating possible financial improprieties involving two non-profit organizations founded by Block that are linked to Prosperity 101, which is a for-profit venture.

Full story at Retailer pressures workers to take anti-Obama “civics course”

Slate asks: What if UW President Tom Buchanan had given a speech defending "Carbon Sink?"

From an Oct. 31 article by Michelle Nijhuis on Slate Online about the "Carbon Sink" brouhaha at the University of Wyoming (the controversy that wouldn't die):

The University of Wyoming, like most public universities, has a mission statement that calls for academic freedom and free expression. University donors are supposed to further that mission, not try to restrict it, and university leaders are supposed to defend it.

What if President Buchanan had given a speech...? He could have acknowledged the reaction to Carbon Sink (taking care to first learn its name), and acknowledged the economic and political power of the coal industry in Wyoming. He could have acknowledged the science -- some conducted at his own university -- that demonstrates the connections between coal power and climate change, and climate change and forest decline. And he could have said that while coal is useful and important, it’s equally important to not only acknowledge its costs but also work to reduce them. He could have pointed to existing university programs aimed at doing just that, and called on the legislature -- and the industry -- to fund more.

It wouldn’t have ended the controversy. But it might have opened the conversation.

Nijhuis also explored another controversy over public art, this one at the University of Indiana at Bloomington. A student group demanded the removal of a Thomas Hart Benton mural that shows KKK members in robes. The KKK almost took over the state of Indiana. Benton was just trying to show his state's history, major warts and all. This controversy ended when the UI President made a speech, refusing to remove the mural, calling on UI students and faculty to use it as a teaching moment. Which they did.

Imagine that?

Whistle Stop Film Festival stops at Mt. Sinai Synagogue in Cheyenne

From Wyoming Community Media's Whistle Stop Film Festival:

Mt. Sinai Synagogue in Cheyenne will present a double feature of two short documentary films on Saturday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.  The films are:

Shanghai Ghetto (95 minutes): A gentle, loving accounting of 20,000 mostly German Jews who were able to escape the Nazi's before World War II started and go to Shanghai, China, where the Japanese were in control of that city.

Visas and Virtues (30 minutes): 1997 Oscar-winning short by Chris Tashima. Haunted by the sight of hundreds of Jewish refugees outside the consulate gates, a Japanese diplomat and his wife, at the beginning of World War II, must decide how much they are willing to risk. Inspired by a true story, this Academy Award® winning portrait gracefully captured in period black and white by noted cinematographer Hiro Narita poignantly pays tribute to the rescuer of 6,000 Jews from the Holocaust.

The movies will be shown in the Social Hall at the Synagogue. For more information, go to
http://mtsinaicheyenne.org/special_events.asp, or contact Jaimee Sodosky, 303-503-1844

Wyoming Public Employees Association releases its list of Nov. 6 endorsements

Spent yesterday evening at union HQ making phone calls for Kathleen Petersen, Democrat running for the seat in House District 8. I left a lot of messages (other people screen their call too) but did talk to a number of people who had already voted for Kathleen or were going to on Nov. 6. Many had talked to the candidate as she made her rounds in Precinct 2-5, which is just a stone's throw from my precinct. We vote at the same place -- the Cheyenne Berean Church on Powderhouse. Anyone who has talked to Kathleen is impressed. We wish her the best on Nov. 6.

My union is the Wyoming Public Employees Union. The WPEA sent out thousands of postcards listing its endorsements for Laramie County legislative races. They are:

SD4: Tony Ross (R)
SD6: Wayne Johnson (R)
SD8: Floyd Esquibel (D)
HD7: Joe Fender (D)
HD8: Kathleen Petersen (D)
HD11: Mary A. Throne (D)
HD12: Lee Filer (D)
HD41: Ken A. Esquibel (D)
HD42: Gary Datus (D)
HD43: Dan Zwonitzer (R)
HD44: James W. Byrd (D)

The WPEA doesn't endorse a candidate unless he/she comes in for an extensive interview by union members. I did a few of those and was impressed by the scope of the process. Many questions concerned preservation of the state's defined benefits pension plan, which TEA Party Republicans want to dismantle. Suffice to say, none of the R's on this list are pension-busters. Some of their opponents are: Sue Wilson (R-TEA Party), HD7; Lynn Hutchings (R-TEA Party), HD42; David Kniseley (R-TEA Party), HD 12. Not sure about Jerry Zellars who is running against incumbent Mary Throne in HD11. I will look up his web site and read the platform.

I received a postcard today from Kathleen's Republican opponent in HD8, Bob Nicholas. Bob's talking points include increasing funding for Cheyenne and Laramie County, and increased funding for LCCC. Lower down on the list, he says that he wants to "limit government spending and interference." Those are code words for "shrink government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub." I believe those are right-winger Grover Norquist's words.

You actually have to fund a government so it can be effective in any number of tasks, such as emergency response (remember last summer's raging wildfires), building schools, paving roads, plowing highways, policing the bad guys, licensing food outlets, monitoring the weather, guiding airplanes so they don't crash, etc. You also have to pay those people a living wage with benefits. That's something that this legislature has refused to do.

Vote for the WPEA slate. And support your local union.

Feel like writing 50,000 words in November? The library wants to help...

Press release from the Laramie County Public Library:

Get ready with your laptops, pens and paper (or even quills and parchment!) for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Participants begin writing on November 1 and must finish their novel on or before November 30. The Laramie County Library will host several events for adults and teens.

The kick-off will be Thursday, November 1, from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Willow Room. We’ll have plenty of food and drink available as you buckle down and get writing for this annual challenge. Bring everything you need to make this a successful hour and a half and get started on your 50,000 words!

Next, on Saturday, November 10, 10:00am-4:00 pm in the Cottonwood Room, participate in a one-day workshop designed to help you navigate the next steps toward publication of your novel. Paths to Publication will have you joining seven Wyoming authors for a day of workshops filled with insights into the journey from “the end” to publication. These workshops are designed for teen and adult novelists at all levels.

Have some crazy fun on Thursday, November 15 from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Willow Room, where you’ll be designing your own book cover. Now’s your chance in this hands-on workshop to create your own cover for a blank book that could be used as a journal, sketchbook, recipe anthology, or even the first draft of your novel! We provide all the supplies needed – just bring your imagination.  Sign up required for this – call 307.634.3561, or visit the library.

The final event for NaNoWriMo will be the wrap-up party on Sunday, December 2, 3:00-4:00pm in the Willow Room. Prizes will be given to everyone who finishes their 50,000 words on time!

Laramie County Library is located at 2200 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne. For more information call the library at 307.634.3561.

Quills and parchment? Count me in...

Mitt Romney: When s*** happens, you are on your own

Columnist Eugene Robinson explores Mitt Romney's stance on disaster response. Let's privatize it! Tell that to the folks in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Connecticut, etc. Read the entire column at http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-romney-would-pass-the-buck-on-disasters/2012/10/29/c1dbbdca-21f2-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_story.html

Outlaw Saloon bans same-sex couples at Wednesday night promotions

Welcome to the Equality State! Cognitive Dissonance out of Laramie carried this photo of a sign posted at the Outlaw Saloon in Cheyenne. Read the inside story at http://cognitivedissonance.tumblr.com/post/34689072166/hey-folks-do-you-live-in-or-near-cheyenne-wyo

Reflections by writers and artists featured at "Listening to Nature" on Nov. 9

Walking neighborhoods for Wyoming Democrats can be educational and even exciting

I've been spending my October Saturdays walking neighborhoods for Democratic Party candidates. I canvassed for Mary Throne in HD11. Canvassing means you actually ring the doorbell of likely voters and talk to them if they answer. Sometimes those people are friendly and sometimes not. More and more homes, it seems, have "no soliciting" signs on front doors. Canvassing is technically not soliciting, but we usually treat it as if it was. Some houses carry more serious signs. "Beware of dog" is one that gets my attention. Candidates tell us to rattle the front gate. If a dog appears, go to the next house. If not, proceed. That usually works, but I've been surprised by dogs a few times. They were friendly, thank goodness. A husband and wife team traveling the spread-out House District 7 yesterday pulled into a driveway and were greeted by two pit bulls. They moved on to the next house. Even dog people think twice about dropping off a leaflet to a pit bull-patrolled residence.

Other signs? "Protected by Smith & Wesson" with a large drawing of a handgun aimed at my face usually commands a few paranoid thoughts. Ditto for "No Trespassing." Not too many of those, except in the very rural areas of the county.

Most Saturday's I've been conducting "lit drops." This calls for the lit dropper to place a door hanger on a doorknob or, if it's windy as it usually is, inside the screen door or under the doormat. It was windy yesterday in HD7, where firefighter and friend of the working man Joe Fender is contesting a Republican for an open seat. I found a number of handy jack-o-lanterns and flower planters on those houses that had neither a mat or a screen door. The houses on the shady side of the streets also carried another hazard -- ice. I was wearing boots but slipped a few times. Nothing serious. Made me appreciate those people who actually shovel or snowblow their sidewalks and driveways.

Another thought occurred to me. Many people never use their front doors. They drive into the garage and enter that way. In some developments, such as The Pointe, houses have no mailboxes. The mail is delivered to mailboxes clustered for each neighborhood. So the only people using some sidewalks are political candidates, the UPS man, neighbors and friends. Yesterday, I didn't see a whole lot of activity in The Pointe. Saw two people walking their dogs, two joggers, a couple of kids, and cars driving down the street. It was a cold day so people were inside -- I can understand that. Still, it might be a bit more neighborly to clear your sidewalks of snow and ice.

Last Saturday, I did a lit drop for Lee Filer in HD12. His opponent is David Knisely, who attended last week's TEA Party rally in Lions Park. It's another open seat and one that Democrats need to win. We have some great candidates in Laramie County, the state's most populous with 16 percent of its people. It's growing, too. This makes it a real challenge for candidates. Wyoming is a state that likes personal contact with those running for public office. The county has more than 41,000 housing units, according to 2010 census figures (and 2011 updates). That's a lot of walking and riding and talking and hand shaking. Both Filer and Fender have a great shot at winning open seats. It's also good that they are running against TEA Party extremists.

There's another hazard that doesn't get much attention. People are on high alert for strangers in their neighborhoods. We've recently had some high-profile child abductions in Wyoming and Colorado. One girl in Westminster, Colo., was abducted and killed. So it wasn't too surprising when someone called the cops on me last Saturday. I was walking the Harmony Meadows neighborhood in Lee Filer's district. Nice, new affordable houses. Most were occupied, although I did see foreclose signs on two abandoned houses.

I was just about finished with my rounds when a Cheyenne police cruiser drove by slowly. I waved; the car stopped. I walked up to the car's window, expecting it to open. Instead, the police officer got out of the car. He asked me what I was doing. I held up my colorful door hangers and told him. He seemed suspicious. Another police car was coming down the street. The cop explained that someone had called 911 and reported a suspicious man in a blue T-shirt was rattling doorknobs. I was wearing a blue Lee Filer T-shirt. I had hung a number of flyers on doorknobs. I may have rattled some in the process. The policeman asked me about my car. I pointed to the corner and said that's my red Ford Fusion right over there. He looked at the car and back at me. He said O.K., and then walked over to talk to his colleague in the other car. As innocent as I was, I also was a bit shaken. It's no fun getting rousted by the cops. If I was a paranoid type, I might think that some Republican called out of spite. I may have looked suspicious to someone. Maybe an oldster heard the doorknob rattle and then saw my tall shadow pass their window. Two kids had yelled hi to me out of a window and I yelled hi back. Maybe their parents thought something untoward was happening with this guy in their yard. Who knows? I pay attention when I see strangers walking through my neighborhood. Some suspicion is a good thing.

We're rapidly running out of weekends in this election cycle. Thanks goodness, one might say. Hasn't this gone on forever?

Maybe not forever, but it's been a long time. Let's hope we get some Dems into the mix in the Wyoming House and Senate. This one-party state needs some diversity. In this case, we're not only talking cultural and gender diversity but a diversity of opinion and process. Results, too.

This Liberal Arts grad in Wyoming urges Florida creatives to come to a place where they are valued

Florida's Gov. Rick Scott and his hand-picked education commission want to charge creatives more college tuition than science and math majors. Students in creative fields at the big Florida universities, such as UF (my alma mater) and FSU (the enemy campus in Tallahassee), will pay more than students pursuing high-demand fields, such as ag and engineering and medicine. Read all about in the Huffington Post.

I have only one response: Go West, young creatives. In the Big Square States, we value your contributions. Thus far, Colorado and Wyoming and New Mexico and Utah are not talking about charging higher tuition for budding painters than they are for budding lawyers. Sure, tuition is rising, but the Colorado governor (himself a creative sort and an arts supporter) and legislature have said nothing about charging a higher rate for a poet than for a pediatrician. This is a good thing, as I would like to see more writers and musicians attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins than fewer. Sure, I want the pre-med people too, and the computer tech and agronomy majors. We need creativity in all economic sectors. But to charge more? Absurd.

I earned my master of fine arts degree in creative writing from CSU in 1992. I parlayed that into a career in arts administration. Along the way, I've published my own work and continue to do so.

I'm also talking about the University of Wyoming in Laramie. For the first time, according to the UW President's special assistant Mike Massie. campus enrollment has crept above 14,000. 14,000? That's the number of business majors at UF. And, a few years ago, UW embarked on an amazing building boom. Know what the coolest new buildings are on campus? Visual arts and the expanded library. Anthropology, too, and business. The performing arts building will soon get a multimillion dollar overhaul. And so will one of the oldest buildings on campus, the one that houses the English Department and humanities. The English Department! That includes the fine creative writing program, too, a place that boasts fine writers such as Alyson Hagy and Brad Watson and Jeff Lockwood, who's a bug scientist (entomologist,, for those non-English majors) and a fine writer. There's also a slate of visiting writers that will knock your socks off: Salman Rushdie, Francine Prose, John D'Agata, Rebecca Solnit, Don DeLillo, etc. 

Come West, young creatives. We won't stigmatize you or your passions. It will still remain difficult to find jobs, English majors. No guarantees! You still will have student loans to repay and you still must eat (unofficial Wyoming state motto: "You can't eat the scenery"). But a blue ribbon state commission will not tell you that your dreams are worth less than others.

A word about campus censorship. And this is especially important for visual artists. You may have heard about the removal of Chris Drury's environmental sculpture, "Carbon Sink." It truly was a cowardly act, removing a sculpture just because it offended the state's coal industry. We are a conservative state with some heinous attitudes. We have our own birthers and fundies and "Don't Tread on Me" loonies. But what the heck -- you now live in Florida with the likes of Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. The Florida Panhandle is about as redneck as it gets. And you don't have to read Carl Hiaasen's Miami Herald columns or his funky novels to understand the lamebrain nature of the Florida legislature. If you're going to be embroiled in an arts controversy, you may as well come West where the air is clean and you can escape to nearby mountains for solitude and inspiration.

The Front Range is also known (by some) as the Silicon Valley of Craft Breweries. While I shy away from encouraging indulgence in spiritous substances, I also know that  where there are microbrews, there are artrepreneurs and mountain bike shops and nifty bistros and high-tech start-ups. Scientists have yet to prove the axiom: "Which comes first, the microbew or the creative economy." I do know that they go together. When it comes to overindulgence, it's a fact that the craft beer community polices its own. So, if you want to get drunk and cut the fool, you can go back to Florida, get your Parrothead on and drink Jimmy Buffett's crappy beer. Sorry, Jimmy, I love your music but dislike your books and beer. Can't do everything well, even if you do have a mighty platform to operate from.

In my next post, I'm going to share helpful links that can illustrate to you creatives what "Out West" has to offer.

BTW: Go Gators! Beat the Dawgs!

We dread the call in the night, the knock at the door

I often recommend the blog postings of Rodger McDaniel. I just can't help myself. The topics are, well, topical and meaty. The writing is crisp. And the Rev. McDaniel is a feisty Liberal, something we desperately need in Wyoming.

Rev McD served his state as director of the Health Department's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Division during the Freudenthal administration. So, when those topics arise, he has the expertise to address them. That's what he did this morning. He wrote about the late Sen.  George McGovern's greatest loss -- the death of his adult daughter, Teresa. After an eight-year stretch of sobriety, she started drinking again. One cold night, she got drunk, wandered out of her house and froze to death in the snow.

When the men with dour faces came to George McGovern's door in 1994, he knew their mission. This haunted him and his wife Eleanor the rest of their lives. They had decided to put some distance between themselves and their daughter. You could call it "tough love." It is the approach that one learns in AA and Alanon. That's little comfort for parents who lose a child.

We know. All of us who have struggled with this issue. We know how hard it is to say, "No more." We all dread the phone call in the middle of the night. Or the stone-faced messengers at the door. Tough love does not take away the sting of losing that boy or girl that we pushed on the playground swing and carried on our shoulders.

Read Rodger's column here: http://blowinginthewyomingwind.blogspot.com/2012/10/1972-was-not-george-mcgoverns-greatest.html

Dem Rep. Mary Throne holds GOTV lit drop Oct. 28 in Cheyenne

Democrat Mary Throne needs volunteers for a final GOTV lit drop of House District 11 Sunday, October 28 at 3 p.m. 

If you would like to help her campaign and volunteer to canvas, please meet at Mary's house 720 E. 19th Street, Cheyenne, at 3 pm.  

It is very important that we hold Mary's seat this year and she really needs the help and support of all her friends and fellow Dems. 

For more information or to support the campaign, please contact Mary's campaign manager, Kate Wright at 307/220-7447.  

Conspiracists gather in Casper Oct. 27 to hear author of "Behind the Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21"

As I reported on these pages earlier, Tea Party Slim and his pals are in a
lather about Agenda 21, the United Nations' alleged plot to take over our neighborhoods and force us to live in solar-powered Hobbit homes. The following announcement comes from K2 News in Casper. Why is it always Casper? Must have something to do with the loony legacies of hometown Repub faves Dick and Lynne Cheney:

Cheri Steinmetz, former board member for the High Plains Initiative in
Goshen County says during her time on that board she observed
practices that left her uncomfortable and turned her into a strong
advocate for local control of land use decisions.
 
This weekend, the Parkway Plaza in Casper is the venue for an event
featuring the author of the book “Behind the Green Mask; U.N Agenda
21.″ Author Rosa Koire will talk about how smart growth and
sustainability have become blackened terms for those concerned with
property rights.
 
“Wyoming does need to hear what Rosa Koire has to say, because without
being aware of these things, they’re slipping in underneath the radar
and we don’t recognize them, because the words sound so benign and
innocuous.”
 
The event happens at 6:30 pm, Saturday, October 27th at the Parkway
Plaza. It’s free, but Steinmetz says reservations are recommended.
 
The Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, is located at 123 West
E Street in Casper (From I-25 take EXIT 188A)
 
Reserve your seats by contacting: Michelle Starkey: chellat919@aol.com
or Judy Jones: (307) 251-5527 or email fueltransport@mail.wyobeam.com

Better reserve a spot now. Tea Party Slim and his fellow travelers in Cheyenne

are planning a caravan to Casper on Saturday. 

Democratic House candidate Joe Fender holds literature drop on Oct. 27

Joe Fender, candidate for Wyoming House District 7, is having a Lit Drop

this Saturday, October 27. Firefighter Joe needs our help for this important

event. He's running against extremist Republican (yes, yet another one) 

Sue Wilson.

Come to 92 E. Ole Maverick Rd., Cheyenne, at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday

to help. He will be serving brats, beer and hamburgers at 2:30 p.m. Let's 

show our support for Joe. 

Read all about Joe here. 

Wyoming Broadband Summit: New generation of Microsoft data centers to be tested in Cheyenne

Microsoft's Gregg McKnight was in Cheyenne today talking about a pilot project for a new kind of data center. He was a speaker at the first Wyoming Broadband Summit at Little America.

Asked McKnight: “Who would have expected Cheyenne to be the place where the next generation of data centers would arise?”

Not me. Maybe not you, or your neighbors. And possibly not McKnight, not until he visited Cheyenne a few months ago.

He was greeted warmly by officials from the University of Wyoming, Cheyenne LEADS, Board of Public Utilities and other members of the community.

“This was a dream” he said, adding that, over the course of several days, he discovered that Cheyenne “was the ideal location to do business.”

Microsoft wants to build a $7.6 million data center that will run off of methane produced by the city’s Dry Creek Water Reclamation Facility. To that end, the city of Cheyenne will apply for $1.5 million from the Wyoming Business Council's Council’s Business Ready Community Grant and Loan Program. Three weeks ago, the Cheyenne City Council’s Finance Committee gave its approval to move the request forward. If approved, the grant would cover up to $1.5 million of the project’s total cost, with Microsoft providing the balance.

According to officials at the computing giant, the project would consist of the data plant, which would be connected to a fuel cell. Both would be in close proximity to the water reclamation facility, which is located on Campstool Road just south of Interstate 80.

The fuel cell would collect excess methane gas from the water reclamation facility’s biodigester and would then convert the gas into about 300 kilowatts of electricity. The data center itself would require only 200 kilowatts to run. Not sure where the remaining 100 Kw would do. Presumably it could be used for other energy needs in Cheyenne.

The plant will test Microsoft's new “siliconization” process, which utilizes silicon to move beyond the era of the microprocessor. McKnight gave a quick explanation which went way over my head. He showed a slide that illustrated this formula: “Si Systems + Fuel Cells + Modularity=Reimagine the Data Center.” Sounds cool to me. Faster technology is needed for the 200-plus cloud services Microsoft now provides. “There will be a twelve-fold increase in the amount of info that flows through the optic fiber backbone in the next five years,” McKnight said. He called the Cheyenne experiment the next step in “the evolving data center.”

The fuel cell data plant is separate from a $112 million cloud data center Microsoft has proposed to build to the west of Cheyenne, near the recently-opened National Center for Atmospheric Research supercomputing facility.

McKnight is quite happy with Cheyenne. And why wouldn't he be? The state of Wyoming has pledged $10.7 million in grants and incentives for the cloud data center project. Microsoft is making an initial $78-million investment and plans to go up to $112 million, according to Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, who also spoke at Tuesday's summit. He's a big believer in data centers. And I'm beginning to believe that he's on the right track. All of this will change Cheyenne for the better. New technology. New ideas. New people moving in. New energy mixes with old energy. Not sure what the formula is for that, but it could be a heady mix.

New debate meme: Romney/Ryan cavalry charge

From Mother Jones via Cognitive Dissonance

1980s calling to get their foreign policy back

One of the better zingers of last night's debate by President Obama (picked up from Crooks & Liars blog):

Governor Romney, I’m glad that you recognize that Al Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia, not Al Qaida; you said Russia, in the 1980s, they’re now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.

But Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s.

You say that you’re not interested in duplicating what happened in Iraq. But just a few weeks ago, you said you think we should have more troops in Iraq right now. And the -- the challenge we have -- I know you haven’t been in a position to actually execute foreign policy -- but every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong.

Check out this cool new site, which also has a playable game of "Asteroids." Talk about your 1980s flashback. 

HD 12 candidate Kathleen Petersen holds meet-and-greet Oct. 29

Kathleen Petersen, Democratic Party candidate for House District 8, will be holding a candidate meet-and-greet on Monday, Oct. 29, 7-8:30 p.m., in the Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park in Cheyenne. Come out and meet Kathleen, ask questions, have a few snacks.

She's the candidate in my state house district. Her campaign has been gathering steam as she walks neighborhoods and makes presentations to groups, as people see that she's the best person to replace Republican Bob Nicholas. We need more Democratic voices in the Wyoming Legislature. We also need a better gender make-up, with the Legislature predominately men of a certain age. She spoke last night at the chili dinner and convinced me.  

Check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.petersen.94

Let us now praise famous songs, and those creative types who begat them

Chris and I attended the "American Tapestry" concert this afternoon at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Cheyenne. Our daughter was singing, as she's in the Laramie County Community College Collegiate and Cantorei choirs. She does both well. You're probably not surprised to hear a proud father say that.

Several of the selections were taken from the page -- poetry, to be specific. First came three selections from A.E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad. My accountant father gave me a copy of that book when I was still in high school. He thought it might be an encouragement to my budding poetic soul. It wasn't (I was more attuned to Jim Morrison back then), but it was still a nice gesture. Housman is still not my favorite, but his verse sounds great when set to music and sung by collegiate voices.

Robert Burns made an appearance as the Men's Ensemble sang "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose." The men, all dressed in black suits, held a rose as they gathered around the piano and intoned Burns. Very nice.

The recessional song was "The Promise of the Living" from the opera The Tender Land. Music was composed by Aaron Copland with libretto by Horace Everett, a pseudonym for dancer and choreographer Erik Johns. Copland was inspired to write the opera after viewing the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, with text by James Agee and photos by Walker Evans. The book arose from a 1936 magazine assignment Agee and Evans accepted in 1936. The goal was to document the lives of white sharecroppers in the South. The magazine article didn't pan out, but the book did, and is now one of those volumes studied for its trail-blazing blend of straight reportage, creative nonfiction, poetry and photos.  Another one of those interesting works of art to emerge from the Great Depression.

Fine concert today, and I'm looking forward to the next one. Thanks to talented  singers, and the wonderful teachers who trained them.

interested party blog: On not voting for Sen. McGovern in '72

South Dakota blogger Larry Kurtz had a story today about what it was like to be a young upstart in 1972. We share a similar age and history and interest in Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72." Read more:

interested party: On not voting for Sen. McGovern in '72: In about 1970 or so, my very furious retired Air Force Republican father wrote the Sioux Falls Argus Leader after it ran a photo during ...

R.I.P. Sen. George McGovern, Democrat from South Dakota

Sen. George McGovern died this morning in his hometown of Sioux Falls, S.D. He grew up in the Great Depression Dust Bowl, won the DFC for his actions over Europe's skies during WWII, and was the Democratic Party presidential nominee in 1972.

He was the first presidential candidate I voted for, back when I was 21 and living in Boston.

McGovern's dedication to liberal politics was an inspiration to me then and remains so now.

This comes from an obit this morning on NPR:

President Bill Clinton lauded McGovern's achievements at the 2006 dedication of the McGovern Library in Mitchell, S.D.

"In the storied history of American politics, I believe no other presidential candidate ever had such an enduring impact in defeat," Clinton said at the time.

And this, from Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary:

Yarrow says McGovern inspired an entire generation of Americans.

"There are few and far between that measure up to the dignity, honesty and fantastic commitment of George McGovern that kept this country strong and conscious for all these years," Yarrow said.

Public servant, war hero, anti-war hero, author and fine human being. R.I.P., Sen. McGovern.

Richard Bausch: Each story has "its own demands, and you write to discover what those demands are"

Good, uncomplicated advice for fiction writers (from a Dinty W. Moore Facebook post):

"Each story is different, with its own demands, and you write to discover what those demands are, making the mistakes as you go. Usually, you make a lot of mistakes, because no one is ever in total charge of his own consciousness. So you move through it, accepting that it will be confusing, and even intractable for a time -- you go on each day, trying to be concrete, and to couch things in particulars rather than concepts and abstractions, since the abstractions are mostly inert even though people can kill over them." ~ Richard Bausch

Barack Obama: "If you come down with a case of Romnesia..."

Wyofile: ALEC model bill on healthcare found its way onto Wyoming's November ballot

Read this comprehensive Wyofile article by Greg Nickerson about the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Nickerson provides examples of ALEC model legislation that has made its way to the Wyoming Statehouse. He also provides an updated list of ALEC members. Hummingbirdminds has published several lists of ALEC members over the years but the Wyofile aricle has the latest ones. Go read it and weep. To whet your appetite and outrage, here are the first two paragraphs:

When the Trayvon Martin shooting made headlines this year, it brought public attention to a little-known group called the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC. The conservative group created model legislation that promoted the “stand your ground” law, or Castle Doctrine, invoked by police who didn’t arrest Martin’s killer. ALEC also supported voter ID laws, which some say are an effort to block elderly and minority voters from participating in upcoming elections.

Ideas from ALEC’s model bills have also made their way into Wyoming statehouse, notably in a constitutional amendment on healthcare that will be up for vote this November.

Help forward-thinking Democratic candidates blunt the power of the legislature's Blunt Skulls

I'll be walking neighborhoods for Democratic Party House candidate Lee Filer this morning. He's not in my district but he will be a thoughtful, young rep for those who live in HD 12.

Our legislature, you see, has hardening of the arteries and hardening of the heart. The Know Nothings who run the Republican Party who run the legislature want to make sure that Wyoming stays inconsequential. They spend an embarrassing amount of time ranting about Obamacare and pushing regressive social legislation. Remember the 2011 session? That was embarrassing. I should know as I blogged about it extensively. Remember what happened in 2012? The Republicans didn't want health care for its citizens but they did want an aircraft carrier to protect its sovereignty. Really?

No wonder our young people leave the state in droves, eager to find a place that will respect their need to contribute to the future. My fellow blogger Rodger McDaniel put it so well in today's post (and WTE op-ed):

That’s why Wyoming’s greatest export is neither coal nor gas but our youth. The millions we invest in educating children becomes an investment in the future of other states. Communities pretend to bemoan the loss of these young people...  Clinging to the past and its symbols assures that anyone with an urge to think about the opportunities of the future will find themselves elsewhere, contributing to some other community somewhere else. 

Sad, isn't it, that the calcified thinking of one generation can lead to a dubious future for an entire state -- or an entire country.

It doesn't have to be this way. There are a number of fine Democrats running for the legislature, mainly in Laramie County. You can walk for Lee Filer this morning or for Mary Throne. You can help get Marguerite Herman on the county commission. You can vote for recent grad Misty Heil for the LCCC board. You can vote for Kathleen Petersen and Joe Fender and the Esquibel brothers and Jim Byrd and Gary Datus. Imagine a Dem-majority county delegation. It still would be a challenge to blunt the power of the Blunt Skulls from Natrona County and the north country. But it's a start.

Obama speech launches flood of Romnesia memes

Here's one, for example

Democrats' campaign events: Canvassing for Lee Filer and Mary Throne and chili dinner for all

Here are the Democratic Party campaign events planned for this weekend in Laramie County:
 

SATURDAY: 10/20 9:30 am Canvassing for Lee Filer HD-12. Meeting at Lee's Home 265 Bent Avenue. BREAKFAST WILL  BE SERVED. For more information contact campaign manager Calob Taylor at 307/640-3360

SATURDAY: 10/20 10 am Canvassing for Mary Throne HD-11. Meeting at Mary's home, 720 E. 19th Street. For more information or to support the campaign campaign manager, Kate Wright at 307/220-7447. 

SUNDAY: 10/21 4-7 pm. Annual Chili Dinner for Dems. Old Community House in Lion's Park. Bring side dish/dessert if able. For more information contact Linda Stowers at 307/220-1219. 

SUNDAY: 10/21 6 pm. Lee Filer Supporter House Party. 10/21 6 pm. 1602 Ragtime Drive.

State Archaeologist Dr. Mark Miller previews new book in Oct. 25 lecture in Cheyenne

This sounds great -- and I can't wait for the book by this fine Wyoming writer:

Dr. Mark Miller, Wyoming’s State Archaeologist, will celebrate National Archaeology Day with a lecture at the Wyoming State Museum, October 25 at 7 p.m.

From the earliest carved and painted images on stone cliffs to locations dating to the 20^th Century, Wyoming is dotted with hundreds of sites that bear witness to military activities. In his talk, Dr. Miller draws from his recently completed book, “Military Sites in Wyoming 1700-1920.”

The slide show and lecture summarizes a study of more than 300 sites that have been incorporated into this historic context, beginning with early evidence of military activity in Native American rock art.

FMI: http://wyomingarts.blogspot.com/2012/10/dr-mark-miller-speaks-about-military.html

When it comes to voting, the county clerk explains it all for you w/update

Everything you need to know about voting in Laramie County is available on the county clerk's web site at http://www.laramiecountyclerk.com/elections.aspx.

One thing I couldn't find is the cut-off date for early registration. While it is true that Wyoming allows you to register to vote on election day, there is a cut-off date prior to the Nov. 6 election so the clerk's office can compile the voter rolls used at the polling places. These are thick binders full of women -- and men too.

You can vote downtown on weekdays during business hours in the atrium located between the courthouse and the county admin building.

Couldn't be easier, could it? Then how come so many voters sit out elections? If you do, don't expect any of us voters to listen when you start complaining about the gubment.

UPDATE: Cut-off date for early registration in Wyoming is Monday, Oct. 22.

Iraq vet and writer David Abrams returns to Jackson with his novel "Fobbit"

I'm always a bit dubious when a new novel is compared to Catch-22 or M*A*S*H or is labeled "definitive." However, I am always ready for a new reading adventure, especially if the book features a darkly humorous take on war, any war, and the author is from Wyoming.

So here's some info on Jackson Hole H.S. grad David Abrams and his new novel, "Fobbit," and the author's upcoming appearance in his old stomping grounds:

The Jackson Hole Writers Conference & Teton County Library Present: David Abrams, 7-8:30 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 2. David Abrams, who graduated from Jackson Hole High School in 1981, spent 20 years in the Army and then came back to the states to write what is being acclaimed as the definitive novel of the Iraq War. His novel about the Iraq War, "Fobbit," was published by Grove/Atlantic in 2012. Location: Center for the Arts, Dancers Workshop, 240 S. Glenwood Street, Jackson, WY 83001. Free. Adult Humanities Coordinator, Oona Doherty, 733-2164 ext. 135, odoherty@tclib.org. 

From the author’s web site:

In the satirical tradition of Catch-22 and M*A*S*H, Fobbit takes us into the chaotic world of Baghdad’s Forward Operating Base Triumph. The Forward Operating base, or FOB, is like the back-office of the battlefield – where people eat and sleep, and where a lot of soldiers have what looks suspiciously like an office job. Male and female soldiers are trying to find an empty Porta Potty in which to get acquainted, grunts are playing Xbox and watching NASCAR between missions, and a lot of the senior staff are more concerned about getting to the chow hall in time for the Friday night all-you-can-eat seafood special than worrying about little things like military strategy. Of all the fobbits stationed at Baghdad’s Forward Operating Base Triumph, Staff Sergeant Chance Gooding is the fobbitiest. His M-16 is collecting dust, he reads Dickens and Cervantes instead of watching NASCAR with the grunts, and the only piece of Army intelligence he really shows an interest in is the mess hall menu. Gooding works in the base’s public affairs office, furiously tapping out press releases that put a positive slant on the latest roadside bombing or strategic blunder before CNN can break the real story. Another soldier who would spend every day at the FOB if he could is Captain Abe Shrinkle, but unfortunately for him he’s a front-line officer, in charge of a platoon of troops. Abe trembles at any encounter with the enemy and hoards hundreds of care packages, brimming over with baby wipes, foot powder, and erotic letters from bored housewives. When Shrinkle makes a series of ill-judged tactical decisions, he ends up in front of his commanding officers, and Gooding has his work cut out trying to make everything smell like roses--and that’s just the start of the bad news.

Divine Intervention the real source of Binders Full of Women

Meme seen on Binders Full of Women Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/bindersfullofwomen/?ref=ts&fref=tscaption

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meme: Romney still uses binders?

Meme from Kaili Joy Gray at Daily Kos

From tonight's debate:

CROWLEY: Governor Romney, pay equity for women?

ROMNEY: Thank you. And important topic, and one which I learned a great deal about, particularly as I was serving as governor of my state, because I had the chance to pull together a cabinet and all the applicants seemed to be men.

And I — and I went to my staff, and I said, "How come all the people for these jobs are — are all men." They said, "Well, these are the people that have the qualifications." And I said, "Well, gosh, can't we — can't we find some — some women that are also qualified?"

ROMNEY: And — and so we — we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet.

I went to a number of women's groups and said, "Can you help us find folks," and they brought us whole binders full of women.

Mitt has "binders full of women" -- and they're priced to sell!

Funniest line of this debate night -- Mitt Romney's "binders full of women" comment. Read more at Meg's Place: http://cognitivedissonance.tumblr.com/post/33752141771/i-still-cant-get-over-the-binders-full-of-women

This just in -- health care is a commie plot

Clueless in Montana (from the Button Valley Bugle)

Onward and upward (and sometimes downward and dumbward) as Wyoming lurches into the future

American Bison at Utah's Hogle Zoo

The following comes from a University of Wyoming press release that appeared on Friday. It talks about Wyoming's and UW's commitment to the future in the form of computing power and connectivity. It's refreshing to see such forward-thinking planning on the part of a university that last summer removed a campus sculpture that dared to question global warming ("Carbon Sink"). But it's also the same university that opened a huge new visual arts building at the end of last year, and began raising funds to match a legislative appropriation for a renovated performing arts building. And remember Bill Ayers, the firebrand education reformer and one-time antiwar radical that UW tried to stop speaking on campus a few years back?

Okay, UW has a split personality, not unlike Wyoming's.

You gotta love this place for that. And sometimes, well, you gotta think of Nobel Prize winning writer William Faulkner. As the story goes, Faulkner was at a book signing in Montana when a woman said that she wished that Montana writers loved Montana like Faulkner obviously loved Mississippi. Faulkner's reply: "Madam, I hate Mississippi."

That probably left her speechless.

You don't have to love a place to write well about it. And you don't have to love a place to wish it a fruitful future.

So the new NCAR Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) was dedicated today. Go out and visit the new education center, which is open to the public on weekdays. After this week, you won't be able to visit Yellowstone, the new supercomputer, unless you have an appointment or you're running for president.

This is only one of the surprising bits in this article. DYK that the huge fiber-optic cable that laid the ground for the NWSC is called the Bison Ring (not to be confused with Wagner's Ring Cycle)? See above images for an explanation. And that another big computer has been installed at UW in Laramie with the name Mount Moran, after a peak in the Teton Range? I kind of like this trend that attaches Wyocentric names to tangles of wires and metal and electrons. Microsoft is building a new regional data center in Cheyenne. Wonder what its computer will be called? I suggest "Vedauwoo." Or possibly "Crazy Horse."

Here's the first few paragraphs of the UW release:

It began with laying hundreds of miles of fiber-optic cable, much of it buried under the ground along stretches of interstate that traverse the mountains and plains of Wyoming. Next week, the state’s evolution from primarily pulling minerals out of the ground to a sky’s-the-limit outlook for supercomputing will be complete.

The $74 million NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC), with a primary focus of atmospheric research, is slated to open Monday, Oct. 15, with a ceremonial dedication. Located at the North Range Business Park in Cheyenne, the $30 million supercomputer, dubbed “Yellowstone,” will be used by multiple University of Wyoming researchers and their students to model detailed simulations of hydrology, carbon sequestration, planet formation, efficiency of wind turbines, and much more.

Read the whole thing at http://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2012/10/supercomputer-opening-caps-years-of-effort.html

City News holds series of writing and publishing workshops in October

City News in downtown Cheyenne is hosting a series of writing and publishing workshops in October.

On Sunday, Oct. 21, noon-1:30 p.m., there will be a special workshop designed for children. According to a press release, it will "encourage young authors to expand their skills, put ideas into words, through fun exercises and sharing. Halloween costumes are encouraged."

A writing workshop for adults will be held on Sunday, Oct. 28, noon-1:30 p.m. Bring your finished writing or come in for ideas. Author and publisher Blaze McRob will be there to discuss the horror genre.

FMI: Alan or Audrey, 307-638-8671.

On Thursday, Oct. 25, City News will hold a free workshop from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Hear tips from author Patricia G. Stevenson ("The Dilapidated Man," "The Jezebel Bride"), artist N. Kay Stevenson and agent Carolyn Campbell. Come join the team as they workshop the steps in writing, designing and promoting a book. More info at patriciagstevenson.com.

Casper Star-Tribune explores UW cover-up in Carbon Sink sculpture removal

Good story about the UW "Carbon Sink" stink by CST business editor Jeremy Fugleberg (story also appeared in Billings Gazette):

Emails: University of Wyoming officials sped up, touted removal of anti-coal sculpture

You don't have to get scared this week to have a good time in Cheyenne

When you talk about fall arts events, you have to include several local haunted houses. It takes good theatrical skills to scare people. The Cheyenne Knights of Pythias "Nightmare on 17th Street" has been voted one of the scariest in the region and won't admit young children and pregnant women. The next performances at 312 1/2 W. Lincolnway will be Oct. 19 and 20, 7-11 p.m. A portion of the ticket price goes to local orgs such as The Boys and Girls Club.

If you don't want to get really scared but still want to be entertained, get out to the final performance of "Fiddler on the Roof" at 2 p.m today at the CLTP's Mary Godfrey Theatre. I saw it last week and it's terrific. In case you don't remember, the musical has a famous haunting scene, in which the ghost of Fruma-Sarah (played convincingly by Dana Heying) scares Golde into agreeing to let her daughter marry a poor tailor. Oy vey! Call 638-6543 for tix.

Also at 2 p.m. today (and on Oct. 19, 20 and 21) is "Cotton Patch Gospel" at Vineyard Church, 1506 Thomes Avenue downtown. I wrote about the musical here. It's free with a donation of food for the needy, but you have to call 638-8700 to RSVP.

Wyoming's opera shortage is partially alleviated today with "An Afternoon of Opera" from 3-5 p.m. today at the Plains Hotel, 1600 Central Ave. It features the Opera Colorado Young Artists Reception, concert arias and ensembles. Free but a $10 voluntary contribution is appreciated. FMI: 514-2236.

Next Sunday, Oct. 21, 3 p.m., my daughter Annie will join her fellow LCCC music students for the "American Tapestry" concert at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1908 Central Ave. It features the LCCC Collegiate Choir, Cantorel and newly formed men's and women's ensemble. Free, but donations will be accepted for the Veterans Memorial Medical Center for veterans recovering from overseas deployments. FMI: 778-1158.

Gunshot shatters window of Obama office in Denver

Jason Payseno of EAP Glass installs plywood where a window was shot out Friday at an Obama campaign office on West Ninth Avenue near Acoma Street in Denver. (Daniel Petty, The Denver Post). Read more here

Tired of Republican attacks on teachers?

Please join us for a Democratic Party education candidate house party for Misty Heil (LCCC Board), Nate Breen (LCSD#1) and Gary Datus (HD-42).  

Brand House 

629 Oakhurst Drive, Cheyenne.

Sunday, October 14, 3-6 pm. 

Come meet the candidates!  Supporters can learn how they can help these great campaigns.  Education at all levels is a priority for Laramie County and attacks on teachers, other educators/faculty and academic freedom are rampant. Our candidates value good  teachers and strong policies to support them and their students. 

For more information, contact Lori Brand at 307-634-6977.

Laramie County Democratic Party chili dinner set for October 21

ANNUAL LARAMIE COUNTY DEMOCRATS CHILI DINNER

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

4-7 P.M.

OLD COMMUNITY HOUSE, LIONS PARK

MEET AND TALK TO CANDIDATES

RALLY THE TROOPS FOR THE FINAL WEEKS OF CAMPAIGN

BRING A DESSERT OR SALAD

CHILI, HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, BEVERAGES PROVIDED

DONATIONS WELCOME!

ALL PROGRESSIVE-MINDED PEOPLE WELCOME!

DEFY THE KNOW NOTHINGS -- VOTE DEMOCRATIC!

Out with the old and in with the new at Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center

Columbian Mammoth cast at new welcome center

Chris and I took a Saturday afternoon drive out to the new Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center at the High Plains exit south in I-25. We missed yesterday afternoon's official dedication due to too many workplace meetings. But we did read about it on the front page of this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. You can also read an earlier article I wrote about it here.

The welcome center is part highway pit stop, Wyoming Travel & Tourism Department offices, and historic museum. Its top-notch exhibits and dioramas show the state's history through dinosaurs digs, water projects, transportation, energy and outdoor recreation. Sometimes you experience it in many dimensions. The sloped walkway that takes you from the mammoth skeleton to the transportation exhibit is all about water: lakes, dams, waterfalls and fishing streams. You can hear the rushing water, and lights glimmer off the floor, giving you the feeling that you may be walking on water. Hallelujah!

The grounds are criss-crossed with trails marked with historic markers explaining it all for you. Multitudes of native deciduous trees and bushes have been planted. in about ten years, the place will have plenty of shade. There's a fenced-in pet walk area and a wetlands that drains the run-off from the highway. Berms have been added from the dirt remaining from construction of the center and the highway overpass. Along the top of the main berm is a series of five wind generators which were spinning today, powering the indoor exhibits.

This place is all about alternative energy and is powered by wind, solar and geo-exchange sources. Interesting to note that state taxes on coal and oil and natural gas paid for the bulk of construction costs while its operation will be powered predominately by renewable energy. Out with the old and in with the new. We are not really finished with the old, but places like this illustrate what the future holds.

It's also true that this place would not exist without the arts of architecture, design, photography, videography, literature, music and sculpture. A word about the music: no Muzak for this center, but it features western, C&W and Americana tunes. While there today, I heard a cowboy song by Wyoming's own Chris LeDoux and "Somebody Robbed the Glendale Train" by New Riders of the Purple Sage. Nice mix.

Stan Dolega's "Wind Code" outdoor sculpture not only uses steel beams patterned to look like Wyoming's ubiquitous snow fences, but also includes native rocks and is built to remind of us of the mountains we can see in the distance. It was put in place through the state's Percent for Art program.

Take a jaunt out to the new welcome center. It's functional and educational and pretty and fun. Sounds are good too.

Local author hosts B&N book fair to benefit Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

Cheyenne author Amanda Cabot will host a book fair at Barnes and Noble for her new novel Christmas Roses, on Saturday, Nov. 3. Proceeds will benefit the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and Paul Smith Children’s Village. Come on out for a fun afternoon with Amanda and finish (or begin) your Christmas shopping at the same time. 

The following Saturday, Nov. 10, Amanda will join some of her fellow Laramie County authors for a publishing conference at the Laramie County Public Library. This conference is "designed to help you navigate the next steps toward publication of your novel." It will be held from 10:15 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Laramie County Public Library. Feel free to brown-bag your lunch or purchase it at the library cafe. The event is free. Authors will be selling and signing copies of their books. FMI: 307-634-3561.

Fab art at FABulous Women's Art Show at WOW in Laramie

Fabulous women artists exhibit their fabulous artwork at Works of Wyoming in Laramie. Opening reception is Saturday. Head over to WOW's new digs on First Street in downtown Laramie. Stick around for some fab vegetarian food next door at Sweet Melissa's and a pint of finely crafted ale at the brewpub.

Republican Paul Ryan: Heavy on certitude, light on Catholic social justice

As I watched the Veep candidates trade barbs this evening in Kentucky, I couldn't help but wonder what they were like in high school. Lori said that Paul Ryan was called a brown-noser in his high school yearbook. I don't know this to be true but I also don't doubt it. One only has to see his thin-lipped smirk and his beady eyes to know he was a brown-noser, the kind who has his face so far up the teacher's bum that, well, you know....

Joe Biden, on the other hand, was a wise guy, quick-witted and big-mouthed, who might also have been fun to be around. He may also have been the BMOC -- Big Man on Campus -- the guy who got the girls and wasn't too humble about it.

But there's one other thing. Paul Ryan has the certitude and rectitude that makes him unbearable. He's the kind of parishioner who's driven me from the Catholic Church. This is what the Catholic Church believes! I know it in my lily white soul! If you don't like it, you must be one of those cafeteria Catholics. Get out!

So I did. These type of Catholics are insufferable. Certainty has never been a Catholic trait. Joe Biden was right when he quipped that Ryan didn't learn much about Catholic social doctrine with his catechism.

Give me those feisty social justice street-fighting Catholics any day. Or those heady Unitarians or friendly United Methodists or angst-ridden Existentialists or fallen Catholics or Jack Mormons. People who've been through the fire and learned a few things in the process.

Biden has been kicked around some. Lost his wife and daughter in a car crash. Had his son deployed to Iraq. Experienced losses at home and in the Senate. He knows that there's no certainty in life or in politics.

Biden stuck it to Ryan tonight. He probably would have done the same in high school debate, although charm and a big smile doesn't always win points in competition.   

Veterans, artists, writers and colleges team up for the Combat Paper Project

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From Nov. 5-9, the Combat Paper Project is teaming up with the Colorado

State University Veterans Organization right down the road in Fort Collins

for a week-long program of workshops, film screenings, presentations and 

an exhibit leading up to Veterans Day on Nov. 11. The completed works 

will be exhibited at the William E. Morgan Library at CSU from 7-9 p.m. on

Thursday, Nov. 8. The event is free and open to the public. For more 

information, contact Drew Waldbauer, alvs_staff@mail.colostate.edu, 

970-491-3977. 

Here's some info on the project:

The Combat Paper Project utilizes art-making workshops to assist veterans in reconciling and sharing their personal experiences as well as broadening the traditional narrative surrounding service and the military culture.

Through papermaking workshops veterans use their uniforms worn in combat to create cathartic works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into a pulp and formed into sheets of paper. Veterans use the transformative process of papermaking to reclaim their uniform as art and begin to embrace their experiences in the military.

The Combat Paper Project is based out of art studios throughout the United States and has traveled to Canada and the United Kingdom, providing veterans workshops, exhibitions, performances and artists' talks. This project is made possible by a multifaceted collaboration between artists, art collectors, academic institutions and veterans.

Through ongoing participation in the papermaking process, combat papermakers are attempting to progress from creating works specific to their military experiences to expressing a broader vision on militarism and society. The work reflects both the anger of the past and hope for the future. Through this collaboration between civilians and veterans, a much-needed conversation is generated regarding our responsibilities to the returned veteran and an understanding of the dehumanizing effects of warfare.

The Combat Paper Project is a collaboration initiated by Drew Matott and Drew Cameron, involving war veterans, activists and artists. More information about our beginnings or the papermaking process can be found in our basic papermaking primer.