Happy Halloween!

 HALLOWEEN MURDER AND MAYHEM 2014

Murder and mayhem abounded during the hi-jinx of our favorite horror holiday this year.
Let's check it out.

A student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie who tried to act as a good samaritan by breaking up a Halloween fight was killed. LINK. 

In Ontario, Oregon burglar Jayme Wintersteen was confronted at his home by an associate, Douglas West,  about a dispute over stolen goods. Evidently tempers flared up between the two and West was shot by Wintersteen as he attempted to flee. LINK

The demons were cheering with glee during Orange County's "bloodiest Halloween ever." Why? Six people died in three incidents.
One: Three 13 year old girls trick or treating in costume were killed by a hit and run driver. 
Two: In the same vein, a 65 year old man and his four year old son were struck by a car. The man died and his son is in critical condition. 
Three: An over enthusiastic prankster shot his ex-wife and then turned to gun on himself before his 13 and 7 year old children during a Halloween child custody exchange. LINK

What? No treat? Here's your trick then.  A woman in Oklahoma City was shot in the back of her head for her cache of prescription pills.  LINK

A man who couldn't wait three more days for Halloween decapitated his mother and dragged her body into the street in Farmingdale, New York on Long Island. Neighbors thought it was a Halloween prank. LINK

Road Rage Trick?  A man was shot and killed while driving in Moses Lake, Washington on Halloween. LINK

In Austin, Texas a man killed his girlfriend via inflicting unspecified traumatic injuries early on Halloween. He was arrested later in the day suffering from self inflicted wounds. LINK

A Long Beach, California man was stabbed to death on Halloween. LINK

An Indiana high school student frightened a group of trick or treaters  by brandishing a knife at them on Halloween. The next day he evidently used the knife to murder a 73 year old man. LINK

What would Halloween be like without a homophobic attack?  In South London, two thugs, ironically dressed as fairies in pink tutus, terrorized by knocking down and kicking in the head two young men they characterized as homosexuals. LINK

In another ironic attack, two "Stop the Violence" activists in Washington, Pennsylvania were arrested the day before Halloween after beating a colleague silly to the point where he vomited blood and ended up hospitalized in critical condition. LINK

Meanwhile in Brevard County Florida, marauding wild hogs threatened the celebration of Halloween. LINK

In Australia, a 16 year old youth reprimanded a passing motorist for driving dangerously close to him and his friends on Halloween.  The car stopped, a man got out and punched the lad in the face. He remains hospitalized in an induced coma. LINK

Common Core Is Not A New Exercise Program

A Couple of Things 

Small Untitled Piece by John Bonanno

 

Common Core

 Isn't it funny that when the federal government implemented common standards under George Bush the right had no problem. "No child left behind" was a joke that taught tests not children. The Obama administration implements standards called "common core" to attempt to prepare children for college or the workplace and it is considered evil by the usual suspects. I think Common Core is a little better than the ridiculous "No child left behind" which really amounted to "No child gets ahead." What a country!

Personally, I think we need smarter and better teachers who really know their subjects. That would require raising pay (and changing the criteria used to hire teachers so that we have educators that have been trained more in subjects and less in the metatheories of education) and we all know Republicans will never go for that. So politicians just bump along trying to find some magic formula to overcome the crappy American education system. I doubt it will happen.

By the way, Jeb Bush is the politician who has been the biggest promoter of "common core" in the country.

Why Bowe Bergdahl Will Not Be Charged With Desertion and Why It Is Plain Wrong to Call Him "Deserter" 

    Bowe Bergdahl can't be charged with desertion since he was taken prisoner immediately by the Taliban. It doesn't become desertion until  AWOL (absent without leave)  continues for 30 days. Being taken prisoner obviously prevented Bergdahl from returning to base and abrogates any desertion charge. I would say that the majority of people in the military are AWOL at some point in their military careers, usually after getting drunk or hooking up with a woman. Bergdahl has never been charged by the military with any crime. The only crime under the UCMJ he can be charged with, in my opinion based on current evidence, is AWOL, for a day and, perhaps, failure to follow orders (I assume a standing "don't leave the base" order existed, but who knows?), not such a serious thing as desertion. But I can't blame all those rabid right wingers who never wore a uniform for their ignorance of the UCMJ, can I? 

Many stories were circulating about the 7 or 8 soldiers who were killed in the search for Bergdahl but it looks like that was all right wing hysteria. None of these so-called victims have actually been linked to trying to rescue this man when they were killed as far as I can tell.

'Hiram Fire Department, Late Winter 2014' 11" x 14"oil painting by John Bonanno

The Hiram Historical Society presents "Hiram in Art." Works to be displayed at Great Ossipee Museum of the Hiram Historical Society for a week beginning Saturday August 9, 2014 with silent auction ending Sunday August 17, 2014, a weekend filled with many Bicentennial events. Works to be displayed include my painting "Hiram Fire Department, Late Winter 2014."  The minimum bid on this painting will be $300, indeed a bargain.

Chutney, taken November 29, 2013

Good Bye Dear Friend  

He loved to sing.

Now he is catching up on news with his old greyhound friend Daphne.

He was very fond of
 his pool on a hot day.

He vigilantly and fiercely looked out for his humans.

Sweet puppy.

This is a full page photograph of Chutney's Daddy, Junior World Champion Heythrop Trailblazer Of Snow Wind. Photo by T.M. Strom from the The Ultimate Jack Russell Terrier by Mary Strom. Chutney would get very upset and bark at this picture whenever I held it up to him and asked, "Who's your Daddy?" 

 He left this plane on January 10, 2014. 

Here is the transcript of our final New Years message and song.

Good Morning and Happy New Year 2014.

We are sitting here on the threshold of a brand new year and of course we hope for the best. We know that this year will hold some sadness and disappointment even in our victories. But we find comfort in the fact that our defeats and tragedies will contain the seeds of rebirth and joy as well.

Some of you may know Chutney, my good friend and companion. He is a Jack Russell terrier who was born in September of 1999. He is fourteen and he will not see his fifteenth birthday. Chutney has ALS which is also know as Lou Gehrig disease. He can hardly stand up now. He must drag himself around but it is getting more and more difficult. The first signs of ALS showed up about a year and a half ago when we noticed that he was having a little trouble jumping up on the bench by the back door. We had trained him to jump up there when it was time for a walk so it would be easier for his aging humans to leash him. Now he needs to be carried outside and upstairs. He eats lying down. He has lost control of his bowel movements and when I take him out I squeeze his abdomen to help him.

Chutney will be leaving us on Friday, January the tenth at about 9:30 AM.

He whimpers, cries and shakes and he has let us know in his own way that he is ready to move on.

I have prepared his grave in the back yard near a witch hazel bush. He will be buried in my old Navy blanket, which he loved, and with a new stuffed bear (scores of Goodwill stuffed animals met their ends at his paws) which will be with him forever.

Long ago we made a deal that we would always be friends and that in whatever guises the future may hold for each of us that we would recognize each other and be friends again.

A few years ago we sang together on the new year and that video is posted on my Youtube channel. Chutney loves to sing and he sounds as sweet as an angel to me. His voice is a bit shaky now but we shall sing for you again this year in Chutney's last public performance.

Chutney was interred January 16 with myself, Beth, and his friend Cushing in attendance. 

Chutney with Cushing, taken October 28, 2014

Chutney's Prayer

Our dearest Chutney has passed to the West with a renewed body of light.

May Anubis lead him to the Happyland where he may lay down his burdens and rest for a time.

He has been ever vigilant in the way of all Jack Russell Terriers, but now he may rest for a time.

He no longer must bear the responsibility for his humans and now he may rest for a time.

May he be rewarded greatly for his efforts in this life.

His body remains here to lie in the ground. 

Wrapped in my Navy blanket he holds a  stuffed bear on a bed of straw.

We shall erect a cairn on this spot.

We pledge to honor his memory and plant lovely flowers on his grave.

I know we shall meet again and we shall remember one another. 

Amen.