Tom Stream

This will be our first Christmas since Scott's passing, and I will miss hearing him sing the carol bass parts he taught me. I remembered Scott at the memorial service and on this blog. He was also remembered in ceremonies held by the Ordway Education Division, and by Compas, his employing organization. His art lives on, as well as his Alphabet Adventure video, and the memories of all the students who learned from him.

One story about Scott I forgot to mention is when the family, Mom's kids and grandkids, went bowling, and Scott won! Scott was not much into sports, but he beat us all at bowling. I'm reminded of the one time we went bowling with Dad and he scored well over 200. Burton never bowled again because, as he put it, "I didn't want to hurt my average."

2011 was an eventful year, so I'll try to keep it concise.

In January, our Harper relatives from Iowa visited us, and on 1/11/11, I made the Bronze level in ballroom dance.

In March, I uploaded the family history "to the cloud."

In April, I soul-searched about the situation in Libya, and worked on rehabbing injured muscles.

In May, I attended the Powderhorn May Day Parade and carried a war protest sign handed to me by Coleen Rowley, 2002 TIME Magazine Person of the Year. This year, we shared the award with all Protesters around the world. Later in May, my sister Janet spoke at a rally to protest hate crimes against people who are gay. So she was also Person of the Year!

In June, I travelled to Madison with sisters Connie and Janet to attend our cousin's daughter's wedding. It was a great weekend celebrating Julie Soceka and Keven Bump. Later in June, as local union steward I attended the Minnesota Rural Letter Carriers Association convention in Grand Rapids, and stayed with my cousin John Munter and his family while there. In June I also uploaded high school newspapers and linked to them from this blog.

In July I had a soccer party for my 50th birthday, but it was the first day of the heat wave so that part didn't go so great. Two days after my birthday I was playing in an informal over-50 soccer league. I wasn't very good but got a couple assists in one of the games. Later I hurt my achilles but made it back for the last game of the season. Also in July I made a Rock and Roll Star Spangled Banner music video, and attended the Kellogg All-Class High School Reunion.

In August, Spencer and I travelled to Alaska to attend the wedding of another cousin's daughter. This cousin is the brother of the two I had visited in June. Jim's daughter, Katie Munter, married Bryan Thomas. Alaska evokes awe, and we experienced it while kayaking, river and mountain hiking, tram riding, and glacier cruising. We also had a chance to make a side trip to Wasilla and visit Brian Harper, a cousin on my mom's side, and Brian's wife Diana.

In September I went to the State Fair with Janet and her daughter Lydia. I also endured a two-week mail count, and attended a Rally to Save the U.S. Postal Service.

In October I did I tiny bit of campaigning for Farheen, and made my first visit to Occupy MN. I bought a Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta mask, and wore it both to Occupy MN and to the Halloween Dance Party.

In November I had jury duty, and visited Madison a second time, this time to see Spencer, in college there. While there I saw my second cousin Holly Anderson, her boyfriend Leigh, and her Aunt Pam, as well as my cousin Shelly and her husband. The seven of us attended the Badger/Gopher hockey game on the 12th, the only game any Minnesota team won against Wisconsin that weekend. During an intermission I visited with Spencer's girlfriend Emma and Emma's sister. The next day we had brunch at Shelley's with some of Spencer's second cousins.

In December I danced a "Hustle vs. Cha Cha" solo routine with my instructor at the Holiday Jingle Bell Rock Showcase at Dancers Studio in St. Paul. We also did some West Coast Swing, Tango, and Salsa. It was really fun. With that behind me, I took time on Tuesday to see my brother Bruce do table magic at a local sports bar. I have always looked up to my brothers as entertaining performers, and this year tried to follow their lead a bit.

Ok everybody, Merry Christmas, and when I say Merry Christmas, I mean enjoy the celebration of the birth of Jesus which is part of a faith tradition which is encompassed by worship of the Holy Deity. ( :

2010 Christmas Blog Post

Praise be to God. And when I say God, I mean the gender-neutral Holy Deity, who may or may not be Jesus or the parent of Jesus.

Holy Deity, we give thanks for this food, and pray that it will be healthy for us and for our planet. So be it.

Holy Deity,
For guidance and forgiveness
We pray. So be it.

Oh Holy Deity, oh Deity we pray,
For guidance and forgiveness
And a cheerful day.
We go along with everything our atheist friends will say
Except for our Deity, oh Deity we pray.

Core beliefs:

Matthew 7:12

The 10-10-10 plan,
10 Commandments
10 Amendments
10 Key Values of the Green Party

The 1-1-1 plan,
Raise taxes of the 1 percent
1 dollar
For 1 year.

I have one good thing to say about the Occupation of Iraq. Our servicepeople introduced Iraqis to the "concept" of democracy. However, the decision to go to war was immoral. That's on Bush and Cheney, not our servicepeople.

Today it was reported that the testimony of Mike McQueary is being questioned. Given the huge amounts of money surrounding the Penn State football program, we need to consider the possibility of witness tampering.

The Republican field of candidates for President has been called a "clown car" and it's easy to see why. They're crazy. Each and every candidate has fatal flaws. I wouldn't be surprised if the Republican National Convention becomes a media circus, dragging out beyond scheduled adjournment, with a brokered outcome and a surprise nominee coming out of nowhere.

Republicans have also painted themselves into a corner by opposing tax increases. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to raise taxes. Members of Congress pledge to uphold the Constitution. But Republicans have signed the Grover Norquist pledge against any tax increases.

Taxes can be an important tool, not just to raise revenue, but also to keep inflation under control. When the 99% gets money, it spends a lot of it on needs. When the 1% gets money, it puts a lot of it in the stock market. Does an undertaxed Wall Street fuel inflation? Food prices are going up. With the right incentives, perhaps we could shift our priorities from financial products to food products.

Democrats might be able to get the upper hand by proposing a tax revenue increase of $1 from the 1%. It would really show independents how inflexible the Republicans are. The idea becomes dangerous, however, if Democrats propose deeper and deeper cuts and if Republican suddenly take them up on it. Obama has already put Social Security and Medicare on the table. They're called entitlements for a reason. We really are entitled to them.

However, given that Republicans are locked into the Norquist pledge, it is almost certain they would not agree, even to a hike of $1. Democrats would be turning the other cheek, and Republicans would be striking it.

"Hakeem making strong push to be first Green Party state legislator"

Good press for Farheen Hakeem. Hayden never gave back the money from the anti-single-payer PAC.

Contact the Hakeem campaign if you'd like to be part of the Get-Out-The-Vote effort. I dropped literature at houses this weekend. "We are the 99%!"

Since the news media didn't cover Tuesday's debate for SD61 MN State Senate, I guess I have to. The candidates were Farheen Hakeem (G), Jeff Hayden (D), and Bruce Lundeen (R).

Farheen was the only one who praised OccupyMN. Hayden said nothing about it.

On the subject of Single Payer, she invited everyone to check the campaign finance reports for all the candidates. She doesn't take corporate or PAC money, while Jeff Hayden has taken money from MNDenPAC, which opposes single payer.

She talked about how legislators should not have taken the per diem pay during the shutdown, especially if they live in the metro area. Hayden took the per diem pay during the shutdown, and he lives in the metro area.

When asked about local government aid the state gives to Minneapolis, she said the city could gain credibility by curbing its police brutality problem. Hayden has taken campaign contributions from the police.

One of the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement should be to close down Wall Street, because it has little or nothing to do with the real economy. Or, at least regulate Wall Street as outlined in "The Web of Debt" by Ellen Brown.

Thanks to this beautiful research by Dan Dittmann, people can now make more informed choices about their future. It clearly shows the corruption of Jeff Hayden, as if he was caught holding a gun that is still emitting smoldering smoke. On election day 2008, I was holding a Farheen sign at 35th and 35W. Hayden's car rolled by and he told me to my face that we had common ground on single payer. What a fraud.

Democratic leaders are now advising the President to "Go Big" in his jobs speech to Congress next Thursday, after Republicans snubbed him for their own debate Wednesday. Most intriguing is the potential introduction of an "Obama Dollar" Wednesday evening, as an emergency measure unilaterally enforced by the executive branch. Using discretionary funds already appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service will oversee the issuance of the new currency, which will have the same hi-tech safeguards against counterfeiting currently in use for Federal Reserve Notes.

The Obama Dollar effectively creates a shadow economy consisting of a network of farmers and infrastructure volunteers who all agree to trust each other. Anyone who wants will be put to work on projects in industries such as housing, clothing, transportation, and renewable energy. Obama Dollar expenditures will be balanced to create a self-contained perpetual circulation, using as input natural resources held or recovered by the federal government. No tax dollars will be spent except in relation to issuance of the new currency. Like Federal Reserve Notes, the Obama Dollar will not be backed by gold or any other precious metal.

For a preview of some of the projects to commence immediately, see the Venus Project web site.

Monitor with cameras and computers 24-7 the entire length of the roadway.

I'm fascinated by the Tripoli tunnels, but the news is overshadowed by Hurricane Irene. It was a rare instance where I used the StarTribune as a news source.

BAD

Choice
Civil Rights
Environment
Federal Agencies
Health Care
Immigration
Israel
Revenue
Stimulus
United Nations

GOOD

Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Federal Reserve
NAFTA
Patriot Act
Privacy
Torture
War on Drugs
WTO

Mark Dayton has a history of depression, is independently wealthy, ran without party endorsement for governor, and only served one term in the U.S. Senate. Like the suicidal Detective Sergeant Martin Riggs in the movie "Lethal Weapon," he's got nothing to lose, and there's no telling what he'll do. The Republicans don't know who they're messing with. I wouldn't be surprised if all hell breaks loose in the 2nd half of 2011 in Minnesota.

Today Pakistan arrested people who helped the CIA track down Bin Laden.

Under one scenario, Pakistan worked with Bush but didn't tell Obama, which would explain how things are playing out. Partisan political polarization within the bureaucratic intelligence community labyrinth, spilling out into foreign policy on the other side of the northern hemisphere.

Here are links to PDF files of some issues of the Statesman, newspaper of Frank B. Kellogg High School. These could take a while to load. The file size appears next to each link.

1967-1971 159 MB
1972-1977 112 MB
1977-1978 123 MB
1979-1981 double sheets 131 MB
1979-1981 single sheets 27 MB

We have an all-school reunion planned for July 30, 2011.
Registration

So proud of my sister Janet for taking a high profile, public stand against hate crime.

The recent Clinton-Ryan conversation sounds to me like Democrats and Republicans are conspiring to weaken Medicare.

http://www.examiner.com/libertarian-in-national/bill-clinton-confabs-with-paul-ryan-warns-dems-against-doing-nothing

If the Republicans don't meet Governor Dayton halfway, I think he should force a government shutdown. The public is not paying attention, and this will help them to see why government is important. Republicans are generally anti-government, and a shutdown would show us the logical conclusion of the direction they've been taking us. When a shutdown occurs, it becomes a question of what side is bargaining in good faith, from the perspective of independent swing voters. Republicans were elected with a mandate, but so was Dayton. If Republicans don't budge, they should get the blame. Split-ticket voting has led to gridlock, with the governor of one party and the legislature of another. People need to decide which direction they want the state to go, and maybe a shutdown will force them to choose, and hopefully boot out the Republicans in 2014.

"Now that the government has reached its debt limit, the Treasury is set to engage various temporary measures to tread water until August 2.... The next round of these measures -- in which the government liquidates certain investments of a pension fund and blocks other funds from new investment -- is set to commence Monday."

U.S. Reaches Debt Limit, Geithner Warns Of Dire Consequences
www.huffingtonpost.com

"The federal government reached its debt limit Monday, and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner again detailed the disastrous and widespread consequences of Congressional inaction."

Post-Gabby Giffords this is a bad idea. It's a startling reminder how vulnerable public figures can be, and it gives the Right a talking point every time we call for civil discourse.

This is tongue-in-cheek.

Bin Laden killed, in Pakistan, not Afghanistan or Iraq. I wonder if this could somehow be related to the upcoming Gates-Panetta-Petraeus shuffle, or if it was strictly a tactical discovery.

Cynthia McKinney's article "Hear and Read ALL of This If Nothing Else - Libya, Cote d'Ivoire, We Must Respond!" is long, and I didn't give it the most thorough reading, but this caught my attention. She asks rhetorically if the U.S. and its allies are more democratic than Libya, then writes:

"The answer in fact is a resounding NO, for the plain and simple reason that democracy doesn't exist. This isn't a personal opinion, but a quote from someone whose native town Geneva, hosts the bulk of UN institutions. The quote is from Jean Jacques Rousseau, born in Geneva in 1712 and who writes in chapter four of the third book of the famous 'Social Contract' that 'there never was a true democracy and there never will be.'"

Call me an idealist, but the last time I checked, the first Key Value of the Green Party was Grassroots DEMOCRACY. Our current government may be corrupt, but our Green Party mission is not to give up on the electoral process. To the contrary, our mission is to use the electoral process to get Green majorities and reform our government, all-the-while adhering to the fourth Key Value, NONVIOLENCE.

Now, if electoral fraud in the U.S. becomes so egregious that it justifies violent overthrow, that's one thing. But it seems McKinney here is saying in her own words that democracy doesn't even exist, therefore Gaddafi's system is acceptable, even preferable. To me that sounds like a position that is simply untenable in the Green Party.

Maybe somebody should ask Cynthia McKinney why Gaddafi shut down Facebook, and while they're at it, ask her if she would take away our right to vote.

It seems that Syrians need to coalesce spontaneously and overrun a police station, then disperse quickly. Peaceful protests are not getting the job done I'm afraid.

Republicans praise Ayn Rand. Rand Paul is named after her. Ayn Rand released a book titled, "The Virtue of Selfishness." She idolized William Hickman, a cold-blooded child murderer. (Source: Thom Hartmann)

This week, Donald Trump said he would invade Libya to take the oil. Whatever happened to "Thou Shalt Not Steal"? He doesn't even pretend to be honorable.

Government is you. Government is me. Government is God and people working in harmony. It's the only way we ever would work together for the common good. Yes, government is good. Government is good.

Ever since joining the Green Party in 2000, I have felt that running presidential candidates is the most interesting thing we do. I was Cynthia McKinney's top signature-gatherer in Minnesota.

I still feel that nominating Cynthia McKinney in 2008 was the right thing to do, given what we knew at the time. On 9/11 Truth, Depleted Uranium, and Ending the Fed, I agree, and I am still pledged to vote against Obama in 2012.

But we need a new candidate to run against him. Either that or get behind Nader or some other progressive so we don't split the vote. Cynthia McKinney has been great in the past, but now it's her turn to ride securely at the belly of the bus.

Recently in this blog I posted a statement from McKinney, forwarded by the GPUS, where she clearly sides with Qaddafi. She has led two delegations to Tripoli. At the end, she quotes a Chavez communique, "Long live Muammar Al-Qathafi! "

http://tomstream.blogspot.com/2011/03/libya-pros-and-cons.html

Pros

Qadafi crazy
Opposition asked for help
Arab League Vote
UN, French involvement
Chance for democracy

Cons

Imperialism
Oil
Hypocrisy
Destruction
Chance for corporate puppet

Robot hoses.

Part 1 39.4 MB

I played the YouTubes of the 20 minute call, and it shows clearly the rich elite are waging systematic class warfare against the majority. Unions set the bar for wages and working conditions for all of us, and they could be our last line of defense. If we're not careful, we could lose our rights and end up like the sons of Jacob, who, after food shortages and a change of leadership, voluntarily entered into lives of slavery.

Scott Cleland, artist of the alphabet
The traveling artist in residence blended performance and teaching to bring letters to life.

By JAMES WALSH, Star Tribune
Last update: February 12, 2011 - 9:33 PM

http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/116089364.html

Scott James Cleland
March 19, 1951 – February 8, 2011

My brother Scott died of lymphoma. His husband showed tremendous care for Scott over the years and particularly at the end. As a medical professional, he saw to it that Scott had the best possible medical care. They traveled the world together, created and admired art, and recorded for posterity “The Alphabet Adventure of Scott Cleland.” It was Scott’s life’s work, and combined his passions of acting, history, art, and calligraphy.

Scott acted in many high school plays, including a wonderfully zany character in “The Fantastiks.” He brought down the house as Big Daddy in “Sweet Charity” – the only play all three of my older siblings were in together. Scott was the oldest of the five siblings. Ten years younger, I was the fourth, and was impressed and inspired by his performances and awards.

He went on to get a theater degree from the University of Minnesota. He performed at Stagecoach and Peppermint Tent, and traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform “365 Days,” a play about the Vietnam War. He was an extra in the original movie “Heartbreak Kid” and had a speaking role, saying, “Hi Kelly” to Cybill Shepherd. I was actually an extra for a play in one of Scott’s acting classes: I played a deceased child and they dragged me in on a sheet.

Scott loved the Renaissance Festival, and it was there that he learned calligraphy. He was always making banners, posters, etc. for us, and he taught us the basics, as he did for his many students over the years. He collected goose feathers to be used as quills, assisting in the production of the St. John’s Bible, and met in association with the calligrapher to the Queen of England.

Scott did sculpting as well as two-dimensional art, and had other hobbies such as beekeeping and exotic pet pheasants. One year they hosted us for Christmas and he scattered corn in their wooded back yard, attracting exactly nine deer, the same number used to pull Santa’s sleigh.

On Christmas Eve growing up we would sing Christmas carols, and it was by listening to Scott that I learned how to harmonize. Scott also had a quick wit and great sense of humor. If I manage to say something funny there’s a good chance it’s thanks to my brothers.

He was great with the nieces, doing spontaneous things like “foot claps” and “knee slaps.” He would give my son rides to family dinner, saving me a 72-mile round trip.

Scott knew architecture. He would point at a building and explain the “egg and dart” pattern there. When I was depressed in 1990, he took me to the museum, which helped me to eventually snap out of it. In 2004, he took Mom to London, where they toured royal palaces, Bath, and Stonehenge.

Scott also inspired me politically. During his college years, I remember him telling us about a protest on campus with teargas and how he had to run between two buildings. Years later, he told a story about how he was in another city, marching in one of the first Gay Pride parades, somebody giving him a banner to hold, being on national TV, and worrying about it, because it was before he came out in 1982. As an activist, I would sometimes march in our Minneapolis GLBT Pride parade, and I ran into Scott a couple times while I was there, and he appreciated my involvement.

With Scott, there is so much, I’m sure I’m leaving out something important. This is just what comes to mind today. Rest in Peace, dear brother. We love you.

It’s easier said than done to just start governing in Egypt. A communications hierarchy is essential. For now, decisions can be made based on how big each activist group is estimated to be. They can each elect a point person. Without knowledge of and access to the means of production, obtaining necessities could be daunting I’m afraid. Getting food I would say is a priority. Not sure if they have it in the countryside. I recently finished “All New Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholemew. Not sure if there’s time in Egypt to employ his techniques. Instead of a book review, for now I’ll just say I recommend it.

On MPR today, Mike Edgerly asked Dayton’s new DNR commissioner Thomas Landwehr if he favors letting companies do their own environmental impact statements. Landwehr answered that it should be ok, as long as the contractor provides the same report to the state that they do to the company. I’m not reassured that he’s reassured.

The shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and many others in Arizona Saturday saddens me. This tragedy involves mental illness and Arizona’s lax firearms laws. I also suspect violent Republican rhetoric as a factor. If you listen to AM950 or MPR or watch MSNBC, you will notice that the rhetoric is not violent. There is a better way. Let’s choose love before hate, peace before war, life before death, in keeping with the KV of Nonviolence.

Book Review: Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra

This book says our spirits are beyond time so we can have less stress and live longer. At the smallest levels, there is empty space and we can use it to keep repairing our bodies, maybe indefinitely. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, and meditation all help, as well as creativity, purpose, positivity, and love.

I support changing U.S. Senate rules to end secret holds (anonymous filibusters).