Well, I have been quiet long enough.

Actually I was getting ready for the start of another exciting year at the University here in Eau Claire. This year will be filled with many issues ranging from the rise in tuition to the allowance of evangelical preachers on the campus mall.
The first issue I think is most important is how many of us are getting to the campus. Parking is a mess. Passes are expensive and many more are sold than there are parking places..(ok, I have no proof of that, however, every time I tried to park with a pass there were 20 or so of us wasting ozone destroying fuel driving around in circles looking for an empty space.)

Down in Sauk County is a little known festival that attracts progressive voices from all over the United States. I attended the first FightingBob Fest 5 years ago. The place was alive with people of like minds discussing their efforts to stay involved with Wisconsin and the nation. The Fest schedule for this year includes speakers such as Jim Hightower and Amy Goodman. Every year the fest grows stronger.

Well, it would seem that I am a moron!

No, Really.. I never learned. I have to defer to the wise and well educated Donald Rumsfeld, who today let a hall full of American Legion Members know that if one a opposes the war in Iraq that they are suffering from “moral or intellectual confusion." Now, maybe I am a tad off base, but I think Rumsfeld just called me a moron!

Rummy also told the Legion members that "some seem not to have learned"... Well, I am always willing to look back on my beliefs and see if I am a bit skewed...I guess he is right, there are a few things that I never learned: I never learned that the only way to peace is by sending hundreds of thousands of troops to a foreign country and start killing their citizens. I never learned that it ok to lie to my fellow Americans in the name of National Security.

Hey, Our team won!

800 to 60 is a great ratio and I think that we should cheer on those 800 folks that reminded the members of the National Socialist Movement that we kicked their brethren outta a few European places 60 years ago. This great battle was fought on the steps of the State Capitol on Saturday with around 300 Police and the State Patrol as referees, and between the 2pm and 4pm time frame reserved by the losers. The Nazis made 'you stink' gestures at the protestors were loud enough to drown out a majority of the speakers. And, as should be at the end of all great battles we should review the "tapes" and look at the errors; both sides made a few.

Opening with an opening is the way to go for my first blog, I guess.

I have lived in the Chippewa Valley for over 10 years.I was raised in the Bay Area, also known as "The land of the Phantom Freeway." Yes! That's the one! In Santa Clara, California. It goes nowhere. It ends in the air, occasionally with a car sitting on the edge like an over told joke. On the 21st of this fine month another nowhere was opened, and most don't even realize it. Now, I have driven 53 on a bad day and I understand the frustration all of the drivers out there that could give a rat's tail about anything but getting home after working hard here in the valley, but this multi million dollar project overshadows our greater need.