Those Helpful Union Guys (or Gals)
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Week's schedule:
Sunday--Branch meeting on fascism; it went well even though the presidential debate was on in the pub and was very distracting.
Monday--rest
Tuesday--attend the first public meeting of the UMass Lowell feminist club; it will supposedly feature intersectionality and chocolate fondue.
Wednesday--Das Kapital reader's circle. Still plodding along.
Thursday--Film showing about Market Basket strike hosted by the labor/leftie prof at UML; should be fun for some polemics
Friday--Field trip! We recently recruited a kid who was hanging around the libertarians; they had him read some Marx in order to argue against commies; he read it and decided he was in the wrong camp. So, now we're heading out to Keene, NH, Free State Project ground zero.
Saturday--Another field trip, this time to the "sleepy west of the wooded east" for Comrade Omar's memorial.
IVY LEAGUE PROBLEMS: Starving Harvard Hires Scabs to Replace Striking Cafeteria Workers
Although "hire" isn't exactly the right word:
"The university is 'actively seeking for volunteers all across campus,' an email from Harvard’s Campus Services implored. The email, obtained by the Harvard Crimson clarified that only employees who were not paid hourly and did not qualify for overtime would be allowed to work for free in the dining halls."
And it looks like the five-week Minneapolis nurses' strike, which I have only been vaguely following, is about over:
And, Chicago teachers didn't go out:
No Teachers Strike; Classes As Usual For Chicago Public Schools Students
"The university is 'actively seeking for volunteers all across campus,' an email from Harvard’s Campus Services implored. The email, obtained by the Harvard Crimson clarified that only employees who were not paid hourly and did not qualify for overtime would be allowed to work for free in the dining halls."
Salaried AND exempt! In general, those folks would need to be making at least $913 per week ($47,476 per year).
And Harvard wants them to work for free in food service jobs
Report: Majority of West German Justice Ministry officials were ex-Nazis following WWII
"The report added that the number of senior ministry officials who were former Nazis was greater in 1957 than during the 1933-45 period when the Third Reich was in power."
I guess DDR propaganda had a point.
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What happened at the UMass Feminist Club?
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And on a completely unrelated note, I did the 'Which Socialist Are You?' quiz that was doing the rounds on Faceballs and it said I was 81% Stalin, which I thought was very unfair.
What happened at the UMass Feminist Club?
I came to the painful realization that I have become too old to date college women.*
Mr. Comrade and I conferred afterwards and had the same experience: Twentyish Women's Studies major looked us dirty proles over and figured they had an easy mark and asked us a question or two and then looked uncomfortable when we answered correctly and then went on to reveal that we knew more about the subject than they did. Shouldn't be too smug about it, though; I've been reading on these topics since before they were born.
Not much came out of it, but I told Mr. Comrade that at least they'll recognize us next time we're peddling socialist newspapers on campus. In retrospect, though, I should have sent Young Autistic, Gay, Former Homeless Hustler Comrade in my place.
Oh yeah, there was also chocolate fondue.
*One fetching punk rock lass was giving me the eyes, but she looked like a child to me.
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Existential Comics: Jury Selection
No Karl this time, but Kropotkin shows up...and moi!
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UNITE-HERE Local 26: 1000+ #SupportTheStrike March Oct 22
A few of the incredible images taken today as more than 1,000 people joined Harvard dining hall workers on Day 18 of their historic strike. Workers and their allies are needing to take it to the streets to get what they need to survive from the wealthiest university on the planet.
The rain let up just before we got there and didn't come back until the walk back to the car.
Young Gay Autistic Comrade was, once again, verbally attacked by a bunch of idiot student liberals for his outfit. They claimed that he looked "too militant," "fascistic" and that his Soviet military hat made him look like "a Nazi." When I pointed out to them that Nazis and communists were on opposite side of the spectrum, they said they didn't want our support. I then asked them if they were dining hall workers. When they said, no, I then pointed to my Teamsters pin, then pointed over to the flatbed truck from which the union leaders were speaking, and how it read "Teamsters Local 25." Later, my local president gave a pretty good speech (made me feel guilty for voting against him in the national election) and pledged $10,000 to the UNITE-HERE 26 strike fund and the idiot student liberals didn't say anything after that.
There were also sizable contingents from up and down the east coast, including one from Atlantic City with t-shirts reading "Trump Taj Mahal: I Held the Line Against Carl Icahn." They were pretty spirited despite having, as Comrade X reported above, having lost their jobs.
Leftist Bingo-wise, lots of Taafeites, Cliffites and Marcyites, and three Spart sympathizers that I hadn't seen in, oh, 20 or so years. One of them was uncomfortable, one of them asked hostile questions, but the last, who got me a job in an industrial print shop back in the day, stopped and talked to me about old times for awhile.
Anyway, pretty good rally.
Shame! Shame! Shame on Harvard!
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Young Gay Autistic Comrade was, once again, verbally attacked by a bunch of idiot student liberals for his outfit. They claimed that he looked "too militant," "fascistic" and that his Soviet military hat made him look like "a Nazi." When I pointed out to them that Nazis and communists were on opposite side of the spectrum, they said they didn't want our support.
Homer Simpson: "I’ve been called a greasy thug, too. It never stops hurting. So here’s what we’re gonna do: We’re gonna grease ourselves up real good and trash that place with a baseball bat."
Those "idiot student liberals" serve an important place in our culture. There has to be someone who gets shocked, then shoved aside when Public Enemy and the S1W's show up. Someone needs to have their girlfriend get taken when David Lee Roth starts singing. Someone needs to get asked, "How do you like them apples?". And someone needs to go out like a punk when they get outsmarted by a hairy teamster.
Re-dotting to make a reminder to post the questions later...
Federal contract workers at the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire voted today to join UE, by a margin of 279 to 247, despite an intense anti-union campaign by the company, FCi Federal and other subcontractors.
They mentioned this at Comrade Omar's memorial and we all lined up and did one of those "Vote UE!" videos.
Tom Hayden, Civil Rights and Antiwar Activist Turned Lawmaker, Dies at 76
Wasn't a big fan, myself, but maybe some of my readers were.
Although, he did date Jane Fonda...
Oh, and I never brought it up, and it occurs to me, I don't think I ever saw a thread or even a post (?) about the Flint, Michigan water scandal, but, smaller and whiter, my hometown gets the Erin Brockovich treatment.
I'll probably be dead soon.
Does Your Drinking Water Come From the Merrimack Village District Water System in New Hampshire?
Tom Hayden, Civil Rights and Antiwar Activist Turned Lawmaker, Dies at 76
Wasn't a big fan, myself, but maybe some of my readers were.
Although, he did date Jane Fonda...
He married her during her "Hanoi Jane" period.
They were such a cute couple.
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Côte d’Ivoire: Construction company workers force unprecedented bosses’ concessions
Guy standing next to me at the Standing Rock protest outside the Democrats' Clinton/Kennedy dinner on Saturday claimed that he was the third cousin once removed from Lev Davidovich and that his ancestors came to the US after backing the Red Army in the Russo-Polish War of 1919-21.
Didn't stop him from being a Down-Ticket Democrat, alas.
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Comrade.
Coooooommmmmmmmrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaade.
Super-serious series of questions*:
*
If you could have different super-powers, what would they be and why?
(Assume corollary powers required to make a given power work are part of it; i.e. Since you'd need super tensile strength/durability to, you know, not-die when you made use of your super-strength power, you get them both when you say "super strength" as a singular option.)
Why?
If, instead, you could be a gestalt of super heroes, who would you gestalt to be yourself? Why? Which comic universe would you run around in? Would you prefer to be in that one, or this one?
On the other hand: BAM! You just gained levels in a Pathfinder class (or classes)! Which class(es) do you pick, and why? Incidentally, if you could spontaneously switch races, would you? And if so, to which?
Similarly, you won the super-lottery, and gained mythic tiers! of 'em! (And you gain class levels to match; please feel free to change your previous answer if this does so for some reason.) What path do you take? (Alternate option: substitute a single tier for a simple mythic template.)
Yet another query: you monster. Specifically, you (or less) monster! Which are you?! ... and would this have been your first choice? If not, which would be?
But the wheels of fate-time have spun again, and your everything has been transposed into that of someone else! You've just become a prepublished NPC from an official source! Which prepublished NPC is it?
What campaign setting do you run around in? Why?
As a final thing: blend any and/or all of the above questions into a single ginormous question: an optional blend of a prepublished NPC, monster, and some superheroes all walk into a bar... and out comes you, as a gestalt of those guys, the race you choose, some extra superpowers, and have extra class levels and mythic tiers on top! What are you?! (Other than "awesome" - naturally.)
Equipment is a non-issue (like adjunct super-powers; what you need to do <X> is assumed). Also note that any significant others can be brought with you.
"Official" and "Pre-published" are loose terms, but general expect something that has a solid publishing company and identifiable map/world/conceits behind it (like WotC for Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dark Sun, Greyhawk, etc; or Green Ronin for Blue Rose, but not "True20"; or Paizo for Golarion, or the Maelstrom, or the upcoming Starfinder; but not "the Bestiaries" or "the Planes" or things like that - basically things that people can find and nerd out about with you). Similarly, if it has a solid AP out for it, that, too, is acceptable (like Legendary Planet; or any of Paizo's APs). It should probably be a d20 variant, but it can be whatever you like of those many variants (True20, Blue Rose, Paizo, 3.5, 3rd; etc.). That said, if a Homebrew or otherwise "weak" entry just needs to be there due to compelling reasons... okay. Similarly other systems. Let us know why! Computer and video game translations of such (Neverwinter Nights and/or expansions/sequels; PFO; etc) are acceptable as interpretations as well.
Similarly, for comics, it needs to be superheroes that people can reasonably be expected to come across - "that one I made up with my cousin as a kid" is an awesome answer, and worth noting and why, but prrrrooooobabaly isn't the best choice, unless it's just so powerful that you've GOT to. In which case: sure, but bring us along for the ride! Related, the super need not come from one of the "big two" in comics, so long as the people and world is both recognizes me and accessible - choosing The Incredibles world is valid, as is Spawn (blech); you're not just limited to Marvel or DC. Similarly "standard" powers need not apply - so long as it is clearly communicable, it's fine (even if all the field specifics aren't clear, that's okay - knowing you're powered by our yellow star is fine; you don't need to know this, but it's acceptable if you do).
Finally, presume you have the basics necessary for a happy life. Your spouse, best friend, and so on, can all be considered to "come with you" (should they choose to do so) wherever it is that you go.
Oh, and one more thing: if you lived through a Legend of Zelda (as one of the Links); which would it be, and why?
Thanks! Enjoy!
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Philly: Commuters Tackle Evening Rush as SEPTA Strike Clogs Roads
I'll be back, Citizen Lion, to answer your super serious questions later. 'Tis already the season for UPS overtime.
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Tried to read TacticLion's post. Head exploded before all the math could be parsed.
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I'll be back, Citizen Lion, to answer your super serious questions later.
My replies to the same barrage are here. No copying!
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Tried to read TacticLion's post. Head exploded before all the math could be parsed.
I think this means I'm permanently disqualified from playing Rifts, Hero, or Rolemaster.
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Found out yesterday that one of my great-grandfathers was in the CPGB in the '30s.
Not interesting, but true.
Cross Post!
Faces of the Ultra-Left
Pals of mine: La Principessa, German friend of La Principessa's that trades on Facebook as "Lotte Da", Howie Hawkins's running partner for Lieutenant Governor of New York in the last gubernatorial election, Sister Wallace from the "Girl Pepper Sprayed" thread, Independent Maoist-Inclined Red Historian Rival for La Principessa's Affections (Since Vanquished).
-Steps out of land rover and adjusts chihuahua angrily glaring at you from the depths of my handbag-
But, Comrade...
Why don't you become a neo-marxist like us? This whole seizing the means of production and two-class society is just so blase. World Systems is what all the cool kids are doing.
Pfft.
The only "world system" I am interested in is international proletarian socialist revolution.
(Article La Principessa helped to edit the English translation:
DEBATES ON IMPERIALISM TODAY III: Open Veins of the Global South
It's been a rough year for La Principessa; I think she's going to make the jump from Taafeite to Morenoite soon.)
Independent Maoist-Inclined Red Historian Rival for La Principessa's Affections (Since Vanquished).
Although, he keeps dedicating articles to her. [Clenches fists unconsciously]
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Rather successful mini-wave of anti-Trump protests we just pulled off on The Day After. Boston's was pretty big. Made me feel a little better.
Thousands of people protest against Trump in Boston, other cities
Working Class Party Secures Ballot Access In Michigan
Newest Party Certified TodayAlong with an actual state-level candidate who can make a difference
Mary Anne Hering, running for State Board Of Education
Still don't know anything about these peeps, but
Finally found out about the Working Class Party, they were initiated by a tiny Trotskyist groupsucule trading under the name The Spark that are the American affiliate of France's Lutte Ouvriere, whose most prominent spokesperson is/was my current avatar.
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So, anti-Trump protests in New Hampshire were alright. About 100-150 people in Concord on Friday evening, no sizable right-wing presence; Manchester the following day was about 400-500 with heavily armed Oath Keepers, Soldiers of Odin, etc. In fact there were so many death threats on the FB event page that I can honestly say this was the first demonstration that I've been to with open-carrying liberals. (New Hampshire, baby!)
Won't go into it much, but, one thing that I noticed:
At one point, late in the demo, the crowd surged across the street and surrounded the counterprotesters. We quickly set up a cordon of marshals between the two groups. While we stood there keeping the liberals from the reactionaries, I turned around and noticed a comely young women staring at me with hate and screaming "MY BODY, MY CHOICE!" It took me a while to figure out that, based on my appearance, she assumed I was one of the Trumpers. "What the f%@$?!? I'm on your side!" I shouted, gesturing towards my arm band. She kept it up for awhile, until her friends noticed and started yelling in her ear. Then she got all red-faced, started mouthing "I'm sorry" over and over again and, I think, started to cry.
Gee, I can't understand why the Trumpers think the Democrats are a bunch of elitist snobs.
Anyway, after the demo, we were invited to join a host of newly-sprung up NH groups ranging from LoveTrumpsHate New Hampshire to the John Brown Militia*. Mr. Comrade's got two contact sessions while I go to work, and the entire New Hampshire left thinks we're the shiznit.
Anyway, as a good anti-accelerationist, I used to pooh-pooh the argument that a Trump election would be better for the Far Left. I guess I still do, but I admit I underestimated how many new layers would be propelled into action. Hope we're up to the challenge.
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*Was a bit teary-eyed when I went to their Facebook page and discovered that Comrade Omar was listed as a member.