Happy May Day all ye workers!

The people's flag is deepest red
It shrouded oft our martyred dead
And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold
Their hearts' blood dyed to every fold

 

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Beneath its folds we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here

 

It waved above our infant might
When all ahead seemed dark as night
It witnessed many a deed and vow
We must not change its colour now

 

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Beneath its folds we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here

 

It well recalls the triumphs past
It gives the hope of peace at last
The banner bright, the symbol plain
Of human right and human gain

 

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Beneath its folds we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here

 

It suits today the meek and base
Whose minds are fixed on pelf and place
To cringe beneath the rich man's frown
And haul that sacred emblem down

 

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Beneath its folds we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here

 

With heads uncovered swear we all
To bare it onward till we fall
Come dungeons dark or gallows grim
This song shall be our parting hymn

 

Then raise the scarlet standard high
Beneath its folds we'll live and die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here

 

Words: Jim Connell Music: "The White Cockade"

Harry S Truman

"Scare words"

Socialism is a scare word they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.
Socialism is what they called public power.
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called farm price supports.
Socialism is what they called bank deposit insurance.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
When the Republican candidate inscribes the slogan “Down With Socialism” on the banner of his “great crusade,” that is really not what he means at all.

What he really means is, “Down with Progress" ... That is what he means.

                                                                               -H.S T. 10/10/1952
                                                                                                            (emphases mine)

                                                ****************
                                                                  
                                                                                         VSR

Berlin had one

And the President wants one just like it...

Built by the army.

 

                                                  So how did that work out for them?


                                      A 15th century solution for a 21st century problem?


                                            Couldn't he find a better use for $5 Billion?

                                                      *************************

                                                                                                           -VSR.

de Gaulle

Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

                                                                                                                                 -Charles de Gaulle.

Ignorance

"Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!"

-Donald J. Trump.

Patriotism

"...You know, they have a word. It sort of became old-fashioned. It's called a nationalist. And I say, really, we're not supposed to use that word. You know what I am? I'm a nationalist, OK? I'm a nationalist.

"Nationalist. Nothing -- use that word. Use that word."

 -Donald J. Trump.
                     

“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying our interests come first, who cares about the others, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values.”

-Emmanuel Macron.

Remember Remember and VOTE!

   Today is Guy Fawkes day, a commemoration of the foiled plot to blow up the English Parliament. In some places in the U.K. and elsewhere there will be fireworks, bonfires, and burning in effigy of Guy Fawkes.

One older tradition was for gangs of children begging for "a penny for the Guy." My own way of remembrance -which must cause my neighbours' amusement or wonder- is to fly the Union Jack. If the weather holds, i may even have a small bonfire in the back yard... no effigy, though.

Fawkes and his co-conspirators sought to overthrow the government by destroying its symbolic seat (and hopefully many of its members in the bargain.) They were betrayed and discovered and horribly executed for their troubles.

                                                           
                                                                *******************
                                                                
Tomorrow is Election Day in the U.S. This is the Mid-term election wherein we voters will select our congressional delegates, some senators and governors, as well as many statewide offices and judicial seats. The Mid-terms are viewed as a referendum on the successes or failures of the President and the executive branch of government. Despite the importance of the Mid-terms, voter turnout is usually embarrassingly low, meaning that an even smaller than usual minority of voters will decide the direction of the government for the majority of citizens.

So far, indications are that this year will see a turnout that will rival or even exceed that of the average Presidential election.

The President had been touring the country ostensibly in support of his party's candidates. He has been shamelessly ginning up the fear of immigrants and other "undesirables", the opposing party, et cetera, et cetera, and outright lying to his supporters in an effort to frighten them to the polls. He has been making this election all about himself, and his party has been shamelessly supporting him in its cynical efforts to retain power and advance its agenda to solidify that power.

i wish to remind him, his party, and frankly ALL who seek elected office that they are there to SERVE, not RULE. i sincerely hope that tomorrow's vote will be a short, sharp shock to them that will remind them that they serve at the pleasure of the citizens of this country, not the reverse.

i do not advocate the methods of the Gunpowder Plotters in their attempt to change their government. Fortunately, so far the few who would use similar ways of doing so here today are a fringe minority.

Tomorrow, we citizens will be deciding the direction we wish our government will take: either to continue on its current path, or to turn away from the policies and practices of fear-mongering, xenophobia, isolationism, and one-party rule.

Those who would make these changes do not need gunpowder. They need only to get up on their hind feet and go to the polls tomorrow and be counted.

Remember remember that those in elected office are not in "power" but in service; SERVICE to US, the citizens of the United States, not corporations, not to wealthy donors or other lobbies, and certainly they need reminding that We are not in service to those who would believe they are "in power."

                                                        **************************    

                                                              End of rant. Peace. Out.

                                                                                                                                                       -VSR.

Meanwhile in Helsinki...

i usually prefer to not vent about politics in this forum, but after listening to today's news conference with Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin, i am suffering from an acute case of nausea. i'll just say this:

If either of these "gentlemen" were to tell me that the sky was blue, i'd go look out the window.

Our president is an international embarrassment. Mr. Putin has played him like a violin.

The Neoplasm

The thing about cycling is that it isn't generally a nocturnal activity. We spend most of our hours on the bike in the broad daylight, most often through the long hours of a sunny summer day.

i suspect that most of us ride in short sleeved, short legged kit, exposing large areas of skin. How many of us ever think about sunscreen?

In younger days, it never occurred to me to grease up. If i took a sunburn on the arms, no matter... it faded to a deep farmer's tan in a day or two. Noxema cream and maybe Bactine spray provided enough temporary relief. In the days before findings about ozone layer depletion, no one really gave sunburn a second thought.

Look at some photos from the golden age of cycling. Here's an example:

Gino Bartali & Fausto Coppi

Take a look at Bartali's arms. This is a typical cyclist's tan.

My version was never quite so dark, but by early June my arms, legs, and from my neck up were usually pretty brown for someone of Northern European Mongrel lineage.

Another artifact of sun exposure was the well defined oval on the back of the hand from our gloves. My favourite style was- and is still- the gloves  with a crocheted back.

This spring i noticed what i first took to be a wart on the back of my hand:

Yeah, i know.. yuk.

 Denial is a deep river...

So, i finally took myself to my doctor who immediately referred me to the dermatologist.

 Welp, when you need to schedule an appointment with a specialist, don't be in a hurry.

Turns out the good doctor cannot see me before mid-September, but i will be seeing his P.A. in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, it grows. i hope it won't take until September to be rid of it.

 In more recent years i had gotten in the habit of greasing up my nose, and lately gotten better at remembering to doing my ears, neck, and arms as well. The thing is remembering to stop and re-apply the goop every 90 minutes or so. It never occurred to me to do my hands as well-  they were covered, right?

i ought to be more mindful about sunscreen, especially since i had a small "hot spot" removed from my temple a couple of years ago...  Denial isn't a river in Egypt.

A few days ago i heard a radio interview about how many if not most off-the-shelf sunscreens don't live up to their advertised SPF ratings, sometimes by less than half. The FDA doesn't test sunscreens for their efficacy- they depend on the manufacturers for that information. This does not inspire confidence. Do the research. Consumer Reports just published their findings. Seek it out.

And, no matter which brand of sunscreen you chose, remember to use it.                           

May Day

Some music and images for International Labour Day...                                                                                      
                                    

https://iww.org/

                                                          Sung by Utah Phillips (R.I.P.)

More from Utah:

And an anthem:

                               (Okay, if i weren't on a blacklist yet, i'm sure to be on one now...)

REMEMBER TODAY TO THANK A WORKER.

"A full belly to the labourer is, in my opinion, the foundation of public morals and the only source of real public peace."
 -William Cobbett, journalist, pamphleteer, and farmer (1763-1835) 

Candy Days

The volunteers were out today, standing at various intersections and collecting donations for the benefit of  Misericordia.

Misericordia's mission is to provide care services and housing for developmentally and intellectually disabled people. It's run by the Sisters of Mercy under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Their main campus is in the Rogers Park neighbourhood on the north side, on the site of the former Angel Guardian Orphanage. 

Any small donation is welcomed and you'll get a bag of Jelly Bellies and a bright red tag to put in your windshield...

 ... or hang from your brake cable.

If you should see any of these folks on a corner near you tomorrow, don't just ride by...
(and the jelly beans are tasty! )

Damned Raccoons!!

Last week's campout provided a harsh lesson from Mother Nature:

Never leave your bike out where a hungry raccoon may nosh on your Brooks saddle!

Nature, "Red in tooth and claw."

i dunno... maybe they like the taste of Proofide?

P.S.A.s

Just pictures today... Mainly old stuff from around the web:

....and some Public Service Announcements meant to scare you off your bike:

(Where's his left leg?)

(Pssst, your participle is dangling...)

Und so weiter...

**************************

Yehuda Moon is the work of Rick Smith, and i hope he doesn't mind me appropriating his art.

Many thanks also to the late great Frog Blog whence i copied the scary safety messages. i sincerely miss that blog, but its author continues to publish the comic (?) Frog Applause... Look it up!

Also, if you haven't already done so, look up Rick Smith's Kickstand Comics!