October is the Month for Pogo

Deck us all with Boston Charlie
Walla Walla, Wash., an’ Kalamazoo!
Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower, alleygaroo!

I am sure we all can remember our first pet. In my case, I grew up with a wonderful pound dog--mostly cocker spaniel, a touch of chow (the black tongue) and a little more of who knows what. I actually don't remember whether the dog or I came first, although I do know that the family's little black companion was ahead of me in the pecking order. This friendly little dog was named Pogo, and I have many wonderful memories of times spent with her. So I was surprised when I read in the Britannica Blog that the original Pogo is 60 years old.

Walt Kelly, the originator of Pogo, was born in Philadelphia, and when a young man worked as a crime reporter on the Bridgeport Post, in Bridgeport, CT. He filled notebooks with doodles and cartoon scribbles until he finally decided to head to California and take his art seriously as an animator with the new Walt Disney studios.
He continued to hone his skills at Disney throughout the 1930s and early 1940s while contributing to Fantasia, Snow White and my personal favorite Dumbo.

When Kelly returned to the US after WWII he chose to return to journalism, but using his talented pen as an illustrator instead of a reporter.



From Britannica Online:

Pogo became a kind of liberal reply to Al Capp’s reactionary strip L’il Abner, lampooning vice president Richard Nixon, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and even Senator Joseph McCarthy (as the malign wildcat Simple J. Malarkey) himself. Kelly voiced his views through the mouths of aw-shucks cartoon characters who lived in a kind of alternate-universe version of the Confederacy: Pogo the naïve possum; the befuddled but sweet Albert Alligator; the grumpy tortoise Churchy Femme and the even grumpier porcupine called, of course, Porky Pine; the evangelist Deacon Mushrat, the pompous Howland Owl, the faithful Beauregard Hound Dog, the self-satisfied P. T. Bridgeport Bear, the ghastly vulture Sarcophagus Macabre, the coquettish skunk Mamzelle Hepzibah; the list went on to number dozens of characters, major and minor, over the next twenty-five years.

Politicians may not have liked Pogo much, but readers did. Kelly’s strip was quickly syndicated and published across the country, and soon nonsensical catchphrases from Pogo were on everyone’s lips: “Food is no substitute for the real thing.” “Each year is getting shorter.” “We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.” And, most famous of all, Pogo the possum’s mangling of Commodore Perry’s famous dispatch in commemoration of Earth Day 1971, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” So popular was Kelly’s strip that the first of his many book collections, called simply Pogo, leaped to the head of the 1951 bestseller list, alongside such books as Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny, James Jones’s From Here to Eternity, and Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki.

Syndicated in hundreds of newspapers, Pogo helped define American political culture for the next two decades. But by the early 1970s, in the era of Watergate and Vietnam, politics seemed less a laughing than a fighting matter in this country, and Kelly’s gently good-natured strip waned in popularity as more pointed comics like Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury came to the fore. Still, Pogoisms still figure in popular discourse 35 years after Kelly’s death, and Pogo lives otherwise, safely preserved on library shelves across the land, ready to do service again in a time of weird politics. And every October, right about this time, Waycross, Georgia, next door to the Okefenokee Swamp, holds a weekend-long Pogofest in Kelly’s honor.

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Political Discourse

The campaign rhetoric has been increasing in its intensity as we enter the final weeks up to the election. There are enough examples of excess from followers of both candidates to keep one from pointing fingers. But, for me, until last night and this morning the examples of intolerance toward others political views was something I was watching from afar.

But now, this naked hatred has entered my neighborhood and I must admit to being somewhat shaken. In our middle-class community of mostly professional couples or single men and women, I believed there was an attitude of acceptance of our neighbors life style and political leanings. Since this is a townhome development, we don't have room for yard signs, but the ubiquitous campaign signs, both Republican and Democratic, have been making an appearance in windows throughout the complex.

One of my dog-walking neighbors is a quiet, polite, professional man who lives in a condo unit which has a brick patio wall facing the street. Yesterday, I noticed he had placed an Obama/Biden sign on this wall. I actually chuckled to myself, because I would have guessed him to have been a McCain supporter, if I had considered the matter at all.

Last night, on my before bed stroll with the bookends, I noticed something in the tree in front of this neighbors home. Checking it out, I found a hand-lettered sign taped to the tree claiming

OBAMA IS A SOCIALIST - SOCIALISM HAS NEVER BEEN AND NEVER WILL BE SUCCESSFUL

Now I realize this is not as bad as some of the other types of hate speech which one sees and hears on a daily basis, but this still had a tone of intimidation just from the way it was presented, seemingly as a direct rebuke to my neighbors posting of a campaign sign. However, I just shook my head and didn't think much about it.

This morning, the Obama/Biden sign was gone, and the offensive notice on the tree still remained. It had achieved its desired effect. My neighbor had felt sufficiently threatened to remove his campaign sign from his wall. In my disgust over the obvious implications of this tiny example of the ugliness that is a part of this campaign, I ripped the offending message from the tree and threw it away.

I love to see people involved in the political process and welcome a public debate over the issues. But, I would hope we can show respect for those that disagree with us. This display of intolerance just unnerved me a little, and this is my blog, so I thought I would share - even if off-topic.

The Sad Old Party

He was just too cute to pass up. But it is not over yet, so cheer up Mr. GOP.

Hat tip: And You, Brutus?

Political Labels According to LBJ

In yesterday's Britannica Blog, Robert McHenry discusses a quote from then Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson that appeared in the 1958 Winter Issue of the Texas Quarterly. As we are nearing the end of what has been a historic Presidential campaign and yet at the same time in many ways a campaign that has failed to rise to what many hoped would be a new level of issue-oriented political contest, I think LBJ's words are still relevant.

I am a free man, an American, a United States Senator, and a Democrat, in that order.

I am also a liberal, a conservative, a Texan, a taxpayer, a rancher, a businessman, a consumer, a parent, a voter, and not as young as I used to be nor as old as I expect to be – and I am all these things in no fixed order.

I am unaware of any descriptive word in the second paragraph which qualifies, modifies, amends, or is related by hyphenation to the terms listed in the first paragraph. In consequence, I am not able – nor even the least interested in trying – to define my political philosophy by the choice of a one-word or two-word label. This may be against the tide, but, if so, the choice is deliberate.

At the heart of my own beliefs is a rebellion against this very process of classifying, labeling, and filing Americans under headings: regional, economic, occupational, religious, racial, or otherwise. I bridle at the very casualness with which we have come to ask each other, “What is your political philosophy?”…

It is a part of my own philosophy to regard individuality of political philosophy as a cornerstone of American freedom and, more specifically, as a right expressly implied in our nation’s basic law and indispensable to the proper functioning of our system.

Bookstore and Politics - What Do You Think?

Robert Gray shares a discussion on his Fresh Eyes Now bookselling blog which examines the role of the neighborhood bookshop when it comes to political advocacy.

As those who have followed my blog may have noticed I have some trouble staying on topic and especially when it comes to politics. This may not have been an issue except that we have just been through a hard-fought primary season and are heading into what I predict to be a hotly-contested and at times vicious presidential race. The fact that Denver is hosting the Democratic National Convention and having the opportunity to experience the atmosphere and excitement around this convention which will become one of those occasions in history that becomes part of the American experience has made it hard for me to keep from "blogging the convention".

The debate in Gray's blog is a reflection on the debate I have been having with myself as I have wanted to write about the convention but was afraid of possibly offending or alienating my future customers. This is more of a problem now, because people have not had the opportunity to actually get to know me and I don't want to make the wrong first impression.

But, I am interested in the general question about the role a bookstore plays in the community. One of my core beliefs and reasons for wanting to be a bookseller is the concept that books and those places where readers congregate provide the fodder and environment for us to discover, digest, discuss and debate the ideas which shape the quality of our lives. Many of these ideas ultimately end up with politics.

So here are the questions asked by Robert Gray but rephrased to you my customer and readers. Let me know what you think.

Is a community bookstore a neutral corner or an advocacy center?

Can there be a, well, "third place" between the two when it comes to politics?

What type of political sidelines or books would you find appropriate? Do the political books a bookstore carries affect your comfort level or willingness to shop in that store.

What do you expect from your bookstore? If you sensed a spirit of advocacy would you feel excluded or offended?

If the store provided a venue where there could be a free and spirited exchange of ideas, would you be offended, feel excluded or appreciate the possibility to engage in intellectual thought and discussion?

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Denver on Display

Watching some of the television coverage about the Democratic National Convention I am struck by the beauty of my fair city.

Denver has gone through growing pains like many other metropolitan areas but I think we have handled a lot of the issues with a vision to the future. As many cities have continued their growth to the suburbs and ex-burbs Denver has made a conscious effort to move or to keep our large venues within the city center or what the locals call LoDo (lower downtown).

Specifically, Invesco Field, Pepsi Center, Coors Stadium, Elitches(Six Flags), the Convention Center, the Center for the Performing Arts, to name a few are all located within the downtown area of the city, and as I am watching an interview hosted at the C-SPAN convention studio, many of these facilities are in full view with the mountains providing a stunning backdrop.

For those people who still live in the suburbs our new light rail makes access to the downtown area fast, convenient and inexpensive. Our housing developments are beginning to become clustered around the light rail system and feature mixed use dwelling styles so small independent grocers and other necessary retail shops are incorporated as part of each condo complex and are within walking distance of a transportation hub, either light rail, bus system or some type of shuttle service. Most of our downtown areas have been revitalized with a comfortable mix of retail, residential(lofts and condos) and business interests.

I must admit I am quite proud of Colorado and Denver. Now, as long as our police and other law enforcement agencies don't get carried away while balancing the tension between security and civil liberties when dealing with protest groups - I think our many visitors will enjoy their time here and those watching should see a beautiful, modern and dynamic city.

Much as I love SPI and am looking forward to moving in October -- Denver will always be my home and I will miss much of what this city has to offer.

Tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, I plan to head downtown each day and absorb as much of the atmosphere as I can. C-SPAN will give the viewer some good insights into the city as well as convention activities.

Denver is ready for the party and I invite you to watch as much as possible -- we aren't just a cow town any more.

C-SPAN Goes High Tech for Convention Coverage

Politics is not the focus on this blog but it is the season which comes around every four years when politics invades everything we do and so it is with my blogging. And with the Democratic National Convention being held in Denver next week it is hard to not want to be a part of the excitement. Actually, I am a political and news junkie.

I have been a fan of C-SPAN and Brian Lamb for 5 or 6 years after discovering BookTV one lazy Saturday afternoon when I was looking for something to watch as I settled down for a winter nap. I started noticing how the news coverage of what happened on the Hill was strikingly different than what actually transpired during debate or how sound bites could be used out of context to bolster any position. So I became intrigued with getting my information first hand.

My impression is that C-SPAN is always willing to take advantage of new technology. The first I heard about the new XM-To Go portable was on some C-SPAN program when Brian Lamb was announcing the roll-out of C-SPAN radio. Their coverage of the party conventions confirms what I always believed.

When I posted a twitter message about watching the Saddleback Presidential forum on C-SPAN I received a message inviting me to watch the coverage on the C-SPAN Convention Hub. I'm hooked!




From Techcrunch:

But today C-SPAN gets fairly cool with the launch of two new sites dedicated to the upcoming Democratic Convention in Denver and Republican Convention in Minneapolis. ...links for DNC08 and RNC08. Both are similarly formatted sites that incorporate citizen journalism via blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Qik into portals to cover convention and related news. They will complement the existing C-SPAN Politics.

Third party blog content from sites like Huffington Post, Instapundit, Gateway Pundit, RedState, etc. will be incorporated into the site and Twitter messages marked with hash marks #RNC08 or #DNC08 will also appear on the site (with moderation). C-SPAN employees will be given Qik cameras to record the action when not on main camera.

All in all, it’s a great effort to spice up coverage with user-generated, up-to-the-minute content. This may not make the cable channel more watchable, but political nuts will definitely want to bookmark the sites. It may have the most up to date news on the conventions.

Off-Topic - But Senator Kennedy Is On My Mind

I have just been thinking what a loss it will be if Senator Kennedy cannot return to Washington D.C.

It doesn't really matter what your politics are, the man is an institution and is able to get more accomplished on both sides of the aisle than is often recognized. He has a rare personality for a politician, one that does not need to be center stage. He is uniquely able to stand back and allow others to bask in the limelight and take credit for legislation he is responsible for getting enacted through sheer perseverance and negotiating skill. Few others have the ability to bring together all the diverse interests to get the work of the government accomplished.

So, I am just offering a prayer for his family and hoping he will survive this new trial. He is not known as the Liberal Lion for nothing, and I will certainly miss his impassioned speeches on the Senate floor.

Hillary and Barack Fight it Out in Texas

We really do have choices to make in the presidential primaries this year and candidates for the Democrat party have brought their fight to Texas.

texas.barackobama.com | Texas Office Locations

HillaryClinton.com - Online Headquarters - Texas

I wish I could vote in the primary here - but I'll just have to be ready for the November elections. I have my voter registration card sitting right here on my desk ready to be completed and turned in!

The exciting part is that I will be in Denver for the convention and it should be a thrilling couple of days for a news and political junkie.

If anyone has attended any of the RGV rallies, I'd love to hear your comments or impressions.