Saturday, January 31, 2015

Wrong Way Walker Attacks The Wisconsin Idea!


Wow WOW! If you didn't catch The Week In Review on the The Joy Cardin Show yesterday morning, I recommend listening on the audio archive. The show was pretty much exclusively about Wrong Way Walker's attack on the Univeristy of Wisconsin system. It was predictable that former Wis-Dem chair Joe Wineke for Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair would come out against it. What was particularly remarkable though was what John Sharpless had to say about how ignorant, destructive and expensive this particular act by The Great Divider will be.

THE WISCONSIN IDEA is literally under attack, by a corrupt fundamentalist interloper from Iowa and they can have him BACK!

Mr. Sharpless is a member of nearly extinct species, the rare and elusive Rationally Striped Moderate Republican and at one point he didn't just get angry, he got Fmr. Senator Dale Schultz angry and he went on a rant (his description). In summary and paraphase he told the I Stand With Stupid crowd: If you don't like living in a good state with good government, institutions and infrastructure MOVE TO ALABAMA!

Four years ago it was Greedy Teachers So now the "Bad People" are the folks at our great university system, the Enemy Du Jour for the Great Divider.
Just imagine who among us Walker would decide is "The Enemy" to his "heroship" were he to become president. He won't, but just imagine it, because that is his game, scapegoat people to make himself the "Hero" to the disgruntled so that he can Divide & Conquer. That's what jerks do, not leaders.


The whole - Professors need to work harder, teach more and only do research that will create jobs garbage appears to be his idea. Unfortunately he is clueless to the fact that basic research without obvious and immediate applications often leads to huge real world impacts with great economic benefits. That and the fact that NONE of the $1.2 BILLION dollars annually that support research in the UW-System comes from state taxes, in fact most of it comes from outside the state creating lots of jobs in the Badgered State. Robin's a lost cause, but I encourage folks to write their "representatives" anyway. If we can convince just a few, especially Senators in rural communities around the state that folks don't want to see their local UW campus' harmed and tuition go through the roof for their kids and grandchildren we can stop this thing. Heck, if the normally whacko Steven Nass R-Whitewater has come out with criticism against Walker's attack, saying "I don't trust the unelected Board of Regents to prioritize the plight of middle-class families," there is hope!

The Power and the Glory!



The Power and the Glory by Phil Ochs, performed by Steve Sullivan during Songs of Protest themed open mic last Saturday at The Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine. Share and enjoy!

When I looked up the lyrics on the googles so I could caption the video there was another verse included:
But our land is still troubled by men who have to hate They twist away our freedom & they twist away our fate Fear is their weapon and treason is their cry We can stop them if we try

We Will Stand Here

There were a few songs at the Songs of Protest night last Saturday at The Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine that got me all choked up. This one by Jacob Merseberger was one of them.



Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Automation Song


Our own Stephen Sullivan performing Phil Ochs' The Automation Song during the Songs of Protest themed open mic last Saturday at The Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine!

I musta hit record on my phone a dozen times before it took, so unfortunately Steve's intro with some of the 1960's history surrounding Phil got cut off. Maybe he'll fill it back in, in the comments section below. Share & Enjoy!




Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Crabs in a Barrel Polka



I wish I could have recorded all the performers at last Saturday's Songs of Protest themed open mic at the Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine, they were all outstanding! But I got a few nuggets including this one (Crabs in a Barrel Polka) from my friend and BAPster Jacob Merseberger (more to come). Share and Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZu3F96Q3U&feature=youtu.be



Saturday, January 24, 2015

Bunker Buster Bomb (My President Talks With God)





Back when we were being misled into the debacle in Iraq, the military started a program to build a mega bomb, which they called Divine Strake. It creeps me out that anyone could deem a bomb to be “divine” and thereby imagine they would wield the hand of God in ‘tamping” down their enemies. Around that time George W. Bush was asked if he had consulted his Father regarding the wisdom of toppling our erstwhile ally Saddam. And Bushyboy replied that no, he had consulted his higher Father, obviously implying that he has conferred with God. So I imagined what it might have been like if that reporter had pressed further on this father thing, discussing with Georgie Boy his conversation with God. I give you Bunker Buster Bomb (My President Talks With God). Swing it!

Our president talks with God ya’ll, our president talks with God
We’re so lucky in the USA cuz Jahovah gave George the nod
Now tell us now Mr. President when the whisper is in your ear
What great nuggets do you hear coming through so clear

Well I speak for God and the workin people
Let it ring from every steeple

He said
Build me a bunkerbuster bomb George, build me a bunkerbuster bomb
Vengeance is mine so sayeth I, or at least so says the psalm
Now you’re practically my right hand man there George my prodigal prodigal son
And I’ll be back when you’ve got it done to tell you who to drop it on.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Revenue Stream


Last month (12/14) Congress passed the budget bill which included a whole section written by Citibank and Trust Me, It's Not in Your Interests or Mine. Did you vote for citibank? How about the global corporations that run the fascist American Legislative Exchange Council (fALEC) or the WTO or World Bank? Our "Representatives" have become mere middlemen. I wrote this song several years ago (Which You Can Also Listen to Here, along with other and more to come soon), but it becomes more disturbingly relavent with every passing year. Freedumb & Demockery for All!

Revenue Stream is on the set list for my buddy Scott and I to perform at Tomorrow Night's (1/24/15) Songs of Protest Themed Open Mic and the Coffee House & Chestnut and Pine. but due to the overwhelming response of local talent to participate we will likely have to drop this song or my other song Bunker Buster Bomb (My President Talks with God), tough choice. So don't delay, listen NOW!

We WILL be performing my Badgered State Blues (Not From Here Anymore) regardless. Gonna be a blast, if you see this in time come out, you won't be disappointed!


Chords & Lyrics:


Revenue Stream

E9
When I was young I took a look
        A9
Said I’m gonna rumble like a tumblin brook
E9
Out of the hills, down to the sea
B9                                        C9  C#/Db9  D9  E9
See where I go, I’ll see what I be
E9
I will gather in the latherin rain
       A9
For every drop I drain, two drops I will gain
             E9
But commercial man spoke, he broke that dream
             B9                                           G9   E
He said boy you ain’t nuthin but a revenue stream

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Vulture School Deception



Here is what the Education Profiteers front group School Choice Wisconsin pronounced last January regarding Vulture School Hope Christian School in Milwaukee:

One hundred percent of the senior class was accepted to college, and the students earned more than $1 million in grants and scholarships.

Yet here is what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported in April 2014:

Wait this school is touted by the lobbyists as a success with 7% of 10th graders are proficient in math AND all the seniors are getting accepted to colleges? Something does NOT ADD UP!

What colleges? Universities? Public technical colleges? Private for-profit colleges? On-line colleges?

The JS article also notes that:

A growing number of taxpayer-funded private schools posted little to no data at all — either because parents chose or were encouraged to opt their children out of taking the state tests.
In the state's three voucher programs, 368 students did not take the exams because of parent opt-outs: that's 2.7% of the 13,601 students in tested grades at voucher schools.
Four private schools saw 100% of their taxpayer-funded voucher students opt out of the tests: Hillel Academyin Milwaukee, Sheboygan Area Lutheran and Sheboygan Christian, and St. Joseph Catholic School in Kenosha.
At Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, 102 of 107 voucher students opted out of the exams.
Only about 0.1% of public school students opted out of the exams, or 578 students statewide out of 432,594 students in tested grades.
Further evidence that The Last Thing the Vulture School proponents want is ACCOUNTABILITY through apples to apples comparisons with their superior public school student counterparts! 
No Funny Shtuff
Ve Vants Zeh Money Visconsin!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Songs of Protest Saturday Night with BAPsters!


This Saturday night at the Coffee at Chestnut & Pine, 492 N. Pine Street in Burlington there will a themed open mic night hosted by Jeff Peterson. The night will feature original compositions and standard songs of protest and social significance performed by local folks. The night will include performances by BAPsters Stephen Sullivan, Jacob Merseberger and your's truly, Sean Cranley.

The set list is below and includes a couple links where you can watch and/or listen to some of the selections. It's supposed to be warm Saturday, so come on out and join your neighbors in raising your voice and perhaps a glass and proclaim in the spirit of the great Dr. Tom Lehrer:

"Oh we are the folks song army
Every one of us cares
We all hate poverty, war and injustice
Unlike the rest of you squares" ;>

Songs of Protest

Saturday, January 24, 2015
6:30 – 9:00-45

Jeff Peterson
          Intro
          Union Maid                                               Woody Guthrie
          Banks of Marble                                        Pete Seeger

Jerry Kuta
Eve of Destruction                                   Barry McGuire
If I Had A Hammer                                    Trini Lopez  version

Kevin Schwerdtfeger
          Fingertips                                                  Original Song!
          Kitty Cats                                                   Original Song!
          Halo Halo                                                   Original Song!

Reid Olsen
          Blowin’ In The Wind                                 Bob Dylan
          Thunder Road                                           Bruce Springsteen
          My Back Pages                                          Bob Dylan

Minneapolis Friend
          Song 1
          Song 2

Sean Cranley & Scott Streiff
          Badgered State Blues
Tim Mocarski
          Stand Your Ground                                   Original Song!
          I’ll Sleep Tomorrow                                  Original Song!
          Deportees                                                  Woody Guthrie

Jacob Merseberger     
          We Will Stand Here                                  Original Song!

Jennifer Eisenbart
          Where Have All the Flowers Gone?        Pete Seeger
          Sounds of Silence                                     Simon & Garfunkel

Edison Blake
          I am A Soldier
          Everything is Broken                                Dylan
          Fixin’ to Die Rag                                        Country Joe

Stephan Sullivan
          The Automation Song                              Phil Ochs
          The Power & the Glory                             Phil Ochs

Bob Wang
          Crow on the Cradle
          You Say the Battle is Over
          Peace Medley:    Arms are for Embracing
                                      Generations for Peace

Arlo Vande Vegte
          Universal Soldier                                      Buffy Ste. Marie
          Catch The Wind                                        Donovan

 Terry Murphy
          Revolution                                                 Beatles
          Talking ‘bout a Revolution                       Tracy Chapman
          For What Its Worth                                  Buffalo Springfield
Jim Lampe
          Rain On the Scarecrow                             Mellencamp

Tim Merkel
          OHIO                                                          CSNY
          War Makes War                                        John Gorka
          Kings & Fools                                            Original Song!

Mad Bark
          Signs                                                          5 Man Electrical Band
          Won't Get Fooled Again                          The Who
          Get up, Stand Up                                      Bob Marley

 Possible Group singalong
          Last night I had the strangest dream
          This Land is your Land

Monday, January 19, 2015

Vulture School Proponents Do NOT Want Accountability!


The last Four paragraphs of this Wisconsin State Journal article on school accountability bill from Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac speak volumes (the rest is good too): 
The DPI’s (Department of Public Instruction) Pertl told the committee that many times, charter schools are serving targeted populations of students and have fewer students with special needs than traditional schools, which could pose a problem for conversion.
Pertl also noted that having more than one test could harm the accuracy of the accountability system in comparing schools.
Jim Bender of voucher school lobbying group School Choice Wisconsin, however, said the use of multiple tests is strongly encouraged because the goal is to measure progress, not to compare schools.
Bender testified with Scott Jensen, a former member of the Assembly and currently the senior adviser to the American Federation for Children.
*Links and emphasis in article text above inserted by your's truly.

The last thing that the Vulture School proponents, want is accountability and apples to apples comparison with public schools because they know that the two plus decades long Vulture School experiment in Milwaukee has failed!

They want multiple tests to muddy the water and prevent transparency. And that right there should tell you pretty much all you need to on the subject, right from the horse's . . . well you know.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Through the Looking Glass - Malice in Dairyland

Health Uncare!

Despite a $2.2 billion dollar deficite after all our trouble and turmoil in The Badgered State, Vulture Vos says we should continue to turn down more federal funds in this long-time Donor state. Getting more money to give more Wisconsinites better healthcare coverage may be in the interests of the citizenry, but that is NOT who Sir Robin Shillsalot Represents.

Unfortunately, here in Wiscossippi too many folcks can't tell a "Rascal" from a hole in the ground. Our once proud heritage of progress, goodwill and clean government for the common good is being eroded by the likes of Vos and Wrong Way Walker, a fundamentalist interloper form Iowa. It's like we've fallen through the looking glass and to the "mercy" of Mad Hatters and the "Queen of Hearts". Malice-In-Dairyland, goodbye Wisconsin!

QUEEN of "Hearts"

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

MacIver Admits It's the Poverty Stupid!


  • After a very entertaining weekend of tying the factless and feckless commentors on their Facebook page in knots, I actually got the MacIver Institute to admit that there is not one public school in Wisconsin that has a high-student-failure-rate, that does not also have a high concentration of students in Poverty. It's the Poverty Stupid!
    "MacIver Institute: Yep, you're right about brick and mortal schools. The lowest % of economically disadvantaged students in a failing school for 2014-15 was 56%."
  • The link to the MacIver piece is here and the string of comments where the Cult of Con adherents are unable to articulate why they believe what they believe and why they believe I am wrong follows:
  • Sean Cranley: More mythology. There is no such thing as a failing school. Schools don't take tests, or do assignments. It's students that fail and when students fail in high concentrations it's always due to high concentrations of poverty, ALWAYS! This truth is borne out by the fact that Milwaukee's Vulture Schools have failed for over two decades to make any improvement in student outcomes. Same students, same poverty, same associated social ills, same results. It's not failing schools, but rather High-Failure-Rate- Students.

    The problem will never be solved so long as we follow the failed mantra of "failing schools" and recognize and address the real problem. But it really isn't about the kids. I has always been about money and power and the decades long lust of the Waltons/Walton Foundation (Walmart) and the De Vos family's (scAmway) American Federation for Children to get at our tax money. CROOKS and SCOUNDRELS!
    • Tony Novinska So what you're saying is that systemic failure is not to be addressed? You are correct about one thing and even the President of the NEA Legal Counsel said, back in 2010, "This isn't about education and it's certainly not about the children. It's about power."

      So stop with the "My Soros is better than your Koch" divisive BS. 

      Accountability is not in the Liberal dictionary. Heaven forbid that something that goes against Unionista Propaganda EVER be considered.

      The status quo got us here. It's time to address the status quo. Directly.
    • Sean Cranley I said what? go read it again, this time with attention and comprehension.
    • Fred Bluhm Just because you say it doesn't make it true. I completely comprehend that!
    • Sean Cranley You're right Fred, I say it because it's true and I know that it's because I've looked into the matter. Now I've got challenge for you that I know you cannot accomplish and I doubt very much (similar past experience) that I will ever hear from again on the subject.

      A) Find me one high student failure rate school in The Badgered State that does NOT also have a high poverty rate.

      B) Develop an alternative theory for what causes high failure rate schools and correlate that cause with the exisiting high failure rate schools in Wiscossippi.

      C) Read the piece linked here and develop a reasoned and fact-based counter-argument:http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/.../studen...

      I've got the hand that can show that the mantra of "failing schools" is a myth. No actually, it's just a flat out lie. And I'm calling your bluff, put up or shut up. Accomplish one of the three things above and I will donate $50 to the non-political/religious charity of your choice. I won't hold my breath though, see ya in the funny papers.


      BURLINGTONAREAPROGRESSIVES.BLOGSPOT.COM|BY SEAN CRANLEY