More cuts in the 5-year spending freeze plan by the Obama administration.

Here are some, as detailed in the New York Times:
"air-traffic control, national parks and cancer research"
"more than one billion from airport grants and nearly one billion from grabts to states for water treatment plants and similar projects. Public health and forestry programs would also be cut"

from "Obama's budget seeks deep cuts in domestic spending"

In order to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 28% by 2020, the Obama administration thinks that clean energy means to build smaller transportable modular nuclear reactors for the use of utility companies.

Sarah Palin, aid for the poor and the battle against racial discrimination.

She tops herself, as usual, by criticizing President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society legislation, which includes Medicare, Medicaid, environmental laws, educational television,arts and humanities:

"Regan saw the dangers of LBJ's Great Society.He refused to sit down and be silent as our liberties were eroded by an out-of-control centralized government that overtaxed and overreached in utter disregard of constitutional limits"

However venomous this comment is, it disregards the fact that taxation was reduced, along with poverty: Americans living below the poverty line was reduced from 22.2 percent to 12.6 percent, and of African Americans from 55 percent to 27 percent.

The current call on more civility in government by Republicans is being heeded. There is talk of ice-cream breaks, pauses in the agenda for telephone calls to mom, and to the moms of their democratic opponents, to exchange recipees and discuss the weather. Now Republicans can no longer aim paper airplanes at democrats in congress, or try to distract the same with pin up showgirl calendars, nor can they interfere with their travel by deflating tires or cancelling flights. There is talk of a memo reminding all Republicans to greet their fellow Democrats in elevators with a "how are you?" before launching into any recrimination and requesting them to donate to a local charity to feed the homeless. In case of a refusal,the memo provides the number for major newspapers and local and national media.

Pope John Paul, to be beatified on May 1, did pray for forgiveness for crimes against Jews, women, heretics and minorities, but not against the working class.

What was Sarah Palin thinking when she used crosshairs?

Birthright citizenship is a hot topic these days,especially for people like Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican from Pennsylvania wanting to bring an end to "the immigrant invasion". So far, they've gathered together to declare the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States at a loss for American citizenship, not establishing which citizenship they should acquire. Thus barring United States citizenship, all others are available by wish and volition: Principality of Monaco's, Lichtenstein's, Azerbajani,Ugandan, even, why not, Martian or Venusian since the decision,at the moment of birth, is obviously up for grabs. Astrological signs may play a part in the decision making process. In case the citizenship is determined by the parents', those from two different countries will have ambiguous choices made for them, again, as long as it isn't U.S.'

New decision: end of life care consultation with doctors for annual check-up won't be payable by Medicare any longer. It was seen as too controversial for Republicans.

End of life care, removed from the Health Care bill to pass it, is now making a reappearance in Medicare legislation starting January 1st when doctors can advise patients on how to end their life should they refuse treatment for heart attacks, cancer, and more. So a mastectomy to save your life could be refused for whatever reason,or restarting your heart after a heart attack using your grief over loss as an excuse to save money and do a patient's will, however upset by the decision making process, if so be the case.Delays in death cause tax payers money, and after all, due to its inevitability, why not give in at the first bout?

Bristol Palin bought a foreclosed house in Maricopa, Arizona, adding to the damage done in the area by the new immigration and knife carrying laws. She's up in arms ready to go on threatened or endangered shooting expeditions of bald eagle, ocelot and jaguar, like her mother. The five bedroom house will host parties for possees of anti-immigration personnel from the border at various times, with her mother, when visiting, poised as bartender throwing out everyone who doubts her as a possible winner of a White House run. Bristol will also encourage everyone to overeat to do her mother a favor and make the distinction between the latter and Michelle Obama as clear as possible.

Laura Castro is a writer and teacher in New York City. This poem was read at the Italian American Writers Association evening at Cornelia Street Café on December 11.

Dream, Leaning on its Elbow

What thoughts are these?
Haven't I been here before?
How can this be that I'm
reborn and reborn and reborn?

What, now a daffodil? And next
A bird? A small bright stone?
And all this in one lifetime?
I was a blade of grass once.

No, I have not seen this room before-
It's different; though I recognize the song.
How many rooms have I inhabited,
fresh painted in the colors of the dream?

I walked in the stillness of the desert,
no birds, no blades of grass,
and came to be content-had
quite forgotten what might come to pass.

Then out of stillness, the dream,
leaning on its elbow,
contemplating the leap into-
What? I only start to know!

Dare I jump feet first as if brand new
-Will I ever be the same?-
Into those spaces between the notes
On a scale I never heard, yet know like my own name?

GIL FAGIANI

is a poet and a social worker who hosts the Italian American Writers Association's monthly meetings at Cornelia Street café in New York City. His work is collected in many anthologies and he is the author of seven books, including his most recent, A blanquito in el barrio. Here are two from that collection.

LA CAPITANA

Seventy-three year old
Iris Espinosa,
La Capitana for a local
antipovery agency,
receives official notice.
Her petitions appealing
the cutoff of funds for children's
summer street program
have been denied.

Forget summer sprinklers
and closed-off streets.
Forget sixty-dollar stipends
for teenage counselors.
Forget spiced ham sandwiches
for children's lunches.
Forget trips to Central Park
and Randall's Island.

The day after a crowd of junkies
stomp to death a drug dealer
on East 104th Street,
steamed up moms
and laid-off fathers
scream at kids:
"Keep away from yerba smoke
in hallways and courtyards!
Watch out for tecatos
in basements and rooftops!"

Along with ex-counselors,
La Capitana waits till
temperature hits 95 degrees.
Demands transportation money
from Gordo's Candy Store,
Bebo's Barber Shop,
packs Victor, Macho,
Little Johnny, Nyrma, Alicia,
Chucho and any other kid
she can get her hands on
into the Six train.

Getting off at City Hall
La Capitana buys
todos los muchachos
frankfurters with mustard,
onion, sauerkraut
and buys todas las muchachas
triple scoops of vanilla ice cream
capped with chocolate syrup,
nuts and sprinkles.
" Vámonos!Adelante!"
La Capitana hollers.
"Hasta la victoria!"
her troops reply.

On Chambers Street
the East Harlemites
charge into the elevators
of a gray granite building,
race past security guards,
scurrying secretaries,
mob executive office
maple and chrome shiny.
La Capitana bangs a desk
like she's playing the bongos
while white suited men
pull on their ties
and stare at boys' franks dripping
on polished tables
girls' cones dripping on plush rugs.
"104th Street presente!
Los ninos want their money!"


LITANY OF SAN VITO
To Congressman Vito Marcantonio (1901-1954)

San Vito of East Harlem Pray for us
San Vito bread of the poor Pray for us
San Vito crucified by Wall Street Pray for us
San Vito martyr of McCarthyism Pray for us

From the jail cell walls San Vito deliver us
From the backyard crap game San Vito deliver us
From the loan shark's vig San Vito deliver us
From the drunken stupor San Vito deliver us
From TB and asthma San Vito protect us
From the social worker's visit San Vito protect us
From immigration raids San Vito protect us
From the landlord's greed San Vito protect us

North Korea and Iran are bickering over who has the most extravagant nuclear capabilities. Both are irritated with the United States but are still importing goods to set the example. Their arsenal buildup includes a pair of jeans, a copy of National Enquirer, and a box of Cheerios for North Korea; Cover Girl lip stain, a pack of Charmin, and a box of Kleenex for Iran. The treasure trove for North Korea was said to have been provided by illegal sources in South Korea,regardless of bombings, along with the occasional barbeque, while Israel was said to import the latter.Due to his bouts with holocaust denial Ahmadinejad is said to consider the name of the country a metaphor.Recently two nuclear scientists from both North Korea and Iran met to boast about nuclear capability and ended up bitch-slapping each other over who owned the better uranium enrichment facility.

Not happy with extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy via Bill Clinton's intervention at a White House conference, in which he admits that even he did use the cuts for a purpose, social security funds were cut a 2% and a Virginia court is debating if the United States should consider Assange a spy according to a law from 1917, instead of understanding wikileaks' release of information as a new Watergate.
Even the New York Times failed in intent by not releasing a piece on nuclear weapons and inimical gesturings between the US and Iran, published by The Guardian, and aquiescing not to publish any more wikileaks news in the future.

Again, no need for satire here, it's just the news.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES:

Brought my computer in for diagnostics: battery seems dead. Posting will be occasional at best...

In an effort to minimize wikileaks' revelations, both the Obama administration and the Department of Defense are suggesting one should not read the news since it's still classified information.

There is also no need for satire in this bit of news, published by the New York Times on December 5, 2010 in Don't look, don't read:Government tells workers to avert eyes fromm leaks. By Eric Lipton.

Arizona tops the charts again ( no need for satire)

It's legal to carry knifes in the state and its Medicaid coverage now excludes some transplants "heart, liver, lung, pancreas and bone marrow" (New York Times December 5, 2010)

Leone D'Ambrosio

A poet mixing powerful lyricism and modern poetry, his book Non é ancora l'addio www.azimutlibri.com (Its not the parting yet. Azimut books) is a tribute to his father in life and the extreme anguish felt at his death. I was honored to translate the book in English. Here are some poems.

IT'S NOT THE PARTING YET

Don't close your eyes
it's not the parting yet,
I'll count the hours
that are missing to your farewell.
Don't ask me
where pain resides,
I'd answer
it's in most live sleep.
Winter has a closed door
and a brief day
it doesn't know how to contain
my steps
that postpone your death
until tomorrow.

PAIN SPOILS THE DAY

In artificial canals and in channels
so among voices at home
pain spoils the day
to those bringing drinking water.
In the upturned wicker basket
it hides at the most certain distance
so I may surprise it
as a magnet attracting to itself
every iron shaving.

WITHOUT KNOCKING

I will continue to call you father
with comets set apart on the roof
not to trouble your sleep.
The sea where you were born is bereft
and you mother will dress in mourning
its eternal fullness.
If you need to go, go,
illness is a cross
that arrives without knocking.

SCENT OF MUST

There's unexpected scent of must
the air is light with October's sun.
The ground is an announced landing
and you are no longer its watcher.
The compassionate olive tree grows
with a plea to the sky
and in the crack of the wall
the vineyard innervates its root.
No one ever returned
to the orange orchard,
the work around too much
and the ilex I knew
is closed in your hand.

FROM WHICH WINDOW

The Seleucian sky
shoulders the evening.
From which window
do I hear myself being called,
you're word here and there
never resigning itself.
Unknown to every cloud,
the wind that fills the voids
understands me
without any hurry.

A BREATH WITHOUT DIFFICULTY

Remember to bring comfortable shoes,
a handkerchief with all the fears,
the pension booklet
and three sugared almonds,
those from our old tree.
The walk to the end of the sky is long
and less that the joyful whistle of the nightingale.
Death is an evening thought,
a breath without difficulty.

ALL THAT REMAINS IS TO WAIT

From the highest peaks
a faint rending of evening
finds its breath among the fertile
stars of the heavens.
All that remains is to wait
for a new light to be
relief to the tender bitterness.
Grapes are ripe in my town
and the land over there isn't moving.

IF ONE WERE TO DIE FOREVER

The house has some mute balconies,
pain is hidden in sleep
and no one ever visits you again
if one dies forever.
The quiet moon tells of you,
heaven at the last step sways
if your shoe stumbles
before entering.


You shut the light
and closed the front door,
but don't leave

What ecosystem? Cheap ways of denial.

Drink mercury polluted water from the nearby coal powered power plant.

Have Yogi and Bubu advertise setting fire to National Parks so that the next rainstorm can provoke one hell of a mudslide.

Understand the correlation with the possible extinction of bluefin tuna and the $5.00 cost of tins, but then think it's as expensive as an aphrodisiac.

Have cellphones self-destruct within months of purchase and dump the whole heap of bad electronics on the road to the next African safari.

Petition to live next to a toxic dump and a nuclear plant.

Bizarre sentences one should never believe

"Trust me. I'm a republican."
"As Tea Party members we have football meets regularly and all are included."
"Don't blame me. Blame Mother Theresa."
"We are liberals. So what if we believe in the death penalty?"
"That Dr. Kevorkian is a real nice guy"