Hammer Mill Days

Whoa, was that a week from hell or wasn't it? Spring is here, after all, and the planet's wrecked. Time to cultivate another one. Any preferences? Neptune, perhaps? Or.... maybe we can just open the mail bag. Here's one from a local: Dear Big Green, I think I saw one of your number tagged in a photo on Facebook, dressed up in a ludicrous leprechaun get-up. What's up with that? Are you going to start playing traditional Irish music now? Should I look for you on Thistle and Shamrock any time soon? Best, Rich Taggert Toad in the Hole, NY Well, Rich.... that does seem to be my name, so perhaps it's me. I may be a secret leprechaun, or perhaps I fell asleep at a St. Patrick's Day bash and simply don't remember what happened next. (Distinct possibility.) Then again, Marvin (my personal robot assistant) may have put me in the ludicrous outfit while I was sleeping and then invited local children in to have their photo taken with the funny, funny elf. I'm guessi...

I dimly recall an old Chris Rock routine about Bill Clinton back in the 90's. It was that bit about Bill Clinton being the first black president; Rock's proof was simple: "He hands them a twenty, and they hold it up to the light." That pretty much defines the dynamic that brought about this week's revealing of Obama's long-form birth certificate. There's a clear effort towards delegitimizing the president not so much because of his policies (which merit some substantial criticism) but rather on the basis of his being black. No, Donald Trump is not standing there saying Obama shouldn't be president because of his skin color. He is merely amplifying the overtly racist insistence that the man hasn't adequately proven his identity, that he must - again and again, in an ever-proliferating variety of forms - present his papers on demand. When has this ever in our lifetimes been demanded of a president of the United States? This started with the Clinton c...