Wednesday, December 28, 2011

This Machine Kills Fascists

I am very much honored and very much humbled right now.

For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, might not be aware that I've been having serious computer problems for the past several weeks.  My computer is one that I had gotten from my dad some five or so years ago, and he had it for at least four years before that.  When he bought it, it was state of the art at that time.

But after all these years, the machine was getting old and not working as well.  It was pretty slow and unreliable.  But by far, the worst part was that it wasn't the electrical aspect, but the actual physical components  which were failing.  Most notably, the power button was stuck, effectively keeping me from turning the thing off for fear it wouldn't start again.

This put me in a real dilemma.  Because of a number of factors, including losing nearly $5,000 due to Scott Walker's illegal furloughs, the legal costs of defending myself against the slanderous actions of Walker's henchman, and now Act 10, I was simply strapped for cash and could not afford to get a new computer.

I was distraught because I was afraid that my computer would eventually just give out and then my voice would be effectively silenced, at least until spring when and if I got a big enough tax refund to buy a new one.  My despair deepened when I learned that a couple of prominent lefty bloggers were hanging up their keyboards.

Then my friends of #wiunion stepped in to help.

People started to donate money to help me buy a new computer.  And not just other bloggers or public employees either.  These were people from all walks of life, from not only all corners of the state, but even from around the country, donated to the cause.  Those that were in similar straits as I found myself, did what they could by spreading the word, encouraging and asking for others to help me help #wiunion in the battle to take back our state.

Last week, I hit the amount I thought that would get me a decent machine.  That was fortunate timing, since the one I was looking at also went on sale.

I picked it up last night and spent most of the night and most of today getting it set up.

I am most grateful to the kind souls who helped me, whether it was sparing what few dollars they had, or spreading the word of my plight, or offering me a few kind words of support and encouragement.

I am also most mindful that this isn't my computer.  Nor shall it every be.  It took a lot of people to help make this happen.  This is their computer as much as mine.  The machine that I'm typing away again, in much greater splendor that I thought I'd ever know, is the People's Computer.  It is of the people, by the people, for the people.

And with that in mind, it is now my task to use it to the best of my ability in the People's efforts to take this state and this country back from those who intend it harm through their callousness and their greed.

Each person that helped said the same thing.   They told me that they appreciated my work and the information that I help get out.  They said that they wanted me to continue to help with the fight and thus did not want my voice silenced.

They gave me this great gift with a purposeful intent, and so they gave me something very important to do that very thing.

They gave me this machine.

And this machine kills fascists.

Let's do this!

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for publishing information that we wouldn't be able to read otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A fool's money is soon departed to another fool.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, that explains why the Koch Brothers hired you to replace Dooley.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so happy that you have the new computer, and proud I could give a very small something toward it.

    ReplyDelete