NAC's 7,000th post: Seven years on, Vicki Ann Denschak still masquerades as "College Professor of Political Science," as city yawns.

A hearty "Happy Birthday" to Freedom to Screech, which expends its 59th posting of the calendar year 2013 to boilerplate back-slapping -- and who needs grammar, spelling and style guidelines?

We are sure others have discovered that it's not easy keeping a blog fresh and current.

Indeed, it is. NAC's 1,115 posts this year haven't been easy at all, but let's not be churlish on such an auspicious occasion.

The Palsied Poseur Abides, and we are immeasurably somnolent for it. Hip hip, hooray, because while she's opposed to big government spoying on its citizens, there's nothing wrong with eavesdropping on your own neighbors. That's America!

HEY...IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY!

 ... New Albany is really a small town and while you are enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner at the local bars or restaurants, people are listening to your conversation and taking notes.

Will FOS be joining the innkeeper when she sells out and moves to balmier climes?

Stay tuned ... if you can stay awake.

Shake, Prattle and Troll, Part 2: When last we answered "NO" with "YES" and skewered the nut cases.

Shake, Prattle and Troll, Part 1
Shake, Prattle and Troll, Part 3

REWIND: Labor Day screeching, and Labor Day reading.

(Originally published in September, 2009)

The first part of the transgendered professor's Labor Day screed are the words of Samuel Gompers, and as we've come to expect, Ms. Denschak makes no effort to attribute them.

Just for the fun of it, here's a section of the Wikipedia article on Gompers.

He joined Local 15 of the Cigarmakers' International Union in 1864, and was elected president of Local 144 in 1875. He was elected second vice-president of the international union in 1886, and first vice-president in 1896. He served in this capacity until his death. In 1877, the union nearly collapsed. Gompers and his friend Adolph Strasser used Local 144 as a base to rebuild the Cigarmakers' Union, introducing a high dues structure and implementing programs to pay out-of-work benefits, sick benefits, and death benefits for union members in good standing. He told the workers they needed to organize because wage reductions were almost a daily occurrence. The capitalists were only interested in profits, "and the time has come when we must assert our rights as workingmen. Every one present has the sad experience, that we are powerless in an isolated condition, while the capitalists are united; therefore it is the duty of every Cigar Maker to join the organization. ... One of the main objects of the organization," he concluded, "is the elevation of the lowest paid worker to the standard of the highest, and in time we may secure for every person in the trade an existence worthy of human beings."

Whoa -- sounds damned near Commie to me.

Ho ho, hum hum at Freedom to Screech.

Substantial portions of Erika's latest post appear to have been cribbed from the Internet sans attribution; here's a likely source at gotjokes.net. He/she thanks the "source" at the City-County Building, Nice try, but nope.

It's just a reminder of how very important "the rules" are until the pretend-prof decides to ignore them to make embittered propaganda points.

The Medicis would be downright embarrassed, Erika. I'm sure Berlusconi will pardon you, though.

Stand-up comic Denschak relief.

I suspect it's a problem in other municipalities, too. The purity of genuine civic accomplishment must be eternally subsidiary to making sure proper "credit" is dispensed, presumably for future political gain -- although Monday morning giggles are important, too.

So, hop aboard the crazy train for a quiet spin down Main Street, as we begin another week curating the Open Air Museum of Ignorance, Superstition and Backwardness, and prepping for next year's electoral shenanigans.

VALLA ANN 6 - ENGLAND 2.....

Coffey vs. Denhart in the 1st District?

The Troglodyte Table blog insists that Ms. Denhart will challenge CM Cappuccino in the 1st council district in 2011.

If true, which is highly doubtful, it will be hard to tell the impersonators from the real people.

One thing's for sure: Any campaign debate featuring V & D would have to come supplied with special equipment for those daring to attend.

We'll need some twist ties on that, and maybe a hazmat suit. Can't wait, god bless, etc, and all that.

Erika's teapartying: Obama's a muslin! Obama's a muslin!

Erika's taken to writing Top Ten lists in her sleep, which is to say, during every waking hour. I came up with one, too.

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FREEDOM TO SCREECH TOP TEN LIST

10. I’ve lied to readers for five years by pretending to be a guy with a history degree when I’m not, and don’t.

9. I have changed my family dog's name to "Roger’s Patio," and am kicking him harder than I did before.

8. Black is black, white is white, muslin is a type of cloth, and I know less about world religions than Steve Price.

7. I would appoint David Brambleberry (“under God”) to replace my sister who fired me, except he doesn’t live here and hers is a county, not city, job.

6. If Maria Granger thinks she’s getting the Woman of the Year this time around, she has another thought coming.

5. If Hillary would have won, and not the black guy, I’d enthusiastically support her policies, which would have been precisely the same as his – but I’m not a hypocrite or anything.

4. I hate those pointy headed people who’ve come downtown and actually gotten things done. How dare they prove us wrong!

3. I recommend all Americans invest in big damned dogs, because we can’t afford to pay the police to protect us.

2. Before I leave this blog, I will belch even more lies about people and ideas that I hate.

1. Don't worry, little people. I’ll continue to fight the modern world even as you get poorer and increasingly marginalized. Just don’t say my real name out loud, or anything like that.

Labor Day screeching, and Labor Day reading.

The first part of the transgendered professor's Labor Day screed are the words of Samuel Gompers, and as we've come to expect, Ms. Denschak makes no effort to attribute them.

Just for the fun of it, here's a section of the Wikipedia article on Gompers.

He joined Local 15 of the Cigarmakers' International Union in 1864, and was elected president of Local 144 in 1875. He was elected second vice-president of the international union in 1886, and first vice-president in 1896. He served in this capacity until his death. In 1877, the union nearly collapsed. Gompers and his friend Adolph Strasser used Local 144 as a base to rebuild the Cigarmakers' Union, introducing a high dues structure and implementing programs to pay out-of-work benefits, sick benefits, and death benefits for union members in good standing. He told the workers they needed to organize because wage reductions were almost a daily occurrence. The capitalists were only interested in profits, "and the time has come when we must assert our rights as workingmen. Every one present has the sad experience, that we are powerless in an isolated condition, while the capitalists are united; therefore it is the duty of every Cigar Maker to join the organization. ... One of the main objects of the organization," he concluded, "is the elevation of the lowest paid worker to the standard of the highest, and in time we may secure for every person in the trade an existence worthy of human beings."

Whoa -- sounds damned near Commie to me.

Truth remains stranger than fact: Team Hammond, Team Screech, Sis 'n' Boots, and much ensuing hilarity.

In the end, the epiphany always finds you.

I can’t pinpoint its arrival in my case, but as an avid reader of history, it long ago became clear to me that a record of human events is inseparable from personal qualities that are fundamentally and eternally irrational. Envy, greed, disappointment, anger, pride, vanity, ego, arrogance … they’re usually the best explanations for decisions and positions that defy logic, whether in the heat of the moment or afterwards, when dispassionate observers seek to fathom motives for occurrences that simply don't make sense.

Apart from neighborhood politics, here's interesting achival reading from the TEAM HAMMOND TAXPAYERS' GROUP (that's right -- all shrieking caps and righteousness).

It's dated Tuesday, February 5, 2008, and is attributed (imagine that -- intellectual honesty) to the Hoosiers for Fair Taxation blog on the same day. There is no longer any sign of it there, if in fact it ever was posted, although HFFT's discussions from the corresponding time period are unintentionally hilarious, with leading Indiana tax activist and crypto-fascist hypocrite Eric Miller having just commenced his bizarre linkage between property taxes and gay marriage, prompting some Libertarians to look around the romper room and wonder if they came through the wrong door.

Because it may already have been deleted once, and to preserve this masterpiece of muddle in the public record, I'm reprinting it in full.

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TEAM NEW ALBANY: "YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT IT BAD?"

We received this message today from Freedom of Speech Team, our activist friends in New Albany.

Our city is a train wreck about to happen. Our new mayor is our old mayor of 12 years ago. He is a crook and a bigger CROOK now. You cannot imagine what all he has done over the last 30 days- an $11,000 raise for himself. We now have 2 deputy mayors a 118 take home cars. In 16 years we have spend around $60 million dollars on sewers and we now have another $47 million to spend. They have been giving like $32 million dollars in 2007 in tax abatements. They have borrowed $5.3 million from sewer utility to cover our general fund and never paid it back. We have been to the city prosecutor, Indiana atty. general and even the governor and been told is too political.

You think you have it bad in other counties. Listen to this one:

My sister is the assessor for our county. I worked for her for 5 years. During the entire time I worked there she was cutting peoples' property taxes to get re-elected.

Her first deputy works doing income taxes for 3 months out of the year. She not only collects a salary FROM doing taxes but a nice check from City. It took me 2 years to figure out what was going on and then I started making copies of time sheets and everything I could get my hands on. I mean boxes of paper work.

Well to make a long story short, my sister came to my new home (I purchased Sept. 2003 and moved into November 2003) on Martin Luther King day 2004 and handed me my termination papers. And told me she didn't have to give me an excuse to terminating me. So we got a bunch of citizens and current employees together and created Freedom Of Speech, IN 2005. Of course I am the only person who knows who everyone is. People know I'd not tell if someone put a gun to my head. Our cars have been trashed, gasoline poured on my porch. Spray painted "Bitch " on my garage door. On my birthday there was a box on my porch wrapped in a telephone cord with a bullet tied to it. Of course I deny being with Freedom of Speech.

My entire family has turned against me because I promised my dad before he died if she ever fired me to take her down. Well, I have been sitting with all this information, video tapes, time sheets. They also collected comp time and are making a fortune in local government.

I couldn't afford to fight her over being fired. I could not afford an attorney. This entire town is a house of cards. It would be so easy to expose this corruption and all if someone would help. I have even considered going to the FBI. You folks think you have it bad you ought to be living here. We have cops following us everywhere.

They are playing a shell game with our city money. Our state board of accounts audits is down right criminal for 4 years. Employees have been overpaid, our parks department ran up a $10,000 cell bill in one month. State Board of Acccounts tell us they have no power.

We don't have money to fight them. People are scared and won't even attend council meetings. I wish someone had some ideas or answers how we can fight back. We're the little people, working class citizens and have no recourse. We just keep plugging along but what can we do?? I'd be willing to go into protective custody to blow the whistle on these crooked "bastards".....

No one will touch this I swear, I have been trying for 4 years....

BTW, I guarantee this could turn into a movie deal. This is nothing but pure corruption, ghost employment, criminal crap and all we want is help to put all these crooked bastards in jail.....!!!

I have all these documents and no one to help us!!!!!!!! We need more than a Tea Party in our hometown, trust me.

Freedom of Speech Team in New Albany

From Hoosiers for Fair Taxation
Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Freedom of Speech: The Lost Posting.

Like a particularly virulent form of acid reflux, there’s been much recent discussion in more dilapidated regions of the blogosphere lately as pertains to a very old topic (in more ways than one):

Who is “Professor Erik,” the supposed voice of screeching Luddite freedom in New Albany?

NAC asked V. A. Denschak, sole member of Citizens for Anonybility, to explain the relationship between her and the mysterious reclusive academic who is so often referenced but so seldom seen. Her answer is sung to the tune of “Whiskey Man,” from the 1960’s-era Who’s album “Happy Jack.” Sincere apologies to the late, great John Entwistle, writer of the song.

Erik is my friend, he's with me nearly all the time
He always joins me when I screech, and we get on just fine

Nobody has ever seen him, I'm the only one
Seemingly I must be mad, insanity is fun
If that's the way it's done

Doctors say he's just a figment of my twisted mind
If they can't see my Erik, well they must be going blind

Two men dressed in white collected me two days ago
They said there's only room for one and Erik just can't go

Erik – he will waste away if he's left on his own
I can't even ring him 'cause he isn't on the phone
Hasn't got a home

Life is very gloomy in my little padded cell
It's a shame there wasn't room for my Erik here as well

Erik is my friend, he's with me nearly all the time
He always joins me when I screech, and we get on just fine
Just fine

Join us later this week when we reveal new documents proving conclusively that both Erik and Harvey the Rabbit were cut from the same bolt of "pooka" cloth.

I'd prefer more wholesome entertainment, say, "Mr. Smith Goes to the Rustic Frog."

Just my luck.

A previously scheduled obligation precludes my attendance at tonight's city council, and wouldn't you know it: ROCK's planning a floor show, although the master of ceremonies is wary of grandstanding in the center ring.

ROCK to protest II Horseshoes at New Albany City Council meeting; Agenda lacking any measure concerning strip club, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune).

A group opposing a new strip club in New Albany promises to plead its case before the City Council Thursday.

Reclaim our Culture Kentuckiana, the Louisville-based organization known as ROCK, sent out an e-mail last week encouraging its members to pack the assembly room of the City/County Building in opposition to II Horseshoes, an adult entertainment business located at 1720 Old River Rd.

While the e-mail states the council will address the club during the meeting, Council President Jeff Gahan said that’s not the case.

“That item is not on our agenda for Thursday,” he said. “I don’t anticipate any presentation or any discussion at this point.”

It looks as if the members of ROCK will be forced to wait until non-agenda public speaking time at meeting's end. After sitting through the usual antics of the conjoined councilmen, they may decide to broaden their definition of "a total disregard for our common goal of decent and wholesome communities where we can live, work and raise a family."

Meanwhile, also on the council's plate:

Former councilman Bill Schmidt has been recommended for appointment to the Building Authority Commission, which requires a vote of approval from the council.

The recommendation probably came from Professor Erika, who has selected Schmidt to father her love child ... wait; got that one wrong. Sorry. Rather, she has chosen him as one of her "outstanding men" of 2008 in New Albany, based on a list of vaguely defined criteria that includes this:

They work hard and play by the rules. And most of all they look out for their neighbors, co-workers, and the many needs of the "little people" of New Albany.

As a humorous side note, Prof. Erika cautions that "names are listed in alphabetical order only," and accordingly, she has Larry Kochert coming before Maurice King.

Kochert?

See what a Bazooka Joe university degree can do?

Here is tonight's meeting agenda.

Freedom to Screech's attack on the YMCA: A sewer runs through her.

In pursuing the perpetually challenging act of wrapping the arms of an unfortunate gnat around the microscopic phenomenon known locally as Freedom to Screech (Yellow), it helps to know that the blog’s trognonymous and comically transgendered poseur has never permitted comments, thus conveniently putting the lie to any notion of interest in anything approximating an exchange of ideas.

Consequently, I can’t answer her questions there (YMCA), so I’ll do so here.

Did the YMCA give away FREE BEER at the recent reception?

No, the YMCA didn’t. I did. Strictly speaking, I served New Albanian Brewing Company beer that had been purchased by a private citizen who wished to donate it to the reception. Cognizant of my professional responsibilities, I actually “carded” one person who looked too young. He was 25. Roughly 75 cups of beer were poured for a crowd estimated at 400 people, but of course, there also was local wine being given away, too – and this is something Erika’s informants (a former councilman and his wife, no doubt) presumably failed to note, unless they feel that the Bible permits wine at health and fitness facilities but frowns on beer, in which case they’d have to explain what the Bible has to do with any of it.

Who approved (the) beer bar to be set up at the YMCA?

Judging from the numerous officials who thanked me for bringing the beer, I’m guessing that the YMCA’s management approved the arrangement. No one expressed dismay or asked me to leave, for the possible reason that adults who made the YMCA possible attended the reception without wearing paper sacks over their heads like Erika does on a daily blogging basis. Wouldn’t phoning the YMCA and asking be the best way for the blogger to know who approved the beer?

Alas, just like her perpetually unquestioning council idols, Dan Coffey and Steve Price, Erika knows that innuendo and grandstanding presumably are more likely to scratch an adolescent oppositionist itch than asking the proper person and learning the correct answer. Coffey’s dysfunctional, but at least he doesn’t hide behind a mask.

What image is this for our children and teenagers?

If by “image” Erika is referring to her own anonymity, the presence at the reception of anti-YMCA activist and former councilman Bill Schmidt, and the churlish behavior of former council kingpin Larry Kochert, who also attended in spite of his strident opposition to the project, then yes, each of them is a pretty bad image, indeed.

Looking at it another way, since it’s unlikely that Kochert will ever set foot again inside a building that by its very existence provides abundant refutation of his tragicomic and underachieving council career … I suppose it’s a wash in terms of imagery. King Larry’s rotten example to the youthful populace is erased by the good one offered in the form of the YMCA, and the city finally escapes a ruinous legacy of ward heeling at the expense of the commonweal.

"Kids, come on down to the YMCA. Swim, workout and have a BEER."

As for “kids,” surely Erika knows that it is illegal to serve minors watery Bud Light, much less the real beer produced at NABC. As for installing a bar with alcoholic beverages in a health and fitness facility, it certainly would be a very European thing to do. Alas, New Albany isn’t remotely European, even if at times the squalor and ignorance bears a striking resemblance to Old Albania, and every attempt to do something about is opposed by the likes of Erika.

Is the YMCA going to apply for a "Downtown Beer License" to set up their BAR?

Probably not, seeing as there’s no such thing as a “downtown beer license,” but hey – facts are a minor impediment to senseless verbiage, right? If they weren’t, Erika wouldn’t have a blogging “career.”

Does their title really mean ... "Young Men's Christian Association?"

According to Wikipedia, it does. Congrats, Erika. You finally got one right. I’ll tune in next year at this time and see if Freedom to Screech and the stopped clock have once again magically coincided.

REWIND: Playing by the rules means just saying "no" to plagiarism, doesn't it?

Hey - if she can do it word for word again, so can I. At least the title's different. Here's the 2008 plagiarism link: Marking 9/11.

Here's what I wrote about it last year.

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I’m always amused when people who “play by the rules” aren’t able to follow them.

Yes, it’s time to revisit Vicki Ann Denschak’s bilious Freedom to Screech blog and read “Professor Erik’s” original thoughts about … wait … it now seems that they’re not exactly original.

As the noted noted linguist Gomer Pyle once observed, "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise."

09. 11. 01

The imaginary lecturer’s first two paragraphs are cribbed in their entirety (sans attribution, which is the faux academic’s longstanding, loathsome habit) from an essay by John Peters.

Poignantly, Ms. Denschak inserts her own leadoff sentence into the second paragraph. Not only is it grammatically incorrect, but she misspells singer Shania Twain’s name.

Further along, there’s another whole paragraph stolen from an article by Stacey Colino published in 2002.

And, the sentence following the paragraph originally written by Colino can be found here.

What was that about rules? Consider this random definition from the Northwestern University website:

Northwestern's "Principles Regarding Academic Integrity" defines plagiarism as "submitting material that in part or whole is not entirely one's own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source."

Gee, you’d think a college professor would know that.

(thanks RS)

Just for the record, anatomically speaking.

Getting "permission" to publish is one thing, and refusing to attribute sources quite another. When the forum for non-attribution is a cowardly trognonymous blog, then the bar is raised higher.

So it goes. If Screech had integrity, we'd be discussing this in the comments section there, but alas, it doesn't exist.

Grow some balls, "Erik".

If you really were a college professor, you'd know about little things like plagiarism.

Cowardly pseudonymous trog-bloggers constantly remind us about the merits of integrity, and the necessity of playing “by the rules,” and so when they publish essays that they pretend to have written (so much pretending hereabouts … who’re the wannabes, anyway?), it’s important to remind readers, especially younger ones, of those times when unattributed Internet content is foisted off as original.

The rules in this case state that when one publishes the written work of others, he or she should tell us who wrote the words. Otherwise, it’s plagiarism.

Speaking of Professor Erika, New Albany’s foremost pseudonymous plagiarist, here is the unattributed source of her latest Luddite “greeting card” mirth:

From the second paragraph through, “Sorry to hear your ex-wife got remarried,” and including an excerpt near the end: http://www.wisebread.com/make-5-cheap-greeting-cards-that-blow-hallmark-away

As for the knee-slapping greeting card expressions, she might have stolen them from a number of websites, but here’s one where all are found to be listed: http://www.dribbleglass.com/Jokes/hallmark.htm.

The moral of the story? Only wannabes pretend, Erika.

Freedom to Screech road trip to Indy today.

Is that 3rd district councilman Price behind the wheel?

And where's Pat Harrison?

Will they be staying in a hotel, or at a fellow protester's rental property?

PROPERTY TAX PROTEST

Freedom of Speech has organized a large group of New Albany taxpayers to make the trip to Indy on Thursday January 3, 2008. We will be there to voice the concerns of New Albany taxpayers.Our concerns are increase property tax bills and out of control local spending in New Albany.

Photo credit

Gonder on IU Southeast, dorms and downtown.

Councilman-elect John Gonder recently surveyed the list of “top stories” in 2007, as proffered by the Tribune, considered the implications of just one, and contributed a thoughtful and integrated commentary complete with future vision.

Careful, John; there’s probably another “Schmidt Plan” in the works tomorrow night to outlaw such feats of cognitive reasoning on the part of public officials.

At any rate, here are a few chosen excerpts. Visit John’s blog for the full text.

Good News From 2007

… From this list, the story I think has the most far-reaching impact on New Albany, and thereby the most important for New Albany is the construction of dorms at IUS. This is such an important development because it signals that Indiana University Southeast is taking a major step beyond the "little brother" relationship to I.U. in Bloomington. It signals that the campus is growing. A growing college will add more degree programs and feed further growth …

… The growing campus will naturally bring more teachers, who are affluent and could be invited into a deeper involvement in community affairs. This development offers great potential for our city … New Albany can capitalize on this opportunity by developing an attractive, functional downtown district which meets many of the commercial needs of the campus residents.

Meanwhile, over at Troglodyte Central, our municipality’s most ludicrous non-academic – oblivious as always to matters pertaining to education primarily because she only pretends to have one – takes a final spin on the “bash the Garner administration” wheel. Soon, in a dramatic achievement of legerdemain fully worthy of George “1984” Orwell, Erika will have substituted “Doug England” for “James Garner” in all past and future postings, and the traditional imperative of the insane, i.e., the repetition of the same action over and over in the hopes that the outcome will change, can be renewed for 2008 and calendar years to come.

Friday Forecast: Unintentional self-parody with a chance of psychosis

Thanks to R for the submission.

LET'S PLAY NUMBSKULL!

Surely, it isn't true that England would invite alien invaders to suck precious bodily fluids from the residents of New Albany.

Who is supporting Mayor Elect Doug England on this proposal?

Is the purpose of this idea being used to force Project Blue Book to establish a research center on New Albany Riverfront.

When did this idea surface?

We invite readers to invent their own lunatic smears. Please limit yourselves to the four paragraph model provided by Vicki Ann Denschak (Professor Erik[a]).

It's my way or Highway 111...right?

Try looking at it as an "own goal" and it makes far more sense.

Yawn.

CAN KOCHERT SAVE HIS LEGACY WITH A "HAIL MARY" PASS ON REDISTRICTING?

Sunday morning hoot.

The author of Erika’s “nary a lump” Thanksgiving poem today is unknown, but even so, an “author unknown” attribution should be provided by bloggers who respect such values.

At the bottom is a mistyped URL for Butterball turkeys. The academic apparently hasn’t yet learned to insert a link. Here it is, for your convenience:

Butterball

Even more amusing is that the first section of the faux professor’s holiday greeting is cribbed from a message written by Gary Graham, mayor of O’Fallon, Illinois. Erika changes the order of a couple of words, probably by accident, and of course, no attribution is supplied. Pathetic, yet in this instance ironic, because the original message, dated November 15, 2006, bears the heading, “Traditional Values, Progressive Thinking.”

Our Erika. What a side splitter. I'll be back later this afternoon.