Bellicose Bumpkin

I’ve been in Ireland for the last 9/10 days and had zero Internet access. I’ve caught up on the 3400(not kidding) emails that greeted me on my return.

On my birthday(6/4), I had no major plans for the coming weekend. The following day I was on a plane headed to my wife’s homeland for a nine day trip.

The circumstances that drove the trip were sad, but had it’s good points as well.

The posts that went up in the last week were hastily prepared the night before I left and programmed to appear every couple of days – best I could do on short notice.

Some astute readers have noticed that not all blog posts are showing up on the Casino Facts blog page. Last time I looked Jessies blog wasn’t showing up at all. What’s up with that? Has CFO finally bowed to all that pressure from the anonymous cowards on Topix? Hardly.

I altered the cfo blogs page at the request of the current web site maintainer. For all the blogs of interest, each post is fetched, examined, and linked if it looks to be casino related. This is all done by a program – which I’m quite sure is not infallible.

An alternative way of keeping up with things is my blog roundup. This has links to the most recent posts from a number of blogs including some pro casino ones and other blogs that have little or even nothing to do with the casino. Post order is chronological – most recent first.

This post should make it onto the CFO blogs page so the readers have the option of following my blog and others regardless of whether they show up on the CFO blogs page. Of course you can just visit Gladys, Middleboro Review, CarverChick etc to check manually. We all maintain links to each other for convenient navigation between the blogs.

Here is the audio from my appearance on the radio yesterday. It can be downloaded here or listened to below. We discussed my new column, town meeting, voter participation and other topics.

We had a bunch of pro-casino callers making transparent attempts to make trouble. It was quite humorous. This will be an ongoing thing – there are many pro-casino people who have no interest in hearing my words. They are getting their news from pro-casino sources, and have no intention of reading the source information. On the flip side, we had some anti-casino callers who had a much more positive message(that had nothing to do with me).

Here is the audio. Click the mustache to play.

Was I trespassing?… yup!
Today I was riding my bike on the casino property and strayed off the casino land onto private property. The police were called though I was not arrested, fined, or whatever. But make no mistake – I was riding on the casino property which is clearly marked “No Trespassing” along with a TCAM(Twin Cove Associates Mashpee??) and a Twin Rivers Road address. To me that spells Sol Kerzner. So depending on which side of the casino fence you sit on, I was trespassing and there is no question about that. You can stop reading now if that’s all you care about.(I will say that there are some mighty fine trails out there).

What I ask of the pro and anti crowd is to leave the property owner out of it. She is not a public figure and had every right to complain about me riding on her land. She is blameless here and is not part of the discussion.

When “double” met “standard”
I didn’t want to talk about this here because I had the impression that the property owner didn’t want it discussed on my blog. Sadly, I have no choice because at least some posters on the pro-casino forum and Topix are implying that I’m some sort of stalker or pedophile(again) and demanding that I respond. This tactic is the same old, same old in pro-casino land. Curiously, while pro-casino boosters will go berserk over any old anonymous post, they are strangely silent when the same thing(and worse) happens on their sites by people who are well known and arguably are community leaders.

In general folks, I don’t read or respond to stuff on Topix, but given that Rick gave me a heads up to his post(asking for my response), I’ll give you my story. Hopefully I will talk about it more on Adam’s show tomorrow(his call). The real story here is the insinuations of stalking and pedophilia that have been posted on Topix and on the pro-casino forum. These accusations dovetail perfectly with the subject of my first Gazette article which will appear in tomorrow’s Gazette.

My story and I’m stickin’ to it
I’ve been riding my bike a lot for the last 2 months or so and have been exploring various trails – I’ve been riding in the casino property a lot due to the excellent trail system out there. Lately my normal route has been to ride to Plain Street and ride the power lines to Precinct Street. This normally takes me about 30 minutes. Lately I’ve been riding into the casino property and cutting back out to Precinct Street because on most days I don’t have time to go all the way to 105 and back home. The trail comes out to a field, that is clearly posted “No Trespassing” with the Twin Rivers address. These signs are all along Precinct Street so silly me I think this is all Kerzner property and that he couldn’t give a rat’s behind about anyone riding on the property. To me the signs are all about me falling of my bike, breaking my leg, and having no legal grounds to sue the property owner.

So I’m cutting through the field but riding just outside the sign posts due to the fact that there is mown strip that looks to me like it was there for whoever posted the signs. A woman came out and read me the riot act. My impression was that the problem was not so much the bike riding but rather who was doing the riding. She tells me the land sign-posted as TCAM/Twin River Road is her land and no amount of apologizing was making her happy. Also a younger 20 something woman is with her and also giving me the business. Eventually the younger woman goes in the house and I suspect she is calling the police. I really don’t care – I’m just riding my bike on some cool trails. Once I found out it is their land, I’m as nice and polite as I can be – but it’s just not working.

So meanwhile me and the older woman are talking – she’s sure I’m up to some anti-casino shenanigans. No amount of explanation or apology can move her. I even told her that if she wanted to have me arrested or fined that I’d have no hard feelings. The woman does not know that the younger woman called the cops and we are talking about my kids when a cruiser arrives. In short order, the officer sends me on my way and asks me not to ride on the property again.

Oh and the turkey feather – on the trail I came across a large, perfect turkey feather. I stuck it under the bungee on my rack to bring home for the kids.

But what does it really mean?
Be sure to read my column in the Gazette as it is very relevant this discussion.

This is really a perfect example of how debate in Middleboro has degenerated into a place where no sane person would want to be involved.

People are dealing with one another completely based on their pro or anti-casino world view. Middleboro is in a bad place and I don’t see any end in sight.

What I would like to see..
Peace on Earth(and Middleboro) and permission from Sol Kerzner and the property owner to ride my bike on the land until such time as there is any development on it.

As a reminder, my first Gazette column comes out this Thursday, Aug. 28. It should run every other week as far as I know.

On the same day I’ll be on Adam Bond’s radio show Coffee Shop Talk 1460 AM at 11:00 AM. The show can be heard live on the net here. I expect I’ll have a better than normal showing on Topix as well. Not since the Picken’s Plan has there been such a coordinated and far reaching media blitz.

The show will feature Bill Marzelli, Victoria Bond, and of course Adam. Come to think of it, I’m going to be in a rather small room with three people I’ve blogged about in one way or another …… hmmm… Doesn’t sound like a particularly bright plan when it’s put that way ….

I received this anonymous comment on an unrelated post. It seemed like a worthy sentiment:

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I don’t know where to post this, so I’m going to submit it here hoping you will print it. You strike me as an even keeled person who tries very hard to remain above the fray.

I understand that posters and commenters are hurt and angry about things that have been printed about them on the internet, and justifiably so. It’s very difficult not to retaliate. I know because I have been guilty of it. It’s human nature to strike back when attacked. But we can choose to resist that temptation in the interest of trying to restore some civility and detente to the current situation. We can rise above the disparaging remarks and refuse to be baited. My intention is not to sermonize, but to take my own advice. Retaliation is obviously accomplishing nothing.

As someone wisely pointed out we can not control others, but we can control what we say and do.

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Bill Marzelli, Middleboro local, pro-casino activist, and regular co-host/guest on Adam Bond’s Coffee Shop Talk radio show, had some comments about my blog regarding the no trespassing signs around the casino bingo property on Precinct Street. Specifically, he is commenting on it due to the Brockton Enterprise article that mentioned the post. The comments came on the August 14th installment of Coffee Shop Talk.

Mr. Marzelli went to some sarcastically exaggerated pains to explain to us simpletons that the Twin River address on the signs probably meant that the land was owned by Kerzner – as if myself and the Enterprise didn’t or couldn’t fathom it. The thing is, we both mention ownership in our individual articles, and in fact the whole point of my blog post was a call for Kerzner to turn over ownership of the land to the Mashpee Wampanoag. This tells me that he didn’t even read my post despite the fact that he spent a couple of minutes talking about it. He also explained to us slack-jaws that the quantity of signs was probably due to Massachusetts posting laws. I think most people who read my original post would understand the joke behind the mention of the sign quantities and my bike riding in the area. Given that I couldn’t find any mention of Massachusetts sign posting regulations, I’m willing to bet that it is a local ordinance. The pathetic state of the Middleboro web site would explain why it couldn’t be found.

The discussion of the signs was followed by rather snide mention of the proposed CasinoFacts.org fund raiser in Lakeville, a suggestion that someone planted endangered turtles on the casino site, Selectman Nancy Yeatts, and the Casino Task Force. As an aside, I hadn’t heard that there were red-bellied cooters on the site. Near the site – yes. On the site – no.

To be explored further in a separate blog post: Does debate in Middleboro always have to be nasty when people are on different sides of an issue? Is the toxic atmosphere in Middleboro normal for small towns, or unique to Middleboro. I don’t know the answer. If one of the local pro-casino types had made a similar call for the land to be given to the tribe would it have elicited the same rather ridiculing commentary? I think not. If Middleboro/Casino Friend(s) had a fund raiser planned, would it be ridiculed or promoted? If the editor of the local paper is on the opposite side of an issue – is she unprofessional and unethical or simply on the opposite side of an issue?

Here is the audio. Click the mustache to play and make your own judgement.

From the Enterprise Page Two News Notes

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BROCKTON — SIGNS OF THE TIMES: Middleboro resident Mark Belanger, the man behind the “Bellicose Bumpkin” blog, posted an item recently that while riding his bike, he’s noticed a ton of “NO TRESPASSING” signs along the property slated for the Wampanoag casino. According to a photo of the sign, which he posted on his blog, they were apparently put up by an entity called TCAM, Inc. and the signs list 100 Twin River Road in Lincoln, R.I., as its address.

“Nearly every tree on Precinct Street in Middleboro is festooned with signs like this one” Belanger says on his blog, (bellicose-bumpkin.blogspot.com). “In fact I found the preponderance of signs to be very distracting.”

In his blog, Belanger makes the logical-seeming assumption that the signs were put up by the owners of Twin River casino in Lincoln, R.I. But confirming that — and finding out exactly what “TCAM” stands for — isn’t as easy as it seems. When The Enterprise called the number listed on the sign, the woman who answered the phone, who identified herself as a temporary employee, couldn’t answer many questions about what TCAM precisely is. While she knew about the “no trespassing” signs and that they were put up to stop hunting on the property, she said she doesn’t know exactly what TCAM stands for. She did, however, say that “it’s not Twin River.”

We’ll research the matter further and pass it along. …

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I was called yesterday by a Brockton Enterprise reporter – who was asking permission to use my name and blog – which was a nice gesture. The post the article was taking about is here.

Question: If I quote a passage in a paper that is quoting my blog – am I going to cause some recursive loop in reality that could cause the world as we know it to end? Hopefully the effects will be limited to the casino.

I got the most amazing comment on one of my posts just now from a person who said they are “not a blogger. The comment was so good that I am making a blog out of it. So I guess the person who is “not a blogger” just became one.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post “Clash of the Selectmen”:

This is not meant to be a comment on any one article. I read this somewhere quite sometime ago. Wrote it down, didn’t know why, I am not a blogger, however, now I know why.

You being one of the,(very) few intelligent/worldly people in Middleboro, (Middleboro passing & conducting their kind of “business as usual” on your very generous offer to create a more easy to use, friendly, intelligent, Middleboro web site, PROVES THIS!!) might have already read this. Anyway I forwarding this to you with the original wording. My only reason for doing this is to show my appreciation of all your very interesting, (and you are the reason I now do read blogs), truthful,and sometimes inspiring blogs! Here goes:

FOR BLOGGERS ONLY, from Desiderada for bloggers
Stumble aimlessly amid the trolls and waste, but remember what peace there be in staring at your toes for a couple of weeks. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all readers. Publish your posts quietly and clearly, and listen to podcasts, even the dull and garbled, for they too have a right to hog bandwidth. Avoid loud and aggressive bloggers. They are pains in the ass.

If you compare your hit count to that of other bloggers, you will become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser counts than yours can muster. Enjoy your favourite posts as well as your drafts. Keep interested in your own career, however humble, for you will probably never make so much as a f***ing dime from blogging.

Exercise caution in choosing a provider, for the Internet is full of con artists and thieves. But let this not blind you to the virtues of moving your blog to WordPress.com. Many strive for massive hit counts, and everywhere life is full of miracles. Be yourself. Above all, do not feign knowledge, for readers will not hesitate to tell you that you are full of sh**. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all the scrapers, sploggers, and bloggers who never learned the difference between it’s and its and loose and lose, it is perennial as come-ons for Viagra.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in the face of sudden loss of access. But do not distress yourself with thoughts your blog has been deleted permanently. Many fears are born of insomnia and lack of caffeine. Beyond a wholesome wheat toast, eat whatever you like. You are a child of your parents. You have a right to post, and to sometimes state the obvious. And whether or not it is clear to you why or how, no doubt the search engines are making sure that someone looking for porn will land at your blog instead.

Therefore, be at peace with Google, whatever your level of search optimisation may be. And whatever your postings midst the noisy confusion of millions of other bloggers, keep peace with your soul. For all its spam, viruses and broken links, it is still a functional network.

Brush after meals. Strive to post regularly.

Dear Belicose Bumpkin, also thank you for keeping to a level of sanity in your own responses to comments made on any of your blogs. To let “loose” once in awhile can be “good for the soul”
THERE IS NO GREAT GENIUS WITHOUT A MIXTURE OF MADNESS.
Aristotle
PLEASE KEEP ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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This was certainly one of the nicest compliments I’ve gotten since I started blogging. My head is now big enought to give Jim Webb a run for his money.

Thanks Anonymous.