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Heal Union: Dwarf Stars and Supernovas Shadow Gus and Johnny

6/17/2015

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The Heal Union spring series continues with JULIETT.
PictureGus and Johnny Lil Man












And I awoke, faintly bouncing round the room ~ The echo of whomever spoke



“Here Yank!”
“Hey Reb!”


“Whatcha’ think?”
“This place rocks,” glanced Gus, “people from everywhere.”
“Emigrants and immigrants.”
“For sure.”
“Look there Yank.”
“Where?”
“There in the shadows.”
“I see the Lil Man.”
“There’s no little man.”
“Sure there is.”
“That’s not a little man Gus,” offered Reb, “let’s say it’s just light and you’re seeing things.”
“I see a Lil Man.”
“It’s a dwarf star then.”
“Death Star?”
“Dwarf.”
“Oh,” guessed Gus, “and what’s a Dwarf Star?”
“An unlit sun.”
“Meaning?”

PictureGus and Johnny Dwarf Star
“A dwarf star is like a sun,” Reb explained, “except it’s not lit.”
“How’s it get lit?”
“Two ways mostly: it can collapse on itself -”
“Heavy.”
“ – Right,” continued Johnny, “and the other way is by uniting with another star.”
“So lit means boom …”
“The lit creates a supernova.”
“Super what?”
“Nova – it’s Latin for new.”
“Oh,” Gus mused, “so it sounds like a new light.”
“Sure ~ the birth of a new star actually.”
“So that Lil Man -”
“- Dwarf stars aren’t male or female Gus.”
“Fine; so It can explode?”
“Yes.”
“What’s It doing here?”
“Like us I imagine.”
“Which is?”
“Visiting the monument in the shadows.”
“The one with the splotch of light?”
“Yeah.”
“Lots of monuments here Johnny.”
“Testimonies.”
“Sure – so what goes with this one?”
“A supernova.”
“A new star?”
“One still lit.”
“Oh,” Gus noted, “some kind of Virginian revolutionary.”
“Thunderbolt of the Revolution.”
“Did he know Thomas Knowlton?”
“Same army.”
“Bunker Hill 1775?”
“He was here, here in the colony of Virginia.”

PictureGus and Johnny Supernova
“And he heard about Bunker Hill?”
“He would have,” confirmed Reb and added, “let’s go show respect.”
“Toward the Death Star?”
“Dwarf star.”
“Right.”
“Yes.”
“Sensing caution here Reb.”
“Yeah?”
"You said It could explode."
"Possible."
“So yeah,” Gus thought, “since we gotta few more days, maybe we do this tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is Somewhere.”
“Really?”
“Right, a Somewhere Sunrise.”
“Is it near?”
“As the crow flies, not so far.”
“How about the next day?”
“That’ll work,” Reb lighted, “and we’ll try a different approach.”
“Good idea.”
“Just wanna fade here?”
“Just a bit longer … trying to see what Lil Man is wearing.”
“Sheer.”

“See ya Somewhere Reb!
“See ya Somewhere Gus!






*Next Heal Union: Somewhere tomorrow and the 200th of Napoleon’s German Waterloo

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Constitution Day: Gus Kotka, Johnny Reb and Antietam 1862

9/16/2014

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PictureAntietam Somewhere



War Cry Heal Union
The summer series finale (10 of 10)

Honoring Constitution Day 2014 and 1862


“Hey Gus.”
“Hey Reb.”
“Our Once Upon A Time chat got interrupted yesterday …”
“Darn Squeak.”
“… Right,” continued Reb, “and welcome to Somewhere.”
“I’d say it’s nice like Nowhere,” Gus observed, “– and thistles too.”
“It wasn’t always this nice.”
“So where is Somewhere Reb?”
“Antietam.”
“No shi-kiddding?”
“No kidding.”
“So, the Dandies of Harlem Heights.”
“Yeah.”
“I figure,” Gus began, “you wanted me to see the problem.”
“What problem is that?”
“The problem of who got me shot,” Gus stated, “so you brought me the story of the battle through the eyes of the Yankee Doodle Dandies.”
“American Rebels.”
“And to show me the similarities between Leitch and the other soldier, the one killed on the field.”
“Thomas Knowlton.
“Yeah him: I remember Leitch died thirteen days later ~ sort of one day for each Stripe.”
“Nice reckoning.”
“So where we at on Antietam?”
“An orientation perhaps?”
“Great ... and is it Constitution Day in Somewhere, I mean Antietam, too?”
“Eternally Gus …”

PictureSharpsburg Somewhere




















“You were here Johnny.”
“Yeah,” Reb panned, “the question is where were you in September 1862?”
“South Bend Indiana.”
“Indiana ‘eh.”
“Right, the 99th Volunteers were mustered into the US Army …” Gus paused: “I volunteered after …”
“After what?” Reb asked.
“… Antietam is the culmination of Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign.”
“You volunteered in August 1862, right?”
“Did: the 99th was mustered into service 21 August 1862,” affirmed Gus and added, “- I see your suggestion Johnny.”
“Still need that orientation Yank?”
“Not really.”
“Whatcha’ thinking?”
“All these citizens Reb … their lives for what?”
“The bloodiest day in our heritage.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there?”
“Generally …”
“The Potomac’s near.”
“Yes.”
“Can we go there?” asked Gus.
“For a moment …”

Picture
Potomac Somewhere




“… Here it is.”
“Big.”
“Not so big …”
“No, the thing across it?”
“Bridge Yank.”
“Monster of a Bridge.”
“Yeah.”
“Is that Virginia?” wondered Gus.
"It is."
“So much talk about it ~ seems like a place to go.”
“Say more ..."
“Crossing a river is symbolic.”
“It’s been said so.”
“Can we …”
“Visit Virginia,” Reb pondered, “like maybe next year?”
“I’m available ~ you?”
“Think so.”
“Summer again Reb?”
“Feels like Spring.”
“Great.”
“It's Time to go Gus.”
“You hear something?”
“No ... just Time.”
“Thanks Reb.”
“Thanks Gus.”
PictureGus and Reb Somewhere Sunset





















*In October, look for Ew Publishing’s mini-series, Whiskey 220: The Rebellion. Hosted on the BWB Blog, Whiskey 220 honors the successful conclusion to a domestic insurrection 220 years ago; it does so by highlighting President George Washington’s personal notes while traveling to inspect the State militias: the series includes a meeting with Virginia’s Governor Henry Lee III. Whiskey 220 begins Saturday, 11 October.

Thanks All!
~
Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Video:
Johnny Cash sings Civil War songs

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1776: Gus Kotka, Johnny Reb and the Dandies of Harlem Heights

9/15/2014

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War Cry Heal Union: The series (9 of 10)

Once upon a time …

“Hey Gus.”
“Hey Reb ~ Where we at?”
“Once Upon A Time.”
“Once Upon A Time?” Gus quizzed, “you said we’d meet Somewhere next time.”
“I did,” Reb confirmed, “and tomorrow's Somewhere …”
PictureOnce Upon A Time Green Bean



















“Great … then what’s with the green bean?”
“It’s a kitchen Gus.”
“Okay …”
“There’s a Dandy story here,” assured Reb, “and it’ll make our Somewhere time better.”
“A dandy one ‘eh?”
“The Dandies of Harlem Heights.”
“No kidding?” crafted Gus, “… then what goes with Once Upon A Time?”
“Burners …” offered Reb.”
“Burners?”
“… They like art.”
“Who’s Art?”
“… C’mon Gus ~ this way.”
“Sure thing Reb ~ though who’s Art? …”

PictureOnce Upon A Time Do Not Stop




















“… Hey Reb ~ wait-a-Sec.”
“What now Yank?”
“Are we in Art's dream?”
“You can say that.”
“Then how come you and I are different?”
“Whatcha’ mean Yank?”
“Once Upon A Time? …” thought Gus, “How’d you do this?”
“I’m a composite Spirit,” answered Johnny Reb, “and you’re an individual Spirit Gus.”
“Okay …”
“You get to do your Spirit thing, be that US Army Private, 99th Indiana Infantry Regiment - ”
“Volunteer.”
“Yes, Volunteer Augustus Kotka, killed skirmishing the siege of Atlanta, 11 August 1864.”
“And you Reb? … How’d you die?”
“All the Johnnies Gus.”
“All? … You mean all the deaths?”
“Yes ~ and all the lives too.”
“Which is why you can do more …”
“Right.”
“It’s like …” Gus reasoned, “you’re a Macro and I’m a Micro Spirit.”
“Right again.”
“One more thing … Is that a piñata?”
“… Gus ~ C’mon …”

PictureOnce Upon A Time 48 Stars




















“… Gus ~ Here we are.”
“What kind of flag is that?”
“’Merican.”
“The stars Reb …”
“Forty-eight.”
“Lots ~ so where are the Dandies?”
“Here, in the map.” [Richard Hanser, The Glorious Hour of Lt. Monroe, 1976:87.]
“Map’s too small Reb.”
“I know … I just wanted to say something.”
“Good ~ I like listening.”
“Sure you do …”
“I do ~ speak your peace Johnny.”
“The Stripes,” started Reb, “they represent the 13 Colonies in Rebellion.”
“Yes ~ and the Spirit of ’76.”
“And that Spirit had bodies … you know, humans.”
“Of course.”
“In the map are four American Rebels: a General, Colonel, Major and Lieutenant.”
“Officers.”
“Yes: Washington, Knowlton, Leitch and Monroe.”
“George and James for Washington and Monroe: who’s Knowlton?”
“Thomas Knowlton, Connecticut.”
“Say more …”
“Bunker Hill, 1775.”
“With ya’ now.”
“In the map it’s more than a year later,” Reb continued, “16 September 1776 and the New York Battle of Harlem Heights.”
“Who’s Leitch?”
“Andrew Leitch, Virginia … he’d been in New York four days.”
“Had been … what happened?”
“Washington has Knowlton’s Rangers skirmishing –”
“I know Skirmish.”
“– Against some Brits. Knowlton then leads the Rangers and the Third Virginia Regiment on a flanking movement. Knowlton is shot scouting the Brits; Major Leitch, as second in command, steps into the spot Knowlton was just in to assess the situation …”
“That’s the right move.”
“… Right Yank ~ ‘cept the Brits had the range and put three shots into Leitch.”
“Did they die? ~ Then I mean?”
“Knowlton on the field and Leitch thirteen days later.”
“Yankee Doodle Dandy Rebels ~ Knowlton and Leitch.”
“Yes, a Stripe for Connecticut …”
“… And a Stripe for Virginia.”
“Soldiers like Washington and Monroe,” Reb continued, “who give witness to such moments, often feel they were fighting …”
“For something.”
“… And not Against something Gus: Yankee Doodle Dandies fought For Free Speech and Enumerated Representation, you know, like our Nowhere chat,” Reb flickered, “~ Oh’oh …”
“What?”
“Time to go.”
“Already?”
“Heard a Noise.”
“Whatcha’ hear?”
“Squeak.”
“Who’s Squeak?”
“… Gus ~ Tomorrow's Somewhere.”
“I’m with ya’ Reb …”

Video: Yankee Doodle: Music of the American Revolution
~
*Tomorrow ~ US Constitution Day, 17 September 2014, the War Cry Heal Union summer series finale: Gus Kotka, Johnny Reb and Antietam 17 September 1862.    

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Harlem Heights ~ 16 September 1776

9/16/2013

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A chorus excerpt from: thereafter ~ (Or, The crows of Wicker Park)
A 2013 novella

Today in George Washington's life: The Battle of Harlem Heights (16 September 1776)

"~"
“My name is from 16 September 1776,” said Virginia.

“How so?” Ice asked.

“George Washington ordered some American rebels to flank the British soldiers and it worked. Two rebel leaders were casualties during the battle; Colonel Thomas Knowlton died on the field and my namesake, Major Andrew Leitch of Virginia, died 13 days later. Washington ordered the call and response – the passwords – for the next day to be ‘Leitch’ and ‘Virginia’ – for the mortally wounded Major.”

“So your name was first spoken on 17 September 1776?”

“Yeah – I guess it was.”

"~"

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    Author

    Brickner has a 1997 political science doctorate from Purdue University, cofounded Illinois NORML in 2001, and was a 2007 National NORML Cannabis Advocate Awardee. He is also publisher and coauthor of the 2011 book banned by the Illinois Department of Corrections – The Cannabis Papers: A Citizen’s Guide to Cannabinoids.

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