Wednesday, May 30, 2018

CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL McCAUL's DECEMBER 12, 2015, WRITTEN ADVICE TO ME IN A SIGNED REPLY LETTER TO ME: 'CONTACT THE LOCAL FBI OFFICE IN AUSTIN IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BY CRIMES INVOLVING VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL LAW'


On Monday, December 14, 2015 12:36 AM, John McMillan wrote:

FYI to each of you on the following,
from former Stephen F. Austin High School (AISD) Salutatorian John Kevin McMillan of Austin, Texas.

_____________

On Saturday, December 12, 2015 9:10 PM, John McMillan wrote:

Dear Very Influential Civic and Cultural and Governmental Leaders,

The following (below) is the exact text of Congressman Michael T. McCaul's very helpful and influential signed December 1, 2015, official letter to myself, private citizen John Kevin McMillan of Austin, that Rep. McCaul mailed to my current mailing address in northwest Austin.

The official reply letter comprised the first occasion in my entire life in which any member of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate has specifically advised me in writing to myself directly contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation and complain to the FBI about my being an apparent victim of one or more alleged possible violations of federal law allegedly being perpetrated on me by others.

According to apparently up-to-date online records provided by the official website for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) law-enforcement agency, the local office of the FBI is located in northwest Austin at 12515 Research Boulevard, Suite 400, Building 7, Austin, Texas, 78759. The office phone number for the FBI Austin office is: (512) 345-1111. The FAX number for the cited FBI Austin office is 512-506-2177.

Please note that the following (below) official reply letter to me from U.S. Rep. McCaul did not contain any bold-faced text. The bold-facing of portions of this letter was added by myself, a gainfully employed single adult white non-Christian male constituent of Congressman McCaul, for the sake of highlighting especially noteworthy sentences in his signed official letter to myself.

The letterhead to the official stationery being used by my duly elected Congressman in his Dec. 1, 2015, reply letter to me notes that U.S. Representative McCaul is Assistant Republican Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is also Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Congressman McCaul, who represents the 10th Congressional District of Texas, is also a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, respectively, according to his official Congressional stationery on which the following official letter was mailed to me this month by himself.

The letterhead for the official stationery used by Congressman McCaul in his letter to me also states that that federal lawmaker maintains Congressional offices in Washington, D.C. (phone number 202-225-2401), Austin, Texas (phone number 512-473-2357), Brenham, Texas (phone number 979-830-8497), Tomball, Texas (phone number 281-255-8372), and Katy, Texas (phone number 281-225-8372).

The body of the official December 1, 2015, reply letter to me from U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul is as follows:
________________
"Congress of the United States
"House of Representatives
"Washington, DC 20515-4310

"December 1, 2015

"John McMillan
"Village Oaks Apartments
"10926 Jollyville Road, Building 9, Apt. 902
"Austin, Texas 78759

"Dear Mr. McMillan:

"Thank you for contacting Congressman McCaul's office regarding your issue.

"Members of Congress do not investigate allegations of crimes. If you believe that you have credible evidence of violations of federal law, you should contact the local branch office of the FBI for information or assistance. In the event the FBI finds evidence of a prosecutable violation of federal criminal statutes, the case will be presented to the United States Attorney's Office.

"It is important to understand that Congress has adopted standards which recognize the legitimate role of Members in assisting constituents, while protecting both the due process rights of parties potentially affected by Government actions. The rules of the House, and laws and regulations governing federal executive agency activities, however, closely limit the extent of an intervention made on behalf of a constituent. Specifically, a Member of Congress may request information or a status report and or urge prompt consideration of a matter on behalf of a constituent needing assistance with a federal agency. A Member of Congress does not investigate allegations of crimes or mistreatment as described in the email (that) you (John Kevin McMillan of northwest Austin) sent to staff in my office.

"In addition, you may wish to consult with a private attorney to determinate what, if any, other options may possibly be available. Information concerning attorney referral services is available upon request from the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service. Also, the State Bar can give you the name of an attorney who practices in a particular area of law. You can call the referral service free of charge in Texas at (877) 983-9227.

"I appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.

"Sincerely,

"Michael T. McCaul
"Member of Congress

"MTM:kp"

Thursday, May 24, 2018

OVERHEARD IN AN IMAGINARY MANHATTAN IN 2018: THE WIT AND WISDOM OF NEW YORKERS


---"All of my deepest relationships here are with other blog writers, so I plan to host a Bloggers Bash extravaganza inside my apartment. I just can't decide what the theme would be, though, since the blog writers I'm deepest into are writing about a very wide variety of topics, ranging from A to Z. There is no consensus Blog Topic for each of us, so possibly we would be Blog-challenged to actually converse with each other at the party. This is why I'll have to get everyone on the party list to agree in advance to a party theme. Otherwise it could degenerate into rambling conversations about automobiles, perfumes, and football quarterbacks, when it would be impossible to combine all three of those topics into a clever party quip. I want it to be a party with lots of clever quips, since that's the sort of stuff that People Magazine's writers like to feature in their popular pieces about celebrity parties here. I consider myself to be one of the finest undiscovered celebrities here, and I'm very shocked that People Magazine hasn't promoted me yet as the true celebrity that I clearly am!"


--"I prefer to refer to this place as 'Big Apple', not 'The Big Apple'. Think of all the time I save in my conversations here when I talk about life in 'Big Apple', without having to utter the word 'The'. It's also more modest than if I called it The Big Apple. I take pride in being one very rare New Yorker who is completely lacking in any hint of arrogance. I'm so modest that I don't have an arrogant bone in my entire body, and my wife Sheila will back me up on that. Sheila always says that if I ever do decide to market a new brand of cologne here, my product line will be labeled 'True Humility', to convey my own low-key nice-guy style."


--"You just reminded me of an awful joke that my cousin in New Jersey likes to tell: 'When is New York at its Biggest as an Apple? Whenever there's a huge fire and New York turns into a Big Red Apple.' To my cousin, a New Jersey guy who regards hating New York as his favorite pastime, that type of scenario is RED DELICIOUS, in his very perverse opinion. It's a wonder that I'm even on speaking terms with Frank, since his hatred of New York by definition also includes me in the list of people he considers to be odious. Frank is so fanatical about his anti-New York bias that even in his last will and testament, he plans to specify that I myself will get nothing from his estate unless I agree to move to Jersey."

--"My friend Harriet is so grateful for each terrorism-free day we get here in New York that she actually throws a party inside her apartment every applicable Sunday to celebrate the fact that during that most recent seven-day period, no violent act of terrorism occurred here. Harriet subscribes to a special 'Terrorism-in-New York Alert' service, complete with a beeper that goes off from her wristwatch to notify her immediately about any and all  acts of terrorism reportedly occurring in Manhattan or any of our outlying burroughs."

---"As many times as I refer to this place as 'The Big Apple', the least I can do is financially invest in an apple- orchard farm somewhere upstate. Maybe I could do a Google search to identify the very best apple-orchard farmers upstate. It just feels right to do something like that, since I'm very generous and kind-hearted. And besides, maybe I can get a deduction from my income taxes if I invest in an apple-farm upstate somewhere."


---"What I hate the most about living here is that every day I'm very fearful that I will turn into a character in Hollywood movie set in Brooklyn that features the shocking downward mobility of a previously-successful condo owner living in Manhattan. My life would be a riches to rags story, and everyone in the theater audience would be shedding tears for me as they watch the tragedy unfolding on the movie screen before their very eyes."

---"What I hate about working in a cubicle at my office job is that it's rotten for people-watching. I've always taken pride in being a very fashionable New Yorker who likes to admire the human scenery of this city. But that is impossible to do if you're staring at the walls of your very confining cubicle while worrying the entire time that you're going to choke or faint from claustrophobia. Then I'll get taken away by ambulance, and that is definitely NOT a good fashion statement to make at my office job! No one wants to date a lady whose chauffeur is an ambulance driver!"

---"Why do I dress up the way I do, in order to sit at what reminds me of a prison cell whenever I enter my very confining cubicle at my office job here in Manhattan? It's a complete waste of my Hollywood-style glamour! There's something very inhuman and inhumane about forcing me to stare at the walls of my tiny cubicle for eight hours a day. It's a wonder I ever get anything accomplished, since I get so depressed here from feeling like an inmate in my own workplace!"

---"To me, working from a cubicle here in Manhattan is a bit like having no face. Almost no one ever sees me unless I leave my cubicle for coffee break. I don't even get anyone coming up to me and saying, 'I like your make-up today!', since they don't even identify me as someone with a face! I'm 'Cubicle Occupant Number 22', since I'm in the next-to-last cubicle and there are 23 cubicles on this floor of our workplace."

---"One advantage to working from a cubicle is that if I want to do my nails in the middle of my workshift, no one will object. To them, I am this invisible employee who is never even handed a paycheck from my boss, since all of my paychecks are handled electronically through an online deposit into my checking account! I'm a name-less, face-less, robot expected to meet quota, whatever that means, each workshift I'm here. I have nightmares every week during my sleep in which my boss sends me a blunt e-mail demanding to know whether I met my quota for that workshift?"

---"My resume is missing something, so I'm calling all the VIPS I know to ask if any of them will help me get invited to ride on a float at our annual Macy's Parade. I can then add that achievement to my resume, and I'm sure it will help me to land a higher-paying job once I've got that official endorsement from Macy's."

---"If I ever do ride on a float during a Macy's Parade here, I will insist on establishing a new website that exclusively cites and praises each and every person who rode on a Macy's Parade float in the most recent 10-year period. I will also insist that everyone gets cited using their full legal name, since there are a lot of Sally Patterson's here in New York but not so many with the middle name of Teresa."

---"When I enter the subway here and immediately sense that the other passengers spent too much time spraying cologne or perfume on their body, I yearn for a subway car that is exclusively reserved for passengers who don't apply deodorant to their body before they enter that train.  The 'Au Naturelle Scent Subway Car', I will call it, and it will be a wonderful refuge from the over-perfumed, artificially-scented olfactory excess that New Yorkers who shop at Macy's are notorious for!"

---"I plan to write a best-selling guidebook on how to start up a conversation with a complete stranger during an elevator ride here. There is a real art to knowing what to say and what not to say in a matter of seconds, since the button they pushed may  be for the very next floor. I'm an expert on the subject, since last year alone I landed 20 dates with appetizing New Yorkers from riding the elevators here. If they don't whet my appetite, my policy is to say nothing. This helps me to focus on the ones I'd actually want to go all the way with."

----"My own thought on elevator rides is that all that proximity to other human beings increases my chances for contracting an air-borne illness such as pneumonia. That's why I often wear a surgeon's mask during elevator rides in order to avoid getting sick from anyone standing inches from me for as long as 15 consecutive seconds. I also always choose the the express-elevator option when it's available, since this limits the duration of my exposure to any of the all-too-many sickly persons who are currently allowed to reside in this city."

--"Personally, I always hand out my professional calling card to complete strangers I meet on elevator rides. I let my calling cards do the talking for me. There's always a 1 percent chance that the New Yorker who gets that card from me will want to find out more about the honorable professional service that my business offers. So this could mean an extra $10,000 added to my annual income, all because I made the best use of my elevator-riding time here."

---"I don't know why it is, but I tend to trust the businesses I find on the first floor of a skyscraper more than the ones I find on the 30th floor. Maybe it's just my fear of heights; or maybe it's because I think of the first-floor businesses as more grounded in something solid like integrity. "

--"Myself, I always favor the skyscraper offices that are located on the floor that matches the day of the month when I was born. Since I was born on April 27, this makes every 27th-floor office in New York very special to me. It's a bit like celebrating my birthday whenever I enter one of those offices. Call me narcissistic, if you like, but I of course am grateful that 27 was my lucky number from day one."

---"At least if you work in a first-floor office, you don't have to worry about a depressed coworker suddenly taking a flying leap from inside the office in a suicide attempt. The tiny distance from the pavement below means that flying leaps from a first-floor office are pathetic. If they try to jump from a window of my own first-floor office and grab a bold headline in the Post, they're more at risk of getting mugged the minute they land on the cement than they are at actually injuring themselves. They immediately lose their watch, and nearly all of the jewelry on their body--that's the primary outcome from that type of grand-standing."

--"New York is probably one of the last places in the world where anyone talks about cloud formations. Most of us are more interested in finding out if conditions in the sky are smoggy than whether the clouds up there are cumulous. I would even guess that 99 percent of New Yorkers would fail a cloud-identification test, if there were some way to require them to take that test. I myself would definitely fail that test, since all I would write in each of the blanks provided to me would be 'cumulous', accompanied by my meek explanation that 'that's all I know about clouds--that sometimes they're cumulous'."

---"Marlene is so anti-social that if I go out with her to eat and the waitress recommends a Turkey Club sandwich, Marlene will snap that she does not want anything in her mouth that refers to a club of any type. Marlene lives her entire life in the hope that someday her tombstone will declare that 'Marlene was proud of the fact that she never joined any club, since she regarded clubs as 'the first step on the road to Fascism.'" 

---"Personally, I regard his own Latin Studies dissertation theme as a bit esoteric. He plans to photograph as many public buildings as possible that feature Roman Numerals engraved into the side of the building. I don't see what his point will  be, and I don't think he does, either. He has no sense of the need for a hypothesis to guide him in his photography. And it's unlikely he'll ever have any actual findings from his so-called research project that ever get published in a scholarly journal."

---"I think every New Yorker has days when they worry that they are turning into a front-page face for the Post or the Daily News, accompanied by a headline branding them as stupid or corrupt or evil. Maybe this sense of incipient infamy is part of what helps to motivate New Yorkers to pursue philanthropy in their leisuretime and make up for all the misanthropy they pursue through their careers."

--"When New Yorkers take a flying leap from the top floor of a building, my first thought is why in God's name did they choose to be so exhibitionistic in such a coarse manner and force all of New York to pay attention to their shameless vulgarity?  This type of insane grandstanding invites rage toward the person committing suicide. But I realize that there's no point to shouting at a dead person, once you're completely sure that they are actually dead. But until you are completely sure that their pulse has stopped and there's no chance they are alive, you can express justifiable rage toward the individual who took the flying leap."

--"It's considered bad manners in New York to shout with anger at a dead person, even if you regard him as infamous or heinous.  The minute they're officially deceased, New Yorkers know that the time for hurling primal rage at them has just ended. This is one of the leading definers of etiquette in New York: You stop verbally abusing a fellow New Yorker the second you feel reasonably sure that they are now officially deceased."

---"Every time a New Yorker commits suicide, thousands of persons who were relatives or friends or coworkers or neighbors of theirs are put in a very untenable position that they greatly resent being imposed on them. Those survivors immediately sense that they will be getting asked by everyone whether it was something they themselves did that drove that person to commit suicide, and if so, are they feeling guilty now and possibly fearful that they will themselves go to hell for having been blameworthy in that suicide?"

---"I'm very surprised I haven't been invited to attend a 'History of Skylines of New York' photo art exhibit. To me, that would be very, very fascinating, to study photos of our great city's skylines ever since the camera was invented, and at the moment I can't recall when that year was. It was that year, in any event, when the skylines of New York first became material for a photo art exhibit."

--"I can't imagine where they stand in order to photograph the skylines of New York for an art exhibit. Do they do it from a Goodyear blimp, from a helicopter, from the top of the Empire State Building, or what?"

--"Paul is so obsessed with cell phone photography that he plans to sponsor a Cell Phone Photography Art Exhibit here next month. Paul's exaltation of popular culture  with a vulgar twist to it reminds me of Andy Warhol.  I myself cannot figure out what makes a Cell Phone Photography Art Exhibit all that special."

---"With all the New Yorkers who say they have an urgent need for a CAT scan to tell them whether they have a life-threatening disease, maybe some philanthropist will establish a non-profit group that exclusively offers grants to individuals who claim that they might have an undiagnosed potentially fatal medical problem, but currently cannot afford to get a CAT scan or sonogram to find out whether surgery or chemotherapy or whatever it might be is needed. Think of all the New Yorkers who would live 10 years or 20 years longer if they received a grant from this type of group that gives them the diagnostic testing they need."


---"Suzy says she hates mathematics so much that she has a built-in-bias against any and all streets here that have numerical names. Fifth Avenue, to her, is yet another numerically-identified street that she hates to hear about. She adores the Avenue of the Americas because it appears to promote peace throughout this entire hemisphere, but she hates Fifth Avenue. Even counting to five is something that Suzy does NOT want any involvement in."

---"Suzy says that there should be an annual Hemispheric Peace Parade that proceeds down the Avenue of the Americas on a good day for it like December 25. I told Suzy that I admire her idealism,but she's overlooking the point that peace in ONE hemisphere isn't going to guarantee that the OTHER hemisphere will be also be at peace throughout. I canot imagine that OTHER hemisphere ever achieving that type of harmony and tranquility."

--"You are quite right. If the OTHER hemisphere is always at war, and Our hemisphere is generally at peace, this is no reason to celebrate."

---"For all the years I've lived here, no one has ever asked me to identify the first name of the guy who founded Macy's department store. Whether his first name was Harold, Leonard, or Edward, I haven't the foggiest. Of course I could check Wikipedia for that information. But I just don't regard the question as high priority enough for me to find out the answer."

---"I had hoped when I arrived in New York that I could move into an apartment along Bolivia Boulevard at the point where Bolivia Boulevard intersects with Avenue of the Americas. It came as quite a shock to me when I discovered that there is no Bolivia Boulevard here that intersects with Avenue of the Americas."

---"Maybe I've got a perverse sense of humor, but I love the idea of traveling along Avenue of the Americas here in New York in order to enter a 'Museum of Latin American Dictators' somewhere along that world-famous avenue. The museum would give me extensive exhibits about each of the most infamous of the current and former dictators of Latin American countries. I would have a hard time citing any head of state in Latin America who doesn't get labeled as a dictator."

---"Sally is very health-conscious. Instead of having white rice thrown at her wedding, she insisted that brown rice be used for that purpose. Sally wanted to remind as many wedding guests as possible that they can live longer if they eat more brown rice."

---"I wish there were some way a new musical composition could be written that highlights the honking sounds of motor-vehicle traffic here. To me, it's obvious that french horns could be used for simulating the sounds of car horns being honked here. But maybe some other musical instrument, such as the tuba, would be just as effective at replicating the sounds of automobile traffic on the roadways of Manhattan.  Maybe we should have a contest in which all New Yorkers are asked to vote on which musical instrument they want to hear in a musical composition for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra that highlights the sounds of motor-vehicle traffic in Manhattan."

---"I hiked along Avenue of the Americas because I just assumed that would be the best way to get to know the local restaurants featuring the cuisines of Honduras and Panama and Brazil.  My premise was flawed, since the street name proved to be a case of false advertising. Maybe I should contact the Attorney General of New York and complain."

---"Myself, I was expecting an 'Avenue of the Americas' Trans-Americas Food Festival here that highlights the cuisines of each nation found in North America, Central America, and South America. I was looking forward to that event partly because I still to this day don't know what Uruguayan-style cuisine tastes like. I was hoping to add Uruguay to the nations of the world I have conquered with my tongue. I guess that makes me a Spanish-style Conquistador, except that I am very respectful toward the indigenous populations."

---"I find it inspirational to note that the Goddess of Liberty has a giant-sized brain. If you measured the circumference of her brain, she is obviously the brainiest person in all of Manhattan. I think she's telling the ladies of New York to take pride in their own brainpower, and to pursue a lucrative career as an ideas person for a corporation here. I think she is also saying that we can each cite her as a reference on our resume when we interview for that type of job here."

---"Effective immediately, I have a new policy against ordering mushroom dishes in the restaurants of Manhattan. So many of the chefs and waiters here don't like my politics, so I'm always at risk of their serving me a poisonous mushrooms dish when I dine out. They even have a prepared statement they plan to offer to the news media after I'm suddenly taken by ambulance to the hospital. That statement will of course read, and I quote: 'We regret the error in which the mushrooms we served to that particular ideological adversary of ours happened to have been poisonous, and we are diligently investigating to find out whether the error was caused by our supplier, or possibly the truck company that transported the mushrooms to our restaurant, and we are not sure which of those two explanations is t he correct one. We of course deplore this unfortunate mistake. Our restaurant policy is to serve everyone with the greatest of integrity, even if we despise any particular guest's political and religious beliefs.'"

---"The survey I dread the most here in New York is a one-question survey that asks me to rate my current level of fatigue from a scale of one to 10. I would reply to that survey by asking if I had the option of answering the question with the number 11. I can just imagine what the survey-taker would say: 'Just another New Yorker being a smart-aleck'."


--to be continued


Wednesday, May 23, 2018

'GUIDE YOURSELF IN YOUR LIFE BY A STRONG SENSE OF MORAL PURPOSE OR DEEPER MEANING', NOVELIST TONI MORRISON ADVISES GRADUATING SENIORS AT COMMENCEMENT-EXERCISES FOR RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IN 2011




(The following, below, is a quoted and condensed version of a portion of the text of the 2011 commencement-exercises speech at Rutgers entitled "The Pursuit of Meaningfulness". The speech was written and publicly delivered by novelist, editor and professor Toni Morrison before graduating seniors and their families at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The entire text of Toni Morrison's speech can be found on pages 53 through 59 of the copyright-2015 New Press book entitled "The World is Waiting for You: Graduation Speeches to Live by from Activists, Writers, and Visionaries". That book was edited by Tara Grove and Isabel Ostrer. The book's publisher, The New Press, is based in New York City, New York, and in London, England.

The entire text of Toni Morrison's 2011 commencement-exercises speech at Rutgers University was copyrighted in 2011 by Ms. Morrison, and was reprinted in the above-cited book with permission courtesy of ICM Partners.

The following quoted text from a portion of Ms. Morrison's graduation-day speech at Rutgers University can be found on page 55 of the book "The World Is Waiting for You". Please note that several clarifying parenthetical statements and ellipses have been added by me, John Kevin McMillan of Austin, Texas:)


"I have often wished that (Thomas) Jefferson had not used that phrase 'the pursuit of happiness' as the third (inalienable) right (for human beings that he cited in the Declaration of Independence from The United Kingdom that Jefferson helped write in 1776)....I would rather he had written (those three inalienable rights as ')life, liberty, and the pursuit of meaningfulness or integrity or truth(')."

"I know that happiness has been the real, if covert, goal of your labors here (at Rutgers). I know that it informs your choice of companions, the profession you will enter, but I urge you, please don't settle for happiness. It's not good enough. Of course, you deserve it. But if that is all you have in mind---happiness---I want to suggest to you that personal success devoid of meaningfulness (or)...a steady commitment to social justice, ....(is)...a trivial (life). It's looking good instead of doing good."

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

'QUIT SMOKING, AND DRIVE WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT', AND YOUR ENHANCED LIFESPAN FROM THAT WILL INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF ACHIEVING WISDOM IN YOUR WRITING AFTER YOU HAVE HAD MORE LIFE EXPERIENCE TO DRAW UPON, PROFESSIONAL WRITER BARBARA KINGSOLVER ADVISES GRADUATING SENIORS AT DUKE UNIVERSITY IN 2008


(The following, below, is a quoted portion of the text of the commencement-exercises speech entitled "How to be Hopeful". The speech was written and publicly delivered in 2008 by novelist, essayist, and poet Barbara Kingsolver before graduating seniors and their families at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

The entire text of Ms. Kingsolver's speech can be found on pages 25 through 37 of the copyright-2015 New Press book entitled "The World is Waiting for You: Graduation Speeches to Live by from Activists, Writers, and Visionaries". That book was edited by Tara Grove and Isabel Ostrer. The book's publisher, The New Press, is based in New York City, New York, and in London, England.

The entire text of Ms. Kingsolver's 2008 commencement-exercises speech at Duke University was copyrighted in 2008 by Ms. Kingsolver, and was reprinted in the above-cited book with permission from the Frances Goldin Literary Agency.

The following quoted text from a portion of Ms. Kingsolver's cited speech at Duke can be found on page 26 of the book "The World Is Waiting for You". Please note that some clarifying parenthetical additions were provided by myself, John Kevin McMillan of Austin, for this particular blog.)


"....(W)isdom is what people will start wanting from you, after your last exam (that has already occurred here at Duke). I know it's true for writers----when people love a book, whatever they say about it, what they really mean is: it was wise...My (own favorite writers for wisdom) are...Neruda, Garcia Marquez, Doris Lessing. Honestly, it is harrowing for me to try to teach twenty-year-old students who earnestly want to improve their writing. The best I can think to tell them is: quit smoking, and observe posted speed limits. This will improve your odds of getting old enough to be wise."

Monday, May 21, 2018

CRITICAL-THINKING SKILLS ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR ACHIEVING SUCCESS AS A HUMAN BEING, GRINNELL COLLEGE GRADUATION-EXERCISES SPEAKER ANNA QUINDLEN DECLARES IN HER 2011 ADDRESS



(The following, below, is an exactly quoted portion of the text of the speech entitled "Learn Not to Listen" that was written and publicly delivered in 2011 by former New York Times columnist and award-winning writer Anna Quindlen before graduating seniors and their families at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.


Ms. Quindlen's cited speech comprises the opening chapter of the copyright-2015 New Press book entitled "The World is Waiting for You: Graduation Speeches to Live by from Activists, Writers, and Visionaries". That book was edited by Tara Grove and Isabel Ostrer. The book's publisher, The New Press, is based in New York City, New York, and in London, England.

The entire text of Ms. Quindlen's commencement-exercises speech at Grinnell College was previously copyrighted in 2011 by Ms. Quindlen, and was reprinted in the above-cited book with permission from ICM Partners.


The following continuously quoted text from a portion of Ms. Quindlen's cited speech comes from page 9 of the book "The World Is Waiting for You".)

"...In a culture where knowledge is moving at the speed of sound, there is nothing more valuable than a degree from a first-rate liberal arts college, and that is what you will get here today.

"One estimate is that the average American will have seven to ten jobs during her lifetime. If you can bring critical thinking----which is the basis of all you've learned here---to the table, you will be ready for work no matter what that work may be. We need that critical thinking at this moment. We need you to do it for us. If you have bright ideas about how to restore confidence in Wall Street, teach kids with disabilities, serve customers and clients and patients, get books into the hands of readers, or run schools that work, we are waiting breathlessly to hear them...."

CITY GOVERNMENT OF AUSTIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, TEXAS, ON MAY 18, 2018, POLITELY ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF A CURRENT PUBLIC-INFORMATION REQUEST SEEKING A COPY OF ANY AND ALL OF AUSTIN CITY MANAGER SPENCER CRONK's WRITTEN STATEMENTS DURING HIS FIRST THREE MONTHS IN OFFICE HERE----Mr. CRONK HAVING PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED AND ACCEPTED DOZENS OF E-MAIL CRIMINAL-LAW COMPLAINTS AND CIVIL-LITIGATION-MINDED LEGAL COMPLAINTS FROM THIS PARTICULAR AUSTIN (TX) DISTRICT 10 RESIDENT AND FORMER MINNEAPOLIS (MN) RESIDENT IN 2017 AND 2018, DURING Mr. CRONK's PRIOR TENURE AS CITY COORDINATOR OF MINNEAPOLIS----THAT EACH REFER TO ME AS A CITED OR APPARENT VICTIM IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, OF ALLEGEDLY ILLEGAL CONDUCT ALLEGEDLY PERPETRATED BY ONE OR MORE PERSONS OTHER THAN MYSELF


On Friday, May 18, 2018 4:22 PM, "webapp@austintexas.gov" wrote:

Dear John McMillan,

Thank you for your e-mail to the City of Austin. Your request is being processed.

Consistent with the Texas Public Information Act, you can expect communication from the City of Austin within 10 business days after the date the information was requested.

The City of Austin will make the effort to ensure that the information you have requested is made available to you in a timely manner. However, depending on the scope of the request and the time required to research and compile the information, should the City of Austin not be readily able to produce the information you have requested, the communication you receive may indicate items such as:

the date that the information will be available
the need to prepare a cost estimate
a letter advising that some of the responsive information may or must be withheld by the City
the need for clarification from you

Thus, please note that the communication you can expect to receive does not necessarily mean responsive information you have requested will be available within the 10 business days.

For more information about the Public Information Act visit the City of Austin website at http://www.austintexas.gov/department/open-records
Thank you,
PIO Public Information Specialist


____________________________
On Friday, May 18, 2018 11:33 AM, John McMillan wrote:

To: Public Information Coordinator,
City Government of Austin,
301 West Second Street,
Austin, Texas, 78701
Office phone: (512) 974-2220.
Office FAX: (512) 974-2405.

May 18, 2018

Dear Public Information Coordinator for the City Government of Austin in this state capital city for Texas,

I hereby respectfully withdraw the May 17, 2018-dated public-information request that I e-mailed to you, and am hereby replacing that request of mine with the following:

This is a Texas Open Records request in which I seek to obtain from you a copy of any and all written communications, including e-mail letters or letters or reports or texts of speeches or memoranda or directives, that were written by Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk or any staff member or official under Mr. Cronk's direct supervision in the Austin City Manager's Office at any time since Mr. Cronk officially began his duties as City Manager here on the morning of February 12, 2018, and that, in each such case, referred at least once in any manner to myself, John Kevin McMillan of Austin, as a cited or reported or apparent or possible or likely or actual or self-identified victim in Austin, Texas, of either or both of the following:



----one or more alleged or possible criminal activities such as alleged continuous personal-injury crimes inflicted on me that were allegedly perpetrated, or are each allegedly being perpetrated at present, by one or more persons other than myself;
or

---one or more alleged violations of my own civil rights or Constitutional rights or legal rights or human rights in Austin, Texas, that each either involved or currently involve alleged or possible or apparent violations of the law.


Included in the scope of this public-information request are any and all e-mail letters or letters or memos referring at least once in any manner in that written communication to myself, John Kevin McMillan, that Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk at any time thus far in 2018 wrote and sent to Austin Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano. 

Mr. Arellano is the Filipino-American assistant city manager in charge of protecting public safety for all Austin residents --- including myself, John Kevin McMillan --- through Mr. Arellano's official role on behalf of the City Government of Austin.


Municipal departments and services that Assistant City Manager Arellano supervises here include the Austin Code Department; the Austin Police Department; Homeland Security and Emergency Management; the Austin Fire Department; Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services; Austin/Travis County Office of Medical Director; and the Downtown Austin Community Court.

Among the insights I seek to glean through this public-information request are answers to questions such as:

---Has City Manager Cronk expressed concern to anyone about alleged personal-injury crimes or allegedly unauthorized and injurious "medical services" allegedly victimizing myself during my sleeping hours as I lay or lie ALONE on my own bed inside a variety of locked rental units where I have resided as a rent-paying tenant in Austin, Texas?

---Has City Manager Cronk expressed any concern about the apparent failure by the Austin Police Department to arrest any suspect at any time and then charge that individual with having wronged me in alleged violation of the state penal code of Texas?

---Does City Manager Cronk indicate in writing his own opinion that because my own fully independent religion with very stringent membership-eligibility requirements, the non-Christian "Progressive Prohibitionist Religion", is possibly disliked by some or many of the self-identified "gay" or "homosexual" or "lesbian" or "transsexual" or "transvestite" Austin residents, Mr. Cronk in his capacity as City Manager is possibly not willing to fully and enthusiastically support and insist on safe housing conditions for me in Austin, Texas?


My legal name is "John Kevin McMillan". I was born on April 27, 1957, at Lincoln, Nebraska.

I reside in Austin City Council District 10, a voting precinct for which my duly-elected City Council Member, Dr. Alison Alter, reportedly on March 9, 2017, imposed a permanent prohibition on my ever again at any time ever on any occasion directly contacting either herself, Council Member Alter, or any staff member supervised by Council Member Alter.

I myself have resided in Austin (TX) proper on a continuous and uninterrupted basis ever since mid-March 1997.

I myself am dependably civil and law-abiding, honest, do not have any criminal-conviction record, and am gainfully employed, as I am sure that City Manager Cronk is aware was mentioned in the numerous e-mail letters I previously sent to him about my being a self-identified victim of alleged personal injury-crimes in Austin, Texas --- including through e-mail letters I directly sent to Mr. Cronk during a prior period when he served as City Coordinator for the City Government of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I am a former Minneapolis resident. I resided in Minneapolis in the early 1980s, and I obtained a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Minnesota's main campus in Minneapolis in 1984.


I myself lead a permanently drinking-alcohol-free (ever since the late summer of 1990) and never-previously-addicted, lifelong tobacco-free, permanently marijuana-free (ever since the late fall of 1984) and never-previously-addicted, emphatically anti-marijuana-minded, lifelong-illicit-drug-free in regard to any and all illicit drugs other than marijuana, and emphatically anti-illicit-drug-minded, lifelong-tattoo-less, permanently jewelry-less, facially cleanshaven (no mustache, no beard, no goatee), consistently clean-talking (no profanity by me in my everyday communications with others), platonicly-polite and gentlemanly lifestyle and religious life here in Austin.

I am the founder and only approved member of a new and non-Christian, fully-independent religious denomination with very stringent membership-eligibility requirements, the implicitly-deistic, non-atheistic, and non-praying "Progressive Prohibitionist Religion", that Mr. Cronk has been informed about by me in writing.

I myself have resided at Village Oaks Apartments, 10926 Jollyville Road, Building 16, Apt. 1609, Austin, TX 78759, on a continuous and uninterrupted basis throughout the entire multi-month time period applicable to this public-information request.

My personal e-mail address has remained the same throughout the entire multi-month time period applicable to this public-information request. My e-mail address is: mcmillanj@att.net .

My landline home phone number has remained the same throughout the entire time period applicable to this public-information request. My home phone number is: (512) 342-2295.

Thank you in advance for your very thorough and diligent and, of course, fully reliable and authoritative reply letter providing me with a copy of any and all documents responsive to this public-information request from myself.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan.
10926 Jollyville Road, Apt. 1609, Austin, TX 78759.
Home phone: (512) 342-2295.
My e-mail: mcmillanj@att.net

AN OPEN LETTER TO U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CARE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY's NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OFFICIAL E-MAIL ADDRESS IN WASHINGTON D.C., SINCE THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL THAT I ADDRESSED AND SENT DIRECTLY TO THE WHITE HOUSE AT 8:04 A.M TODAY WAS IMMEDIATELY 'REJECTED' BY THE WHITE HOUSE, ACCORDING TO AN AUTOMATIC MESSAGE I RECEIVED IN MY OWN E-MAIL INBOX AT 8:05 A.M. TODAY


MAILER-DAEMON@yahoo.com 

Today (Monday, May 21, 2018) at 8:05 AM

Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.

<whitehousefellows@whf.eop.gov>:

550: #5.1.0 Address rejected.

--- Below this line is a copy of the message.



John McMillan
To
White House Fellows Program 2017 Unknown NationalU.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (2015)U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul Communics 2017 U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (2015)Governor's Office of Texas Open Records AdministratorThe Republican National Committee Travis County Republican Party (2016)margaret.moore@traviscountytx.gov rocky.reeves@austintexas.govchristopher.gaines@austintexas.gov FBI Dallas BureauTexas Rangers Division of DPS CountyAttorneyDavidEscamillaU.S. Department of Homeland Security Public InformationTravis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt Gina Hinojosa Amanda FosterKirk Watson Gerald Daugherty Austin Mayor Steve Adlersally.hernandez@traviscountytx.gov Office for Victims of Crime (U.S. DOJ)statesman Austin Chronicle Editors Christian HawleyTexas DPS Office of General CounselAustin City Council Member Delia Garza (2015) District 8district9@austintexas.gov Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen (2016)Dayna Blazey Texas Legal legal-aid service (2015)Joyful Heart Foundation for Rape VictimsCNN.Viewer.Communications.ManagementNational Crime Victim Law Institute (Lewis & Clark Law School Portland Oregon)Crime Report Ed. Stephen Handelman (2016)Austin Regional Crime and Terrorism Intelligence CenterSociology Prof. Jim Nolan (West Va. University)CBS News '60 Minutes' Editors and Reporters KLRUKXAN TV News Investigations news@cbsaustin.comDailytexanonline News Texasadvocacyproject InfoCriminal Justice Journalists Board Member RashbaumTravis County Sheriff Law Enforcement Assoc. (2016)Federal Law Enf. Officers Assn Fbinaa Info Amie ElyAustin American-Statesman Editor Debbie HiottDMN Austin Bureau Reporter Robert GarrettHouston Chronicle Letters To the EditorAustin Police Retired Officers Association Pres. Tommie Haffelder (2015)Austin Police Retired Officers Assoc. Sec. Treasurer Randy MaloneDemocratic National Committee Republican Party of TexasCommentaryMagazineEditors Commonweal Magazine EditorsBennie DiNardo Matt Bernstein Boston Globe (2016)New York Post (NYC) Editors New York Daily News Letters To the EditorAttorney General of New York Steven Richcheryl.thompson@washpost.com Miami Herald Letters To EditorFlorida Attorney General Pam Bondi (2016)Minnesota Attorney General (2016) San Jose Mercury News EditorsTexas Observer Editors American Friends Service CommitteeDaily Texan Alumni Association (2016) Hpbc Info Ghbc Postmasterthomas@stmaustin.org Saintalbert Info Sona NastOutback Asst Mgr Nick Burton Leslie DeGraffenriedHarvard Kennedy School Carr Center for Human Rights PolicyStateRep.DonnaHoward Aurelio ContrerasNotre Dame Univ. Center for Civil and Human Rights Trevor GlynnCBS News Story Ideas Editors State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (Austin area)Texas Tribune Editor In Chief Evan Smith Letters To the EditorSenator John Whitmire TDCJ General Counsel Rep. Patricia FlemingTBPP General Counsel Bettie Wells Jennifer A. DeCampsmccown@law.utexas.edu Justin HollandTexas Dept. of Public Safety Officers Assn. Director HaveYourSayMassachusetts Chiefs of Police Assoc (2016) Mass. Dist. Attorneys Assn.


On Monday, May 21, 2018 8:04 AM, John McMillan wrote:

To: President Donald Trump,
The White House,
Washington, D.C.


May 21, 2018

Dear President Trump,

In your very powerful role as chief executive officer for the United States Government, you have the legal authority to establish and appoint a bipartisan or non-partisan "Presidential Commission on Mass Shootings" that can help (in) identifying underlying causes and contributors to that current very alarming societal malaise besetting our nation.

I urge you, Mr. President, to do exactly that---and as soon as possible.


That proposed new Presidential Commission on Mass Shootings can obtain and help promulgate factual information in the form of answers to the following questions, among others:

---In what percentage of the mass shootings in the United States that have occurred in the most recent one-year period, two-year-period, five-year period or 10-year period was the individual or group of individuals allegedly committing or attempting to commit mass murder addicted to either drinking alcohol or one or more illicit drugs?

---What has been the long-term trend in regard to the percentage of mass murders or attempted mass murders in the United States in which the alleged violent-crime suspects were addicted to drinking alcohol or marijuana or one or more other illicit drugs?

---In what percentage of those mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was the alleged mass-murderer or alleged attempted mass-murderer, or person planning to commit or conspiring with others to commit mass murder, an individual (or group of individuals) who had consumed any quantity of drinking alcohol or any quantity of marijuana or any other illicit drug a matter of hours or minutes before pursuing the unconscionable crime of mass-homicide? What has been the long-term trend in that regard?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. during each of the applicable time periods was at least one of the violent-crime suspects an individual who was addicted to tobacco?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was the mass-murderer someone who had undergone a marital divorce or had been rejected by a "romantic partner" within 12 months or 24 months of the mass-shooting?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was the mass-murderer someone who had been dishonorably discharged from the military?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents was at least one suspect an individual who had been fired from a position of employment within 12 months of the incident or was unemployed at the time of the tragedy?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting cases in the U.S. was the mass-murderer someone who had been accused or convicted of stalking or spying on another human being at any prior time?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting cases in the U.S. was the mass-murderer someone who had been accused or convicted of kidnapping or holding anyone hostage at any prior time?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting cases in the U.S. was the mass-murderer someone who had been accused of "domestic violence" or "sexual assault" at any prior time?

---In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one of the cited violent-crime suspects or violent-crime conspirators an individual who identified himself or herself as being an "anarchist"?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one of the suspects an individual who had a history of subjecting others against their wishes to anonymous communications?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one suspect a frequent participant in video games that depicted violence involving the use of weaponry?

---In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents was at least one of the violent-crime suspects in that case an individual who had confessed or stated in an online statement he wrote that he had experienced significant alienation from American society?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one suspect an individual who ever at any time in his or her life had advocated the violent overthrowing of the U.S. Government?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S, was at least one suspect an individual who had previously expressed opposition to freedom of speech rights and freedom of religion rights and freedom of assembly rights for others?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one suspect an individual who identified himself as being an "atheist" or an "agnostic", or as a "devil-worshiper"?

--In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one of the violent-crime suspects or violent-crime conspirators an individual who had an unlisted phone number?

---In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one of the violent-crime suspects or violent-crime conspirators an individual who had traveled to a foreign nation fewer than 12 months or fewer than 24 months before the alleged mass-murder?


---In what percentage of the mass-shooting incidents in the U.S. was at least one of the cited violent-crime suspects or cited violent-crime conspirators an individual who had been accused or convicted of at least one firearms-related or gun-related crime in the past?

---In what percentage of the mass-shooting tragedies in the United States was the mass-murderer someone who had more than tattoo emblazoned on his own body?
Another question that your proposed "Presidential Commission on Mass Shootings" could pursue factual information about: In which U.S. states is the number of mass shootings or attempted mass shootings the lowest, and what might account for those U.S. states' apparent success in that particular way?

Also, in which U.S. states is the number of mass-shooting incidents the highest, and what might account for those states' failures in that particular way?

As you know, Mr. President, your own permanent abstention from drinking alcohol that I have read about is one of the wisest and most admirable aspects of your own job performance in the White House. I also assume, though I have not read any newspaper account about this, that you have of course wisely chosen to refrain from having your own body emblazoned with tattoos. In that one specific category as well, I can only assume that you have presumably set a fine example for our entire nation.
Congratulations to you, Mr. President, for setting a fine example as chief of state in those two very specific categories, if applicable.

In conclusion, Mr. President, I hope you will agree with me that it makes very good sense for you to appoint a Presidential Commission that will help to promulgate much-needed information as soon as possible that our nation urgently needs about the underlying contributors to the truly horrifying mass-shooting crimes that are occurring on a year-round basis throughout our nation.

That information, in turn, will help our nation to significantly lower the incidence of mass-shootings in each and every state of the United States.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,


John Kevin McMillan, President and only approved current member of the lawfully-non-Christian and permanently drinking-alcohol-free, anti-marijuana-minded, anti-medical-marijuana-minded, anti-illicit-drugs-minded, anti-personal-injury-crimes-minded, crime-deterrence-minded "Progressive Prohibitionist Religion".
My home address: Village Oaks Apartments (a NW Austin apartment complex reportedly owned and managed, respectively, by two separate highly-regarded and financially successful for-profit corporations that are each headquartered at the very same street address in Newton, Massachusetts---a "Bay State" city that directly abuts Boston), 10926 Jollyville Road, Bldg. 16, Apt. 1609, Austin, Texas, 78759.
Home phone: (512) 342-2295.
My Blog: John Kevin McMillan: A 21st Century Conservative Left-Wing Agenda
John Kevin McMillan: A 21st Century Conservative Left-Wing Agenda
Observations for a rationally religious and implicitly deistic modern religion, public-policy writing, creative ...

Friday, May 18, 2018

A LONG-OVERDUE 'THANK YOU' TO GRAHAM, THE WONDERFULLY ATHLETIC AND GENTLEMANLY CLASSMATE OF MINE AT HILLSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, DURING MY 1964-65 SCHOOL YEAR


I finally figured out recently to whom I should give primary credit for the only first-place finish at an athletics contest that I myself have ever achieved.

After I won first place in "hot peppers"-style (high-speed) jump-roping as a student at Eanes Elementary School of Eanes Independent School District in Westlake Hills, Texas, in the mid- or late 1960s, I should have written and mailed a thank-you card to my former classmate Graham in Berkeley, California.


It felt truly wonderful for me to have garnered a first-place prize in "hot peppers"-style jump-roping among all of the male and female classmates of mine at Eanes Elementary in Central Texas.

And it was the sandy-haired and muscular Anglo male Californian classmate Graham who in the 1960s introduced me to the joy of jump-roping. 


Graham did that with a cheerful and friendly and enthusiastic zeal during recess and before school, and possibly after school as well, on the campus of our Hillside Elementary School, a public school in Berkeley, California, where Graham and I were each enrolled in second-grade.

I was known then as "Kevin McMillan," since my parents had chosen to identify me using my middle name during my early childhood. I later chose to instead emphasize my first name, "John," a name that Graham would not have ever known me by.


I made that switch in fourth grade, at Eanes Elementary School in Central Texas, when Mrs. Cash was my primary teacher and she conveyed a high estimation of me as a student and human being.

I made that change from "Kevin" to "John" because I concluded that identifying myself as "John" would be more helpful to me in my pursuit of an eventual career in the very serious, very important field of government. I probably also was aware in the 1960s that we had had a very popular and articulate recent president by the first name of "John" (President Kennedy, a Harvard University alumnus whose own middle name was "Fitzgerald", a fascinating fact about him that I was also impressed by in the 1960s.)

I will always be very grateful to Hillside Elementary School classmate Graham for having invited me to participate actively in the jump-roping events taking place in front of our public-school campus during my and his second-grade year in the mid-1960s.

Two Hillside Elementary students would collaborate in holding a giant jump rope from each end of that jump rope, while other Hillside students, myself among them, would be invited to "jump in" for a matter of seconds of responding directly to the "beat" or "rhythm" that the two jump-rope twirlers gave them.

Graham's friendly inclusiveness toward me during recess made a world of difference to me in my second-grade year in Berkeley. I was a newcomer in California that school year. My father, Dr. Calvin McMillan---who also jump-roped for exercise on occasion in front of our family's rental home in Berkeley---was a visiting professor that school year in the Botany Department at the University of California in Berkeley. (Father had obtained an approved leave of absence from his regular employer, the University of Texas at Austin, for that multi-month time period in 1964-65.)

Looking back, I wish that I had memorized Graham's last name, as I did for my also-very-nice and also-impressive second-grade Hillside classmate Monica Thorsness, who invited me into her parents' Berkeley home that school year to view her lovely redwood storage box and who herself had immaculately neat and elegant penmanship, I always noticed. 


The only other friendly classmate of mine at Hillside whose last name has remained in my memory today was Harriet Wong. I will always appreciate Harriet's having invited me to visit her inside her parents' home in Berkeley in 1964 or 1965. The China Doll collection that Harriet Wong pursued for a hobby inside her parents' home was a splendid tribute to the stylish ladies of both mainland China and Taiwan, I may have thought to myself at the time.

If I had also memorized Graham's last name, and possibly his middle name as well, that information would have made it easier for me to send Graham a thank-you card and keep up with him in a friendly manner after my family and I moved back to the Austin area.

I also wish that during my second-grade year at Hillside Elementary I had invited Graham to visit me at my parents' hillside rental home along Eucalyptus Drive in Berkeley.

As a host to Graham inside my parents' rental home, I could have explained to him that my parents were renting that home that school year from a very talented professional artist in Berkeley named Lavinia----and what a great honor it was for me to be living in the home of that very creative female artist whose paintings were quite distinctive.

During Graham's visit to my parents' rental home in Berkeley in the mid-1960s---a visit that never took place, unfortunately---I might have confided to that 8-year-old male classmate that I myself greatly enjoyed the taste of Graham crackers, and what a pleasant first name he had partly for that reason, I might have said as a nice compliment for Graham.

If Graham from my second-grade year at Hillside Elementary School ever happens to read this blog I wrote in praise of himself, I hope he will benefit from this enthusiastic thank-you that he richly deserves from me.

I even feel that in the 1970s, when I began playing tennis in earnest during my junior-high school years in the Austin area of Texas, the friendly invitation from Graham during my second-grade year in California to "see yourself as an athlete", had a very big role in my finding the energy and enthusiasm to pursue that new lifelong sport for me as well.


So thank you, Graham, and I hope that you and your family and friends are thriving these days! I also hope that your athletic zeal remains as great and inspirational to everyone around you these days as it has been for me!

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION'S CHIEF ATTORNEY, KENNETH BESSERMAN, ON AUGUST 6, 2014, POLITELY EXPLAINS IN REPLY LETTER TO ME THAT HE CANNOT REPRESENT ME IN A COURT OF LAW IN AUSTIN, TEXAS



From: Kenneth Besserman 


To: John McMillan

Sent: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 11:55 AM

Subject: RE: another special note to Mr. Besserman re: crime case

I am sorry, but I am not permitted to represent persons or entities outside of my employment with TRA. I suggest you contact some of the local legal aid societies, the Austin Bar Association, and the Travis County Bar Association for possible representation.

Kenneth Besserman | General Counsel
Texas Restaurant Association
1400 Lavaca, Austin, Texas 78701 | Mail: PO Box 1429, Austin, Texas 78767
512.457.4100 | 800.395.2872 | Fax: 512.472.2777
http://www.restaurantville.com/


__________________
From: John McMillan [mailto:mcmillanj@att.net] 


Sent: Friday, August 01, 2014 1:36 AM

To: Kenneth Besserman

Subject: another special note to Mr. Besserman re: crime case

Dear Mr. Besserman,

Thank you again for very kindly taking the time to talk with me on the telephone recently about the alleged-continuous-and-continuing-daily-and-year-round-and-multi-year-personal-injury-crimes-and-anal-rape-crimes-during-my-sleep felony-crimes case in which I am the self-identified victim inside my bolt-locked apartment unit in Austin.

I still have not found any private attorney who is willing to represent me on this. I would be very grateful if you are willing to consider assisting me on this in any way, with the understanding that I of course would expect to pay the full rate for your legal-assistance services as soon as I can possibly afford to do so.

Below, please note a special plea (very last item, below) to the State Auditor's Office that I have written and sent by e-mail to the first-rate investigators at that state agency in Austin.

I am very hopeful that the State Auditor's Office will help to obtain some investigative findings on my behalf.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan, a single adult male resident of Austin on a continuous and uninterrupted basis ever since mid-March 1997.
I have worked in one or more restaurants in the Austin area on a continuous basis ever since April of 2002. I am also a former individual dues-paying member of the excellence-minded TRA.
My home addresss: 11411 Research Boulevard,
Wind River Crossing Apartments, Building 3, Apartment 325, Austin, Texas, 78759.
My home phone: (512) 342-2295.
My Blog: http://www.johnkevinmcmillan.blogspot.com/

John Kevin McMillan

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>


To: Federal Bureau of Investigation San Antonio Div. Austin office <SanAntonio@ic.fbi.gov>; Texas AM Univ. Pres. <webmaster@tamu.edu>; Texas Board of Pardons Paroles Ombudsman <bpp-pio@tdcj.state.tx.us>; State Rep. Elliott Naishtat <elliott.naishtat@house.state.tx.us>; State Rep. Donna Howard <donna.howard@house.state.tx.us>; "ana.defrates@senate.state.tx.us" <ana.defrates@senate.state.tx.us>; "valerie.harris@austintexas.gov" <valerie.harris@austintexas.gov>; Texas Civil Rights Project <questions@texascivilrightsproject.org>; State Bar of Texas Exec. Dir. Michelle Hunter <michelle.hunter@texasbar.com>; CountyAttorneyDavidEscamilla <david.escamilla@co.travis.tx.us>; Fort Worth Star-Telegram Newstips <newsroom@star-telegram.com>; Los Angeles Times <newstips@latimes.com>; Bennie DiNardo Boston Globe <dinardo@globe.com>; Fox Television News Editors and Reporters <comments@foxnews.com

Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2014 1:28 PM

Subject: Fw: alleged possible failure by Texas Rangers to INVESTIGATE APD

FYI,
from law-abiding and gainfully-employed and honest and vigilant. always-sober and anti-alcohol-minded as well as anti-marijuana-minded, single adult white non-Christian, non-Moslem, non-Hispanic, non-Jewish male criminal-law complainant
John Kevin McMillan of Austin, Texas.

John Kevin McMillan

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: State Auditor's Office Investigators <webmaster@sao.state.tx.us>; State Comptroller Criminal Investigations Division Chief Martin Cano <CID@cpa.state.tx.us>; "craig.watkins@dallascounty.org" <craig.watkins@dallascounty.org>; Dallas County Attorney's Office <webmaster@dallascounty.org>; Sunset Valley Police Dept. Lt. Richard Andreucci <randreucci@sunsetvalley.org>; U.S. President Barack Obama <president@whitehouse.gov>; U.S. Department of Homeland Security <private.sector@dhs.gov>; "investigates@kxan.com" <investigates@kxan.com>; Los Angeles County (CA) District Attorney <webmail@da.lacounty.gov>; StateComptrollerSusanCombs <window@cpa.state.tx.us>; City Attorney Karen Kennard City of Austin (TX) <karen.kennard@austintexas.gov>; Jason Alexander (Asst. City Mgr. McDonald's Asst.) <jason.alexander@austintexas.gov>; TDCJ General Counsel Rep. Patricia Fleming <patricia.fleming@tdcj.state.tx.us>; "60m@cbsnews.com" <60m@cbsnews.com>; KEYE TV Pedro Garcia <pgarcia@keyetv.com>; KEYE TV Anchor Judy Maggio <jmaggio@keyetv.com>; USA Today Editors (2014) <newstips@usatoday.com>; "news@statesman.com" <news@statesman.com>; "news@washpost.com" <news@washpost.com>; Miami Herald Letters to Editor <HeraldEd@MiamiHerald.com>; State Rep. Todd Hunter <todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us>; Senator Juan Hinojosa <juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us>; NewYorkTimesEditors <letters@nytimes.com>; Texas Observer <observer@texasobserver.org>; Texas Monthly Senior Editor Pat Sharpe <psharpe@texasmonthly.com>; Texas Observer Editors <editors@texasobserver.org>; San Antonio Express-News Letters to Editor <letters@express-news.net>; Houston Chronicle Letters to the Editor <viewpoints@chron.com>; Tara Long <Tara.Long@austintexas.gov>; "michael.king@austintexas.gov" <michael.king@austintexas.gov>; State Rep. Hubert Vo law enf com member <hubert.vo@house.state.tx.us>; State Rep. Debbie Riddle Crim Jurispru. Member <debbie.riddle@house.state.tx.us>; "bmong@dallasnews.com" <bmong@dallasnews.com>; Dallas Morning News Reporter Christy Hoppe <choppe@dallasnews.com>; Chris Barbee E. C. Community Service Dir. <cbarbee@cityofelcampo.org>; "msnyder@cityofelcampo.org" <msnyder@cityofelcampo.org>; Texas DPS Office of General Counsel <OGC.Webmaster@dps.texas.gov>; Travis County Sheriff's Office Paralegal Michael Lasorsa <michael.lasorsa@co.travis.tx.us>; Travis County District Attorney <district.attorney@co.travis.tx.us>; Travis County District Attorney Major Crimes and Narcotics Division Dayna Blazey <Dayna.Blazey@co.travis.tx.us

Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2014 10:29 AM

Subject: Fw: alleged possible failure by Texas Rangers to INVESTIGATE APD

Dear Texas State Auditor's Office Webmaster,

Please share the following legal letter of complaint (below) from myself with all other investigators for the State Auditor's Office as well.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

from former Texas DPS full-time employee and self-identified alleged-continuous-and-continuing-felony-crimes victim John Kevin McMillan of Austin, Texas.
Home phone: (512) 342-2295.
My Home address: 11411 Research Boulevard (the Westdale-managed Wind River Crossing Apartments, with Westdale being a for-profit nationwide realty corporation reportedly headquartered in Dallas, Texas), Building 3, Apartment 325, Austin, Texas, 78759.
My Blog: http://www.johnkevinmcmillan.blogspot.com/

with a courtesy cabon-copy to the Los Angeles County District Attorney in Los Angeles, Califronia, since that impressively first-rate DA's Office very politely and very promptly sent me a helpful reply E-mail note this summer relating to this crime case in which I am the self-identified victim. I hope that the Los Angeles County DA's Office will please be willing to share the entire text of this E-mail correspondence with any other DA's Office or government official who or that might be interested in this.

John Kevin McMillan

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Webmasters <webmaster@sao.state.tx.us>
To: mdanner@sao.state.tx.us
Cc: mcmillanj@att.net 

Sent: Friday, July 11, 2014 1:18 AM

Subject: alleged possible failure by Texas Rangers to INVESTIGATE APD

The following email was sent via the SAO Internet Site on 7/11/2014 1:15:51 AM:

To: mdanner@sao.state.tx.us

From: John Kevin McMillan (mcmillanj@att.net)

Subject: alleged possible failure by Texas Rangers to INVESTIGATE APD

Message: TX DPS Office of General Counsel informed me in writing that that the DPS since Feb. 2012 has generated 26 infrared-photo images of possible intruders inside my bedroom of my bolt-locked apt. at Westdale-managed Wind River Crossing (WRC) Apts. in Austin.
The photos support my crime reports to APD ever since 2011 on this.
APD for the last few years has been storing at an APD substation --- BUT REFUSING TO EVER DO LABORATORY PROCESSING OF ---- an ER doctor-ordered DNA-swabs kit with crime evidence of my being a victim of sex crimes during my sleep in my apt. Swabs were obtained from my anus, buttocks, mouth, etc., by a female forensic nurse early on 12-22-11 at St. David's.
NO state agency is doing ANY probe about the refusal by APD ever since late 2011 to ever INVESTIGATE any of the reports I've filed with APD about my being a victim of alleged sex crimes during my sleep in my apt.
State Comptroller has informed me that 70+ residents of WRC Apts. in period since April 2011, were employed by a state agency, DADS among them. NONE of those tenants at WRC have ever contacted APD or DPS to report they observed ANY possible intruder on outdoor balcony that abuts front door to my apartment unit and the locked sliding glass door into my bedroom.
One or more employees or officials of state agencies may have allegedly played a role in alleged cover-up of this continuous-and-continuing daily-and-year-round personal-injury-crimes and anal-rape-crimes case in which I am the victim.
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