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ANDREW BARBANO

2011 Barbwires

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"If you can't say anything nice about someone, sit right here by me."

— Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth  

Current Columns

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential
The Underbelly of the News—>TOP SECRET, HUSH HUSH!

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SITE NAVIGATION TIPS: When all else fails, read the instructions (a favorite John Hanks aphorism I've been using for decades)
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¡Viva Chávez!

César Chávez Celebration XVIII / Celebración de César Chávez XVIII
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Newly-elected (at the Barbwire's nomination) Nevada Press Association Hall of Famer Dennis Myers will be installed
in the César Chávez NevadaLabor.com Hall of Fame

Nominations remain open for HOF and union organizer, project and employer of the year. Submit.
Click here for sponsorships and reservations.

Happy High Holly Days to all
Merry Christmas/Kwanzaa/Solstice/Festivus/Chanukah/Thanksgibleting
Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad
HAPPY NEW YEAR / Feliz Año Nuevo / Felice Anno Nuovo
Frohe Weihnachten und beste Wuensche fuer 2021

Betty J. Barbano
2-7-1941 / 12-27-2005
Remember her laughter

Fool's gold, a few gems & meat spots
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 1-27-2021 Sparks Tribune

Capitol punishment and bus station blues
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 1-20-2021 Sparks Tribune

Fire is the Devil's Only Friend
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 1-13-2021 Sparks Tribune

JOE NEAL: You can't run from the truth
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 1-6-2021 Sparks Tribune

Suicide for citizens but not political careers
BARBWIRE BY ANDREW BARBANO / Expanded from the 12-30-2020 Sparks Tribune

So this is Christmas —> What have you done?
BARBWIRE BY ANDREW BARBANO / Expanded from the 12-23-2020 Sparks Tribune

Transitions and decisions in a darkening winter
BARBWIRE BY ANDREW BARBANO
Expanded from the 12-16-2020 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-18 & 12-22-2020 GMT

A golden goose for the morally obtuse
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-9-2020 Sparks Tribune

Recipes to die for in a toxic holiday season
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-2-2020 Sparks Tribune

11-30-2020: ST. ANDREW'S DAY IN SCOTLAND. Italians celebrate it, too.
Benedicta! Andrea Luigi Barbano


THE DAY AFTER

Asked to buck-up his constituents with a positive thumbs-up, President Trump instead goes digital with his feelings. Or maybe his thumbs were just too busy elsewhere on his perfect body.

(Photo: Anna Moneymaker for the Fake News New York Times 11-4-2020)                                                                                NevadaLabor.com

BARBWIRE BY ANDREW BARBANO
Expanded from the 11-25-2020 Sparks Tribune
We have met the enemy and he is us

 

American Monster M*A*S*H: Suicide is painless
Almost two-dozen mass transit drivers are now infected with COVID-19.
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-18-2020 Sparks Tribune

Legerdemoniacal legerdemain: 3 Rights Make a Left
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-11-2020 Sparks Tribune

The greatest political figure of 2020
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-4-2020 Sparks Tribune

FREEBIE ALERT! FREE election bets. NEW!
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-28-2020 Sparks Tribune

Suede-shoe salesmen sucker city hall
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-21-2020 Sparks Tribune

Bigotry means never having to say you're sorry
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-14-2020 Sparks Tribune

Intervention Mayday! Suicidal Nevada union workers
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-7-2020 Sparks Tribune

Superspreaders, homotextuals & hall of famers
Exclusive interview with Supreme Court Justice-Designate Amy Coney Barrett
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-30-2020 Sparks Tribune

The Best Who Ever Was
Barbwire Nominee Dennis Myers elected to Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame
Barbwire / 9-30-2020

Messages from the gods: Ignore at your peril
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-23-2020 Sparks Tribune

Margaret Dumont and Groucho Marx
Still crazy after all these years.

Donny & Jimmy's Most Excellent White Castle Adventure
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-16-2020 Sparks Tribune

Cider House Rules: Admonitions & Ammunition
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-9-2020 Sparks Tribune

Diabolical Déjà Vu: Fire is the Devil's only friend
Barbwire accurately called 2016 presidential result 9 months out & stands behind 2020 prediction made four years ago
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-2-2020 Sparks Tribune

HOT AUGUST STRIFE 2020 Demonstrations and Good Trouble

Barbwire Confidential Special Report: Hush-Hush!
Machine Guns & Racism in Nevada's Alabaster Bastion

Tribal trauma, Belarus R Us & a hero dies well
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-26-2020 Sparks Tribune

Lemmings, ostriches & dirty-talking desert rats
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-19-2020 Sparks Tribune


Greatest Hits Dept.

WE WON: BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION CONFAB IN GOMORRAH SOUTH —> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT

Barbwire nominee Dennis Myers elected to NPA Hall of Fame

Support Don Dondero
and Jake Highton next
Send endorsements

10 the Hard Way
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

GOLD 2017-18

2018 First-Place Winners
From the depths of despair to the den of iniquity & holy of holies

"Excellent work. These are some of the most moving columns I've read."
— NPA contest judge/9-29-2018

The Grasshopper and
the Dragonfly
9-6-2017

Kicked off the Ledge
4-18-2017

NATIONAL NEWS FIRST-BREAK
Back to the Future in
Mississippi West Nevada
10-18-2017

Gold 2017
Don't ask Renown Med for marijuana to help your chemo
10-4-2016
We Don't Need No Education
Toxic turf threat ignored
12-13-2016
Kate Smith & Lady Gaga
2-14-2017

Bronze 6-pack
In the Uber-Nevada legislature, words can kill
4-28-2015
On artificial turf, don't breathe unless absolutely necessary (above)
11-24-2015
Leading questions, lead-headed leaders
1-19-2016

Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
4-18-2013
2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon
5-30-2013
The politics of media ga-ga boosterism
3-20-2014

More statewide and national award winners

We Don't Need No Education—>
Neverending Barbwire Series

1997 Pulitzer Prize entries

Barbwire.TV:
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

The Barbwire's Greatest Hits
Highlights from radio days
mp3 file

The Dean's List

   The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites.

RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006

Tomorrow's news today —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential
TOP SECRET— HushHush!

 

Andrew Barbano: Enemy of the state
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-12-2020 Sparks Tribune

Mississippi West: honkytaunts and alabaster bastions
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-5-2020 Sparks Tribune

Dear Guv: Put your foot where your mouth is
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-29-2020 Sparks Tribune

Sparks City Hall strikes a blow for white guys
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-22-2020 Sparks Tribune

Fair warning to the rich, famous & powerful
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-15-2020 Sparks Tribune

There just ain't no cure for stupid
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-8-2020 Sparks Tribune

Ship of Fools: Washoe County as derelict ocean liner
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-1-2020 Sparks Tribune

Weird love of dos Tejanas for El Jefé Trump
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-24-2020 Sparks Tribune

Government shuts down when it should step up
Wherein I become a 36-year overnight success
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-17-2020 Sparks Tribune

Top 10 cures still go begging
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-10-2020 Sparks Tribune

Don't let fear and anger convert us to Germany 1933
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-3-2020 Sparks Tribune

BREAKING NEWS—>
WE WON! City of Reno votes down Ballardini Ranch annexation

Presidents Trump & Harding channel Mark Twain
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-27-2020 Sparks Tribune

Ballardini Ranch: Love's Labours Lost. Again.
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-20-2020 Sparks Tribune

Letter from gods of alpha males & alpha mails
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-13-2020 Sparks Tribune

Re-name former Hug High for Dolores Feemster
By William C. Webb, John A. White, Jr. and Andrew Barbáno / RGJ.com 5-7-2020 / Reno Gazette-Journal op-ed 5-10-2020

Make Dolores Feemster's light shine brightly
Renaming of former Hug High before school board Tuesday, May 12
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-6-2020 Sparks Tribune

MAGAcidal maniax are loosed upon the land
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 4-29-2020 Sparks Tribune

Trump wants your cat and your shorts
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 4-22-2020 Sparks Tribune / Updated 4-26-2020

A gold record message from the King
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 4-15-2020 Sparks Tribune

Are you ready to die for your country?
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 4-8-2020 Sparks Tribune

Payback: Corona, Cocaine & Trump
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-1-2020 Sparks Tribune
 Photos, video and commentary from Barbwire correspondents in the belly of the beast: New York City and northern Italy
And remembering when Andy met Betty on April Fools Day 44 years ago

Kinks and hijinx in the time of plague
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-25-2020 Sparks Tribune

The lighter side of the latest plague
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-18-2020 Sparks Tribune

Medflies, flyweights and President Pelosi
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-11-2020 Sparks Tribune

Trump's Blackrobes: Humpty Dumpty Homotextuals
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-4-2020 Sparks Tribune

Bernie or bust, Dolores a must
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-26-2020 Sparks Tribune

Czars Donaldov & Nixon win Democratic Caucus
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-19-2020 Sparks Tribune

Springtime for fat cats & unburied hatchets
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-12-2020 Sparks Tribune

Love saves a life on Reno's mean streets
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-5-2020 Sparks Tribune

Bill Harrah's cookie cutter crumbles
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-29-2020 Sparks Tribune

Going to confession with Father Barbwire
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-22-2020 Sparks Tribune

National welfare, corporate welfare and MLK
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-15-2020 Sparks Tribune

The only way to stop killing is to stop killing
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-8-2020 Sparks Tribune

Barbano sells out to white Republicans
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-1-2020 Sparks Tribune

The Sermon on Mount Barbwire
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-25-2019 Sparks Tribune

Typhoid Mary infects Sparks Addams Family
In the spirit of true democracy which provides that your rights don't allow you to sneeze on mine
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-18-2019 Sparks Tribune

A fake news fable for our times
Typhoid Mary, quite contrary
In the spirit of true democracy which provides that your rights don't allow you to sneeze on mine
Barbwire Confidential by Andrew Barbáno / 12-11-2019 Online Edition

Red-flag warnings — Ignoring history at our peril
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-11-2019 Sparks Tribune

Major rent raunch and a big book launch
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-4-2019 Sparks Tribune

Billionaire Tom Steyer owes me $5
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 11-27-2019 Sparks Tribune

Back to the future down Amnesia Lane
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 11-20-2019 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part XCII—>
People get ready, that train's a comin'
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Special Barbwire Confidential Internet Edition 11-12-2019 / Updated 11-14 & 11-15-2019
A version of this column appeared in the Wednesday 11-13-2019 Sparks Tribune
An excerpt from the above was included in Andrew Barbano's address to the school board on Nov. 12.
SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE SCENE OF THE CRIME:
Clever maneuver prevents vote after 4 of 7 trustees announced support to name school for Dolores Feemster.

We Don't Need No Education Part XCI—>
DO NOT risk your kids at Golden Eagle Park
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 11-6-2019 Sparks Tribune

Tale of 2 city halls: Cancer kids & brain damage
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 10-30-2019 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part XC—>
Written in the stars: UNR football for racial justice
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-23-2019 Sparks Tribune

Goodbye, Columbus: A mirror for America
How Italians Became "White"
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 10-16-2019 Sparks Tribune

Déjà vu all over again: Bernie turns 2020 into 1968
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 10-9-2019 Sparks Tribune

City of Reno turns W. Plumb Lane into horny street
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 10-2-2019 Sparks Tribune

Hip-hopping mad over molesters and Mad Kings
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 9-25-2019 Sparks Tribune

Trade the Confederacy straight across for Greenland
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 9-18-2019 Sparks Tribune

Cut in twain
(Myers' favorite photo)

Dennis Myers: Enroute to the universe next door
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 9-11-2019 Sparks Tribune
Obituary, 1948-2019
[En Español — La Voz Hispana En Nevada 9-18-2019]

Philippines to Burning Man to Ireland: Adios GOAT
Dennis Myers Memorial announced
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 9-4-2019 Sparks Tribune

Nevadian Dennis Myers: The Greatest Of All Time
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-28-2019 Sparks Tribune


Veteran Nevada reporter removed from life support
Obituary: Dennis C. Myers 1948-2019
[En Español — La Voz Hispana En Nevada 9-18-2019]
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Special Internet Edition 8-25 and 8-26 -2019

The Trump Whisperer and a $40,000 baseball ticket
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-21-2019 Sparks Tribune

Perfectly Nevadian: Joe Conforte, 1925-2019
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-14-2019 Sparks Tribune

Guns and roses, traitors & political poses
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 8-7-2019 Sparks Tribune

TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM
— New York Times front page headline 8-6-2019
BARBWIRE TRANSLATION: "You provide the unity, I'll provide the racism"

The Sting, spike heels, green eggs & ham
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-31-2019 Sparks Tribune

A cuckoo coup and a president, too
Barbwire exclusive: Secret 2017 meeting set the setup in motion
"The firing of Traci Davis was nothing short of a long-term, well-orchestrated coup."
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-24-2019 Sparks Tribune

Reno City Council passes rent control
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-17-2019 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXIX—>
Alfred E. Neuman for Washoe school superintendent
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-10-2019 Sparks Tribune

Witness at the execution
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 7-3-2019 Sparks Tribune

Gang banging on 9th Street
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Special Barbwire Confidential Extra Edition / 7-1-2019

The divine right of kings, casino gods & dingbat heirs
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-26-2019 Sparks Tribune

The Barbwire Presidential Dirtiest Dozen
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-19-2019 Sparks Tribune

Carson City, Transylvania County, Nevada USA
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-12-2019 Sparks Tribune

Trumpeting tragedy as Great Depression2 descends
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 6-5-2019 Sparks Tribune

Nevada: Righteous results, wrongheaded reasons
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-29-2019 Sparks Tribune

Nevada Business Opportunity: Abortion Tourism
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-22-2019 Sparks Tribune

May 15: The Ides of Uncle Walter Cronkite
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-15-2019 Sparks Tribune

What if they gave a murder and nobody came?
BARBWIRE CONFIDENTIAL: Sheriff Balaam's icy hot patch
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 5-8-2019 Sparks Tribune

MayDay for renters, movie fans and avengers
 1982 Reno homicide—>Cold case gets hot
Alas, another Barbwire Peerless Predixion Prevails—>Caudill cavorts with Sharron Angle's acolytes
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-1-2019 Sparks Tribune

Sen. Ira Hansen announces his pregnancy
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-24-2019 Sparks Tribune

Priorities for butt-, rent-, birth- and gun-control
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-17-2019 Sparks Tribune

DAY OF THE DEAD
Relieve Rent & Pillage: Save SB398 & AB399
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Special Online Legislative Edition / 4-12-2019
Fairness for tenants dies 4-12 unless lawmakers throw it a lifeline

Politics does not reward the shy
Rent justification and a death penalty for corporate depredation
UPDATE: Fairness for tenants dies 4-12 unless lawmakers throw it a lifeline
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-10-2019 Sparks Tribune

A liberal case for a new, brutal death penalty
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-3-2019 Sparks Tribune

¡Viva Chávez!

50 years in Nevada: Trying to outlive them all
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-27-2019 Sparks Tribune

Guns, gouging and guts: once upon a time in the west
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-20-2019 Sparks Tribune

Guv keynotes César XVII: 17-year overnight success
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-13-2019 Sparks Tribune

Judge not lest ye be judged — or misjudged
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-6-2019 Sparks Tribune

Even in Sparks, God works in mysterious ways
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-27-2019 Sparks Tribune

OF CRABS AND CLANS: White bibs or white sheets tonight
Barbwire Confidential by Andres Luis Barbáno / 2-23-2019 SPECIAL ONLINE HUSHhush E-EDITION

Trump's Wall: First step toward ending Nixon's War on Drugs
"Our for-profit prisons overflow with mostly black and brown people convicted of dastardly crimes like possession of two ounces of the Demon Weed."
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-20-2019 Sparks Tribune

2-14-2019: Happy Valentine's Day, Betty.

Betty J. Barbano
2-7-1941 / 12-27-2005

BLACK LIKE ME 2119: The problem as solution
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-13-2019 Sparks Tribune


Greatest Hits Dept.

WE WON: BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION CONFAB IN GOMORRAH SOUTH —> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT

Barbwire nominee Dennis Myers elected to NPA Hall of Fame

Support Don Dondero
and Jake Highton next
Send endorsements

10 the Hard Way
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

GOLD 2017-18

2018 First-Place Winners
From the depths of despair to the den of iniquity & holy of holies

"Excellent work. These are some of the most moving columns I've read."
— NPA contest judge/9-29-2018

The Grasshopper and
the Dragonfly
9-6-2017

Kicked off the Ledge
4-18-2017

NATIONAL NEWS FIRST-BREAK
Back to the Future in
Mississippi West Nevada
10-18-2017

Gold 2017
Don't ask Renown Med for marijuana to help your chemo
10-4-2016
We Don't Need No Education
12-13-2016
Kate Smith & Lady Gaga
2-14-2017

Bronze 6-pack
In the Uber-Nevada legislature, words can kill
4-28-2015
On artificial turf, don't breathe unless absolutely necessary
11-24-2015
Leading questions, lead-headed leaders
1-19-2016

Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
4-18-2013
2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon
5-30-2013
The politics of media ga-ga boosterism
3-20-2014

We Don't Need No Education—> Neverending Barbwire Series

1997 Pulitzer Prize entries

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

Support the project at http://resurge.tv#donate

SUING FOR SCHOOLS
Reruns on Carson-Dayton 226

Additional programs on Boulder City cable. Go to bcnv.org and then
go to the BCTV link.

If Reform Fails: Health Care, Jobs and Unions — new power to the people on the public airwaves

The program premiers were available to every television set in the region because of a high-mileage media hybrid.

The shows appeared on both commercial and community stations. The non-corporate entity produced the events, commercial TV greatly expanded distribution.

Thus began an ongoing series of sane public interest programs which generate both entertaining heat and more than a little light.

Please spread the word and consider contributing to the cause online at ReSurge.TV.

You may also take the public option known as the U.S. Postal Service and send a check or money order to ReSurge.TV, P.O. Box 10034, Reno NV 89510.

Your contribution will help fund the distribution as well as ongoing efforts at developing new media, including a regional, non-corporate community radio station and the return of community television to Reno-Sparks-Washoe.

You are present at the creation of what I hope can become a new media model where the programming accurately reflects what's happening on the ground and the media impact is powerful enough to forcefully pass the message upward.

Thanks.

Be well. Raise hell.

 Andrew

Click here for selected on-demand re-runs from the Barbwire.TV archives

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

The Barbwire's Greatest Hits
Highlights from radio days
mp3 file

The Dean's List

   The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites.

RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006

Tomorrow's news today —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

Andrew Barbano, former governor of Nevada
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-6-2019 Sparks Tribune

Downtown Sparks: New taxes, gun controls & a wall
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-30-2019 Sparks Tribune

Striking sex: The only thing Trump understands
UPDATES: CULINARY UNION DEFEATS THE CARANO CIRCUS ATTEMPT TO DECERTIFY (TERMINATE) THE UNION
The murderous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire gets NY Philharmonic treatment and a Barbwire exclusive
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-23-2019 Sparks Tribune

Sands of time blast the milestones of life
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-16-2019 Sparks Tribune

Bob Price: Cowboy, lawmaker, union man and Elvis fan
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-9-2019 Sparks Tribune

More stupid signs of our republic's decline
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-2-2019 Sparks Tribune

Crystal Balls: Peerless Predixions 2019 & Beyond
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-26-2018 Sparks Tribune

So this is Christmas: May we get what we deserve
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-19-2018 Sparks Tribune

Melvin and Howard: The untold reality show
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-12-2018 Sparks Tribune

A Christmas fantasy for freedom-loving racists
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-5-2018 Sparks Tribune

A pledge of allegiance for our empire's children
Editor's note: The above was published before the death of President George HW Bush. His record survives him.
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-28-2018 Sparks Tribune

Trumptasic tree ornaments for fun and prophet
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-21-2018 Sparks Tribune

Bluish waves, silver bullets, yellow dogs & chickens
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-14-2018 Sparks Tribune

If we stop killing, we stop killing ourselves
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-7-2018 Sparks Tribune

Required Reading
The Lady in the Red Dress
The award-winning Barbwire classic Nevada Day column written in 1983
The compleat history of the Silver State in 500 words
SPARKS TRIBUNE 10-31-2018

Personal & political hygiene & hijinx for fun & prophet
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-24-2018 Sparks Tribune

BallotBoxing '18: Maximum confusions & contusions
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-17-2018 Sparks Tribune

Great Depression 2.0: Sure cure for what ails us
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-10-2018 Sparks Tribune

50 shades of rape: Tales of future past
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-3-2018 Sparks Tribune

Blacks honor whites with a dash of electric pink
In search of a pink Cadillac to honor Aretha
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-26-2018 Sparks Tribune

The more things change, the more they remain the same
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-19-2018 Sparks Tribune

Dim and Dimmer: Ghost of Jim the Dim rides again
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-12-2018 Sparks Tribune

Barbwire 30th Anniversary Trilogy
Now well into a 4th decade of equal opportunity harassment of the rich, famous & powerful

Part 3: Biting the hand that feeds me
GOP '18 upsets: Déjà vu all over again
Laxalt and Heller favored to win in November
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-5-2018 Sparks Tribune
Part 2: Biting the moonhowlers
Good reasons to lie to those pesky pollsters
Heller eats sheep balls to get the courage to perpetrate guilt by association
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-29-2018 Sparks Tribune
Part 1: Bitten by my buds
Machine Gun Michele and her low-caliber, low-cut friends
The censored Barbwires of the 2015 legislature finally see ink and my fantasy fiancée bares all
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-22-2018 Sparks Tribune

30 Years before the masthead: Barbano remembers the Barbwire's greatest hits
By Kayla Anderson / Sparks Tribune 8-22-2018

Barbwire by Barbano moved to Nevada's Daily Sparks Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in them parts ever since.
Whom to blame: How a hall-of-famer's hunch birthed the Barbwire in August of 1987
Tempus fugit.

What a long, strange trip it's been
On August 12, 1988, Barbwire by Barbano first appeared in the Daily Sparks Tribune.
Peruse the sordid story of how it came to pass lo, those many years ago.
Step into the Wayback Machine: The Nun's Story, the tale of the first Barbwire

Wisdom from the immortals: Goethe, Ali & Connery
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-15-2018 Sparks Tribune

Buy local? 'Bye local and goodbye to Paul Laxalt
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-8-2018 Sparks Tribune

Analog anachronisms and digital dinosaurs
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-1-2018 Sparks Tribune

Ballardini black hole: Let's get our millions back
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-25-2018 Sparks Tribune

Putin & the Blowfish: High treason season of the witch
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-18-2018 Sparks Tribune

SCOTUS coitus interruptus and terminal Teslacide
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-11-2018 Sparks Tribune

Fake boobs and fake news: Guts, feathers and all
Another public relations coup for Nevada: Teslacide
In The Guardian/London & worldwide, Barbano and Nevada conservatives decry corporate welfare depredations
Menlo Park and Reno-Sparks-Fernley share similarly sad high-tech stretch marks
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-4-2018 Sparks Tribune

Cat house to state house: Any publicity is good publicity
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-27-2018 Sparks Tribune

Ghost in the machine: The return of NAGPAC
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-20-2018 Sparks Tribune

Lucky June 13: Cheap shots and low blows
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-13-2018 Sparks Tribune

A duo of D-Days visit Nevada this week
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-6-2018 Sparks Tribune

Mother Dolores: Our village loses its patron saint
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-30-2018 Sparks Tribune

Grandma, gold standards, forearms and tin ears
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-23-2018 Sparks Tribune

Beer & music and rendering unto Caesar
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-16-2018 Sparks Tribune

Stormy weather: Poll dancing for fun & prophet
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-9-2018 Sparks Tribune

Flint, Nevada: Dirty deeds done dirt cheap
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-2-2018 Sparks Tribune

Just when you thought there was no good news
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-25-2018 Sparks Tribune

¡Viva Chávez!
César Chávez Celebration XVI / Celebración de César Chávez XVI
Saturday 31 March 2018 / Sabado 31 de Marzo 2018
Latest news
Watch this website for a complete event report starting here:

Flying machines in pieces on the ground, part deux
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-18-2018 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXVIII—>
Flying machines in pieces on the ground
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-11-2018 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXVII—>
Marked for life for making a phone call
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-4-2018 Sparks Tribune

From the den of iniquity to the holy of holies
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-28-2018 Sparks Tribune

What's harder: Finding a doctor or Stormy Daniels?
Sucking up money: The ever-expanding tentacles of the voracious Renown medical octopus
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-21-2018 Sparks Tribune

A world in fear: It's always 9/11 somewhere
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-14-2018 Sparks Tribune

West Virginia teachers: Strike one, strike won
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-7-2018 Sparks Tribune

Lousy lawyering for pun and prophet
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-28-2018 Sparks Tribune

Recognizing the red flags of instant replay
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-21-2018 Sparks Tribune

Valentines for Cleopatra & wayward beautiful girls
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-14-2018 Sparks Tribune

Bliss Barbies: The yellow brick road to anorexia
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-7-2018 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXVI—>
Terrorism in the Nevada outback
Mississippi West 2018: Sexy moral depravity abides
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-31-2018 Sparks Tribune and affiliated publications

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXV—>
Awards season: bad bids, bad hits and bad attitudes
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-24-2018 Sparks Tribune and affiliated publications

Bizarro R Us: Win bar bets predicting the 51st state
Terrorism in the Nevada outback
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-17-2018 Sparks Tribune and affiliated publications

The spirits of MLK and Bull Connor live right here
Terrorism in the Nevada outback
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-10-2018 Sparks Tribune / Updated 1-11 and 1-12-2018
"The good Lord created the world. Mankind built the cities. And the Devil thunk up the small town." — Auld folk wisdom

All the Money in the World: The greatest story never told
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-3-2018 Sparks Tribune

COVER YOUR YEAR-END: Those with crystal balls should cover their glasses
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-27-2017 Sparks Tribune

Princess Cassandra and perpetual war machines
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-20-2017 Sparks Tribune

Christmastime investment advice from Al Capone
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-13-2017 Sparks Tribune

Fake news Valhalla: Putin, my president and me
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 12-6-2017 Sparks Tribune

Darryl K. Feemster 1962-2017
A sojourn into the life of a fallen Nevada giant
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-29-2017 Sparks Tribune

Las Vegas 2017

Fire is the devil's only friend
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-4-2017 Sparks Tribune

Throwing the book at big guns and little cowboys
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-8-2017 Sparks Tribune

10 the hard way!
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Assn. award
Je Suis Charlie


True racism means never having to say you're sorry
Blushing Violet Warning: Dirty pictures attached

The spirits of MLK and Bull Connor live right here
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 1-10-2018 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXII—>
Thanksgibleting 2017: Success, sorrow & sustenance
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-22-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 11-23-2017

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXXI—>
Brain damage means never having to say you're sorry
Nevada's Most-Censored News Stories of 2017
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-15-2017 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXX—>
The poisoning of old Pizen Switch proliferates
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 11-1-2017 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXIX—>
Mississippi West don't need no education
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-25-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 10-29 and 10-30-2017 GMT

2018 Nevada Press Association first-place award-winner (one of three)
We Don't Need No Education Part LXXVIII—>
You've got to be taught to learn to hate
NATIONAL NEWS FIRST-BREAK FIVE WEEKS AHEAD OF THE LEGIT MEDIA. First in a series.
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-18-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 10-19 and 10-29-2017 GMT

Window of opportunity: 48 hours for human rights
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 10-11-2017 Sparks Tribune

Rewriting the Civil War and the Mexican War
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-27-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 9-28-2017

Freedom loving racists shoot to rewrite history
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-20-2017 Sparks Tribune

How to get rich quick in hurricane country
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-13-2017 Sparks Tribune

2018 Nevada Press Association first-place award-winner (one of three)
The grasshopper and the dragonfly
Adios to a grandfather and a grand-daughter who never met
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 9-6-2017 Sparks Tribune / Expansions in blue

Virginia City Nevada celebrates Slave Labor Day
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Special online Labor Day edition 9-2-2017

Life: What happens while you were making other plans
Adios to a grandfather and a grand-daughter who never met
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-30-2017 Sparks Tribune

True confessions of Nevada's undercover Republican PR man
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-23-2017 Sparks Tribune / Expansions in blue

Weeding the gardens of bad judgment
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-16-2017 Sparks Tribune

2018 —> The year of estrogenizing dangerously
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 8-9-2017 Sparks Tribune/ Expansions in blue

Big-time guy with big pictures
Vote Dondero
Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame

Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno
Expanded from the 8-2-2017 Sparks Tribune
Expansions in blue

Dondero, 1920-2003
(Photo courtesy of D. Brian Burghart, Reno News & Review)

Dondero—Nevada's photographic memory
Barbwire by Barbano
Expanded from the 6-1-2003 Daily Sparks Tribune

Sparks' flying philosopher
John Hanks dies at 91

Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno
Expanded from the 7-26-2017 Sparks Tribune
Expansions in blue

Authentic fakes, blonde flaks & grumpy old men
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-19-2017 Sparks Tribune


Greatest Hits Dept.

WE WON: BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION CONFAB IN GOMORRAH SOUTH —> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT

Barbwire nominee Dennis Myers elected to NPA Hall of Fame

Support Don Dondero
and Jake Highton next
Send endorsements

10 the Hard Way
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

GOLD 2017-18

2018 First-Place Winners
From the depths of despair to the den of iniquity & holy of holies

"Excellent work. These are some of the most moving columns I've read."
— NPA contest judge/9-29-2018

The Grasshopper and
the Dragonfly
9-6-2017

Kicked off the Ledge
4-18-2017

NATIONAL NEWS FIRST-BREAK
Back to the Future in
Mississippi West Nevada
10-18-2017

Gold 2017
Don't ask Renown Med for marijuana to help your chemo
10-4-2016
We Don't Need No Education
12-13-2016
Kate Smith & Lady Gaga
2-14-2017

Bronze 6-pack
In the Uber-Nevada legislature, words can kill
4-28-2015
On artificial turf, don't breathe unless absolutely necessary
11-24-2015
Leading questions, lead-headed leaders
1-19-2016

Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
4-18-2013
2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon
5-30-2013
The politics of media ga-ga boosterism
3-20-2014

We Don't Need No Education—> Neverending Barbwire Series

1997 Pulitzer Prize entries

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

Support the project at http://resurge.tv#donate

SUING FOR SCHOOLS
Reruns on Carson-Dayton 226

Additional programs on Boulder City cable. Go to bcnv.org and then
go to the BCTV link.

If Reform Fails: Health Care, Jobs and Unions — new power to the people on the public airwaves

The program premiers were available to every television set in the region because of a high-mileage media hybrid.

The shows appeared on both commercial and community stations. The non-corporate entity produced the events, commercial TV greatly expanded distribution.

Thus began an ongoing series of sane public interest programs which generate both entertaining heat and more than a little light.

Please spread the word and consider contributing to the cause online at ReSurge.TV.

You may also take the public option known as the U.S. Postal Service and send a check or money order to ReSurge.TV, P.O. Box 10034, Reno NV 89510.

Your contribution will help fund the distribution as well as ongoing efforts at developing new media, including a regional, non-corporate community radio station and the return of community television to Reno-Sparks-Washoe.

You are present at the creation of what I hope can become a new media model where the programming accurately reflects what's happening on the ground and the media impact is powerful enough to forcefully pass the message upward.

Thanks.

Be well. Raise hell.

 Andrew

Click here for selected on-demand re-runs from the Barbwire.TV archives

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

The Barbwire's Greatest Hits
Highlights from radio days
mp3 file

The Dean's List

   The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites.

RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006

Tomorrow's news today —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

Union busters in town to disrupt bus system
Workers reject deficient contract offer, strike authorized
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Special Online Edition 7-13-2017 / Updated 7-14, 7-15, 7-16, 7-20 and 7-21-2017 GMT
An edited version of this commentary appeared in the 7-20-2017 Reno News & Review

Trump converts flaming liberals into gunfighters
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-12-2017 Sparks Tribune

America's final Independence Day looms
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 7-5-2017 Sparks Tribune

We Don't Need No Education Part LXXVII—>
Flint Michigan, Sparks-Reno style
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-28-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 6-29-2017

Legislative Betrayal: One for the books under the bus
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-21-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 6-22-2017

Condemned at Birth
The diabetes establishment inhibits research on a very promising diabetes CURE
"Tell us how it will make ever make us money."
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-14-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 6-14 and 6-20-2017

Nevada consumers consumed again
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 6-6-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 6-8-2017

Ring up hope before checking out
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-30-2017 Sparks Tribune

Drafting the Donkeyite Dream Team
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-23-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 5-25-2017

Trumping Reagan's television rules
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-16-2017 Sparks Tribune

Bench warrants and G-forces
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-9-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 5-10-2017 GMT

May Day for Labor Day
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 5-2-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 5-3 and 5-4-2017 GMT

Trump'll shake 'em up
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-25-2017 Sparks Tribune

2018 Nevada Press Association first-place award-winner (one of three)
Busted at the Legislature
Fear & Loathing @ the Ledge
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-18-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 4-20, 4-21, 4-22, 4-23 and 4-25-2017.
Expansions in blue; much more to follow; stay tuned.

60 Revenging Rakkasans
Barbwire by Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-11-2017 Sparks Tribune

Halls of Fame and Glory
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 4-4-2017 Sparks Tribune

In search of César Chávez
Barbwire by Andres Luis Barbáno / Expanded from the 3-28-2017 Sparks Tribune

Not necessarily news
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-21-2017 Sparks Tribune

Death Panels, Part Deux
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-14-2017 Sparks Tribune

Positively negative
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-7-2017 Sparks Tribune

Equal Rights Betrayal
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-28-2017 Sparks Tribune / Updated 3-1, 3-3 and 3-6-2017

Reidless or Rudderless?
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-21-2017 Sparks Tribune

2017 Nevada Press Association GOLD AWARD WINNER
Kate Smith & Lady Gaga
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-14-2017 Sparks Tribune

THE GORSUCH NONESUCH: Poison Annie's Revenge
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-7-2017 Sparks Tribune

Smoot, smut and stash
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-31-2017 Sparks Tribune

The last question
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-24-2017 Sparks Tribune

Patient Zero Plagues
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-17-2017 Sparks Tribune

Democrats in Margaritaville
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-10-2017 Sparks Tribune

HAPPY NEW YEAR / Feliz Año Nuevo
Hope you and yours enjoyed Happy High Holly Days!MerryChristmas/Kwanzaa/Solstice/Festivus/Chanukah/Thanksgibleting

Hope you and yours enjoyed enthralling Thanksgibleting.
Happy High Holly Days to all.

11-24-2016 — 142 years ago on Thanksgiving Thursday,
Barbed wire was patented (11-24-1874).
On 18 Jan. 1813, Joseph Glidden, inventor of barbed wire, was born and the west was never the same.
Likewise here.
Stick with The Barbwire to sharply point out the awful truth. Always.

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

10 the hard way!
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

We Don't Need No Education: The Neverending Barbwire Series



Democrats for Trump
Running Mate Exposed

President Donald Trump as Andrew Jackson? So opined a plethora of prestigious, highly-paid expert pundits on election night. The Barbwire warned of exactly that last March. Twice.
And that ain't all. Read 'em and weep, pilgrims.

Nobody knows nothin'
By David Horsey, Staff Cartoonist / Los Angeles Times 11-9-2016
BARBWIRE SEZ the awesome Mr. Horsey's assertion that only the LAT/USC poll was accurate ain't necessarily so.

Those with crystal balls shouldn't throw stones
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-15-2016 Sparks Tribune

Remembering the first female U.S. presidents
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-8-2016 Sparks Tribune

"Any system of prolonged political paralysis and failed liberalism vomits up monsters. And the longer we remain in a state of political paralysis — especially as we stumble toward another financial collapse — the more certain it becomes that these monsters will take power." — Christopher Hedges at NationOfChange.org 17 Oct. 2016.

History foreshadows a GOP November win
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-16-2016 Sparks Tribune / Updated 2-19-2016

All the more reason to subscribe to Barbwire Confidential.

 



Greatest Hits Dept.

WE WON: BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION CONFAB IN GOMORRAH SOUTH —> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT

Barbwire nominee Dennis Myers elected to NPA Hall of Fame

Support Don Dondero
and Jake Highton next
Send endorsements

10 the Hard Way
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

GOLD 2017-18

2018 First-Place Winners
From the depths of despair to the den of iniquity & holy of holies

"Excellent work. These are some of the most moving columns I've read."
— NPA contest judge/9-29-2018

The Grasshopper and
the Dragonfly
9-6-2017

Kicked off the Ledge
4-18-2017

NATIONAL NEWS FIRST-BREAK
Back to the Future in
Mississippi West Nevada
10-18-2017

Gold 2017
Don't ask Renown Med for marijuana to help your chemo
10-4-2016
We Don't Need No Education
12-13-2016
Kate Smith & Lady Gaga
2-14-2017

Bronze 6-pack
In the Uber-Nevada legislature, words can kill
4-28-2015
On artificial turf, don't breathe unless absolutely necessary
11-24-2015
Leading questions, lead-headed leaders
1-19-2016

Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
4-18-2013
2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon
5-30-2013
The politics of media ga-ga boosterism
3-20-2014

We Don't Need No Education—> Neverending Barbwire Series

1997 Pulitzer Prize entries

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

Support the project at http://resurge.tv#donate

SUING FOR SCHOOLS
Reruns on Carson-Dayton 226

Additional programs on Boulder City cable. Go to bcnv.org and then
go to the BCTV link.

If Reform Fails: Health Care, Jobs and Unions — new power to the people on the public airwaves

The program premiers were available to every television set in the region because of a high-mileage media hybrid.

The shows appeared on both commercial and community stations. The non-corporate entity produced the events, commercial TV greatly expanded distribution.

Thus began an ongoing series of sane public interest programs which generate both entertaining heat and more than a little light.

Please spread the word and consider contributing to the cause online at ReSurge.TV.

You may also take the public option known as the U.S. Postal Service and send a check or money order to ReSurge.TV, P.O. Box 10034, Reno NV 89510.

Your contribution will help fund the distribution as well as ongoing efforts at developing new media, including a regional, non-corporate community radio station and the return of community television to Reno-Sparks-Washoe.

You are present at the creation of what I hope can become a new media model where the programming accurately reflects what's happening on the ground and the media impact is powerful enough to forcefully pass the message upward.

Thanks.

Be well. Raise hell.

 Andrew

Click here for selected on-demand re-runs from the Barbwire.TV archives

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

The Barbwire's Greatest Hits
Highlights from radio days
mp3 file

The Dean's List

   The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites.

RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006

Tomorrow's news today —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

Regressions, Transitions and Predictions
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-3-2017 Sparks Tribune

Education Dysfunction Part LXXV—>
Year-end or end of times?
Smoking gun: throwing more money at public schools actually works
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-27-2016 Sparks Tribune

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-20-2016 Sparks Tribune

2017 Nevada Press Association GOLD AWARD WINNER
Education Dysfunction Part LXXIV—>
We don't need no education
What's a little cancer or brain damage as long as graduation rate projections remain rosy?
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-13-2016 Sparks Tribune

Dark predictions and enlightened people
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-6-2016 Sparks Tribune

The Barbwire billion-dollar cure for what ails us
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-29-2016 Sparks Tribune

Toxins, turkeys, takeovers and true Nevadians
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-22-2016 Sparks Tribune

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 2
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-15-2016 Sparks Tribune

If you voted early, read this and regret it
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-8-2016 Sparks Tribune

Child pawnography in the year of amorality
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-1-2016 Sparks Tribune

Downtown good ole boys never know when to quit
BREKHUS BREXIT: BAD MOON RISING OVER CITY HALL
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-25-2016 Sparks Tribune

Oakland Rapists: Softshoe fascism on steroids
Nevada adopts an official state religion: The NFL
Also: Bernie Sanders and Trump Jr. blow into Reno
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-18-2016 Sparks Tribune

Psychotrump vs. Pantsuit: Vegetarian confrontation
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-11-2016 Sparks Tribune

2017 Nevada Press Association GOLD AWARD WINNER
Don't ask Renown Med for marijuana to help your chemo
Corporate welfare's bitter fruit: Union-busting, prevailing wage-violating Syufy burns Sparks City Hall again
Teamsters 533 CEO Debbie Calkins on statewide TV
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 10-4-2016 Sparks Tribune

Wolf Pack defeat foreshadowed Trump debate win
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-27-2016 Sparks Tribune

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-20-2016 Sparks Tribune

Justice delayed: Blackguards, gypsy cops and police poltroons
Bret Black charged with murder
Barbwire / Sparks Tribune 9-13-2016
The sordid history of the case

None of the Above looking good in 2016
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Sparks Tribune 9-6-2016

Walk a mile in Colin Kaepernick's cleats
"In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate." —Toni Morrison
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 8-30-2016 Sparks Tribune

Bad words, overcooked clichés and foul balls
8-23-2016
Ghost Rider: None of the Above Haunts Nevada
8-16-2016
America's worst public figures of the past 100 years
8-9-2016
Ice water for news too hot to handle
8-2-2016
The foolish follytix of fearmongering never change
7-26-2016
Sheriff Chucky: More guns to shoot cops, alleluia!
7-19-2016

Psychographic testing biases police application exams
By Patricia Gallimore and Andrew Barbano / RGJ.com 7-14-2016 / Reno Gazette-Journal 7-17-2016

Top 10 cures for what ails us: Better late than never
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-12-2016 Sparks Tribune

When public interest is secondary to public relations
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-5-2016 Sparks Tribune

Who owns Nevada's PBS TV 5-and-10-cent store?
Who shot JR? Ralston show axed without notice.
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-28-2016 Sparks Tribune

Donald Trump, Charles Manson and Mother Theresa
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-21-2016 Sparks Tribune


Rent control, damage control and butt control
Donald Trump's VP running mate uncloaked
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-14-2016 Sparks Tribune

Muhammad Ali: Winning against earthquakes
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-7-2016 Sparks Tribune

Nevada utilities continually consume consumers
POOR COMMUNICATION: Construction worker dies for his cel-phone
ALSO: THE BIG 8-0 — Bedridden Hall of Fame former Nevada Assemblymember Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas/IBEW 357, turns 80
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-31-2016 Sparks Tribune

Dirty words for dirty deeds done dirt cheap
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-24-2016 Sparks Tribune

Karmic fowl, fox paws and other freakin' f-words
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-17-2016 Sparks Tribune

Be careful what you wish for: Justice is a game
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-10-2016 Sparks Tribune

Quick fixes & old hexes in the month of yes, you May
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 5-3-2016 Sparks Tribune

It's OK, that's the way we've always done it, right?
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-26-2016 Sparks Tribune

When taking the cure is worse than the disease
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-19-2016 Sparks Tribune

Deconstruction, carpetbaggers and hall-of-famers
District attorney's court filings in the Guinasso candidacy case available with the above column
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-12-2016 Sparks Tribune

April Foolishness: How to stop a world at war
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 4-5-2016 Sparks Tribune

Fighting for human rights on César Chávez Day
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-29-2016 Sparks Tribune and Reno Gazette-Journal

True love, machine guns and My Sharrona
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-22-2016 Sparks Tribune

Those with crystal balls shouldn't throw stones
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-15-2016 Sparks Tribune

Remembering the first female U.S. presidents
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-8-2016 Sparks Tribune

TV or not TV — Oscar blackouts and PBS blacklists
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 3-1-2016 Sparks Tribune

Nevada caucuses: Star-studded or star-crossed?
Interview with Titanic star Frances Fisher campaigning for Bernie in Nevada
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-23-2016 Sparks Tribune

Psycho-spying the presidential pretenders
Psychological profiles of candidates and presidents
Previous analyses of Justice Clarence Thomas and President Obama proven correct
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-9-2016 Sparks Tribune

Donald Trump: from ivory tower to Hightower
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 2-2-2016 Sparks Tribune

If only Shakespeare had written the Constitution
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-26-2016 Sparks Tribune

Leading questions and lead-headed leaders
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-19-2016 Sparks Tribune

In Sparks, politics isn't personal, just business
Conflict of interest means never having to say you're sorry
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-12-2016 Sparks Tribune / Updated 1-14-2016

If you can't trust Dear Abby, whom can you trust?
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 1-5-2016 Sparks Tribune

Open season on law-breaking dangerous drones
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-29-2015 Sparks Tribune

This is not the America anyone's God blessed
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-15-2015 Sparks Tribune

And we didn't even get kissed afterward
Barbwire by Barbano / Sparks City Council Special online report 12-14-2015

Don't diminish value of technical education
SAFETY WARNING: Sparks City Council votes Dec. 14 to allow unlicensed plumbers & electricians
Guest editorial from Stan Jones and Andrew Barbano
Reno Gazette-Journal online 12-10-2015 / Print edition 12-14-2015

Dirty deeds done dirt cheap — again and again
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-8-2015 Sparks Tribune

Turf and training: Dirty deeds done dirt cheap
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 12-1-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-2-2015

On artificial turf, don't breathe unless necessary
Toxic turf all over town
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-24-2015 Sparks Tribune

Sorcerer's apprentices work cheap in Nevada
Want minimum-wage plumbers and electricians building your house?
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-17-2015 Sparks Tribune

Weekend at Bernie's with Eugene McCarthy's grandchildren
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-10-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 11-12-2015

Last of the dinosaurs: Grease for corporate gears
Reno Gazette-Journal "retires" most experienced journalists
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 11-3-2015 Sparks Tribune / Updated 11-12-2015

The Donald and The Church Lady run among us
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 10-27-2015 Sparks Tribune

From holy of holies to lair of the moneychangers
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 10-20-2015 Sparks Tribune

Parsing the paranoia of powerful penny-pinchers
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 10-13-2015 Sparks Tribune

Good news, bad news and Machine Gun Michele
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 10-6-2015 Sparks Tribune

Pondering the bright side of warmongering
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 9-22-2015 Sparks Tribune

Cheering for cheating when jockocracy rules
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 9-15-2015 Sparks Tribune

We don't need no education, biblical or not
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 9-8-2015 Sparks Tribune
Labor Day 2016: Nevada workers' last stand
Barbwire Exclusives: Gansert will run to replace Brower in Nevada Senate
Better late than never dept.: The Reno Gazette-Journal confirmed the above on Sept. 9
Complaint filed against welfare-bashing illegal GOP front petition
Barbwire by Barbano / Uploaded 8-30-2015/ Expanded from the Tuesday 9-1-2015 Sparks Tribune
Hope one of your detractors attends your funeral
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 8-25-2015 Sparks Tribune
Don't call a lawyer to sue a doctor
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 8-18-2015 Sparks Tribune

DMV lines, voting lines and lines in the sand
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 8-11-2015 Sparks Tribune

The light side of prison escape
The Lost Column: Composed 6-9-2015 and refused by major corporate media / Uploaded Wednesday 8-5-2015

Heroic lions, pampered elephants & sweating RINOS
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 8-4-2015 Sparks Tribune

Ironic colonics, shameless strumpetry & repo men
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-28-2015 Sparks Tribune

Stumpin' for Trump
Democrats should join Donald Trump on the bridge to the future and push him off
Andrew Barbano guest editorial / Reno News & Review 7-23-2015


Greatest Hits Dept.

WE WON: BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION CONFAB IN GOMORRAH SOUTH —> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT

Barbwire nominee Dennis Myers elected to NPA Hall of Fame

Support Don Dondero
and Jake Highton next
Send endorsements

10 the Hard Way
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

GOLD 2017-18

2018 First-Place Winners
From the depths of despair to the den of iniquity & holy of holies

"Excellent work. These are some of the most moving columns I've read."
— NPA contest judge/9-29-2018

The Grasshopper and
the Dragonfly
9-6-2017

Kicked off the Ledge
4-18-2017

NATIONAL NEWS FIRST-BREAK
Back to the Future in
Mississippi West Nevada
10-18-2017

Gold 2017
Don't ask Renown Med for marijuana to help your chemo
10-4-2016
We Don't Need No Education
12-13-2016
Kate Smith & Lady Gaga
2-14-2017

Bronze 6-pack
In the Uber-Nevada legislature, words can kill
4-28-2015
On artificial turf, don't breathe unless absolutely necessary
11-24-2015
Leading questions, lead-headed leaders
1-19-2016

Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
4-18-2013
2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon
5-30-2013
The politics of media ga-ga boosterism
3-20-2014

We Don't Need No Education—> Neverending Barbwire Series

1997 Pulitzer Prize entries

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

Support the project at http://resurge.tv#donate

SUING FOR SCHOOLS
Reruns on Carson-Dayton 226

Additional programs on Boulder City cable. Go to bcnv.org and then
go to the BCTV link.

If Reform Fails: Health Care, Jobs and Unions — new power to the people on the public airwaves

The program premiers were available to every television set in the region because of a high-mileage media hybrid.

The shows appeared on both commercial and community stations. The non-corporate entity produced the events, commercial TV greatly expanded distribution.

Thus began an ongoing series of sane public interest programs which generate both entertaining heat and more than a little light.

Please spread the word and consider contributing to the cause online at ReSurge.TV.

You may also take the public option known as the U.S. Postal Service and send a check or money order to ReSurge.TV, P.O. Box 10034, Reno NV 89510.

Your contribution will help fund the distribution as well as ongoing efforts at developing new media, including a regional, non-corporate community radio station and the return of community television to Reno-Sparks-Washoe.

You are present at the creation of what I hope can become a new media model where the programming accurately reflects what's happening on the ground and the media impact is powerful enough to forcefully pass the message upward.

Thanks.

Be well. Raise hell.

 Andrew

Click here for selected on-demand re-runs from the Barbwire.TV archives

Barbwire.TV
15-year overnight success
Daily Sparks Tribune 2-10-2008

The Barbwire's Greatest Hits
Highlights from radio days
mp3 file

The Dean's List

   The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites.

RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006

Tomorrow's news today —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

Moving the needle and needling the weasels
Education funding hike non-existent / Confederate flags fly in Sparks
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-21-2015 Sparks Tribune

Education Dysfunction Part LVIII—>
School, life, death, taxes and other high ironies
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 7-14-2015 Sparks Tribune

All the news you never knew you needed to know
Barbwire by Barbano / Blue text represents substantial expansion from the Tuesday 7-7-2015 Sparks Tribune

Applying Christian forgiveness to a fault
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-30-2015 Sparks Tribune

Life & death tickle the underbelly of the news
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-23-2015 Sparks Tribune

Education Dysfunction Part LVI—>
Al Capone takes stock of Nevada education
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-16-2015 Sparks Tribune

The 2015 Nevada Legislature's greatest hits
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Tuesday 6-9-2015 Sparks Tribune

Stench of sulfur suffuses Nevada's year of the gun
The ghost of Trayvon Martin today hangs heavy over Sparks.
Would killer Wayne Burgarello have been acquitted if he was black?
Barbwire by Barbano / Uncensored full-length edition expanded from the 6-2-2015 Sparks Tribune

Dogs and ponies, DARE traps and tokenism
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-26-2015 Sparks Tribune

Corporate welfare unites me with the moonhowlers
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-19-2015 Sparks Tribune

Hotplates, hotheads, hot rumors and hot Moose
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-12-2015 Sparks Tribune

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

MayDay! The bright side of riots in the streets
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-5-2015 Sparks Tribune

In the Uber-Nevada Legislature, words can kill
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 4-28-2015 Sparks Tribune

Tesla rewrites history to chisel worker paychecks
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 4-21-2015 Sparks Tribune

Radiation Nation:
Gomorrah South bakes in the glow of victory
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 4-14-2015 Sparks Tribune

Revenge, redistricting and amnesia in Cartoon City
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 4-7-2015 Sparks Tribune

Harry Reid, Eddy Arnold, César Chávez and Gaga Madonna
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-31-2015 Sparks Tribune

High noon for the high desert outback of the American Dream
Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas.
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-24-2015 Sparks Tribune

St. Patrick, I need a green energy beer
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-17-2015 Sparks Tribune

Michele Fiore: the Italian girl mama wanted for me?
Barbwire by Barbano / Excised from the 3-10-2015 Sparks Tribune as "not suitable" / Continually updated

Who was that lady I saw you with last night?
(But can she cook?)

Clinging to the Ledge: guts, feathers and all
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-3-2015 Sparks Tribune

We don't need no stinking wages!
Barbwire by Barbano / Special online edition 2-26-2015

The skeleton of the underbelly of the news
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-24-2015 Sparks Tribune
Parsing our parsimonious public pursers
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-17-2015 Sparks Tribune

The flush of victory and the irony of deceit
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-10-2015 Sparks Tribune

Follytix, Foxcatchers and corporate weasels
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 2-3-2015 Sparks Tribune

Machine Gun Michele and cheap Ma Bell
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-27-2015 Sparks Tribune

Education Dysfunction Part LIII—>
Gov. Veto El Obtusè talks some trash
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-20-2015 Sparks Tribune

Good grief: Je suis Charlie Brown
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-13-2015 Sparks Tribune

Corporate media: Thou shalt censor thyself
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-6-2015 Sparks Tribune

Greatest Hits. Dept.

Muhammad Ali & Sir David Frost faced off here
Barbwire memories of two superstars
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-5-2013 Sparks Tribune

Reno City Council again rolls over for Waste Management
Workers, ratepayers, taxpayers & competitors all harmed, as usual
Barbano: Two monopolies for the price of one
By Dennis Myers / Reno News & Review / 9-5-2013


Lawnmower Man, bladerunners and smoke eaters
Demonstrators at Reno Federal Courthouse deserve combat pay
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 8-29-2013 Sparks Tribune

WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN, TONTO? All participants in the demonstration were reminded that breathing is both voluntary and optional. There is no requirement forcing anyone to inhale Reno's foul forest-fired air. (Photo courtesy of L. Martina Young / APoeticBody.com)

Reno rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the fabled 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom
10 a.m.–12 noon Saturday 24 Aug. 2013, Bruce Thompson Federal Courthouse, S. Virginia & Liberty streets
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 8-22-2013 Sparks Tribune

Greatest Hits. Dept. Part Deux

A quarter century of Barbwire, part deux
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 8-15-2013 Sparks Tribune

Barbwire: 25 years before the masthead
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 8-8-2013 Sparks Tribune

10 the Hard Way
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award (6th Gold)

2014 Nevada Press Association Award Winner
We Don't Need No Education XXXVIII—>
The politics of media ga-ga boosterism
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 3-20-2014 Sparks Tribune

2014 Nevada Press Association Award Winner
The 2013 looney tunes legislative lexicon
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 5-30-2013 Sparks Tribune

2014 Nevada Press Association Award Winner
Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake
I publicly wept when they looked at me.
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 4-18-2013 Daily Sparks Tribune

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

We Don't Need No Education: The Neverending Series
BARBWIRE BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Site Map

Required Readings

The Lady in the Red Dress
The award-winning Barbwire classic Nevada Day column written in 1983
The compleat history of the Silver State in 500 words
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
DAILY SPARKS TRIBUNE 1-3-2011 & 10-31-2018

Liberal reasons to oppose liberal positions and policies
Guaranteed to irritate all points of the political spectrum
DAILY SPARKS TRIBUNE 12-26-2010 / Updated 7-12-2017

Guest Columnists

Travus T. Hipp
Feb. 20, 1937 — May 18, 2012

BREAKING NEWS 10-24-2014: Travus and Lynne Hughes' longtime home, the old church in Silver City, burns to the ground with the loss of one life. Say a prayer and treasure the memories. Sean Laughlin promises to rebuild. Victims were Travus' first wife, Sandy, and her dog.

The Bullfrog Times-Picayune
Sticky Stones: Last blast from the past

Love ain't free: Evelyn Kerr's remembrances of the life and times of Travus T. Hipp from the pages of TimeMazine (CD available)

We put the state on life support for another two years
Assemblyman Richard "Skip" Daly, D-Sparks / Reno Gazette-Journal Guest Editorial / 7-17-2011
Editor's note: Alas and alack, the 2013 session provided instant replay.

Prof. Jake Highton, 1931-2017
Travus T. Hipp, 1937-2012
Dennis Myers, 1948-2019 [Remembering Dennis]
Orland T. Outland, 1923-2000
Labor Leaders

David Farside 1936-2014
The Farside Chronicles
Harry Spencer remembers David Farside
Tribune Editor Dan Eckles: Farside a class act

17-year investigative series

PUMPING PROFITS — Why does gasoline cost so much?
Read the awful truth in the Barbwire Oilogopoly Archive

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Some of the Barbwire's Pre-Internet Greatest Hits

Return of the Lost Boys —> KCBN's last day
Barbwire / Sparks Tribune / 9-29-1989 (.pdf)
Whoever promised me a CD of all 13 hours and never sent it, now would be a good time. People are waiting. Please e-mail me.
Uploaded on the occasion of the passing of Big Daddy Chuck Harper, 1934-2014
Barbwire / Sparks Tribune / 12-23-2014

John F. Kennedy's 2013 inaugural address
Excerpted from the original full text from 12-29-1991 (.pdf)
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 11-22-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune

Lynne Hughes and Barbara Bennett: Energy Again [.pdf]
Uploaded on the occasion of the passing of Travus T. Hipp, 1937-2012
Barbwire / Sparks Tribune / 3-21-1993

1995 Washoe Med (Renown Medical) Grand Jury Report
Additional columns just uploaded from our archives + the 3-18-2012 Barbwire
Grand Jury report available for the first time on the web

The fairy tale power of 35 pennies
From the 12-22-1991 Daily Sparks Tribune / .pdf format
Presented to my granddaughter as a university graduation present on 5-27-2011
and referenced in the 5-29-2011 Barbwire

Gail Bishop: We harvest the fruit of his labor
From the 2-20-1994 Daily Sparks Tribune (.pdf format)
Velma Bishop, 1928-2010
From the 10-3-2010 Daily Sparks Tribune

Doug Davies: Rum & Ragtime Renaissance Man
Daily Sparks Tribune 11-14-1993 (.pdf format)

Diss me, father, for I have sinned
Daily Sparks Tribune 7-16-1995 / Reprinted 7-15-2007

Merle Brennan: The Last American Sportsman, 1-7-1996
Updated with vintage photos, restored race cars and a visit from Il Comendatore himself
UPDATED 10-4-2008
Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004
A memoir from Nevada's undercover Reagan-Bush PR man
Slightly updated 6-6-2004 from the 8-2-1992 Daily Sparks Tribune original

History
Labor Day '94: People vs. Corporate Con-Job
A brief history of neo-con PR and the roots of corporate propaganda
Tragedy
Come, follow me: A walk with the grateful dead
A visit to Nevada's first AIDS leper colony
The award-winning second Tribune Barbwire
From the 8-19-1988 and 7-10-1994 Daily Sparks Tribune

BEASTY BOYS—>Did Naval Air Station Fallon bury live animals after a huge fuel spill?
From the 1-19-1990 and 1-22-1990 Daily Sparks Tribune

Barbwire Diplomacy
Revisiting the fourth Tribune Barbwire: "Chilé took Nevada for a sucker" 9-2-1988
Breadlines in boomtowns: the American plantations
Expanded from the 7-19-1998 Daily Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-12-2006
Comedy
Theme casinos, Spuds MacKenzie & Brigitte Bardot
The first Barbwire
Originally published in Reno, LV and Sunworld Airlines magazines, August, 1987

Continuing Tragicomedy
Judge Clarence Thomas meets Prof. Kingsfield
Reprinted in the San Francisco and Los Angeles Daily Legal Journals, 1991
Updated 6-27-2013

More sucker punches from Lush Rambo
Barbwire by Barbano/ Expanded from the 3-11-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune
Includes links to two freshly-uploaded 1992 columns. I warned you.

Insanity from the eye of the newt
From the 5-20-1990 Daily Sparks Tribune / .pdf format
UPDATE: So what else is newt?
The great ones died but Newt's like Dracula
Happy High Holly Days anyway!
Barbano by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-25-2011 Daily Sparks Tribune

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em
The reasons behind the failure of Nevada's first non-smoking casino
Barbwire 3-2-1990

Recently uploaded blast from the past for MLK Day —
I was a teenage racist
Expanded from the 1-12-1990 Daily Sparks Tribune
This column also appeared in the 1-19-1990 Comstock Chronicle
Updated and modified versions in the Fresno Bee, Daily Sparks Tribune and Reno Gazette-Journal
Jan. 14-15, 2012


Below, right: The Nevada University Scandals of 2010-present
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Click here.

Below, left: The Nevada University Scandals of 1996-1997
Please let us know if much has changed.
1997 Barbwire Pulitzer Prize entries are noted with *asterisks*
Category 4 — Explanatory Journalism
Category 9 — Commentary

Janet MacDonald 1941-2012: The beautiful face of honor
The Barbwire fondly remembers the courageous university system treasurer who dared tell the truth
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 1-29-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune

UPDATE: Let there be Rosenbergy again
Term limits or not, vote for Howard Rosenberg anyway, dammit!
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 7-27-2008 Daily Sparks Tribune


Shunting Nevada work to out-of-state carpetbaggers is nothing new

University just won't learn—>
The smoking gun: UN,R subcontractor hires and exploits undocumented workers
Dennis Myers/Reno News & Review/9-26-2013

Just like old times: UN,R and Hot August Nights
Barbwire by Barbano/Sparks Tribune/9-26-13

Marginal contractors on UNR job draw Laborers' Union ire and picket line
U-News / 9-19-2013
UPDATE: UNIONS PROTEST UNR GIVEAWAY ON STUDENT HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
Reno Gazette-Journal front page/9-24-2013

State of the Unions —>
Non-Nevada contractors, including Apple, continue to plague local workers
Reno Gazette-Journal 9-1-2013

Bullfighting in Tonopah —>
Billion-dollar tax-subsidized solar array goes to shady contractor from sunny Spain
Barbwire / Sparks Tribune 8-11-2011

Nevada workers march to UNR for Nevada jobs
U-News / 5-20-2010

Con jobs by charlatans in the name of our children
Originally published 5/4/97
Slavery, sweatshops and shell game education
Originally published 4/27/97
New evidence in the university financial shell game
Originally published 4/20/97
All university regents face ouster, TMCC chief quits
Originally published 3/9/97
The question no one asked Howard Rosenberg — till now
Originally published 3/2/97
The buckaroo kangaroo court hangs Rosenberg Thursday
Originally published 2/23/97
Only embrace the tar baby when DNA proves it's yours
Originally published 2/2/97
Emperors, educators, pregnant paupers & presidents
Originally published 1/26/97
*Secret university audit catches chancellor lying!*
Originally published 1/19/97
A watered down education for Mother Nevada's kids
Originally published 1/12/97
Both Nevada and its university open 1997 lost at sea
Originally published 1/5/97
The 1996 Grateful Deadhead and Chia Butthead Awards
Originally published 12/29/96
*Shadowboxing Jello, yahoo kangaroos & Downsize This!*
Originally published 12/22/96
*EXTRA! Barbano endorses environmental jockocracy *
Originally published 12/15/96
*University Scandals 1996: The Empire Strikes Back *
Originally published 12/8/96
*Howard Rosenberg: the most powerful man in Nevada *
Originally published 12/1/96
*Howard Rosenberg: unlikely David vs. Philistine Elite *
Originally published 11/24/96
*Clark Santini: still watching over his university*
Originally published 11/17/96
*Protected pianists at the Casablanca College Casino*
Originally published 11/10/96
*Ghost Professors, Gold Mines and Shell Games at UNR*
Originally published 11/3/96
*Slam-dunks: fun follytix up at the U*
Originally published 10/27/96

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Oct. 27, 1996, Barbwire began a six-month investigation into the labyrinthine intrigues of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN), now called the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). At the suggestion of chess grandmaster and author Larry Evans, most of the 1996 installments, as well as one involving university issues in the following year, were entered by the Sparks Tribune in two categories of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize competition. That ongoing interest in the affairs of higher education has never waned. You may use the NevadaLabor.com search engine to do a keyword search on the occasional treatment of university issues. You will also enjoy the ongoing comments of longtime University of Nevada-Reno journalism Prof. Jake Highton (1931-2017). Be well. Raise hell. — Andrew

Current Barbwire Index

 

Gov. Dudley Do-Right's Greatest Hits
Dudley Do-Right, Snidely Whiplash and Nell Fenwick cartoon characters © Jay Ward Productions. May their tribe increase.


2006
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2004
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2003
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2002
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2001
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2000
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1996
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2007
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2010 Barbwires
BARBWIRE
by
ANDREW BARBANO

2011 Barbwires

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Barbwires


2013-14
Barbwires

 

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— Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth  

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© 1982-2021 Andrew Barbano, all rights reserved

_______
Andrew Barbano is a 52-year Nevadan, executive producer of Nevada's annual César Chávez Day celebration, first vice-president and political action chair of the Reno-Sparks NAACP, labor/consumer/civil rights advocate, member of Communications Workers of America Local 9413/AFL-CIO and editor of NevadaLabor.com and BallotBoxing.US and SenJoeNeal.org and DoctorLawyerWatch.com/ As always, his opinions are strictly his own. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us. Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Sparks Tribune since 1988 and received its 10th Nevada Press Association award at the 2019 NPA annual convention. (That trophy and about six bucks will get you a Latte Mocha Cotsafracas Chingade at just about any Starbux worldwide, guaranteed.)

Be well. Raise hell.

Esté bien. Haga infierno. (Pardon my Spanglish.) / être bien, élever l'enfer (And my French.) / Stammi bene. Scatenare l'inferno. (And Italian.)

2013: The Barbwire's Silver Anniversary in the Silver State
Aug. 1988-Aug. 2013 —>Now we go for gold
Barbwire by Barbano moved to Nevada's Daily Sparks Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in them parts ever since.
Whom to blame: How a hall-of-famer's hunch birthed the Barbwire in August of 1987
Tempus fugit.

Join the campaign to bring community television back to Reno-Sparks-Washoe.
Donate at our PayPal-enabled ReSurge.TV Consumer War Room

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

10 the hard way!
Barbwire wins 10th Nevada Press Association award

NevadaLabor.com Site Directory

HAPPY NEW YEAR / Feliz Año Nuevo
Hope you and yours enjoyed Happy High Holly Days!
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We Don't Need No Education: The Neverending Barbwire Series

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Betty J. Barbano
2-7-1941 / 12-27-2005

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