Monday, November 23, 2009
3/50 Project: Check it out and take part!!
You know the most famous motto--"Think globally, act locally"? Here's a new one:
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Time to pay the taxes, boys.....
Ponder this (posted by IDEA1013 on Huffington Post article on Rep. Patrick Kennedy being denied communion by RC bishop):
"To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."
"To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."
Friday, November 20, 2009
New Writer
"New" for me, that is. His name is Edward P. Jones, and he is, according to a recent article in the WP Magazine by Neely Tucker, "the greatest fiction writer the nation's capital has ever produced." He has published three books, two collections of short stories and one novel, The Known World.
Tucker's article says
Ordinarily, I'm a very fast reader--consuming a book a day is not unusual. All books don't allow this, though--this book especially. I have spent the past three days reading The Known World, and I'm on page 72 out of 388, and I'm worrying that I'm going too fast lest I miss something. I don't have any words to describe his writing other than to say it's unlike anything else I've ever read. Well, a few of my favorite writers come to mind: Tolstory, Faulkner, Robertson Davies--but even they write on the surface at times. Jones is an architect, and he uses words to build his stories. He's also a painter and a poet and a sculptor with words.
Jones, for all his shyness and unassuming ways and modest output, has won in addition to the Pulitzer Prize,
I went to grad school at the age of 60 and graduated 18 months later on what would have been my mother's 101st birthday. I still remember from those days what a thrill it was to have read Elizabeth Bishop and Allen Ginsberg for the first time, knowing they'd been around and famous for their writing for a long time despite my ignorance.
This is one of the very best things about being my age. There are still riches unmined in the library.
Tucker's article says
He makes his home near Washington National Cathedral....There is no bed..., no bookshelves, no couch, nor much to sit on other than a kitchen chair. He does not have a car, a driver's license or any mechanized means of transport, not even a bicycle. He has no cellphone, no DVD player, and his Internet connection is sporadic. Though he loves movies and trash daytime television--in particular, those judge shows--he has only a 10-year-old, 13-inch TV and has never had cable.He created his first book, the novel The Known World, in his head for a period of about 10 years, then wrote it all down in 2001 when he was laid off from his job for three months. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
Ordinarily, I'm a very fast reader--consuming a book a day is not unusual. All books don't allow this, though--this book especially. I have spent the past three days reading The Known World, and I'm on page 72 out of 388, and I'm worrying that I'm going too fast lest I miss something. I don't have any words to describe his writing other than to say it's unlike anything else I've ever read. Well, a few of my favorite writers come to mind: Tolstory, Faulkner, Robertson Davies--but even they write on the surface at times. Jones is an architect, and he uses words to build his stories. He's also a painter and a poet and a sculptor with words.
Jones, for all his shyness and unassuming ways and modest output, has won in addition to the Pulitzer Prize,
the National Book Critic's Circle award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, a MacArthur "genius grant," the Lannan Literary Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and a bunch of (by comparison) trifling stuff. He's won nearly $1 million in literary awards alone, never mind earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties.Well, it's time for me to be moving again, and that means more downsizing. Edward P. Jones has set a shining example for getting along without a whole bunch of stuff. I really don't need a short ton of books, let alone seven bookcases to hold them. True, he's had a very different life, but he's been firmly in charge of it.
I went to grad school at the age of 60 and graduated 18 months later on what would have been my mother's 101st birthday. I still remember from those days what a thrill it was to have read Elizabeth Bishop and Allen Ginsberg for the first time, knowing they'd been around and famous for their writing for a long time despite my ignorance.
This is one of the very best things about being my age. There are still riches unmined in the library.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Guess who is the voice of reason??
Here's a neat clip from Jon Stewart via this evening's Daily Kos.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Law & Order: KSM | ||||
| ||||
This is supposed to be funny, but I think it's a great idea!!!
New Direction for any war: Send Service Vets over 60!
I am over 60 and the Armed Forces thinks I'm too old to track down terrorists. You can't be older than 42 to join the military. They've got the whole thing backwards. Instead of sending 18-year olds off to fight, they ought to take us old guys. You shouldn't be able to join a military unit until you're at least 35.
For starters: Researchers say 18-year-olds think about sex every 10 seconds. Old guys only think about sex a couple of times a day, leaving us more than 28,000 additional seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy.
Young guys haven't lived long enough to be cranky, and a cranky soldier is a dangerous soldier. 'My back hurts! I can't sleep, I'm tired and hungry' We are impatient and maybe letting us kill some jerk who desperately deserves it will make us feel better and shut us up for a while.
An 18-year-old doesn't even like to get up before 10 a.m. Old guys always get up early to pee so what the hell. Besides, like I said, 'I'm tired and can't sleep and since I'm already up, I may as well be up killing some fanatical SOB....
If captured we couldn't spill the beans because we'd forget where we put them. In fact, name, rank, and serial number would be a real stretch.
Boot camp would be easier for old guys. We're used to getting screamed and yelled at and we're used to soft food. We've also developed an appreciation for guns. We've been using them for years as an excuse to get out of the house, away from the screaming and yelling.
They could lighten up on the obstacle course however. I've been in combat and didn't see a single 20-foot wall with rope hanging over the side, nor did I ever do any pushups after completing basic training.
Actually, the running part is kind of a waste of energy, too. I've never seen anyone outrun a bullet.
An 18-year-old has the whole world ahead of him.. He's still learning to shave, to start up a conversation with a pretty girl. He still hasn't figured out that a baseball cap has a brim to shade his eyes, not the back of his head.
These are all great reasons to keep our kids at home to learn a little more about life before sending them off into harm's way.
Let us old guys track down those dirty rotten coward terrorists. The last thing an enemy would want to see is a couple of million pissed off old farts with attitudes and automatic weapons who know that their best years are already behind them.
***How about recruiting Women over 50 ....with PMS !!! You think Men have attitudes !!! Ohhhhhhhhhhhh my Lord!!! If nothing else, put them on border patrol....we will have it secured the first night!
[UPDATE from Xtreme English....sorry, i think the prime age for PMS is BEFORE 50.]
[UPDATE from Xtreme English....sorry, i think the prime age for PMS is BEFORE 50.]
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Dramatic News from Hundred Acre Wood
This wonderful cartoon comes courtesy of Charles Ravndal. Originally he got it from his mother-in-law, and his husband, Odd, was kind enough to forward it to me after Charles accidentally deleted it after posting. Charles has been driven to his sickbed by the swine flu and is recovering slowly. Let's hope he hasn't been ostracized by his friends like poor Piglet!!
The artist's signature is in the upper right hand corner, but even with a magnifying glass, I can't make it out. Thank you, Charles and Odd, for sending it so I can share it with my friends.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Have you read it?
Here is the President's speech at Fort Hood:
THE PRESIDENT: To the Fort Hood community; to Admiral Mullen; General Casey; General Cone; Secretary McHugh; Secretary Gates; most importantly, to family, friends and members of our Armed Forces. We come together filled with sorrow for the 13 Americans that we have lost; with gratitude for the lives that they led; and with a determination to honor them through the work we carry on.
This is a time of war. Yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle. They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great state and the heart of this great American community. This is the fact that makes the tragedy even more painful, even more incomprehensible.
For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that's been left. We knew these men and women as soldiers and caregivers. You knew them as mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; sisters and brothers.
But here is what you must also know: Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we all too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- that is their legacy.
Neither this country -- nor the values upon which we were founded -- could exist without men and women like these 13 Americans. And that is why we must pay tribute to their stories.
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Cahill had served in the National Guard and worked as a physician's assistant for decades. A husband and father of three, he was so committed to his patients that on the day he died, he was back at work just weeks after having had a heart attack.
Major Libardo Eduardo Caraveo spoke little English when he came to America as a teenager. But he put himself through college, earned a PhD, and was helping combat units cope with the stress of deployment. He's survived by his wife, sons and step-daughters.
Staff Sergeant Justin DeCrow joined the Army right after high school, married his high school sweetheart, and had served as a light wheeled mechanic and satellite communications operator. He was known as an optimist, a mentor, and a loving husband and loving father.
After retiring from the Army as a major, John Gaffaney cared for society's most vulnerable during two decades as a psychiatric nurse. He spent three years trying to return to active duty in this time of war, and he was preparing to deploy to Iraq as a captain. He leaves behind a wife and son.
Specialist Frederick Greene was a Tennessean who wanted to join the Army for a long time, and did so in 2008, with the support of his family. As a combat engineer he was a natural leader, and he is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Specialist Jason Hunt was also recently married, with three children to care for. He joined the Army after high school. He did a tour in Iraq, and it was there that he reenlisted for six more years on his 21st birthday so that he could continue to serve.
Staff Sergeant Amy Krueger was an athlete in high school, joined the Army shortly after 9/11, and had since returned home to speak to students about her experience. When her mother told her she couldn't take on Osama bin Laden by herself, Amy replied: "Watch me."
Private First Class Aaron Nemelka was an Eagle Scout who just recently signed up to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the service -- diffuse bombs -- so that he could help save lives. He was proudly carrying on a tradition of military service that runs deep within his family.
Private First Class Michael Pearson loved his family and loved his music, and his goal was to be a music teacher. He excelled at playing the guitar, and could create songs on the spot and show others how to play. He joined the military a year ago, and was preparing for his first deployment.
Captain Russell Seager worked as a nurse for the VA, helping veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress. He had extraordinary respect for the military, and signed up to serve so that he could help soldiers cope with the stress of combat and return to civilian life. He leaves behind a wife and son.
Private Francheska Velez, daughter of a father from Colombia and a Puerto Rican mother, had recently served in Korea and in Iraq, and was pursuing a career in the Army. When she was killed she was pregnant with her first child, and was excited about becoming a mother.
Lieutenant Colonel Juanita Warman was the daughter and granddaughter of Army veterans. She was a single mom who put herself through college and graduate school, and served as a nurse practitioner while raising her two daughters. She also left behind a loving husband.
Private First Class Kham Xiong came to America from Thailand as a small child. He was a husband and father who followed his brother into the military because his family had a strong history of service. He was preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan.
These men and women came from all parts of the country. Some had long careers in the military. Some had signed up to serve in the shadow of 9/11. Some had known intense combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some cared for those did. Their lives speak to the strength, the dignity, the decency of those who serve, and that's how they will be remembered.
For that same spirit is embodied in the community here at Fort Hood, and in the many wounded who are still recovering. As was already mentioned, in those terrible minutes during the attack, soldiers made makeshift tourniquets out of their clothes. They braved gunfire to reach the wounded, and ferried them to safety in the backs of cars and a pickup truck.
One young soldier, Amber Bahr, was so intent on helping others, she did not realize for some time that she, herself, had been shot in the back. Two police officers -- Mark Todd and Kim Munley -- saved countless lives by risking their own. One medic -- Francisco de la Serna -- treated both Officer Munley and the gunman who shot her.
It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know -- no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. For what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice -- in this world, and the next.
These are trying times for our country. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America, our allies, and innocent Afghans and Pakistanis. In Iraq, we're working to bring a war to a successful end, as there are still those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that Americans and Iraqis have sacrificed so much for.
As we face these challenges, the stories of those at Fort Hood reaffirm the core values that we are fighting for, and the strength that we must draw upon. Theirs are the tales of American men and women answering an extraordinary call -- the call to serve their comrades, their communities, and their country. In an age of selfishness, they embody responsibility. In an era of division, they call upon us to come together. In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans.
We are a nation that endures because of the courage of those who defend it. We saw that valor in those who braved bullets here at Fort Hood, just as surely as we see it in those who signed up knowing that they would serve in harm’s way.
We are a nation of laws whose commitment to justice is so enduring that we would treat a gunman and give him due process, just as surely as we will see that he pays for his crimes.
We're a nation that guarantees the freedom to worship as one chooses. And instead of claiming God for our side, we remember Lincoln’s words, and always pray to be on the side of God.
We're a nation that is dedicated to the proposition that all men and women are created equal. We live that truth within our military, and see it in the varied backgrounds of those we lay to rest today. We defend that truth at home and abroad, and we know that Americans will always be found on the side of liberty and equality. That's who we are as a people.
Tomorrow is Veterans Day. It's a chance to pause, and to pay tribute -- for students to learn the struggles that preceded them; for families to honor the service of parents and grandparents; for citizens to reflect upon the sacrifices that have been made in pursuit of a more perfect union.
For history is filled with heroes. You may remember the stories of a grandfather who marched across Europe; an uncle who fought in Vietnam; a sister who served in the Gulf. But as we honor the many generations who have served, all of us -- every single American -- must acknowledge that this generation has more than proved itself the equal of those who've come before.
We need not look to the past for greatness, because it is before our very eyes.
This generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have volunteered in the time of certain danger. They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. They have served tour after tour of duty in distant, different and difficult places. They have stood watch in blinding deserts and on snowy mountains. They have extended the opportunity of self-government to peoples that have suffered tyranny and war. They are man and woman; white, black, and brown; of all faiths and all stations -- all Americans, serving together to protect our people, while giving others half a world away the chance to lead a better life.
In today’s wars, there's not always a simple ceremony that signals our troops’ success -- no surrender papers to be signed, or capital to be claimed. But the measure of the impact of these young men and women is no less great -- in a world of threats that no know borders, their legacy will be marked in the safety of our cities and towns, and the security and opportunity that's extended abroad. It will serve as testimony to the character of those who served, and the example that all of you in uniform set for America and for the world.
Here, at Fort Hood, we pay tribute to 13 men and women who were not able to escape the horror of war, even in the comfort of home. Later today, at Fort Lewis, one community will gather to remember so many in one Stryker Brigade who have fallen in Afghanistan.
Long after they are laid to rest -- when the fighting has finished, and our nation has endured; when today’s servicemen and women are veterans, and their children have grown -- it will be said that this generation believed under the most trying of tests; believed in perseverance -- not just when it was easy, but when it was hard; that they paid the price and bore the burden to secure this nation, and stood up for the values that live in the hearts of all free peoples.
So we say goodbye to those who now belong to eternity. We press ahead in pursuit of the peace that guided their service. May God bless the memory of those that we have lost. And may God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END
Remarks by the President at Memorial Service at Fort Hood
Fort Hood - III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas
1:55 P.M. CSTTHE PRESIDENT: To the Fort Hood community; to Admiral Mullen; General Casey; General Cone; Secretary McHugh; Secretary Gates; most importantly, to family, friends and members of our Armed Forces. We come together filled with sorrow for the 13 Americans that we have lost; with gratitude for the lives that they led; and with a determination to honor them through the work we carry on.
This is a time of war. Yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle. They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great state and the heart of this great American community. This is the fact that makes the tragedy even more painful, even more incomprehensible.
For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that's been left. We knew these men and women as soldiers and caregivers. You knew them as mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; sisters and brothers.
But here is what you must also know: Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we all too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- that is their legacy.
Neither this country -- nor the values upon which we were founded -- could exist without men and women like these 13 Americans. And that is why we must pay tribute to their stories.
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Cahill had served in the National Guard and worked as a physician's assistant for decades. A husband and father of three, he was so committed to his patients that on the day he died, he was back at work just weeks after having had a heart attack.
Major Libardo Eduardo Caraveo spoke little English when he came to America as a teenager. But he put himself through college, earned a PhD, and was helping combat units cope with the stress of deployment. He's survived by his wife, sons and step-daughters.
Staff Sergeant Justin DeCrow joined the Army right after high school, married his high school sweetheart, and had served as a light wheeled mechanic and satellite communications operator. He was known as an optimist, a mentor, and a loving husband and loving father.
After retiring from the Army as a major, John Gaffaney cared for society's most vulnerable during two decades as a psychiatric nurse. He spent three years trying to return to active duty in this time of war, and he was preparing to deploy to Iraq as a captain. He leaves behind a wife and son.
Specialist Frederick Greene was a Tennessean who wanted to join the Army for a long time, and did so in 2008, with the support of his family. As a combat engineer he was a natural leader, and he is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Specialist Jason Hunt was also recently married, with three children to care for. He joined the Army after high school. He did a tour in Iraq, and it was there that he reenlisted for six more years on his 21st birthday so that he could continue to serve.
Staff Sergeant Amy Krueger was an athlete in high school, joined the Army shortly after 9/11, and had since returned home to speak to students about her experience. When her mother told her she couldn't take on Osama bin Laden by herself, Amy replied: "Watch me."
Private First Class Aaron Nemelka was an Eagle Scout who just recently signed up to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the service -- diffuse bombs -- so that he could help save lives. He was proudly carrying on a tradition of military service that runs deep within his family.
Private First Class Michael Pearson loved his family and loved his music, and his goal was to be a music teacher. He excelled at playing the guitar, and could create songs on the spot and show others how to play. He joined the military a year ago, and was preparing for his first deployment.
Captain Russell Seager worked as a nurse for the VA, helping veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress. He had extraordinary respect for the military, and signed up to serve so that he could help soldiers cope with the stress of combat and return to civilian life. He leaves behind a wife and son.
Private Francheska Velez, daughter of a father from Colombia and a Puerto Rican mother, had recently served in Korea and in Iraq, and was pursuing a career in the Army. When she was killed she was pregnant with her first child, and was excited about becoming a mother.
Lieutenant Colonel Juanita Warman was the daughter and granddaughter of Army veterans. She was a single mom who put herself through college and graduate school, and served as a nurse practitioner while raising her two daughters. She also left behind a loving husband.
Private First Class Kham Xiong came to America from Thailand as a small child. He was a husband and father who followed his brother into the military because his family had a strong history of service. He was preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan.
These men and women came from all parts of the country. Some had long careers in the military. Some had signed up to serve in the shadow of 9/11. Some had known intense combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some cared for those did. Their lives speak to the strength, the dignity, the decency of those who serve, and that's how they will be remembered.
For that same spirit is embodied in the community here at Fort Hood, and in the many wounded who are still recovering. As was already mentioned, in those terrible minutes during the attack, soldiers made makeshift tourniquets out of their clothes. They braved gunfire to reach the wounded, and ferried them to safety in the backs of cars and a pickup truck.
One young soldier, Amber Bahr, was so intent on helping others, she did not realize for some time that she, herself, had been shot in the back. Two police officers -- Mark Todd and Kim Munley -- saved countless lives by risking their own. One medic -- Francisco de la Serna -- treated both Officer Munley and the gunman who shot her.
It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know -- no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. For what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice -- in this world, and the next.
These are trying times for our country. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America, our allies, and innocent Afghans and Pakistanis. In Iraq, we're working to bring a war to a successful end, as there are still those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that Americans and Iraqis have sacrificed so much for.
As we face these challenges, the stories of those at Fort Hood reaffirm the core values that we are fighting for, and the strength that we must draw upon. Theirs are the tales of American men and women answering an extraordinary call -- the call to serve their comrades, their communities, and their country. In an age of selfishness, they embody responsibility. In an era of division, they call upon us to come together. In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans.
We are a nation that endures because of the courage of those who defend it. We saw that valor in those who braved bullets here at Fort Hood, just as surely as we see it in those who signed up knowing that they would serve in harm’s way.
We are a nation of laws whose commitment to justice is so enduring that we would treat a gunman and give him due process, just as surely as we will see that he pays for his crimes.
We're a nation that guarantees the freedom to worship as one chooses. And instead of claiming God for our side, we remember Lincoln’s words, and always pray to be on the side of God.
We're a nation that is dedicated to the proposition that all men and women are created equal. We live that truth within our military, and see it in the varied backgrounds of those we lay to rest today. We defend that truth at home and abroad, and we know that Americans will always be found on the side of liberty and equality. That's who we are as a people.
Tomorrow is Veterans Day. It's a chance to pause, and to pay tribute -- for students to learn the struggles that preceded them; for families to honor the service of parents and grandparents; for citizens to reflect upon the sacrifices that have been made in pursuit of a more perfect union.
For history is filled with heroes. You may remember the stories of a grandfather who marched across Europe; an uncle who fought in Vietnam; a sister who served in the Gulf. But as we honor the many generations who have served, all of us -- every single American -- must acknowledge that this generation has more than proved itself the equal of those who've come before.
We need not look to the past for greatness, because it is before our very eyes.
This generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have volunteered in the time of certain danger. They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. They have served tour after tour of duty in distant, different and difficult places. They have stood watch in blinding deserts and on snowy mountains. They have extended the opportunity of self-government to peoples that have suffered tyranny and war. They are man and woman; white, black, and brown; of all faiths and all stations -- all Americans, serving together to protect our people, while giving others half a world away the chance to lead a better life.
In today’s wars, there's not always a simple ceremony that signals our troops’ success -- no surrender papers to be signed, or capital to be claimed. But the measure of the impact of these young men and women is no less great -- in a world of threats that no know borders, their legacy will be marked in the safety of our cities and towns, and the security and opportunity that's extended abroad. It will serve as testimony to the character of those who served, and the example that all of you in uniform set for America and for the world.
Here, at Fort Hood, we pay tribute to 13 men and women who were not able to escape the horror of war, even in the comfort of home. Later today, at Fort Lewis, one community will gather to remember so many in one Stryker Brigade who have fallen in Afghanistan.
Long after they are laid to rest -- when the fighting has finished, and our nation has endured; when today’s servicemen and women are veterans, and their children have grown -- it will be said that this generation believed under the most trying of tests; believed in perseverance -- not just when it was easy, but when it was hard; that they paid the price and bore the burden to secure this nation, and stood up for the values that live in the hearts of all free peoples.
So we say goodbye to those who now belong to eternity. We press ahead in pursuit of the peace that guided their service. May God bless the memory of those that we have lost. And may God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END
Take it from Darlene, liberal is good
Darlene has been busy stirring her Hodgepodge. Her latest column is "What is a Liberal?" Darlene is a proud liberal, and she cites many reasons why. She even quotes the Online and Merriam dictionaries, including this list of synonyms:
She, like many of us who share her views, abhors the transmogrification of the word liberal among the right-wing.
1. progressive. 7. broad-minded, unprejudiced. 9. beneficent, charitable, openhanded, munificent, unstinting, lavish.
She, like many of us who share her views, abhors the transmogrification of the word liberal among the right-wing.
The label that would make me laugh were it not so sad is just plain "librul."The use of the word liberal in a negative way began in the Reagan administration. We liberals have had to endure the following labels: bleeding heart liberals, liberal/commie/pinkos and even fascists. The sneers and derisive tones of voice when saying the word by the right wing is appalling.
Monday, November 09, 2009
"Monday Blogaround" from Shakespeare's Sister
Shakesville has lots of good blogs to read today:
Click the Link at the top to get the links to the blogs.
This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, makers of Spudsy's Delicious Scooter Snak-Paks, for the zipster on the go.
Recommended Reading:
UPDATE: Feminist Majority Foundation: "The Stupak amendment far from being abortion neutral is an unacceptable, giant step backward for women."
Melissa: The Stupak-Pitts Amendment Hall of Shame
Amanda: Misogyny Hijacks Health Care Reform Vote
The Red Queen: Second Class Health Care for Second Class Citizens
Atrios: The Worst Person in the World
Angry Asian Man: Health Care Bill's Lone Republican Supporter: Anh 'Joseph' Cao
Andy: Health Care Bill Provision Would Fix Unjust Tax Laws for Gays
Click the Link at the top to get the links to the blogs.
Is anybody paying attention?
Think the anti-abortion side won this weekend? Think women are going to accept this Stupak stupidity on behalf of their sisters and nieces and daughters and granddaughters?
Listen to what they're saying:
Angry Mouse in Daily Kos:
Jane Hamscher, in Huffington Post:
MY question is: Is this even constitutional? Can women's rights be dismissed so completely and with no problem to anyone other than women facing heartbreaking choices?
I think Obama really should have concentrated on doing something like FDR did--putting people to work on projects restoring the infrastructure. JOBS JOBS JOBS. Instead, we have this steaming pile of crap they are calling a "health care" bill. It has nothing to do with health and even less with care. All that will remain is the bill.
Listen to what they're saying:
Angry Mouse in Daily Kos:
My autonomy is not about your religious beliefs. My autonomy is not about your "concerns." My autonomy is not about your arbitrary belief that rape victims are entitled to reproductive health care, but women who "use it as contraception" or "change their minds" or "forget to use birth control" are somehow not entitled to reproductive health care.
I refuse to argue the minutia anymore. I refuse to beg for the right to be a full and equal citizen. I refuse to be taken for granted by the Democratic party, who tells me I have no choice but to vote Democrat in elections, and then congratulates itself for its big tent when it comes time to vote on legislation.
Don't tell me how you feel about abortion. I don't care how you feel about abortion.
Tell me how you feel about my rights. Tell me whether you believe I am a full and equal citizen. Tell me whether you really believe the Democratic party stands for women.
It is time for every member of the Democratic party to answer one simple question:
Do you believe in equal rights for women?
Jane Hamscher, in Huffington Post:
Democrats in Congress have just proudly signed a deal with the Catholic bishops which allows a bunch of old men who have spent the better part of the last century avoiding their own sexual issues to dictate access to abortion services in the House health care bill.
No tax dollars were going to go to pay for abortions, mind you, but now insurance companies that participate in the exchange can't even cover them, thanks to Democrat Bart Stupak. FDL's Jon Walker explains how it works:
If the insurance companies offering plans on the exchange are not allowed to turn down any customers, it means no basic insurance plan on the exchange could cover abortion. There would be no way to prevent that at least one of the plan’s customer would be be using affordability tax credits to help purchase the plan. So the effect is no plan sold on the exchange could offer abortion coverage as part of its basic package.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/naral-and-planned-parenth_b_349596.html&cp
MY question is: Is this even constitutional? Can women's rights be dismissed so completely and with no problem to anyone other than women facing heartbreaking choices?
I think Obama really should have concentrated on doing something like FDR did--putting people to work on projects restoring the infrastructure. JOBS JOBS JOBS. Instead, we have this steaming pile of crap they are calling a "health care" bill. It has nothing to do with health and even less with care. All that will remain is the bill.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Dear Mr. President
It's getting annoying, the way you can't send a letter to an elected official these days unless you agree to contribute to something. So...Here's my letter to President Obama. I'd send it through the Planned Parenthood site, but they have not made it possible. YEt. Here's my letter:
Dear Mr. President:
You campaigned on a promise to put reproductive health care at the center of your health care reform plan. Now it's time for you to make good on that commitment.
I am one of many who are outraged that the House of Representatives passed a bill that would make women worse off under health care reform than they are today. I am asking you to ensure that lawmakers, especially those in your party, support health care reform that protects women's access to reproductive care as the next round of debate and voting occurs in the Senate.
President Obama, without access to abortion care, and to comprehensive reproductive health care, there is no choice. I will not stand for that, and I need to know that you won't either.
Also, Mr. President, we can read. Specifically, we have read Taylor Marsh's column in HP today, which reads, in part: "It was Pres. Obama who opened the door to sell us out when he decided to put the Hyde Amendment in the budget, something Bill Clinton never did. But Mr. Obama didn't stop there. During the stimulus fight, at the first sign of displeasure, our president personally asked that contraceptives be taken out. Now the president seems ready to finish the job, with Democrats in the House helping him do it."
(Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/in-pelosis-house-64-democ_b_349769.html&cp).
You are not going to WIN anything if you do it on the backs of women!!
Thank you,
Xtreme English
Dear Mr. President:
You campaigned on a promise to put reproductive health care at the center of your health care reform plan. Now it's time for you to make good on that commitment.
I am one of many who are outraged that the House of Representatives passed a bill that would make women worse off under health care reform than they are today. I am asking you to ensure that lawmakers, especially those in your party, support health care reform that protects women's access to reproductive care as the next round of debate and voting occurs in the Senate.
President Obama, without access to abortion care, and to comprehensive reproductive health care, there is no choice. I will not stand for that, and I need to know that you won't either.
Also, Mr. President, we can read. Specifically, we have read Taylor Marsh's column in HP today, which reads, in part: "It was Pres. Obama who opened the door to sell us out when he decided to put the Hyde Amendment in the budget, something Bill Clinton never did. But Mr. Obama didn't stop there. During the stimulus fight, at the first sign of displeasure, our president personally asked that contraceptives be taken out. Now the president seems ready to finish the job, with Democrats in the House helping him do it."
(Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/in-pelosis-house-64-democ_b_349769.html&cp).
You are not going to WIN anything if you do it on the backs of women!!
Thank you,
Xtreme English
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Another great blog!
It just hasn't stopped this week: Welcome to Scotland for the Senses, whose post yesterday was on the "green monster," kale! I adore kale, and S4S has a great recipe for BAKED kale--she says,
I’m telling you, it’s tastier than popcorn and about a thousand times better for you. If you like the deep-fried crispy seaweed you can get in Chinese restaurants, this is a perfect substitute. Best eaten straight away to get the best crunch factor, but you can pack it up for a lunchtime snack as well.
Welcome to 20th Century Woman!
Golly....The most wonderful bloggers keep stopping by and saying hello this week. I'm pleased to welcome 20th Century Woman, who turns out to be an artist--currently studying painting but in her words, "I don’t think of myself as a painter. I went to art school when I was 50, and I majored in printmaking." Art school! Major!
She has links to other artists, too--like her community college painting teacher, Lorna Libert, whom 20th CW describes as "a free spirit, spontaneous, cheerful, friendly, intelligent and pretty." All of that?!
I've gone to many different art CLASSES--the University of Minnesota (metal sculpture), the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (painting), Art Students League in NYC (anatomical drawing), the University of Iowa (watercolor), Washington Studio School (figure sculpting), Gallaudet University (hand building ceramics), the Torpedo Factory (watercolor again) but unlike 20th CW I've never signed up and picked a major. What a great idea!
I'm feeling a great rush of inspiration here. Art has saved my bacon many times, and I'm going back to it. Grandma Moses started painting when she was 74. Do you think she ever wondered what the hey to do with herself when her eyesight got too wobbly for her embroidering?
But enough about me. Welcome, Ms. 20th Century Woman! You've come bearing great gifts!!
She has links to other artists, too--like her community college painting teacher, Lorna Libert, whom 20th CW describes as "a free spirit, spontaneous, cheerful, friendly, intelligent and pretty." All of that?!
I've gone to many different art CLASSES--the University of Minnesota (metal sculpture), the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (painting), Art Students League in NYC (anatomical drawing), the University of Iowa (watercolor), Washington Studio School (figure sculpting), Gallaudet University (hand building ceramics), the Torpedo Factory (watercolor again) but unlike 20th CW I've never signed up and picked a major. What a great idea!
I'm feeling a great rush of inspiration here. Art has saved my bacon many times, and I'm going back to it. Grandma Moses started painting when she was 74. Do you think she ever wondered what the hey to do with herself when her eyesight got too wobbly for her embroidering?
But enough about me. Welcome, Ms. 20th Century Woman! You've come bearing great gifts!!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Introducing....Cosmic Navel Lint!
Sometimes I just get very lucky...as when I encountered Cosmic Navel Lint, a blog from the UK. CNL was so kind as to comment on a couple of my posts yesterday, so I looked it up, and found today's post, immediately preceded by THIS one. Sooooo funny, and so original, too. Thanks CNL!!
i write letters.....
here's one I just composed...on "retired life":
retired life....well....lessee....it's sort of like being 9 or 10 but with nobody riding your ass all day--do this, don't do that, wash your hands, don't slam the back door (boy, there was one....my father used to go ballistic if i slammed the back door). i don't need much more money than i had then....so far, i've got a roof over my head, and food in the fridge, and three laptops. what more could a person want? haven't had a car since 1991 (for which, thanks be), but i do have a cool bike that i bought at a thrift shop last year and fixed up. it makes a lovely drying rack for my smalls, too.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Lest you misunderestimate what happened at the polls yesterday,
here's DIGBY, who always has something very sensible to say:
In other words, Repuglicans, YOU LOST!!
The fatuous gasbags have settled on the theme that the Democrats suffered a devastating setback to their agenda on Tuesday. This is despite the fact that as Clyburn pointed out, the only candidates who were actually running on the national agenda were those running for congress --- and the Democrats won. Nonetheless, the election has been decreed to be a precursor to a Democratic rout in 2010 and, more importantly, the reason for that will be because the Democrats have been far, far too liberal for the country. As usual.
In other words, Repuglicans, YOU LOST!!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Answer: Because altar boys don't get pregnant
Yesterday's mail brought a request from Planned Parenthood to help fight back against the Catholic bishops, who are throwing their weight around to encourage Catholic parishioners to agitate for more abortion restrictions in the health care bill. This clearly is the episcopal issue of choice (oops) these days. No matter that what the law of the land is, or the opinion of compassionate people everywhere, they are totally against abortion (and worse yet, birth control) for women.
Why, you ask? See above.
Why, you ask? See above.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Dear Diary....
November 2, 2009
Hard work today--successfully restrained myself from throwing my laptop through the window, and got the work done, too.
Plus, Squeak threw up blood! He probably heard us talking about my niece, who rescued a stray dog from the street in Naples yesterday. As she was driving around it, it raised its poor head and looked straight into her eyes. Being a kind person, she stopped traffic, got out and wrapped the dog in her sweatshirt, and hauled him home. There are no English-speaking vets in Naples, so she had to wait until this morning to take him into the vet on post. Last night, though, she said he had a broken leg and was vomiting blood. I imagine he is on the rainbow bridge, as my niece calls it, by now--if not on the other side already. But maybe not. I remember Josh surviving a hit by a panel truck back in the 70s. He managed to limp back to the shop and stand swaying in the back, where the overhead doors were wide open to the outside and fresh air. He had blood running from his nose and mouth. Mary, who was working in the back, said "There's something the matter with that dog!" Off to the vet with him, and the prognosis was grim. But HE survived.
Meanwhile, Squeak is at the vet here now, and the vet is going to do some blood work. What? No xrays? No MRIs? Probably a good case of parasites. Squeak loves to supplement his diet with whatever he can find on the sidewalk or in the tall grass. He's been vomiting regularly since last Friday, when they installed all new carpet! I yelled at him today for barfing on the carpet again, and woddya know, he directed his next four throwups to the kitchen tile!
So it's dog vomit day in Naples and DC.
I am not a dog lover like some. And it always amazes some dog lovers that their dogs come to sit by me or lie at my feet when I visit. I disapprove of the dogs lollygagging on the furniture and eating food off the kitchen counter. I disapprove of the dogs' lack of obedience and good doggy manners. But ha. The dogs still like me--more, it seems, than they like others who are more tolerant.
It's the day George Bernard Shaw died, at the age of 94. I was in the 8th grade at St. Mary's in Fargo that day, and I had never heard of George Bernard Shaw. I always thought he was English, but ha! he was IRISH.
Hard work today--successfully restrained myself from throwing my laptop through the window, and got the work done, too.
Plus, Squeak threw up blood! He probably heard us talking about my niece, who rescued a stray dog from the street in Naples yesterday. As she was driving around it, it raised its poor head and looked straight into her eyes. Being a kind person, she stopped traffic, got out and wrapped the dog in her sweatshirt, and hauled him home. There are no English-speaking vets in Naples, so she had to wait until this morning to take him into the vet on post. Last night, though, she said he had a broken leg and was vomiting blood. I imagine he is on the rainbow bridge, as my niece calls it, by now--if not on the other side already. But maybe not. I remember Josh surviving a hit by a panel truck back in the 70s. He managed to limp back to the shop and stand swaying in the back, where the overhead doors were wide open to the outside and fresh air. He had blood running from his nose and mouth. Mary, who was working in the back, said "There's something the matter with that dog!" Off to the vet with him, and the prognosis was grim. But HE survived.
Meanwhile, Squeak is at the vet here now, and the vet is going to do some blood work. What? No xrays? No MRIs? Probably a good case of parasites. Squeak loves to supplement his diet with whatever he can find on the sidewalk or in the tall grass. He's been vomiting regularly since last Friday, when they installed all new carpet! I yelled at him today for barfing on the carpet again, and woddya know, he directed his next four throwups to the kitchen tile!
So it's dog vomit day in Naples and DC.
I am not a dog lover like some. And it always amazes some dog lovers that their dogs come to sit by me or lie at my feet when I visit. I disapprove of the dogs lollygagging on the furniture and eating food off the kitchen counter. I disapprove of the dogs' lack of obedience and good doggy manners. But ha. The dogs still like me--more, it seems, than they like others who are more tolerant.
It's the day George Bernard Shaw died, at the age of 94. I was in the 8th grade at St. Mary's in Fargo that day, and I had never heard of George Bernard Shaw. I always thought he was English, but ha! he was IRISH.
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