blogroll amnesty day

apparently, i am out of the loop on this one but i saw it at jolly roger's blog- and so i am going with it :)

i have no idea what my ranking or hits have been lately- i haven't kept track since god was a child and i stopped posting as much after the elections. so, i will pick blogs at random- since i no longer have a blog roll.

making good mondays- my buddy carol gee has this delightful slice of the blogosphere and she also writes south by southwest and posts at the sirens chronicles on tuesdays and the reaction.

i also enjoy coffee messiah because of the mixture of life, prose, pictures and coffee :)

left in aboite- john has a great mix over there of music, funny, political, and sometimes strange

robert rouse of left of center fame has started up a fun, otherworldly blog called LEFT of normal- ufos, sci fi, ghostly hauntings and other weirdly happenings. don't fret- he has promised to pop back into the 'real' world if the political world takes a turn :)

helpful tips

to making your blog load faster- i happened upon this as i was posting the last post- i skip blogs or posts that take forever to load- yes, i am impatient. i generally just blame blogger but i suppose it could be the actual blogger :)

what am i missing?

why do we need private security firms to contract with the state department to guard diplomats? i am not well versed in military etiquette but shouldn't our armed forces be utilized since they are there anyway? does anyone know if this is the way we have always guarded diplomats?

state dept. not to renew blackwater contract in may- but since the iraqis want them out that was the real reason. not because the state dept. gives a shit.

and why is this shocking? and no, it's not a pun- kbr is a subsidiary of halliburton. if cheney headed up halliburton, you know what kind of scruples anything or anyone associated has.

i ran into this very cool website- i found it to be interesting and hopeful- young candidates run in local elections. folks, i have said over and over that we have to be vigilant in keeping the neocons and regressives out of our local, state, and national gov't. we have seen what their tenure in power has done to the whole globe- and quite frankly, the young folks have a right to give it a try. they are inheriting this mess from us. important to remember though- fundies and neocons also have young people who they will run for office. you must choose the candidate- not the age. and experience is not always a plus.

and because i loathe fundamentalism- the existentialist cowboy- the role of american fundies in decline of west

interesting articles

at least i found them to be so- you can judge for yourself :)

hummer drivers get more tickets- i won't say what i think they should get ;)

europeans have their panties in a wad- and boy do they know how to take action- another reason the neocons should worry

the 1950's were a myth- we debunked the idyllic myth in the 60's why do we keep insisting on reinventing the wheel? can someone please tell the religious right?

does the recession spare anyone?

joe the plumber is out of a job

why am i not surprised?

400 richest american's income doubled under bush

that was the plan after all.

not sure where i stand on this one

on the one hand- it's a good thing for folks in africa. on the other, europeans and middle eastern oil companies are moving to cash in and i can see the african continent exploited again- for it's sunshine.

well, that's one way to do it

ohio congresswoman urges foreclosed on constituents to be squatters in their own homes

a new meme

from my buddy thornie- who has decided to return to the blogosphere in brand new digs fyi :)

so, in light of the fact that one of my anonymous readers scolded me about always being so doom and gloom- and doncha know we need some uplifting in these tough times already- i was delighted to pretend to put some thought into this meme ;) so, without further ado:

apparently, i am supposed to name 5 addictions and pass it along to 5 other unsuspecting- i mean deserving- bloggers to do the same :)

1) morning coffee- no brainer there right? :)

2) chocolate- just love it. mostly in chocolates like truffles or those scrumptious hershey's kisses with cherry in the middle- but chocolate- dark chocolate is my favorite :)

3) internet- i check my emails and google reader at least 3 times a day- more if i am bored :) and i am so used to googling everything as a starting point for research- i doubt i could use a library anymore:)

4) environmental stuff :) i have a million gardening books and links on rain barrels, cleaning products, etc.

5) recipes- it's about the only thing i collect besides books :)

i love all of you- free for all the meme :)

knowing your enemy

enables you to generally formulate a strategy to combat them. sigh. if only that was true in real life.....

glenn greenwald on dick 'the dick like cheney' armey

house rethugs- in this particular case but these are also faux news talking points

hate media with an emphasis on hate radio

these folks are out there spreading their fear and hate just like they have been forever. the rank and file still hang on their every word and these folks are still our neighbors. i have no idea if there is a solution in a free society other than vigilance from our end that the truth remains out there en masse and we work on fixing our voting and election infrastructure along with the other physical stuff. just sayin'...

fyi madame speaker

your house of representatives website- sucks. not user friendly at all. in keeping with my idea that folks should know how your duly elected reps voted- here's how the left voted in the house:

all voted FOR the stimulus package except:

Rep. Allen Boyd [D, FL-2]
Rep. Bobby Bright [D, AL-2]
Rep. Jim Cooper [D, TN-5]
Rep. Brad Ellsworth [D, IN-8]
Rep. Parker Griffith [D, AL-5]
Rep. Paul Kanjorski [D, PA-11]
Rep. Frank Kratovil [D, MD-1]
Rep. Walter Minnick [D, ID-1]
Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7]
Rep. Heath Shuler [D, NC-11]
Rep. Gene Taylor [D, MS-4]

so, if one of those folks is your representative, and you disagree with them voting with the entire rethuglican party in the house of representatives- please do your civic duty and contact them. encourage your fellows to do the same. and keep a running tally and vote these fools out.

morning cuppa news

i got all excited about a new study that finds that coffee drinkers have lower susceptibility to dementia. then it said if you drink more than 2 cups daily. sigh.

neither rain nor sleet nor dead of night can stop the mailperson- but, apparently, the economic debacle can- may have to shave off a few days of delivery

and amidst the heinous allegations of the cia agent accused of raping at least 2 women in algiers by drugging them- i learned that it is apparently ok for muslim ladies to drink appletinis. who knew.

off to my second cuppa......

more religious stupidity

schools can expel students they think 'seem gay'- hmmmm..... seem gay. what does that even mean? there are folks out there no one ever knows are gay- rock hudson, wanda sikes, condi rice- and there are others who aren't gay who you would swear are. does the stupidity of the religious right ever end? sorry, rhetorical question.

has some folks wondering why they should bother to respect the 'oppressive religions' anymore. beats me. the only things i have found the organized religions know how to do- oppress, fearmonger, bilk, use, abuse, and completely mistreat anyone in thier paths. did i mention brainwash? and they manage to be just about as hypocritical as human beings can be at the same time. i suppose that could be construed as 'talent'.

community building

it is no secret that america is broken. we have much work to do and we are at the beginning steps- but the journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step. in the online community, we have tasked ourselves with keeping the truth in plain sight because we know that the folks who ultimately brought this country- and the globe- to its knees are not going away. you can see that in the eyes of john boehner. it is vital that we stick together because america, as a whole and as individuals, does not have the proper coping skills needed to stay strong and survive. we don't. some of us do, but many of us simply short circuit and shut down.

and i say that to say this- reach out to your neighbors. yes, i know. after saying how much i was grateful to not have the sorry assed neighbors i used to have- it sounds strange. but there was a group there that looked out for each other. i doubt that 7 people would have perished out of desperation had they lived in my old neighborhood- and i doubt that a 93 year old man would have frozen to death in my old neighborhood. folks, i can't make it more plain than that. the rich and/or the corporates don't care a rat's ass about you- they will foreclose and kick you out of the home you built with your family in a heartbeat. they will turn you out and they will turn off your utilities. the christian groups will help you if you convert-- and if you aren't homosexual or colored or foreign.

we only have each other. and there are only a few of us strong enough to shoulder what lies ahead. we are going to have tough decisions to make and they won't be easy. life decisions generally aren't. it's why so many forego making them in the first place. easier to run and bury your head in the sand- or the bible- than it is to face the difficulties that life throws at you. but if we don't choose to stick together- we may end up sharing together anyway. it's funny, even with a regime change in congress and in the white house, there doesn't seem to be all that much change. h/t to suzie q

rep. alcee hastings (d-fl)

'To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.'

always fact check emails

Human Voices: Believe it or not

i get propaganda in my inbox all of the time from well meaning folks who think that they are doing a psa. unfortunately, many are right wing propaganda mails but i know that the left has a few in circulation also. thanks to cap'n fogg for checking into this one.

just because it's a feel good thing

help stop rush- sign the petition

i realize petitions don't really mean much- but every vote seems like taking a whack at him :)


update:

that didn't take long

from my email

“What a burden to think one is conceived in sin rather than in pleasure; that one is born into evil rather than into Joy. . . .

It is chilling to think that the same people who persecuted the wise women and men of Europe, its midwives and healers, then crossed the oceans to Africa and the Americas and tortured and enslaved, raped, impoverished, and eradicated the peaceful, Christ-like people they found. And that the blueprint from which they worked, and still work, was the Bible.”

These words were written by:

-- Alice Walker, "The Only Reason You Want to Go to Heaven Is That You Have Been Driven Out of Your Mind," Anything We Love Can Be Saved: A Writer's Activism).

h/t happy in nevada

h/t left in aboite

What Would Jesus Do?

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front
of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, ‘I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.’ I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally…I assumed you had stolen the car.’

the world at large

well, i am glad that president obama is finally moving towards addressing climate change. too bad it's about 60 years too late. folks in power started hearing about climate change in the 1950's and there was a letter from scientists to our 'elected' officials in the 1970's. yes, folks, greed has taken the planet. a new study says that our time is past for really reversing climate change. guess we had better get used to the weather extremes and all that goes along with it. our way of life has changed even if we don't want it to- even if we are kicking and screaming and throwing a fit to keep it. the un says that we need to produce more food by 2050 to stave off starvation and a real global issue. i say- not gonna happen. the genetically modified seed; paved over arable land; overused farm land; petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides, etc., are not conducive to sustainability. so, c'est la vie. what is is. i am not saying that we shouldn't change and move forward to make this planet better- we should do what we can for the future folks who may still be alive.

on to healthcare, well, it sucks here in america with its waste and graft and overall difficulty in accessibility. but you won't get to see anything that says that- especially a bbc documentary covering the healthcare crisis in america. guess our sensibilities are just too delicate. oh, and that yearly exam you feel you must have- or that you must have for work- don't really need it. go figure. kind of like the 3,000 mile oil change that you don't really need because synthetic oils are more efficient than in the past. i get mine every 6,000 give or take.

mac users- no real reason to be quite so smug anymore- there's a particularly nasty bit of malware aimed right at you. that's my psa for the day. oh, and go figure that rove's former aide is now working for james dobson's focus on the family. i mean this guy gets hired after massive layoffs there. the lord taketh and giveth i guess.

winter sunshine

well, the nice thing is- i got most of my seeds. the other nice thing is- i am a quarter done on the baby afghan i am making for my sister-in-law. the not so nice thing- colder than a witch's.....here. not that i didn't already know, but i bought the farmer's almanac to see when i could expect the last frost here in my region- end of april. this winter has been and will be about 2 degrees colder on average than normal with above average precipitation. well, so far, they have been right :)

summertime- supposed to be hotter and drier on average for most of us but the northwest around the rockies- hot and wet. go figure. must get a move on on the rain barrels. thought i would throw some life pics up- these are actually ones i took and not the generic googled fare ya'll usually receive from my keyboard :) it is currently about 18 degrees here in the endicott area and it is supposed to be single digits again. gonna get dumped on with more snow tomorrow night allegedly- but it's better than ice. the lap leeches have been snuggling to keep warm- and trust me- they like body heat. sigh.














my amaryllis is gone now but it did brighten up the first part of january like a big, strangely shaped candy cane- so i can't complain.

psa for women

the article is unfortunately titled- but the info is particularly useful

profiles in courage

The Poor Mouth: Forgiving Mengele

weekend hypocrisy

ahhhh.... the party of heredity indeed

oh, those punny journalists

researchers shocked: tasers cause dramatic rise in deaths while incarcerated

it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. i have no idea why this would come as a surprise- you are shooting electricity into a complex system of chemical reactions and bodies full of water and minerals. it's why we strap folks into chairs to kill them. duh!

fellow new yorker passes

constance cook

"Constance E. Cook, a former New York State assemblywoman who was co-author of the law that legalized abortion in the state three years before the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, died Tuesday at her home in Ithaca, N.Y. She was 89."

holy crap in a bucket!

i thought my head spun trying to keep up with all of the horrible crap bushco was trying to cram into their last days in office- wave after wave after wave-

but dudes- i am overwhelmed by what president obama is getting done after 2 days. whew!!! closing gitmo, ending torture, ending secret prisons, reintroducing science to america via stem cell research and women's health funding- and whoa- i found out much of this from mom- who actually saw the news. i am going to have to take some time to catch up as i was away from the google reader for most of the day. did i mention telling the rethugs that it was him who won?!

harry reid is toast.

ahhh....

counterpoint to schumer i guess- gov. paterson picks kirsten gillibrand to replace mrs. clinton. i am not terribly happy that she's a blue dog democrat but she got a good civil liberties rating- so, fine until 2010. schumer is from new york city- fairly diverse. gillibrand- not so much. upstate new york is largely rural and largely white. i can see why paterson wanted a counterpoint. upstate is usually ignored in favor of the city.

but boy, she represents a reallllyyyyy rural part of the state. it's like 'deliverance' almost. i visited a part of delaware county as part of my job- they have a duck crossing in the middle of their two lane, barely paved, windy, twisty road. and i grew up rural but damn! seriously, there are parts of new york that don't get cell phone service or cable or barely running water and electricity. i suppose because we are part of apalachia? no, that was a joke that was at the expense of folks who have nothing. sorry.

spygate

is it me or is olbermann incredulous that he and other journalists- and every american- has been spied on? keith, take a deep breath and wrap your mind around it. it's why i don't use certain words in posts or in emails or even when i call my mom. that's the idea behind sucking everything in and filtering. i am sure that we are all on a list somewhere.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

i guess

that all of the good stuff was allocated to the nsa

obama staff arrives to find technological stone age at white house

that explains a lot. of course, the shrub could barely read and cheney refused emails.

hate to say i told you so

but....



russel tice- nsa whistleblower

um... the reality check

apparently hasn't reached all americans. know what i have to say to these folks? grow up. there isn't a single drop of empathy or compassion within me for people like this. not when there are folks who don't have a home or a job or a car or even basic food and clothing for their children. life sucks rich whiners. get used to it.

interesting

no one probably remembers my call to boycott starbucks over leaving their water running constantly- they have since changed that thankfully. via my mom- and i don't have much info on the whole thing so someone please feel free to look into it and leave it in the comments-

corporate social responsibility- hopefully it isn't akin to 'green washing' and environmental

starbucks 'i'm in campaign'

hands on network

my own quick thought- reduce, reuse, recycle. buy local and volunteer. it will strengthen communities and we can all keep out an eye for the types of corruption and ideology we are hopefully moving forward from. they always start small- school boards, local and state gov'ts, etc. just a thought

ooh, no wonder

the freepers and limbaugh's panties are in such a wad :) :) :)

obama's first day

"Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency. Our commitment to openness means more than simply informing the American people about how decisions are made. It means recognizing that government does not have all the answers, and that public officials need to draw on what citizens know. And that's why, as of today, I'm directing members of my administration to find new ways of tapping the knowledge and experience of ordinary Americans -- scientists and civic leaders, educators and entrepreneurs -- because the way to solve the problem of our time is -- the way to solve the problems of our time, as one nation, is by involving the American people in shaping the policies that affect their lives. "
-- President Barack Obama, 1/21/2009, in remarks delivered in his welcome to senior staff at the White House

n the Presidential Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, and the Presidential Memorandum on the Freedom of Information Act, the President instructs all members of his administration to operate under principles of openness, transparency and of engaging citizens with their government. To implement these principles and make them concrete, the Memorandum on Transparency instructs three senior officials to produce an Open Government Directive within 120 days directing specific actions to implement the principles in the Memorandum. And the Memorandum on FOIA instructs the Attorney General to in that same time period issue new guidelines to the government implementing those same principles of openness and transparency in the FOIA context.

Finally, the Executive Order on Presidential Records brings those principles to presidential records by giving the American people greater access to these historic documents. This order ends the practice of having others besides the President assert executive privilege for records after an administration ends. Now, only the President will have that power, limiting its potential for abuse. And the order also requires the Attorney General and the White House Counsel to review claims of executive privilege about covered records to make sure those claims are fully warranted by the Constitution.

this is a good start. let's hope it keeps going or we will put him to the test of engaging us :)

public service announcement

nasty worm investing millions of computers daily

this one looks particularly ugly- take heed

malware is insidious and destructive

attention nevadans and californians

please, please vote these people out. pelosi must go and so must her cohort

reid defends lobbyists

we also work for a living reid- and we don't much like living in a corporatocracy. in fact, we prefer a democratic republic- so change your tune or you will be a private citizen again- and perhaps you can go work for a lobbyist firm like your buddy lott.

back into the fray

look folks- i don't want to rain on anyone's inaugural parade (or snow as the case may be- it was f***ing cold yesterday) but the reality is- bush is gone, but not really. he is certainly building his library and museum- but attached is going to be a 'freedom institute'- and the ranch at crawford? well, he's allegedly going to sell it-

"In 2002, the ranch was wired for what Bush described in a 2003 tour of the ranch as "real time, secure videoconferencing" to be used for his briefings from the CIA and Dick Cheney"

wikipedia

as it was billed as 'the western white house'- anyone want to hazard a guess as to whether the same types of surveillance equipment and other needed 'presidential' goodies weren't put there too? let's keep a watch on who actually buys it. as for the freedom institute- bush isn't the policy wonk- and rovie went to crawford on the former president's plane with him today. let's just keep a peep at who is actually doing what out there in dallas. tom delay rears his ugly head from time to time- he is still in washington, dc and trent lott is now a lobbyist there.

as for dick 'the dick' cheney- if you believe he really needed the chair- i mean really, i have some alaskan tundra to sell ya also. the man has a bad heart and we are to believe that he is moving boxes and lifting things. right. guess that's why he donned the trench coat, fedora and cane too before heading out. katie couric remarked how it was reminiscent of fdr, and while she is a dolt and no one would ever accuse cheney of channeling his inner fdr, i think it was the look he was going for. what better fear to put into rethugs than fdr has returned in the form of obama? listening for anytime to the rightwing nutjobs of talk radio- looks like cheney succeeded.

and guess what? he's moving into digs in mclean, virginia and guess who lives across the bay? rummy- he lives in st. michaels, maryland. so, they all are still around making trouble. in fact, that's their plan. it isn't just the hardline rethugs left in congress- but we must watch out for the blue dog democrats who only won because they are so much like rethugs to begin with. but the plan is to delay and stall and obstruct--- and the ultimate plan is to get 're-elected' in 2010 and 2012. they can't see the progressives and other democrats win. they don't want obama and the democratic congress to be successful because they won't have any chance at all. in fact, they are out there saying just that.

the republican governors like haley barbour and rick perry are organizing a movement to take back control of individual states. we don't hear or see them often because they aren't on the national stage- but if anyone thinks palin will rear her ugly head as any kind of leader of the rethuglican party- they are delusional. by the time 2010 or 2012 rolls around- palin will be largely forgotten. barbour and perry working along with cheney and the rest- rove is still around as is bill kristol and the whole pnac crowd- are going to work behind the scenes to screw with what has worked for them in the past- voter disinfranchisement and voter fraud and hackable voting machines. make no mistake, they do their 'best' work in private and in secrecy- and the most secretive man in the white house- won his case to remain so.

look, we cannot pretend it will be wine and roses. president obama (whew! it's weird acknowledging i have a president again after 8 long years. and no, never watched one speech or presser the shrub or cheney gave. not one.) said as much in his various speeches and most notably in his inaugural speech. we must work together to keep the dems on track for sure. but we must be vigilant within our own communities and our own states to keep these people at bay. they can't win if we are citizen soldiers and we don't let them. we bloggers are going to be more important than ever to keep the needed flow of information out there and to keep the true grassroots movements going. we took back our country with a foundation of information that was built upon by citizen activists following through. obama can promise the moon to us all but we are the ones who have to help him lasso it.

america is our country-- if we want it to be. remember the french revolution where the elites' heads were chopped off by the citizens? well, we don't have to be quite that drastic but we do have to force the change needed and if we need to- vote people out and hold them accountable. the future is not ours- but the present is. what we do now, will be for our children and their children (if the world holds out that long) but the decision is ours.

update:

rethugs plan anti dem press conference to 'triangulate' and obstruct, etc.

and lest we think we don't have much work to do

anti-terror law invoked for unruly behavior- not terrorism

praying obama fails

the rest of the world is watching us

to not forget the past as we put it behind us. we need to take responsibility for the crap as well as the good stuff. hopefully, they won't let us forget.

taking responsibility for bush

and hopefully, the brits won't have another blair, the germans....the french.... the spanish.... etc- and they will clean house and we can all start fresh sans nato and the new world order.

inauguration day

OBAMA:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

the bushes have left the building

happy new year!

millenials and gen xers 'just say no' to the boomers

"They, like the president-elect, have little patience for the simmering feuds and nasty partisanship of their elders...

“There’s an impression that people who came of age then were looking at ideas of utopia and ‘great societies,’ ” said Laura Segal, 38, a Gen Xer who worked in the Clinton White House. “We’re not dreaming of a ‘great society.’ We’re more ready to work for a good society.”

A lot of Gen Xers and millennials preferred Obama to boomer Hillary Clinton because he seemed more tuned in to what’s happening now."

pete souza, official photographer,

"He spent four hours setting up the right conditions and background for Obama's official photo -- then five minutes taking the picture that will be seen around the world. It's the first presidential portrait taken with a digital camera." (emphasis mine)

slide show

yes!!!

you cannot believe (or maybe you can) how unbelievably pissed i was that this was bush's first act in the white house- or cheney's- i happen to think bush went rogue on this one.

how f***ing happy am i that this will be obama's first?

obama to overturn global gag rule

i am all about contraceptives and prevention- then the abortion debate is almost moot.

yeah here's the deal

for the right wing rethuglican talking heads to decry obama's inauguration costs during a 'time of recession' and compare bush's second term gala with obama's first- apples and oranges. i am not a big fan of the hoopla, however, bush could have foregone a second inauguration extravaganza in 'a time of war' and what not- and he didn't. not to mention, that we have spent trillions of dollars on said war that was senseless to begin with and trillions more to bailout bush's cronies. a few million here and there for the spirit of change and the hope it's bringing to millions around the world- well, what's the difference at this point?

history is over but the future is ours'

the american future- a history- book or dvd of series

bill moyers/simon schama part 1

bill moyers/simon schama part 2

bill moyers- born again american

bornagainamerican.org

for the first time in a very long time, i feel that sense of optimism and 'can do' that does define america. knowing that so very many people do really believe that america has flaws and that the entire country needs so very much work- well, it's a relief. i believe in the spirit of community service and working together- and it worked pretty well for our pioneering predecessors. i am hopeful that we can ALL work together this time though- black, white, brown, red, yellow, muslim, christian, athiest, etc. but i am not pollyannish enough to believe it will happen overnight.

we have so very much work to do to save our country and our planet- and i don't know if we will make it. but for the first time in a long time, i really feel like our whole country (well, perhaps not the 20% for bush) will be the united states of america in the future- again. schama points out our sordid history and perhaps it's because he has 'foreign' eyes that he is able to look so very clearly at it and still maintain that we did and do have good points. we need patriotism again- not the nationalistic flag waving type- but true love for our country; our planet; our brothers and sisters and in between- and ourselves.

we have a tough row to hoe these next few years- and we have to have the fortitude and the patience to get through. i am not pinning my hopes on barack obama. he is one man- a very compelling and intelligent man- but it isn't up to just him. it is up to us. it is our america. it is our planet. we have to shoulder the responsibility and the work to make it so. there are no excuses. we either do it or we don't. but we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

wow

that bubonic plague is like a 'smart bomb.' parting gift from the bushies?

more and more, looks like the religious right just can't get no respect- on this final night of the 'reign of terror' here in america, let me just say that there should be absolutely no religious praying or any other crap at an inauguration unless all religions are represented. according to the constitution, america does not have a state religion. this is NOT a christian nation and you cannot rewrite history to make it so.

so, here's a brief history lesson- the 'under god' in the presidential oath seems to have started in 1882 with chester arthur (R)-- not george washington. therefore, it was NOT put in there by thomas jefferson. moving on... the pledge of allegiance to the flag- written in... oh, wait... 1882 and the under god thing- added in 1954 by dwight eisenhower (R).

seems pretty straight forward to me. it wasn't the founding fathers who wanted this a christian nation- looks like it's just republicans. hmmmmmmm.......

i am also not an economics expert

but all of these things seem interrelated:

businesses liquidate- thousands without a job

more than half of americans say they are struggling

bush 'presidency' deemed a failure by 2/3 of population

who exactly are the 1/3 who think he did a great job- and why is there 20 percent or so out of the 2/3 that believe he failed due to circumstances beyond his control? sigh.

i live in the northeast

upstate new york, in fact. perhaps new york city geese are different- but most geese fly south for the winter. it's winter. pigeons perhaps or gulls- but geese? i am willing to admit i am not a goose expert.

finally, i am not the only one

"But I'm convinced what most Americans fail to perceive, even to this day, is the true depth of the evil here. What they don't understand is that the incompetence and the partisanship, and even the garden-variety corruption, are the least of what just happened. What they don't get is that the major reason the Bush catastrophe was so catastrophic, is that these people never came to Washington to do good in the first place. They came instead to do well, and boy did they."

the bushies stole us blind... so how'd you like your beer?

attention

right wing fucktards- barack obama's middle name is hussein. it has been hussein since the day he was born and it is part of who he is. that middle name is his name- his name is barack hussein obama. it isn't part of any of your false wars or false fearmongering- it's the man's name. his mother and father gave him that name and that's all there is to it.

get the fuck over it.

boycott israeli goods

and also the american products and companies who support them

global bds movement

in this time of recession, this could make or break and really send a message. besides, we should be much more choosy of where our goods, services and foods come from. seriously.

50 most loathesome people of 2008

7. Dick Cheney

Charges: Still alive. The amount of medical resources devoted to keeping this black hole of decency operational could have cured cancer by now, but if they had, Cheney would make sure to keep it a secret. Since Watergate, Cheney's been fighting to rehab Nixon's image, and he has succeeded in a way, by showing us all just how much worse a presidency can be.

good picks- and not all of them were rethuglicans :) i especially like number 1 :)

changes are a comin'

athiest buses roll in england and from the 'it didn't take long for that' department- bus driver refuses to drive bus with athiest slogans

from my two favorite athiest sites :)

second cuppa musings

i send on many of the links i see- for reasons explained elsewhere- but i thought perhaps i would share a few today- on the cusp of the new year. the 2008 elections swept many rethuglicans from office and indeed, many more are deciding not to run in 2010. but please don't be lulled into a false sense of winning- because rethuglicans don't go away- they get recycled. we have all seen gingrich, rove, kristol, buchanan, etc out there as talking heads and whatnot- well, delay is still lurking in a think tank, as do many of the former rethugs. they used to go into lobbying, ala trent lott, but with some regulations being handed out in that realm- think tanks are in. indeed, the shrub is having a private institute attached to his library in dallas- probably to plan world domination again.

so, it came as no surprise that rick santorum and bill frist reared their ugly heads again. please, mark my words- these people are not in the public eye but they will continue to work against any progressive agenda behind the scenes. we become complacent at our own peril. and congress is not off the hook either- gitmo will be closed sooner or later but that does not mean that those folks will go free. please don't harbor any illusions- we do have other secret prisons around the world that people are renditioned to and tortured in. iraq and afghanistan for certain and detainees are often outsourced to egypt and eastern europe so we don't get our hands dirty.

as for big corporate and lies- well, that isn't going to go away either. this isn't a magic land cleansed because bushco is leaving the white house. make no mistake- the corporatocracy exists to perpetuate itself- much like any of our institutions such as human services and education. drug execs still pander untested and unsafe drugs- so hopefully, the new FDA will have some teeth. until then, i don't take meds. and big coal brags about manipulating facts during elections in order to push their agenda. get real. there is no such thing as clean coal or unlimited oil and natural gas. they are fossil fuels and they burn dirty and get used up. and all of them have to be extracted from the earth causing environmental hazards and destruction. although, according to all of the lies from bushco, you many not know that.

and the last bit made me chuckle. not happily but with a bitter irony. one article rants at how we should not compare modern day israel's murdering of palestinians with the nazi's wholesale slaughter of the european jews because there were no gas chambers, etc. but then goes on to admit that many other aspects are quite similar. the other article, written by a member of british parliment, does just that- and quite adamantly- compares the two atrocities. take a peek yourselves and reach your own conclusion. i have mine.

me too

obamas skipped shrub's speech

i mean, how many more lies can you cram into 8 years? besides, despite my dislike for the arrogant, ignorant, incurious shrub- this was particularly tasteless

"Despite Bush's rhetoric, his Administration hasn't appeared to be as welcoming. Thursday was the first night the Obamas were allowed to spend in the president-elect's temporary residence.

The first family requested an early move-in in December but were rebuffed. The Bush Administration said that the reason was that the residence had already been booked -- it later emerged, to the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard.

Bloomberg journalist Margaret Carlson told MSNBC that the White House hadn't extended the invitation to Howard until after Obama's request, lending credence to a notion that "they asked him [Howard] to come and stay so that there might be some plausible reason for not letting the Obamas stay there," and adding that the house had 119 rooms -- meaning Howard "wouldn't even have to share a sink with the Obamas."

probably the best summary i have seen of 'w'- juan cole:

"W. is a frightful combination of ignorant, dull, and pigheaded when to succeed in the Middle East he needed to be well-informed, bright and intellectually agile. "

do read the whole article. it will make you smile and sigh at the same time.

gaza update

i don't always write myself on events- i know, hard to believe as i tend towards the wordy :) my friends usually do a much better job at getting to the heart of the matter and in that regard, carol gee is exceptional. please take a run down of her write up on the events in gaza.

my buddy dusty also cuts to the bone- especially when the topic speaks to her heart. she has done a great write up on the israeli reactions to their government's genocidal actions.

gardening

i just read an article on gardening- and my opinion- it's a start. this person still believes in purchasing a great amount of food and sounds like they dabble- but they have the right idea. and there are other links to seeds i will check out. my personal opinion- just make a start. if you have the seeds and the understanding that our food production system is not sustainable, well, it makes you determined to become one with the soil. the reality is- eventually, there won't be enough local farmers being able to grow food even for organic buffs- which is one reason agri business took over. our demand for food grew- and they could make money so they squeezed most of the family farms out- remember reagan and all of those farm foreclosures? remember 'farm aid?'

anyhoo, add to the fact that where those farms once stood- are probably suburban mcmansions and you realize that much of our arable farmland has been paved over. that's an issue with food production and water. just a head's up and an fyi- it was largely due to the family farms that we got through the last great depression. we don't have that anymore.

'true friends' indeed

joining the list of bush cronies who have already been rewarded for towing the american mark for the 8 year reign of error (and terror)- blair, howard, and uribe- for their ass kissing, obsequious, roll over and get their tummies scratched by the master- the medal of freedom. uh huh. 'cause they doled out so much freedom in their own countries and the middle east.

here's keeping our fingers crossed that america's flirtation with stupidity and ignorance is coming to a close.

heat wave

so, we are in the beginnings of a cold snap here in my neck of the woods. at least it feels a bit more like winter. at 9:30 am est it is currently 7 degrees but feels like negative 7. but the sun is shining brilliantly off of the 3-10 inches we got earlier in the week and it's cold but lovely. as long as you bundle up- it's fine. of course, i haven't been outside yet ;)

having a nice warm cuppa and debating what to do with myself today. i need to get the seed catalogs finished and ordered because i am going to stagger my orders so i am not laying out all of that cash at once. seeds and stuff i should say :) my ultimate goal is to have a year round garden- all seasons- by using a cold frame. and i am mixing veggies, herbs and flowers together to make it look nice for sure but also to companion garden. camouflaging the veggies against theft is also a bonus but hell, perhaps there are flower thieves as well.

after i get that settled, i can plan my layouts- i am putting in a garden for the fam too. and after that, i start worrying about processing and storage- and ultimately seed storage and preservation. yep. why lay out good money if you don't save the seeds for next time? sounds like a lot of work doesn't it? it is. however, once i lay a good foundation and see what works- it should be like clockwork in subsequent years. and... i won't have to lay out more money again.

the next project will be to track down a good, sturdy rain barrel- and i am torn on this one. i found a spot that sells recycled plastic ones. and they would last quite awhile- and they are made with recycled plastic versus cutting down a tree or using a metal barrel that would eventually rust. i am leaning towards the plastic one although i am really trying to get away from plastics. sigh. besides, the wooden ones are lined with pvc. sigh. yes, i could make my own but by the time you get all of the materials together- it would cost as much as a small rainbarrel anyway.

i am planning on integrating square foot gardening with a twist on traditional row gardening. i also hope to remember to take pictures along the way :) i am going to attempt to not get too much trellising and staking if i can help it- going to use sunflowers and corn stalks to guide my vines to climb. native folks were experts at it- i intend to learn. i have a great yard- front and back and i intend to utilize it. besides, i have a reel mower i got from my dad- and that's less yard i have to mow ;) and yes, i realize it is more work than having a lawn guy or having a gas mower- that's the point.

i have determined that the only way for me to burn calories is to actually burn calories. my fat little self will be the motor for the lawn mower, the tiller of the ground, the harvester, the planter, the waterer, etc. plus, i don't have a maid and i don't have a personal chef. i have also determined that i hate to cook because it is no fun opening a bag of vegetables that end up tasting like cardboard no matter what you do to them- or soapy if they are cauliflower of corn- and i hate even thinking about touching the meat packages. i shouldn't loathe my food. so, i am taking the bull by the horns- so to speak. we aren't really zoned for animals ;) or i would probably have a few chickens and a goat ;) then i really wouldn't have to mow.

if you have any gardening advice- feel free to drop me an email or comment. i have lots of info on urban gardening, suburban gardening, container gardening, etc. this is the year i march towards food freedom. once i get through the seed catalogs ;)

never is really about religion

Blogger Round table: Natural Gas drilling by BP off-shore at Gaza

always about the greed

newsy roundup

not really- but i found this interesting-

openly gay bishop invocating at inaugural concert

my guess is the big o doesn't want to piss folks off and thinks that this will appease as 'balance'- yeah, nice try.

there is emerging evidence that the bee collapses may be linked to genetically modified seeds. huh, guess that's why monsanto is laughing all the way to the bank.

nothing bothers me more than smugness and arrogance because you are untouchable. cheney smirks; bush smirks- most rightwingers smirk- and apparently, the corporatocracy smirks because they don't believe that you can do anything about them. you can. buy heirloom seeds and garden at home. it can be in window boxes, plant pots, 2 plants in your strip of yard, start a community garden plot on a vacant lot, roof garden, etc.

if you would like info on any of those things- give me an email. if we reduce, reuse, recycle and grow our own and support locally when possible- these assholes won't be so cocky.

fleece my sheep?

there are many reasons i don't believe in organized religion- one of the biggest is the fleecing of the sheep. i remember the rise of the evangelicals in the early 80's- the jimmy swaggarts and ernest angely's dominating the airwaves in the rural south where i spent a few bucolic days of my youth. well, that was close to 25 years ago now but don't you fret- there's always a new crop of them taking a spot in the limelight. the sons of pat robertson and paul crouch and billy graham have been groomed to step into the void left when their fathers step down (apparently, the don't ever die. falwell was a fluke. must be he didn't go to heaven)

now, we have the hagees and the parsleys and the jakes up there pounding the lectern and yelling into the microphone to send them money. make no mistake, these folks don't believe the rapture is coming- they just want the sheeple to so that they can scare them into compliantly sending in their tithes. you know, to fund such things as proposition 8 in california and it's brother laws in a few other states- or funding the new holy land theme park or the creationist museum- or the limos, planes and yachts these 'shepherds' need to live life according to jesus and god.

over in the sidebar, in my magnolia- several links to organizations who are investigating or watch dogging some of the more egregious 'pillars of the church'- feel free to browse- i will put a couple here.

ministry watch

trinity foundation

a friend of mine sent me this link- the song is from the 1980's but you would never be able to tell if i hadn't told ya- check out the trinity broadcast network sometime.



and this one is just for fun- it's one of my favorite videos :) and yes, i am a heathen

and in environmental news...

toxic coal ash piles up in 32 states- and we get most of our electricity from coal don't forget

billions face food shortages- please, don't be lazy, grow your own when you can

how to be self sufficient in the heart of the city- i am also gardening in suburbia so feel free to email or comment with any questions or tips to pass along

i cannot stress how important it is going to be to be at least somewhat self sufficient in the future. in the very near future. please, please, trust me. our way of life as it has been is drawing to a close. we will all have to make sacrifices and become resilient and self sufficient.

walkin' in a winter wonderland

it is currently 19 degrees but feels like 8 degrees- and we are to get 6-10 inches of snow. guess what i will be doing tomorrow? :)

and no, that's not my yard- it just plays one on tv :)

thank you president carter

an unneccesary war

"I know from personal involvement that the devastating invasion of Gaza by Israel could easily have been avoided. "

truth always did get him in trouble. guess that's why he stood a bit away from the other liars-in-chief.

the state of the union

detroit school lacks toilet paper

how does one burnish a legacy that is made out of shit george?

happy thursday

i must go upstairs and get my second cuppa. currently, snowing here and brisk hovering around 28 degrees. i don't feel like doing a damned thing- can i call in sick? i have a to do list and i got lots done yesterday but i really must go through my seed catalogs. i have 2 i am picking from- has anyone seen seed catalogs lately? jesus christ in a sidecar- they rival the jc penny's catalog. i mean do most folks need 50 different types of tomatoes? so, i need to get that done and my orders sent in so i get my choices. first come first served in the world of seeds.

i know what i want to plant- after i get the seeds ordered- then i get to figure out where to put it all. i intend to grow fresh herbs inside and out- so i can have fresh and dried. luckily, many of my houseplants are biting the dust this winter. guess i haven't quite got the hang of the new house and daylight and humidity and stuff. sigh. that's ok- i like variety and this will allow my to plant different stuff.

i am going to be social this eve- yes, i know, i must be lying right? nope. i am having a beer and burger (or whatever) with a couple of friends to catch up and whatnot. apparently, i am not the only family to have major shit go down over the 'holiday season.' these guys had to put their second cat down- they had 2 in one year- and had a relative die of a massive stroke. yep. sucks. so, i guess this season should really be for the kids after all since the grownups are dealing with massive shit.

anyhoo- on to the second cuppa before shoveling. yesterday, i removed a good quarter inch of ice from the drive. i know. i am getting decidedly mundane and boring in these posts. haven't found my 2009 groove yet :)

ratzi and the gang throw down

"THE Gaza Strip has been turned into a "concentration camp" by two weeks of Israeli bombardments, said a senior Vatican official.

Cardinal Renato Martino, the Vatican's justice and peace minister, was quoted by the online Italian daily Il Sussidiario.

"Let's look at the conditions in Gaza: these increasingly resemble a big concentration camp," said Cardinal Martino.

Cardinal Martino said it was in neither parties interest to carry on fighting and urged both to show more willingness to hold peace talks.

"If they can't come to an agreement, then someone else should do it (for them). The world cannot sit back and watch without doing anything."

rest here

from my email

poor folks screwed again

second hand clothing stores facing crossroads

we have polluted just about everything on this planet- and we probably have more phthalates or whatever in our shower curtains than our clothes.

thanks happy in nevada

my garden is going to get so eaten

these pics were taken last summer and fall after we moved in. there is a bunny warren? is that what you call them? that lives in the trees in my backyard. the crab apple tree is across the street from me in the front. hubby was surprised and excited to try out the new digital camera by taking pics of the deer eating the crab apples. in fact, a few weeks ago as i came home, a herd of deer crossed in front of my car- i remember initially thinking that those were awful big dogs (they weren't very big deer). did i mention the squirrels?

newsy roundup

i am really hammering this point because apparently, the american and israeli media is promoting outright propaganda instead of news.

juan cole is outstanding covering the middle east- so please take a look

""It's Hell in Here" "They are Bombing 1.5 million People in a Cage"

also,

army manual promotes christianity to combat epidemic suicides

surreal

who the fuck brings snacks to watch a war?

oh yeah.

what the world would like us to do

letter to barack obama

remember iraq?

garnering a hearty 'so what?' from dick cheney, i imagine, this is the headline that people should be screaming at the government:

iraq war is now illegal

and i am guessing that dick's words have nothing to do with the above- just coincidence ;)

cheney: america close to achieving goals in iraq

deep breaths

dad killed son to avoid child support

bushes retire in luxury after leaving office

know what i find interesting?

how loudly the crickets are sounding on the left over all of the outrages that bushco is leaving us before leaving us. the constant erosion of civil liberties; the continued raping of our country's resources for profit; the continued sabre rattling and ongoing war profiteering..... yep. crickets.

what i also find astounding- the lack of desire from many on the left to speak out against israel. apparently, we are back to the old chestnut of israel defending itself and blah, blah, fucking blah. most of that horseshit in america derives from the judeo-christian indoctrination from the pulpits of our alleged 'christian nation.' something about the jews being god's chosen people. boy, god certainly got screwed on that because the folks in charge in israel- and aipac- are spoiled brats. he should have definitely not 'spared the rod' with them because now, they feel that they can bully and beat up anyone who is weaker than they are because they have a group of big friends who continue to abet them.

but what i am really not surprised at is the lack of insight and courage coming out of christians on the left. nope. not surprised at all. christians in america roll right over and play dead- go completely mute and decide not to take a stand or look too deep because they may see something that doesn't reconcile with their alleged beliefs. don't want to offend because hey, the christians need the jews to get their shit together and finish off the palestinians in order for the rapture to come (any day according to the evangelical talking heads like robertson and parsley and hagee).

being outraged over genocide isn't being addicted to outrage. many of us are burned out by outrage because of the sheer volume of it needed to make up for the lack of outrage by so many over the last 8 years. if some of ya'll on the left grew a fucking conscience and backbone- the rest of us wouldn't need a good recharge. we wouldn't have had the last 30 years of reaganism, and 2 bushes and a clinton. and we wouldn't have to again stand up and feel outrage that- not only does america torture prisoners it kidnaps off the streets here and abroad, but america sanctions and pays for mass murder and genocide.

keep praying left wingers- something might eventually happen when pelosi and reid and obama get their heads out of their collective asses. until then-

cue crickets...

voices of reason

who don't blindly follow just because they are told to

eric yoffie's op-ed

"A second J Street statement was worse by far. It could find no moral difference between the actions of Hamas and other Palestinian militants, who have launched more than 5,000 rockets and mortar shells at Israeli civilians in the past three years, and the long-delayed response of Israel, which finally lost patience and responded to the pleas of its battered citizens in the south. “Neither Israelis nor Palestinians have a monopoly on right or wrong,” it said, and it suggested that there was no reason and no way to judge between them: “While there is nothing ‘right’ in raining rockets on Israeli families or dispatching suicide bombers, there is nothing ‘right’ in punishing a million and a half already-suffering Gazans for the actions of the extremists among them.”

These words are deeply distressing because they are morally deficient, profoundly out of touch with Jewish sentiment and also appallingly naïve. A cease-fire instituted by Hamas would be welcome, and Israel would be quick to respond. A cease-fire imposed on Israel would allow Hamas to escape the consequences of its actions yet again and would lead in short order to the renewal of its campaign of terror. Hamas, it should be noted, is not a government; it is a terrorist gang. And as long as the thugs of Hamas can act with impunity, no Israeli government of the right or the left will agree to a two-state solution or any other kind of peace. Doves take note: To be a dove of influence, you must be a realist, firm in your principles but shorn of all illusions."

j street's response

"J Street understands that Hamas is a terrorist organization and a harsh enemy. We are neither dovish nor pacifist, nor are we blindly opposed to the use of force. We support Israel in defending and protecting its citizens from attack, including through military action if necessary and appropriate to the threat. We believe, however, that force cannot be Israel’s only or preponderant response – even to Hamas.

We are pragmatists grounded in the real world and the lessons it teaches. As such – and as avid supporters of Israel – we are asking whether the specific actions taken by Israel in Gaza actually do advance Israel’s and America’s interests. In this case, J Street believes they do not. We believe that the actions taken this week – disproportionate to the threat and escalatory in nature – will be seen, with time, as counterproductive. They will further isolate Israel and the US internationally, deepen hatred among the Palestinian and Israel peoples, foment extremism throughout the Arab world and undercut the position of more moderate Arab regimes"

and fyi yoffie- here's a poll that shows how the americans divide up over the issue. we are apparently more nuanced than you are.