November 6, 2007

  • water TUESDAY POLITICS

    I cannot freaking believe it. Today Congress actually overrode a veto from the Bushmeister for the first time ever. It’s a big honking $23.2 billion water bill that would provide funding to do coastal restoration in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and improve the Florida Everglades. It also would include new locks to speed up freight traffic on the Mississippi River where many of the locks and dams date from the Depression era. The vote was 361-54 and the Senate is expected to follow suit tomorrow. Of course, there was a little kvetching. Senator Feingold represented some who felt the bill wouldn’t do enough to improve the Corps of Engineers, who will be in charge of most of it. And we know what a crappy job they did about taking care of the levees off Louisiana before it was too late. Let’s hope this sets a precedent that encourages a little more resistance in D.C. to the ongoing dictatorship of GWB.
    (Amendment from SimplyPynki:  In the defense of the ACoE. They had been telling people in the right
    positions that the levies in NOLA wouldn’t withstand big hurricanes. No
    one was listening, and no one was giving them the money to rectify the
    problem.)

    Deep Thought: “Some folks say it was a miracle. Saint Francis suddenly appeared and knocked the next pitch clean over the fence. But I think it was just a lucky swing.”
    Today I am grateful for: Breathing
    Guess the Movie: “Well, here I am, anonymous all right. With guys nobody really cares about. They come from the end of the line, most of ‘em. Small towns you never heard of: Pulaski, Tennessee; Brandon, Mississippi; Pork Van, Utah; Wampum, Pennsylvania. Two years’ high school’s about it, maybe if they’re lucky a job waiting for them back at a factory, but most of ‘em got nothing. They’re poor, they’re the unwanted, yet they’re fighting for our society and our freedom. It’s weird, isn’t it? They’re the bottom of the barrel and they know it. Maybe that’s why they call themselves grunts, cause a grunt can take it, can take anything. They’re the best I’ve ever seen, Grandma. The heart & soul.”  Answer:  Platoon, 1986.  Winner:  buddhacat.
    House Tied In Knots Over Resolution To Impeach Cheney
    Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, is trying to impeach Vice President Cheney for what he describes as “high crimes and misdemeanors” before the invasion of Iraq. (Rest of article here.)

October 5, 2007

  • fa1 FRIDAY FIVE

    Appetizer – What is your favorite type of art?
    Art wasn’t an especially big part of my childhood. My people were word people. Well, my father was anyway. And he, bless his heart, preserved one large still life water color from that time and framed it, which now hangs in my living room. He had a knack for architecture, learning it in the shipyard during World War II, and later made the plans to build the barn structures on the farm where I grew up. When he was ill and failing with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in his old age, he turned to wood carving, making many delicate, lovely creations. In college, I took a class in Art History from the noted calligrapher, Lloyd Reynolds, which was my first comprehensive introduction to art. In my first travels to Europe in the early ’60′s, I got to see some of the marvelous buildings, like the Notre Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle, plus some of the museums – the Louvre and Jeu de Paume – in Paris. It’s one thing to see the work in books, another to see the real thing. But the real breakthrough came for me when I left my marriage and struck out on my own back in California, meeting young artists of all sorts and eventually living with one (my daughter’s father, a young Swiss painter from a family of artists). Then I got a chance to live the scruffy artist life in all its romantic squalor for a year or two. During that time, I even modeled for a couple of well-known painters in New York City – Moses and Raphael Soyer. And then I left it all behind, moving back to the Oregon of my childhood with my own two young children. Today all the art I saw and thought about and wondered at is part of the tapestry of my life memories, but the art I call my favorite that clutters my tiny house is mostly by my flesh and blood – my daughter, my son, my grandchildren, an aunt, my father – they all create. And finally me. These past few years I’ve taken up photography. When I look through the lens at my family or my environment, I look with all that history of learning about art over a lifetime.
    Soup – When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?
    Let’s see. A few Sundays ago I got a free gelato across from Powell’s Bookstore. I’ve only had those Italian ice creams a few times, but they stood out. It was paid for by a man I was dating for the first time. I’d insisted on paying for my own lunch just before that, but he slipped the gelato over on me.
    Salad – On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?
    If emotional means acting out by yelling or sobbing or laughing hysterically, about a 2. If it means loving deeply, sorrowing quietly over the wounds in life, or taking in a deep breath at the beauty I see each day, about an 11.
    Main Course – Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?
    Depends on how many I get. I try to reply the same day. Since I’m home a lot, it isn’t really a problem. Being a Mac person, I don’t get that much spam thank god.
    Dessert – To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?
    I couldn’t believe how the oil prices suddenly spiked. Well, I could when I think about it. Bush and his friends just have to have more. Four years ago I paid $50/month for furnace oil to heat my house. Two years ago it went to $70. Last year $90. Last month $129. I hope they’re enjoying their cars and homes and whatever. So I try to keep my thermostat at about 68. I refuse to huddle around in three coats until I absolutely have to.

    Deep Thought: “Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don’t know what your rights are, or who the person is you’re talking to. Then, on the way out, slam the door.”
    Today I am grateful for: Having a home to complain about the oil prices in.
    Guess the Movie: “We’re not gonna get rid of anybody. We’re gonna stick together, just like it used to be. When you side with a man, you stay with him. And if you can’t do that, you’re like some animal, you’re finished. We’re finished. All of us.”  Answer:  The Wild Bunch, 1969.  Winner:  thenarrator.
    Iraq Struggles With Cholera Outbreak
    by Katarina Kratovac
    BAGHDAD – Majida Hamid Ibrahim seemed no different from any other victim in Iraq – her body was put in a plastic bag and sent to the morgue for relatives to collect. But authorities were already bemoaning her death. Just days before, the 40-year-old woman from Baghdad’s southern outskirts became the first confirmed cholera case in the Iraqi capital from an outbreak spreading around the country. The World Health Organization has confirmed more than 3,300 cholera cases in Iraq and at least 14 deaths from the acute and rapid dehydration it causes.
    The troubles, however, also point beyond the immediate struggle to control the deadly advance.
    They highlight the creeping fractures throughout the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the country’s deepening sectarian gulf and a gangland-style lawlessness in which even medical supplies are fair game for bandits. (Rest of article here.)

September 16, 2007

  • cell SUNDAY GOOD NEWS

    Having just spent 45 straight hours in the company of my two adolescent grandchildren (11 and 16), one of which now has his first car and a permit to drive it, I have to say any way you can control their usage of any of the many electronic devices that seem to be growing from them like organic appendages is “sweet” in my book. So next July, California will become the 16th state to clamp down on cell phone use for 16/17-year-old drivers. And the bill doesn’t stop there. It forbids: cell phones, pagers, walkie-talkies, laptop computers, and whatever else they can think of even if it has “hands free” features. Teens who ignore it will get a $20 fee for a first offense and $50 for subsequent ones. One reason cited by the bill’s sponsor is that crash rates are 5 times higher for 16-year-olds than even 18-year-olds. I watched my grandkids this weekend and I swear there was hardly a moment when some electronic device was not in their hands. They were either phoning, texting, or playing games constantly – even when we went for a nice morning walk in the neighborhood. My grandson is angling for an iPhone since the price dropped. I cringe to think of how much more isolated that will make him. For his birthday this year I gave him Catcher in the Rye, hoping to lure him into some summer reading. I thought if any book can charm a 16-year-old it has to be this. This weekend he told me he’d read 15 pages. Probably had to put it down for a phone call and forgot to return. As of May this year, the Oregon House had passed a similar bill and I guess it’s waiting on the Senate. I hope it passes before my grandson gets up to speed in his new-used first car.

    Deep Thought: “Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.”
    Today I am grateful for: Relief of any kind
    Guess the Movie: “I came 12,000 miles back here to get you…What’s the matter with you? Don’t you recognize me?… What are you doing? We don’t have much time… Is this what you want? Is this what you want? I love you… Come on,… come home. Just come home. Home. Talk to me. What did you do to your arms? Do you remember the trees? Do you remember all the different ways of the trees? Do you remember that? Do you remember? Huh? The mountains? Do you remember all that?”  Answer:  The Deer Hunter, 1978.  Winner:  thenarrator.
    Greenspan Admits Iraq was About Oil, As Deaths Put at 1.2 Million
    by Peter Beaumont and Joanna Walters in New York
    (Rest of article here.)

September 4, 2007

  • tree TUESDAY POLITICS

    While flipping through the cable news channels the past few days, the term “white tree” kept popping up and each time I would catch the item too late to hear the history behind it. Finally, this morning I looked it up online and found out that this is an old story – a year old, in fact – sidelined by the media until now. Back then, in the tiny town of Jena, Louisiana (12% African-American) a black high school student asked to sit under a shade tree usually commandeered by white students and was given permission by the school. Next three nooses appeared in the tree and tensions escalated from there with more than one fight breaking out between black and white students. In one of those fights a white teenager was treated at the hospital and released a few hours later. Following that, six black teens were charged with attempted murder. One of them was convicted on reduced charges in July by an all-white jury and faces 22 years in prison, sentencing coming September 20. A Louisiana judge is scheduled to hear motions today to throw out his conviction. Five of the six were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit that crime, carrying sentences of up to 80 years in prison. Needless to say, the word is finally leaking out and the cavalry has been summoned. This morning my 11-year-old granddaughter began middle school here in Oregon. Last year out of 821 students at her new school, 106 were African-American. That would be 12%. My granddaughter happens to be biracial (White and African-American). She chose to have her hair straightened for the first week of school. Her skin is fair, her eyes are blue, and her long blond hair is normally pretty darn curly. Racism seems to be alive and well in the deep south. Here in Oregon it’s right there waiting too. I’m watching this news story with very personal interest.

    Deep Thought: “I don’t think I’m alone when I say I’d like to see more and more planets fall under the ruthless domination of our solar system.”
    Today I am grateful for: Relativity
    Guess the Movie: “Women weaken legs!”  Answer:  Rocky, 1976.  Winner:  buddhacat.
    Documents Show Troops Disregarding Rules
    by Ryan Lenz
    New documents released Tuesday regarding crimes committed by U.S. soldiers against civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan detail a troubling pattern of troops failing to understand and follow the rules that govern interrogations and deadly actions. (Rest of article here.)

August 19, 2007

  • grass1 SUNDAY GOOD NEWS



    Oratrix

    I am the grass -
    unnoticed but deep green,
    teeming with complex life,
    holding up the sky and down
    the
    earth,
    subject to death by fire,
    blown by wind,
    soddened by water,
    and I persist.


    Deep Thought: “They say the mountain holds many secrets, but the biggest is this: “I am a fake mountain.”
    Today I am grateful for:     Refrigeration
    Guess the Movie:    ”You’re the most beautiful, exciting thing I’ve ever seen in my life and I don’t know anything about you. “  Answer:  American Graffitti, 1973.  Winner:  thenarrator.
    The looming crisis with Iran
    August 19, 2007
    Even as the body counts piled up in Iraq last week — including the most deadly suicide truck bombings since the war began — the Bush administration continued to ratchet up tension with Iran by signaling its intention to designate that country’s Revolutionary Guard as a “global terrorist” organization.
    This is the first time the United States has placed the armed forces of a sovereign government on its list of terrorist groups. The purpose of such a designation would be to allow Washington, and perhaps other governments, to block and disrupt the Guard’s vast international business financial operations. (Rest of article here.)

August 6, 2007

  • beagle MONDAY READING

    It’s been awhile since I posted something from the Readers Write section of The Sun magazine, my favorite subscription. Each month, there is a topic and in the August issue it was Change of Heart. I picked this one because it’s by someone in Albany, Oregon where I lived years ago, because it’s short, and because it gives hope.

    “The last time I tried to kill myself, I was thirty-one. I’d recently left my violent husband and moved to Oregon with my dog Beau Beagle. Since the move, I’d found a job and made a few friends, but I still felt hopeless and believed I’d never again be happy.

    One night I decided I’d had enough. I opened a bottle of tranquilizers and swallowed them with vodka, then climbed into my sleeping bag in the middle of my bedroom floor. Beau Beagle snuggled up next to me, and I drifted off, relieved to be done with this life.
    Thirty hours later I woke up with Beau’s head resting on my chest. His eyes gazed into mine, and his tail thumped the floor. I began to cry as I wondered what would have happened to him had I been successful. Lying there stroking his head, I realized I wanted to know what was going to happen next, no matter what it might be. I’m fifty-nine now. I still want to know.”

    Mary Zelinka, Albany, Oregon

    Deep Thought:“The other day I got out my can opener and was opening a can of worms when I thought, ‘What am I doing?!’”
    Today I am grateful for: Redemption wherever you can get it.
    Guess the Movie: “You just want to send me off. That won’t do. I’ve stayed here and been beaten like a dog, abused and cursed and driven mad, but I stayed just to be near you, even as a dog. And I’ll stay ’til the end. I’ll live and I’ll die under this rock.”  Answer:  Wuthering Heights, 1939.  Winner:  CanadianNational.
    The Soft Underbelly of the Democratic Party
    by Cenk Uygur
    Here we go again. I was going to write a nice, fun piece about Matt Damon on a lovely Sunday afternoon when the Democrats went and ruined everything, as usual. From time to time, I am told that I am too hard on the Democrats. It is not possible to be too hard on these vacillating, spineless, rudderless, clueless clowns. Alright, there has to be an important distinction here. Most of the Democrats in the House voted the right way on the latest capitulation to the most unpopular president in history. And 28 Democratic Senators voted the right way. The rest are the biggest bunch of weaklings and half-wits I have ever seen. They are the soft underbelly of the Democratic Party. (Rest of article here.)

July 24, 2007

  • cindys TUESDAY POLITICS

    So I guess you saw the YouTube Debates. It was really pretty clever and amusing and it would be nice to know who handpicked the videos of commonfolk asking questions by this incredibly popular new technology because they seemed to do a fairly evenhanded job as far as I could tell. It was kind of like watching the entertainment during half-time at the Super Bowl. Lots of ambience and foo-fah, lots of answers we’ve heard before with too few details, lots of good cheer. Some like the trusty Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel made Talking the Talk sound like something might actually change if they were in charge. Meanwhile, back at Democratic Rep John Conyers’ office on Capitol Hill, one citizen and her back-up for the day were Walking the Walk. Conyers is the House Judiciary Chairman who actually raised the possibility of impeachment more than a year ago. Today, however, chanting “What do we want? Impeachment. When do we want it? Now,” Cindy Sheehan et al were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, though they were likely to be released within hours after processing. Well, we all had good fun watching those debates. Hopefully, we’re all having a great summer. Lindsay Lohan just got arrested again and I’m betting we’ll see her face plastered on every news program and Entertainment Weekly type show for days to come. Gee, wonder if we’ll see any news about that arrest for Walking the Walk. With Congress approval rating at 21%, I’m guessing not. But it’s my birthday today, so that’s my wish. Just one peek at the Real News. Is that too much to ask? By the way, here’s that news item with lots of interesting comments to follow.

    Deep Thought:“If you ever feel like you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown, just follow these simple rules: First, calm down; second, come over and wash my car; third, shine all my shoes. There, isn’t that better?”
    Today I am grateful for: The color red (which signifies so many things)
    Guess the Movie: “I know there is a law in life, that blood gets more blood as dog begets dog. Death generates death, as the vulture breeds the vulture! But the voice I heard today on the hill said, ‘Love your enemy. Do good to those who despitefully use you.’”  Answer:  Ben-Hur, 1959.
    Exploring a Surprising Link
    Between Obesity and Diet Soda
    Do unhealthy people drink diet soda? Does diet soda make people unhealthy? (Rest of article here.)

July 15, 2007

  • sleepySUNDAY GOOD NEWS

    Recently I watched the fairly humdrum video Peaceful Warrior, based on the book The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman that came out in 1980 at the height of the self-help spirituality movement. It was a book I somehow missed reading in my flower child days so rather than “reading the book of the movie” I checked out another title from Millman, Everyday Enlightenment, from my local library. Right away in the first few chapters he gets to the bottom line of self-help (also emphasized by Scott Peck in The Road Less Traveled – what a surprise in 1978) – discipline. Self-help suggestions are kind of like religious suggestions – they all pretty much turn out to be the same common wisdom no matter what the source. The trick is to pick any one of them and Just Do It. That’s where discipline comes in. And you can separate folks who are focused from folks who are not usually by the array or disarray of their lives and personal emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health. And focus takes energy. With that in mind, here’s a list just out from WebMD via Redbook magazine of “22 ways to tackle life’s biggest energy zappers.” For the longer version with details click here. Happy Sunday.
    1. Have breakfast…even if you don’t feel hungry.
    2. Eat every three to four hours.
    3. Fill up on more fiber.
    4. Fuel your brain with omega-3s.
    5. Stay hydrated.
    6. Watch caffeine intake after noon.
    7. Splash some water on your face or take a shower when you’re feeling burned out.
    8. Suit up in a “power” outfit to beat the blahs.
    9. Vent your feelings.
    10. Turn on some tunes.
    11. Let go of grudges.
    12. Take belly breaths.
    13. De-clutter a corner.
    14. Do some good.
    15. Cut back on TV and computer time after 8 p.m.
    16. Hide your alarm clock.
    17. Give your pet his own separate sleeping space.
    18. Lower the thermostat.
    19. Skip the nightcap.
    20. Get your exercise.
    21. Follow the 15-minute rule.
    22. Write down your worries.

    Deep Thought: “Whenever I hear the sparrow chirping, watch the woodpecker chirp, catch a chirping trout, or listen to the sad howl of the chirp rat, I think: Oh boy! I’m going insane again.”
    Today I am grateful for: Coming from a reading generation.
    Guess the Movie:     “That’s what all these cripples down at the VA talk about: Jesus this
    and Jesus that. They even had a priest come and talk to me. He said God
    is listening and if I found Jesus, I’d get to walk beside him in the
    kingdom of Heaven. Did you hear what I said? WALK beside him in the
    kingdom of Heaven! Well kiss my crippled ass. God is listening? What a
    crock of shit.”  Answer:  Forrest Gump, 1994.  Winner:  soul_survivor.
    West Nile Virus Spreads Quickly, Killing California Woman
    (Rest of article here.)

June 24, 2007

  • pope SUNDAY GOOD NEWS

    I don’t usually follow Pope news but this week he surprised me with a set of Ten Commandments for driving, part of a larger document for the Vatican’s Office for Migrants and Itinerant People called “Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road.” In it, people are urged to pray behind the wheel, refrain from road rage, to drive with a moral sense, and to help accident victims. Noting that 1.2 million people die each year on the roads, it’s intended for bishops conferences around the world urging them to set up chapels along highways and have “periodic celebration of liturgies” at major road hubs, truck stops and restaurants. You can imagine what David Letterman type folks will do with this, but actually it gives me a warm spot in my heart to think of his Popeness taking the time to swing his weight in a way that may or may not keep that next jerk from tailgating me. Here are those 10:
    1 – You shall not kill.
    2 – The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
    3 – Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
    4 – Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents.
    5 – Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
    6 – Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
    7 – Support the families of accident victims.
    8 – Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
    9 – On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
    10 – Feel responsible towards others.
    To see the whole document click here.

    Deep Thought: It’s funny how two simple words, “I promise,” will stall people for a while.
    Today I am grateful for: Rain in proportion
    Guess the Movie: “Blast off: one-eight-oh. Two hundred: Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Two ten: U.S. Government certified. Two twenty: lunar trajectory, junk of the month club, sirloin steak. Two thirty: Grade A poison. Absolute dynamite. Eighty-nine percent pure junk. Best I’ve ever seen. If the rest is like this, you’ll be dealing on this load for two years.”  Answer:  The French Connection, 1971.  Winner:  misyapa
    Michael Moore’s ‘Sicko’ Leaves Top Democrats Ill at Ease
    by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
    WASHINGTON – With the release of Michael Moore’s “Sicko,” a movie once again is adding sizzle to an issue that’s a high priority for liberal politicians – this time comprehensive health insurance for all. But unlike Al Gore’s film on global warming, which helped rally support on an equally controversial problem, “Sicko” is creating an awkward situation for the leading Democratic presidential candidates. (Rest of article here.)

June 12, 2007

  • iran TUESDAY POLITICS

    Sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to put a photo of Joe Lieberman up, he gets on my last nerve so bad. But this morning the headline flashed by on my cable news station that he’s urging an Iran air strike so I had to do a little checking this out online.  So Joe L. said on Face the Nation Sunday we should attack Iran because they’re training insurgents to come back into Iraq and attack US soldiers. Senator Harry Reid fired back as follows:

    REID: I believe our efforts should be diplomatic in nature. The Iraq Study Group said that. And General Petraeus has said the war in Iraq cannot be won militarily. It can only be won politically, economically, and diplomatically.
    So I would think rather than talking about military action against Iran, we should do what the Iraq Study Group said. Have a regional conference where we sit down and the president himself is personally involved with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and yes, Iran. That’s where our efforts have to be.
    Right now, quite frankly, we’re so overextended — we don’t have the ability — we can send a few airplanes around the world, but as you know, our ground troops are overworked in Iraq.
    So, I know Joe feels strongly about that part of the world. I do too. But the invasion of [Iran] is only going to destabilize that part of the world more. We don’t have the resources now to be involved in the situation in Lebanon, and we should be. We have, because of the Iraq invasion, totally ignored the Palestinian-Israeli situation. And with Iran, we don’t have — the Iranians are thumbing their noses at us. They know we’re overextended. And the president is very stubborn. He is not willing to sit down and meet with their leaders.
    I know Joe means well, but I don’t agree with him.

    ”I know Joe means well…”!?#* Really? Having just outhawked Bush, I would beg to differ. Are these people totally insane or what? Maybe I better get my old No War In Iraq sign out from the back of my closet and dust it off and change the “q” to an “n”. Everybody who dies over there are just letters and numbers anyway, aren’t they? And it’s time to take off for my 9:00 am dentist appointment to get my permanent crown.

    Deep Thought: “The first thing was, I learned to forgive myself. Then I told myself, “Go ahead and do whatever you want, it’s okay by me.”
    Today I am grateful for: Raccoons
    Guess the Movie: “There’s no living with a killing. There’s no goin’ back from one. Right or wrong, it’s a brand… a brand sticks. There’s no goin’ back. Now you run on home to your mother and tell her… tell her everything’s alright. And there aren’t any more guns in the valley.”  Answer:  Shane, 1953.  Winner:  soobee72.
    Alzheimer’s cases around the world to quadruple by 2050 (Rest of article here.)