Mothers in the Middle

1234

2004-11-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Oooh Oooh Oooh Ooh.

My blogging hiatus didn't last long. 1234 American casualties in Iraq as of Friday the 26th. 44 more since my last count.

Guess I feel like I need to keep posting this number at least, because no on else does. It is buried in the back alleys of CNN's website near such links as stats on "Tornado Season in the US."

It's elementary, I guess.

Ignorance is bliss... And I need some bliss

2004-11-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

I am afraid I am going to have to tear a page from the book of the other 51% today. I need a break from the information flood. I read someone else's blog this week who was also taking a break from what they called "the obsessive world of blogging." I am not sure if I would put myself in that category, but I can see what he was saying. Being so in tune with every political happening can be energizing to some. It was for me too, for a while. But now, especially after the election results, I am just having a hard time doing it. I guess it's because I feel so much less in control. Before the election, my attention to events and my words may have helped sway some people. Now, while they can still serve to enlighten some, we are in for four more years no matter what. I am afraid I have to put my head in the sand for a while. That's not to say I'm done completely, but it might mean a break and then a change in focus. Writing is so cathartic for me, but this type of writing has started to impact my stress level negatively.

When you have a child, you can't afford to wallow in cynicism and negativity. I am afraid for what the next four years have in store for us. But, for her sake, I have to stay positive and focus on the things that really count -- our family, planning a third birthday party with sugar plum fairies, taking care of my house, yoga, and the other things that bring positive energy into my life. Like my husband said on election day when I was a puddle of stress, "you are going to have to get your shit together if you plan to be some kind of activist." (jokingly of course) It's true though... I guess I just don't have the personality which can be so involved in something and not fully absorb it into my life. I take everything on with full steam -- I don't do neutral.

In the interim, I am going to try to get the children's book I wrote published and will let you know if I have any success. I am also going to start thinking about the novel I have been trying to write for years. Who knows, maybe something will finally materialize beyond the first chapter. And my husband has been doing a lot of Podcasting and is figuring all of that stuff out... so maybe I will make a guest appearance there and share my thoughts. I'll post a URL if I do.

Signing off for now. Thanks to everyone who has been reading. Take care of yourselves and the people around you.

1190. 1190. 1190.

2004-11-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

As of today, 1190 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq. That is 66 more deaths since my last update a little over a week ago.

The media stopped everything it was doing (i.e. tracking the latest Scott Peterson developments or reporting on a loose tiger in South Florida) and reported when we hit that 1000 death mark. Well, 200 deaths later we have no more hope, no more information, and no new plans for extrication. The media won't even look up for this one. And our President is so woefully delirious, it is not even worth listening to him say how "wonderfully things are going" again.

Maybe 2000 deaths will be worthy of candles and sanctimonious fluff anchors looking serious. But, maybe not.

My new signature line is appropriate again... God Help America.

I Smell A Rat... Redux

2004-11-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article from the pollster Zogby's site written by Colin Shea regarding potential election fraud. Read it.

(On edit, it was removed from the Zogby site, but I found it on freezerbox)

The Last and Only Vestige of Reason

2004-11-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

So in the beginning, I thought that I could at least tolerate the first illegitimate Bush Administration because of Colin Powell. I respect him on many levels. Long and short of it, he's gone. His resignation was announced this morning.

God Help America.

Neti Pots and Playdough

2004-11-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

It's an interesting thing... most doctors dismiss holistic or natural medicine as ridiculous and the doings of "witch" doctors (lots of talk about witches lately -- I wonder how long it is going to take for the stake to come back in that evil state of Massachusetts). Well, I have been having a lot of trouble with my sinuses lately. My entire head has felt like it was going to fall over and it was getting to a point where my equilibrium felt off because my ears were so messed up. So, I went to the doctor. My doctor is great. Very down to earth, very professional, but not too quick to dismiss natural remedies. I also like him because he left a corporate, HMO-driven hospital practice and now has his own office.

Well, he told me my ears were filled with fluid, but not infected. And he also told me about the "neti pot." It is an Indian way to cleanse your sinuses, which most in that society do daily. It is like a little teapot that you fill with warm water and sea salt, you pour it into one nostril and it comes out the other (while you contort your head into an interesting position). It's a very gross thought, but hey I am in a sharing mood.

Well it works. And if you want to put the manufacturers of Sudafed, Actifed, Contac, etc. out of business, then this will do it. I am not discounting the fact that pharmaceuticals are necessary and helpful, but all the drugs we take on a daily basis are really not necessary. I am telling you this thing works and it clears out my whole head, even my ears.

Not really political discussion today, but hey, with things about ready to blow in the Middle East, I need a day to talk about little things. And because as I am writing this, I am being asked by my daughter to create the entire cast of Shrek in playdough (my favorite medium), I am not really focused on the news. Maybe that's a good thing.

BTW, if you want a neti pot, go to your local health food store. And as far as the cast of Shrek formed in Playdough, well, my art awaits me.

Three Men I Now Love: Stewart, Olbermann, and Mencken

2004-11-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

I Smell A Very Large Rat

2004-11-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Read Keith Olbermann's latest on voter fraud. Regardless of the election outcome, if we don't fix this stuff our democracy is in jeopardy. In no uncertain terms.

Here's another interesting piece on Kerry's very low profile in all of this, Inside The Election Fraud Battle.

Rovey Way to Powerful For Me

2004-11-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

Want to know how the Rove Administration works? Read this article by Ron Suskind.

Why Are These Men Laughing?

Makes you wonder what part two of this will look like?

I Love Jon Stewart!

2004-11-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

From last night's Daily Show...

"We begin tonight with a shakeup in the cabinet. After serving President Bush for four glorious, terror-filled years, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced his resignation yesterday with a statement reading in part, 'the objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved.'

"OK! Done, and done. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to cure cancer. Call you after turkey day.

"The resignation came in the form of a five-page letter Ashcroft handwrote so that, quote, 'its confidentiality could be maintained.' So apparently America is safe other than the computers at the Justice Department. But really, how important are those intelligence-wise?"

Back To The Future?

2004-11-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Interesting historical perspective... all this puritanical garbage hasn't taken us back to the 1950's, but more like the 1920's!

At the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner the following things were said in advance of the 1960 election between Nixon and Kennedy. Alfred Smith was a Roman Catholic who ran for president in 1928 against Herbert Hoover. He lost. Hoover was a Quaker. The NYT also cites that Nixon was a Quaker.
___________
New York Times, October 20, 1960
"Candidates Term Religion Less of an Issue Than in ’28"
By Leo Egan

Kennedy:

I am confident that whatever their verdict, Republican or Democratic, myself or Mr. Nixon, that their judgment will not be based on any extraneous issue but on the real issues of our time, on what is best for our country, on the hard facts that face us, on the convictions of the candidates, and their parties, and on their ability to interpret them.

Nixon:

Religion should not be an issue in a campaign… and it will not be, certainly, if those of us who are of goodwill – as Senator Kennedy is, and I am, and we would trust our supporters will be – do everything we can to keep the real issues before the American people by not discussing religion.

This Way To The Dump

2004-11-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

As I was driving today, I noticed a Kerry/Edwards sign in someone's pile for the trash man. It hurt. It was more than just the act of throwing the sign away, it was a visual symbol of loss and the futility of our fight. So many put yard signs up for the first time in their life (me included). And last Wednesday, I didn't want to take it down. The election was a collective obsession for many months. The flurry of news reports, politcal maneuverings, and competition for yard sign space among neighbors were just a few signs of the nation's attention. And maybe naively, I saw all as symbols of hope. Hope that our nation would make the right choice. Hope that if I got involved, things would turn out in my favor. Hope that people would wake up and smell the fascism.

But they didn't.

And now what? Aside from the sheer disgust of thinking about how much worse things could be four years from now, all of us in the Opposition Party (I like it much better than minority) are forced to face the question of "what to do now"? Do we have the energy to stay involved? Do we have the stomach to even watch the news any more? Do we hold out any hope that the Bush Administration will be taken down by their own doing? Was there widespread fraud? Will anyone in the substream media ever report on it? Will we ever change it? Do we throw away our yard signs?

I am not sure. But the trash man's coming and we better decide what's going in the pile.

Red States For A Reason

2004-11-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

They are literally in the red. Guess what Red America, you don't pay your fair share of the bills. And yes, you have land mass, but land mass doesn't vote. People vote. So, the way I see it is that it's time for you to pay your own dues. Us Blue States are sort of sick of doing it for you.

And by the way you don't lead in morals or sanctity of marriage either, did you know that liberal Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate in the nation? Or that Kentucky has one of the highest?

Here's an interesting map related to red state welfare.

And you want to talk about a scathing commentary... read this article at www.fuckthesouth.com

I can see that unity coming somewhere over in the distance...

Warts, Castles, and the Hibachi Table

2004-11-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting here watching the new Shrek movie with my daughter and husband, I can't help but think about what we are struggling against. I often wondered why people got so up in arms with Disney... I think I am starting to get it. I am thinking about Christmas time. We were talking about going to Disneyworld. As I saw my daughter watching Shrek with wide eyes as they showed the king and queen's castle, I couldn't help but want her to feel that magic in person. I would love for her to see the castle at Disneyworld, have breakfast with Cinderella, and give her a magical experience that she would never forget.

But, what I am teaching her? It is a false reality. Only in America could we create a theme park to teach us about foreign lands. But when we visit, we learn nothing about appreciating other cultures, nothing about accepting differences, nothing except "wow, those Japanese people must have fun at the dinner table!" We see actors. We do not see citizens. We see people who provide nothing more than quaint stores with beer steins and fake "americanized" foreign food. We then go back to the Magic Kingdom and we see what is the preferred, ideal lifestyle. Forget the fjords of Norway, or the dances of Morocco-- go back to the whitebread castle of beautiful people, princesses and princes, and good versus evil. Go back to Celebration, where the streets are picture perfect, the front porches from days of old, and the infrastructure never fails. It is a false reality. One that people deperately want to get back to... one that never really existed.

The perfection of "real" royalty was made up. They were inbred, murderous, selfish, and threw people in dungeons for trying to change the status quo. In that sense, nothing has changed. The perfection of the 1950's in America was made up. Life was simpler, it seemed. But it wasn't. People cheated on their spouses, drank too much, had homosexual affairs, and abortions. People were racist, jingoistic, mysoginistic, and tried to throw people in jail for trying to change the status quo. But like good protestants, we repressed it all.

Life is not tidy. It is not "perfect." But none of our problems are new. All of our problems are the same as ever -- fear of those who are different than we are, fear of who we really are, selfishness, and greed.

Anyone who tries to tell you differently is living on a stage with tunnels running underneath to transport all of the messy stuff. Real life has trash, death, and struggle. I'll cast my vote for reality, truth, and ugly ogres any day -- warts and all.

And maybe this Christmas we will go to an actual country rather than a fake world.

1124

2004-11-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

These numbers march on. Fifteen more US casualties since my last post (what seems to be lifetimes ago).

New Bloggers

2004-11-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

The line of pissed off people is getting longer. Check out my friend Kevin's new blog, "Primo Ponders."

Also, my friend Chris's new blog that he promises to start posting on... The Voices In My Head. Beautiful name, by the way! He has some comments on the "Stand Up and Be Heard" post here that are fantastic.

What's Next

2004-11-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of the darkest days I have ever had, but today I am trying to move forward.

We are all trying to figure out what is next after Bush's jihad came to America. Here's one idea. Join the organizations (and donate) that we are going to need over the next four years (or more). Pick the ones that are most important to you and I am sure you will all have more suggestions than I even do.

I think I might give up Target for a while and pick one new organization every month.

Here are my ideas...

ACLU
Planned Parenthood
Union of Concerned Scientists
MoveOn
Democratic Underground

Add to the list, please....

They Were All Around Me And I Didn't Notice

2004-11-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

I went to Target today to try to get my mind off of this. I probably shouldn't be supporting the economy right now, but with a two year old at home, I had to do something. What I noticed is how blind I have been. When I stood in line to vote yesterday (for an hour), I was behind two young women with toddler-aged kids. I instantly thought how great it was... I assumed we were like-minded. But then they started talking politics and about how they couldn't understand anyone who would support John Kerry because of partial birth abortion. As if Kerry really likes the practice (his view, by the way, is that it needs to stay legal in case the mother's health is in jeopardy).

But they went on to say that "how could you be a mother and support that kind of a candidate?" I am sure they were trying to get to me as I showed up with a Kerry button on and had mentioned I had a daughter about the age of one of their's. They talked about how their pastors had impacted their vote, but how newspapers shouldn't be allowed to endorse political candidates. How could we be so different? One word: fundamental religion.

I am a Christian, even went to Catholic school for a while, but I am also educated. And I am going to say it right here, right now... the majority of fundamental Christians are uneducated, bigoted, and concerned with the right to life in only one case. Where are they when the baby is born into poverty, when soldiers die in war, or when people are executed on death row?

The hypocrisy would be even worse if they were smart enough to recognize it.

What I saw around me at Target were Bush voters. People like I stood next to in the voting line. They came out in droves. And I must now accept that half of the country supports the mission.

The Kerry signs were everywhere in this town, but the Bush signs were hidden under the rock that is fundamentalism.

Stand Up and Be Heard (and I promise no Diebold Machines)

2004-11-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

I don't ask this often, but this is a roll call. I know you are visiting (I see the stats). Please provide some comments about how you are feeling and where we go next.

The Termites Are Blowing In The Wind

2004-11-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

I am not even sure how to start. I know I have to write or I am going to lose it. I cannot even look at the media sites, so I have no idea what the status of everything is. I just know that we lost.

I couldn't even watch last night. But then of course I was up almost all night tossing and turning. I didn't want to turn the TV on, but couldn't not turn it on. I woke up in a mode that was basically a full blown anxiety attack -- shaking, crying, chest pain, and a general feeling of weakness in my body.

Yesterday the idiots of this country united. And the Republican party is all too happy to have them. They united them around divisive social issues like abortion and gay marriage. And now they have a mandate to govern. And govern they will, with literally no checks and balances. Even Tom Brokaw said it last night, this election was about God, gays, and guns. Absolutely disgusting.

The idiots came out of the woodwork like termites crawling out of rotting wood. Reason and rationality were defeated by religion. And I said long ago that this election was going to be just as much a mandate on corporate media -- it was, but they won. And the masses are going to live for many more days of swallowing the kool aid they love to drip on your tongues.

So if you hate people that are different than you, love your guns, and are racked with Bush-induced fear, you won yesterday. Unfortunately, everyone else lost big time. I had a feeling that it was going to take substream America until a second term to realize how bad this administration is. Some of them will.

But the rest will just continue on their crusade.

I Can't Take The Anxiety

2004-11-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Didn't think I would blog today much... but I am going nuts! I felt so confident yesterday and woke up today a nervous wreck. I am still confident but I am just so crazy that all of this has come down to one day. It is almost unthinkable. Everyone else is seeming to go about their daily business, but I cannot. AHHHH!!!!

There is just so much in the unknown right now... obviously who will win, but also when will we know something, and even in a decisive Kerry victory what will the repubos do?

The Blog to End All Blogs

2004-11-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are. It's election day eve. My intense anxiety of the last few weeks has softened a bit, and I am feeling cautiously optimistic. I still have a major pit in my stomach and get a wave of adrenaline every time I think about the results coming in, but I can't help but feel that Kerry can win this thing if the system is fair. And if that 18-24 group turns out to vote. Maybe part of my optimism is that I just can't possibly stand the thought of a loss. I seriously don't know what I will do. My husband has reminded me, however, that if Kerry wins I will have far less to blog about. Very true. I am willing to give it all up, however. Sacrificing the glamorous lifestyle of being a part time blogger is worth it to see President Kerry.

The online communities seem to be leaning toward a Kerry victory. People are even using the "l" word (I don't want to say it, but it begins with "land" and ends with "slide"). I don't think it will be that big, but I do think that term is relative. Just a solid margin will feel like the "l" word.

I am really just trying to figure out what my day will look like tomorrow. I am going to do some phone banking from 11-2 in between work-related meetings, and I have to figure out when I am actually going to vote. If they really wanted people to vote and get involved in the political process, maybe they could hold elections on a freakin' weekend. But, I guess that's the point, huh? Does the leadership of this country really want people involved? Orwell's term "protective stupidity" applies here. The dumber and less involved we are, the more they can do whatever the fuck they want.

Technology is playing a huge part in getting the power back to the people. Blogs, discussion forums, video of anything/anyone on demand... all of this points to a more educated voter. The ones on the other side are reading a small local newpaper and watching a bit of Fox News (or Faux News) and wonder what all the fuss is about. What they don't know is that there truly is a revolution going on under the surface. The people are rising up, without guns, without bombs... but with information.

So, is this the blog to end all blogs? Not sure. There will definitely be some more posting until the results are firm. When that will be, I have no idea. But the more I think of it, the more I think I will never take this stuff for granted again. Drinking the corporate media "kool aid" put a lot of us in a semi-permanent sugar high. I, for one, am never going to put my head under the covers of government-inspired fear again. Stay informed, stay involved, and GET OUT THE VOTE!

Is Karl Rove Losing His Mind?

2004-11-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

Dan Froomkin, of the Washington Post White House Briefing column, has been tracking the practical jokes and odd happenings of Karl Rove lately. Everytime I read them, I can't help but truly wondering if he is losing his cookies. If you think about it, everyone said "how could Rove have been helping Bush at the debates (through the bulge) considering how badly he performed?" Maybe this is why. Maybe he is losing it. Even Bush was disagreeing with him through the feed. Shut up! No you shut up! Gnats in my face! Gnats in my face!

Here are some examples:

-Rove layed on the ground under the wheels of Air Force One in what most said was a private joke between he and the president. Here's a picture

-From the pool report by Tammy Lytle of the Orlando Sentinel, on the plane from Ohio to Pennsylvania. "Karl Rove came bounding back to the press section looking like a kid who found the hidden stash of Halloween candy, and banging red and blue rally balloon souvenirs together. 'I only had to go to a hundred rallies to get my own thunder sticks.' "

-James Gordon Meek of the New York Daily News was the print pooler and had this to report. "Halloween came early for your pool shortly after the 12:17 p.m. departure from the odorous Lancaster field."'Doctor Rove' pranced to the back of the cabin with a cloth surgical mask over his face and digits aimed upward as if ready for meatball surgery. "'Dr. Rove is here!' he proclaimed giddily, while refusing to be baited about flu vaccine. "Hijinx ensued. Rove proceeded to massage the scalp of a correspondent with, alas, fewer strands of hair than his 'surgeon,' who promised -- oddly -- to 'make the circumcision,' and then added that he had 'replaced the defective mental unit.' After pronouncing the operation successful, said physician of spin explained that his missing sterile gloves necessitated that he'd had to 'go commando' for the procedure."

-From the pool report by Bob Hillman of the Dallas Morning News, filing from president's photo op at the Sylvan-T dairy farm in Wisconsin: Bush returned to his bus. "Senior adviser Karl Rove lingered, though, looking to make mischief with a grocery sack of ice balls picked up earlier at the hockey rink in Onalaska. "An ice ball fight of sorts ensued, and your pooler was iced on the head. "Your pooler blamed Rove. He denied it. So, frivolous or not, it's up the lawyers now."

-For Halloween, pool reports say Rove threw some boxes of M&Ms at reporters. Earlier in the day, between Orlando to Miami, Rove popped into the press cabin of Air Force One to shout "Cuba Libre!"

What the fuck is up?

Osama Bin Forgotten

2004-10-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, Joe Trippi says the blogs are quiet about the latest Osama tape. Nun uh!

Two simple points. He is obviously not dead. And he is obviously not on the run. No man on the run looks so groomed with such good lighting. The Bush administration's case is a lie on both points. Surpise, surprise.

Beyond that, the timing was expected. But the message was simple. Stay out of our culture. I, for one, am ready to do just that.

Where Do I Begin?

2004-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't written much in the last few days because Blogger has been acting a little weird. So, where do I begin with this onslaught of news? We talked about the missing explosives and now Rudy Guilliani is saying it is not the president's fault, but the troops fault. Here's his quote:

"The president was cautious the president was prudent the president did what a commander in chief should do. No matter how you try to blame it on the president the actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?"

And now, a local TV station in Minneapolis/St. Paul has unearthed their embedded reporters video of weapons in place at Al Qaqaa. Here's a link which hasn't been on the mainstream media yet.

An Academic Model of the Bush Administration

2004-10-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

As a graduate assistant, I worked on research related to intellectual development. I was thinking about it the other day in the context of the Bush administration. I think it explains why we are all so frustrated with the decision making that goes on -- the thought process is literally representative of that of a preschooler. I really struggle to believe that Bush would be rated much higher than a level one or two, which is what fanatical religious beliefs can do to intellectual curiosity. It also illustrates why, regardless of what he got on his SAT (a terrible intellectual predictor, anyway), he is an awful leader. The ultimate irony is that No Child Left Behind encourages children to stay at the lowest levels of development by focusing multiple choice standardized tests, right vs. wrong, expert opinions, and "facts". Getting our children to move to higher levels requires problem solving, committed teachers treated as professionals, real world experience, and assessment that gets very ugly at times. It is certainly not scientific and easily measured. Here are the various levels:

Position 1: The student sees the world in polar terms of we-right-good vs. other-wrong-bad. Right Answers for everything exist in the Absolute, known to Authority whose role is to mediate (teach) them. Knowledge and goodness are perceived as quantitative accretions of discrete rightness to be collected by hard work and obedience (paradigm: a spelling test).

Position 2: The student perceives diversity of opinion, and uncertainty, and accounts for them as unwarranted confusion in poorly qualified Authorities or as mere exercises set by the Authority "so we can learn to find The Answer for ourselves".

Position 3: The student accepts diversity and uncertainty as legitimate but still temporary in areas where Authority "hasn't found The Answer yet." He supposes Authority grades him in these areas on "good expression" but remains puzzled as to the standards.

Position 4: (a) The student perceives legitimate uncertainty (and therefore diversity of opinion) to be extensive and raises it to the status of an unstructured epistemological realm of its own in which "any authority has a right to his opinion," a realm which he sets over against Authority's realm where right-wrong still prevails, or (b) the student discovers the qualitative contextual relativistic reasoning as a special case of "what they want" within Authority's realm.

Position 5: The student perceives all knowledge and values (including Authority's) as contextual and relativistic and subordinates dualistic right-wrong functions to the status of a special case, in context.

Position 6: The student apprehends the necessity of orienting himself in a relativistic world through some form of personal Commitment (as distinct from unquestioned or unconsidered commitment to simple belief in certainty).

Position 7: The student makes an initial commitment in one area.

Position 8: The student experiences the implications of Commitment, and explores the subjective and stylistic issues of responsibility.

Position 9: The student experiences the affirmation of identity among multiple responsibility and realizes Commitment as an ongoing, unfolding activity through which he expresses his life style.

Where do you fall?

Citation for position descriptions

Kerry Volunteer Session

2004-10-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Unlike during any other election, I went to volunteer training last night to get out the vote. My sister in law went with me... a first for her as well. The turnout was literally amazing. Our best count was about 150 people packed into a high school classroom. The crowd was energized and ready to work like crazy for the next week.

As the Plaid Adder said on Democratic Underground, I think this is going to be the October Surprise. No one has any idea how energized and mobilized the Kerry supporters are right now.

BTW, an interesting stat there: in our little Centre County, we have approximately 2300 newly registered voters. 1100 of them are Democrats. 600 of them are Republicans. 600 of them are Independents. Given that the Indy's are leaning left this year, this has to be good stuff.

Just When You Think It Can't Get Worse

2004-10-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

760,000 Pan Am Flight 111's over Lockerbie, Scotland... That's the capability that our war on terrorism let slide in Iraq. Nearly 400 tons of the some of the most powerful conventional explosives are, well, just not turning up anywhere. Less than one pound of the same type of explosives "lost" in Iraq brought down flight 111. So, yes this is the story beyond all stories that everyone is talking about today. This explosives cache was so well known that UN and IAEA inspectors monitored it regularly. Apparently Condi Rice has known about this for about a month and no one is sure when Bush found out.

I am literally at a loss for words. That doesn't happen too often.

The pit in the bottom of my stomach is just getting deeper and deeper. I honestly just can't believe how absolutely incompetent this administration is. Bush is racking up causes for impeachment faster than I can say November 2nd.

Thought Provoking Stuff

2004-10-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

A new documentary on BBC2 by Adam Curtis, The Power of Nightmares will investigate the role of fear as a political tool and the idea that the terrorist threat is not what we think it is.

Here's a quote from a Canadian newspaper (source to be identified) that sums up the use of fear as a political tool...

"For government, fear is a powerful tool... It is impossible to
argue rationally against fear or to prove categorically that a danger
does not exist. But is the fear driven by genuine danger? Or is it
just a useful device for politicians who want to assert their
authority. A provocative new British documentary series starting
this week argues that it is the latter. 'The Power of Nightmares',
directed by the award-winning documentary maker Adam Curtis, makes
the case that in a post-ideological age, politicians increasingly use
fear, rather than vision, to bolster their positions. They create
fantastical dangers against which they then offer to protect their
increasingly terrified voters. Expert witnesses, who are keen to
increase their own sense of importance, are complicit in the
conspiracy. The media, always on the look-out for a story, have no
motive to expose the fiction. ...the three-part series - to be
screened on BBC2 - focuses on international terrorism, a threat that,
since the attack on the World Trade Center, few have dared to
question."

Even Scarier

2004-10-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

After poking around the Project for the New American Century, I found this letter they wrote to Bill Clinton in January of 1998 outlining why we need to take out Saddam to protect our vital interests (read, oil) in the Gulf. It is amazing to me that this was three and a half years before 9/11 and they are using the term "weapons of mass destruction" everywhere in it. It is also signed by all the regulars including Rummy and Wolfy. And BTW, look into it further and you will see that supporters of this Project include Rummy, Wolfy, Jeb, and the big Dick. Scary shit.

Scary Goblins and Spooky Ghosts

2004-10-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Some recommended sites to check out...

One is a little disturbing because it shows how separation of church and state in this country is being chiseled away at, The Presidential Prayer Team

One is a little disturbing because it outlines the 14 tenets of fascist regimes and Bush/Cheyney fits the bill, Project For The Old American Century(making fun of the neocons Project For The New American Century which is equally disturbing)

Curses and Omens

2004-10-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Have to comment on the baseball since everyone else is... It's gotta be a good omen for Kerry that the Red Sox won last night against all odds. It's his team and usually they can't pull it out. Coming back from being down 0-3 is how we have to be thinking about this campaign. Everyone wants us to win but we are afraid we can't get over the hump and actually do it. Maybe we can! And while we are hoping, let's hope for an ass whooping like they put on the Yankees last night...

Let's Lower The Voting Age!

2004-10-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Now I truly have no doubt that kids are much smarter than any of us. When my daughter masterfully manipulates me into something she wants, or she recalls what she was eating for dinner at her cousin's house eight months ago, I always hope it is her brilliance and not my own stupidity. But, now I believe it.

An interesting poll sponsored by Nickelodeon asked kids to weigh in on their choice for president. Kerry won in a landslide (by today's terms) 57% to 43%. You may discount this entirely, however the Nickelodeon poll has accurately predicted all four of the last presidential elections. Hey, I'll take it. But then again, there is no kid's electoral college or kid's supreme court to make the final decision.

Here's an article on it...

Another Lifelong Republican Jumps Ship

2004-10-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

William Milliken, the republican governor from Michigan from 1969-1983, is voting for Kerry. Here's the article from the Detroit Free Press.

Even Your Friends Are Dissing You

2004-10-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

OK... so Pat Robertson, THE head of the Christian Coalition, is even getting in a little Bush bashing. It almost seems like all of the military leaders, religious leaders, etc. are feeling a bit of the heat and are putting their comments out there for the record when Bush loses. Everyone wants to be on the winning side, you know. Here are some of Robertson's quotes from the CNN article:

"And I warned him about this war. I had deep misgivings about this war, deep misgivings. And I was trying to say, 'Mr. President, you had better prepare the American people for casualties.' "

Robertson said the president then told him, "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."

"I mean, the Lord told me it was going to be A, a disaster, and B, messy," Robertson said. "I warned him about casualties."

Asked why Bush has refused to admit to mistakes on Iraq, Robertson said, "I don't know this politics game. You know, you can never say you were wrong because the opposition grabs onto it: 'See, he admitted he screwed up.'

"Even if he stumbles and messes up -- and he's had his share of stumbles and gaffes -- I just think God's blessing is on him," Robertson said."

Newspaper Endorsements

2004-10-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

You must read this interesting post on Democratic Underground. It outlines the newspaper endorsements game... The news isn't good for the Bush campaign. But as usual, none of the corporate media "aggregators" are telling anyone this.

Check it out

1109

2004-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

While we are busy talking about Sinclair, Bill O'Reilly, and letters from Great Britain, 23 more US soldiers have died in Iraq (since my post last Wednesday). Twenty per week seems to be the new average.

But, I guess that's news for page two.

Keyes vs. Kerry

2004-10-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Alan Keyes, a republican senatorial candidate said this about Mary Cheney... and nobody in the corporate media made too much fuss. The gay community obviously thought it was outrageous and entirely inappropriate.

(After being asked about homosexuality he called it) "selfish hedonism," (Keyes was then asked if that made Mary Cheney "a selfish hedonist.") "Of course she is. That goes by definition."

Kerry's comment about Mary Cheney... and now everybody is making a fuss, except the gay community which thinks it was entirely sensitive and appropriate.

“We’re all God’s children. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney’s daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she’s being who she was. She’s being who she was born as. I think if you talk to anybody, it’s not a choice.”

First of all, how can that comment be offensive and second, shouldn't we follow the lead of the gay community on this one?

Bill O'Reilly Needs Your Lovin'

2004-10-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Giddiness just doesn't explain it. You know the feeling that you get when that person who tormented you gets really fat and has to take a job at Wal-Mart? It's better than that. You remember the feeling that you got when you heard Rush was addicted to painkillers, and then began to beg for the privacy of his medical records? It's better than that. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Big news break: Bill O'Reilly is a perv. Not only a harasser, but a perv. (Huge bellowing laugh occurring right now). Allegedly, of course. Hey, everyone loves a good vibrator, but it's just not appropriate work conversation, Bill. It just gets even funnier that he is on a book tour promoting his latest book for kids.

Not to say that I don't feel sorry for people. We are liberals, remember? I don't like to see anyone with a major drug problem or anyone getting harassed. But when you are the ultimate in hypocrisy, we love to see you fall. You set yourself up for it, you know? You see lots of people are perverted, lots of people use vibrators, lots of people are homosexual, lots of people use drugs, lots of people have had abortions, lots of people cheat on their spouses, lots of people have seen prostitutes. But when you try to cover it up with a holier than thou attitude, and especially when you are the first to make up and perpetuate lies about other people, you just got it comin' dude. Sweet Irie doesn't even cover it...

Mary, Mary... Why You Buggin?

2004-10-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

I obviously thought Kerry did exactly what he needed to do last night. Bush ticked, giggled, and blinked more than I thought possible. Indeed, there are now rumors floating around the blogsphere that he has had a stroke, and that bulge in his back is a medical device. Probably a more solid explanation given the fact that whomever is talking in his ear isn't that helpful in winning debates. Just so you know, the bulge was there again. See a pic at another State College mother blogger site, Grassroots Mom.

And the other thing everyone is talking about is Kerry's reference to Dick Cheney's daughter. First, might I say that it is W who has made this such an issue by attempting to write discrimination into our constitution. Second, who cares if he mentioned her? She is very public about her lifestyle and Dick has mentioned her also. It's nothing to be embarassed about, is it? (to repubos, sadly it is) Andrew Sullivan, a conservative republican blogger who happens to be gay, put it best:

"SOMETHING ABOUT MARY: I keep getting emails asserting that Kerry's mentioning of Mary Cheney is somehow offensive or gratuitous or a "low blow". Huh? Mary Cheney is out of the closet and a member, with her partner, of the vice-president's family. That's a public fact. No one's privacy is being invaded by mentioning this. When Kerry cites Bush's wife or daughters, no one says it's a "low blow." The double standards are entirely a function of people's lingering prejudice against gay people. And by mentioning it, Kerry showed something important. This issue is not an abstract one. It's a concrete, human and real one. It affects many families, and Bush has decided to use this cynically as a divisive weapon in an election campaign. He deserves to be held to account for this - and how much more effective than showing a real person whose relationship and dignity he has attacked and minimized? Does this makes Bush's base uncomfortable? Well, good. It's about time they were made uncomfortable in their acquiescence to discrimination. Does it make Bush uncomfortable? Even better. His decision to bar gay couples from having any protections for their relationships in the constitution is not just a direct attack on the family member of the vice-president. It's an attack on all families with gay members - and on the family as an institution. That's a central issue in this campaign, a key indictment of Bush's record and more than relevant to any debate. For four years, this president has tried to make gay people invisible, to avoid any mention of us, to pretend we don't exist. Well, we do. Right in front of him."

Soups On Again

2004-10-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

Well, another pre-debate afternoon and another pot of soup. Tonight's special is chicken enchilada soup. The first debate was creamy chipotle black bean soup. Seems to be a mexican theme here... maybe it means I am moving to Mexico if W wins this election. Somehow Canadian soups just don't seem as appetizing.

Haven't posted much lately as I have been in childcare crisis mode and have been pretty stressed out! Thankfully, it is getting figured out and I am trying to get back to normal. While I thought being home full time with a toddler would be great, I am starting to back off that notion. Especially after she got sick for two weeks... I am thinking of writing a book about it... maybe "The Grand Failed Experiment of Being a Total Stay At Home Mom" or "I Am Worried I'm Getting an Ulcer" (one of my recent quotes which my husband quickly made fun of me for). But, I digress.

Anyway, I am looking forward to tonight and hope Kerry has a great showing, and hope Bush has a showing like the first debate. Should be interesting...

1086

2004-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Twenty more US casualties since last count one week ago. Twenty more. Twenty more. Twenty more.

Bush Wearing An Earpiece?

2004-10-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Did anyone wonder why Bush said "let me finish" in the first debate when no one was pressuring him to do that?? Big blog rumors circulating, and now being picked up in the Washington Post, that some are wondering if he is wearing an earpiece. Check out this video of that portion of the debate and notice the bump on his back. Apparently, there were no wireless mics, just podium mics... so there was no reason for him to have a transmitter on.

Hmmmm.... could explain a lot.

Tonight's Debate on Botox

2004-10-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Should be interesting... Town hall format might benefit Bush, and given his beyond dismal performance last time, I am sure his handlers have him prepared. And they probably botoxed him so all he could do is smile like Leona Helmsley. Lord knows, Dr. Cheyney (assisted by Dr. Rice) has probably already performed the brain transplant.

Interesting that one of her most famous quotes was "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."

We shall see.

Krugman's At It Again

2004-10-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

Another brilliant piece by Paul Krugman, Ignorance Isn't Strength

1066

2004-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Thirteen more US casualties since last Wednesday. And not to denigrate the Polish contribution, but... strangely in this same time period, no Poles have been killed. Even so by the way, they are hightailing it out of there by 2005.

Dr. Evil vs. The Tongue Wagger

2004-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

I thought Edwards did a very solid job last night. The scarier thing was how much more pseudo-informed and talented Cheyney was as opposed to Bush.

But Edwards does this strange thing with his mouth that bugs me a bit. He is always swooping his tongue around his mouth in circles. No big deal, and certainly no worse than Cheyney looking down or putting his chin on his fists in some scary senior portrait reprise.

Maybe all the tongue wagging came because he was salivating at the very thought of attacking Cheyney's bullshit. How on earth can he say that he hasn't tried to make a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda? I guess the same way he keeps saying that things are really going well in Iraq.

Unbelievable...

What Our President Needs to Know...

2004-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

A great article by The Plaid Adder on Democratic Underground...

"What Your President Needs To Know About Terrorism"

Here's a quote:

"If we could win the war on terrorism by setting off bigger bombs and killing a greater number of people, we would already be celebrating victory. But that isn't how terrorism works; and we need a president who knows that. We need a president who understands that military power is, in the end, pretty useless if it cannot be connected to diplomacy - and we need a president who is capable of convincing the other people at the table that he is negotiating in good faith."

Interesting Quotes

2004-10-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Two interesting quotes from todays headlines:

From Paul Bremer:
"We paid a big price for not stopping it [looting] because it established an atmosphere of lawlessness... We never had enough troops on the ground."

From Donald Rumsfeld:
"Why the intelligence proved wrong (on WMDs), I'm not in a position to say,"
(Then when asked about any connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda) "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."

Rumsfeld quickly massaged his statement through a subsequent press release.

The question now becomes: who pays for this string of colossal screw ups?

A Big Weekend

2004-10-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the morning after the debates my Kerry/Edwards yard sign was literally smoking. I have a picture I will post. Sort of funny...

It was a big weekend. The Dave Matthews Act for Change concert was Friday night and the Mothers Opposing Bush march was Saturday. Both were really well attended and good events. I was a little disappointed that Dave didn't say a little more to fire up the crowd about the elections, but it was still great. The MOB March was great... we were supposed to have about 60 people marching, and nearly 200 showed up! It was a great atmosphere and there were lots of supporters cheering and honking at the crowd. A few lone Bush/Cheyney supporters would give us the thumbs down, but only as they drove quickly past in their Lexus's or BMW's. (nothing wrong with those cars, but it seemed to be a theme!) We ended up the march across from Bush/Cheyney headquarters, which was particularly funny. A few of their volunteers came out, but just looked silly in the face of our 200 people. I do like getting those people worked up...

Two of the best signs or shirts I read (paraphrased):

-I can't believe I miss Nixon
-We are waging a $200 billion war and I am clipping boxtops for education?

Good stuff!

More Afghan Fact Checks... I got interested

2004-10-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

From a BBC article on the Pak Tribune...

"Only a little arithmetic shows the figures are dubious.

Only 42% of those registered are women. That means some 750,000 women are not registered.

The shortfall of women means the only way the 10m-plus figure for registered voters can be accurate is if every single male in the country has registered - at least once.

And that ignores an estimated one third of a million unregistered people in conflict-ridden parts of the south and south-east of Afghanistan.

So it is painfully evident that the registration process has been seriously flawed.

There are constant reports of individuals brandishing two or more voting cards, usually announcing they have acquired extra ones as an investment.

The more optimistic hope to make $100 or more per card by selling them - serious money in a country where most people earn less than that per month.

One tale - unconfirmed - even has a woman claiming to have gained 40 voting cards by turning up repeatedly for registration with her identity concealed under an all-enveloping burqa.

In the mujahideen-dominated Panjshir Valley, the number of cards issued is two and a half times the estimated number of voters."

Here are the voter stats as reported by Afghanistan Watch:
• Times in their history Afghans have directly elected their leader: 0
• Ratio of men registered to women registered: 58.6 to 41.4 percent [1]
• Registered voters in Afghanistan, as of August 21: 10.3 million [2]
• Estimated eligible voting population in Afghanistan: 9.8 million [3]
• Estimated eligible male population now registered to vote: 120 percent [4]
• Provinces in which registered voters exceed population by 40% or more: 4 [5]

How Many Afghans Does It Take... A Mini Fact Check

2004-10-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

Never mind that we have forgotten about the contributions of the great people of Poland. (I swear I think that had to be a joke...) Some interesting information from Paul Krugman's op-ed piece today. Think Bush was stretching the truth about Afghan voters? Get this:

"Let's talk for a minute about Afghanistan, which administration officials tout as a success story. They rely on the public's ignorance: voters, they believe, don't know that even though the United States promised to provide Afghanistan with both security and aid during its transition to democracy, it broke those promises. It has allowed the country to slide back into warlordism - and allowed the Taliban to make a comeback.

These days, Mr. Bush and other administration officials often talk about the 10.5 million Afghans who have registered to vote in this month's election, citing the figure as proof that democracy is making strides after all. They count on the public not to know, and on reporters not to mention, that the number of people registered considerably exceeds all estimates of the eligible population. What they call evidence of democracy on the march is actually evidence of large-scale electoral fraud."

Kerry Won Hands Down

2004-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Not even close... Sorry Dan Froomkin from the Washington Post, I cannot do fact checking for you. Bush really didn't even utter a statement that was worthy of fact checking. Just can't do it. If there would have been one statement worth looking into, I would do it, but every statement was so tired that I am not even interested in looking. Besides, fact checking rhetoric is not easy. How many times can we possibly hear the same sound bites??

Saying the same thing over and over does not make it true... and you are not "resolved" because you do so... you are a puppet.

Herman the Spokescrab??

2004-09-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I was done for the day, I saw this banner ad with Tom Ridge telling us to "be ready." I clicked through and there is this whole site about preparing for homeland security attacks (not surprisingly). Here's the site.

What was alarming is that they have sections on business, america, and kids. Yes, "Ready Kids" is a new choice and is apparently coming soon. I can't wait to show it to Madeline. When I investigated further, I found this site "Fema Kids." It is unbelievable and hilarious and scary all at the same time. You are guided by Herman the Spokescrab. Who thought up that one? And then there is info and games -- some of the games are Tsunami Game, Hurricane House, and the Disaster Twins (my bad, I thought those were Jenna and Barbara). I am not making this shit up. You have to see it to believe it. I cannot imagine what is going to be available on the ready.gov site for kids... maybe Nuclear Nellie the radiation expert, Draft Dodger Get Ready game, or Pin the Duct Tape on the Plastic Sheeting ??

Maybe they should just protect our kids and lay off the educational programming.

Now, I'm done for the day. I have to make some soup -- it's what I do when I am anxious!

Pre-Debate Advice

2004-09-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am really anxious for the debate tonight. I am just hoping it is a good showing for Kerry and the post-debate coverage is fair. Because it is not going to be the reality of the debate/issues that matters -- all that matters is what the pundits on the mainstream media channels say. If they lean to GW, then the populace will too. It's a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately true. It leads me to believe that this election is as much about an indictment of the media as it is about how bad Bush really is. The media has fallen apart as an independent broker of information.

Let's just remember one KEY point before watching tonight. Bush has four years of a record to stand on (or under). He is not the challenger and his record should stand for what it is. He can say he is going to accomplish world peace, but the past four years of reality challenge that notion. He can say a lot, but most of it is completely out of sync with four years of history. But when has history or reality ever mattered in this administration?

Eisenhower's Son Voting for Kerry

2004-09-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this article written by John Eisenhower, the son of Dwight D. Eisenhower. He is now a registered Independent after 50 years as a Republican.

1053

2004-09-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday... Ten more since my last count over the weekend. The Bush administration is clawing to keep the profile low on casualities for a few more weeks. Looks like they are getting their way. The mainstream media is on board with their agenda.

"Winning the Oil Endgame"

2004-09-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a chance to read much of this beyond the summary, but it sounds fascinating. You can download the full book in pdf format for free. See the URL: http://www.oilendgame.org/index.html

The Ribbons Go Up and Down

2004-09-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

While we are on little annoyances...

Could all the people displaying the various yellow or red, white, and blue "support our troops" ribbons please put them correctly? I am so sick of seeing them sideways on cars motoring down the road.

People, they go up and down. I don't care how the text looks. Am I the only one totally annoyed by this?

The Security Mom

2004-09-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

OK, so I am annoyed with this whole concept. The campaign finally brings up the mother as a voter segment -- and deems a certain portion "security moms" who are going to vote for Bush because they think he will protect their families better. Let me just say, for the record, that I am quite sure there is not one mother who is the "non-security" mom type. Who the hell doesn't think security is important? I do, and yet I am going to vote for Kerry. Mothers that I interact with daily, and all of the members of the group Mothers Opposing Bush fall into the same category. So, please just give me a break. It is a Karl Rove and stupid media creation that is more condescending than "soccer moms."

You are getting very fearful, you are getting very fearful, vote for Bush, vote for Bush.

What a load of crap. Any mother who is really interested in the security of our country should wake up and realize that we have had almost four years of this administration and who the heck feels safer because of it?

1043

2004-09-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Eight more killed since the last check...

The media would be telling you about it, but sorry, the hurricanes are coming again. We've got Jeanne staring down Florida again and now we have Ivan reforming to strike for the second time. I am telling you my post about the Cassadines is looking more and more plausible.

Ahh, Blum and the Pissing Cat

2004-09-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

So I am in Bloomsburg for the weekend, a small conservative town in Pennsylvania -- also my hometown. Typically, I become a little annoyed here because I see too many Bush/Cheyney signs and the local newspaper's libel and slander column, 30 Seconds, is always full of uneducated opinions about nearly everything, including the presidential election. And a sign in one the storefronts on Main Street says "Kerry Sucks", so that tends to grate on me a bit. Classy!

I will say that I get a nasty feeling in my stomach every time I see a Bush sign. And if you have never had the pleasure of reading 30 Seconds, you are truly missing out. It is literally a call in or email in thing where you say anything, don't need to give your name, and the newspaper publishes it. Little battles rage in the column over every type of issue. And you can say anything about anyone. Fun, huh? Most entries begin something like this: "To the Berwick man with the cat who is relieving itself all over my lawn..." But that's another blog entry altogether.

However, today I was a little surprised. I saw a lot more Kerry signs up than B/C signs and every post in 30 Seconds was anti-Bush or pro-Kerry. As a matter of fact, they seemed like "regular guy" kinds of messages with people becoming frustrated by everything from healthcare to the War in Iraq.

Maybe just a strange weekend, but I'll take my little victories.

Let's Get Packing

2004-09-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Is there a U-Haul drop off place in Baghdad or Basra?

After reading about the esteemed Interim Prime Minister of Iraq's visit, I am starting to think our "liberal" media is really taking us for a ride. This place sounds pretty great! All those pictures of death, destruction, and mayhem must just be the workings of all of us "peace" people. This story is sounding more like "Wag the Dog" than ever. (BTW, if you haven't seen that movie in a while, rent it immediately) And then I read this quote from Allawi from the Wasington Post:

"''I stand here today as the prime minister of a country emerging finally from dark ages of violence, aggression, corruption and greed,' Dr. Allawi told a joint meeting of Congress before his appearance at the White House, using language that echoed Mr. Bush's campaign speeches about Iraq."

I wonder if they can come liberate us from the same fate. And the only difference will be that we actually have weapons of mass destruction.

The Peace Trains Coming Straight to Bizarro Land

2004-09-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

OK, so let me get this straight. Martha Stewart is getting locked up, Howard Stern is public enemy number one, and Cat Stevens is not allowed in our country. We are at war in a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, we can use satellite images to find weapons that don't exist, we can't find a 6 1/2 foot man in the Afghan mountains in robes who needs dialysis, a president who was in charge when the most devastating attack occurred on our own soil is considered a leader, that president chastises the UN for not helping us when we circumvented them entirely, and a doctor in charge of reproductive health says that women will feel better from PMS by reading the bible.

Up is down, down is up, right is wrong, wrong is right. Makes me a little nervous for November, but I'm still gonna fight.

And if you are interested, here is some of the insidious language that the evildoer Cat Stevens has spread into our world...

Peace Train

Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

Now I've been smiling lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller

Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on now peace train

Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too
Cause it's getting nearer, it soon will be with you

Now come and join the living, it's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer, soon it will all be true

Now I've been crying lately, thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating, why can't we live in bliss

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

Reproductive Rights

2004-09-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Some disturbing information about Bush's choice to head up the reproductive health drugs advisory committee. You thought the first term was bad, just wait...

"President Bush has announced his plan to select Dr. W.
David Hager to Head up the Food and Drug
Administration's (FDA) Reproductive Health Drugs
Advisory Committee. The committee has not met for more
than two years, during which time its charter lapsed.
As a result, the Bush Administration is tasked with
filling all eleven positions with new members. This
position does not require Congressional approval.

The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee
makes crucial decisions on matters relating to drugs
used in the practice of obstetrics, gynecology and
related specialties, including hormone therapy,
contraception, treatment for infertility, and medical alternatives to surgical procedures for sterilization and pregnancy termination.

Dr. Hager, the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women:
Restoring Women Then and Now." The book blends
biblical accounts of Christ healing Women with case
studies from Hager's practice. His views of
reproductive healthcare are far outside the mainstream
for reproductive technology.

Dr. Hager is a practicing OB/GYN who describes himself
as "pro-life" and refuses to prescribe contraceptives
to unmarried women. In the book Dr. Hager wrote with
his wife, entitled "Stress and the Woman's Body," he
suggests that women who suffer from premenstrual
syndrome should seek help from reading the bible and
praying. As an editor and contributing author of "The
Reproduction Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of
Sexuality Reproductive Technologies and the Family,"
Dr. Hager appears to have endorsed the medically
inaccurate assertion that the common birth Control
pill is an abortifacient."

Kerry Does Letterman: Top Ten List

2004-09-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Pretty funny stuff...

Kerry's "Top 10 Bush Tax Proposals" are:

10. No estate tax for families with at least two U.S. presidents.

9. W-2 Form is now Dubya-2 Form.

8. Under the simplified tax code, your refund check goes directly to Halliburton.

7. The reduced earned income tax credit is so unfair, it just makes me want to tear out my lustrous, finely groomed hair.

6. Attorney General (John) Ashcroft gets to write off the entire U.S. Constitution.

5. Texas Rangers can take a business loss for trading Sammy Sosa.

4. Eliminate all income taxes; just ask Teresa (Heinz Kerry) to cover the whole damn thing.

3. Cheney can claim Bush as a dependent.

2. Hundred-dollar penalty if you pronounce it "nuclear" instead of "nucular."

1. George W. Bush gets a deduction for mortgaging our entire future.

1035

2004-09-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Seven more killed over the weekend... nuf said.

Must Read for Democrats

2004-09-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this Michael Moore article...

Risking Being Shunned...

2004-09-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

(This post was emailed to several of my friends and family members)

Well, here I go. I am going to be an annoying political supporter and bug you about who you are voting for. First of all, let me say that I understand that political views are at the core of who you are and if you don't support my message, just delete it and let's move on. But if you are willing to at least hear my out, that would be great. I would not risk being "shunned" if this were not of the utmost importance to me. Second, please get registered to vote if you are not. The deadline in PA is October 4th for the general election.

I have been a registered Democrat since I was 18. Most of you know that. While I didn't vote for Bush, I supported the administration fully after September 11th. I felt like it was good to have an administration that had military experience. However, my support has been eroding since then. Little things started adding up to big things and it made me begin reading and writing at a pace I have never done before. When we decided to invade Iraq preemptively, I became concerned. But, I felt our administration must have known something that we didn't. Turns out that they knew something, but that the information was wrong. Let's remember that the original purpose was tied only to weapons of mass destruction -- not to nation building and conversion to democracy. Then the link became about connections to Al Qaeda and 9/11, but that was wrong too. Despite every assurance, there has been NO proven link to Al Qaeda. Then it became about sharing democracy as God's gift; that doesn't seem to be working either. The daily violence is too hard to read about and 1028 US Soldiers have died so far, as well as anywhere between 10,000 and 50,000 Iraqis.

And while those are tragic numbers, the bigger issue is that it's going to keep growing. There is no plan in place that will prevent us from losing more soldiers. And I for one began to start asking myself, for what? Why are they dying? As a mother, I cannot imagine the pain. But, when a mother asks herself why her child is dead, what answer is there? It wasn't about WMD, it wasn't about a link to 9/11, and the chances of democracy flourishing are somewhere between slim and none. In fact, this war is producing terrorists at an alarming rate. When we kill one, there are ten in line to replace them. A war on terrorism is not about war among nations, like it used to be. These are rogue individuals and groups, not necessarily connected to countries. Fighting this war has got to be different. And no matter what the purpose of the War in Iraq is, there is one clear fact -- we are losing. Large pieces of the country are out of our control and violence is clearly not diminishing. How long is it going to take to win? Who knows? How many people will die? Who knows?

And let's go one step further, if this is such an important war -- one that our very survival is pinned on (why else go to war unprovoked?), then it is certainly not a time for a tax cut. Our other major wars have been times of extreme economic sacrifice. And if it is also so important, then we all must be faced with the fact that our children may be sent off to fight it. Yes, maybe most of us won't have to deal with that, but many other people will. And if this is now our strategy, then what about North Korea and Iran -- two countries with real weapons and real intent to do us harm. Based on the Iraq model, where do we go next? No one argues the fact that Saddam Hussein was a bad man, but there are hundreds of others out there.

But many of us argue this is about our security -- we have to be willing to stay strong. But at a cost of $200 billion, what could we do here at home to secure ourselves? We could equip our major ports with radiation detection for about $300 million -- we spend that in one or two days in Iraq. That at a time when only about 1 or 2% of all the containers that come into this country are verified for contents.

My feeling is that our administration is flawed in its analysis of this threat. The threat is very real and that is why it is so important that we question the tactics. We have been wrong about nearly every part of this war, and yet it goes on. And Osama bin Laden is still out there. We have gone from wanting him "dead or alive" to not really wanting him at all. But let's get real, even capturing him will not decrease the threat. We need a real strategy and we need real security here at home.

That is my major concern with this administration, however there are other things that are alarming to me.

-Our children could never demonstrate how smart or creative they are on a standardized test (neither could we). And while we want teachers to be accountable, No Child Left Behind is not the right approach. When most of the districts (even good ones) are labeled as "failing," something is wrong with the measurement process. We need educational reform, but not like this. I, for one, want my child to be curious and creative, not able to take a multiple choice test. Teachers don't need more paper work to improve the system.

-I am disturbed by the financial irresponsibility of the administration. Yes 9/11 has forced us to spend a lot, but we all must be willing to sacrifice. I would much prefer my tax cut being spent to secure our ports, borders, or nuclear power plants.

-And while we must sacrifice with government programs, I think we have to be smarter about where we cut. Cutting $1000 in Head Start programs leads us to having to spend $10,000 more in prison costs. A lot of programs have fat to cut, but let's be more forward thinking and fund the programs that work. It cuts down on recidivism costs, prison costs, healthcare costs, etc. For example, programs like Big Brothers/Big Sisters cut down on problem behaviors later in life. It's much easier to pay now, rather than pay later when it means prison time or major problem behaviors that we all pay for in spades.

-While I could not get an abortion now, there was a time in my life where I may have had to make that choice. It is not a pleasant one, but there are times when it is necessary. Sanctity of life means respecting my life and my choices too. The president appoints the judges that could overturn Roe v. Wade -- this is a distinct possibility. And let's remember that outlawing abortion just endangers women and turns the women who get them into criminals. What does that accomplish?

-And speaking of the sanctity of life, let's respect those alive now with diseases like Parkinsons, Diabetes, or Alzheimers by looking forward with stem cell research. We cannot afford to close our eyes to what MIGHT be the most monumental research of our lives. Yes, we don't know what it will be capable of, but we cannot afford to look away. These stem cells are otherwise discarded in all cases. Let's not think the world is flat.

-We need a real plan for health care. EVERY civilized nation in this world has some sort of governmental suppport for health care. At least our children or those families in the middle class squeeze should be covered at some level -- a level that ensures they will not go bankrupt if they have a catastrophic health issue. And let's remember that preventative care (well baby care, vaccinations, check ups) saves us all with lower rates for everyone.

-Let's not deny civil rights based on religious institutions. While you or I may not agree with gay marriage, we cannot deny rights based on church-driven institutions. There should be a civil union which provides basic rights to all couples -- like inheritance rights, tax code rights, and the right to not testify against your spouse in court. This is common sense. A church has every right to decide who can get married in that religion, but the government does not have that power -- especially via a consitutional amendment.

-We need to have respect for the environment. Our children are suffering because of it. Got allergies or asthma? It's directly connected to pollution and particulates in the air. Those are the facts. Beyond that, we would not be concerned with the Middle East if we didn't need their oil. Let's demand an alternative fuel source now. It's better for the environment and for our national security. The $200 billion pricetag for Iraq (so far) could most assuredly help us find a new way to power our automobiles and other energy needs. Let's at least try!

-How on earth could we allow the Assault Weapons Ban to expire? In this day and age with terrorism rampant, how can we make these weapons so accessible? Yes, the ban wasn't perfect, but it helped. And every poll shows about two-thirds of the country supports it. How could we let the NRA dictate our choices? Bush pledged to renew the ban and yet he pressured not one person in Congress to act.

-Both sides are wasting time with rhetoric about the Vietnam War -- this is ridiculous. Common sense says that both men served at some level. Bush was privileged and served in the National Guard, Kerry was privileged and volunteered for duty. I wouldn't want to go to Vietnam, so I cannot judge either man. But I do respect Kerry for going, when he probably didn't have to. Discussing these historical issues just takes us away from the real issues in front of us today.

-There is a lot of discussion about flip flopping. Let's use common sense again. Anyone who has served over a long period of time is going to change their mind and refine their choices. Kerry has done it; Bush has done it. But it is not a reason to vote for someone.

These are the main reasons that I am voting for John Kerry. And I may not have any friends left, but I really felt that I had to share them with you. Thanks for making it all the way to the end if you stuck with me, and I accept hate mail and comments on my blog!

Cock Fighting

2004-09-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

The One Rule of the Restaurant (and Global Domination) Business:

As my friend Kevin always says, "the one rule of the restaurant business is that you need to cook your chicken." Pretty simple stuff. Don't give people salmonella -- it's probably bad for business.

And to extrapolate, it would seem that the one rule of the preemptive war business is that you need to win. Also pretty simple stuff. Don't put people in the line of fire if you are not entirely sure of the cause -- that too is really bad for business.

Eight More

2004-09-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

The US body count is now at 1028. And given the reports from intelligence, it does not sound like it's going to get better -- basically civil war is becoming a given. When is anyone going to say we need a strategy other than just saying "we are making gains on the ground and things are getting better?" When is the Kerry campaign going to demand accountability from Bush on what the strategy is? Given that he voted for the conflict, I think it is a logical question. We are losing. What is the President doing to change that? And why would anyone vote for a president who is losing a war of our choosing?

With God On Our Side

2004-09-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

After reading this quote in USA Today, I thought of Bob Dylan... Quote as follows from the article, Kerry Tries Recovering From Character Attacks.

"Some Democrats are growing frustrated that voters don't seem to be turning against Bush in greater numbers. Kerry has some figures on his side — higher unemployment than when the president took office, more people without health care, more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers dead in Iraq and a growing national debt."

Ahh, such factors to have on your side. However awful those things are, I can at least acknowledge that the truth is on Kerry's side. Those are hard numbers that cannot, despite the administration's ability to sell shit as "sweet smelling," be refuted. Hence the reason they are solely focused on selling Bush's leadership and strength. Everything else makes him look bad. (And we could certainly argue as to whether having the most massive terrorist attack in recent times occur on your watch is a testament to your leadership and strength)... but I digress.

So, it's all about having truth on your side. Which only works up to the point that you encounter people with fundamentalism on their side -- i.e. God on their side. Truths, and even relative truths, matter little when you are guided by fundamental religion. We see it obviously with Muslim extremists, but we also see it just as much with fundamentalist Christians or Jews. You cannot convince many in the Middle East that the US is not necessarily trying to end their culture as they know it, and you cannot convince many in this country that our policies of "manifest democracy" are beyond incorrect. When our leader says things like "democracy is God's will and gift to the world," we are in deep trouble. And guess what, surprise surprise, when Bob Dylan wrote this song, he wasn't talking about Al Qaeda or Iraq.
Read the lyrics

"...And that land that I live in
Has God on its side...

...With guns in their hands
And God on their side...

...For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side...

...And you never ask questions
When God's on your side...

...So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war."

Is It Still Worth It?

2004-09-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Casuality Count for US Soldiers in Iraq is now 1020.

Given the funding shell game that is going on, Joe Biden said today (paraphrased), if Iraq is a central front on the war on terrorism, then we can all say our chances of victory don't look too great.

You Can All Rest Safer and Other Ironies

2004-09-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I am going to sleep better tonight knowing that Martha Stewart is getting locked up. My hydrangeas are safe from overzealous pruning and there is no chance I am going to be ashamed that I can't make an envelope seal from a red potato (although most people who know me may argue that one). Here's an article if you live under a rock and haven't seen one yet.

The obvious irony that she is going to be in jail and Karl Rove and Dick Cheyney get to walk around as free men is a "bad thing."

Another sickening irony: Congress couldn't get its act together to renew the assault weapons ban this weak, but they did manage to vote themselves a pay raise. Read it and weep

Don't Believe the Hype

2004-09-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

The latest poll in the Christian Science Monitor shows a dead heat between Bush and Kerry, with the bounce beginning to fade. See the article.

Penn State, Bagdad Campus

2004-09-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

Interesting irony here... My sister-in-law just found out that the federal funds which support her position here at Penn State University have been frozen by the Bush administration. Not sure how much the average Iraqi knows about Prevention Science, but there is going to be $286 million extra for them to figure it out. (See yesterday's post)

USA... USA... USA...

When It Rains It Pours

2004-09-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently things aren't going too well in Iraq. You see much of the money that we said was going to be for, you know, water and electricity projects -- well, that now has to go to security and petroleum projects. Hmmm. Granted, security pretty much blows right now if you live in Iraq. But, as always, I can't help but cringe when I see the budget allocations... Here's a listing from USA Today.

"The biggest shifts the administration is proposing would take nearly $2 billion from the $4.2 billion originally provided for water projects, and $1.1 billion from the $5.5 billion approved for the country's electric system. Progress in both areas has been slow. Instead, security and law enforcement spending would grow by $1.8 billion, to $5 billion. Included in the extra funds is money to hire, train and equip 45,000 new police officers; add 20 battalions to the Iraqi National Guard; and improve Iraqi border protection, Iraqi Army special operations and protection of dignitaries. Of the $1.7 billion for restoring Iraq's oil industry, $450 million would be shifted to projects for spurring increased petroleum output next year, including expanded production at Kirkuk. About $4 billion in debt Iraq owes the United States would be forgiven, at a budget cost to the United States of $360 million."

Here's the kicker though...

-$286 million to quickly provide jobs for Iraqis;
-An extra $100 million to develop Iraq's agriculture;
-Another $100 million to help train local government officials;
-$60 million for administering and monitoring national elections scheduled for January.

I sure wish someone was spending $60 million to monitor our damn elections. And what do you think $1.7 billion could do for alternative fuels research? And what about $286 million for jobs here... wait I thought the only way you could create jobs was to give tax cuts? Boy that Middle East really is different.

Get Ready in Florida

2004-09-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Jeb is at it again. Despite a court ordered injunction preventing Nader's name on the Florida ballot, the FL Division of Elections has gone ahead and included it. That means all overseas ballots will have Nader's name on it, despite the ruling that his party did not qualify as a national party. Read the Reuters article.

This election is going to be ugly.

Required Daily Reading

2004-09-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Here are two very thought provoking articles to read:

Taking On the Myth, Paul Krugman
Mean Season, Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel is a wise man and a pretty darn good voice of reason. While he doesn't take a political stance here, he talks about the ridiculousness of this campaign. The citizens and media of this county, who quickly fall into the soap opera of negativity and attack politics, fail to remotely appreciate the huge issues facing this country. By focusing on typewriter capabilities of the 1970s, we largely ignore the stark realities that Krugman discusses in the first article listed.

Enjoy.

Radiation Detection-- This Will Make You Mad

2004-09-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

Heard an interesting stat the other day... To equip our major US ports with radiation detection, we would have to pay about $300 million. This at a time when less than 1 or 2% of all containers coming into US ports are inspected. It goes without saying that this is certainly an easy target for Osama bin Laden and his chain of terrorists.

Guess what? We spend $300 million in one or two days in Iraq. So this is what this election hinges on, would you rather undertake a year's worth of homeland security projects (think one day would equate to at least partially securing our ports) or would you rather keep sinking money into a War in Iraq that was unfounded, unjustifiable, and costing us lives every day?

I know where I line up.

Asthma, Allergies, and Just Not Getting It

2004-09-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

On a day of tremendous violence in Iraq and the Assault Weapons Ban expiring, I needed to divert my attention to different topics. It is just too hard.

I read an article today about lung development and asthma in polluted areas on ABC News Online. You see, they are starting to scientifically validate that highly polluted urban areas are causing kids to have underdeveloped lungs and sky high rates of allergies and asthma. I think we all knew there was an asthma epidemic in the cities that goes largely unnoticed.

As a mother of a child with extensive allergies, I have had to deal with some of these issues. Her allergies are environmental and food related, but the issues are the same. Our childrens' immune systems are being attacked by "evil" particulates and proteins. Many of these things have been around forever, but we are now seeing an onslaught of allergic kids.

But then we have people in older generations saying things like "I don't know how our kids ever made it. There were no allergies. And no one needed to walk around with Epi-Pens or inhalers." The message is that today's parents are overly anal and it's just that this is getting diagnosed now.

WRONG. When it comes to environmental allergies, the major causes are clear. Our constant assault on the environment is changing the ways lungs develop and the body is in hyper-attack mode, causing asthma in so many children. And when it comes to food allergies (which are a little more difficult to figure out), there are also some assumptions we can make. The food that is mass marketed to us is ultra-refined and our bodies have very little work to do to break it down. My feeling is that this move away from natural, whole foods to factory-produced foods with chemicals and refined products has to be impacting the allergy response. That being said, moving to a whole foods diet won't necessarily be a cure for my child's allergies. It is too late for that.

There is a constant portrayal of people who fight against pollution, and those who eat strict whole foods diets, as somehow wacko. Environmentalists have been marginalized in this society as crazy. What we all need to realize, however, is that there is more impact than global warming, greenhouse gases, and long term climate change. One of the most basic units of our ecosystem, the human being, is being altered tremendously in lung function and allergic response.

And if you think you are safe because you live in a non-urban area, think again. My little old Centre County is pretty darn dirty. See this county report or search in your community.

I am just convinced that the majority of people don't care about anything til it's too late. When you have to walk around with an Epi-Pen in case your child has a life threatening allergic reaction, you tend to have a different view. Unfortunately, if we don't all start caring soon (and making our politicians care), we will not have the luxury of seeing this epidemic as something that "happens to other people's kids." It's not going away, it's not getting better, and you are naive to think it won't be your child or grandchild next.

Three Years Later and Running Away

2004-09-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with almost the same obliviousness that I did three years ago. No one had any clue what was going to happen on that seemingly normal day. It was a beauty -- a gorgeous early fall day without a cloud in the sky. I was almost six months pregnant with my daughter, Madeline. We had a morning full of early meetings at work; an important visitor was in town, so we were all boarded up in the conference room. He left the room for a few minutes and returned with an ashen look on his face and told the room "I regret to inform you that an airplane has hit the World Trade Center in New York." Even before he got past "inform you," I was in a panic. As he uttered the rest of the sentence, I had only one instinct: this is war and I need to run and protect my daughter. I was in State College, PA, so it wasn't like anything was happening here (although it would later in the morning in Somerset where Flight 93 crashed), but all I wanted to do was run. We instantly flocked to the laptops and cell phones to try to figure out what was happening. We quickly realized that it was "no Cessna" that did that kind of damage. Everyone was a wreck and trying to get in touch with family and we went across the street to watch a TV in a hoagie shop. By the end of the evening, I was spent. The skies were entirely still, no jet trails and it was quiet. Very different than the scenes in NY and DC. But all I wanted was normalcy... I remember thinking that life would never be the same, and it hasn't been since.

This morning when I woke up, it was because Madeline was having a bad dream. I went and got her and she slept with us for a while. When we came down for breakfast, I opened up my laptop and realized what day it was. And there was my beautiful daughter playing with toys and eating Cheerios. The total simplicity of what I longed for that day three years ago. I think she noticed I was a little upset and came over to get close with me. She wanted to see what I was looking at -- photos of the day, which I didn't particulary want her to see. So I said to her, "you know Madeline, today is a very sad day for some people. So we need to close our eyes and send them our love." So, we both closed our eyes and I said, "let's send them our love." When Madeline opened her eyes, she said, "Oh, I opened my eyes, now they can all be happy."

I cried. I wish it were that simple. I wish I felt that she was safer today than three years ago. All I wanted to do was run then; and now, even in the normalcy of Cheerios and college football afternoons, I still feel like running may have to be an option again.

Cassadine-Bush Connection?

2004-09-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Way back when in the annals of General Hospital history, there was an evil family named the Cassadines. You see our hero and heroine Luke and Laura were battling the Cassadine family -- they were doing something with the "Ice Princess" (a diamond) and they were also controlling the weather. Forgive my memory of the key details, it's been many years. You can probably check out a GH website for key historical evidence... : )

Back to the conspiracy though... with all of these hurricanes hitting Florida, obviously a key swing state, it sure makes you wonder if the Cassadines haven't been in hiding on some island for a while, only coming out now to help Bush in his reelection bid. It makes for such nice photo ops in the state -- our caring president handing out water to Floridians and touring the damage. Ivan even sounds like a Cassadine name! And here's a pretty right-wing sounding quote from GH's Mikos Cassadine:

"The entire world will live by my rule. I will be in supreme command!"

When you see the "Ice Princesses for the Truth" 527 group emerge, you can say you heard it here first.

Hello, This is the White House

2004-09-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got off the phone with the White House urging Bushie to get congress to at least take a vote on renewing the assault weapons ban. It was eerie. After a ton of busy signals and being on hold, they said "I will be sure to pass along your message. The president cares what you think." That's just plain creepy. Why isn't he doing anything about it then? It was strange how nervous I was to begin speaking... And then when I was on the phone with my sister in law a few minutes later, the phone kept making strange clicking noises and got real fuzzy. I basically think the Patriot Act is comin' to get me.

Even the phone operators in the Bush administration lie. If it was the NRA on the line, I might believe he cared what I thought. I couldn't help but wonder what the operator thought. She sounded sort of like my Mom, or anyone's Mom, really nice and caring. I wondered how many calls she had logged with people saying the same thing. I wonder what she feels about renewing the ban. I can't imagine she is psyched that assault weapons will be back on the street in D.C. sometime soon. How could anyone be?

But then again, she may be at a call center in India and have a really great June Cleaver accent.

Look for the NRA endorsement of Bush for 2004 to come at 12:01 AM on Tuesday morning.

Assault Weapons Ban

2004-09-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

What do I need to say here? The ban will expire at midnight on Monday unless Congress acts. While Bush says he supports it, he has put virtually no pressure on the repubos to act. So, down it goes. And get ready America (Bernie Mac impersonation), Roe v. Wade will be next if we don't vote this Reagan-reject freakshow out.

And public support is generally running about 70% in favor of continuing the ban. But Bill Frist says that obviously people in America don't support it, or else it would be getting renewed in Congress. That is some interesting logic.

If you are one of the 70% of people who support keeping these purposeless weapons off the street, sign this petition at Stop the NRA.

The cynic in me says it's not going to make a hill of beans difference, but maybe we will catch some congressional leaders on a particularly giving day. You know maybe a day where they get their favorite bavarian cream donut and decide "hey, let's throw the American people a bone."

Also, feel free to call the White House at 1-202-456-1111. Or look up your congresswoman/man's phone numbers.

1000 Is Not the Important Number and our Disgusting Vice President

2004-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

1000 is tragic. This column has been following the numbers this summer and knew we were going to end up here. Unfortunately, before I even got a chance to write, the number is now 1003. This is a tragic and needless energizer bunny that just keeps going. And as I said a few posts ago, when does that number end? What is our threshold? When do we say enough is fucking enough? I am not sure, but I know that we are not safer because of this war. We all know that in our hearts. That being said, when do we acknowledge we have made a mistake of colossal proportions? As I heard someone say a few months ago about the concept of "cutting and running", we act as though cutting and running will make this worse, we act as if that is the mistake... we have already made the mistake and not cutting and not running is not going to make it better. Iraq will erupt into civil war. The Middle East is going to get much worse before it gets better. And terrorism will be no different. We just have to decide whether we want to stay embroiled or bring our troops and our money home to protect us here. It's not an easy choice because stability impacts us all, but it's like a category five hurricane. Do you stay outside and fight a force of nature? Or do you batton down the hatches, board up the windows, and protect your family?

On another note, our esteemed Vice President yesterday declared that a vote for John Kerry puts us at risk for a terrorist attack, one that could be worse than 9/11. Pundits declared it scare tactics; I declare it absolute blackmail of the worst sort. Correct me if I'm wrong Sandy, but didn't 9/11 occur on their watch? Along their logic, if something happens under Kerry's presidency, can't he just blame it on the Bush administration's policies? They have certainly inferred that it was Clinton's administration that caused 9/11 (and the deficit, etc. etc.)

When do we say enough is enough? My post yesterday about anger is outdated... I am starting to feel rage.

I Am Angry

2004-09-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am a Mom and I am angry.

I am angry because my president doesn’t understand me.

I am angry because they say I got a tax cut, but I don’t feel any richer.

I am angry because the people who really got a tax cut feel rich anyway.

I am angry because the only help wanted signs I see are at fast food restaurants.

I am angry because they say there will be no child left behind and our education system is getting worse.

I am angry because I know my child can’t demonstrate how smart she is on a standardized test.

I am angry because I have to pay thousands of dollars on daycare.

I am angry that I, and most of my friends, had little or no paid maternity leave.

I am angry because my best babysitter quit due to the fact that she couldn’t afford to pay for her own health insurance.

I am angry because we were misled on the reasons to go to war in Iraq.

I am angry because we seem to have entirely miscalculated what it would take to be successful in Iraq.

I am angry because I want a peaceful world for my child.

I am angry because 1000 soldiers won’t be coming home and 1000 mothers feel like they cannot bear another day of the pain.

I am angry that 3000 people died on 9/11 and I still don’t feel safe.

I am angry that Osama Bin Laden is still on the loose and we are going after Howard Stern.

I am angry that our borders are still like swiss cheese and someone could easily attack us if they wanted to.

I am angry because people use the name of religion to justify violence and hatred instead of kindness and understanding.

I am angry because I am a Christian and everyone seems to be forgetting what that stands for.

I am angry because we have no real commitment to finding alternative fuels, just alternative places to drill for it.

I am angry because 60 leading scientists, including many Nobel Prize Winners, say this administration ignores science and distorts scientific findings for their own benefit.

I am angry because stem cell research could help my child or grandchild avoid a whole host of major diseases and we are largely ignoring it for religious reasons.

I am angry because this administration can’t seem to separate church and state.

I am angry because the prospect of four more years of this administration could mean a step backward in time and the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

I am angry because while abortion wouldn’t be my choice now, I understand how a woman might need to make that choice.

I am angry because my healthcare plan doesn’t cover my child’s basic shots and I have to pay for them out of pocket.

I am angry because we are the only civilized nation that doesn’t provide its citizens with access to health care.

I am angry because I am paying into a Social Security system that will probably not be around for me.

I am angry because people who have never served this country are criticizing someone who has.

I am angry because we are spending $200 billion in Iraq and I think spending it here at home could make us safer.

I am angry that my child will be saddled with paying off a huge deficit.

I am angry that our air, food, and water are going to be less safe because this administration is caving to special interests.

I am angry that this administration is more concerned about seeing a woman’s breast on TV than maintaining the ban on assault weapons.

I am angry that a political party is only concerned about the sanctity of life when it deals with fetuses, but not soldiers going into combat, those dying at the hands of guns, or those suffering from AIDS or other debilitating diseases.

I am angry that I am not allowed to question our government’s actions without being labeled unpatriotic.

I am angry and I have never participated as a volunteer in a presidential election -- yet.

I am angry and I vote.

The 1000th Death

2004-09-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, back to the reality of this world. Since my last count, nine more soldiers have died. It was a particularly bad weekend. The total is now at 998, with the 1000th death possible at any moment. Makes me wonder, do you think Bush will call the parents of the 1000th soldier killed? Maybe he will show up at his funeral? He hasn't done it with one other soldier yet, but you know, this could be momentous. And if he gave the eulogy maybe he could elaborate on why we are fighting this war -- you know, with real facts not just that the "world is going to be safer." Because not one source has been able to find the connection between Iraq and 9/11. And no WMD have been found. And I am damn sick of these things being inferred at all turns. It is plainly wrong and they are attempting a Jedi mind trick -- that many people are falling victim to.

And the more I think about it, I am not sure the world is safer without Saddam in power. When we have the former Soviet Union on the verge of full scale war with separatist terrorists, I am thinking dictators might be a better option in unstable societies with boundaries that represent political entities, not national ones. I guess it all goes back to "be careful what you wish for." The Middle East, much like the former USSR, was drawn up based on geo-political needs or desires, not based on the nations that actually live there. Peace is a pretty lofty goal given the traits of human beings, but until we figure out the issue of respect toward nations, we are not even going to get close.

Maybe that is what is so wrong with the Repubos.

Some Bush Humor

2004-09-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

I can't get too serious here... Especially, when there is just such rich fodder for making fun. Here's a great picture I found of our War President

I just hope we are never in a situation where he has to salute, cuddle his puppy, and push the button at the same time.

Also a great quote from a Reuters Foundation article... Bush was discussing malpractice reform and OB-GYN's. From the article:

"POPLAR BLUFF, Mo., Sept 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush offered an unexpected reason on Monday for cracking down on frivolous medical lawsuits: 'Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country.'"

It is a shame... Oh beautiful, I just found the video of this quote!

Weather Channel Politics and Bill Maher Quotes

2004-09-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

After a night of visitors, I was a little wired from the political arguments based on information they had heard from A) Fox News, B) The Weather Channel, or C) The Tennis Pro. So, I watched the Bill Maher Show -- I was laughing so loud I was afraid I would wake everyone up for round three of Tyson vs. "HolyShit they are idiots." Jason Alexander was on and made some comment about swing voters... something like "how on earth can you be a swing voter in this election? how bad does it have to get for you to actually make a decision?" But the best quote of the night was from Bill regarding the capture of Osama bin Laden and how it might improve the war on terror:

"First of all, if Osama bin Laden was captured and killed today, it would have the same effect on terrorism as Ray Kroc had dying for McDonald's. They have already built the franchises. Ray Kroc doesn't need to be alive to sell more McDonald's hamburgers." – Bill Maher

More quotes from the episode...

That's rich stuff... And when I am even partially agreeing with Pat Buchanan, you know its a weird night.

More Hypocrisy

2004-09-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Read a great article from Slate on Bush's convention speech today. Check it out...

The best part is at the end when it essentially says that reelecting Bush amounts to a "social promotion" -- something he is touting that No Child Left Behind is ending in our schools. You see, to get promoted, you now apparently have to show results. Hmmm... Made me think, which is hard today considering how much wine I drank last night. The results aren't that great. But the repubos (see yesterdays's post), say well, 9/11 happened which means we can't expect results. The world is too crazy.

But if some well-intentioned 7th grader hadn't cut it with his school work and wasn't showing results, would we care? Even if he seemed like he would be a great eighth-grader? Even if something tragic happened in his homelife that year? In Bush's world, absolutely no. No, because some things depend on results. What would happen in Bush's world? He wouldn't be "promoted" to another term and eventually, the people that put him there would be held accountable. We are accountable for putting Bush in office and we must make ourselves accountable for getting him out.

Five More

2004-09-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

The total US body count in Iraq is now 979. Five more deaths since my last count. Coalition count is well over 1000 (1110).

Ten more parents, probably ten or fifteen more siblings, probably five or so fatherless children. All feeling like their world has crashed in around them. And by the way, four of the five were from hostile combat or IEDs. Only one was from a non-hostile vehicle accident. (all as of yesterday, September 2nd)

Who knows what today will bring.

The Ultimate in Hypocrisy and Balls of Jelly

2004-09-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

I just read an article about the young republicans at the RNC Convention and their commitment to the War in Iraq. Of course, all support it and feel we must stay the course. However, are any of them willing to fight it? Nope, not really. Most feel they can "do more good" here in the States. Of course they do. Who wants to really put their ass on the line when there are so many others doing it for you? I am glad to see that the legacy of Bush and Cheyney lives on in today's young Republicans.

Would I be willing to fight? Nope, no way. So, I guess I am just as cowardly. However, I am not so absolutely hypocritical to say that I fully support the war and that others should go fight it. One young repubo (I am taking the Fox News habit of appending an "o" on the end of any group they don't agree with -- e.g. enviros -- its cool b/c it has the ability to make someone sound crazy without saying they are, you know psychos, wackos, weirdos) said that they would sign up if there was another September 11th. I guess one actually involving Iraq would be even more compelling.

These are the same people criticizing John Kerry for not getting injured enough in Vietnam. How can you criticize someone who had the guts to go? He didn't need to, just like you repubos, but he went. Do you have the balls to go? No, not only do you not have the balls to go, you don't have the balls to be honest about it. No, you can't say "I can't go because I am afraid to die" so you say "I can't go because they need me here at home." I am real sure that the 1000 soldiers that have died so far would have preferred to stay home too and I am real sure they were afraid to die.

And I am real sure their parents and friends have cried as much as yours would.

One says, "I may get the bug after college [to join]." Ironic given that many join the military just to get the privilege to go to college. Children of privilege rarely see the horror of war. They just administer it.

See the Knight-Ridder article, "Young Republicans Support Iraq War, But Are Not Willing to Fight It"

Must Read: Liberals Bad? Conservatives Good?

2004-08-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is a must read Michael Moore column about what liberal values provide for every American today. I don't think many conservatives even begin to appreciate how different their lives would be without these policies. With four more years of GW, we will all find out!

As I read on a t-shirt recently, "Think. It's Patriotic."

Bush League Thoughts...

2004-08-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

I saw a quote on a random news site today quoting GW as saying (something like), "I won't come in second in this race." Don't you think he should have appended "again" to that quote? He was only 500,000 some votes away from winning the popular vote last time, so at least he is striving for something this campaign. Forget healthcare or the War in Iraq, our president just wants to come in first. That's so cute.

Also, I can't help but think what the Republican party would have done if the Clinton campaign/Democratic Party (with Clinton labeled as a "draft dodger") criticized the elder Bush for not really earning his medals during World War II. Can you imagine the outrage that everyone would have felt? And yet here we have many Republicans, and Americans in general, thinking that this is a legitimate political tactic. People would have thought Bill Clinton and the Democrats were losing their marbles! Just when I think this administration cannot get any more ridiculous, it does. When are people going to wake up?

August Casualties

2004-08-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

As we gear up for the RNC soiree in NYC, I thought it was worth a reminder that a war marches on. By my best counts, it looks as though 59 US soldiers (plus 9 other coalition soldiers) have died in Iraq in the month of August. The total body count is now at 974 American soldiers. We are talking on average two soldiers dying every day.

The news is so flaky lately that I just feel something bad is going to happen. With so much focus on things like the Peterson trial, the Hacking murder, and the Olympics, I just feel like we are in a spot similar to pre 9-11. At that time, we were obsessed with "where is Chandra Levy" and stories that are tragic, but local interest. There is an eery quiet and I think we are ignoring real issues. And there are going to be massive protests and massive arrests in NYC this week during the convention, and it just makes me ill. A lot makes me ill lately.

Check out this organization, Mothers Opposing Bush (MOB)

The Barricades are Falling and the Fear Society, Part II

2004-08-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

A few extra thoughts related to yesterday's post... I read a great quote today related to intense media coverage. "Such media activity is based on a desire for ratings, not a desire to report on newsworthy events, said Joe Saltzman, a journalism professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication." (Washington Post) It is an important thing to always remember. News today is based on a desire for ratings and newsworthiness only sometimes comes into play.

My other thought... it seems that another culprit in our fear society is our increasingly litigious nature. Now, of course, lawsuits don't cause fear, but the results do. These include massive fears of product liability which cause manufacturers to put warnings on nearly everything. And like I said yesterday, some precautions are very helpful and necessary, but some really do go overboard. I don't think we realize how much they impact us on a subconscious level. When you start to notice them, it will be hard to stop. For example, this morning as I was entering the parking garage at work, I noticed the motorized barricade that allows you to enter had the warning to stand clear because not doing so could cause "serious injury or death." OK, fine, yes I don't was to stand underneath it. But there was my first (or maybe more than first) warning that I could die occurring at 9:00 in the morning. As I exited my vehicle, I noticed warnings all over the visors about airbags and death and serious injury. Now I am looking at my desklamp and seeing a warning tag. Terror alert warnings, food product warnings, toy warnings -- Everywhere we look, we get constant reminders of the myriad of ways by which we might eventually kick the bucket (hey, do you think the term kick the bucket came about because someone actually kicked a bucket, slipped, and fell to their death? that bucket needs a warning tag!)

Just don't underestimate the ways in which this barrage impacts you-- both the intensely arbitrary and negative media, as well as constant warnings related to things that get used every day. And when you combine the two, we get shows like Dateline... "Tonight on Dateline, don't let tragedy happen when entering a parking garage." The barricades are falling, the barricades are falling!

Chicken Little and the Fear Society

2004-08-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

I watched Bowling for Columbine last night for the third time. It happened to be on a movie channel so we decided to watch. It is strange because Michael Moore’s movies draw you in because they are so entertaining, but then literally shock and disturb you because you are so open emotionally. It is an amazing movie and I really think it should be required viewing for nearly everyone. I struggled to think what people (other than staunch NRA members) would find fault with – the discussion of societal differences that lead to violence in the US, the stories of not only Columbine victims, but other gun violence victims, or the humor and irony of the story of a dog who accidentally shot someone (but a five year old who does the same somehow has malice of intent?). If you have not seen the movie, please drop any preconceived notions you may have and just give it a chance. Turn it off if you don’t like it.

What I find truly amazing about the movie is the discussion spawned by Marilyn Manson about fear and consumption. It is a stark portrayal of our society as one that sprays fear around on nearly every media outlet – and one that consumes because of it. We fear crime and violence – we buy security systems and construct safe rooms. We fear car accidents – we buy safer cars. We fear tire explosions – we buy new tires. Locks not safe enough? Install a deadbolt. Local E coli breakout? Buy this new fruit and vegetable wash. Some of it is useful and common sense. But is all of it necessary? I heard on the national news this morning a story about playground safety. They talked about a two and a half year old girl who died on a playground because a dead tree branch fell on her. Having a two and a half year old daughter made me instantly pay attention. Your empathy kicks in, and if you are at all a worrier, you think “Oh my gosh, that could be my daughter. What would I do?” I better examine the tree branches the next time we are at the park.” Now, I don’t just have to worry that she is going to fall off the equipment and hurt herself, I don’t just have to worry that there is a sexual predator there, I also have to look to the sky at the tree branches. Of course it is a tragic story, but within reason, what can I do about it other than worry? Surely, if I see a loose branch I will keep my daughter away, but is the sky really falling?

Other stories I have heard on the national news lately make me pause – especially in a time of such an important presidential election where the majority of people really don’t know what the candidates truly stand for or what the issues are about. Couldn’t the major media be spending at least a little time on the issues and keep some of the other stories at bay? I mean tiger escapes – in the standard deep media announcer voice: “what do circuses in your area do to keep you safe?” Postpartum depressed woman tries to jump off bridge – “what you need to know about postpartum depression.” Husband kills wife after years of lies – “how to tell if someone you love is lying!” And now that it is summer, we surely are all hearing about downed crows and the latest West Nile outbreak. If these stories happen in your town, maybe it is worthy of a local report, but the national news?

The question is: how can I disconnect? I try to read most of my news online from respected sources. But, I am still drawn in. After September 11th, I think many of us became news addicted. It was the only thing we could turn to. We couldn’t do anything, but we could watch. And now, we are still drawn in. Now it is Iraq and the war on terror. We have an intensely stronger fear now of a repeat major terrorist attack, germ warfare, or chemical and nuclear weapons. But once again, what can we do? Not much.

However, our government and its agencies can do something. We cannot completely secure this country, however we could be doing a heck of a lot more. Ports, borders, nuclear facilities, etc. – we could obviously do more. If we are going to rack up debt to be passed along to our children, this is a cause I could justify. We could train first responders more effectively and fund the agencies that would deal with an attack – mostly those on a local level. We could participate in the world and truly work with our allies to fight terrorist organizations. These are all things we can actually do – not sure about you, but they would make me feel better. And when we go back to the fear mongering stories, wouldn’t better healthcare and better mental and psychological services help so many? As for the tiger story, not sure government can help here – they could regulate more, but why the hell do we really need traveling circuses with tigers anyway? How about some freakin’ zoos?

So we further the fear society by continuing to watch the news programs, by continuing not to complain, and by refusing to require our politicians to be accountable. By not getting involved and voicing our votes and opinions, we are allowing our society to continue to move toward that of Chicken Little’s. Fear your neighbor, fear your children, fear your parks, fear your cars, fear those who are different, fear your coworkers, just fear.

By not getting involved we continue to allow the extremists on both sides of political spectrum dictate what we, the majority in the middle, watch, consume, and fear. Use your voice to complain and use your voice to vote. Get knowledgeable about the real issues that may affect you – healthcare, jobs and outsourcing, international relations, the history of the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stem cell research, technology, etc.

Let’s not be so distracted by the random fears pushed down our throats that we don’t wake up and see that the fox is trying to eat us all.

_____________________________
Foxy Loxy: "Well, well. Where are you rushing on such a fine day?"
Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey (together) "Help! Help!" It's not a fine day at all. The sky is falling, and we're running to tell the king!"
Foxy Loxy: "How do you know the sky is falling?"
Chicken Little: "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"
Foxy Loxy: "I see. Well then, follow me, and I'll show you the way to the king."
Narrator: So Foxy Loxy led Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey across a field and through the woods. He led them straight to his den, and they never saw the king to tell him that the sky is falling.

Fact Check

2004-08-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quick fact check: According to the New York Times today, the total body counts for US soldiers in Iraq include 42 American soldiers dying in June 2004, and 54 dying in July 2004. Heard that on the news lately?

Now that we have nearly 1000 casualties, ask yourself in the coming 18 months will it be acceptable to have 1000 more? And then 1000 more? But wait, I thought combat was over last May?

And do not forget the 6087 injured US soldiers, of which 3432 are injured too badly to return to duty. And while our government does not provide estimates for Iraqi casualties, numbers range anywhere from 5000-50,000. And those are civilians only.

Which will be the last acceptable death? What is your threshold?

Washington Post Must Read

2004-08-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

You must read this Washington Post opinion column, "Do the Math" on economic performance related to presidential performance.

It is an opinion column, of course, but it presents some very interesting statistics that are easily validated. Lots of nice fodder for dinner table arguments with your relatives.