life's journey

i think it's important to beat this horse

2009-07-16T20:09:00.003-04:00

too many folks just shrug about torture and surveillance. i believe that it is important to know where things start; how they come about- and why they are still in play. it isn't rocket science to figure out that the obama admin wants some of those stolen powers- even cheney said as much during the campaign and after (not just about obama). what's good for politicians is usually never good for citizens. forewarned is forearmed about what is coming next. from what i can see- not much has changed and there is still real danger of cheney era (from way back in nixon's admin to now) acts and laws harming the lives of american citizens.

don't need many more reasons

2009-07-16T19:04:00.003-04:00

to only eat what i grow

fuck sake. i haven't eaten tuna in over two years and i never buy seafood. ever. i have had it once or twice when we eat out but it's rare. not that the chicken and pork i have been purchasing at the supermarket is much better- but for the love of fuck- i cannot believe the sheer potency of the greed that permeates this planet.

no surprises there

2009-07-16T08:11:00.001-04:00

couple this with everything else we know about the cheney/rumsfeld administration- and the list just keeps growing.

"Eighty-two percent of applicants who had "liberal affiliations" were rejected for summer internships, while only 13 percent with conservative affiliations were rejected for the same programs."

i didn't get that sticker

2009-07-16T08:03:00.001-04:00

i got a magnet with 'obama/biden' that i put on my fridge so that all of the rethugs know i am not part of their ranks. unfortunately, i am not part of the dumbocrats ranks either- but i don't want to confuse the rethugs.

"I think I’ll start selling bumper stickers that say, “Don’t blame me, I voted for change.” You can put it over the sticker you already have that says, “Vote Obama for Change.”

meth infected homes

2009-07-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

i never thought about this- but on top of all of the other housing issues- this sucks pretty bad.

'With meth lab seizures on the rise nationally for the first time since 2003, similar cases are playing out in several states, drawing attention to the problem of meth contamination, which can permeate drywall, carpets, insulation and air ducts, causing respiratory ailments and other health problems.'

trust me europeans

2009-07-16T07:56:00.001-04:00

this would not be in your best interests. anyone who can toady to the likes of clinton AND bush- should not be running the whole european union. just sayin....

more evidence out of new orleans

2009-07-15T08:33:00.000-04:00

the nation is staying on this story- check it out

from earlier

ahhh... summertime...

2009-07-15T08:18:00.002-04:00

it's that time of year for all american stuff- like baseball, hotdogs, apple pie--- and jon stewart. this was pretty clever

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Lenny Dykstra's Financial Career

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Joke of the Day

it's refreshing sometimes

2009-07-14T08:15:00.001-04:00

to live in a semi progressive area. if we could just get rid of the segment that is held in a time warp...

it's still a lemon

2009-07-14T08:08:00.002-04:00

ralph reed thinks he has the idea for the 'anti oldsmobile' what a tool.

it's so true

2009-07-13T17:05:00.001-04:00

cats do control humans

i hate to constantly be a downer

2009-07-13T08:39:00.002-04:00

it seems like there hasn't been anything good happening in the world in forever. if you take a look at the world as a whole- there is much unrest and upheaval- even in countries who aren't actually committing violence against each other. the ruling elite must be a wee nervous over that. i haven't had all that much to say because i can't report on happy changes we were promised. if anything, the democrats are out to prove just how republican that they can be. if that doesn't prove that we have a one party ruling class- the rich and corporate- i don't know what will.

the secret government within a government bullshittery has been pervasive for years- cheney just took it to the max. he was, oddly enough, out in the open about it. when you have media chains like the washington post holding private, off the record 'access parties' to get healthcare industry together with politicians in a private home- you know america is over. the obama nsa is just as secret as the bush one. the obama homeland security is just as draconian. we haven't gotten rid of many of the cheney era laws and acts and whatnot when it comes to secrecy, and spying.

there were many folks, me included, who wanted to give the dems the benefit of the doubt. well, here we are with a dem majority 6 months later- and what do we have to show for it? we have heard plenty of excuses and seen minimal change. we aren't any more free and we haven't seen any change on the domestic or war front. most of us catch snippets of the 'news' so i don't have to cite every story- but there it is. i don't really give a rat's ass what malia or michelle obama is wearing or who sings at a celebrity's funeral. what i care about is that i get to keep my house; my family has decent, reliable health care and food, and that i get to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

so far, all of those seem to be non existent in america. i think we need to change our anthem- because we are not 'the land of the free and home of the brave' anymore.

for any who still believe we have american values

2009-07-12T08:44:00.002-04:00

a blog buddy of mine shared an article with me written by a conservative christian pastor, chuck baldwin. oddly enough, his rant sounds like many of mine- sans the christian bend.

"Our churches are no longer places of respite from the world: they are mirrors of it: the same dress; the same attitudes; the same carnality; the same spirit; the same stubbornness; the same pride. Churches are no longer bastions of truth: they are glorified social clubs or mere corporations, where Christianity is never allowed to interfere with business. Instead of being watchmen on the wall, our pastors are CEOs or, even worse, politicians. Popularity and personal ambition far outweigh commitment to truth and an independent mind."

indeed.

so, it comes as no surprise that glenn greenwald has been highly critical of the obama, pelosi, reid triumvirate because our 'ruling class' has been bought and paid for. and it isn't just the 'blue dogs' in congress. i really think that whole thing is stupidity. you are either republican or you aren't. but i digress....

i think what makes me most angry is how folks were so very marginalized by peers for standing against the patriot act, military commissions act, illegal wiretapping, etc., at the time these things were being implemented- and now, we are seeing that these acts were indeed for political reasons and not real security. and we are seeing that they insulated themselves against accountability.

but the real upset is that americans hate other americans. we aren't going to be able to live side by side in peace soon. so, it's food for thought.

another reason not to take news at face value

2009-07-12T08:38:00.002-04:00

remember the hoopla around the crime rate in new orleans after katrina? remember how the news implied it was because of looters and really, let's be honest, black folks? well, remember that and read this

here's the skinny

2009-07-10T23:41:00.002-04:00

on el nino and la nina- i can't get my tilde to work for some reason

no surprise to me

2009-07-09T16:31:00.002-04:00

h/t tengrain

2000's extremely weak for living standards in most households

fyi

2009-07-09T16:19:00.001-04:00

still tasty

wondering if your food is still good in your fridge and cupboard? take a peek at this site.

wee bit of roundup

2009-07-09T08:10:00.002-04:00

bbc covers american grave scam- another reason to lament american culture

howard dean on health care

america's war on empathy -the health care front

dengue fever on the rise throughout america- not just a southern state problem anymore

do you know where your bottled water comes from? neither does congress

and, you know it's true if the pope says so- 'capitalism is failing'

just when you thought it was safe to go into the water

2009-07-08T21:16:00.000-04:00

We are respectable negroes: Black Children Kicked Out of Pool Because They Would Change Its Complexion

is this the change that we can believe in? i guess i am still waiting for americans to grow the fuck up. seriously. when you read the comments following the story- it really gives you a flavor for what real america, day-to-day america is like. there are more people like the palin knuckle draggers than there are thinking, compassionate human beings. this really made me angry.

fyi

2009-07-07T08:40:00.000-04:00

at the peace tree today

what you don't hear

2009-07-07T08:35:00.002-04:00

is as important as what you do. it came as no surprise to me that papers were holding stories or refusing to print them. it was more a surprise to me years ago- when i found out that the papers and 'news organizations' were manufacturing propaganda in the form of made up news. now, not much surprises me. here's a pretty good roundup of different stories:

politicians should know better- commentary

sexism and palin- it's really hard for me to look past her inherent ignorance but there is a point

garbage- it's what americans are throwing away

and a couple of really great posts from pam's house blend. john's post really struck a chord with me- not because i am gay- but because i am human.

indeed

2009-07-06T20:02:00.001-04:00

"If Israel fears for its security because Gaza's children have crayons then not only has Israel lost its last shred of legitimacy, but Israel must be declared a failed state," she wrote.

cynthia mckinney

update:

great coverage chronicled over at dandelion salad

"This past week has been a bad one for Israel. Its bad behaviour was manifested in the seizure of a ferry boat carrying medical supplies and activists to Gaza, the impounding of the vessel and humanitarian cargo, and the imprisonment of crew and passengers. What is more, Israel’s vio- lations of human rights and international law were documented in detail in important studies issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International."

a republic if you can keep it

2009-07-04T20:34:00.001-04:00

thank you to ian welsh

little bit of a roundup

2009-07-04T19:07:00.002-04:00

plant disease hits northeast gardens

"In the meantime, plant experts are warning gardeners to be on the lookout for the disease and to take quick action if it crops up. The first sign is often brown spots on plant stems, followed by nickel-sized olive-green or brown spots on the tops of leaves and fuzzy white fungal growth underneath. Tomato fruit will show firm, brown spots.

Spraying with fungicides can control late blight if begun before symptoms appear, but many plant experts recommend removing and destroying the plants instead to prevent spores from traveling."

knife crime on the rise in uk- what is it that they said about guns?

costa rica greenest, happiest country- won't last long- lots of americans are moving there

obama and a dem congressional majority hasn't changed much

rich land grabbing from poor- for food

once upon a time, americans had integrity

good article

2009-07-04T09:08:00.000-04:00

"The ability of the corporate state to pacify the country by extending credit and providing cheap manufactured goods to the masses is gone. The pernicious idea that democracy lies in the choice between competing brands and the freedom to accumulate vast sums of personal wealth at the expense of others has collapsed. ...

Our economic crisis—despite the corporate media circus around the death of Michael Jackson or Gov. Mark Sanford’s marital infidelity or the outfits of Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest incarnation, Brüno—barrels forward. And this crisis will lead to a period of profound political turmoil and change."

chris hedges, 'the truth alone will not set you free'