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figgyjslyme
Member Since: 2/18/2008 7:29:02 PMLast Seen: 5/11/2008 10:21:10 AM
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My Friends figgyjslyme has 26 friends. View all of figgyjslyme's friends. |
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Posted 5/11/2008 7:54:08 AM
I never met you but I wish I could have. You gave birth to our daughter half way around the world in Pune, India. You gave her a name that means, “Joy has found us.” You were the wonderful mother who took such excellent care of our daughter during the first seven years of her life. You sang to her and read to her and your love and guidance helped her become the lovely young woman that she is today.You protected her the best you could from her alcoholic, abusive father. When he started to drink, you told her to go stay with a friend or neighbor where she would be safe. And you stayed behind to endure the abuse. When she fell under a train and lost her leg, you cried bitterly, wishing you could have been there to protect her. You knew her life in India would be much harder for her now. When your husband died, you had no home anymore. So you lived under a tree with your daughter. You worked as hard as you could cleaning up debris in the streets so that you both could eat. I thank you for that. You also gave your body to lustful men to support your child. And I thank you for that. On that horrible day, when the man set you on fire, and you laid there in pain and misery, you thought not of yourself, but of your child. Who would take care of her? As your body smoldered on the ground, with your crying daughter by your side, you felt yourself slipping away. But I know you are the Guardian Angel that was by her side when she sat in the train station, almost dead from malnutrition. You helped the policeman carry her lifeless body to the orphanage. And you stayed by the orphanage caregivers as they miraculously nursed her back to health. I wish that seven more years hadn’t passed before we found our daughter. But, for some unknown reason, it was meant to be that way. Joy found us on the day your precious daughter arrived at the airport. She was now our daughter too. On this Mother’s Day, I thank you so much for your many sacrifices. I am grateful for all the love and care you gave her. I am so sorry that you couldn’t be here in person to see her now. Like us, you would be so proud. Happy Mother’s Day, Leila!
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Posted 5/10/2008 12:58:48 PM
In April, Grandpa McCain told the folks over at “The View” that we needed more troops to fight the existing wars and all the wars that he plans to start. “We need warm bodies and lots of them.” Well, no, he didn’t exactly say that, but it was something similar. I’m so glad he isn’t my grandpa. Anyhoo, he thought that a good way to get recruits would be to ratchet up the educational benefits. If you fight in Grandpa’s wars, and survive, you get to go to school.The Senate already had a bill in the works. It would renew and expand the GI Bill, and allot much more money for education. Obama and Hillary had signed on as co-sponsors and it had bipartisan support. But then, petitions from 30,000 veterans arrived at McCain’s office. Seems these veterans thought it was a good idea to have more money for education. A day later, in classic neocon style, John turned on them. Apparently BushCo and McCain “worry that a more generous and expansive GI Bill would create an incentive for troops to get out of the military and go to college.” Oh no! They might leave the military and get an education. Ahhhh! How can John start his wars on Iran, Syria and God knows who else, if his troops go off to be educated? He says he is gonna offer some alternative legislation. He’ll probably require that the veterans rejoin the military after their schoolin’. Or maybe he’ll just decide to hell with the extra benefits and reinstitute the draft. The Dems will probably go along with it like they usually do. Maybe they will contribute to the legislation by closing the “rich kid” loophole. Then John can wage war with abandon and relieve all of his displaced anger. Of course, there will be a giant sucking sound when many of the potential troops flee to Canada. A wall will have to be built. And the parents who were too busy to worry about other people’s children getting killed will drop everything and start rioting in the streets. And those of us who have been protesting the war all along can then take a break and sip Margaritas while we watch the lack of coverage on the mainstream media.
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Posted 5/9/2008 10:32:21 AM
 A couple of our friends are living on the edge. They are one major illness away from the poor house. So they have asked us if they could live in our summer home (pictured above) if things go to hell in a hand basket. Of course, we told them that they were welcome. But like a lot of homes in Minnesota, our little house is currently vacant and falling into disrepair. We are gonna look for some scrap lumber and hopefully bring it up to code. I hear that the gas companies in Minnesota are shutting off the gas to 450 families a day. And about 250 families a day are getting their electricity cut off. The food shelves are almost empty and the thrift stores are barren. And the pundits are still wondering if there is a recession. I went to some of my favorite rightwing sites on the Net. Most of them are still in denial. Everything is fine, it seems. But then, a NASCAR race failed to sell out for the first time in 16 years, and some of them admitted that there could be a teeny problem with the economy. But they quickly blamed it on the bleeding hearts that won’t concede to drilling in ANWR. I think that this recession is simply Karma. We have squandered away our natural resources. We started a war to get another country’s resources. The neocons had a grand plan to dominate the Mideast countries and drain them dry. And Americans just kept guzzling. We stood by while our manufacturing jobs got sent overseas. Our imports exceed our exports. Of course, some of our imports are from American companies employing overseas cheap labor and sending their products back to us. This makes the rich even richer and the American workers get screwed. And Americans never questioned what would happen to all the workers who lost their jobs. Some said that they would be “retrained.” Retrained to do what? A number of economists say that, if this is a recession, it will be mild. Tell that to the working mother of three who just had her electricity shut off. They interviewed her on TV and she was desperate. The rich keep telling us that everything will be OK. Then they continue to suck the life out of us. My husband and I had an “almost free” night last night. We enjoyed a snack of winter onions from our garden and then had a heaping bowl of asparagus from our patch. The temps were in the 40’s, so we fired up the wood stove and the furnace never came on. Our final cost for the evening was a little electricity for a lamp and “Without a Trace,” and a couple pats of butter. But most people don’t have two gardens and an alternate heating source. I wonder how all those families who had their gas and electricity shut off managed last night.
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Posted 5/8/2008 11:06:34 AM
There aren’t many heroes left in America. When I was young, military generals were always considered heroes. Nowadays, they are merely pimps promoting war on the mainstream media. People used to respect the President whether they agreed with him or not. But now the President is nothing more than a corporate tool. The usual sources of heroes are gone. But there are still a few out there. One of my heroes died last week. She didn’t fight in any war. She never held public office. I don’t know if she was a Republican or a Democrat. But she defended something more precious than war and politics. She believed in love and the right to marry anybody you chose. In 1958, Mildred and Richard Loving were soundly asleep at 2 a.m. when the police broke into their home and arrested them for being married. They were convicted of “cohabitating as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth.” Mildred was black and Richard was white. The judge told them that they could either leave Virginia or go to jail. They chose to leave Virginia. Eventually, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the ACLU, and the NAACP got involved and the case went to the Supreme Court. Mildred quietly, but firmly said, “We loved each other and got married. We are not marrying the state. The law should allow a person to marry anyone he wants.” Back then, the Supreme Court wasn’t filled with hateful rightwing stooges. They ruled in favor of the Lovings’ right to marry. Black and white lovers all over the country breathed a sigh of relief. Love had won. Mildred and Richard went back to Virginia, raised three children and enjoyed their life together. In 1975, Richard was killed by a drunk driver, and Mildred had to go on without the love of her life. On June 12th, 2007, the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision, Mildred spoke up again. God bless her, she saw another group of American lovers who were being oppressed by the Republican Machine. And she quietly, but firmly said: Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights. I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about. Mildred died on May 2, 2008, as a true American hero.
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Posted 5/7/2008 9:48:31 AM
 It looks like the fat lady is warming up for her aria. La,La,La, buh-bye, Hillary. I still don’t understand why women and white working class people voted for her. Why would women, who normally protect their children at any cost, vote for a warmonger? And why would working people vote for somebody with ties to evil corporations with long histories of union-busting? Oh well, like Dubya said about the Iraq War, this campaign is “just a comma” in history. It’s time to move on to more important things, like Jenna’s wedding. My husband and I fully expected an invitation to Jenna’s soiree. We assumed it would be a bipartisan affair. In fact, we even ordered a lovely wood stove as a wedding present. After weeks of running to the mailbox, we were horrified to learn that we were not invited. So, what should we do with the wood stove? We have been so busy removing downed trees on our land, we didn’t have time to cancel the order. Finally, we sat down and thought about it. Maybe we could use that stove. So yesterday, we had some big, burly guys install it. I took a pic of it for your approval. Laura Bush wanted the wedding to be a White House extravaganza. That normally automatically raises the approval rating of the President and God knows George needs it. But being a down-to-earth, homespun kinda gal, Jenna said she wanted a small wedding in Texas. In her politically correct voice, she declared, “We wanted something organic and low-key.” Jenna’s “organic and low-key” wedding gown was designed by Oscar de la Renta. Apparently she never heard of thrift shops. That’s where I got my wedding dress. It cost me three bucks. It was probably designed by Evelyn in the dress factory. It had a faint musty smell but that only added to the mystique. Dubya and the Mrs. wanted to do something special to commemorate the blessed event. So they purchased a giant, organic limestone cross and put it by the lake where the wedding will be held. That’ll show those Evangelicals who claim that they were nothing more than “useful idiots” to the Republican Party. On the dark side, Karl Rove will probably be there. The groom used to work for him. This is not good – Karl Rove and the humongous cross at the same wedding. This will be a classic good versus evil conflict, complete with thunder and lightning bolts. I predict storms in Texas on May 10th.
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Posted 5/2/2008 6:38:17 AM
You won’t be seeing much of Figgy for the next few days. My friends and I are having a big garage sale. Over the years I have accumulated a lot of material things. No, I didn’t buy them. They were all presents. Now our house is ready to explode. Before that happens, I’m gonna start bailing out. All I really need to be happy is a good book and a bowl of asparagus. After the garage sale, we are having a new wood stove put in. We have plenty of dead wood on our property, so we should be able to save a bundle next winter. I’ll be back on Wednesday. I’m sure by then the politicians will have given me plenty to write about. Have a great weekend!
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Posted 5/1/2008 9:50:12 AM
I remember what May Day was all about when I was a little girl. All the kids would make fancy paper baskets and fill them with candy and give them to friends. Sounds dull, I know, but here’s the kicker. If you had a crush on someone, you would put a basket by his or her door, ring the doorbell, and then run like hell. The rule was that if your crush came running out and caught you, you would have to kiss them. Back then, kissing was a huge deal. I don’t know what the kids do now. I had a crush on Bobby. He could run like the wind, so delivering a May basket was risky business. And his house was on a hill, so he could see somebody coming a mile away. But I was curious – what would it be like to kiss Bobby? So I snuck up the hill, dropped the basket, rang the doorbell, and ran away in slow motion. Two years in a row. And no Bobby. Shit. I decided that this was an unrequited love. It kinda stung, but I knew I would survive. There wasn’t going to be a third year in a row. I had made a fool of myself twice and that was enough. So that next year, I gave some baskets to my girlfriends and called it a day. I was reading a book when the doorbell rang. I jumped up and started running to the door. Then I heard horrible screams. My mother beat me out the door, shrieking, “Stop it, break it up!” My girlfriend, Sandy, who also had a crush on Bobby, caught him leaving a May basket on my doorstep. That incensed her and she threw him to the ground and started pounding on him. I just looked on in horror as my mom tried to pull them apart. When she finally succeeded, Bobby hobbled off making strange squawking noises. Mother gave Sandy a lecture about beating up boys. Sandy politely listened and then came into the house. We played a game of Checkers. Sandy and I have remained friends over all these years. She sent me a birthday card with a note saying, “Can you believe that we are 60?” Yup, I’m 60, and I still wonder what it would have been like to kiss Bobby.
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Posted 4/30/2008 9:42:52 AM
What would you do with a bunch of people who are addicted to heroin? Why, the answer is simple. You tell them you will find a way to get them more heroin. It makes sense in a twisted, perverted way. You’ll look good and the addicts won’t be so twitchy.Yesterday, George Bush said that the solution to our energy problems would be to start drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). That would tell the world that Americans are serious about looking for their own oil. It would scare those oil-producing countries. Next time some thug bothers me, I’ll just tell him that I’m gonna go look for a rifle. George has never gotten over the fact that Americans have rebuffed him and his oil cronies every time they have tried to make a grab for ANWR. In typical infantile fashion, George said, “Somehow if you mention ANWR it means you don’t care about the environment. Well, I’m hoping now people, when they say, ‘ANWR,’ means you don’t care about the gasoline prices that people are paying.” Yes, I know it sounds garbled, but let me interpret it for you. Dubya is saying that if you won’t let him and his pals drill in ANWR, you are personally responsible for the high gas prices. In other words, he is holding ANWR hostage. Maybe now we won’t be so recalcitrant when the next ANWR bill hits Congress. Maybe now we will say, “To hell with the environment, we want cheap gas.” That is what George is hoping. This will be a true test to see what Americans are made of. Are they spoiled little self-serving children like Dubya? Or do they really care about the environment and future generations? George didn’t say what we would do after we trashed the Refuge and got our five buckets of oil out of it. Long-sighted vision is not one of his salient attributes. So he didn’t mention solutions like mass transit or alternative energy sources. If you are addicted to oil, you need more oil. But please don’t get me wrong. George is truly concerned about the situation. Think of all the gas that is required to wage his wars. Flying troops to and from the combat zones. Feeding those Humvees. And fighter planes don’t run on orange juice. Dubya needs oil more than anybody. Since George didn’t mention any logical solutions, I will. Consolidate trips. Walk or bike when you can. Eat food that has been locally grown. Use mass transit. Bring your own bag to the grocery store. Tell your legislators that you want the war to end now. And, for God’s sake, don’t let George have ANWR.
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Posted 4/29/2008 5:10:57 PM
Holy Frickin’ Freholy. I just watched the Democratic National Committee’s anti-McCain ad. I have included it at the bottom for your perusal. The Dems took a sound bite, distorted the facts and plunged headlong into fear-mongering. The Republicans couldn’t have done a better job. What the heck, I’ll also include the video of what John really said. Don’t get me wrong here – I haven’t turned into a lemon-sucking, anal-retentive conservative. I firmly believe that anybody who sings and jokes about bombing another country should not be allowed to be President. And I totally disagree with McWarmonger that we should maintain a presence in Iraq or any place else. I just think this DNC ad is pitiful. Look at the camera angle – it makes John look like a geriatric version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Dems had so much legitimate ammunition to fire at McCain, why did they stoop to this? I know, you’re gonna go all goose/gander, tit for tat on me. I’m just sayin’ that I trust the Dems a lot less after seeing that ad and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’m still gonna vote for a Democrat though. I plan on writing Elizabeth Edwards’ name in that blank space on the ballot. I like her. Call me a dreamer, but I don’t think she would have allowed that ad to air. Of course, it is all a moot point. Dubya is gonna hurl a nuke at Iran for our October Surprise, declare martial law and suspend the elections. By the time Dubya gets done with his Presidency, poor old John will be in a nursing home and his wife will be dating Fabio. So, in Ebert/Roeper style, Figgy gives the Dem’s ad two thumbs down. If I wanted to watch that kind of crap, I would just turn on Fox News.
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Posted 4/28/2008 7:30:46 AM
Today the Grim Reaper and I are celebrating my big six O. Gads, it seems like just yesterday I was 59. I was whining to my friend about turning 60. She gave me some words of wisdom. “Lie about it, you fool. Say you’re 42. Nobody will know the difference.” I dunno.It’s tick season here in Minnesota. The annual ritual is that my husband and I strip down and check each other for ticks. Finding the ticks in all those wrinkles is getting difficult for him to do. I don’t think he’ll believe I’m 42. When I went to my daughter’s Cosmetology School, she greeted me with an excited smile. “It’s better than Botox, Ma,” she exclaimed. She had found this miracle potion that she could rub on my face and make the wrinkles disappear instantly. She applied the thick, green stuff, and sure enough, I looked like a kid again. “But,” she warned, “it only lasts for a while, and then you’ll be an old lady again.” “You’ll turn into a pumpkin around midnight,” she said gravely. I wonder what my daughter would say if I told her that I was only 42. I took a small container of that magic goo along with me. As I was driving home, the 42 me was sitting on one shoulder and the 60 me on the other. The 42 me said that I should save the potion for special occasions when I wanted to look really hot. The 60 me was more practical and thought that I should smear it on my body during tick season so my hubby wouldn’t have to spend so much time looking. I solved the problem by calling my daughter when I got home and ordering a jug of the stuff. I had a lot of friends who took good care of themselves, ate right, exercised, never smoked or drank, yadda, yadda. They are all dead now. Yet I go on. And, thanks to my daughter, I’ve got the opportunity to look like they would have if they had lived. And the ticks have nowhere to hide.
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Posted 4/27/2008 4:46:40 PM
I was wondering what the Republicans would do with this election. I mean, they got nothin. They marched in lockstep with the stupidest President ever. And now America is in terrible shape. What laurels could they rest on? The disastrous Iraq War? The terrible economy? The handling of Katrina? Lordy, they’ve had a bad run. The real issues must be ignored. At. All. Cost. So, let’s find something totally inane to harp endlessly about. How about picking on a candidate’s minister? Yeah, that’s a good one. In classic Rovian style, they picked out some sound bites to make Rev. Wright look bad. The 28% that still love Dubya gobbled it up like candy. Others who were too damn lazy to seek the truth bought it too. I personally was impressed by the fact that Obama had the same minister for 20 years. That’s solid. And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I never believed everything my pastor said. I mean, good grief, my pastor said that everybody but the Baptists were going straight to hell. Uh huh. But after listening to more than sound bites from the Rev. Wright, I was impressed by the man. I watched him on Bill Moyers Journal, and he made a lot of sense. If this was the pastor that Obama listened to for 20 years, then I think we are OK. The Republicans probably hate Rev. Wright because he wants to help the poor and oppressed. That goes against everything the Repugs believe in. And Rev. Wright is concerned that blacks have a poor image of themselves. Amen, brother. I remember when a black fellow lived with us back in my college days. He got on my nerves and one day I told him he was a jackass. His response? “You don’t like me cuz I’m black.” That guy could have used some of Rev. Wright’s wisdom. Granted, Rev. Wright’s God is a little different from the Republican God. The Reverend’s God doesn’t believe in bullying the Native Americans, bombing Hiroshima, or killing innocent Iraqis. I can see why the Republicans are befuddled by Wright’s God. What kind of sick God would want peace and justice for all? But maybe the Republicans are simply zeroing in on Rev. Wright because they think that Obama will win the nomination. Maybe they don’t believe that the Democrats are conspiring behind closed doors to give Hillary the victory. They obviously have a lot more confidence in the Democrats than I do.
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Posted 4/26/2008 5:01:07 PM
In his seven (gag) years in office, George Bush has actually accomplished what he set out to do. He has made his corporate buddies rich beyond their wildest dreams. Mission Accomplished!Dubya was temporarily shaken by a small revolt back in 2005. There was a bill in the Senate that would have raised the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.25. The Republican senators took care of that little threat with a flood of “nays.” At that point, there were 37 million Americans living in poverty. And the senators were making a salary of $162,100 a year plus lotsa perks. The status quo was preserved. And none of this mattered to the rich CEOs anyway, since they were hiring overseas workers for 15 cents an hour. They were still getting richer. In 2007, the economy was worse and the natives were getting restless again. It was probably time to throw some cake crumbs at them. So, in May, Congress and George approved a minimum wage hike. By the summer of 2009, workers will get $7.25 an hour. Congress also gave George billions to spend on his war. In March of 2008, George had quite a scare. His corporate pals over at Bear Stearns were in some financial trouble. There were rumors that the CEOs might not make as much money. So George and The Fed bailed them out to the tune of $30 billion. Whew, that was a close one. Some say it was a violation of The Federal Reserve Act of 1913, but by now, George has realized that Congress fully backs his crimes no matter how outrageous they are. King George wants to be remembered as a benevolent dictator. But Americans are losing their jobs and homes as he fiddles away in Iraq. A revolution is in the air. What can he and Congress do to improve his image? Why, of course, a stimulus rebate check! Throw a few hundred bucks at the hungry peasants and they will remain calm until he is out of office. And the best part of this scheme is that the desperate people will use that money to buy gas, pay some on their mortgage, purchase a few necessities at Wal Mart, and perhaps catch up on their electricity bill. The money that momentarily caresses their hands will instantly be directed back to the corporations. And all will be well in George’s kingdom.
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Posted 4/25/2008 12:35:36 PM
The other night, Brian Williams reported on the NBC Nightly News that the Army and Marine Corps are accepting more ex-cons. Felons were getting “moral waivers,” and joining up. Brian seemed somewhat saddened by this. Before you go all gloomy on me, Brian, let’s examine the records of these perps a little closer. I did some digging and found out exactly what dastardly deeds they committed. OK, the first “crime” is kidnapping. Oh puhleez, you don’t need a waiver for that. Just call it what the government calls it: extraordinary rendition. That isn’t a crime. And here’s another “crime” – indecent acts with children. What do you call voting against the Children’s Health Bill? How about the $10.6 million decrease in Head Start funds? Is that not screwing the children? Seems to me it is. Looks like we have another non-crime. And this “crime” is laughable – terrorist threats including bomb threats. Why, Hillary said just a couple days ago that she would bomb the hell out of Iran. Surely a presidential candidate would know if bomb threats were illegal. And finally, manslaughter. Isn’t killing people one of the things that the Army and Marine Corps teach recruits to do? I don’t see the conflict there. Those perps were just practicing ahead of time. All I can say is Thank God the military is letting in the criminals instead of those icky, law-abiding, highly qualified gays. A recent study reports that 1 out of every 100 adult Americans is currently incarcerated for this or that. Looks like, down the road, most every recruit will have some kind of “criminal” record. Time to loosen the old morals belt. So you see, Brian, there is no need to worry about these “criminals” in the military. They have been merely playing “Follow Our Leaders."
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Posted 4/24/2008 11:40:07 AM
At last we are seeing some good questions. Like Elsinora from Knox College. She had a good question for John Ashcroft. First she talked about a Japanese man, Yukio Asano, who was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor by the allies for waterboarding an American soldier during WWII. Then her question was, "Since Yukio Asano was trying to get information to help defend his country--exactly what you, Mr. Ashcroft, say is acceptable for Americans to do--do you believe that his sentence was unjust?" Heh, heh. Ashcroft went ballistic on that one.Helen Thomas had a good question for Press Secretary Dana Perino: "The President has said publicly several times, in two consecutive news conferences a few months ago, and you have said over and over again, we do not torture. Now he has admitted that he did sign off on torture, he did know about it. So how do you reconcile this credibility gap?" Ha! It was fun to watch Perino dance around that. Sadly, after some banter with Perino, Helen had to ask a good question of her fellow journalists, "Where is everybody?" They all drank the Kool-Aid, Helen. They are worthless to us now. We need a lot more Elsinoras and Helens asking good, tough questions. I have a question for the Democrats in general. When Queen Nancy Pelosi ascended the throne and declared that impeachment is off the table, why was there such a deafening silence? When the pictures and autopsies of tortured victims started emerging everywhere, weren't you even a little bit concerned? Why are you ignoring a criminal? A direct question for Nancy Pelosi: You say that you are "too busy" to impeach George and Dick. Too busy doing what? Preparing that $172 billion check for Dubya, so he can continue his war games? Too busy handing over our tax dollars to an irresponsible idiot while millions of Americans lose their homes, food and gas prices soar, bridges collapse, schools suffer, and jobs are being lost? This is a little off the subject, but I don't care. I have a question for Hillary and Obama: "Why are you so afraid of single payer universal healthcare?" An estimated 9,000 Americans have died in the last five years because they couldn't afford to buy health insurance. With the recession, that number is bound to go way up. Have the Republican's "socialist medicine" rhetoric scared you so badly that you refuse to stand up and defend every American's right to good healthcare? I found that my life expectancy in this country is going down, so I gotta ask these questions fast. Seems to me that we have just two political parties in the United States: The Criminals and The Enablers. I just hate default voting. I'm tired of voting for the lesser of two evils. The Enablers are betting that Americans will overwhelmingly vote for them this fall. On November 4th, 2008, Americans will climb out of their cardboard box homes, hungry from the lack of food, sick from chronic undiagnosed illnesses, and go vote for the Savior. Last good question: Will anything change?
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Posted 4/23/2008 11:43:28 AM
I think Hillary has found the key to success. Just threaten to “obliterate” another country, and the sweet old ladies from Scranton will vote for you. In an interview on “Good Morning America,” Hillary was asked what she would do if Iran nuked Israel. She responded, “I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran (if it attacks Israel). In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them.” First of all, wasn’t it Hillary who said that she didn’t believe that “people running for president should engage in hypotheticals?” That was a huge hypothetical. I guess hypotheticals are OK then. Let’s ask her another one. What would she do if China nuked Nepal? Would she obliterate them too? And heck, unlike Iran, Israel has nuclear weapons. What would she do if Israel nuked Iran? Call me a prude, but decent folks shouldn’t threaten to nuke other folks. She could have mentioned that the National Intelligence Estimate determined that Iran was no threat. She could have whipped out some pictures of Iranian children from her purse and said, “For them I will do everything in my power to work with the Iranians and avoid that possibility.” Now that makes sense. Gosh, I should have run for president. But instead she took the George Bush “total annihilation” approach. And who gobbled up that bullshit and overwhelmingly voted for her? The old folks. The people who should have known better. The people in my age bracket who clearly remember VietNam. My mother always told me that two wrongs don’t make a right. According to Hillary, one obliteration deserves another. So two wrongs actually do make a right and everybody wins! The U.S. invaded and destroyed the country of Iraq. According to Hillary’s theory, another country should invade and destroy us too. Then everybody will win.
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Posted 4/22/2008 12:02:18 PM
 Happy Earth Day, fellow humans! I wonder how many years it will take to undo all the damage that George Bush has done to our planet. With any luck, Dubya and the Rapturites will soon be swept up by Jesus. They don’t really care what kind of mess they leave behind. Since nobody is coming for the Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Atheists, these people will inherit what’s left of the Earth. I hope Jesus comes before it is too late. The Presidential candidates are burdened with so many issues, like the war in Iraq, the economy, and healthcare, that they don’t have much time to zero in on the environment. Right now, it looks like our children and grandchildren will be slaving away in a toxic environment to pay off war debts. War is hell on the environment. Nobody even mentions that. If we keep revving up the hate machine, threatening to bomb other countries, future generations will pay the price. Peace is the first necessary step to improving our planet. Our throwaway society is using up the Earth’s resources at an alarming rate. When I was young, we used stuff until it couldn’t be used anymore. Then we found another use for it. Can’t we leave just a little for our progeny? Who entitled us to squander all the resources? And we aren’t the only species that inhabit the Earth. We all live here in a delicate balance. Right now, humans are the cancer on Earth, multiplying and destroying all the good things our planet has to offer. I don’t have a lot of faith that our millionaire candidates are going to change things much. They have too many corporate ties. So it is up to us. We must put aside greed and the love of all things material. We claim we love our children and want the best for them. So we have just two choices. We either save this planet so they can live long lives in a beautiful, non-polluted environment, or we work hard on finding another planet that they can all move to.
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Posted 4/21/2008 10:51:42 AM
If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to take some time out of your busy schedule to read, “Behind Analysts: the Pentagon’s Hidden Hand” by David Barstow. The article was on the front page of the New York Times yesterday. It’s eleven pages long, but you really need to read it. Even though we suspected it all along, it was still difficult to read the hard, cold facts. The so-called “independent military analysts” that we all listened to on TV were nothing more than government shills. They were all part of the grandiose scheme to promote the war and spin it in favor of the Bush Administration. These retired military officers met regularly with the Department of Defense. They were told what to say. And they said it. In exchange, they were privy to top-level information. Since most of them were working for military contractors, this information was very valuable. They could support the phony war and make lots of money on the side. Some of the analysts knew that the reasons for war were bullshit. But they went along with it anyway. The Department of Defense correctly deduced that most Americans still respected what high-ranking military officers had to say. These “experts” knowingly participated in an elaborate plan to brainwash Americans into thinking that the Iraq War was somehow a good thing. What really blew me away was that the Department of Defense used our tax dollars to hire a company to keep track of these talking heads, to make sure they were saying the right things. One guy’s conscience got the better of him, and he said what he really thought. He was fired. It is still going on. Two weeks ago, General Petraeus, during a break in the congressional hearings, had a conference call with these military analysts. I’m going to cut this short so you can read the article. At least now we know for sure why the 4,039 American troops died. For lies and greed. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but I think the least we can do for them now is put all these people in jail as accessories to murder.
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Posted 4/20/2008 10:10:12 AM
As I drove along the country road yesterday morning on my way to St. Paul, I immediately noticed that something was missing . It had been a fixture on that road for five years. The landscape had changed over the years due to blizzards and summer storms. But that one constant thing had remained. A “Liberate Iraq” sign. I figured that it would be there forever, but suddenly it was gone.It sat on a grassy knoll close to a farmhouse. The house needed a coat of paint, maybe two. The barn, like too many in Minnesota, was starting to crumble. But that sign, a monument to death and destruction, had looked as shiny new as the day they put it up. They probably should have left it there. I read that Muqtada al-Sadr has threatened to wage war on the Americans until Iraq is liberated. It looks like Iraq is still being ‘liberated.” There used to be a lot of those signs, but they started slowly disappearing with each new revelation of yet another lie that started the war. They went the way of the yellow “Support Our Troops” car magnets that made the owners of Chinese sweatshops so wealthy. Minnesota farm folks are usually pretty practical. Those “Liberate Iraq” signs were going for a $5 donation. I wonder why they didn’t invest that money in a phone card for a soldier to call home. Or a donation toward vests that actually repelled bullets. Or a care package to brighten the troops’ day. That sign seemed pretty useless in comparison. Over a million Iraqis have been “liberated” from life itself. At least 4 million have been “liberated” from their homes. Now al-Sadr wants to liberate them even more. And those darn Iraqis still won’t give us all the oil. The neocons and fake Democrats say that there is no point dwelling on the past. We must move forward and solve these problems. I disagree. We need to examine carefully what went wrong. We need to figure out why a decent, hard-working Minnesota farm family was so in favor of death and destruction. We can’t move on until we can be assured that it won’t happen again. I bid a silent farewell to that sign as I drove by. And I sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t be replaced by a “Liberate Iran” sign.
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Posted 4/19/2008 5:49:42 AM
 A couple days ago, we had Spring in Minnesota. It didn't last long. Just two days. But those two days were warm and beautiful. And a few crocuses popped up in our perennial garden. I knew they wouldn't last long, so I took a picture of them. To celebrate Spring, I put on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless top. My pasty white arms and legs gave a whole new meaning to the term "Caucasian." But I didn't care. It was fun while it lasted. Sure enough, Spring is now a memory in our rearview mirror. Winter has returned. But I'm looking forward to July 3rd, that day we call Summer.
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Posted 4/18/2008 11:02:30 AM
 Yesterday the FedEx guy delivered the newest member of our family. That’s right – we are the proud parents of a Minimoog. With that little gadget, my husband can make any sound he wants. And, if I’m a really good girl, someday I will be able to touch it. But before I go on, let’s flash back about ten years. Hubby used to have a fantastic little keyboard that he took on band jobs. He liked that particular keyboard because it had such a great sound. As he was preparing to go to a gig, he temporarily set the keyboard across the arms of a dining room chair. Our pudgy three-legged cat, Peeper, was having supper on the dining room table. Nothing usually distracted Peeper from his food, but for some reason that keyboard had to be dealt with. His eyes opened wide, he took a thunderous run at it, and pounced. Crack!!! That keyboard could handle my husband’s musical pounding but broke in two pieces under the weight of the rotund feline. Of course, Peeper had the “I meant to do that” look on his face as he strolled nonchalantly away. The keyboard was toast. Over the years, more keyboards accumulated and Peeper became too old to effectively mutilate them. Eventually he passed on. From natural causes. Now we have Honey. She has Peeper’s girth and attitude. She never paid much attention to the keyboards situated in the music room. But when Hubby opened the box and introduced the newest family member, Honey’s eyes opened wide and she gazed fixedly at the Minimoog. Uh, oh, I’ve seen that look before – in Peeper’s eyes, that fateful night. Honey really wanted to take a closer look. The whole Peeper fiasco came back to Hubby and he immediately put the Minimoog in a secure, undisclosed location. But Honey was still looking for it. I don’t ever remember reading anything about little pianos being a cat’s natural prey. But they must be. Of course, I also don’t remember that cats routinely hunted down bags of Purina Cat Chow, but that is all Honey will eat. Finally, our brave black and white hunter went off to clean her toenails. Hubby saw his chance and set up the Minimoog. And the first note he played sounded a lot like a little scream. 
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Posted 4/17/2008 1:01:17 PM
My sister-in-law never had a problem with the Iraq War. It didn’t matter how many innocent Iraqis died, we Americans had to be “safe.” It was of no concern to her. There are wars. People die. Ho-Hum.But then she and her husband decided to build an extra room on to their house. They went to buy some plywood, and they were shocked to find that the price seemed to be a whole lot higher then they remembered. Suddenly, George Bush was in her cross hairs. Look out! What is this world coming to? A person can’t even buy cheap plywood and it is all George Bush’s fault! She turned bitter. But the war was still OK. Now things are getting worse. Gas prices are going up. It is costing her more and more to go to church every Sunday. That church-goin’ dress costs twice as much as the last one. And the food for that special after-church Sunday meal is causing a major dent in the budget. It’s that darn Bush! Because of him, her family is suffering. We mentioned the prisoners who are being tortured. Oh, really? Ho- Hum. Do you know what the cost of pot roast is these days? Obama was right. Americans are bitter. But not for the right reasons. They are only bitter because they are finally being affected by an incompetent and malicious government. The Democratic debate was a joke last night. Not one question was asked about the horrific torture that the Bush Administration has been approving. No, instead they talked about really important stuff like Hillary’s fantasy trip to Bosnia, Rev. Wright’s use of free speech, and flag lapel pins. Luckily, many Americans were too bitter to watch the debate. If Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama had any real balls, they would have said to the debate hosts, “To hell with the flag pins, there are criminals in the White House and they need to be dealt with now. They need to be taken out before they start a disastrous war with Iran.” But no, they politely answered the inane questions that only the pathetic mainstream media could throw at them. We need a leader with giant cojones. And yes, women can acquire them too. We need someone who will start raising hell right now. Obama has said that when he becomes President, he will have his Attorney General look into possible crimes in the Bush White House, and have an inquiry IF it is warranted. IF? WTF? Right now, much of the world views our country as a bunch of bullies, murderers and torturers. Sure, we need to turn our economy around, but can we really ignore the egregious things that have happened in our name? I think not. If we allow these criminals to go free, it will leave the door open to more torture and wars and tarnish our image irrevocably. I have never been one for revenge, but in this case, it is necessary.
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Posted 4/16/2008 8:35:43 AM
 Thank God! Jesus finally showed up! No, He wasn’t tagging along with the Pope. He was in an Orlando hospital, in a prayer garden. Lots of people got pictures of Him, so we know it was the real deal. After a few hours, Jesus disappeared, but I’ll bet He shows up again. Perhaps next time in a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen. He will be where He is most needed. I thought I would see Jesus’ return on the news. I mean, this is major. But no, it was all about George Bush and Pope Benedict XVI. George Bush, the murderer and torturer, and the Pope, who updated the Crimen Sollicitationis back when he was Cardinal. That document protected molesting priests. I think Jesus appeared to us just to say, “Hey, I’m still around and I still care about all of you.” But His message was drowned out by the crowds cheering the Pope. I suspect that Jesus is pretty horrified by what He sees in this country - people promoting war, ignoring torture of other human beings, hating gays for no reason at all, protecting men who abuse children. Instead of going to Washington D.C. to be with Dubya and the Pope, He’ll probably head on to New Orleans and visit with some of the 10,000 Katrina victims who still have no place to call home. Or maybe He’ll spend some time with an Iraq War vet who is contemplating suicide. Or the sick woman with no health insurance. Or the family whose home just got foreclosed on. Or the mother whose son died in Afghanistan. Jesus won’t have a smirk on his face or wear a big hat. He won’t judge people by their color, religion or sexual orientation. He won’t try to scare people into war. And He won’t be flashy enough to make the evening news. Most folks won’t even notice that He is here.
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Posted 4/15/2008 11:59:56 AM
Now here is a story that you can sink your teeth into! John McCain’s wife, Cindy, stole some recipes off the Food Network and slapped them up on John’s campaign website. She quaintly named them, “McCain Family Recipes.” Yes, John’s wife is a recipe thief.We’ve got a boatload of “Slyme Family Recipes.” Some came from Ma and Pa Slyme’s childhood. Others from friends. Still others from the local food co-op. They have been modified to suit our family’s unique taste buds. Each index card has notes, circles, and arrows running every which way. And each recipe has evolved to a state very different from its original form. Take our Potato Salad. Thirty years ago, it was a mundane Hellman’s recipe in some magazine. Now, after hundreds of modifications, it is a family favorite. John probably wanted his family to look like regular folks. Hillary already stole the hunting idea and Obama went bowling, so John had to come up with something new. Clueless, he no doubt went to the local Wal-Mart supermarket and struck up a conversation with a middle-aged lady who hadn’t had a face-lift. He asked her, “Watcha doin’ here?” “Buyin’ food fer supper,” she replied, taking a step back. “Gonna make ‘Miller’s Meatloaf.’ It is an old family recipe.” Hot dog! That’s it! Old family recipes! But how many old family recipes does a family worth $40.4 million have? And most of that money belongs to his wife. Yah, suure, you betcha, she has spent hours in the kitchen tweaking recipes. So when John asked Cindy to put up some recipes, he was greeted with a blank stare. “You mean, like, stuff that you, like, cook for families?” blond Barbie, er Cindy, quizzically asked. It was mean of John to put Cindy in such a predicament. What would a rich girl know about recipes? Thank God for the Food Network! At least rich girls know how to surf the Net. She chose a number of delightful-sounding recipes that most families probably already have in their top ten. “Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw.” Why, we just had that the other night. “Passion Fruit Mousse.” I was wondering what to do with those extra passion fruits in the pantry. “Farfalle with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms.” Oh, oh, I think I’m getting low on Cremini mushrooms, and where did I put that Farfalle? But hey, Cindy gave it a try, just like Huntin’ Hillary and Bowlin’ Obama. Bless her wealthy little heart. Poor John screwed up. He missed the obvious. If he had given it some thought, he would have figured it out. What is the one common denominator amongst regular folks? That’s right – beer. Whose family is all about beer? That’s right – Cindy. Instead of recipes, Cindy could have had a Beer Link. Regular folks would have flocked to it. Even my beer-swizzling ultra-liberal husband might have checked it out. John, if you want to win the election, forget recipes. Think Beer!
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Posted 4/14/2008 1:00:19 PM
In her never-ending quest to garner the vote of the animal rights people, Hillary bragged that she murdered ducks. I sure hope she gets the nomination. I will get in my car and race to the polling place to vote for her. Hopefully I’ll run over a raccoon and a couple of squirrels on the way.I could have cut her some slack if she was really hungry or if the duck had been armed. But I doubt that was the case. She shot at ducks for the fun of it. She was appealing to the sport hunters. But the number of hunters is steadily decreasing each year. And guess what? In a poll of 25 – 34 year olds, ten percent of them never eat meat. I’ll bet a lot of them are repelled by dead ducks. Looks like Hillary probably pissed off a bunch of voters out there. We have had our fill of natural born killers in the White House. I was hoping for a kinder, gentler President next time around. Maybe someone who didn’t take delight in killing little birds. Of course, the Clintons have always been an enemy of our feathered friends. Before Bill appointed his pal, Mike Espy, as Secretary of Agriculture, he had Espy meet with another pal, Don Tyson, head of Tyson Foods. The meeting went well and Espy got the job. And what was one of the first things Espy did? He lowered chicken waste and contamination standards, which allowed Tyson to expand his chicken factory farms and pollute the environment. It was kind of a double whammy, millions more chickens got to live a miserable life and humans got more pollution. I don’t remember Hillary protesting that. So far, the only objects that Obama has taken aim at are bowling pins. And most of them got to live. When he was asked about animal rights at a town hall meeting, he said, “I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other. And it's very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals.” Imagine caging up a bunch of people like Tyson does with his chickens. Oh wait, never mind. I forgot about Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. It looks like we have a long way to go. It is said that for every duck a competent shooter kills, there is one duck that is wounded and gets away. And suffers. Hillary forgot to mention that. Or maybe she doesn’t care. Somewhere out there, somebody is saying, “Wow! Hillary shot a duck – I’m gonna vote for her!” That is going to be a mighty costly vote. So go ahead and take that shot of whiskey, Hillary. You’ll need it when you find out how many animal lovers won't be voting for you.
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Posted 4/13/2008 2:12:48 PM
Tonight on NBC Nightly News, they reported on the eight teenagers who brutally beat another teen and planned to put a video of the beating on YouTube. One lady that they interviewed regarding this case said, “I hate the Internet.” I don’t think it is the Internet that is causing the problem. When you live in a country that promotes violence, what else would you expect? When your President declares war on another country and all the patriots cheer him on, what do you think young people are going to learn from that? As a peace person, I am sick and tired of being called an unpatriotic American from the lunatic fringe. If you haven’t noticed, anybody who stands for peace in this country is labeled as some sort of “nut.” Peacemakers in America don’t get medals for heroism. They get ridiculed. It is unAmerican to suggest that peace might be a viable alternative. We are “bleeding hearts” because we don’t want to see innocent men, women and children killed. The warriors are the heroes. They fought for their country. And the peacemakers are blamed for not supporting the troops. Then there are the holidays – Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veterans Day. I’ll bet that most Americans are unaware of the “International Day of Peace,” or “Peace Day,” which is celebrated on September 21st. The Army recruiters are allowed into our schools. Of course, they target the schools where the poorer children go and avoid the schools in affluent neighborhoods. Some kids join up and are taught to kill. And their parents are so proud of them. Peace activists have volunteered to offer alternatives at schools, but, as one principal said, "their message could be construed as anti-patriotic." The military has thousands of “green card” troops, willing to serve in Iraq to be put on the fast track to citizenship. How many immigrants who promote peace get on that same fast track? When we march in protest of war, the news channels are all careful to give equal time to the pro-war crowd., even though there were twelve of them and thousands of us. Almost every night on one news program or the other, there is a touching “military story.” Where is our equal time? The American people have been so brainwashed into thinking that war is honorable, they even support illegal, immoral wars. Many Americans are still willing to send their own flesh and blood to fight a war that has been proven to be based on lies. American kids see the celebration of violence in our culture and decide that there is nothing wrong with beating up another human being. This country needs a major attitude adjustment. And until we start respecting peace and the people who stand for it, our children will continue to become more and more violent. So call me unpatriotic, anti-troop, or anything else you can throw at me, because I really don’t give a shit. I’ll continue to stand for peace. And I’ll continue to tell any young person I meet that violence is not the answer.
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Posted 4/12/2008 4:13:08 PM
When I was young, I faithfully attended the Baptist church up the road even though I didn’t believe a lot of what they said. C’mon, did they really believe that everybody was going to Hell except the Baptists? They had a myopic vision of Baptists wandering around in a very spacious Heaven while there was standing room only in Hell. Made no sense.But one concept I did believe in was tithing that 10%. Of course, that was back when ministers lived simply and hoped that their congregation would do the same. So, I counted up my babysitting money and gave 10% of it to the church. And I knew that it would be wisely used to help people in need. If Jesus could live without piles of money, then I could too. Let’s fast forward to the present. Jesus has been left in the dust. Money has taken His place. “Success” is measured by how many material goods you have amassed in your pathetic lifetime. I wonder what Jesus thinks of Dick Cheney. Dick’s adjusted gross income was $3.04 million. That’s dollars, not pennies. His donation to charity was $166,547. I dragged out my trusty calculator, and it told me that Dick’s tithe was a little over 5%. Good grief, is that chintzy or what? You’d think a guy with an iffy ticker would do a whole lot better than that. It basically substantiates what we already know. Dick Cheney is just another rich guy who doesn’t give a shit about poor people. When he was pestering the CIA for evidence to start the Iraq War, do you think for a moment that he was worried about the poor soldiers that would be put in harm’s way? Hell, no. He was thinking about Halliburton. When he approved of “enhanced interrogation techniques,” do you think he cared that an innocent person might be tortured? I don’t think so. Do you think that he has shed one tear for all the innocent people in Iraq who have died because of the war? No, they mean nothing to him. Like so many other rich people, Dick Cheney considers poor people as merely stepping-stones to more wealth. Why donate money to the less fortunate, when they don’t even count in his grand scheme of greed? I don’t believe in Hell but I wish I did. That sounds like a perfect place for Dick Cheney.
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Posted 4/11/2008 11:22:06 AM
There has been some talk about arming teachers and professors again. At first I was against the idea. But then I started thinking about some of the pluses of the proposal. None of my teachers ever carried a weapon as far as I know. Well, I’m sure the principal of my grade school didn’t have a gun because, if he did, he would have used it on me.Think of the possibilities people! No more unfinished assignments, no more goofing off in class. Who is going to take a chance with a teacher packin’ heat? And if a kid dozes off, all the teacher has to do is fire a few rounds in the air. That’ll wake him up! Sure, some of the teachers will think it is a bad idea. That is, until they see what firepower can do in their classroom. Let’s say some brat starts to lip off and won’t shut up. In the old days, the teacher would have to stop the lecture, take the stupid kid to the principal, then go back to the classroom and try to remember where they left off. How annoying is that? Now, they can slowly reach for their pistol and the problem is solved. As an added precaution, to give the teacher a little more protection, I think each student should be strip-searched at the door. It would cut into class time, but would be well worth the trouble. All guns, bananas, and anything else that would cause a suspicious lump would be removed. Then the teacher wouldn’t have to worry about whether that lump in Johnny’s pants is some fruit or a Glock. But Figgy, you say, what if the teacher has some mental problems? Couldn’t that be dangerous for the children? I say that anybody who has to deal with a bunch of mouthy punks every day has got to be rock solid. I’ve had teacher friends relate stories to me about slightly mischievous students. And sure, they usually end their rant with, “I coulda killed that little bastard.” But they don’t really mean it. To cover all possible bases, I think that the school bus drivers, the maintenance people and the lunch ladies should also be armed. I would think the lunch ladies would be particularly happy about that. When a kid starts to whine about the inedible food, look out! An armed school would save the parents a lot of time too. When my kid was in school, I was forever getting those calls from Sister Agatha, the school principal, summoning me for a “conference.” We’d sit and hash over my daughter’s latest misdemeanor. Gads, what a waste of time. All those nuns would have had to do is show her their Saturday Night Special. Finally, just imagine the peace of mind all parents would have knowing that their child would be surrounded by armed adults all day in school. That’s what I call “security”!
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Posted 4/10/2008 9:05:11 AM
My good friend, Lily, called me today, frothing at the mouth. Before I continue, let me assure you that Lily is one of the most even-tempered people on the planet. Not much makes her mad. She doesn’t have time to get mad – she works two jobs just to stay afloat. Lily had decided to spend some of her hard-earned money on a new computer. Her son wanted to send her lots of pictures of her two granddaughters, and Lily would do anything to get those photos. Her old computer couldn’t quite handle the load. So she got a new fancy Dell computer with all the bells and whistles so she could see her little darlings. She also bought the warranty, which cost her an extra $400. She was willing to eat macaroni and cheese for a month to have that extra security. When she bought the Dell, she used one of their online coupons. They tried their best not to honor that coupon, but after struggling with the company for a couple days, she finally prevailed. Several months went by and all was well. She delighted in seeing her granddaughters’ pictures and shared them with friends. Then the computer slowed down, way down. So last night, her only night off, she called the company for some help. She talked to a technician for four hours. He had her disassemble her computer and try this and try that. At 11 p.m., they were getting nowhere, so Lily told him that she was not comfortable taking her computer apart and she preferred to have a technician come to her house and fix it. The tech then said that he would have their head technician call her in one hour. Lily informed him that she had to work the next day. He told her that it was 10:30 in the morning where he was. Lily waited until midnight for the head tech to call back. He never called. She finally went to bed and got a couple hours of sleep. When I talked to her, she had still not heard anything from the company. I’ve never had a Dell computer, but I did some surfing and found that lots and lots of people have been to “Dell Hell.” There are lawsuits against them for shoddy products and poor tech support. You are probably saying, “Figgy, why are you telling us this sad story?” Simple, my friends. It is us against them. While the Dell CEO is raking in an annual salary of $8.5million, Lily is struggling to make ends meet and has a nonfunctioning almost new Dell computer. None of this is fair. We need to fight back. Whoever reads this blog will know not to buy a Dell computer. Maybe they will tell friends and relatives. The Dell Corporation is big, but not as big as we are. And it is not just Dell, it is all corporations that take us for a ride. Let’s stop buying their crap. We don’t need to keep up with the Joneses anymore – they lost their house and car last month and are living in a shanty on Skid Row. Let’s try living a simple, eco-friendly lifestyle, free of extraneous stuff that we only think we need. My guess is that we will all be a lot happier. Except the corporate CEOs, of course.
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Posted 4/9/2008 8:31:56 AM
I just got through reading a few excerpts from Cliff Schecter’s new book, “The Real McCain.” Seems that Grandpa John has quite the bad temper. Yes folks, we have a hothead running for the Presidency.Last Sunday, John tried to explain to Chris Wallace that having a rotten temper is a good thing. “If I lose my capacity for anger, then I shouldn't be president of the United States. When I see the waste and corruption in Washington, I get angry,” said the man who has 59 lobbyist friends raising money for his campaign. Even though he is older and supposedly wiser than I am, I really fear having somebody that close to the edge as President. Especially since his buddy Bush has so conveniently expanded presidential powers. To show you how nuts McCain is when he gets mad, he once physically attacked a fellow Republican. Punches were thrown. But the really crazy part is that John is 5’7” and the other guy was a former linebacker. That is not only nuts, that is stupid. We’ve had enough of stupid in the White House. When John’s temper flares, rudeness takes over. According to McCain, Senator Chuck Grassley is a f&$king jerk and Senator Pete Domenici is an asshole. Gads, you’d think those guys were Democrats. But the most dangerous, crazy thing John ever did was to call his wife the c-word in public. After she kiddingly suggested to him that he was getting “a little thin on top,” John blew a gasket and said, “At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.” Most women would have gone for the jugular. I don’t know why she didn’t. Maybe she doesn’t have a temper. So, can we trust this guy? I mean, what if German Chancellor Angela Merkel pisses him off? What if he shrieks, “Shut up, you f&$king trollopy cunt!”??? It’ll make Dubya’s neck massage look like chicken feed. You might say, “But look at what the poor guy has been through. Being a POW. Tortured. Cut him some slack.” I would, if McCain himself hadn’t written this about his childhood, “At the smallest provocation I would go off into a mad frenzy, and then suddenly crash to the floor unconscious. When I got angry I held my breath until I blacked out.” Seems like he was born that way – Nam had nothin’ to do with it. Two Republicans have uttered some ominous warnings about McCain. Senator Thad Cochran said, “The thought of him being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.” Former Senator Bob Smith said of McCain, “He would disagree about something and then explode. It was incidents of irrational behavior. We’ve all had incidents where we have gotten angry, but I’ve never seen anyone act like that.” The Republicans have a trigger-happy loose cannon as their presidential candidate. It supports my theory that they really want to lose this election. That way, the Democrats can take the fall for the mess George has gotten us into. But what if the vote riggers don’t get the memo and McCain actually wins?
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Posted 4/8/2008 10:05:53 AM
I must admit that I watched the Olympic Torch mayhem in France three times. As the Torch proceeded down the street, out came the fire extinguishers and buckets of water. It was kind of like a pre-Olympic game. But what pleased me most is that people do still care about other people in the world.I was beginning to think that all hope was lost. I watched in horror as the Iraq War raged and Americans sat on their couches glued to “Survivor,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “American Idol.” Could this be the end of civilization as we know it? But the Torch has given us a glimmer of hope. It arrived in San Francisco this morning. Welcoming banners were put on the Golden Gate bridge: One World, One Dream: Free Tibet. The Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950. They claimed that Tibet wanted to be liberated from Western Imperialism. Hmmmm…. seems like I’ve heard a similar story from another invading army. So, even though we are going to look like a huge bunch of hypocrites, let’s protest China’s occupation of Tibet. If we start to see any correlation between Tibet and Iraq, we can quickly turn on “The Apprentice.” Hillary said yesterday that George should boycott the Beijing opening ceremonies. Isn’t that sort of like Al Capone boycotting Don Corleone’s birthday party? Maybe George can invite some of the Guantanamo prisoners along to protest China’s human rights record. I remember back in 1980 when I was so mad at Jimmy Carter. He wouldn’t let our athletes go to Moscow to participate in the Olympics. Why? Because the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. We would never, ever invade a country like that. Somebody had to pay the price and it turned out to be the American athletes who had worked like dogs for years to become the best in their sport. That showed those Soviets. Dubya says he is going to go to Beijing because the Games are a sporting event, not a political event. Apparently he has forgotten about Berlin (’36), Mexico City (’68), Munich (’72), Moscow (’80), and Los Angeles (’84). You might be agreeing with George. They are just games, leave them alone. But I say to you, what is more important, bringing attention to oppressed people, or playing games?
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