Sean, Rush, Glenn - They're all Progressives!

Another letter to the editor of my local newspaper this morning, tries to associate Hitler banning Christmas in Germany to people's objections in line with separation of church and state today.

"Hitler and his fanatical followers made an intense effort to abolish the traditional Christmas celebration in Germany.  He substituted the winter solstice, and Father Winter as gift distributor as a December holiday.  The people rejected the attempt.  It did not succeed then, and it won't succeed now."

I laughed.  Where do these people get this drivel?  I suppose, but I cannot confirm (or at least haven't tried), that someone on right-wing-nut-job radio or TV planted these "facts".

But then, a light bulb went off above my head!

Ohmygosh! This whole Rush Nutjob, Faux Noise, et al...is actually a brilliant Progressive conspiracy!

Oh shit! How freakin' dumb have I been?

It's so simple too.

All of this, based on an argument so old as to have been all but forgotten. The argument used to be made that women, black people, etc. (blond people?), were not smart enough to actually vote in our democracy.  As time went on and we all evolved and fought for our rights, women and African Americans did win their right to vote.  Much has been said over the years since then, about "they live among us, they breed, and they vote!" Usually these statements are contained within a derogatory email containing a picture of some unfortunate fool or as an advertisement for the website, www.peopleofwalmart.com.

That's what the Progressive elite are doing - without any doubt in my mind now - pointing out that there really are people too stupid to vote!

Yes!  I am saying that Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes...they're all Progressives!

By spoon feeding all the ridiculous drivel, convincing these poor fools of "facts" that are stupendously simple to refute - they are proving the notion that there is an entire subset of the population that are too stupid to vote. This portion of the population are so stupid, uneducated or unsophisticated enough to be dangerous in wielding a precious vote that effects the rest of this nation, and may place its very sovereignty in jeopardy.

I couldn't have considered this a viable explanation, if they had merely stuck to opinions.   When all these insidious Progressives work tirelessly to convince their sorry followers of facts that don't exist, well, that's where their ploy is exposed.  The brilliance comes in when they choose facts and events that took place when many who were there during the events and experienced them, are still alive to refute their claims based on first hand experience.  Even in the issues such as the foundation of this country, these followers make such mistakes regarding significantly documented facts and opinions such as those found within the writings of Thomas Jefferson himself, as well as others.

Indeed, the claims being bandied about today are so absurd as to be ignored by any authoratative historians and biographers.  Unfortunately, those very historians and biographers who could and would refute the claims have been all but silenced by the mainstream media, with the excuse that such claims are so ignorant, no one is seriously believing them.

Oh! But they are.  So much so, those silly claims are getting such common play that they're on the verge of becoming accepted.

Acceptance.  Therein lies the fatal flaw of the Progressive Ploy.

Oops.

T'was the Night Before Christmas

"Twas the  night before Christmas and all through the house, 

There were empties and butts, left around by some louse.
And the best quart I'd hid by the chimney with care
Had been swiped by some bum, who'd discovered it there.
My guests all had long since been poured in their beds
To wake in the morning with god-awful heads.
My mouth full of cotton, hung down in my lap
Because I was dying for one more nightcap.
When through the north window there came such a smell
I sprang to my feet to see what the hell...


And what to my wondering eyes should show up
But eight bloated reindeer, hitched to a beer truck.
With a little old driver who looked like a hick
But I saw it was Santa, as tight as a tick.
Staggering onward, those eight reindeer came,
While he hiccoughed  and belched as he called them by name;


"On Shenley! On Seagram! We ain't got all night,
You too, Haig and Haig, and you too  Black and White"
"Scram up on this roof, get the hell off this wall,
Get going you dummies, we've got a long haul."
So up on the roof went the reindeer and truck
But a tree branch hit Santa before he could duck.


And then, in a twinkling I heard from above
A hell of a noise that was no cooing dove.
So I pulled in my head and cocked a sharp ear,
Down the chimney he plunged, landing smack on his rear.
He was dressed up in furs, no cuffs on his pants
And the way the guy squirmed, well I guess he had ants.


He had pints and quarts in the sack on his back
And a breath that'd blow a freight train right off the track.
He was chubby and plump and he tried to stand right
Be he didn't fool me, he was high as a kite.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to work
And missed half the stockings, the plastered old jerk.


Then putting five fingers to the end of his nose,
He gave me the bird...up the chimney he rose.
He sprang for his truck at so hasty a pace
That he tripped on a gable and slid on his face.
But I heard him burp back when he passed out of sight,
"Merry Christmas , you rum-dums, now really get tight!"

This I found in my father's papers.   This item is undated, but appears to have been written by him in the late '50's or early '60's. Pops and his bunch were hip, cool and definitely the party crowd.  I would guess this was actually a collaboration of a few of them.

EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES: Low Humidity & Your Pets

A local vet clinic here has seen a dramatic uptick in the number of cases of cats with urinary and kidney problems since Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, some requiring surgery. They hadn't seen any cases in 8 months, then suddenly, over the last 3 days, there's apparently been nearly a dozen, one of them being one of our cats, Arlo!

In bringing Arlo home to recuperate last night, getting him to drink is not much problem, but urinating is another thing.  You can't pee if you don't have enough to go through your kidneys in the first place.

Where's it all going?

We realized that this problem may correlate to excessive low humidity due to the recent extreme cold temperatures, and dry beautiful skies as we have here.  The humidity in my home is 30%, and that's with humidification techniques, best as we can manage.  It's just 32% r/h outside right now as well.  Everything is still frozen.  Even if I boil hot water, it won't vaporize and disperse, it just evaporates, so a humidifier won't work any better for now.

The best way to keep yourselves and your pets hydrated is to simply drink more water.   Unfortunately, that's not so easy to get your pets to do.  Here's the recommendations from the vet:

• Place multiple bowls of fresh water around the house, and keep changing them out a couple of times per day.  You'll be surprised at how they'll drink from a new bowl more readily than the same old bowl they usually drink from!

•  Put the stoppers in your bathtubs and sinks, and fill sinks and tubs with a little water for evaporation.  If you can place a tray of water in the sun, or in front of a fan, this will create some evaporation.  Evaporation is based on the surface area of the water, so more surface area, more opportunity for evaporation. 

• Use a syringe if you have one, to gently force a little water into your pets, every hour or so until this weather breaks.

As for Arlo, when I did the syringe, I thought he'd have a cow. He wanted more, and quite happily took three more syringe-fulls right away.  The other cats were just as cooperative, once they realized it was just water.  And Charley the Wonder Dog too.

Good luck - I know many of you all over the country are dealing with similar weather conditions, I doubt many of us realized that this could be a problem for our pets in this manner.

If you have any questions, leave a comment, I'll try to help in any way I can!

Update on Here We Go Again, posted Nov. 5

To those that have asked about the status of the 22 year-old who's wife had to have their pre-mature baby daughter delivered early when Mom ran into health problems:

Mom and Baby Daughter are doing remarkably well, thank you for all the good thoughts and prayers! In fact, they are due home very soon, in time for the Holidays.

As I indicated in the original story (you can read that here),  Young Father hasn't worked for his company long enough to be covered by their group insurance, nor had he amassed enough vacation or sick time to cover his time loss.

Certainly, it's hard enough what the family was going through, but to have short or no paychecks was simply kicking a guy when he was down.

Thankfully - and this is HUGE -  this company has a policy where employees can donate their unused sick time to a general fund for such.  Many companies have policies where employees can donate their time directly, as does this company.

So, Young Father is being covered for his time off to be with Mom and Baby Daughter by donation of unused sick time from co-workers directly, as well as from their corporate general fund for sick time.

For everything out there that's negative, there still remains those ever lovely silver linings.

Making 5 Year-Olds Look Bad

"Waaaaaaaahhhh!"  says the five year-old, while kicking and screaming in a classic juvenile temper-tantrum.

Lately, we have to suffer this:



Then there's the increasingly popular Murder-Suicide, where, usually, some dufus decides "If I can't have my wife/girlfriend/children, no one can!"

Each situation bears striking resemblance to the others.

All are done by some poor fool that finally recognizes he's lost his battle, and he lacks the skills to reason the situation to an acceptable conclusion for all parties.

In the Murder-Suicide, it's clear they get the order incorrect.  Suicide first, please!

Five year-olds will grow up and learn coping skills and cease temper tantrums as a technique for getting their way.

Conservatives, apparently, not so much.

h/t my Twitter friend, @StopBeck for his insightful tweet!

A Half-Hour Before Sex

Thanksgiving at the Norse Hall.  I am Norwegian.  No one else in attendance was. They were all Finnish or Swedish, and mostly both. 

I was asked what time it was, and I looked up at the clock and noticed the time, marked in Norwegian.

It was half an hour before Seks.  And that's what I said. 

It upset a couple of people.

I was only trying to be accurate.  Really.

Barbarians in the Palace

And educated people used to believe that the earth was flat and later that a lobotomy would cure mental illness.

History will understand these people for the barbarians they are.   I just wish they wouldn't bank on people not figuring them out sooner.  MOST of us already have.

Thank you to my Twitter friend, Guillaume, screen name Seriou, a tireless advocate of Progressive Values and formidable #tcot thorn.  I am proud to call you my friend.

Scratch that! Open Letter to EVERYONE

This started out as an open letter to Senator Orrin Hatch.  Then the choirs began chiming in this morning.

To declare that a "Holy War" will be waged over the proposed Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans, HR 3590 - the Senate Democratic proposal for Health Care Reform - is the most irresponsible, disrespectful, disastrous and despicable thing I think I've ever heard - especially coming from a heretofore respected member of the United States Senate.

I've always respected, and at times wandered or even ran into the melee, over religious "rights".  I've worked with Evangelicals and Mormons over the years, with a great degree of success in the end.

Years ago, when embarking on what turned out to be a very successful community project, we were faced with working with the local stake of the Mormon Church.  Mr. Blondetwit wasn't at all comfortable with this to begin with, and was beginning to panic.

I commented to him, "What the hell's your problem? You sound like a straight man being pushed into a gay bar!"

Mr. Blondetwit responded, "What if they try and convert us?"

Gee dear, "Just how convertible are you?"  The exchange changed his perspective permanently.

People that know who and what they are and believe can't be converted.  It's pretty simple.  Or so I thought.

I never worried much about it.  I have a significant biblical education.  I've also studied - at great length - the Koran, The Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price, the Kaballah, and a few other things.  I prefer Winnie the Pooh.  I'm only partially kidding.

For every person who's ever tried to convert me, and there's been many, it took no time to determine that their understanding of what they were proseletyzing was inferior to my own understanding.  When you don't understand it, you look the fool - not just zealous.

I used to be "there" once.  That's how I got started learning everything else.  A teenage journey gone awry you might call it.  I wanted to be able to argue my "beliefs" to anyone who came my way and would challenge me.  And I couldn't!  I mean, I couldn't even fake it!  No matter how I tried to support it, I could not. 

All of this is so similar to people who send out the endless email hoaxes...they think they know, it seems to make sense, and someone they got it from said they "checked Snopes, and it's TRUE".  Well, no, it's not.

There's a problem that arises when you can't any longer support your argument.  You must build a fortress to protect it.  A way to keep out dissent.  A community to support your common beliefs, no matter how flawed.  And the longer it goes on, the deeper the protection must get.  The harsher the rhetoric to drown out the dissent.  Any dissenters from within are handled within, until they're expelled, and then they're discredited to the outside.  For everyone thrown out, more are taken in.  It's a net gain.

Why anyone would want to possess a and espouse a philosophy so flawed, I don't quite understand.  But then again, Mr. Blondetwit has a worn out old Seattle Mariners t-shirt he won't let go of either.  I've never thought it was harmful to me, so I never made a move to eliminate it.  Same with people and their religions.  Not any more.

Some call me an atheist.  I don't.  I don't have any need to be called anything at all.  I have a quiet understanding of my place in the Universe.  You call that "faith".  Only I don't have white knuckles to go along with my faith.  I've never had the need to defend my lack of "faith".  I still don't now, because the laws of this land - currently - protect me from having to defend it.

But you people have crossed the outrage line.

As a person OF religion, you have NEVER been persecuted in this country - it's a primary factor this country is all about.  Freedom OF RELIGION guarantees your freedom from persecution.

So, what have you done with that freedom?  You've sought to eliminate my freedoms and the freedoms of others in the name of your religions.  In regards to health care, you've managed to make health care into a system that is no longer accessible by me.  It didn't use to be that way.  I used to go to the doctor and pay the bill on my way out the door.  In thousands of communities around this country, many don't realize that there are no physicians that are not captive in HMO or like entities.  If you don't belong, you can't access.  And they do not accept people with pre-existing conditions.  For all the people who are struggling with chronic diseases like Lupus, MS, etc., we didn't bring these things on ourselves. 

I won't even discuss all the other things you fight in the name of your religions.  Perhaps you should sit back, not talk and listen to your friends, but perhaps to your God.  You've drowned out the very guidance of your God with the venomous vitriol played on your radios and televisions. 

Up to this point, I've been happy to defend your religious views, but now you're dragging me into your religious actions.  And I'm not allowing you to do that any more.

From here on, I will require of you my religious friend, to know your leadership resume.  The one that chronicles your leadership within your actions.  If you're Christian, I want to know what you've done to speak out about those who murder.  Those who choose to rape this earth God gave us.  And if you're my Muslim friend, I want to know where you've spoken out in leadership against terrorists and the beliefs that lead them to find death more precious than life.  You know who you are.

Senator Hatch and all other elected leaders:  LEAD!  Not by threatening Holy War.  If you don't prevail in this health care debate, so what?  You've lost other battles, many more disastrous than this could possibly be.  But the rest of us are counting on you to do the right thing - and that doesn't involve Holy War.  If you're threatening it, it could only be for one reason - you are on the losing end of this, your argument has run out and is in threat of collapse. 

You have just tipped the final card that tells the rest of us your intentions.  I won't turn my head any more and pass you people off as well-meaning but mis-guided. 

You want a Holy War?  You're on.

Like a child, throwing a temper tantrum on their bedroom floor, surrounded by the toys they won't pick up - be prepared to lose your toys Bubba.  You wrote this script.  And you're giving 5 year old's a bad name.

Satanists in the Neighborhood

They come from near and far.  They point.  They talk about "those people".  "How can they flaunt that right in our faces?" they say.

Oh, it's soooo in their faces too - more so than Macy's Christmas Window.

Stay with this story, as it really illustrates something quite important.

Every year on Thanksgiving, we give thanks for the opportunity to get people all worked up for yet another season of merriment - ours.

It all started about eight or nine years ago, when we decided to do something I'd always wanted to do, but never really had an opportunity, since it takes certain circumstances to pull off.  I really wanted to do it because (duh!) we have cats.  At that time we had - Norman, The King of the Christmas Tree.  He took enormous joy in climbing the trunk and popping out near the top, to my continuous chagrin.  I just wanted to best Ol' Norm.  That's all -really.  At least that's how it started.

The ceiling in our living room peaks at about 12', and with about 30' of windows across the front wall where the peak is, that's a lot of windows.  These windows open onto a wide open neighborhood, where we are very visible at night time and have always provided for a beautiful display at Christmastime for the neighborhood.

The beam at the peak of the ceiling provided our opportunity.  We concocted an aparatus with chains by which we could hang the Christmas Tree, rather than sitting it on the floor.  Upside down.

Because, like, why not?

Here's how it happened:  We got the tree up (7.5'), fully lighted, and proceeded to decorate it.  The decorations hung out from the tree like dangly earrings.  How cool!  Every year the decorating has grown - more dangly and interesting ornaments, and, as planned, less cat interference. Another really neat benefit was that it took up NO floor space, giving us a lot more room for the entertaining we like to do.

Well, with the exception of Abby (story here).  Abby uses the Christmas tree like Tarzan's jungle vine.  But that's another story.  Initially Norman (who died at 13 a couple of years after the first upside down tree) was indeed bested by this hanging Christmas Tree.  I definitely won that round of the cat wars - and he seemed to enjoy that I had. There are ornaments on the tree that look like him, so we call it Norman's tree.

This gets better, truly.

Here's what's transpired as a result:   Some neighbors up the street interpreted this upside down Christmas Tree as a clear sign that we are Satanists.  As all rumors do, this spread.

Really. 

And people have come as word has spread.  It's really beautiful from inside and outside, and it's been amazing to us when we've made the comment of our upside down tree, people remark, "Oh! You're the one's with the Satan Tree?"  This has made it back to us numerous times over the years.

Did you know Satan had a tree?  I didn't either.  If people are really that stupid, we are overjoyed to provide them the fodder for their ignorant selves. 

Merry Christmas.  Merry Xmas.  Happy Hannukah.  Happy Kwanza.  Happy Solstice.  Happy Retailers Bonuses.  Happy Cats.  All of it.

But be careful!  Rumor has it, we MUST be Satanists. 

The really frightening part of this story is that it's totally indicative of today's political and social rhetoric - "Facts" based on simple, uneducated assumptions. 

X's and O's!!! and How to Deal with Sick People

A really special friend, known as GottaLaff on Twitter, reminds me today that it's good to let people know how much they mean to you.

I logged on to Twitter this morning, and, better than fishing at a fishing hole teaming with great fish, GottaLaff popped up with a message right away to me:

I've been struggling with a lupus flare for months now, and I've not been on Twitter as much as I would have liked, and frankly, I miss some of my friends in Twitterville, like Laffy.

After a brief exchange, I told her that she gave me hope.  I didn't mean it as though, "all hope is lost" and "I'm so depressed", but just a simple point of wow!  Someone out there cares!  It's not like I'm this lonely waif with no hope, honestly!

Look at her post - look at the x's and o's - look at all those exclamation points!!!  How could I not feel better with all that?

Here's what it's about, plain and simple.  For all the stupid stuff I'm dealing with (lupus just cycles through, much like a really long rollercoaster with twists and turns, drops and climbs), there is but ONE thing that helps.  Just one thing.

Make me smile.

Mr. Blondetwit gets it, and doesn't really ask "How are you doing?".   My mother hovers, which is really difficult.

Which reminds me to tell you, for everyone asking "How are you doing?", the inquiry is appreciated, as it's honestly nice to know you care, but it's hard to tell the truth, because when your crappy, I don't like to give it the light of day by voicing it directly.  I've learned that it's better to say, "I hope you're feeling better!" I hate being disingenuous by saying, "I'm fine". when clearly I'm not.  I don't lie, so my point is don't take me there.  Lying is the same as giving it voice in the first place.  No one likes to hear someone's crappy - it brings down their day as well. 

When you're face to face with someone struggling with disease, whatever it may be, find something to compliment, even if it's only "It's good to see you smile!"  And you may want to start out by helping to make them smile in the first place.  When you're not face to face and can't see if they're smiling, just tell them you hope they're making progress.  It's that simple.  Wish us peace.  It's always in short supply.

Whatever you do, keep up the x's, o's and those blessed exclamation points!  They're awesome!!!!

XOXOXOXO!!!!!

See, you smiled!  You had to!

You're all very appreciated, by the way!!!!  (Especially GottaLaff!)

By the way, Mr. Blondetwit, may not ask how I'm doing, but he is the King of Cheap Laughs, and that's the finest, most valuable medicine in all the world.  I'm flush with that!

For the rest of you who aren't named here as being appreciated - you know who you are - YOU ARE APPRECIATED TOO! Really!  It would just get a little, well, you know - maudlin - if I started naming you all here.  Thanks!

Here We Go Again

It doesn't matter where you go or what you do, you can't help but run into all the folks rolling under the bus tires of this debate called Health Care Reform.

A young man, 22, married with a small daughter.  This young man, he's a wonderful worker, and a great father I understand.  Unfortunately, his pregnant wife was having problems with the latest pregnancy, and the docs had to take the baby early.  The baby is about a pound and is not doing well.  Neither is Momma.

Mother and baby are out of state at a teaching hospital and medical center for acute care.

While Congresspeople are dilly-dallying around, making inappropriate jokes and references to the Holocaust as they feel it pertains to the current debate, this young family is struggling.

Dad hasn't been employed long enough to have his health benefits yet.  This isn't the employer's decision, it's the insurer's decision.

Gee, I wonder what it's going to cost this young family - if Mom and baby survive.  And what if they don't?

Are any of those people on Capitol Hill going to come help them? 

Amen!

Most of us are in a position to have to bow to the pressures of people who are responsible for our income, and heaven knows we have others depending on us.  Sometimes, all of a sudden we find ourselves doing things that are, well, less than sincere.  Or maybe more sincere than we'd originally thought.

One meeting with clients, My dear friend, Missy (short for Ms. Youbetcha) was expecting a nice couple, who she knew were particularly religious, and inclined to pray prior to concluding a business transaction.  Not that Missy isn't inclined to pray.  I know her pretty well, and I know she prays a lot.  Some call it pleading. But I digress...

Last minute before her clients arrived, Missy thought twice about the wine and champagne bottles that regularly stood on the credenza, perhaps these folks wouldn't approve.  So she swept them off the credenza and into safekeeping in a nearby cupboard. 

Missy was aware that her move to eliminate the wine bottles from her office was a good idea, according to where the conversation had taken them at one point.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the couple asked her to join them in prayer, silently.  Upon conclusion and the appropriate "amens", the clients asked Missy what she prayed for.

Funny.  I don't remember what she told me she actually told them.  What I remember is what she told me was going through her head, "THANK YOU God for giving me the foresight to get the wine bottles the hell outta here!" 

I hope it wasn't one of those moments, you know the kind, where you find yourself saying under your breath, "did I just say that outloud?"

Exactly the Same, Only Totally Different

Charged with the challenge of devising a way to keep Mr. Blondetwit's cellphone holster attached to his belt, I went to a local fabric/crafts store today for materials, and of course, inspiration.

See here for the backstory, as to why Mr. Blondetwit was needing such a device: A Good Turn

As I was perusing the elastic, velcro and other assorted notions trying to develop an acceptable solution, another lady had arrived in the same aisle, and as I moved to allow her better access, I realized it was someone I knew, but hadn't seen in a long while.  She's a senior member of the local police department.

After saying hello, she asked me what I was working on, so I shared with her Mr. Blondetwit's problem.  She then decided to confide in me that she was there for exactly the same project. 

Only slightly different.

She was trying to figure a fix for a police officer who's gun keeps falling out of the holster.

Seems our local cop shop hasn't changed much.  Sheriff Taylor used to make Barney keep his bullet in his pocket.  If that were still the case, this wouldn't be a problem.

Eleven Years & Counting...

These two ramshackle old men are Dale and Keith. (ah yes. I can say these things. Let them get their own blogs and they can trash me. Don't hold your breath)  Blondetwit has been married to Keith (the tall one) for eleven years today.  And Keith has been married to Dale for fifty-five years.  Since they were five, and Dale threatened to blow up Keith's house because Momma said Dale needed to get his "horse's ass" outta there.  Apparently, Keith is drawn to horse's asses.  Funny, I've never been entirely sure what that says about me... 

When Keith and I got married eleven years ago, in Carson City, Nevada, Dale and his wonderful wife Jean accompanied us as our Best Man and Matron of Honor.  Every anniversary since, we've enjoyed a weekend at the beach with them....who needs a trip to (insert exotic location here)?

Keith and Dale have a unique relationship.  Bromance, I think is the technical term.  Their lives, in interesting ways, have been exactly the same, only really, really different.

The bro's grew up in a little itty bitty burg (by big city standards).  One went left and one went right, so to speak.  Literally, Dale moved west to the beach, Keith went east - thirty or so minutes in either direction. Keith's a democrat; Dale's a Republican.  There are more parallels, you just wouldn't care.

Interestingly, Keith ended up as Mayor of his City.  Then, not to be outdone, Dale decided to be Mayor of his City.  And that's when the fun began.  Both boys have managed to leave really nice legacies in both the cities, and proved to themselves what can be done, regardless of who you think you are.

No matter how nice the weather, there's a dark cloud over all our heads right now.  Jean - Dale's wife - our friend, died last month, suddenly.

Hers is a big loss...so this is a kind of bittersweet anniversary this year. 

We miss you Jean.  Friends like you don't come 'round every day.  If ever.



Jean Jacobson & Reese her Wonderdog

I Just Love the Blogosphere!

 ...Because you find people doing this:

Ranting Liberally: Stepping on my last nerve

Watch out for the last part.  You'll wanna duck as he gets ramped up and starts swingin'.

Not With My Tax Dollars You Don't!

My Dad made a comment about this some twenty-five years ago.  I just blew him off at the time.  Interesting to think about this, especially now.

His comment was regarding tax code reform.  The talk of the day then was a flat tax.  Yep, that was a successful idea.  The interesting part was when Pops said, "The tax forms should list what you're willing to have your tax dollars pay for."

No, it wouldn't actually work, oh, for about 13,283 reasons, but the exercise is worth it, nonetheless.

Here's some ideas:

I want my tax dollars to pay for...

1. The war in (insert location here).                                    _____%

2. Nationalized Health Care                                               _____%

3.  Primary Education                                                        _____%

4. Secondary Education                                                     _____%

5. Post Secondary Education                                             _____%

6. Republican Senator's Mistresses                                    _____%

7. Subsidizing Tobacco                                                      _____%

8. Subsidizing Non-producing farms                                   _____%

9. Building a fence on the south side or Aridzona                _____%

10.  Shoring up Social Security                                          _____%

11.  Stem Cell Research                                                    _____%

12.  Junkets                                                                      _____%

13.  Studies on how much cows fart                                  _____%

14. Infrastructure for green transportation                          _____%

15.  Job development                                                       _____%

16.  Bailing out Wall Street                                               _____%

17.  Rebuild regulatory structure of financial markets         _____%

18.  Buying out mortgages from predatory lenders             _____%

19.  Paying for spay/neuters of domestic pets                    _____%

20.  Paying for RWNJ lobotomies                                    _____%

21.  Subsidize mega churches for political lobbying efforts _____%

Sorry, I should have stopped sooner, but, well, it was just kinda flowing. Stupid and otherwise. 

The point it, consider the way you would fill this out.  Ask others. 

Where do you think the chips would fall?

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

I just read that Lucy Vodden has died. She was 46. She was ill with lupus for many years, and succumbed to it's ravages.

Lucy was the inspiration for John Lennon's classic song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Read about that here.

I am 46. Gulp.

I have lupus. I don't even like to capitalize the name of it, because I don't want to give it the respect it thinks it wants. I also refuse to call it by its common, more proper name, SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), for similar reasons. I prefer not to give it a voice at all. That said, there comes a sort of tipping-point when it's necessary to exercise the notion that "to define is to limit", and that's where I'm at right now. But I won't give it more than I have to, just to get the upper hand.

I've been struggling with the worst lupus "flare" I've dealt with in about fifteen years, since the first part of April of this year. Meh.

Catch up here for what I've been through in the past - which, by the way, is totally common to anyone with lupus. 

Lately, it's like a hellish game of whack-a-mole. For myself, I can out-stand any pain you think you've endured. There are lots of things I just can't do, right now.  Physical endurance has to overcome pain, and, well, there's limits to that.  That doesn't mean I won't get back to it, when it stops.  And it will stop...eventually.  Eventually could come tomorrow.  I thought it arrived last Saturday, but alas...oh never mind. 

Struggling to wrangle it under control is like keeping a beach ball submerged in a pool.  It's really exhausting.

My grandmother had lupus and she also lived into her 80's.  For Gram, I will endure, and sometimes wish others would have more appreciation for those who've come before us - those who've lived long, and those who haven't. Not all of us will endure to see old age. Lucy didn't, and for that I'm sad.

Lucy had Britain's National Health Service. At least one worry she didn't have: If there were complications, which I have experienced in the past, she had the ability to be taken care of. 

I don't. And that should make us all sad.

Or, mad.  As hell.

I and others work so hard to fight to be well, and there are scores of people who simply fight to put off health care for us and others.  Since we make such efforts to survive lupus (and every other "chronic disease"), why in hell can't our legislators suck it up and get us some damned health care?  I'm not sick because of a lack of health care, but I have no where to turn if I experience complications. 

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds will live forever.  The pain won't.  And neither will the legislators who can't seem to do the right thing.  Or those supporting them.

Rest in Peace Lucy.  You look beautiful in the Sky with Diamonds.

How One Little Kitty Will Save the World...Or Break It

I'm often asked what inspires me, so here's the explanation:

Blondetwit. Yeah, well, that's me...sort of...and kinda not. Got that?



The picture you see as Blondetwit is actually Abby. She's a pistol. She's just a year old, and is one half of the pair that's turned this house upside down.



Abby is not only attitude, or "cattitude" as we call it in these parts, but she came equipped with extra devices for which to execute her endeavors. She has 6 toes on each foot. As did Hemingway's cats, but Abby has additional phalanges (bones) on each toe, meaning she also has extra joints...giving her opposable thumbs, and actual fingers, rather than the usual kitty paws. Who needs claws when you have HANDS?



Now, add hands to the cattitude, and you have an entirely new species!

Ab's, as we call her, keeps at whatever she's doing until she conquers it. Then it's done - over - no longer on her mind. And I like that.



Even if it means there's a box in my office labeled, "Broken Shit". Everything in there had made the mistake of being in her way. I'll fix 'em in a couple of years...then they'll seem all new again to me.

(hear a kitty-snort now)

Somewhere along the line, I realized that Abby was really my alter-ego. Remember that old television show, Greatest American Hero? Where Ralph finds the super-hero suit in the desert, but loses the instruction manual for operating it? The running gag was Ralph learning to use the suit (magic jammies) by trial and error, where he'd fly upside down, run splat! into buildings, etc. If you never saw the show, go find it on the internet...it was fun.

Abby is Ralph. And I am Abby. So that means I have "Magic Jammies" somewhere, right?

Yeah, I'll go with that. Magic Jammies good.

Understanding: Health Insurance IS NOT Health Care

Virtually all problems are the result of poor communication. Whether intentional or unintentional.

Today, we have virtually violent clashes in society. Much of it the result of intentional mis-communication, some of it the result of misplaced trust of poor sources. Some of it simply because the person receiving the information has little capacity to really understand - that's not their shortcoming, but the shortcoming of the rest of us, and clear evidence in many cases of a source seeking to take convenient advantage of the recipient, usually for the source's gain.

Much mis-communication comes from our lack of paying attention to how what we say is actually heard.

Earlier today I had a disgusting and frustrating series of debates with people who are absolutely convinced it's appropriate to compare apples to oranges and arrive at avocados as the end result of the equation. I suppose with the information we provide, that may be the appropriate conclusion.

My bad.

For thirty years I've encouraged others to clearly communicate. So that's what I want to do, right here, right now.

Consider this as your definitive argument regarding health care, health insurance and health insurance reform:

Health Insurance is NOT health care. Health insurance at its core, relies on risk versus reward, which equates to one thing: profit on human suffering.

It was forcefully posed to me that I must also be against car insurance, fire insurance and life insurance. Those who know me would absolutely laugh at this. I come from a long line of life insurance agents, and was one myself. I consider it one of the most important purchases for any family, or any business. Everyone WILL die. Life Insurance allows survivors to carry on without financial tragedy, etc. Car insurance is based upon any individual's ability to maintain their PRIVILEGE to drive a car. Some fail that test, and there are always alternatives to driving, and not having coverage or not being able to drive does not create a moral dilemma. Fire insurance for your home or business, same thing basically as car insurance. No one lives or dies based on an insurance company's decision to cover or not to cover.

Health Insurance, by it's very nature, the same as car insurance or fire insurance, can exist based only upon a healthy and robust business model that can attract investors, or others to be mutually insured (as in mutual insurers, not stock insurers).

By the very nature of the business model, someone, somewhere, will make a decision about a human life. Actually, about millions of human lives.

An insurer will make the decision as to who lives and who dies. That decision is for God, the Universe, or how or whatever you believe - not a pencil pusher in a cubicle.

We must permanently unlink "Health Care" and "Insurance". The two cannot co-exist in a moral model.

To accept otherwise, is simply immoral. I'm sorry if you believe otherwise, because I've just called you immoral. I don't do those things often, in fact I usually refrain from such declarations. It doesn't make you bad, just wrong, and not "there" yet. That's okay, but you need to hurry up.

I'm not certain that what's on the table now is "right". It's probably not - but it's what we've got right now, and we simply MUST move forward and correct the single most immoral issue we could possible deal with as humans.

Health Insurance is NOT Health Care. It is profit taking based on who lives and who dies. That, my friends, is immoral.

There is no other argument here. And your failure to understand that argument is now in your hands. No longer my bad.

Divided & Conquered

I know this sadly dysfunctional family, long ago broken apart by divorce, precipitated by progressive and unchecked mental illness.

As the three children were growing up, things didn't seem so bad as much as just not "normal". At first, Mom just seemed agitated, and Dad didn't see too much to be alarmed by. All of these things were well hidden. Dad, grandparents, neighbors, friends - none of them could quite see the forest for the trees.

As the years went on, Mom effectively undermined the relationships between each of the kids and between the kids and their Dad. Mom even made sure that it was drilled into the kids that there was no one whom they could ever trust, but her. Mom did this by terrifying the kids in various ways, starting when they were all very young. She divided and conquered. She owned them.

As the two oldest children were now adults, and the youngest still a teenager, Mom had arranged to have all three of the children in the car on the freeway, late at night. It was a simple trip home from a family wedding party.

By now, Mom's mental health had deteriorated to a disastrous point. When one of the older children asked Mom a question, Mom deemed it a challenge and snapped.

Mom put her foot on the accelerator, and began driving all over the freeway - in traffic. All three of the children were scared to death, and the oldest son tried to wrestle control of the car from her from the passenger seat, while they were traveling in excess of 80 to 90 miles per hour. The teenager in the back seat just checked out mentally - he shut down.

Want to know what happened? Everyone is still alive. But they're not without grave scars from this ordeal and others. The children don't even have much to do with each other.

This story is just like what's happening today in our country. Our "mother", our government, our public servants, have gone nuts. They're utterly dysfunctional, and as leaders, they've sought to separate us from each other, and they've been totally successful. The republicans are demonstrating no leadership for their adherents, and the democrats aren't demonstrating any leadership to get things done.

Even if the car doesn't crash, the carnage is already apparent. And it will effect everything we do and everything we are from this point forward.

Droppings...of Bugs and Brains

Years ago, I lived in this crappy little apartment, high on a bluff above the beach. Anyone living near the beach knows that lots of pests come with living in such a beautiful place. It's the trade-off.

Every time you turned out the lights in this apartment, bugs would start lurking...great big cockroaches, little bitty beetles, big black ants, little red ants...all sorts of grimy slimy icky yucky bugs. (skin crawling in remembrance)

It's like that with the wackos in society today. Only it used to be that they were only there when we turned off the lights. Ask any cop. They'll tell you that as soon as the sun goes down, the crazies come out. Just like in my apartment.

I tweeted this metaphor a while ago, and it was commented that was a really good metaphor. Alas, this metaphor goes further.

When I lived in that crappy little apartment, besides when the lights were off, if you turned on the stove or oven, so you could cook and feed yourself, the bugs would come out - en masse. (think 'hot foot'.) If you can't stand the heat, time to get out of the range, I guess. (My apologies to President Truman for the hatchet job on his quote.)

Something's happened. We are trying to be progressive. Something most of us think is good. As we are trying to metaphorically "feed ourselves", cook a meal so we can sustain ourselves and thrive, all the while, the bugs are billowing out of the range!

The $64,000 question is, what do we do about it?

Do we eradicate the pests each day the best we can, and just wait for the next round of bugs to move in?

Do we set up some sort of toxic environment in which the bugs cannot survive?

Do we tear down the building that harbors the pests and start anew?

As we consider our options, it's prudent to remember, that any bugs left behind will breed...(metaphorically and literally).

By the way, anyone who lives here, in the USA, knows that these bugs, er, crazies come with living in such a free and tolerant country. It's the trade-off.

Oh, and no, I don't have the solution to this one figured out. It bites me just as bad as it does everyone else though :)

A Rose By Any Other Name

Enjoyed a lovely lunch today with Mrs. Spring.

At a newer, small family run restaurant, it was only natural to be chatting with our server. She was a perky young thing, daughter of the proprietors I believe.

As Mrs. Spring was enjoying her fresh halibut, our server was anxious to know how she was enjoying it. The conversation, with much encouragement by the chatty server, went further to discuss other types of fish, fishing, and luscious additions soon to be realized on their menu.

Mrs. Spring and I were happy to hear that there would soon be oysters added to their simple, but well rounded menu. Our Perky Server knew precisely what kind of oysters they would be serving, but she was having difficulty remembering what they were called, and stumbled on her high-pitched, sugar-sweetened voice.

Perky Server: "Oh! we'll even be adding oysters soon! Oh, um...Rah....Rah...."

Me: (jokingly) "Rocky Mountain Oysters?"

Perky Server: (as she ran off to assist another customer) "Yes! That's it!"

There still is no good first aid trick when you over-bite your tongue.

In case you're not clear about the joke, these are
Rocky Mountain Oysters:

And these are not:

I Was There For You

Where are you for me now?

I was reading my local newspaper this morning, and as I read the letters to the editor, I let them get to me.

One writer indicated that reform just wasn't justified. Others have said that if people don't have insurance it's their fault. Apparently, if you don't have insurance you're lazy.

Nope. Not lazy. I have a chronic illness, called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Lupus for short. I did not get it because of poor choices in my life. I was told by two different physicians that I would not see my 35th birthday. I'm 46 today, and healthy. Very healthy. Because I take care of myself. You wouldn't know to look at me that I've suffered a massive heart attack, pneumonia more times than I can count, nephritis, massive skin sores, plurisy, on and on.

Over all the years I've known I've had this disease, what have I done?

I've helped you. I've helped you with your children. Provided for them when you couldn't, or wouldn't. Protected them - sometimes from you.

I've rescued the pets you abandoned, and sometimes the ones you abused. I've rehabilitated others so that you could have a lifelong friend - one who was totally devoted to you.

I've made sure that there were things in this community for your enjoyment. For your quality of life. And you really, really enjoyed them!

I've stood longer, argued longer, and held my breath longer, so that you could get what you needed.

Your business is here because I thought you should be able to have it. Your home is liveable because I got involved when others wouldn't.

I've stepped out and provided you opportunities you didn't have without me.

In disasters, I was there when others weren't. And I was likely sick at the time. But I was still there. And your home still stands because I was.

I've paid for your meal & I've paid for your groceries, when you couldn't.

I've made sure that the least among us had what they needed. And I've not done it nearly enough. Neither have you.

I've stood between you and "the man", when you were about to be deprived. And you weren't.

I've found myself in the most amazing situations, and I rarely tell anyone about any of it. Some who know me well, know of some of these things. Even my husband doesn't know about everything, but he knows I'll always do something that needs to be done.

I've never, ever asked you for anything. Sometimes, when you had the opportunity to thank me, or asked me what you could do for me in return, I told you, "pass it on". I hope you have. But it wasn't required. I gave to you because I love you.

But - somehow, my health care isn't justified.

It's called heartache, because it actually hurts your heart.

As Relevance Goes

This is a Pinocchio Toilet Brush. It is available for sale here.

It would be interesting to note it's relevance alongside the Legislators who don't support meaningful Health Care Reform when they return to The Hill.

Drain the Swamp

My Dad passed away in May of 2000, he was 76. After he died, I was going through his personal papers and found things I'd expect, and serendipitously, some things I hope they'll find in my personal papers when I'm gone.

One of the latter items, a mimeographed copy, is posted in my office, said this:

"It is the moral duty of every company man to accept the unbelievable, anticipate the unknowable and obligate himself to the unthinkable.

However, it's hard to remember your objective was to drain the swamp when you're up to your ears in alligators."

It hangs in my office, and was written in Dad's own beautiful hand.

The last part of this would be my great advice to all those legislators who are seeking real health reform:

Drain the Swamp - forget the alligators. Let us take care of the alligators, you get back to the business at hand. We'll protect you when you need us...unless of course, you don't get that swamp drained like we asked you to.

Why Health Care Should NOT be Tied to Employment

If we made health care an individual program, rather than tying it to your employment - things in this country would look very different.

Consider this:

Jerry's wife had a difficult pregnancy when their daughter was born, and she suffers some minor health issues as a result. They're relatively minor, but are easily manageable with the proper care. Unfortunately, their daughter, now 4, has juvenile diabetes, which can also be well managed, but only if they have the medical coverage that Jerry is provided in his job.

Jerry's a mechanical engineer, and a big dreamer. He's developed a new technology, but he can't leave his employer to go develop it and market it, because he would no longer have the medical bennies he needs for his family.

If Jerry, his wife and his child all had coverage not tied to his work, he could leave his employer, make a huge contribution to his society (make a fortune) and take care of his family with no worries. Oh, and, there would be an open position at Jerry's company...for which a huge line of people would line up for, seeing there's such a shortage of good jobs.

There's a ton of Jerry's out there.

Then there's my brother:

My sister-in-law is a teacher. She's overdue to retire by four years, but yet, she still works to provide those bennies that they can't access otherwise. She makes pretty decent money as she's been teaching for 34 years. My brother's disabled, but isn't eligible for health care benefits such as medicaid or medicare. His wife has to continue to work until they're eligible for medicare in another 7 years. Oh, and my brother is uninsurable on his own since he's declared disabled, just not disabled enough.

Suppose they each had health care having nothing to do with work. Someone else would be able to have that teaching position, thereby employing another person.

There's a ton of people like my sister-in-law out there. Thousands upon thousands of people put off retirement because of just this issue.

And here's Bob:

Bob is a retired Marine. A decorated one at that. He's been separated from his wife for almost 20 years, but they've never divorced. She has a chronic disease and has always received the best care from the VA, due to the VA benefits that extend to her as Bob's wife.

Bob won't divorce her, because she can't get that care any other way. But the woman Bob's been seeing for the last couple years - while she thinks he's a good man for always making certain to still care for his ex - would like to marry him someday...but that's out of the question. Out of the question at least, until Bob's wife dies.

There's other Bob's out there.

And Elizabeth...

I've known Elizabeth for years, and she is in the most miserable excuse for a marriage. She has MS. Some days are better than others, but mostly it's one lousy day after another - especially when it comes to her husband Mac. He works at a local mill, and has excellent benefits. She accesses those benefits constantly because of her MS. Problem is, Mack beats the hell out of her, and he always has. Well, not always, it took him a few years to ramp up to actually physically beating her. But now, she can't leave him, because she'd have no health care. But the worst situation in that house, is that their pre-teen son, Jacob, has a congenital defect, and he wouldn't be able to continue the care he's had. Elizabeth doesn't care for herself and her care, but the kids' docs are so good, she can't risk losing them for his sake.

Go ask anyone in your local abused women's shelter...there's lots of Elizabeth's out there.

And duh, (DUH!) if all of a sudden, 46 million people had instant access to health care, have you thought about the mayhem to come up with enough people to serve all of these newly covered folks? Doctors, Nurses (of all flavors), pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics (that would need to be built) and corresponding staff...pharmaceutical companies, bedpan manufacturers, computers, air conditioning, coffee machines for all these facilities...technology, telecommunications for same, classrooms and educators to teach them....cars and mass transit for them to travel in to their work destinations...shoe and uniform manufacturers, identification lanyard manufacturers, magazines for waiting rooms on and on an on...

And...AND...how would this free up businesses in not having to deal with the disastrous effects of health care costs on them? No more mandating coverage - mandates that have been difficult to disastrous to business. Businesses could take the money they save, and actually employ more people. There's a thought. Even though many would just pocket the savings as a healthier bottom line.

Employment Crisis solved.

Health Care Crisis solved.

Technology Bank restocked.

Battered Spouse issues eased.

Well, I guess I just solved it all. Next?

PS: I've actually heard the fact that there's not enough docs and hospitals to serve that many people bandied about as a valid excuse as to why health care reform would be disastrous. Go figure.

Picture graciously provided by James Garza, a Bay Area artist. Other work from James can be seen here

At Least Someone Does...

Went to "Hooterville" today.

This is where my husband grew up. All the characters from the old television show can be found there - Mr. Drucker, Mr. Haney, Ebb, Farmer Ziffel, and of course, Arnold the Pig.

Here's what I found that welcomed me today, as I drove into town:


The other side of the sign said, appropriately:

"GOD UNDERSTANDS".

Someone needs to.

Mud Wrestling Granny

My favorite part of the Cowlitz County Fair is, without a doubt, the Demolition Derby. Good ol' redneck fun.

Since moving my Mom up here a few years ago, she's gone with us every year, along with my Mother-in-law, who, for her sake, sat out this years' event.

Mom's handicapped, and as such, is assigned to the front row benches at the stadium. Read: handicapped folks are sitting ducks.

For what - you might ask?

This:










That soon turns into this:






She wasn't as happy as she looked, by the way.

The World May Heretofore End..Two Posts, 1 Day

Alright. Now I'm pissed. Steaming mad. Fuming.

The "save marriage for hate mongers" group has gone yet another step too far.

So I reciprocated.

A young girl, age 9 knocks on my door (just a few minutes ago), and asks me to sign a petition to "Keep Marriage Between a Man and a Woman". I looked around, and since I live a relatively low density urban location, I expected to see an appropriate escort for the girl. All I saw down the hill was a car and two other children of similar age at other houses.

I didn't want to scare the girl, but I asked her why on earth would she be doing this with her summer vacation? She said her family's church wanted them to do it. Regardless of the fact that I'd LOVE to publicize the name of the church doing this here, I know good people who go there (not to mention the pastor), and I know they don't agree with this. But...I will be talking to them tonight, I guarantee you.

This is the SECOND time that I have been hit up by a young girl for this petition. Last time was in front of a local store, where I did give her mother and her father what-to-for making her be the front person for their chicken-shit petition.

I -WE- are straight allies, or so they tell me we are called.

My best friend, Brian, is gay. My aunt is gay. My husband's college roommate is gay. And that list goes on and on.

Telling me, as the young lady was told to tell me, that "marriage is for raising a family..." I proceeded to tell her that I don't have children. I wasn't able to have my own children. So that means that I shouldn't be married, right? Her response: "I...uh...guess so." (she was getting really uncomfortable here). (I have a gazillion step-children by the way.)

I then asked her, "suppose you grow up and can't have children? And maybe that's the way God wants it...because otherwise, surely, you'd be able to have children, right? And you want to grow up and get married, right? So how would that work, if you couldn't have children?"

She started to cry. Yes, I made an abused child cry. But I think she'll remember it. And I hope someday, she'll think about it. I can only hope. You cannot think this all the way through and have it make sense.

HERE'S MY MESSAGE: IF YOU ARE USING YOUR CHILDREN AND TEACHING THEM THESE THINGS AND NOT TEACHING THEM TO THINK INSTEAD, YOU ARE ABUSING YOUR CHILDREN, MENTALLY & EMOTIONALLY. STOP IT.

Well Now...

I'm not sure what's going on, but for awhile now, I find myself with new Twitter followers that are self-described "conservative activists".

While I avoid describing myself -ever- in terms of liberal or conservative (I HATE being defined, it's so disingenuous for me), with the latest issues at least, I lean quite a lot more liberal than conservative.

I was raised a conservative, but have found that the principles espoused by modern conservatives do not work in a real world, which is where I live.

That all said, why are these people following me?

PS: I'm not return-following them, I don't need to be prompted to get any more riled up than I already do. So there. But I think I liked it better when the spammers were following me before Twitter cleaned them up. Oooh! Maybe Twitter can clean out the con.....

Frozen Crabs and the Blond Stewardess

A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blond stewardess to take care of them for him.

She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator.

He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if s he let them thaw out.

Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior.

Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, "Would the gentleman who gave me the crabs in New Orleans, please raise your hand?"

Not one hand went up ... so she took them home and ate them.

Two lessons here:

1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.

2. Blonds aren't as dumb as most folks think.

My apologies to all my lawyer friends ;) And please, refrain from the bashing I inevitably get for a good blond joke! I am truly completely and authentically blond (carpet and drapes actually match). I do concede to (a lot) of gray infiltration these days... This was passed on to me with the knowledge that I not only appreciate blond jokes, but for a lifetime have collected them.

If you're offended, it's time to take a broader view of what a blond joke really is. There is hardly a perception left that blonds are actually dumb because they're blond, instead, we're ALL guilty of the occasional "blond moment". My all time favorite was this:

Husband, commenting on a television commercial a few years ago, asked, "Who's the country singer on those Ford ads?"

I told him his first name is Toby...but I couldn't recall his last name. I said, "I'll tell you when I think of it".

Days went by. Then, all of a sudden, I remember the country singer's name, and nearly flung myself onto the floor laughing at myself.

His name is Toby Keith. My husband's name is...Keith.

So there you have it. I'm blond...what's your excuse????? Hmmm?

Pegged!

I predict the day's high temperature the Rube Goldberg way. I take a 9 am reading from the oldy moldy thermometer located on the north side of my house. Then I subtract 20 degrees, and there's my prediction for the day's high temperature. Well, it works, and much better than any of the local weathercaster's do - for the last 10+ years!

But today, my thermometer threw me a curve ball. It was pegged past it's printed temperatures. So what do I subtract the 20 from?

The Last Word

Can't add to this. Just...can't. Enjoy.

Well...Because I Can

Since so many things get under my skin these days (I know, get in line...), I appreciate these little things people do to make a statement. I guess this blog is one of mine:)

So, thought I'd share someone else's statement, since it makes such a great point, and because mostly, "You're so uninspired, and I'm so sick and tired of all the hatred you harbor..." (Not you personally, well, unless...you know. If you're reading this, you're probably not the one I'm disappointed with...)

Faux Umbrage Concern Kit (Extra Dosage) can have you fighting liberals in no time

I bow to the genius who created this post on his own blog:

Click Here and read an outrageously brilliant creation!

Why Twitter?

Like most of us who have been taken away with Twitter, those around us not on Twitter always ask: Why? I just don't get it.

To try to answer that question, my response is usually "heavy sigh". My followers on Twitter recognize that, it's pretty common for me to say that about a number of things, out of general exasperation.

Last Friday, Jim Algers interviewed the unofficial "Mayor of Twitter", Matte Black, better known as "@Shoq" (his Twitter name) on Jim's Common Sense radio program.

Here's the audio, Shoq says it all better than I ever could: The clip is about a half hour or so long, but it's really worth it.

Thanks to Jim Alger, Shoq, Eye Candy Montages & Vimeo for the clip!

Follow me on Twitter by clicking here!

Twitter User Shoq & Jim Alger Discuss Twitter from Eye Candy Montages on Vimeo.