Monday, June 30, 2008

the beagle half of max is the more pronounced of his puggleness.

therefore, he loves dragging thru the underbrush(wet) and rolling in mud!

good thing i am used to beagles(grew up with beagles)STILL
the house smells like wet hound. max thinks i should be bottling the scent to sell at macy's.

i think i am going to need more odo-ban soon.

damn rain!

this rain is driving me eff'n CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




see below...



; )



You Are 20% Capitalist, 80% Socialist



You see a lot of injustice in the world, and you'd like to see it fixed.

As far as you're concerned, all the wrong people have the power.

You're strongly in favor of the redistribution of wealth - and more protection for the average person.


went with mom to her doctor appt.
she's doing pretty good but he wants her to eat more.
he wanted her to start drinking liquid supplements.
1 each day but she doesn't like them.

this time he insisted so i told her i'd pick up a few different kinds so she could try them and let me know which she would tolerate drinking,

this isn't going to be easy. i know my mom.
Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length the season of summer does come.

Thomas Carlyle
last day in june. summer's going fast and the weather has generally SUCKED!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

i spent the last hour or so looking thru posters. i
like poster art, especially vintage ads.

i saved a lot to share every now and then with you.
One of the ridiculous aspects of being a poet is the huge gulf between how seriously we take ourselves and how generally we are ignored by everybody else.

Billy Collins, "New York Times"
the scholarship luncheon is today but i'm staying home.
first one i'll miss but it's rainy out and i'm sore from dancing.
i think it was the first i've danced since new year's eve.

i'm so proud of those scholarships and of the members of the owl's who support our efforts.
A Birthday

by Christina Rossetti



My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.

Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.
i went to sara's 50th birthday party last night.
everyone had a great time. good people, good food, music and dancing and i'm paying for THAT this morning, geeezzzz!


here's boag and the birthday girl is the last picture and the pretty girl with the long hair is thier daughter siera and her guy. (i'm old and i forgot his name right now, tho i do know it!)




Saturday, June 28, 2008

going to a party later!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARA (boag's wife)



well, it's the end of june and around my place that means it's

DADDY LONG LEGS season! if i could only find a way to herd em up and sell em i'd be
like an old time cattle baron. they are EVERYWHERE. luckily, i know they can't bite people so they are just annoying and scare or gross people out as they fall on them.
i don't think they have a good grip on surfaces or else they are the "sherrys" of the spider world and are the least graceful of little beasties.








my windows are open and i smell pancakes.
saturday


up up been up for
a few now
sticky
hot
achey but not
breaky
i hate that song
up up
but not for much
yet



just a teeny something.

Friday, June 27, 2008

At the War Office, London

by Thomas Hardy


I

Last year I called this world of gain-givings
The darkest thinkable, and questioned sadly
If my own land could heave its pulse less gladly,
So charged it seemed with circumstance whence springs
The tragedy of things.

II

Yet at that censured time no heart was rent
Or feature blanched of parent, wife, or daughter
By hourly blazoned sheets of listed slaughter;
Death waited Nature's wont; Peace smiled unshent
From Ind to Occident.
Email This Poem to a Friend
Dear sherry,


This Sunday, General Clark will join Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation.

Be sure to check your local TV listings for showtimes and tune in. Wes Clark will discuss the critical foreign policy and national security issues facing our country today, as well as the presidential election.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Catherine Grunden
Executive Director
WesPAC -- Securing America's Future

for my little sweetie...
MAX IS ASLEEP AND MY LITTLE SWEETIE IS COLORING!


ah, quiet time!










HOORAY!!!!








Dear VoteVets.org Supporter,

Yesterday, I represented VoteVets.org at a press conference with leaders in the Senate, before the body passed the bipartisan GI Bill for the 21st Century. It was an honor to be there, but I wasn’t just representing my fellow veterans, I was representing each and every one of you.

30,000 petition signatures. Tens of thousands of letters to Capitol Hill. Thousands and thousands of letters to the editor. Donations that allowed us to air national TV ads on the bill. That’s what you did to help pass this bill, in the name of VoteVets.org, and that’s why I was invited to stand with Senators as the bill was brought up for consideration.

More importantly, your work made passage of the bill a reality.

Now, the bill will go to the President’s desk, and he has signaled he will sign it. It wasn’t so long ago that the President had threatened to veto the legislation, with Senators like John McCain backing him up on that decision. The President’s reversal can also be attributed to just how much you worked to pass this bill. The President and those in his party know that there could be nothing more unpopular than vetoing increased education benefits for those who serve in war, in a time of war.

That’s why I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. What you have done is make the American dream possible for so many of us. Many of us who couldn’t afford college will now be able to. We’ll go on to become doctors and lawyers and teachers, and have the chance to raise families in the American middle class. It was a promise made to us by Franklin Roosevelt, and your work has restored that promise.

You are truly patriots, in every sense of the word.

Sincerely,

Brian McGough
Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran
VoteVets.org

PAID FOR BY VOTEVETS.ORG ACTION FUND
www.VoteVets.org

Thursday, June 26, 2008


friday's joke, tonight, cause i'm babysitting tomorrow.


two goldfish in a tank

one goldfish looks at his buddy and says,
"you man the guns and i'll drive."






thanks so much to
"the pagan sphinx" for the great things she said about this blog.

she has a great blog and has recommended some terrific ones to check out.

thank you and much joy!


www.thepagansphinx.blogspot.com
it POURED all last night. a curtain of rain, tho it was coming straight down so i did leave the windows opened to get some cool air.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008



max isn't sure if he's a cat that barks or a dog

LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS.....

IT'S ABOUT LEARNING

TO DANCE IN THE RAIN!
i like this one of mine.
it is completely true:




poems read by dead poets. a christmas gift

something odd and awful, unexpected
on silvered discs.
the voices of dead poets
their words, as familiar as morning coffee and buttered toast
their voices unexpected, unpleasant as
the corpse of a fly hidden in the blackberry jam.






well,i think, i've gone back far enough for now.

onward!
revelations of a kind


he was my epiphany that summer
wearing a bright smile
illumination that frightened him
yet soothed me,
the more accepting but then
i had always been the seer
he, the master of self deception
always closing himself to avoid opening the wound
or perhaps turning away
the fearsome possibility of joy



( another oldie)
an old one but a favorite.

someone once wanted to buy it from me.she was being kind.
i sold her another.

this, is mine.








pool night 1996

i sit quiet in the corner
just a bit of darker shadow
turned sideways from the light
coming yellow down on the
one decent pool table.

watching you laugh, drinking
with the rest. you stroke your stick
i can see you like the feel
of it's smooth wood
familiar to your fingers.

me, i'm thinking
i wanna be the pool table, soft
worn felt you're leaning across,
want you to be that stick.

the shot, as you stroke.
wanna be the corner pocket.

i swallow hard when you
tilt your coors up and
drink deep. i need to be your thirst.

shifting my weight a bit on my seat
i think about you
being that bar stool.

i would be the smokey air that
you suck in before the click of
the balls hitting. hell
i'd settle for being the cigarette
between your lips.

2 a.m. by the grimy neon clock
behind the bar, another pool night done.
you won a few of your games, i
haven't played at all.
poor little max. i was walking him in the yard last evening and he was stung by a bee. he has a little bump right between his eyes today. dead center. thankfully that bee didn't get an eye.




i post this every now and then. just because.
i've seen this movie so many times it doesn't even matter.
i still remember the dialogue:



rhyme

some poems rhyme
have make believe lives
pretty words, hiding lies
my poems don't wear thin
disguises, rhyme seldom
often raw and bleeding
why
should they rhyme?
when there is
no reason
there is

no rhyme.





this is one of the 1st. poems of mine that i put on here.
just felt like repeating.
a beautiful day. mom's thrilled.
the pirates beat the yankees.

me? i don't much care but it is nice.

been up since 5.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Picture Puzzle Piece

by Shel Silverstein




One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.
Strength of character may be learned at work, but beauty of character is learned at home.


Henry Drummond















Dear MoveOn member,

Health care is an issue that is really close to my heart. And I know it matters to a lot of Americans, particularly mothers. But time and again, Republicans have blocked progress on expanding health care—most recently the expansion of the children's health insurance program—and on so many other important issues.

That's why we need to elect more progressive women in Congress in 2008, to stand with President Obama on healthcare and other key issues.

MoveOn is working with EMILY's List to highlight some great candidates like Kay Hagan, a legislator in my home state of North Carolina who is running for U.S. Senate. It is a race that the pundits and politicos had previously ignored, but no longer: Last week the Washington Post rated it as one of the most winnable Senate races for Democrats in the country.1

With a critical deadline for candidate fund-raising next Monday, can you help support Kay Hagan and other strong Democratic women like Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Carol Shea-Porter from New Hampshire? All three women are running in key battleground states, and the voters they bring to the polls will also help us take the White House. Click here to chip in $25 to their campaigns today:

https://pol.moveon.org/give/3greatwomen.html?id=12976-1209316-6qfIwSx&t=5

EMILY's List supports pro-choice Democratic women for office. The organization is a great ally and is supporting these and other strong progressive candidates.

Here's more detail on each of these spectacular women:

After five terms in the North Carolina State Senate, Kay Hagan is ready to move on to the US Senate. But first, she has to beat Sen. Elizabeth Dole this fall. Hagan has led the fight for children's healthcare in our home state. In the US Senate, Kay wants to tackle climate change and high gas prices. Her opponent, Elizabeth Dole, has a $3 million war chest, and Hagan is going to need every penny she can raise in order to beat her and change this seat from one that consistently votes conservatively to one that consistently votes progressively.


When Kay wins, we will be that much closer to building a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. And the odds are in our favor: Republicans are defending 23 seats in competitive races—almost two-thirds of the races up for grabs—which means we'll have an edge as we attempt to build a progressive majority.

We need Jeanne Shaheen to represent New Hampshire—and all of us—in the United States Senate too. Jeanne is the former Governor of New Hampshire; in fact she was the first woman ever elected to that office. Now she wants to blaze the trail again and become the first-ever woman elected senator from the state. The only thing standing in her way is incumbent Republican senator, John Sununu. Jeanne will be a fantastic senator, but we have to get her elected first.

Finally, there is the incredible Representative Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, the best example I know of the kind of women we can elect if we work together from the grassroots. When she was still in high school a counselor told Carol she should forget about trying to make it to college and enroll in secretarial school.2


Instead, she became the first woman ever elected to Congress from New Hampshire in 2006, handily beating a Republican incumbent who was seen as invincible. During her short time in Congress, Shea-Porter has been a vocal opponent to the war in Iraq. This is her first reelection campaign, and she's in a tough race. But Carol Shea-Porter has more than earned our support—we need to keep her in Congress.

Not only can you help make sure each of these women wins in her race, but you will also be helping to turn out more votes in important presidential battleground states. Can you chip in $25 to help elect these three women, each of whom can help us lead the House and Senate in a progressive direction? Click here to donate:

https://pol.moveon.org/give/3greatwomen.html?id=12976-1209316-6qfIwSx&t=6

Today, out of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, there are only seventy-one women. And only sixteen out of one hundred members of the Senate are women. 3 When will our voices be heard? They will be heard when we act together to get progressive women elected. With your help we can make sure that these progressive women's voices are heard in Washington this fall, voices that will speak out against the war and for health care and other progressive priorities.

Thank you.

–Elizabeth Edwards

P.S. You can learn more about EMILY's List and the great work they're doing for progressive women candidates at www.emilyslist.org

Sources:

1."The Line: When a Small Loss Is Your 'Best Case Scenario," The Fix: Washington Post Political blog, June 13th, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3837&id=12976-1209316-6qfIwSx&t=7

2."Carol Shea-Porter's unusual journey to U.S. Congress," Associated Press, November 8, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3838&id=12976-1209316-6qfIwSx&t=8

3."Women Serving in the 110th Congress 2007-09," Center for American Women and Politics,
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3839&id=12976-1209316-6qfIwSx&t=9



PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
the HIT SONGS of 1952. the year of my birth.
no wonder i'm screwed up! ; )




Blue Tango - Little White Cloud -
Wheel of Fortune - Glow Worm

- Half As Much - I'll Walk Alone
- Tell Me Why - Trying
wow! max slept thru the night!

i got up twice just to see if he was o.k!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Death tugs at my ear and says: "Live, I am coming".


Oliver Wendell Holmes
Walking Around

by Pablo Neruda



It so happens I am sick of being a man.
And it happens that I walk into tailorshops and movie
houses
dried up, waterproof, like a swan made of felt
steering my way in a water of wombs and ashes.

The smell of barbershops makes me break into hoarse
sobs.
The only thing I want is to lie still like stones or wool.
The only thing I want is to see no more stores, no gardens,
no more goods, no spectacles, no elevators.

It so happens that I am sick of my feet and my nails
and my hair and my shadow.
It so happens I am sick of being a man.

Still it would be marvelous
to terrify a law clerk with a cut lily,
or kill a nun with a blow on the ear.
It would be great
to go through the streets with a green knife
letting out yells until I died of the cold.

I don't want to go on being a root in the dark,
insecure, stretched out, shivering with sleep,
going on down, into the moist guts of the earth,
taking in and thinking, eating every day.

I don't want so much misery.
I don't want to go on as a root and a tomb,
alone under the ground, a warehouse with corpses,
half frozen, dying of grief.

That's why Monday, when it sees me coming
with my convict face, blazes up like gasoline,
and it howls on its way like a wounded wheel,
and leaves tracks full of warm blood leading toward the
night.

And it pushes me into certain corners, into some moist
houses,
into hospitals where the bones fly out the window,
into shoeshops that smell like vinegar,
and certain streets hideous as cracks in the skin.

There are sulphur-colored birds, and hideous intestines
hanging over the doors of houses that I hate,
and there are false teeth forgotten in a coffeepot,
there are mirrors
that ought to have wept from shame and terror,
there are umbrellas everywhere, and venoms, and umbilical
cords.

I stroll along serenely, with my eyes, my shoes,
my rage, forgetting everything,
I walk by, going through office buildings and orthopedic
shops,
and courtyards with washing hanging from the line:
underwear, towels and shirts from which slow
dirty tears are falling.
R.I.P.

george carlin

boy, i'm gonna miss you.

rest well

Sunday, June 22, 2008






yeah, i know i've posted it before but it was on the car radio coming home and i adore this song!


congrats to this little 3 legged, 1 eyed sweetie. this year's ugliest dog winner.







maybe more going on later.

maybe?

Saturday, June 21, 2008




Your 2006 Summer Anthem Is



Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield



"No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins"















I know why the caged bird sings

by Maya Angelou


A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.

max had his 2nd vet appt. yesterday. he's doing fine and has gone from 7 lbs. to 10.
he got his rabies shot and was very good.

Friday, June 20, 2008

The 1969 Charts!


1969 #1 Top Debut
January 4 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye 78. Baby, Baby Don’t Cry - Smokey Robinson & Miracles
January 11 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye 83. I Forgot To Be Your Lover - William Bell
January 18 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye 81. Home Cookin’ - Jr. Walker & All Stars
January 25 I’m Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross & Supremes & Temptations 39. I’m Livin’ In Shame - Diana Ross & Supremes
February 1 Crimson And Clover - Tommy James & Shondells 70. This Girl’s In Love With You - Dionne Warwick
February 8 Touch Me - Doors 48. Heaven - Rascals
February 15 Everyday People - Sly & Family Stone 57. Run Away Child, Running Wild - Temptations
February 22 Everyday People - Sly & Family Stone 53. I Don’t Know Why - Stevie Wonder
March 1 Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations 58. Rock Me - Steppenwolf
March 8 Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations 64. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) - 5th Dimension
March 15 Dizzy - Tommy Roe 57. I’ll Try Something New - Diana Ross & Supremes & Temptations
March 22 Dizzy - Tommy Roe 53. First Of May - Bee Gees
March 29 Time Of The Season - Zombies 60. Wishful Sinful - Doors
April 5 Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) - 5th Dimension 58. Gitarzan - Ray Stevens
April 12 Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) - 5th Dimension 68. The Composer - Diana Ross & Supremes
April 19 Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) - 5th Dimension 58. I Can’t See Myself Leaving You - Aretha Franklin
April 26 Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) - 5th Dimension 64. Heather Honey - Tommy Roe
May 3 Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) - 5th Dimension 45. Oh Happy Day - Edwin Hawkins Singers
May 10 Hair - Cowsills 60. It’s Never Too Late - Steppenwolf
May 17 Hair - Cowsills 64. See - Rascals
May 24 Get Back - Beatles 59. Love Me Tonight - Tom Jones
May 31 Get Back - Beatles 69. I Turned You On - Isley Brothers
June 7 Get Back - Beatles 68. Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James & Shondells
June 14 Get Back - Beatles 61. The Ballad Of John And Yoko - Beatles
June 21 Get Back - Beatles 63. Moments To Remember - Vogues
June 28 In The Ghetto - Elvis Presley 79. Reconsider Me - Johnny Adams
July 5 Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini & Orchestra 66. Clean Up Your Own Back Yard - Elvis Presley
July 12 Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini & Orchestra 65. Laughing - Guess Who
July 19 In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) - Zager & Evans 57. Workin’ On A Groovy Thing - 5th Dimension
July 26 In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) - Zager & Evans 56. A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
August 2 In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) - Zager & Evans 78. Change Of Heart - Dennis Yost & Classics IV
August 9 In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) - Zager & Evans 62. Oh, What A Night - Dells
August 16 Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones 58. Move Over - Steppenwolf
August 23 Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones 67. That’s The Way Love Is - Marvin Gaye
August 30 Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones 75. Rain - Jose Feliciano
September 6 Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones 61. And That Reminds Me (My Heart Reminds Me) - 4 Seasons
September 13 Sugar, Sugar - Archies 45. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
September 20 Sugar, Sugar - Archies 59. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling - Dionne Warwick
September 27 Sugar, Sugar - Archies 64. Ruben James - Kenny Rogers & First Edition
October 4 Sugar, Sugar - Archies 66. Ball Of Fire - Tommy James & Shondells
October 11 Little Woman - Bobby Sherman 71. Try A Little Kindness - Glen Campbell
October 18 Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley 36. Something - Beatles
October 25 Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley 57. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
November 1 Wedding Bell Blues - 5th Dimension 66. Heaven Knows - Grass Roots
November 8 Wedding Bell Blues - 5th Dimension 62. Eleanor Rigby - Aretha Franklin
November 15 Wedding Bell Blues - 5th Dimension 68. Jam Up Jelly Tight - Tommy Roe
November 22 Come Together - Beatles 71. What You Gave Me - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
November 29 Come Together - Beatles 55. Don’t Cry Daddy - Elvis Presley
December 6 Come Together - Beatles 71. Point It Out - Smokey Robinson & Miracles
December 13 And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears 73. She - Tommy James & Shondells
December 20 Leaving On A Jet Plane - Peter, Paul & Mary 82. Walk A Mile In My Shoes - Joe South & Believers
December 27 Someday We’ll Be Together - Diana Ross & Supremes 34. Without Love (There Is Nothing) - Tom Jones
HAPPY FRIDAY!






found these too wonderful not to share:
Perms can haz. Here is hol thing for ezy copyingz:

The Eight-Fold LOLpath

I'm in ur dharma weel
spokin' ur 8-fold path

right view:

WANT. Can haz? ATTACHMENT. OH NOES!!1!
Sufferin kitteh is sufferin.

right intention:

worldly thingz: I renounsez tehm.
mousies: I no nom nom nommin u no more.

right speech:

abusive speech: i abandonz it
mai right speech. let me show you it. but only at the rite tiem.

right action:

mousies? rly not nom nom nommin u. srsly.
also, ceeling cat sees whut i did ther, and iz no problem.

right livelihood:

monorail cat is on-line,
an full of benevvoluns
dis monorail cat don carry no gamblerz

right effort:

unwholesumness: DO NOT WANT
wholesumness: WANT

right mindfulness:

Bare attention: I haz it.
I see whut u did ther.

right concentration:

mousies? i not even thinkin of nom nom nommin u no more. srsly.
(O NOES!!!1! Mai bliss haz rolled undr couch!)

Ah! Betr!

Ekwanimitee. I haz it again.


...and the two extra ones, right knowledge:

I see whut we did ther.

and right liberation:

Chop wood, carry water.
Shred couch, hide cat toys.
Liberated kitteh is liberated.


The Eight-Fold LOLpath is copyright Elise Matthesen 2008; please do not reprint or repost without written permission. Permission can be gotten pretty easily by sending e-mail to elise@lioness.net. (I almost always say yes, but I love to find out how far it's spreading, and the permissions thing is good as a device to satisfy my curiosity on that.) Thank you. (And if you do reprint or repost without asking me, please please please include this paragraph so that my name and contact info go along with it so that the next person can ask, and I can find out how far it goes. If you see it out there anywhere uncredited, please tack this paragraph on. My catly curiosity thanks you.)
uh-oh (writing department) - The Nine Noble Virtues
Somebody wished for the Nine Noble Virtues in LOLcat.

Why do those impulses always strike me late at night? Why, Ceeling Cat, why?


(first draft)

The Odinic Rite lists the 9 Noble Virtues as Courage, Truth, Honor,
Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, and
Perseverance.


Courage

Dogz may bark, n flash feerful fang
but honor-stiffnd Kitteh standz firm.

Truth

Knowing Kitteh knowz. Knowz self,
knowz trooth, an clingz with claws of WANT.

Honor

Catnip mousies rip, an nomnomnoms evenshully come 2 bottm of bag
But I knowz wun thing wut never runz out:
teh name-fame wut comez when honrable cat is honrable.

Fidelity

CAN HAS, sez Kitteh. But Kitteh must keep:
Keep word, keep faith, keep clawz sharp.

Discipline

Mai strong will. Let me show u it.
I honez it regyoolurly on the bonez of temptashun.

Hospitality

Sharing cat is sharing, strong in guest-frendship.
If I had 2 catnip mousies, I wud give u wun.

Industriousness

I see wut you did there. Ur latchez n doorz, I skoff at them.
I'm in ur precaushuns. An I has ALL DAY.

Self Reliance

I has a flavor. Mai flavor iz bein able 2 depend on mahself.
SPACE AND TIME ARE NO OBSTACLE TO CATTANK. CATTANK IS STRONG.

Perseverance

Oh hai, I upgraded ur everything. Or I will.
Just give me tiem. Perseverance. I has it.



The Nine Noble LOLvirtues is copyright Elise Matthesen 2008; please do not reprint or repost without written permission. Permission can be gotten pretty easily by sending e-mail to elise@lioness.net. (I almost always say yes, but I love to find out how far it's spreading, and the permissions thing is good as a device to satisfy my curiosity on that.) Thank you. (And if you do reprint or repost without asking me, please please please include this paragraph so that my name and contact info go along with it so that the next person can ask, and I can find out how far it goes. If you see it out there anywhere uncredited, please tack this paragraph on. My catly curiosity thanks you.)
found this and wanted to share it.
please let the author know if you enjoyed it. thanks:






Not. My. Fault. (The "Common" Rede in LOLcat.)
I stoutly claim that this is either jenett's fault, or papersky's, depending on how you look at it. But I do admit to writing it.



1. We’re in ur perfek luv and trust, bidin ur rede like we must.
2. Dat fud urs, dis fud mine; keep in mind, an all be fine.
3. 3 times round that sirkl pass so evul spiruts CAN NOT HAS.
4. Kittehs wind up spell in ball by speekin it in wurds of LOL.
5. Sofft of paw and grate big ears; do not yowl and u shall heers!
6. Rightpaw round teh biggening moon, kittehs sing teh Witchc@t Roon.
7. Leftpaw round teh smalling moon, kittehs sing teh baneful tune.
8. Lady can has moon of new; kittehs hed-bash her times two.
9. When can has moon full enuf, then can has all sorts of stuff!
10. When North wind come, kitteh, take care! Srsly, iz cold out ther.
11. When South wind to kitteh sing, lov will come an smooches bring.
12. When teh West wind blow the mosts, iz no rest for kitteh ghosts.
13. When teh East wind stir teh air, fill teh bowlz wit fud to share.
14. In metal bukkit, put nine woodz; burn fast or slo, jus burnz em goodz!
15. Teh Elder is teh Lady’s tree. Be respektin it. Srsly.
16. When teh Year-Wheel starts to spin, lite Beltane fire FTW!
17. When Wheel iz turned and Yule is bornz, bow to Teh Ceiling Cat With Hornz.
18. Be respektin leafs and trees, and by teh Lady blessed beez!
19. Ur stone. U fling it. Strong and deft. (In streem, to find out WTF.)
20. When u has need of something moar, avoid kitteh who yowlz “NOT YOURS!”
21. Foolish cat iz foolish. U avoid him, or look foolish too.
22. Oh hai! I’ze purrin. Kthxbai! Warm kitteh heart, bright kitteh eye.
23. Teh Three-Fold Law: respekt it, pliz, cuz good or bad comez back in threez.
24. Misforchun? You has it, just a bit? Mai bloo star. Let me show you it.
25. Dis kitteh r mine, and I’z theyrs too. Keep this srsly 4 troo.
26. Teh Wiccan Rede can has wurds eight: kitteh harm none, do thy will. Thx! Grate!




The LOLcat Rede is copyright Elise Matthesen 2008; please do not reprint or repost without written permission. Permission can be gotten pretty easily by sending e-mail to elise@lioness.net. (I almost always say yes, but I love to find out how far it's spreading, and the permissions thing is good as a device to satisfy my curiosity on that.) Thank you. (And if you do reprint or repost without asking me, please please please include this paragraph so that my name and contact info go along with it so that the next person can ask, and I can find out how far it goes. If you see it out there anywhere uncredited, please tack this paragraph on. My catly curiosity thanks you.)





got em from who else?

blue gal. thanks!
Still I Rise

by Maya Angelou


You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Moo.

Moo, who?

Well, make up your mind, are you a cow or an owl?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008






nighty nite!
there is a great post up by sue at the pittsburgh women's blogging society about some shaler teen girls. really a terrific read.

i thought i'd share this. he is one of my very, very favorite poets!
truly, do yourself a favor and get a copy of "origins of evening"
i can not say enough good things about it.i've mentioned him before and i thought i'd mention him again for new readers.









Robert Gibb (poet)


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other persons named Robert Gibb, see Robert Gibb (disambiguation).
Robert Gibb (b. 5 September 1946) is an American poet.[1] Gibb won the 1997 National Poetry Series Open Competition for The Origins of Evening. It, along with his next two books, comprise what Gibb calls The Homestead Trilogy, a nearly 100-poem cycle probing the fading industrial history and culture of America's Steel City.

He was born to a family of steelworkers in Homestead, Pennsylvania, a mill town six miles south of downtown Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. The town was home to Andrew Carnegie's famous Homestead Steel Works and site of the infamous Homestead Strike.

Gibb earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Kutztown University in 1971, a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts in 1974, and his Master of Arts and Ph.D. at Lehigh University in 1976 and 1986 respectively.


[edit] Works
World Over Water, poetry (Fayetteville: The University of Arkansas Press, 2007)
The Burning World, poetry (Fayetteville: The University of Arkansas Press, 2004)
The Origins of Evening, poetry (New York: W. W. Norton, 1998)
Fugue for a Late Snow, poetry (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1993)
Momentary Days, poetry (Camden: Walt Whitman Center, 1989)
A Geography of Common Names, poetry (Aiken: Devil's Millhopper Press, 1987)
Entering Time, Barnwood Press, poetry (Daleville: Barnwood Press, 1986)
The Winter House, poetry (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1984)
The Names of the Earth in Summer, poetry (Menemsha: Stone Country, 1983)
The Margins, poetry (Menemsha: White Bear Books, 1979)
Whale Songs, poetry (Cranston: Turkey Press, 1976)

[edit] References
^ :: norton poets online :: Robert Gibb
Contemporary Authors Online. The Gale Group, 2002. PEN (Permanent Entry Number): 0000128494.
Peter Oresick (2007). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Review of World Over Water and "The Homestead Trilogy". Retrieved April 1, 2007

congrats to THE PITTSBURGH WOMEN'S BLOGGING SOCIETY.

passed the 500th post we all did!


p.s. the granny, that's me.
max is having his bout of puppy crazies this morning so i'm making sure layla doesn't decide that she's had enough and bop him a good one!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

i've never had one and i probably couldn't(or shouldn't)drink an entire one.
i'd like to taste it tho. looks good, so i'll share:












Long Island Iced Tea



Ingredients:

1⁄2 oz. vodka
1⁄2 oz. rum
1⁄2 oz. tequila
1⁄2 oz. gin
1⁄2 oz. triple sec
Splash of Coke™ or other cola
Lemon slice or wedge

Preparation:


Fill chimney glass with ice.

Add vodka, rum, tequila, gin and triple sec.

Add a splash of cola.

Garnish with lemon
Variation 1: Long Beach Tea

Replace Coke with splash of cranberry juice.
Replace lemon garnish with lime.

Variation 2: Adios Tea

Replace Coke with splash of blue curaçao.
Replace lemon garnish with maraschino cherry.

Recipe courtesy of bartender David Bird, Charlie's Bar, Las Vegas, Nev.




congrats to del and phyllis.


















Journey's End


by J. R. R. Tolkien


In western lands beneath the Sun
The flowers may rise in Spring,
The trees may bud, the waters run,
The merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night,
And swaying branches bear
The Elven-stars as jewels white
Amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.
geeezzzz we've gone from 90 degrees to a big fat high of 68 today!

the little town 5 miles up the road from me had such a storm last evening that the creek flooded and they had hail the size of small golf balls that covered the ground!

go figure!

Monday, June 16, 2008

YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!!!!







Dear sherry,

A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.

Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.

This moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action.

That's why I am asking you to join me in showing your support by making a contribution to this campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/gore

Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.

With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.

If you've already contributed to this campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution right now. If you haven't, please take the next step and own a piece of this campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/gore

On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.

We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president, and it begins by making a contribution to this campaign today.

Thank you for joining me,

Al Gore

LIVE TONIGHT -- 8:30 p.m. EDT:




yes!
i found this article about our "4th river" and thought i'd share...










Fear not, 'fourth river' unaffected by tunneling



Monday, June 16, 2008
By Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Here are the facts:

A) There is a fourth river under Pittsburgh.

B ) It's not what you think it is.





The "river" is actually a layer of sand and gravel, saturated with water, that was laid down 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, says John Harper, a geologist with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

This glacial plain, also known as an aquifer, is 30 to 85 feet thick, Mr. Harper said, and lies beneath the Golden Triangle and below the riverbeds of the lower Allegheny and Monongahela rivers and the upper Ohio River.

Questions about the so-called fourth river have come up persistently since the Port Authority began drilling two transit tunnels from the North Side to Downtown, beneath the Allegheny River.

Will the tunnels run into the fourth river?

One of the aquifer's special functions is to provide the water for the Point State Park fountain, through an artesian well that is sunk into that soppy layer of earth.

Will the tunnels endanger the water supply to the fountain?

The answers: Yes, and no.

Winston Simmonds, Port Authority operations manager, said the tunnels will intersect the glacial layer on both the North Shore and Downtown, but beneath the Allegheny itself, the tunnels will go through denser clay stone and silt stone.

In fact, the first tunnel already has bisected the "fourth river" layer on the North Side and is now nearing the Downtown bank of the Allegheny, 25 feet or so below the riverbed.

"We performed our own geotechnical study," Port Authority spokesman David Whipkey said, "and found out that the aquifer in question ... does not affect us. We have not been impacted by the aquifer whatsoever, and do not anticipate any future impact."

On the Downtown side of the project, the tunnels will pierce the glacial layer well away from the area from which the Point State Park fountain gets its water.

About 10,000 B.C., when the last glaciers in the region melted and receded northward, water flowed southward to create the current Allegheny and Ohio river valleys, Mr. Harper explained. Going along for the ride were sand and gravel that had been trapped in the glaciers, and that is what formed the glacial plain.

Over time, layers of sediment built up on top of the sand and gravel, forming the riverbeds and the Golden Triangle.

Today, water circulates constantly between the rivers and the aquifer. Most of the water flowing in the rivers at the Point, Mr. Harper said, has probably come from upstream, but a portion of it is being discharged into the rivers from the aquifer.

In a typical forest stream, those proportional sources are reversed, said hydrogeologist Daniel Bain of the University of Pittsburgh. Those babbling brooks often get only 5 percent of their water from the surface, and 95 percent from underlying groundwater.

The pressure in the aquifer is strong enough to feed the Point fountain without a pump, although powerful pumps are used at the surface to shoot the water 150 feet into the air.

As the Port Authority drills the twin 2,240-foot tunnels to extend light-rail service to the North Shore, it is making the cylindrical holes slightly bigger than the tunnel walls, and then using cement grout to fill the space between the earth and the outside of the circular walls. That not only helps stabilize the tunnels, but provides an extra barrier against any moisture seepage from the surrounding earth.

And the fourth river is nothing to worry about, Mr. Simmonds said, because, well, it isn't a river. There is no free-flowing stream that you would stumble across if you went spelunking below the Triangle.

That throws a wet blanket, so to speak, on one other fourth river rumor.

After a World War II-era B-25 bomber crashed into the Monongahela River near the Homestead Grays Bridge in 1956, rumors began circulating that the reason the plane had never been found was that it ended up in the fourth river.

It now appears the only way that could have happened is if the crew flew through a time warp and landed here 12,000 years ago.

Mark Roth can be reached at mroth@post-gazette.com or at 412-263-1130.
First published on June 16, 2008 at 12:00 am
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you have to click on the video a few times as you start it or it quits in mid-max!


one of these years i'll get better at this. i promise.
max has a vet appt. at the end of this week. he has his shots and he's been wormed
but he has a nagging cough when he gets up from sleeping. it's like a cat with a hairball. my vet says his lungs and heart sound fine so we aren't sure what it is and i'm a little scared that something bad might be wrong even tho he seems just great other than that cough.
me and max(once it's done processing)




Big Night On The Town


drunk on the dark streets of some city,
it's night, you're lost, where's your
room?
you enter a bar to find yourself,
order scotch and water.
damned bar's sloppy wet, it soaks
part of one of your shirt
sleeves.
It's a clip joint-the scotch is weak.
you order a bottle of beer.
Madame Death walks up to you
wearing a dress.
she sits down, you buy her a
beer, she stinks of swamps, presses
a leg against you.
the bar tender sneers.
you've got him worried, he doesn't
know if you're a cop, a killer, a
madman or an
Idiot.
you ask for a vodka.
you pour the vodka into the top of
the beer bottle.
It's one a.m. In a dead cow world.
you ask her how much for head,
drink everything down, it tastes
like machine oil.

you leave Madame Death there,
you leave the sneering bartender
there.

you have remembered where
your room is.
the room with the full bottle of
wine on the dresser.
the room with the dance of the
roaches.
Perfection in the Star Turd
where love died
laughing.

Charles Bukowski










A Melody by Scarlatti



HOW clear under the trees,
How softly the music flows,
Rippling from one still pool to another
Into the lake of silence.

Aldous Huxley
feel like a freaking druggie.
seems all i am ever doing is picking up meds for my mom
or for me.

luckily i looked at one of my bottles and noticed that tho it said i have 1
more refill the date is wrong and i really don't.
now i have to see if my doc will just phone in another year's
worth or if i have to go see him. i hope not. those office visits are expensive and i just had to have dental work done which i have no coverage for anymore.

can't complain tho. at least i do have good hospital coverage. lots of folks don't.

max (and so everyone)and i were up and outside at 5, so my day is in full swing.
going to TRY to get some writing done today!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

You Are Old, Father William

by Lewis Carroll


"You are old, Father william," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head--
Do you think, at your age, it is right?

"In my youth," Father William replied to his son,
"I feared it might injure the brain;
But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again."

"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,
And you have grown must uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned back a somersault in at the door--
Pray, what is the reason of that?"

"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks,
"I kep all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment--one shilling a box--
Allow me to sell you a couple."

"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
Pray, how did you manage to do it?"

"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life."

"You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose
That your eyes was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
What made you so awfully clever?"

"I have answered three questions, and that is enough,"
Said his father; "don't give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I'll kick you downstairs!"

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

me, mai, max, layla and bob and THE RAIN!

messy but fun.
i feel like this at times.











Martha Graham honored
Dance legened honored

by Emilia Boehm

A new historical marker has been unveiled on the North Side. Sponsored by the Allegheny City Society, the marker commemorates the life and achievements of pioneering dancer and choreographer Martha Graham (1894-1991). Born on what is now Brighton Place, Graham was raised in Allegheny City (now the North Side).

Her father, Dr. Robert Graham, was a well-known psychiatrist at Dixmont Hospital. The Graham family relocated to southern California when Martha was fourteen; just a few years later, a performance by the company of dance legend Ruth St. Denis inspired Martha to pursue a life in dance. She would go on to compose nearly 200 ballets and create a dance technique renowned for its modern, inventive, and emotional approach. Touring the world with her own company, she received numerous international awards and honors, and is often recognized as one of the foremost artistic forces of the 20th century.


Though her touring did bring her back to Pittsburgh, Martha Graham never again called this area home. Last Saturday, some twenty-five local residents and dance/history enthusiasts gathered to dedicate a historical marker for this famed daughter of Allegheny. The ceremony featured speeches by members of the Allegheny City Society, Senator Jim Ferlo, and Dr. Joyce Henry. A professor emeritus at Ursinus College, Dr. Henry has published several articles on Martha Graham and was also a one-time student of the dancer in New York City. Her presentation at the marker ceremony was made possible by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.



found this at pgh dish. i had forgotten that i wanted to post about it.

old i tells ya, old i am!
today is flag day. this is from msm:


Do You Know Your Flag Etiquette?


Summer, with its bevy of patriotic holidays, is a great time to wave the American flag. But lots of people don't really know the right and wrong ways to display and care for their flag. There is actually a legal set of instructions for the care and handling of the American flag, set out in the Federal Flag Code, which became law the year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Here's what you need to know to show the flag its due respect.
You can fly your American flag any day of the year, but most people enjoy putting out the flag on patriotic holidays. The flag can fly from sunrise to sunset. The only way it can be left out all night is if it is illuminated the entire time. The flag shouldn't be left out in the rain or in other inclement weather. Give it plenty of room to hang free so it doesn't flap into any foliage or walls. It always flies with the union, or canton (the blue area with the stars), side up. If you are going to fly the flag at half-staff, first raise it to the peak of the pole and then lower it; raise it again to the peak to take it down.
When you're not flying your flag, store it in a moisture-proof container in a safe spot. Make sure the flag is dry and clean before you store it (a damp flag may get moldy). If it's dirty, hand-wash it in cold water with mild detergent and then air-dry it before storing — or take it to a dry cleaner. Fold the flag in half width-wise twice. Then fold up a triangle at a time, starting at the striped end. When you have only the end of the union (the area with the stars) left, fold it down into a triangle and tuck it inside the other folds.
If your flag is frayed or beyond repair, you should retire it and get a new one. The Federal Flag Code suggests that an old flag be ceremonially burned, but this isn't recommended today (particularly since some all-weather flags are nylon, which shouldn't be burned). Instead, you could box up and bury your flag. Better yet, call a local veteran's organization or Boy Scout group; either would be glad to retire the flag in a respectful manner. There is a rule that the flag shouldn't touch the ground, but if yours does accidentally, it's not necessary to retire it. Just clean it and continue to use it respectfully.
The flag is a symbol of the United States, not a decoration. That's why the Federal Flag Code lays out such strict advice about how and when the symbol can be used. If you are entertaining and want to go with a patriotic theme, avoid paper products with flag images. Instead, choose red, white and blue bunting or items decorated with stars. The flag should always be displayed on its own staff and be larger or more prominent than other flags. Never carry a flag horizontally; it should always be held aloft so it is able to hang freely. The only time it's appropriate for a flag to be flat or to cover anything is when it's placed on a coffin.
© Copyright 2008, Meredith Corporation




it also was one of my dogs,bingo, a little funny cockapoo that grew up with my daughter( he lived to be 16)birthdays.
rainy saturday but looks like my little sweetie is coming after all.

Friday, June 13, 2008


i was expecting my little sweetie tomorrow but her other gramma, her nonna is coming in for a visit. that's o.k. the chocolate milk will keep and the puppy will be waiting happily with his little curly tail wagging.

Asked whether he’d be interested in Cheney had the vice president not already have served under Bush for two terms, McCain said: “I don’t know if I would want him as vice president. He and I have the same strengths. But to serve in other capacities? Hell, yeah.”




got the quote at crooks and liars and morning martini!








a blast from my past.
from the huffington post:







Tonight was the first in a much-hyped series of 'town hall' forums scheduled by John McCain's campaign, in which Barack Obama had been challenged to show up to discuss the issues directly with the GOP nominee.

Except, as Fox News reported, McCain's campaign misled the public about the nature of the event. The forum was "billed by the McCain campaign as a town hall with independent and Democratic voters," but Fox News noted at the end that the audience was actually "made up of invited guests and supporters," the Democratic National Committee said in a statement.

Here is FNC's Shepard Smith breaking the news:



SMITH: "I reported at the top of this hour that the campaign had told us at Fox News that the audience would be made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We have now received a clarification from the campaign and I feel I should pass it along to you. The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups."
DNC Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:

"Once again John McCain's campaign is trying to mislead the American people. Senator McCain should understand that after seven years of a President who has divided Americans and pursued a scorched earth policy full of misleading propaganda campaigns, we need a leader who understands he is the President for all Americans not just his supporters. Copying the Bush campaign model of stacking events with his prescreened supporters is not the transparency Americans are looking for. If that is Senator McCain's idea of straight talk, the American people are in for a long and disappointing campaign season."




MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT AND VOTE (thank you)
there's a breeze right now. i'm loving the feel on my bare arms!
friday....







The Scottie Dog Who Knew Karate

There once was a young couple who lived in a town filled with crime. After three neighbors' houses had been robbed, the couple decided to get a guard dog.
So one day the wife went to the pet store and said, "I need a good guard dog."

And the clerk replied, "Sorry, we're all sold out. All we have left is this little Scottie dog. But he knows karate."

The wife didn't believe him so he said to the dog, "Karate that chair."

The dog went up to the chair and broke it into pieces, then he said to the dog, "Karate that table." The dog went up to the table and broke it in half.

So the wife bought the dog and took it home to her husband who was expecting a big guard dog. But then she told her husband that it knew karate, and he said "Karate my ass!"

Thursday, June 12, 2008

First Day at School

by Roger McGough


A millionbillionwillion miles from home
Waiting for the bell to go. (To go where?)
Why are they all so big, other children?
So noisy? So much at home they
Must have been born in uniform
Lived all their lives in playgrounds
Spent the years inventing games
That don't let me in. Games
That are rough, that swallow you up.

And the railings.
All around, the railings.
Are they to keep out wolves and monsters?
Things that carry off and eat children?
Things you don't take sweets from?
Perhaps they're to stop us getting out
Running away from the lessins. Lessin.
What does a lessin look like?
Sounds small and slimy.
They keep them in the glassrooms.
Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine.

I wish I could remember my name
Mummy said it would come in useful.
Like wellies. When there's puddles.
Yellowwellies. I wish she was here.
I think my name is sewn on somewhere
Perhaps the teacher will read it for me.
Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.
i think that the post below from harp and sword is a very important one.

harp and sword: I Win a Quick Hundred Bucks at Breakfast

harp and sword: I Win a Quick Hundred Bucks at Breakfast
Forward this e-mail | Subscribe to Alerts
PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY June 12, 2008



Dear sherry,



Today the Supreme Court gave us a narrow 5-4 victory for habeas corpus over the Bush administration in Boumediene v. Bush. People For the American Way Foundation filed an amicus brief in the case, and because you've stood with us in the fight to save habeas and other fundamental civil liberties, I thought you'd be interested in the statement I sent to the press:



"The Supreme Court has rebuked President Bush's vision of the presidency as an office of limitless power, and declared that the president of a free nation cannot simply lock people up and throw away the key like some third-world dictator. This is a stinging blow to the administration's lawless policies and its allies in Congress.



"It's chilling that the case was decided on a single vote, 5-4. One more Bush Justice on the Court, and the decision would likely have gone the other way. That's why it's so important for Americans to realize that in this election year, the Supreme Court is on the ballot. John McCain has already promised the GOP that he would nominate Justices to the Court exactly like those Bush has brought to the bench. This year, we must reverse the tide, and begin to restore a Supreme Court that upholds our individual rights and the laws that keep us free."



Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Scalia both offered their own frightening dissents, also joining each other’s along with Justices Alito and Thomas. If there was just one more Justice on the Court in the mold of these conservative Justices, the fate of this fundamental constitutional right would have been decided very differently. Habeas corpus was on the line today -- but tomorrow it will be free speech, religious liberty, reproductive rights, equality for all, voting rights -- every essential right that's a part of the American way. That's what's at stake with the Supreme Court on the ballot this November.



A huge THANK YOU to you and the other 37,500 People For activists who took action with us to save habeas -- your support allows People For and People For Foundation to fight these fights. We are so grateful you'll be by our side as we fight together to Save the Court!



-- Kathryn Kolbert, President





PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY 2008