Thank you gentlemen and women.  Without your willingness to lay your lives on the line I would not be able to sit at this computer and type whatever I darn well please.  I would not be able to speak freely in public or even my home.  Without your sacrifice I would not live in a society ready at the drop of a hat to generously give to anyone in need - anyone in the world.  It is the freedom we love and take for granted that makes this the most generous society the world has ever seen.  It is your gift to us that secures for us the freedom that God has deemed we have.




feltched from Da Goddess

This is long, and you've probably heard at least some of this here and there, but if you have thirty min - it will be the best thirty min you spend all week. It is well worth your time to get to know this guy - Tim Scott.


First Wednesday 11-04-2010 from Seacoast Church on Vimeo.


THIS is what the Tea Party is about - actually this is what God is using the Tea Party movement for, to give us a chance at survival.  It is not his race - but rather the man that his faith has sculpted.  A REAL man, an honest man - a man of integrity - a giving man - a strong man - a man of experience and wisdom - a man of strong character.  Don't tell me that the Tea Party is made up of crazy, extremist, racist, haters - the people who say those things are showing their ignorance.

Thank you God for the circumstance that has finally brought men like this forward to serve and lead our government.  May they be covered by your grace and protection as they go forward into the den of lions and inequity...

And Santa?  If you are listening....my list is short - May I have a presidential ticket of Tim Scott and Allen West?  I'll never ask you for anything again, I'll eat my spinach every time it is put before me, I'll do my chores every day with a smile - I've tried very hard to be a good girl and I haven't asked you for anything in about 40 years,  I've been saving up for what I really really want.

Listening to Rush, as is my want between noon and 3:00 most days - and I'm hearing him talk about how some Senate Republicans (i.e. Graham & Lot) are wringing their hands because tea party candidates "cost them control of the Senate."  Rush is referencing this article.  Well, let me say this about that...

First, tea party candidates nor anyone else can deprive THEM of control.  THEY should not have control - WE should have control - we the people, you eegits are our employees - sooner you get that in your thick skulls the better.  This is in fact the reason that there is a tea party movement.  And, once again, must these idiots be reminded?  There is no tea PARTY! there is a movement - using the original Tea Party simply as inspiration and a way to label how we feel - not to label us as a PARTY.  Now, that may change - but for now there is no party.  A movement people, a rising up in protest - of what?  That you - you Senate/Congress critter types - Do Not Listen.  Lindsey?  You don't listen.  Here is a little hint for you Lindsey - You are toast.  Start planning for your post Senate career now because your days are numbered dude.  When next you are up for re-election, you are out of there.  Just sayin.

Second, let's look at what actually would have happened if we had achieved 50-51 seats by putting in - say a Castle instead of running O'Donnell.  Castle, you know - the "moderate" republican.  What happens when there is a split or one seat majority held by Republicans?  If memory serves me correctly (and it still does), this is when the Rhinos - Graham, Lott, Snow, CASTLE - come out and form partnerships with Democrats to block anything Republicans try to accomplish - this is when Republicans (Lott) come up with stupid power sharing rules giving up half their control to the Dems (do the Dems do this? hell, no).  So does it hurt us not to technically have regained control?  Nope, if we don't have at least a 5-6 seat majority it does us no good what so ever.  And that was not going to happen.  Don't know 'bout the rest of you but I'd rather have a Dem hold a seat than a Rhino.  At least with a Dem we know where we stand.  With Rhinos the best you can hope for is that they will do as you expect - and stand with the Dems when it counts.  And this woman in Alaska? This Murkowski who is technically a Republican but running as a write in?  Want to take bets who she caucuses with when (if) she wins?  I'm betting Dems.  And while we are on that topic, anybody remember Jumping Jim Jeffords?  That's what Rhinos do if we put them on the ballot in a close race - that is what we get from "moderates".

Oh sure, Rhinos will vote with Republicans when they are voting on national cup cake appreciation month - or laws protecting puppies from being eaten for brunch,  but a fight to repeal health care reform?  Nope, they would have been with the Dems on that one.  It is an important issue, so we know where they would have stood.  And what would happen if a handful of Republicans stood in the way of reversing health care reform as it stands right now?  The electorate would rise up again next cycle - angry that Republicans had held the power and done nothing with it - and just as they did two years ago they would have "punished" Republicans. We'd not only have another four years of Obama, but another switch in control of not one but both houses of congress.  We know all of this from past actions - it isn't a wild guess - it is educated conjecture based on historic patterns, based on solid evidence.

A couple other things I'd throw out for consideration.  I believe - as much as it pains me - that we got about the best outcome we could have hoped for long term.  As I stated above, if we'd regained both houses - Obama's chances for re-election went way way up.  As it stands now, we have a better chance to oust him because Republicans can only slow him down (thank God) with only control of the House.  But with a wishy washy Republican held Senate he could have bludgeoned Republicans and blamed them for what is bound to be the continued slide of our economy and frankly world safety.  Also - as much as I wanted to see Harry Reid ousted, we'd then have had Chuck Shumer leading the Democrats (with Dems still in control).  Folks Harry Reid is an idiot - Chuck Shumer is not.  I'd rather have that idiot being the face and voice of the Democrat led Senate than Shumer.  Right now I figure Chuckie is wishing he'd given Harry that little shove at the top of the stairs...  So really, we are better off even with the outcome in Nevada.  But man (or should I say ma'am) I wish Boxer had been beaten.

Now, I must make a confession of sorts.  I believe that when any one party, be it  Democrat or Republican, hold all the cards of power - especially for more than say 15 min - that party is going to get arrogant, greedy, and somewhat corrupt, as evidenced by the behavior of the Democrats over the last two years.  I don't need to remind you of how Democrats behaved at town halls and when confronted by their constituents.   Because this is what I believe - I think the best thing for the country as a whole is for there to be a Republican President - a Republican Senate (by at least 5-6 seats, see above), and a Democrat controlled House - just to keep everyone honest (I know, yeah right, no such thing as an honest politician).  Right now that is not possible, so I'm happy as a clam to have the Congress under Republican control- on soooo many levels (nana nana booboo Nancy!).  Not that I'd cry if Republicans held all three, but I know full well that it would not be best for that to be a long term condition.  Republicans are just as human as anyone else (yes Joy Behar, Janeane Garofalo they are) and just as likely to fall pray to absolute power and all that.

Why Senate rather than House for Republican control?  In short - Judicial nominees.

And for the record once again, I am registered Unaffiliated, not a cool-aide drinking Republican - I believe an honest politician, of any stripe, is more rare than rainbow farting unicorns.  But I don't believe everyone in politics is in fact a politician -  i.e. Allen West - don't think he is a politician and I just love him!

That is all.



Florida!  share?

TELL  THEM -

TELL THEM TODAY -


IN THE ONLY WAY - 


THEY UNDERSTAND!

We've had two years - give or take a couple months - of being shown what the new regime in DC thinks change is made of.  Two years - more or less - to see how they expect our hopes to be satisfied. Two years - less a hiccup - of listening to the second coming of the great communicator, the orator in chief. Two years to see how a man who claimed to be a uniter not a divider handled himself and his relationships with the electorate and legislators on both sides of the aisle. We've had two years to see if this would indeed be the most transparent - and most ethical congress in history.  Two years to see how the swamp would be drained.

In that time what have we seen and heard?

We've seen that the articulate man can not speak without a teleprompter.  Not even to elementary aged children.
We've heard that his cadence is grating and when he goes off script he bumbles and fumbles worse than his predecessor ever thought of doing.  We've seen him stand arrogantly before all of us looking down his nose with his chin pointed up, declaring that we are just not smart enough to grasp his plan.  We've heard him tell those on the other side of the aisle that elections have consequences and he won so they can just sit down and shut up.  We've watched in horror as legislators follow his lead and ignore the wishes of their constituents. We've listened with our mouths agape as legislators declared that the constitution is wrong, that it says whatever the legislators decide it says, that they can do whatever they want, that we must wait until they have passed 4,000 page laws to know what is in them, that they don't need to read the laws they vote on.  We've seen 4,000 page laws written behind closed doors, amendments shut out, debate shut out - we've had to fight to get those thousands of pages laws released at all so that we can have - what a day? maybe two - to delve through.  Even though we were assured that such laws would be available to us.  We've been treated to executive branch - cabinet level - office holders who have cheated on their taxes.  We've had legislators exposed for traveling on private jets, cheating on taxes, cheating on rules for dwellings... the swamp seems to be full of as much muck as ever.  We've seen our money, and that of our children and grandchildren and all of humanity spent.  We've heard the president talk about how tax breaks cost HIM money, as though it is his - not ours.

Are we united?  well maybe.  I'm thinking we may be more united than ever that indeed the swamp needs draining.

Now is the time.  Now is our chance.  We don't get to do this again for two more years.

We've called, emailed, written to legislators/president/newspapers, we've educated ourselves, we've joined groups, read books, we've put stickers on our cars, in our yard, and flown the flag - worn patriotic clothing - sung songs - chanted,  we've attended town hall meetings and watched even more on TV and on YouTube, we've gathered in our hometown streets and we've traveled to DC to stand and be counted - to yell.

Tomorrow - no matter what - VOTE!
Whom ever you feel you must vote for, remember this vote is the one most precious and effective tool we each have to remind these .... people? how we feel.  What we expect of them.  And who the hell signs their paychecks!

One year ago today we were frantically putting the finishing touches on preparations for our trip to Thailand.
As I explained last year, we always have the house decorated for Christmas when the girls come home for Thanksgiving so that decorating the trees with them, over their break, puts the finishing touch on everything and they return for the remaining semester all buoyed and looking forward to finishing up and coming home for Christmas.  I also explained that the timing of our trip, leaving on Nov 4 and returning mere days before Thanksgiving, meant that the house had to be completely decorated by Halloween.  I even mentioned that I was keeping the curtains closed so that my neighbors wouldn't think I am insane.  I posted lots of pictures of our house decorated so you understand why the process had to be done before Halloween - not the few days we had upon our return (never mind the jet lag from a trip somewhere that was 12 hours off our time zone).

So, one year ago today my house was well and fully covered in Christmas Fairy barf.

Today? no sign of Christmas (of course as it should be in a sane household) - but frankly no sign of Christmas spirit either.  At least in me.  I know the middle two are listening to Christmas music at school, the eldest is in full swing making her gifts, and the youngest is wanting me to start decorating and playing music.  Normally this week I would begin the process by - yes playing Christmas music - but also setting out my collection of Christmas cookie jars.  Not in the mood.  Just not.

Hoping that after tomorrow I will be in the mood...

Justice Elena Kagan's first vote is against an execution

The newest member of the Supreme Court is in the minority in backing a stay of execution over questions about the safety of a drug to be used in a lethal injection. Shortly after the stay was overturned Tuesday, Arizona executed Jeffrey Landrigan....

Tell us we can't pray?



Tell us we can't say the pledge, or that YOU have nothing for saying the pledge?



What else you gonna try to tell us we can't do?

Tick tock...

I have been very bad about posting for several months now.  Projects and cleaning continued a pace until this past Monday when relatives from Germany arrived - they were the inspiration for getting so much done since May .  The remainder of the week was spent showing them around the area - this proved more than a little challenging as my trusty rusty decided to die Wed morning and it still sits awaiting a new fuel pump, I'm leaving town so himself can deal with all that.  Had to rent a car to get the relatives out and about as my  7 seater was no longer available.  So, after a few days of doing the mountain tourist thing they are now, as of this morning, on their way  over the mountains to Nashville for a  visit with the ghost of Elvis - then they will visit more family in St Louis, spend a day or so in Chicago and  fly back from whence they came.

Now I am feverishly preparing to host a house concert tonight.  Guests of honor just called to let me know they are running late - as in more than an hour.  But that's ok, gives me a min to check in here.

Tomorrow they will teach a few workshops here in the morning then as soon as they are done and on their way down the road the boy and I are loading up the rental car and heading down south for that visit with the mouse I mentioned several weeks ago.  We both are ready to get away for a bit.

Hopefully when we are back from our time in the sun - life here will settle back into something resembling a normal rhythm.

Later taters!