Happy New Year - ein gutes neues Jahr - gelukkig nieuwjaar - bonne année - feliz año nuevo - selamat tahun baru - boldog új évet - gott nytt år - felix sit annus novus - onnellista uutta vuotta - Gleðilegt nýtt ár 
SUENOSDEUOMI'S RUMINATIONS AND PERSPECTIVE
For Real
Happy New Year - ein gutes neues Jahr - gelukkig nieuwjaar - bonne année - feliz año nuevo - selamat tahun baru - boldog új évet - gott nytt år - felix sit annus novus - onnellista uutta vuotta - Gleðilegt nýtt ár 
rules are to be broken
Sumo and Isabella in natural morning light, up on our couch.
Yes, the sofas are no longer mine, but ours.
Gone are the rules of pets not belonging on furniture.
Those rules no longer hold water.
It helps to acquire furnishings intended for sharing.
Yes, the sofas are no longer mine, but ours.
Gone are the rules of pets not belonging on furniture.
Those rules no longer hold water.
It helps to acquire furnishings intended for sharing.
It helps not to worry too much and avoid white fabrics.
I like cuddling with my furry friends,
clinically proven to lower anxiety and relieve depression.
I like cuddling with my furry friends,
clinically proven to lower anxiety and to relieve depression.
Rules exist to be broken!
We are larger then any frame, any agreement we ever erect.
There is no shame in changing rules and changing minds.
Post-Holiday Abundance
Chocolate Money to please the Inner Child.
Red European confection box bought on sale for a trifle.
Two given away today, one more to go.
Another exotic Orchid joined the menagerie.
Two bunches of Watercress, potted,
to energize the muted winter tones
and to provide essential nutrients.
Two books by Mark Twain on loan to be returned.
The blue sky of another mild winter day reflected.
The Price of Beauty
One of the images I took that fateful day 1. 1. 2009
I dedicate this image to all the women in the world
that suffer from and struggle with their love of beautiful men.
Reminiscing
2009 started out with a mild, Spring like day that invited walking around town in an unbuttoned coat with camera around my neck, and rope in hand, with two pups in tow. We meandered, followed our noses and impulses with no particular plan in mind while I collected whatever caught my eyes in our "City Dipherent" in the lovely "Land of Enchantment."
The very next night at home, I fell down the stairs in response to the yodeling of my luck bringing black Pretty Kitty who indicated he was about to throw up, thrice! All I was able to think was 'not on my freshly laundered white cotton/linen couch covers!' In my attempt to race down to chase the cat off the sofa I slipped and tumbled down the stairs helplessly until I hit bottom. (Is there a message of sorts hidden in hitting bottom?) It took me a moment to gather myself and praise God-dess for being able to move and for having no worse injuries then one deeply bruised and battered lateral thigh. The thoughts though that assaulted my mind, the feelings of vulnerability, the worries, the shock, the what ifs were intense.
Following that, I gave myself permission to drown in a to me brand new novel, Shantaram. What an amazing, outstanding, poetic, sensitive, insightful and exotic read! Essentially it is a tale of father/son love, or the lack of and hope for. Such inspired countless adventures in to very rough terrain, such as an escape from an Australian prison, life inside the slums of Bombay, an Indian group of Mafiosos, illegal weapons trade with trekking through Afghanistan, and all along an infatuation with a Germanic woman, to name a few only. While it is a fascinating read, sprinkled with poetic gems of pure writing genius, it is also a very heavy, but spell binding subject matter that offers profound insights and questions in to human nature and motivation with seeming sincerity and deep probing. A diamond no longer in the rough, but cut from the intense human experience of the writer himself, very well worth the read.
Originally posted 1.11.09, which so reminds me of 9.11.01 and the many changes since.
Rape
Rape is not rape is not rape is not rape.
Not all rapes are equal.
Watching the cat fight that broke out between two women, feminists, that ought to stand on the same side and pull in the same direction, was truly disconcerting. My objections to the exchange between Jaclyn Friedman and Naomi Wolf have nothing whatsoever to do with my support of Julian Assange in his attempt at exposing the underhandedness of the big players. I want to be clear, rape is a very serious matter and needs to be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to add that anyone insisting on unprotected sex with a stranger is an asinine, selfish idiot, and those giving in to such unreasonable demands are not much better!
This said, the "very effective smear campaign" as Assange calls it, in light of what we can understand off posts on the net, just does not add up, does not even warrant the word rape, as most of us (maybe Swedes excluded) understand what constitutes such a sexual violation. The two women after having bragged about their contest on-line supposedly, and after having found out that Assange had slept with them both and put them both at risk, showed up at the police to request help in getting Assange tested (not arrested) for STDs. It was the police that suggested rape charges. And lo and behold in Sweden a man can be charged for rape if he stands naked behind a sex partner in an attempt to 'negotiate' intercourse. By the way humans are the only animal that will negotiate sexual relations (Leonard Slain.) The charges had been dropped only to be taken up again at a most opportune moment. Strange indeed. For 5 weeks Assange had stayed in Sweden to deal with the matter and finally left the country with full consent of the authorities. He was never on the run, in fact had offered himself up to the authorities again in London, only to be held for 10 days in isolation! Outrageous. Meanwhile US authorities are looking in to the important matters of making up charges for the guy, no doubt happy to have him out of circulation for the moment.
Rape is such a serious offense. One that evokes ideas of brutality and debilitating victimization. Yet rape can have more of a seductive, rather then brutal quality, still it is rape. But rape has to be distinguished from normal adult negotiations of sexual relations. True an adult in an altered state, be it through drugs, alcohol, sleep, or even massage is in a seriously weakened position for negotiations. Initiating sex with a sleeping partner is not rape in my book. Excluding altered states from normal human interactions is ludicrous. Next we have to sign contracts on paper before sex each and every time. Women are not little weak and meek creatures at the mercy of men.
Enough already with all this political correctness. A woman has to carry the responsibility of her choices. If she chooses to have sex with a stranger, sleep with the stranger, should she really be surprised if there is renewed demand for more of the same? If a woman can not say NO to a man, can not say NO to unprotected sex, can not say NO repeatedly and say NO with the whole of her body so as there to be no mistake in her intent, she has no business being alone with a stranger in a compromising, potentially volatile situation. Sure, most women that have been around the block have made their mistakes, maybe have some regrets, but is this cause for prosecution and hanging a guy up by his balls? Now in all this I assume there has been no brutality, playful wrestling and such excluded. Any situation that escalates to serious violation of the nature of brutal rape must be prosecuted, for the benefit of all involved, and those potential future victims.
Jaclyn Friedman's demand for sexual partners to be "enthusiastic" is amusing at best, ridiculous at worst and far from the real world of so many. The vehemence in her defense of the supposed victims is very characteristic of one that is recovering from abuse and as so often, does go overboard. That's o.k., I can dismiss such as growing pains.
Julian Assange, a rising star in the progressive world, may conveniently not have been aware of the power he holds, or rather the social status he had achieved, at least likely in the minds of those two women that attended his workshop. Power differentials can wreck havoc in sexual relations be it between workshop leader and participant, teacher and student, guru and sanyasin, therapist and client or goddess forbid parent and child. We can observe again and again how the ones in power magnanimously bestow their gift, their attention and all too often their sexuality to the admirers, feeling no sense of wrong doing. Soon they will move on to bigger and better opportunities only to leave behind trails of broken hearts, shattered expectations, false promises and dashed hopes. It is never a pretty sight. And likely they will never look back.
We all really do not know what happened except Julian Assange has very effectively been linked in our minds to atrocious crimes of a vile sexual nature of which bits and pieces are now cemented in our impressionable gray matter. We respond emotionally either for the WikiLeaks hero or against the accused male rapist. Timing is not everything, synchronicity does happen. While it stinks, give it some time and space, let the dust settle and really give those women the tests on STDs they wanted all along. Time will tell if this is and should be a proper legal matter or rather should have stayed all along in the interpersonal realm. But let us not cry out for Julian's head, or balls as it may be, before even charged with a crime, much less found guilty. And let us not play him in to the hands of big powers out to get him and prevent him from the important work he has been doing. Important because as Michael Moore said, and I agree whole heartedly, the US has deceived us in to one war, toppled Saddam for the absolute wrong reasons and in so doing lost our good will and should have been on probation so to say ever since, with the light shining bright on US international affairs in particular.
If this sordid matter brings the issue of rape more in to the public domain for education and clarification, then maybe something good can come out of this and rape can be taken seriously and can be prosecuted with renewed vigor and conviction, even in Sweden. I though doubt we will see frequent Interpol searches for the garden variety local rapist in the near future.
If I have not stated my points clear enough, please forgive me, maybe Bianca Jagger's thoughts on this matter will prove more helpful. Watch one of the very best interviews with Julian Assange here.
If I have not stated my points clear enough, please forgive me, maybe Bianca Jagger's thoughts on this matter will prove more helpful. Watch one of the very best interviews with Julian Assange here.
Julian Assange - A Hero
Since late November, 3 weeks now, I have been following Wikileaks and Julian Assange, reading and listening mainly to the progressive point of view. I feel pressure to take a stand, to declare myself for or against, but I am having trouble doing so. Maybe it is not just a matter of being for or against, maybe life in general is more nuanced? Good try, but won't fly! While usually I feel free to express myself in most ways, the threat of being viewed by the US (far reaching) powers as abetting in espionage (no matter how ridiculous the sound of it) as unworthy of employ (and I am not in a position not to care) or as a distriutor of stolen goods, is strangely unsettling to me, surprisingly so.
"This is what it looks like when power squirms. When the US government warns its employees to steer their eyes away from the WikiLeaks documents even though they're on every front page and news site. When Sweden and Interpol, possibly in response to US pressure, pursue trumped up charges against the WikiLeaks founder. When Mike Huckabee calls for alleged leaker Bradley Manning's execution, Sarah Palin says Assange should be "hunted down," and Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.) declares that WikiLeaks should be designated a terrorist organization." Mother Jones
WWII Germans could claim ignorance from a lack of information and I might add naivete along with a blind trust in a patriarchal system that made them stand by passive when those atrocities happened. In our current so called information age we have no longer such excuses available to us. The information is out and available to anyone looking, in great part thanks to the net. Preserve net neutrality! There comes a point one has to take a stand. So here I stand symbolically in solidarity with Julian Assange first and foremost and his organization Wikileaks!
Allegations of rape are very serious, but in the context used against Assange they are ludicrous and offensive to those real victims of violent sexual abuse. Come on, invoking a law that makes a case for rape of a man, naked, standing behind, who knows maybe rubbing up against a woman he had sex with earlier! Invoking broken condoms and unsafe sex as if they were felonies? What happened to the ability of adults negotiating the terms of sexual intercourse between them? Have you ever heard of a rape victim throwing a party for the perpetrator? To lock a man in to solitary confinement for 10 days, a man that voluntarily presented himself to the authorities and has not been presented with clear charges of a crime committed, is a stunning deed to say the very least. Check out Michael Moore's open letter to Sweden where he accuses Sweden of negligence in legal proceedings of rape charges, 9 out of 10 times, while at the same time Swedes have the highest per capita rape reports! (I live in the US state with the 2. highest per capita rape reports, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It may mean that victims actually bother to report to the authorities, an important step forward.) Rape charges are serious and very offensive, but as I have pointed out before (the cases against Al Gore and Roman Polanski) not all rapes are equal.
Women Against Rape, Katrin Axelsson:
"There is a long tradition of the use of rape and sexual assault for political agendas that have nothing to do with women's safety. In the south of the US, the lynching of black men was often justified on grounds that they had raped or even looked at a white woman. Women don't take kindly to our demand for safety being misused, while rape continues to be neglected at best or protected at worst."
There are rumors that Anna Ardin, 31, one of the complainants, might be a spy. Someone will have to make a movie out of this saga. Of course for Julian Assange these smear campaigns, as he seems to call them rightfully so, are anything but entertaining. He is now out on bail under electronic monitoring through ankle bracelets and has to report in daily.Meanwhile like in court, plant seeds of unreasonable doubt, here on the messenger of those unwanted revelations and deter attention from what truly matters. Those leaks while at first mainly diplomatic fluff, embarrassing maybe, but lacking in seeming significance have though grown in importance and cover a wide array of countries and subject, and not all bad for the US either.
One cable falsely states that Michael Moore's movie Sicko was banned in Cuba, while in truth the movie was shown to a wide Cuban audience, yet the main media did not rectify those claims did not do their homework and that is exactly why we need Wikileaks. This phenomena is a sign of our times, of a troubled media and enough discontented ones that create a demand for such endeavors like Wikileaks. (As Assange told the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year, "How is it that a team of five people has managed to release to the public more suppressed information, at that level, than the rest of the world press combined? It's disgraceful.") The more the merrier I say to the split of one former ally in to a similar organization that wants to act as a simple distributor of leaked info with no vetting of any kind. This will require for other media to not distort or suppress info of a sensitive nature. Time only will tell on how it will work, but the truth sooner or later will have to come out. I am for transparency, especially in the public and political domain.
So I change my mind, I redact my former statement, I take a stand, and declare Julian Assange a HERO. A hero because of his courage to oppose power and secrecy and his commitment to inform and so uphold the fundamentals of a real democracy based on educated voters. With an IQ of a genius almost, he is no fool, he knows some of what he got himself in to, but he is a man of principle, willing to put his body on the line. So I stand among illustrious company in my public support of Julian Assange, runner-up for 2010 Person of the Year .
Joe Biden called Julian a "High Tech Terrorist" so I had to look up the word terrorist: "The word was originally applied to supporters of the Jacobins in the French Revolution, who advocated repression and violence in pursuit of the principles of democracy and equality." In this sense Julian certainly is not a terrorist. He offered the material for vetting to the US and to a few chosen main media outlets. He does not advocat violence and certainly is not big on repression be that information or his own sexuality for that matter as it seems (a lame attempt at humor.) Leaked information inspires terror only in those that have something to hide.
Joe Biden called Julian a "High Tech Terrorist" so I had to look up the word terrorist: "The word was originally applied to supporters of the Jacobins in the French Revolution, who advocated repression and violence in pursuit of the principles of democracy and equality." In this sense Julian certainly is not a terrorist. He offered the material for vetting to the US and to a few chosen main media outlets. He does not advocat violence and certainly is not big on repression be that information or his own sexuality for that matter as it seems (a lame attempt at humor.) Leaked information inspires terror only in those that have something to hide.
Astrologers world wide have been erecting and studying charts for Julian Assange in an attempt to gain insight. This is one of them, likely not perfect, but workable and fascinating. Accordingly Julian is living his Aquarian destiny:
Breakfast Table Today
My snapshot of today's breakfast table.
One whole grain pancake with added wheat germs and sesame seeds, home made applesauce from apples I had picked earlier this fall. Topped with a bit of whipped cream, decorated with a sprinkle of cinnamon and accompanied by espresso coffee spiced with nutmeg, ginger and vanilla and of course a few sips of plain orange juice. The Orchids have been thriving since July 30th when I brought them home, over 4 months ago and were well worth the $30 I felt guilty spending as a reminder of my Mom's birthday that day.
My point though is civilized living does not have to be expensive, but can be a choice we make moment by moment, starting with breakfast. How did you treat yourself well today, yesterday, any day?
My point though is civilized living does not have to be expensive, but can be a choice we make moment by moment, starting with breakfast. How did you treat yourself well today, yesterday, any day?
Another Hero Stepped Forward
Michael Moore with 2 others offered bail for Julian Assange. The court according to a Swiss newspaper source accepted, today Tuesday December 14th. The next court hearing is set for January 11th.
Michael Moore's sites seem unaccessible currently, let's hope because of the interest this news incited. But he makes his website available for Julian Assange's support, financial and other is my understanding.
I applaud the stepping forward of another hero, Michael Moore, who is taking again a courageous stance and will not be silenced and will not stop showing the public what matters.
BBC News:
"Mr Stephens said he had not been given any of his post - including legal letters - since being remanded in custody.
"He has absolutely no access to any electronic equipment, no access to the outside world, no access to outside media," he said.
The lawyer said the only correspondence his client had received was a note telling him that a copy of Time magazine sent to him had been destroyed because the cover bore his photograph."
What an effective way of silencing Assange, but not for long!
Update: Bail was granted and then challenged by Swedish prosecutors. They have 48 hours to present their objections. According to Swiss news 10 people participated in posting bail, but the court claims to need a week to process checks! Delaying tactics every which way one looks.
BBC News:
"Mr Stephens said he had not been given any of his post - including legal letters - since being remanded in custody.
"He has absolutely no access to any electronic equipment, no access to the outside world, no access to outside media," he said.
What an effective way of silencing Assange, but not for long!
Update: Bail was granted and then challenged by Swedish prosecutors. They have 48 hours to present their objections. According to Swiss news 10 people participated in posting bail, but the court claims to need a week to process checks! Delaying tactics every which way one looks.
"It is not the rebels of the world who create the problems.
It is the problems that create the rebels." -John T. Grubesic
Karana
The Karana mudrā is the mudrā which expels demons
and removes obstacles such as sickness or negative thoughts.
It is made by raising the index and the little finger
and folding the other fingers.
and folding the other fingers.
Hero
Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke truth for 8 1/2 hours today on the Senate floor. His very long, very eloquent speech that never seemed to miss a beat, touched my heart, excited my brain and got me to act and do my part in taking a stand. I wrote to my representatives in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders plea that we can do better, yes we can!
No obscene tax cuts for the super rich! Enough already of senseless wars! Create jobs through focusing on green, renewable energy and the rebuilding of crumbling infra structures!
Amazing that the American people are not out in the streets in protest, asking for heads to come off. No I am not promoting a violent revolution. I can only guess that the general lack of effective unions along with a debilitating sense of powerlessness and maybe disillusionment create this unbearable passive, disengaged social scene.
Warren Buffet has said it loud and clear; the super rich do not need the tax cuts, they already pay less then the average tax payer. Obama quoted him comparing his percentage of taxes payed to that of his secretary. This is not news. The trickle down effect has not worked and will not work. We wanted change then and we still want change now!
I do understand that time is of the essence in regard to this current bill and that not pushing it through this month with the majority of Democrats still in power will not likely get better results next year.
For today 69 year old Sen. Bernie Sanders stepped in to the role of the Hero by telling the truth unvarnished, by speaking from the heart and with passion - for 8 1/2 hours. Truth gets respect when told and acted upon. Who will be our next hero, who will step in and continue on along these lines?
12 Favorite Words
abominable (I prefer abdominable, it never fails to make me smile)
aqueous (as in the use of a healing water environment)
cacao (essential ingredient in chocolate, sounds as well as tastes delicious)
enlightened (as shed light upon)
luscious (along with sumptuous, scrumptious, delicious ...)
om (Sanscrit; aum)
organismic (no, not orgasmic)
Schoggi (chocolate; Swiss)
sensuous (as related to senses rather then sex)
suenos (dream; Spanish)
homeostasis (a power inherent to all organisms)
Homo (human being, man; Latin)
Extemporaneous (love that word in it's meaning)
gallivanting (how could I not think of that one right away)
More may yet come to mind. So what, rules exist but to be broken!
Please share your favorite 12 words and know you will not be held liable,
you can change your selection any time, but I sure am curious.
aqueous (as in the use of a healing water environment)
cacao (essential ingredient in chocolate, sounds as well as tastes delicious)
enlightened (as shed light upon)
luscious (along with sumptuous, scrumptious, delicious ...)
om (Sanscrit; aum)
organismic (no, not orgasmic)
Schoggi (chocolate; Swiss)
sensuous (as related to senses rather then sex)
suenos (dream; Spanish)
homeostasis (a power inherent to all organisms)
Homo (human being, man; Latin)
Extemporaneous (love that word in it's meaning)
gallivanting (how could I not think of that one right away)
More may yet come to mind. So what, rules exist but to be broken!
Please share your favorite 12 words and know you will not be held liable,
you can change your selection any time, but I sure am curious.
Forbidden Secrets
For a week now I have been following those 'leaks' or rather the news and opinions as regards Wikileaks and Julian Assange. I did venture out to the actual info at first, but found the bits and pieces I came upon rather lacking in luster, or not terribly enlightening (bits and pieces on Ghadaffi for example although later revelation on Uranium sitting barely guarded are shocking and outright scary.)
What makes the unfolding of these events so compelling, at least to me, is the sense of a war battled out, not face to face, not in physicality, but on the net through cyberattacks and the shutting down of one site and the opening of another and the persecution of what only seems to be a messenger. Interpol wants Julian Assange, can you imagine, for the crime of having sex with two women and a condom breaking with one! Ludicrous if true and more so malicious and unprecedented. Interpol and the Swedish government must have acted under pressure, and guess whose?
Julian Assange I imagine sees himself as an anarchist rather then a journalist. Criticized from all sides, I doubt he really cares. I doubt he is a nice person, someone I would want to be friends with, but the buck stops most definitely with death threats. And such coming from such illustrious folks like our Sarah Palin, who jumps at the opportunity to criticize president Obama again and wants Julian Assange classified in the same category as Osama Bin Laden the terrorist. God-dess forbid this women ever ascends to real power. But others with serious political and social clout say and do things as unforgivable. Senator Lieberman pressured Amazon to terminate their service to Wikileaks, abominable. What are you Christians thinking, wishing out loud for a live human being's death. I am appalled.
The accusations of course are that Assange endangered innocent lives and the process of peace making. We all should know though that the information has been offered to, but refused by, the US for vetting and has been sorted through 5 of those major mainstream news media that received copies way ahead of Wikileaks' publication. There are no top secret leaks and we can be fairly certain that lives were and are not endangered, but embarrassment abounds.
So should there be secrets or not? Are secrets ever justified? Do we live in an age that simply has no more considerations for privacy, where any time, anything said, seen or done can slip from the private in to the public domain and travel with the speed of light across and around the world, round and round? I am really torn about this, I wish I knew the answers. So I will just think out loud and welcome your input.
Grandmas used to say to not speak or say anything about anybody that could not be repeated to them. A sure way of avoiding embarrassment. The nature though of a lack of power is trying to gain some by - gossip, speaking behind the backs of those empowered. If it is not natural, it is most certainly most common. Should we be surprised? I think not. Should we be mortally offended? I think not. A little bit sure, but hey, nobody got killed, nobody got seriously hurt. Instead what a great opportunity to bring things up on the table, fess up to what's real and continue on, ideally with a lot more transparency and a lot less need for secrecy.
But this is not how the world works - yet. We as a people seem so darn infantile, scream bloody murder and create a ruckus rather then sit down and talk it out. Well, I do not envy Hilary Clinton. I guess she is right, these latest Wikileak documents are an attack on the world in a way, but not a mortal one, rather one that could encourage each and every one involved to come clean and set right what needs airing out.
Instead of attacking the messenger, the transmitter of stolen information, we could focus on the fact that such an egregious violation of national security was even possible and in the silliest and simplest of ways, with the help of Lady Gaga for goddess sake! I do believe the administration already is looking in to the matter and so they should.
But why attack the messenger and not the news stations that published his message? One can only assume because we are talking big corporations and the tricky issues of free speech. And to this effect some students have been warned to not investigate this info anywhere in anyway, not even on their personal computers or they may be held liable for reading classified material. This along with Wikileaks links under cyberattacks, connecting and not connecting and then connecting again, across various countries, leaves me feeling ominous. The fact that my computer got stuck on the site and had to be rebooted the next morning did not help. Am I still living in the United States, the land of the free?
Much depends on how we see our government. Do we believe in it's benign intent, wanting the best for us and our country - and I would hope the world at large? Or do we have ample evidence to believe otherwise? Mainly that US government is corrupted by big corporate interests and is no longer working in our interest, is no longer for the people, but for profit mainly. Depending on our view will be likely where we stand and how we judge Julian Assange. A hero or a terrorist? I suspect neither.
But why attack the messenger and not the news stations that published his message? One can only assume because we are talking big corporations and the tricky issues of free speech. And to this effect some students have been warned to not investigate this info anywhere in anyway, not even on their personal computers or they may be held liable for reading classified material. This along with Wikileaks links under cyberattacks, connecting and not connecting and then connecting again, across various countries, leaves me feeling ominous. The fact that my computer got stuck on the site and had to be rebooted the next morning did not help. Am I still living in the United States, the land of the free?
Much depends on how we see our government. Do we believe in it's benign intent, wanting the best for us and our country - and I would hope the world at large? Or do we have ample evidence to believe otherwise? Mainly that US government is corrupted by big corporate interests and is no longer working in our interest, is no longer for the people, but for profit mainly. Depending on our view will be likely where we stand and how we judge Julian Assange. A hero or a terrorist? I suspect neither.
In Switzerland for now Wikileaks found a server not yet caving under pressure. While PayPal refused further service, effectively cutting off finances, it will be interesting what solutions this very mobile organization will come up with. For now Assange is safe from arrest, so I understand. I sincerely wish for Julian to come to no physical harm as such is never a means of solving conflict. Let us not persecute the messenger, but focus on the message and not just the obvious, but the implied ones as well. The finger pointing is not the moon!
P.S.: The question remains unanswered; can secrets have legitimacy? What does a world look like that tolerates no secrets? Are all secrets bad. or can some be viewed as in process, underground, not yet ready to face the light of day, to be exposed, but permeating, rooting, preparing for eventual emergence?
12.7.10: Huffington Post Headline reads:
"Sex, leaks and retributions? WikiLeaks leader in Police Cutsody." I like to add for some rather strange sex charges that would be handled in Sweden's lowest courts. The question is will he be extradited from England to Sweden and then to the US? I hope these charges prove to be nothing serious, but trumped up for persecution's sake and most importantly I hope Julian Assange's life will not be harmed as he has supposedly received so many death threats. One credit card has now also refused to process for Wikileaks following suit to PayPal and his Swiss Bank.
An interesting synapsis on Alternet.
P.S.: The question remains unanswered; can secrets have legitimacy? What does a world look like that tolerates no secrets? Are all secrets bad. or can some be viewed as in process, underground, not yet ready to face the light of day, to be exposed, but permeating, rooting, preparing for eventual emergence?
12.7.10: Huffington Post Headline reads:
"Sex, leaks and retributions? WikiLeaks leader in Police Cutsody." I like to add for some rather strange sex charges that would be handled in Sweden's lowest courts. The question is will he be extradited from England to Sweden and then to the US? I hope these charges prove to be nothing serious, but trumped up for persecution's sake and most importantly I hope Julian Assange's life will not be harmed as he has supposedly received so many death threats. One credit card has now also refused to process for Wikileaks following suit to PayPal and his Swiss Bank.
An interesting synapsis on Alternet.
Transparency of a kind
President Obama must have had something other in mind then leaks when he vowed to make government more transparent.
"another cable shows that a 2009 claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran was months away from achieving military nuclear capability was dismissed by the Americans as a ploy.
According to German weekly Der Spiegel, which also received advance information from WIkiLeaks, a State Department official says in a classified cable that Netanyahu informed the United States of Iran's nuclear advancement in November 2009, but that the prime minister's estimate was likely unfounded and intended to pressure Washington into action against the Islamic Republic." (Wikileak)
"After delays, an official launch ceremony of Iran's first nuclear power plant, Bushehr I reactor was held on 21 August 2010, and the plant is expected to go on line ... by the end of 2010." (Wikipedia)
"The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program." (Wikpedia) I had no idea.
"Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of Iran's nuclear program, and has insisted that it is for peaceful purposes. He has repeatedly emphasized that building a nuclear bomb is not the policy of his government. He has said that such a policy is "illegal and against our religion."[101][102] He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation with "culture, logic and civilization" would not need nuclear weapons, and that countries that seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force.[103] In a 2008 interview Ahmadinejad elaborated that countries striving to obtain nuclear weapons are politically backward nations and those who possess them and continually make new generations of such bombs are "even more backward". (Wikpedia)
"Despite Ahmadinejad's vocal support for the program, the office of the Iranian president is not directly responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the Supreme National Security Council. The council includes two representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, military officials, and members of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government, and reports directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2005.[112] Khamenei has criticized Ahmadinejad's "personalization" of the nuclear issue." (Wikpedia)
I do wonder if Iran is close to having nuclear power available for military purposes? My Tea Party contact dismisses this as nonsense and stresses their right to nuclear power as a sovereign power and believes the Iranian president Ahmadinejad enjoys goading others and does not believe him to be as ignorant as he may sound.
Did you know that as Major of Teheran, Ahmadinejad worked to improve the traffic system and focused on charity such a as the distribution of free soup to the poor?
.."after returning from his 2005 speech to the UN General Assembly, Ahmadinejad stated he had "felt a halo over his head" during his speech and that a hidden presence had mesmerized the unblinking audience of foreign leaders, foreign ministers, and ambassadors." Wow, the Iraninan president, a mystic and/or religious fanatic?
This is where one might want to resort to prayer, and plead to the higher powers to interject and save us from rogues gaining access to nuclear destruction.
For an interesting interview with Julian Assange check out this link.
4 months earlier, August 3. 2010 on Democracy Now, another interesting interview.
Interpole, usually involved with international affairs has put out a warrant because supposedly not of the leaks, but the charges of rape against Julian. While I take accusations of rape very seriously, this one smells suspicious.
Since Amazon took down the Wikileak site, you can follow the developments on twitter or facebook.
Der Spiegel offers a highly organized means of studying the documents and seems to still function.
"another cable shows that a 2009 claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran was months away from achieving military nuclear capability was dismissed by the Americans as a ploy.
According to German weekly Der Spiegel, which also received advance information from WIkiLeaks, a State Department official says in a classified cable that Netanyahu informed the United States of Iran's nuclear advancement in November 2009, but that the prime minister's estimate was likely unfounded and intended to pressure Washington into action against the Islamic Republic." (Wikileak)
"After delays, an official launch ceremony of Iran's first nuclear power plant, Bushehr I reactor was held on 21 August 2010, and the plant is expected to go on line ... by the end of 2010." (Wikipedia)
"The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program." (Wikpedia) I had no idea.
"Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of Iran's nuclear program, and has insisted that it is for peaceful purposes. He has repeatedly emphasized that building a nuclear bomb is not the policy of his government. He has said that such a policy is "illegal and against our religion."[101][102] He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation with "culture, logic and civilization" would not need nuclear weapons, and that countries that seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force.[103] In a 2008 interview Ahmadinejad elaborated that countries striving to obtain nuclear weapons are politically backward nations and those who possess them and continually make new generations of such bombs are "even more backward". (Wikpedia)
"Despite Ahmadinejad's vocal support for the program, the office of the Iranian president is not directly responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the Supreme National Security Council. The council includes two representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, military officials, and members of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government, and reports directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2005.[112] Khamenei has criticized Ahmadinejad's "personalization" of the nuclear issue." (Wikpedia)
I do wonder if Iran is close to having nuclear power available for military purposes? My Tea Party contact dismisses this as nonsense and stresses their right to nuclear power as a sovereign power and believes the Iranian president Ahmadinejad enjoys goading others and does not believe him to be as ignorant as he may sound.
Did you know that as Major of Teheran, Ahmadinejad worked to improve the traffic system and focused on charity such a as the distribution of free soup to the poor?
.."after returning from his 2005 speech to the UN General Assembly, Ahmadinejad stated he had "felt a halo over his head" during his speech and that a hidden presence had mesmerized the unblinking audience of foreign leaders, foreign ministers, and ambassadors." Wow, the Iraninan president, a mystic and/or religious fanatic?
This is where one might want to resort to prayer, and plead to the higher powers to interject and save us from rogues gaining access to nuclear destruction.
For an interesting interview with Julian Assange check out this link.
4 months earlier, August 3. 2010 on Democracy Now, another interesting interview.
Interpole, usually involved with international affairs has put out a warrant because supposedly not of the leaks, but the charges of rape against Julian. While I take accusations of rape very seriously, this one smells suspicious.
Since Amazon took down the Wikileak site, you can follow the developments on twitter or facebook.
Der Spiegel offers a highly organized means of studying the documents and seems to still function.
Thanksgivings
1978, about 5 weeks in to my US stay, when I had no idea yet that I would make my permanent home here in the United States, I was dragged along to my very first Thanksgiving event. I was 24 years old, a vegetarian for about 6 years with a disdain for family events, meat and fast food. Here I was in the cabin of a prominent New York psychiatrist in the Poconos, stuck, waiting for that damn bird to be ready to be served already. I was hungry, everybody was hungry after the long drive out of Manhattan. I doubt anyone did actually venture out of that cabin and in to the woods We all laid around on a bed, hanging. We, meaning my mentor Alec, who had graciously offered me a place to stay, had welcomed me with open arms in to his fold of acolytes, and had insisted on my coming along. Of course I had never heard of Thanksgiving. Finally when the bird came out of the oven and was ready to be devoured, of course I abstained. There were barely any side dishes, barely a thing for me to eat. Horror of horrors, for dessert I remember those cream donuts; white flour, white sugar and lots of oil, yiks.
1984, new to Santa Fe, Marge invited us to her humble abode, a school bus converted into a mobile home that she shared with her two boys and occasional lovers. I remember Marge fiddling with a soup, adding more and more miso, but somehow just not getting it right. I felt for her, I have been there, done that - lousy cooking. Marge believed in free and open sex and I believe she messed up the mind and heart especially of her older teen aged boy pretty good. It was the eighties, times were wild and crazy for some.
2000, Paradise in the East Bay, Northern California, the pool was steaming at perfect temperature, a variety of fish were grilled, my Fufu, made from Plantein flour was ready and a dessert of tofu pudding served with soy whipped cream found delighted approval while not exactly easy on our digestion. We had a blast in the most enchanting home I ever had the good fortune to occupy. The Carriage House was converted to a European style witches den.
Overgrown with bright burgundy Bougainvillea, with cute white lace curtains on all the little windows, a balcony that overlooked the pool surrounded by banana trees and exotic blooms.
The sounds of the water overflowing from the hot tub in to the warm pool mixed with the distant sounds of laughter and dancing to Soucous music.
The sounds of the water overflowing from the hot tub in to the warm pool mixed with the distant sounds of laughter and dancing to Soucous music.
With me, my Nigerian lover and my dearest friends, many of them colleagues, with more then a few that shared my Cancer birth sign. We were in our element, an amicable lot and we really liked each other professionally and privately. Heaven, I was in heaven!
2010, Thanksgiving at home alone in the City Different in the Land of Enchantment, once again. Well, I am not alone, I got my 3 furry ones, but I am nobody's mom. I celebrated Thanksgiving with a "feast in my mouth" as Dr. Phil would say. There is nothing like oral gratification. Celebrating Thanksgiving without family stressors is nothing to sneeze at either. How I hate dysfunctional family dynamics. I had enough in my youth to last me life times. Now I have no family and no friends either.
I am grateful to still have my home, to still have some cash, to still be able to buy food, and dessert. I am grateful to have been granted an easy life in so many respects. I am grateful for all the horrors that so far have not befallen me. I am grateful for the kindnesses bestowed upon me. As when my mentor Alec offered me his home to stay and so I could find my bearings on this new and oh so different continent. As when Dietmar, a young father in Switzerland, offered me his place to stay when I, 17 years old, lost my room, because the landlady objected to the weekend stay of an American tourist during my absence. I am grateful to Dwuno who bestowed her light, her attention, her beauty and her wisdom on me and I was never to be the same again. I am especially grateful to my now deceased Mom who gave me the cash for the down payment on what has been my home now for the last 24 years. I am grateful that whatever stood between me and my Mom and my Dad dissolved before their passing, that we resolved whatever it was, and that we found peace together.
On a different note I am grateful for Tina Fey who still can give perspective to a Sarah Palin and so deservedly won the recent Mark Twain award. I am grateful to Michael Moore who endured a personal vendetta by big pharmaca and the former president, but keeps on trucking and keeps on inspiring us to take action and make a difference and believe in the power of the people, against all evidence so it seems.
Gratitude does not come easy to me, I really have to go fish to find morsels of it. I will do just that, go fish, be quiet and see what might bite and if, I then will report back.
Happy Overeating!
Why eat meat if we can have sweets?
My mom expressed to me the idea that life was not worth living without her "Wurscht und Brot" (sausage and bread.) I might say that the worth of life is greatly diminished with a lack of desserts. Of course I say this tongue in cheek, knowing very well that overindulgence killed my Mom prematurely.
For today I am in no frame to deny myself and will not even pretend to want to abstain.
My first dessert of the day: Espresso Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with Chocolate Pudding, Whipped Cream and a sprinkle of Cinnamon. Tomorrow will be another day.
Enjoy!
Be Here Now
In a hurry with too much on my mind I wanted to quickly get an errand done by bike. "Where are my damn pantaloons, huregopferdamisiech?" One of a very few pair of pants that do not flow very wide down my legs and so do not threaten to get caught in the spokes and would not likely get me to fall and have an accident. Goddess forbid the horror that could unfold from a simple fall. I could lose my home, my life, everything. But my pantaloons, I had them in my hands a moment ago. Now they are neither here, there, nor anywhere. I searched high and low, meaning upstairs and downstairs and in the most unlikely places, until I happened to look down on myself:
Oops, here are my pantaloons on my legs in that unmistakable purple dotted on black synthetic fabric. The pair I got over a decade ago at a spa where I had worked and worked-out for a very short period in my life. I was wearing the pants I had searched for in a frenzy as I cursed to heaven and hell! (The Swiss curses are made of a particular potent fashion, I use them to great satisfaction on such occasions.)
Oops, here are my pantaloons on my legs in that unmistakable purple dotted on black synthetic fabric. The pair I got over a decade ago at a spa where I had worked and worked-out for a very short period in my life. I was wearing the pants I had searched for in a frenzy as I cursed to heaven and hell! (The Swiss curses are made of a particular potent fashion, I use them to great satisfaction on such occasions.)Gosh, that is a first. I mean glasses one can wear (not me, not yet, ever, never) and not notice, but pants! I have done other kinds of odd things. I placed items where they have no business being, but never ever have I ever looked for a clothing item I actually wore.
Sure, I got a lot on my mind. More bills coming in then money. But hey, Alzheimer's they say now has an onset decades earlier then thought. Too much stress with too little presence. Lack of attention, or the decline of a diseased brain, who is to say? To mind comes Be Here Now and dear Ram Dass who catches us at our games and brings us back to presence, again and again and again. I happened to hear an interview with Ram Dass last Sunday and was delighted with his improved speech. His voice sounded full and strong and the delay of response, a symptom from his stroke in 1997, was barely noticeable. Ram Dass closed the first section of his book Be Here Now with this passage, taken from Wikipedia:
"Now, though I am a beginner on the path, I have returned to the West for a time to work out karma or unfulfilled commitment. Part of this commitment is to share what I have learned with those of you who are on a similar journey. One can share a message through telling 'our-story' as I have just done, or through the teaching methods of yoga, or singing, or making love. Each of us finds his unique vehicle for sharing with others his bit of wisdom. For me, this story is but a vehicle for sharing with you the true message... the living faith in what is possible. --OM--"
Neither Red, Blue or Green
As of yesterday I officially belong to no party. I am neither red, blue or green, despite my having considered an alliance with the Democratic Party, at the height of that glorious sweep of hope two years ago with the election of President Barack Obama.
It seems as befitting a moment as any to take stock.
The US population is almost up to 310.700,000 which includes 11.2 million undocumented residents. I count as one inside the third most populous nation in the world, after China and India.
I was never convinced the world needed more people and particularly not the propagation of my genes.
More women choose to stay childless, but there is supposedly a stigma attached. Something I never knew and could cared less about. I wish more women had the good sense to abstain from popping out babies when they lack the resources, inner and outer, to properly raise them. Mothers belong with their infants, not away at work. Maternity leave should be a granted right to all new moms. Those that want to jump right back in the fray like Sarah Palin should not have babies. This is not a matter of being old fashioned, but of listening to the intrinsic needs of newborns. A real live warm tit will never be replaced by a bottle, no matter the convenience.
In the US almost 80% are White and supposedly privileged. I count as one of them. Almost 13% are Black and a bit over 15% are Hispanic.
As of 2007 12.6% were foreign born, that includes me.
The United States has a life expectancy of 77.8 years at birth. Over the past two decades, the country's rank in life expectancy has dropped from 11th to 42nd in the world. Shocking, but not unexpected.
Approximately one-third of the adult population is obese and an additional third is overweight. I am ashamed that I have to count myself in, despite daily walks, some biking and no fast food. I never yet had ever a desire to taste a Big Mac.
In 2007 almost 80% considered themselves Christians. I belong to the 16% that do not belong to any religious denomination and want no affiliation with any church. I admire those that due to their faith give of themselves and manage to do immeasurable good. I despise those that despite their religious believes act cruel and selfish.
At the start of 2008, more than 2.3 million people were incarcerated, more than one in every 100 adults. African American males are jailed at about six times the rate of white males and three times the rate of Hispanic males. I have been inside Sing-Sing, but only as a visitor. While I do not use legal or illegal drugs, I wish pot would be decriminalized. Take away the glamor and the incentive for rebellious teens. Let adults make their own choices. Tax dope and reduce the national deficit already. It's time to stop this madness.
Every form of life is precious and deserves our utmost care and respect and reverence. No matter the color, the sex, the status of documentation, the crime or the age. I guess that is what I am trying to say.
All information was taken from Wikipedia. I can not vouch to their accuracy.
It seems as befitting a moment as any to take stock.
The US population is almost up to 310.700,000 which includes 11.2 million undocumented residents. I count as one inside the third most populous nation in the world, after China and India.
I was never convinced the world needed more people and particularly not the propagation of my genes.
More women choose to stay childless, but there is supposedly a stigma attached. Something I never knew and could cared less about. I wish more women had the good sense to abstain from popping out babies when they lack the resources, inner and outer, to properly raise them. Mothers belong with their infants, not away at work. Maternity leave should be a granted right to all new moms. Those that want to jump right back in the fray like Sarah Palin should not have babies. This is not a matter of being old fashioned, but of listening to the intrinsic needs of newborns. A real live warm tit will never be replaced by a bottle, no matter the convenience.
In the US almost 80% are White and supposedly privileged. I count as one of them. Almost 13% are Black and a bit over 15% are Hispanic.
As of 2007 12.6% were foreign born, that includes me.
The United States has a life expectancy of 77.8 years at birth. Over the past two decades, the country's rank in life expectancy has dropped from 11th to 42nd in the world. Shocking, but not unexpected.
Approximately one-third of the adult population is obese and an additional third is overweight. I am ashamed that I have to count myself in, despite daily walks, some biking and no fast food. I never yet had ever a desire to taste a Big Mac.
In 2007 almost 80% considered themselves Christians. I belong to the 16% that do not belong to any religious denomination and want no affiliation with any church. I admire those that due to their faith give of themselves and manage to do immeasurable good. I despise those that despite their religious believes act cruel and selfish.
At the start of 2008, more than 2.3 million people were incarcerated, more than one in every 100 adults. African American males are jailed at about six times the rate of white males and three times the rate of Hispanic males. I have been inside Sing-Sing, but only as a visitor. While I do not use legal or illegal drugs, I wish pot would be decriminalized. Take away the glamor and the incentive for rebellious teens. Let adults make their own choices. Tax dope and reduce the national deficit already. It's time to stop this madness.
Every form of life is precious and deserves our utmost care and respect and reverence. No matter the color, the sex, the status of documentation, the crime or the age. I guess that is what I am trying to say.
All information was taken from Wikipedia. I can not vouch to their accuracy.
Dream Home
The other day I met the man, not of my dreams,
but of my dream home.
Happy Full Moon!
Once again it sneaked upon us.
but of my dream home.
The man greatly offended my Isabella-girl when he stood there and seemingly oddly looked up in to space as he actually checked his phone lines. My girl made her suspicions known loud and clear. I did what any good canine guardian might do, I had her sit and apologize to the man and that is how we got to talk. The owner of my dream home is an artist who builds sculptures from recycled materials. He shared with me the background of this most appealing of homes. An Opera singer in her eighties built this rather small house for herself and her lover. Got to admire those hearty folks able to take on serious undertakings in their advanced age. The lady would sing her heart out behind those windows with those gorgeous views across our City Different. He could have fenced in those acres around his home, but chose to be a good and friendly neighbor to the dog park and confessed to having had no problems with us park visitors ever. It was a delightful exchange I had with the man of my dream home and of course I made it clear that I was standing in line if ever he needed a caretaker. I would love the proximity to our favorite open space with a view that is not to be sneezed at.
Happy Full Moon!
Once again it sneaked upon us.
Post Election Reflections
Last weeks election results have me baffled. Keeping my cool has been seriously compromised. What are the American people thinking? On election day I hunkered down outside my local polling station, curious what kinds of folks would show up. Few did, but one Hispanic guy was open to discuss his choices. Pissed at our Democratic Governor who had been embroiled in scandal, he blamed Richardson for stealing his Mom's pension fund. So he was ready for change. He claimed to listen to Amy Goodman's Democracy Now, but he voted for a Republican Governor. So now we have Susanna Martinez, the first female Hispanic Governor ever and what does she do? Investigate already on how to reverse recent legislation in regard to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as if the environment needed not more, but less protection! With big money from Texas ,her home state ,we are sure to see oil interests rise and pristine areas opened to invasive drilling, resisted up until now.
A planned acquisition of land for an ambitious 4 prong project to rescue wild Mustangs, to rehabilitate and employ them for therapeutic gains for kids and vets and tourists will likely get nixed with the myopic state of minds of most Republicans. One elderly lady expects hunters to be given access to up till now protected environments. One would wish for more wisdom with females in leading positions, but I never believed peace to reign with females bickering (and this our two contenders for Governor did up to election day.)
One of my favorite cute young check-out guy at Trader Joe's grocery store admitted he did not bother to vote. I gave him hell. Well, not really, but I did impress on him the importance of doing so and he agreed he made a mistake. Have you talked to your check-out guy or gal lately, about things that matter? I highly recommend talking to those around us for real.
At the dog park on my twice daily outings I inquired about how others feel about the results and lo and behold there are a few there too that voted supposedly conservative. The First Lady's entourage was blamed, the expenses of the President's trips were mentioned, but not the expenses of Bush's war mongering? It took only one round around the park for one woman to consider she may have made a mistake with her vote for Republicans. Mind you we parted with hugs and the satisfaction of being able to voice our differing views and hear each other and find a surprising lot of common ground. Have you talked to your friends and neighbors yet lately? Again, I highly recommend it, we do need civilized discourse. Politics and money should no longer be off limits, they are too important.
Bush is hawking his book and so I got to watch him on Oprah. He mentioned that sinking feeling when he learned that there were no weapons of mass destruction and then continued that EVERYBODY believed Saddam had them. Nope, I did not, and neither did the investigators and he chose not to listen to them, but follow in the footsteps of unconfirmed ideations of his own. I blame him for not having taken the time, not having had the wisdom to wait out the results of an almost complete investigation. before going to war. Inexcusable. Bush did not say he was sorry! Instead he claims a black entertainer's critique of racism hurt him the most! But objections to his actions from throughout the world, in the millions, ran down his bare back like water and left him unaffected? Bush says he is done with politics and it seems to confirm that his stints as Governor and President were likely geared towards pleasing his Dad. Gosh what an immature mind. Do the American people really have such a short memory?
to be continued ...
Sour Grapes
Just like too many comments posted do not relate to my posts, but only to ruthless advances of commercial agendas, something most of us despise, these berries of course are not grapes and are not sour either. We used to add them to our grain coffee at our Macrobiotic restaurant. With little color left late in the year these have caught my eyes, especially when illuminated by the early morning or late afternoon sun.
I do apologize for your inconvenience, the extra hoopla required for now in posting your legitimate comment. I treasure your feedback and contributions and maybe differing angles of views. Please do not let that deter you, sincerely, om.
Lost Opportunities
I grieve the lost opportunities that came with President Obama's rise - and fall. How can a man that was able to speak right out of the hearts of the people so suddenly get so out of touch? How can so much hope and excitement dissipate so fast?
Today, the day after the mid-term elections, President Obama in his response to the press mentioned the height of craze of two years ago as he tried to convince us that we are all on a learning curve and that change is a process, not an overnight miracle. But the craze was not crazy, but real. So many of us want change, not incremental, but at the core. We believe too many bad weeds need uprooting, a purge of major proportion is in order. Wall street has to be given perspective and has to serve once more the people. Corporate power needs to be reigned in. Free enterprise does not mean free reign to those with money, power and influence, and no conscience. Corporate entities are not people and should never have been allowed to hold such status. Shame on those conservative courts. Shame on those that exploit.
I do not care much for the color red or blue, too primary, too simplistic for my taste. I like nuanced tones a whole lot better. Like so many I have not been able to identify with either party. We do need more options, but not the Tea Party. We need to step forward in time not backward.
While I am not for abortions, I am most certainly not about to tell another woman what she can or can not do with her own body. Do we really want to revert to backrooms with coat hangers? We have to embrace science and not deny the well proven facts. Omitting to teach science and history according to facts rather then philosophy ought to be a crime and should be considered a terrible indoctrination.
I am a product of the sixties, which were the seventies in Europe, I have been anti-establishment since my teens. Voting Democratic by default I am suddenly accused of wanting government hand outs and worse having a socialist agenda intent on the equitable redistribution of wealth. Hilarious, if there were not as much at stake. By the way, I do own my home free and clear and pay off my credit cards monthly and so far managed to stay debt free.
A discussion on what ought to be under government control and what not might very well be in order. Locally we got our train and some bemoan that it is not a profit making enterprise. No wonder I say with the restrictive hours and destinations of it's service, but coming from Switzerland I do not believe train service has to be a profitable business, primarily it ought to benefit the people, the community and the environment. The decrease in carbon emanating commuter vehicles with the benefits of a lower carbon foot print, better air and less congested roads ought to be plenty of incentive to support travel by rail. I fear for our trains under our new Republican Governor.
Worse I fear the American mindset that loathes a powerful, intelligent, well educated and well spoken woman like Nancy Pelosi or President Barack Obama, but embraces personalities like Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin with their cocky, cutesy, even sexy, certainly folksy, but seriously uninformed states of minds.
With shattered hopes and a country reverting back to old worn out ways, it is tempting to become a cynic, turn away from the ugliness of politics as usual, turn off the TV with it's toxic commercials and simply stop caring. But care we must! Conversations must be had. We do not have the luxury to ignore each other, we live too close, too dense, too dependent on each other. So I invite your views on the state of affairs post mid-term elections, please.
The Wedding Party
On a roll, with love still in the air, the wedding party approaches, informally formal, 5 males. The boy kept his arms clasped behind his back while he ascended the steps to the cathedral. One boy amongst men, one can sense the importance of the occasion. Excitement seemed to scent the air, linger and infect others.
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