Mom's Day

mothering comes in all sizes and shapes and ages and genders
nurturing is something anyone with a pure heart and a good soul can do

all over the nation today priests and reverends and ministers will take advantage of this day to preach about the sanctity of marriage
they will be un-god like
they will criticize our President for finally listening to his heart and his children

shame on them

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.  ~Oprah Winfrey

All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with a white carpet is one of them. ~ Erma Bombeck

To nourish children and raise them against odds is any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons. -- Marilyn French

Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body .-Elizabeth Stone

Your kids require you most of all to love them for who they are, not to spend your whole time trying to correct them.  ― Bill Ayers



And On We Go ...

Election Day - Post #10 - A Change is Gonna Come

There are many versions of this song with video footage of Barack ...

But this is about us - so imagine what you will.

Election Day - Post #9 Ohio!

My pal and dancing aficionado TRAVIS just commented:

I just heard it!
They called Ohio for Obama!
That's the first flip.
I just got a shiver up my spine.

No Republican has ever won without Ohio!

I know we have far to go but I am going to enjoy every shiver up my spine. I have waited so long for this.

Election Day - Post #4 - Pics from the Polls

We had a discussion about whether or not they would let him wear the shirt. As you can see from the expression on his face he's delighted by me.


Much happier coming out of the ballot booth

I was makin' like Sarah and saying "betcha" and "wink-wink" a lot.

The family that votes together stays together.

Oh - and somewhere in all the picture taking I got to do this ...

Election Day - Post #2 - Back from Voting

What a comedy we are!

My son got home from work late, my car is in the shop (again). We got there and then Jeff realized he didn’t have his ID. I told all my clients I was NOT working today but of course at least one of them has to have to crisis.

It’s the client named Dick. Ahhhhh irony how I adore thee.

Anyway – I voted. My son voted. I have some photos that I’ll post in a little while.

I got very sentimental and emotional when I hit the button for Barack. Silly – maybe. Human – yes. I am a child of the 60s - I never believed this would happen in my lifetime.

I know I’ve shared this story before but it is the first thing I thought of when I went into the voting booth and saw Barack’s name

It was 1978. My son was 5 and we were buying Christmas Cards at a Woolworths store in downtown Brooklyn.

Jeffrey was touching every card and pretending to read many of them. A little girl maybe a year or so older than him came over. They started to evaluate the cards together.

Jeff: Can I pick out some?
Me: Yes – for your friends at school
Jeff to little girl: Do you go to school?
Little girl: In the morning then Grandma picks me up

Grandma and I smile at each other

Jeff: There are no black people on any of these cards
(yes – more evidence that he is indeed my child)

Little girl (who is also black): There are no black people on anything
Grandma: They make cards for the most amount of people
Jeff: That’s stupid – there are lots of black kids in my school
Me: You’re right but I don’t know what to do about it.
Jeff: Well do something
(he always thought I could control everything)

Grandma and I have a little conversation about there being no dolls for black kids and other assorted inequities. She is a bit awkward with me. Then she asks the question I used to be asked all the time.

Grandma: Is he adopted?
Me: No – I had him the old fashioned way. Ya know black and white people can have sex.
Grandma: I’m sorry …
Me: No I’m sorry, I get this all the time and it’s exhausting.
Grandma: Tell me about it. I guess I just did something racist.

We laugh at our shared place in the world. More people should do that. We’re more alike than different.

Jeff: I don’t want any of these stupid cards – I want cards with black people
(he is also loud like me and has caught the interest of other shoppers)
Jeff: I hate this store
Little girl: Me too

I decided to end the shopping trip.

Jeffrey and I made Christmas cards for his friends. We got construction paper and cut out pictures of athletes and singers and actors and the few black people that appeared in ads.

In 1979 we were in a grocery store together. I was on line and Jeff wandered away as usual. I was looking for him when I hear a small commotion coming from the greeting card aisle.

Jeff comes running toward me with a stack of Easter cards in his hands. “Look, look. All of these cards have black people on them. All of them! And this store doesn’t even have back people in it”

I saw nothing but the look on his face. On his beautiful brown face framed by his huge afro (it was the 70s and I was militant) – he had dark dark brown hair but right along his forehead there was streaks of my color. Looked like a halo.

He holds out all his “black people cards”.

“Can we buy them all” I say yes.

He hands them to me and slips his hand into mine and gives it a squeeze.

He looks up at me – “Isn’t this wonderful”

It was.

I know there will be those who say I voted for Barack because he is black. Well YES, yes I did.

He is also:
White
Intelligent
Inspiring
Calm
Inclusive
Even tempered
Has plans and policies I agree with
Chose a VP that isn't a moron

And my list goes on.

Be back as soon as I get ‘Dick’ off my back – hehehehe – with photos from the polling place.

Scroll down for this morning's post. There are many who shared their voting story in the comments.

Things the RNC Has Taught Me

Let’s see …

If you’re intelligent – you’re an elitist. Which is actually quite funny. They clearly never looked up the word – it’s a good thing.

If you have a name that rhymes with Osama – you’re a terrorist

If your middle name is Hussein – you’re a Muslim

But wait – I’m confused.

McCain – ties to the IRA?

John – frequents prostitutes?

This is the latest pile of filth out of the RNC. Making its way to a mail box near you.

The party that should be down on its knees begging the American people for forgiveness is at it again. Still.

In other countries this would be considered inciting riot. Provoking civil war.

But hey – it’s America. It’s free speech. It’s business as usual for the RNC.

And once again the American people suffer at the hands of a pack of lying, cheating criminals scared to death that if their guy doesn’t make it into the White House all their secrets will be exposed. All their crimes will come to light.

If you want to read the full text of their mailer you can do so HERE. Or just Google Scum. I’m sure the RNC comes up.

On a lighter note. While trying to keep from imploding between now and 11/4. And trying to remember there is beauty in the world.

Creative Photography and the new Sepia Scenes project are up at THE PHOTO BLOG

And you have until tomorrow (Friday) night to enter this weeks SUNDAY FUNNIES

Peace My Friends. Beware of Your Mailbox.

The Senator's Nana

Anyone who visits here regularly knows how much my Nana meant to me, still means to me. One of my pet peeves about society today is how we treat older citizens as though they were disposable rather than with the honor and respect they deserve – well most of them deserve.

I was sorry to read this morning that Senator Obama’s Grandmother is gravely ill. Just days before her 86th birthday.
I wish her well. She has much to be proud of and I fervently hope she is here with us to see her Grandson become President of the United States.

I have often heard Senator Obama’s life described as a “compelling story” and I suppose that’s true but for me it’s more than a “story”.

The Senator is far closer to my age than he is to my son’s age but I often look at him through the experiences of my son. Being multi-racial is never an easy road. I wish I could say it was easier today than it was 40+ years ago for Barack or 30+ years ago for my son but sadly the events that have unfolded over the course of this election make me realize how far we have NOT come and how capable we are of traveling backwards at warp speed.

Still there is always hope. Hope that the best of us rises to the occasion while the least of us goes away to sulk in a corner.

My son and I understand that family comes in all colors - and shapes and sizes. They worship differently. They love who they love. We honor that in all people as we expect it to be honored in us.

Here is another photo of the Senator with his Grandmother

Nana is all we need to know ...

Just a Little Stressed

Friday was the kind of day that just sucks your soul dry and crushes your spirit.

I was anxious all morning about my 1 PM doctor’s appointment. I just had this nagging feeling that my ankle still wasn’t right. Of course anxiety can cause slips of reason and judgment – I had a few close calls with electrical appliances and the stairs until I decided to just be still til 1.

I have to mention here that people who are NOT handicapped but take up all the handicapped parking spots should have their knee caps beaten with a baseball bat. I volunteer to do it. I had to park in the part of the lot that is on a slope and then I had to walk quite a bit out of my way to get around the steep curb. Only ONE of the five cars parked in the handicapped spots had a proper sticker. As I was leaning against the entrance to recover from the shooting pain in my leg two men in their 30s came waltzing out, at quite a healthy clip and proceeded to heave their fat asses into the Escalade parked right where I was standing. As far as I could see their only handicap was being fat lazy fucks with overly active entitlement glands. Our township has one of the lowest crime rates in the county and yet services are being cut due to budget concerns. Imagine the revenue that could be generated if these people would be ticketed. Most of our patrol cars just sit around or float about doing absolutely nothing all day.

The doctor was running late from surgery so I was left in the waiting room with a nice gentleman in his 60s. We talked about how warm it was for October and other small talk. The radio was on and a clip from Bush’s morning statement about the economy was played. My co-waiter chuckled and mumbled “moron” and I laughed and nodded in agreement. I really wanted to leave it there but …

Him: He (Bush) is useless in this crisis.

Me: Seems every time he speaks the market plunges even more.

Him: My 401K lost over 30%

And we went on for a bit about our savings, our jobs and our torn tendons. At some point in the conversation I noticed his cap said McCain/Palin. It didn’t alter my enjoyment of our conversation, it just made me wonder about his very strong criticism of Bush but I was in pain and tired and had no desire to go there.

Him: Things will change in January.

I said nothing.

Him: McCain knows how to put this country back into the hands it belongs in

Me: I thought you were critical of the Republicans?

Him: No – just Bush.

Me: But McCain is Bush to me, he has voted with Bush 95% of the time. I think McCain is smarter than W and certainly braver given his military service but that’s where the differences stop.

Him: I see you listen to the Clinton News Network

Yet another point where I really wanted the conversation to end. CNN hasn’t been called that in so long. I have gone from thinking this man is worth having an intelligent discussion with to wanting to scream.

I say nothing.

Him: I assume you’re voting for Obama.

Me: I am.

Him: And you like Biden?

Me: He wasn’t my first choice but yes, I have a great deal of respect for him.

Him: That’s good; Obama will be whacked within 3 months if he gets the White House.

First of all –whacked!? Really? Old nerdy looking men wearing socks with their Bermuda shorts really shouldn’t think they’re part of the Sopranos cast.

And it was enough. My stomach turned at his smirk and his look of contempt.

I have said a lot of negative things about McCain and Palin BUT I would NEVER relish their death. Actually there are many times when I have a moment’s sadness at how far from dignified McCain has gone. And I had a momentary human feeling for Palin when she asked Biden “can I call you Joe?” – of course I then felt silly when I saw how she used his name.

I just got (struggled) up and walked to the other side of the room.

Here is where I was going to include some video and links to the political and human insanity of the past few days but this is getting long and I’m getting upset and tired again.

My cast came off only to be replaced by a heavier, stronger, tighter cast. It appears that my knee and ankle are engaged in a game of “counter rotation” and so the more I move about the more the knee causes the ankle to re-injure and re-injure. At least I’m consistent.

I will need to see a knee guy
We’ll need to talk about surgery
I will probably need some form of ankle brace for a long time to come

Blah-Blah-Blah

Enough for now.

I am struggling to be upbeat. I had job interviews scheduled to help offset the fact that every single project I had on the books has been put on hold since the last 700 point dip.

The $475,000 AIG execs spent at the spa could fix most of my troubles. And I’d even use a good part of it to help other people.

Enough for now.

My Saturday did get off to a fantastic start!! My phone rang at 2:37 this morning (they knew I was awake since I had just commented on their “drunken whore” photos) and I was greeted with giggles and outrageous fabulosity from the traveling wonder show that is TT, ETK and CHEEKYMONKEY. Cheeky doesn’t even know me but that in no way deterred her from taking part in our full blown cussing, sharing, how inappropriate can we be conference call.

Thank you Ladies!! And I do mean Ladies – for being the fabulous funny fantastic femmes that you are.

Party On! And Keep Me in the Purse!

So far today I have dissolved into tears 7 times, I had a screaming match with my son over having to ask for every single little fucking thing and I have thrown a coffee mug across a room.

I’m just a tad stressed.

I’ll bounce back, always do.

Finola will be back. I just am not in the mood for her this week.

"THERE'S NO SUSPENDING DEMOCRACY!"

I never post this close together but this is just too topical to wait. I hope you'll scroll down and say Hi to Cloris Leachman.

The delightful thing about comedy, good comedy, is that it is rooted in truth. The Loves of My Late Night Life proved that Wednesday.

Christopher Webber from Political-Machine describes David Letterman’s monologue -

McCain was supposed to appear on "The Late Show" tonight but canceled at the last minute to (stage a political stunt) focus with a laser-like intensity on the economy. At the taping this afternoon, Dave showed his unhappiness, and his political savvy -
"You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil.""He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sarah Palin. Where is she?""What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

It's funny cuz it's true.

Here’s the video of Dave’s monologue


Dave went on during his Top 10 List:

Top Ten Questions People Are Asking the John McCain Campaign
10 - "I just contributed to your campaign -- how do I get a refund?"
9 - "It's Sarah Palin -- does this mean I'm Pars'dent?"
8 - "Can't you solve this by selling some of your homes?"
7 - "Hi, this is Clay Aiken. Is McCain single?"
6 - "Do you still think the fundamentals of our economy are strong, genius?"
5 - "Are you doing all this just to get out of going on Letterman?"
4 - "What would Matlock do?"
3 - "Hillary here -- my schedule is free Friday night"
2 - "Is this just an excuse to catch up on napping?"
1 - "This is President Bush -- what's all this trouble with the economy?”

All of this is especially wonderful to me since McCain showed what a douchebag (Hi Brooklyn) he is by pulling this transparent stunt at the 11th hour – as Dave so gleefully points out – again and again. And the only coverage of Caribou Barbie that I caught was her wagging her Mommy finger at the camera and talking about how the whole country is looking to John McCain for guidance. Bitch Please!

The night continues into Craig Ferguson’s show. I quote him in the title.

Dave is never more sexy to me than when he is saying stuff without saying stuff but making his point crystal clear.

Craig is never more sexy to me than when he is indignant and on one of his incredibly articulate rants.

Here is the link to Craig’s monologue. I could not find a version to embed.
Craig at CBS

Ya know – I made myself sick yesterday – physically, mentally, emotionally sick – over how crass and cold and disgusting McCain/Palin and many of their supporters are. This country lies on the brink of a huge upheaval and they are nothing but dead rock in our way. Unfortunately many of the rocks have far more power and money than they are entitled to – greedy bastards.

BUT – there is always laughter. Laughter heals – Laughter brings people together – and Laughter can carry a message far and wide.

And So They Mock

I’ve watched the RNC all week. I have always watched both conventions. I think it is our responsibility as voters to know everything and to listen to everyone.

As I watched I took some notes for what was going to be a wrap-up post about the convention.

I found some facts showing how Obama’s record and accomplishments were being misrepresented
I was going to share what living in Rudy Guiliani’s NYC was really like and how he has no right to the title of ‘America’s Mayor’ and certainly has not earned the right to make jokes about community service.
I wanted to tell you all that according to the Home Décor section of Lowe’s there are 657 shades of white. I think that’s a low number. I saw far more in the crowd of delegates.

The thing is - this has all been covered. All week I have read the most eloquent and well researched posts from many of my fellow bloggers.

So I got to thinking about the one thing about the convention that really bothered me.

It was the mocking.

From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Main Entry: 1mock
Pronunciation: \ˈmäk, ˈmȯk\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from moker
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1: to treat with contempt or ridicule
2: to disappoint the hopes of

Like bullies who have no other form of communication.
Like dullards who didn’t do their homework and now have no real facts to share.
Like elitists who have nothing but disdain for their fellow citizens.
Like the over-privleged self-entitled who just know they’re superior – they have no real proof of their superiority but it doesn’t stop them from owning it.

The genius that is Karl Rove took the fear of 9/11 and spun it into a wonderful web of control. And so many of us bought into it.

Now the fear-mongers are afraid. More people than ever before are paying attention. More people watched Barack’s speech than ever before. A stadium was filled with thousands of people – all ages, all colors, all types of human experience. All Americans.

Now the fear-mongers are afraid.

They’re so afraid that they steal the words from the very person they mock.

Why? Because his words have power and his words give power to the powerless.

Powerless people with power!?

Now the fear-mongers are afraid.

They promote the value of chauferring children to soccer and hockey games while spitting on the value of community service.

Why? Because they don’t serve their communities. They don’t even know their communities.

They rehash heroic deeds from 40 years ago.

Why? Because they have no new heroic deeds to describe.

They misrepresent and over state their accomplishments.

Why? Because they couldn’t find enough real people to fill 4 days. They couldn’t find enough real Americans to tell stories we could relate to. They couldn’t find enough retired military officers willing to share a stage with them.

Now the fear-mongers are afraid.

The beauty of America has always been idealism in the face of daunting truth.
The beauty of America has always been courage no matter the odds.
The beauty of America has always been our ability to shine a light on the darkest corners.
The beauty of America has always been hope in the face of fear.

And that makes the fear-mongers afraid.

And so they mock.

I took the image from stinkyjournalism.org. I tried to find one wearing lipstick but alas that too is a lie.

While I Respect His Service ...

In the comments on my previous post my buddy MATT-MAN mentions being sick of hearing about McCain's military service. I responded by saying that I am tired of feeling the need to preface anything I say about McCain with "... while I respect his service".

Of course we respect his service and as I said to Matt if that is the ONLY qualification for President then I have at least a dozen guys from the VFW who should be our next leader and I'll gladly drive them down to the White House myself.

See a couple of them can't walk too good and a couple of them can't drive, one of them is blind in one eye, another is deaf. They don't have Cindy's money and McCain doesn't think we should spend "extravagantly" on helping them.

So I will take them to Washington myself, on my own dime!

Each has served, each has suffered and each is a better man ten times over than that war mongering loon who will be gracing our TVs all next week.

DARYL sent me this in my last post. I find it fitting to show this on the day that Obama will speak. It makes for a perfect contrast.

I doubt that the John McCain of years ago would vote for the John McCain of today. So respect his service and let him retire.

SHUT UP! I'm Watching the Convention

As my friend OLDOLDLADY OF THE HILLS mentioned in her last post if you want to actually watch the convention then tune in to C-SPAN.

If you want to watch idiots entertaining morons while congratulating themselves on their coverage then watch the mainstream media. I especially love it when the trains at Union Station drown out MSNBC. Even inanimate objects have had enough.

I loved Hillary’s speech. It was exuberant and resilient. It was graceful and powerful. I have never been a Hillary fan but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect her intelligence and accomplishments. Subtlety and context keep getting pushed further down the line as we become more about sound bytes and snark, as we slide into a nation with the attention span of a gnat. Just because I have supported Barack from day one doesn’t mean I can’t see the value in others.

I’m troubled by but not surprised at the calls for the speakers to be nastier. After all this is entertainment right? This isn’t about catching a country before it implodes. This isn’t about making history. This isn’t about reminding Americans that we’re all one. Of course not! This is about snatching a moment worthy of YouTube. This is about coming up with a headline the NY Post can twist. Really! Where are our priorities?

The most telling comments on the disintegration of our national mind came when yet another roundtable discussed the “tone” Barack Obama wanted for the convention. They mocked his call to unite, they spit out the word “bipartisan” as though it should be bleeped. One asshat said this kind of tone was “good for governing” but “disastrous during an election”. WTF!? Isn’t an election about deciding who should govern? No wonder we’re shocked and disappointed by who we end up with! We didn’t let them speak genuinely and if they did we didn’t listen.

I love a good slogan as much as the next guy. Senator Bob Casey from PA got me and the crowd going with chants of “Four More Months-Four More Months”. The fact that he, as an opponent of abortion rights, was invited to speak when his father was banned 20 years ago wasn’t greeted as a sign of maturity and democracy – it was mocked.

I loved when Hillary referred to her supporters as “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits” and was touched and relieved when she asked the very important question – “Were you in this for me or …” I watched the faces in the crowd and saw many light bulbs go off. That question came from a true statesperson, from someone who knows the bigger picture doesn’t need her face to be in it. The bigger picture needs us.

It was but moments after her speech and the news outlets already had body language experts analyzing Hillary to decide if she meant what she said. They had people on the convention floor looking for the one cynic, the one disgruntled supporter. One reporter cornered Spike Lee and tried and tried to make him angry, to make him say something they could elaborate on for hours. Good Lord if you can’t get Spike to spit out some angry words maybe you need to accept that there aren’t any.

So I’ll continue to tune into C-SPAN and I’ll continue to think about words all on my own, I can do that. I am a grown ass woman who doesn’t need anyone to explain things to her. I’ll drop by the other channels just to see what’s cooking. I’m not above needing to peek at a train wreck. Then I’ll go back to listening and thinking and believing that people might just mean what they say. I’m so grateful that there weren’t 24 hours news shows owned by giant corporations 232 years ago. “The best damn idea for a country” (to quote Craig Ferguson) would never have come to be.

The Red White ... (And Black) and Blue ... And Black and White

It is a world without context.

I got an e-mail Saturday morning. It was a forward and that should have tipped me off but it was from a friend who is usually OK about e-mails – she sends great animal pictures or some silly joke.

The subject line of this e-mail was ‘Where is the American flag’. Yet another warning but again I decided it was most likely some lovely series of photos – you know, the flag created by colored crystals on the beach or a hot air balloon all red, white and blue – drifting across the majesty of the Northwest.

We have become fixated with the flag and not in a good way. Since 9/11/2001 flag waving has turned into a way of communication and a way of self-righteous judgment. It has gotten so out of hand, this meaning that has the wrong meaning, that I took down the flag that flew above my home. It no longer stood for just simply being proud. It said you supported Bush, it said you hated “them” – all of them. Those who are not Christian, those whose skin is darker, those who have different ways of loving people, those who speak different languages…

So I open the e-mail and the first line is:
Disgrace

Followed by:
This has been verified by snopes

Ahhhh – they have learned that if you give people the idea that you did a little homework …

If you claim to verify they will believe. The field of bullshit.

Under this is a picture of Senator Obama’s campaign plane.
Under that a picture of the plane before the Obama campaign had it refurbished.

And then a tiny paragraph – the highlights are:

he decided to remove the American flag from the tail...

Obama is such a despicable human being.

Please forward this if you're not ashamed of our country and our flag & if think this is a disgrace.

If Obama is elected president of the United States we are in trouble. If you think the Liberals can lead our country just look what Pelosi and Reid have accomplished for us.

All of this is in font size ranging from 14 to 18 pt and in red, blue, and green. Yes green. I guess they couldn’t figure out how to do white on a white background and they didn’t know how to change the background.

The bad grammar and missing words are verbatim. Can’t really stop and fix things when you’re in the grips of flag fever.

The thing is – all they’ve done is redo (badly) the original e-mail – origins unknown – and then sent it out into the world claiming it had been verified. They didn’t actually show the verification.

The photo of the Obama plane is taken from an angle that obscures the fact that there is indeed an American flag on the plane – right next to the plane’s call letters.

The flag he removed – personally I suppose while dressed as a Muslim terrorist – is actually the logo of North American airlines – the corporation he got the plane from.

The full snopes verification also shows McCain’s plane – no American flag in sight. Which is fine with me since I do not suffer from flag fever and prefer to choose my President based on ideals and policy, not airplane décor.

I also wish they could explain how the US will be in trouble if Obama is elected. Will flags everywhere just suddenly disappear on Inauguration Day? Oh – and we’re not in trouble right now?

Then there is the ‘L’ word.

No not Lesbian although that is a close second.

Liberal. We soldier hating, flag destroying, gay loving, illegal immigrant worshipping – uh – um – infidels. That’s the ticket. And what could possibly be more American than calling people who don’t agree with you names and casting doubt upon their character. And trying to frighten people into hating the same people you hate.

I will give them one thing – Pelosi and Reid have accomplished nothing for us. Well maybe raising the minimum wage for the first time in ten years. And Pelosi did recently explain clearly that there is actually land/water set aside to drill in but the Republicans don’t want to drill there first because the oil companies won’t make a fortune developing new drilling sites.

Has the war stopped, is Bush and Cheney and Rove in jail, has torture stopped, are those being held without a voice freed …

NO

And we come full circle.

The Democrats are afraid of looking like soldier hating, flag destroying … you get the picture. So spreading fear and lies works. It’s a lot like – what’s the word – oh yes – terrorism. But now I’m confused. Aren’t we fighting terrorism? I guess we are, just not in our own backyard.

Taken on its own this e-mail is nothing to get all riled up about. It’s nothing compared to “secret Muslim” and constantly saying ‘Osama’ instead of ‘Obama’ and then claiming to have had a brain fart. It’s nothing compared to showing Cindy McCain looking like she just baked a dozen cookies while showing Michelle Obama looking like she just ripped off the head of a white baby. Since Michelle is animated and engaged she is usually shown with her mouth open and her eyes all afire. Cindy, bless her heart, always looks so composed. I wonder if she takes the same meds that Laura does.

So why did this e-mail get me going? Going so that I found the entire SNOPES ARTICLE and sent it to every single e-mail address in the original.

It came on the same morning as did the last time I will ever allow someone to tell me they won’t/can’t vote for Senator Obama because they “don’t trust him”.

As the white mother of a black son I speak the code. If you “don’t trust” a black man and you can’t explain why then it is simply because he is black. I have watched my son being watched in stores. I once had a salesperson confide to me, snickering, that they were watching “that big black kid” because “you can’t trust them”. I was too disgusted and weary to enjoy watching the top of her head explode when the untrustworthy big black kid turned and called me Ma.

I am better than this, many of us are better than this. I don’t care how exhausting it becomes. I don’t care if it forever changes friendships (as it has with the person who sent me the Saturday morning e-mail). I absolutely believe that we are fighting for our lives. I don’t want my future grandchildren to go to Iraq as part of the 100 year war. I don’t want to see any more abandoned homes in my neighborhood. I don’t want to feel sad about the way we look to the world.

And I don’t want to be silent when an honorable, accomplished, decent man is disrespected because of his name and his skin color.

I imagine my future grandchildren running for office one day.

My future white/black/Christian/Jewish/French/Irish/Russian/Greek/African/Native American grandchildren.

I will open a can of the fiercest whoop ass known to humanity on anyone who plans to block the path.

Restless Knee Jerk Syndrome

I wasn’t going to post today, I have a deadline looming BUT this mish-mosh of stupidity, this more about nothing crap, this not getting the point, this jerks controlling our knees craze is just more than I can stand.

Unless you’ve had your head under the covers all day you must have seen or heard about the New Yorker cover.

The artist Barry Blitt told Huffington Post contributor Nico Pitney:

“I think the idea that the Obamas are branded as unpatriotic [let alone as terrorists] in certain sectors is preposterous. It seemed to me that depicting the concept would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is.”

Blitt was then asked:
And in retrospect, given the outcry, is he glad he made the art?

"Retrospect? Outcry?" he wrote. "The magazine just came out ten minutes ago, at least give me a few days to decide whether to regret it or not..."

Oh sorry Barry – we appear to suffer from restless knee jerk syndrome. We must react! We must react NOW!

I got this from politico.com:

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: “The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

I don’t know what I would have wanted Sen. Obama’s campaign to say. I have such empathy for him. How impossible it must be to get through a day staying on point when all around swirls “secret Muslim” “angry black woman” “where’s his lapel pin?” “did he have his hand over his heart?” – blah-blah-blah!

I THINK the cover is brilliant. I THINK if a person THINKS about that image for more than a nano-second and then does any amount of unbiased research about the Obamas they too would THINK that Barry Blitt did exactly what he says he intended to do.

Will some folks look at that image and say to themselves – See I just knew he was a terrorist and she sure is an angry black woman? Yes, yes they will.

So isn’t it better to look at that and talk about it? I THINK it is. Let’s hold up fear and ignorance and call it – uh – fear and ignorance. And let’s ridicule it!!! And let’s say shut the fuck up if you’re too stupid and hateful to THINK.

And on the 5th - Do Something

I spent a big part of today (Thursday the 3rd) at the VFW post.

We all got to talking about Independence Day and patriotism.

One of guys mentioned how sick he was of flag waving and bumper ribbons and endless talk of Obama wearing or not wearing a lapel pin. He’s having a really hard time with the VA and would much rather hear about that. He can’t pay his bills and he’s terribly worried about his daughter and her kids – her husband is on his second tour and she’s having a rough time holding it all together.

"Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." – James Bryce

When he mentioned not being able to pay his bills one of the others talked about how hard it was to stick it out with his part-time job. He needed it to pay for gas and heating oil and he was damned if he was going to lose his house at this point in his life. He wondered aloud who was responsible for this mess.

“In any free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty - all are responsible”. Abraham Heschel

I said I was sick of looking backwards, unless there was going to be impeachment, I’d rather look forward and hang on to some hope for things to get better. My second job is killing me too.

“Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.” ~Lin Yutang

We drifted for a spell into a piss and moan session about gas prices and then I brought up the need to explore and invest in alternative fuel and one of the other guys talked about how it would make sense if there was help to buy a hybrid, to install solar panels. So many of us want to do these things and can’t afford to. One of the less free thinking guys said we should just drill everywhere and anywhere. A few of us tried to bring up coastal erosion and the importance of sea life and plant life but he just wanted the price of gas to go down.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln

Someone asked what McCain’s stand on coastal drilling was and I laughed and said I assumed he believed whatever Chuck Norris told him to believe. A few chuckles, a few more chuckles than usual – they’re used to me. Plus I make great Italian food and that gets you a lot of airtime.

“McCain or Obama, they both suck, liars and self serving bastards – I don’t trust any of them” – anonymous veteran sitting next to Dianne.

"All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse." - John Quincy Adams

The beer came out but I declined. I had to drive two of the guys home and I’d already taken a pain killer for my back. I was asked about my ongoing battle with the insurance company but I wanted the mood to stay mellow so I just shrugged.

“Healthcare is falling apart, those ****ing illegals are taking this whole country down” – our town’s version of Lou Dobbs

I suggested that much of the blame for the state of healthcare rested with the large corporations that bought up hospitals and with the drug companies and the insurance conglomerates. Someone else mentioned that virtually all of the men he had served with had been born outside the US or were first generation American.

"And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home." – Ronald Reagan

I mentioned that my business was better at the moment; fewer projects were going to India and China now that years of quality issues were beginning to have noticeable effects on data validity. A few of the guys got all riled up about other countries taking our jobs and as often happens the people of those countries came under attack. I pointed out that it was American corporations getting huge incentives to establish offshore offices. I deal with the workers in these offices – they’re not getting paid fairly and they’re not getting benefits.

"He is a poor patriot whose patriotism does not enable him to understand how all men everywhere feel about their altars and their hearthstones, their flag and their fatherland." – Harry Emerson Fosdick

“So you’re gonna vote for Obama?” asked Lou Dobbs. I said I was. “And you’re sure he can be trusted?” I said I was. “And you think he can make things better?” I said I did.

“I’ll never be able to handle a President named Barack Obama” – the last statement from Lou Dobbs before the beer took over.

“My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or blessed, believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.” Barack Obama

It was getting late and I sensed an all night poker game and PC porn fest was just dying to break out as soon as “the lady” left. On the way to the car one of the guys draped his arm around my shoulder …

“That’s the trouble today babe, nobody does anything. Have a great 4th kid. And maybe on the 5th we’ll all put down the flags we’re waving and do something” – my buddy J – 40 years as a soldier.

I got the image from Wikipedia – It is Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old WW1 veteran, attending the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.

Just Forking Around

Sorry about the title – as Craig Ferguson says – “I made myself laugh and that’s half the battle”. I really do enjoy bad puns – they’re stupid and low brow and show a distinct lack of imagination, I like to think of them as my homage to our President.

But I digress …

It’s official – Sunday and Monday have become one long continuous day. It appears I’ll be stuck working both days every weekend for awhile and I need to adjust to that. I’m a bit pissed about this development; Sunday mornings are my favorite part of the week. Now I open my eyes and almost immediately feel my back still aches, my feet hurt and I have to get to the store. I’m going to need to decide what to do about Everyday Kindness Sunday wrap-up. So typical of me, it’s only an official thing for me but I still feel the
need to negotiate with myself about how to re-schedule it, and let me tell ya – I am a bitch negotiator. There are positives to working Saturday and Sunday; it leaves me more time for my real job during the week when clients expect to find me and I’ve always preferred doing errands and stuff in the middle of the day on a weekday – less crowds, less screaming kids, less traffic. So there – I’ll focus on that.

I saw “walking woman” Saturday night – I caught a glimpse of her going into “creepy guy walking dogs” house as I drove by. She was dressed up – a Saturday night date perhaps!? I hope so and I really hope I run into her soon so I can get the full story.

Mia is doing OK – the sneezing has started back up a bit and her eyes seem more sensitive again so we’ll be going back to the vet this week. BUT – she’s eating and last night she had a full hour play session with my son. She actually ran and fetched toys and jumped on higher places and just plain looked so happy. Siren is super pissed about this. How dare anyone have fun without him. I was planning to go to phase 2 of the introductions – Mia in the giant kennel and Siren out and about where he can approach her, discover her so to speak, without hurting her. I’m putting that on hold til the vet visit. So for now they communicate through the screen door – Mia hisses and growls and attempts to punch Siren’s lights out while he stares at her with laser beams of death eyes. Eventually she goes back to sleep and he comes out to punish me.

I am working on the slide show – I’m just a wee bit tired these days.

I also have a bunch of things partially written; a scathing rant about the ‘art of distraction’ regarding the media’s attention to Obama’s minister and his supposed racist sermons, an expose of how workers are treated in large retail establishments, a little ditty about what it’s like to work long hours from home and a winding ramble about blogging and message boards – the virtual water cooler I call it. Due to lack of time or brain cells each of these pieces started to lose focus and I found myself veering off the path into places I wasn’t prepared to go so …

I’m feeling a bit forked up.

There’s a very specific reason I named the blog ‘Forks Off The Moment’ – my therapist told me too. Now that’s not really true but sometimes it feels as if it is. I always loved to write – as a child I composed these elaborate fairy tales that revolved around being anywhere but where I was. In my early teens I kept very poetic, uber serious journals about politics, Viet Nam, rock music, drugs, sex and being anywhere but where I was. One of my proudest academic moments was the reaction to a paper I wrote in High School discussing the symbolism and emotional appeal of the song ‘American Pie’ – good grades always came easy to me but this grade was like winning an Oscar. People got what I wrote, they found it important and interesting and were entertained by it – I was somewhere other than where I was. Typical of what was to become my thirty-something years of self-destructive, self-sabotaging brilliance I ditched going to college to study journalism and got pregnant by an alcoholic loser twice my age. Talk about a huge fork off the moment!

Back to why it’s all the therapist’s fault.

I’ve been to therapy a few times over the years; first with my son after his Dad disappeared and it seemed that anger would consume him, then again when my sister killed herself (ain’t we a cheery lot!?) and it seemed that anger and grief would consume us all and finally (I think) this past fall – right before I started the blog – because I simply decided that being in my 50s was going to be better than the previous 4 decades. That brave decision was immediately followed by panic and depression the likes of which stunned me. The therapist thinks I need to practice living in the moment until I can learn to manage the dark places my mind takes me. Regardless of how many times I have survived something, fixed something, rescued something I always feel, always imagine, that the next time will be the end of me. When my business was struggling I stayed awake all night making plans on how to be homeless; would I go to a shelter? – would I live under a bridge? (I have troll fantasies) – what about Siren!? – how would I care for him under a bridge? – could I manage his carrier in my shopping cart? From zero to sixty! I fork off the moment.

Maybe that’s why I’m having trouble finishing anything real. The Obama piece was taking me into my own personal experiences with racism which leads to intense negative feelings about my son’s in-laws. The piece about part-time retail workers made me so angry about this President (as if I needed one more reason) and his economic follies. The ditty about working from home got me to worrying about this current dry spell and trying to describe message boards put me in a bad mood over people who are rude and judgmental, not to mention ignorant and boring.

I’m so grateful to Raven for Wordzzle and to REH for the PFC challenge. These trips into writing fiction are enjoyable and (I hope/I think) are making me a better writer. Plus they create a perfect opportunity to discover new blogs. Which reminds me, I have to update my bookmarks and my sidebar and …

More later - when the traffic jam in my head eases up.

"Yes We Can"

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