Margaret, I haven’t laughed so hard since Katie Couric interviewed Sarah Palin. A few thousand white folks called in sick to work last week so they could parade around the nation’s capital on Saturday and Fox News declares a revolution is underway. My goodness. I don’t know which is more sad – the fact that they couldn’t spell half the words written on their illegible signs or that they all left their white hoods at home. Bring the hippies back. Their protests were much more entertaining.
Just to give you some perspective:
- 1925 – Ku Klux Klan – 35,000 KKK members marched on Washington
- 1963 – March for Freedom with Martin Luther King – 250,000 marched
- 1969 – March to end the Vietnam War – 600,000 marched
- 1993 – Gay and Lesbian Rights – 800,000 marched
- 1995 – Million Man March – 600,000 marched
- 2004 – March for Women’s Lives (Pro-Choice) – over 1 million marched
- 2009 – Obama Inauguration – over 1 million celebrate
- September 12, 2009 – Tea Party Hillbilly Rally – 78,000 marched but only 3 seemed to know what they were marching about.
I’ll tell you what Margaret. You would never know by watching Fox News that 78,000 racists marching on the nation’s capital was cause for concern. You would think we were finally winning the war against the British. Of course, according to Harold’s television set, larger crowds gathered at dozens of football games that day so what the hell do I care.
Let me just say something about the 9-12 Project. On September 12, 2001 everyone was an American. There were no Blue States and no Red States. There were no Black Americans and no White Americans. There were no Europeans, no Asians, no Hispanics, no Africans… The world was standing with America against the evil that is terrorism. The globe was united like never before. And what did our President do when given that moment? He told us all to go shopping while he and his buddies planned a war. And 8 years later the 9-12 project has been reduced to a movement of no Blacks, no Hispanics, no Asians… just 78,000 white people who can’t spell.
But it’s not really these 78,000 marchers that worry me. It’s the media that gives them so much attention. Did anyone else notice that when a million Pro-Choice women marched on Washington and 50 nut-jobs stood on the corner mis-quoting the bible, it was the bible thumping nut-jobs getting more coverage on the evening news? I mean 5 KKK members march down Main Street and the news crews out number the marchers 10 to 1.
69 million people voted for Barack Obama knowing full well that Universal Healthcare was a major issue in his campaign. 78,000 people marched on Washington claiming that America has been stolen. Now I am not an expert, but I have to believe that fancy CNN map of John King’s should be able to figure out that math.
The biggest problem facing America today isn’t the war, the economy, healthcare or even racism. The biggest threat to America is the lack of news coverage in our newscasts. Honestly I don’t give a damn what LaToya Jackson thinks, what Paris Hilton ate, what Hillary Clinton is wearing or who Brad Pitt is dating. And I especially don’t give a rat’s ass what 78,000 peckerwoods with too much time on their hands think about something as complicated as Universal Healthcare.
You know what would have been a good news story? How many of those yahoos marching last weekend actually have health insurance much less a full set of teeth? Did anyone bother to ask that question?
It’s not news. It’s nonsense. Really. I mean it.
Margaret and Helen 
Hey there would you mind letting me know which webhost
you’re using? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say
this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you recommend a good internet hosting provider at a fair price?
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
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By: Philomena on May 24, 2014
at 11:34 AM
First off I would like to say superb blog! I had a quick question that
I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your head
prior to writing. I have had trouble clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there.
I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes
are generally lost just trying to figure out
how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Cheers!
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By: Swen on October 18, 2013
at 7:50 PM
Very good article. I am experiencing many
of these issues as well..
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By: Lou on December 2, 2012
at 7:08 AM
Howdy! I understand this is somewhat off-topic however I had to ask.
Does running a well-established website such as yours
take a massive amount work? I am brand new to writing a blog however I do write
in my journal everyday. I’d like to start a blog so I can easily share my experience and feelings online. Please let me know if you have any kind of recommendations or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers. Thankyou!
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By: london clubs on October 10, 2012
at 8:56 AM
And God bless you, Poolman, for fighting fire and brimstone with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Have some fresh mussels for me, wouldja? 🙂
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By: Milk Thistle for Dogs on August 29, 2011
at 10:15 AM
Im also sick and tired of these phoney bigots using our soldiers or 9/11 as an excuse to bash the president or those of us who are fighting for health care for everyone, my brother fought two wars and if he could have been there with me at the last Health Care rally he would have been. Those people do not speak for us.
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By: Affordable Teeth Whitening on June 14, 2011
at 1:58 PM
I discovered your blog today, Helen and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoy your posts. You have great points – with a bit of humor. Keep up the good work!
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By: Atlanta Colocation on December 15, 2010
at 2:56 PM
Cannot you move on from these sandbox school yard fights of “mine is better than yours” crappola?
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By: Golf Communities on November 29, 2010
at 2:51 PM
Halo Reach FTW
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By: shawn on September 23, 2010
at 9:18 AM
brianna-
You are welcome to your view but it seems silly to assume folks voted for Mr Obama because “people felt bad for him”. Why in the world would anyone propose to hire a President they felt bad/sorry for?
Continuing to believe anyone who is a Muslim cannot be an American is equally silly, as is, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, continuing to believe Mr Obama is a Muslim.
We have a lot of work to do to get ourselves straightened out economically and socially in this country. What in the world do we gain by staying stuck in this silliness?
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By: alaskapi on September 23, 2010
at 7:47 AM
i don’t believe Obama should have been president. the only reason he is is because people felt bad for him. he is not even black he is Muslim. i don’t know about you but that does not sound like an American to me.
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By: brianna on September 23, 2010
at 7:23 AM
~ by ‘first Tea Party’ I mean the first modern one which I think was Chicacgo, before Glen Beck got involved and promoted ‘9/12’ (shudder)
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By: maxaxiom on February 9, 2010
at 11:45 AM
You’re not being fair to the facts. The first Tea Party was a right-wing but non-partisan rally that decried both Democrats and Republicans. It has then been seen as advantageous by the Establishment on the Right to utilize this populist movement for their own agenda: You’re confused if you think the movement exists because of the agenda. The Agenda is, as always, exploiting the popular mood. As Obama has done on the Left and Republicans do on the Right. And you play volleyball with them: it’s a game, the game is rigged.
You’re comparison of 69 million to 78 thousand is itself compelling, but given the media exposure and oration skill of Mr. Obama, verses the derisive grassroots percolation from the Tea Party (does tea percolate?) it seems like popularity is a kind of childish way to derriere something. It does allow for perspective but it’s laced with insults such as saying that they all can’t spell, all are racists, etc. Not that I am defending ignorance or bad spelling. My only gripe is that the Libertarian core of the Tea Party has been subverted, and only the doppleganger is promoted by FOX. Tea Party is about taxation without representation and those issues are, today, lack of congressional accountability, lack of transparency at the federal reserve, entangling environmential-economic treaties, and the democratic the formation of representational global governance.
I wonder if Harold’s television set mentioned that?
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By: maxaxiom on February 9, 2010
at 11:43 AM
i THINK
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By: maxaxiom on February 9, 2010
at 11:33 AM
hi helen – not sure if you can keep up with reading all your fans comments anymore – I noticed each post has sooo many comments now -I haven’t logged in since prop 8 passed in CA and if it is possible you have found your stride and your voice even more powerfully than before.
You are such an inspiration. I just love your presentation and your call it like it is – I’ll have to spend some time reading all I have missed this last year.
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By: alyson on October 11, 2009
at 4:40 PM
As a black woman, from Alabama, who now lives in southern Florida (home of Jeb and Charlie)–yeah, I went from the pot to the kettle–
anyway, I LOVE YOU!!! 🙂
I love reading your insightful comments, and I am honored that you take the time to enlighten me.
Thank you.
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By: Murphysmom on October 6, 2009
at 7:52 PM
helen, you are amazing. my 92 year old mother just had a mastectomy. now we need to get her physical therapy for her arm, but her health insurance doesn’t cover it.
this is a woman who has been healthy all her life and still is. on very few medications, walks everywhere. all the thousands upon thousands of dollars she has paid into health insurance and they won’t cover a physical therapist for her arm?
WTF?
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By: Lisa on October 3, 2009
at 9:13 AM
Your blog gives me great pleasure to read. I reblogged your story here:
http://www.democracyforvancouver.org/2009/09/22/margaret-helen/
Keep up the perspicaciousness. Yiu are a breath of fresh air in a polluted national doscourse.
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By: John on September 30, 2009
at 6:40 PM
I love reading your posts…….but I won’t be reading the comments anymore…..your site is becoming a cult chat!
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By: Chris on September 29, 2009
at 9:35 AM
FINER, I marched to for those things as well and I remember a unified and focused, non-violent and peaceful flood of people marching for a cause we believed in.
Can you tell us your perceptions of Tea party groups and what their message is, are they predominantly racist? What percentages are birthers or tauting our president as Hitler?
I haven’t gotten clear on what the underlying message is and am trying to understand the appeal to folks to have them march on Washington. I can understand marching for smaller government, and am wondering if that was the unifying link.
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By: Pamela on September 25, 2009
at 6:51 AM
I have been saying for ages we need the old hippie marches they were organized and knew what it was all about but I figured I was one of the few who would speak out and say it. Unfortunately I joined one of the now tea party groups thinking it would be like the old days and was shocked it was so messed up. If it were only like “Ban the Nukes” or “End the War” it might work.
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By: FINER on September 25, 2009
at 5:28 AM
no one’s puppet, I lose no sleep over teabaggers or what-ever they call themselves these days
they can, and have the right, to march, protest…,it is the lone nut case with a gun I worry about, I have been face to face with the nutcases I described above, I know of which I speak, same ones ValleyIndependent describes
everything else ValleyIndependent posted about conservative, liberal…labels is my way of thinking as well.
lori, I am involved in my neighborhood and city and standing behind my words, the internet is only a small portion of it, which is why you may not see me around as much as you might see others on this porch 🙂
I agree with those who post we should get on with finishing this healthcare business once and for all and move on to education
LaDee, my condolences.
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By: PalinShutUp on September 23, 2009
at 3:59 PM
Amen, I wish that we could just get back to newscasters reading the news without having to interject their personal opinions and feelings on the matter. I don’t know if we were ever actually at that point, but it’s crazy how you can get a different spin from every single network you tune into. It makes me crazy.
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By: zoechastain on September 23, 2009
at 2:58 PM
NOPE, never mind!
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By: Pamela Δ ())=( on September 23, 2009
at 10:41 AM
Let’s see if it works this way….
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By: Pamela Δ ())=(, on September 23, 2009
at 10:40 AM
I wish the wine glass wasn’t sideways … I suppose it could be seen that playing football gives one a trim waistline, but a rather extended belly button LOL…. I know, it’s way too early for this!
OK, I’m trying something from one emotocon sight that is pretty cool, if it works!
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By: Pamela Δ ())=( on September 23, 2009
at 10:39 AM
As usual, you are right on target. At the age of 77 I am now fighting with an insurance company to get them to cover medicine my doctor says I need but they say I don’t. I wrote to my 3 Congressmen. One answered me.
I know my own problems are slight, compared to so many others’. It is such a disgrace that our rich country cannot find a way to treat our people as well as so many poorer countries treat theirs.
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By: Bobbie on September 23, 2009
at 9:47 AM
avotresante Δ
I work with asthma in children and adults all the time and will tell you it is very curable! I have my masters in Chinese medicine, including herbology, and there are several formulas available you might find helpful:
Geijie Tonic pills are very helpful when you have the SOB and diff. breathing, and replace inhalers very effectively. I don’t have most patients use them daily as they are a bit warming in nature and so many folks have too much internal heat already (due in large part to our rich, sweet Western diets) but excellent for when your breathing is difficult.
Ba Ji Yin Yang Tang is a wonderful lung tonic for ongoing nourishing of the lungs and will build their function so that you rarely need the GeiJie. It is a journey and one well worth taking. I applaud you for exploring it.
I teach folks/patients about juicing, raw fooding, how to make kombucha teas and kiefered coconut juice, detoxing and other ‘miraculous’ natural curatives and these do truly restore health and wellbeing. It’s God’s Medicine and it works!
Lokahi
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By: Pamela Δ on September 23, 2009
at 8:57 AM
ThymeCher, there was a discussion about wineglasses back in March. Werner came up with one, his comment is on March 9. (I still like it).
I’m also grateful that Margaret and Helen have invited us all to visit. I, too, have learned so much from so many of you.
I’m actively seeking health through unadulterated food, therapies that have been around for thousands of years, and just plain common sense. Being an asthma sufferer for 30 years, my goal is to eliminate all prescription drugs. I believe it can be done, because I’ve reduced my dependence by half in the last year. Herbs are part of my life, and green tea has been a major contributor to easier breathing. To me, it’s not at all practicing medicine without a license, it’s practicing health. I’m so happy to see there are others at this site who use natural ways to improve health and the quality of their lives.
Love this place!!! 🙂
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By: avotresante Δ on September 23, 2009
at 8:10 AM
Blanca: I just did some scrollin (much more fun than trollin, all you seemingly absent trolls out there) over your name and came to some very witty writings in your blog…. I took the liberty of pasting one little clip form your Persian Pity page as I think folks will get a chuckle in your imagery. Well done, girl!
“It would be easy to criticize Mr. “Ach Dude, I’m In a Dinner Jacket.” The man is a raving lunatic. He’s so certifiable, he makes Michelle Bachmann look sane, and you know that is saying something. ”
“And although everyone on the right has been secretly rooting for old Dumb Nuts to continue to be “President” of the Islamic Republic, it would be nice to see him go. Even though his departure would deal a crippling blow to the Axis of Evil. I mean of late, it really hasn’t been all that axisy. After the free elections in Iraq, it became more of an Axel of Evil.”
“And if the Iranians are successful in ousting Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollah, it will be more like a Pogo Stick of Evil. And that wouldn’t be all that evil, now would it?”
OH, this is a good morning…. there is a new M&H post… whoohooooo!!!
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By: Pamela Δ on September 23, 2009
at 7:34 AM
Good morning, all! Look, I woke up with a wedgie…… well, don’t look that closely!
Aloha, Jean, I never saw the Gate of Spain nor the Horn in my years in wonderland but I got into Hollywood and downtown LA only occasionally and I arrived in CA the last day of “85 and moved back to the south the last month of “99, and the times they had been a changin, from your times there. Oh, to have lived in Ca in the 60s and 70s. I imagine the Love was palpable in the air then. I was involved in sit ins in school, protesting the protestors who were angry about integration. Such an ugly, outrageous time here in the south.
And yes, those sentiments are still present though not displayed so honestly these days. And having a huge influx of folks from around the world move into this Cracker Barrell has definitely diluted the racism and made the South a tolerable and much more interesting place to be culturally.
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By: Pamela Δ on September 23, 2009
at 7:13 AM
Whirled Peas, How about this one for the origin of “Going South”. It seems that go south replaced go west.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sou1.htm
“Contrast that with go south, which is first recorded in the 1970s, though it was uncommon until the beginning of the 1990s, after which it experienced explosive growth. The early evidence suggests it was business jargon: Random House Dictionaries say their first example is from Business Week in September 1974: “The market then rallies, falls back to test its low — and just keeps ‘heading South,’ as they say on the Street.” Note the quote marks around the phrase, showing that the writer considers it slang. The phrase seems to have later been taken over into technical fields such as computing (which needs as many terms for equipment and software failure as it can find), where significant numbers of examples appeared from the early 1990s on.”
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By: Raji on September 23, 2009
at 6:51 AM
I like it when people write opposing view points because everyone on this blog SHINES!!! I love your rebuttals. You all are so intelligent in your responses. You make me proud to be a liberal.
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By: Ann on September 23, 2009
at 6:37 AM
I recently stumbled upon your blog, and I must say you two old broads really have it together. You put me to shame. Keep it up. I love reading good blogs.
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By: Blanca DeBree on September 23, 2009
at 4:10 AM
Just one more thing–
As I reflect over the past day, I am amazed again at how special each of my students are.
Every new school year, I introduce a project called “ME I AM” boxes.
This is a shoe box (I look for thirty boxes from the local shoe store in August) with which the students create a sort of “talking points” to help them share about themselves.
They decorate the outside of the box with pictures, and words to help describe themselves. They place their most treasured items from home inside and bring them to school.
We learn good listening and questioning skills from the ME I AM presentations.
And I learn that the hopes and dreams of our future are sitting in my classroom every day.
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By: vgmanΔ on September 23, 2009
at 2:41 AM
Good middle of the night, folks!
I, too, am thankful to the many people who post here on a regular basis. I have learned much from you ever since, well, about a year ago.
Those were the days……heading into the final stretch……and I still remember how proud I was watching the election night victory crowd and speech from Chicago.
Over the past summer, I enjoyed reading, drinking my coffee, and keeping up with all the flavors of pie offered on this blog. My goal was to have the whole condo painted by summer’s end. But, alas, we only found our way up to the top of the stairs.
Now that school has started back up, I have noticed my reading routine with this blog change.
I usually visit here early in the morning and read a few late-night posts. Then it’s off to work where I have no access to the blog. School computers block access to M&H. (Not that I would ever think of spending valuable time here with 29 students at my elbows!)
Then, when I get home, I enjoy catching up on the day’s conversations.
When I was young, I remember attending fundraising dinners and auctions for my school.
On the table were LOTS and LOTS of pies waiting to be purchased by the highest bidder.
Oh, how good those pies looked!
My partner’s health insurance premiums just doubled last week. Sigh.
Night all!
VGmanΔ
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By: vgmanΔ on September 23, 2009
at 2:26 AM
Hi gang, Pamela and all you SoCal’ers,
Santa Monica reminded me. Once or twice a year in the late 60’s early 70’s, when we could afford it AND a baby-sitter, we used to go to a very fine restaurant there called “The Gate Of Spain”. A little pricy but elegant decor and authentic Spanish food, not Mexican or Tex-Mex. (My husband dotes on Taco Hell for lunch though. I can handle it.)
Then we would go to a nightclub, “The Horn”. Many a big Hollywood and some Broadway stars got his/her start there. We would close down the place at 2:00AM and drive all across LA to home in the San Gabriel Valley.
I wonder if “The Gate of Spain” and “The Horn” are still there. Ahhhh! Fond memories.
Nighty-night,
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
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By: JeanΔ on September 23, 2009
at 1:14 AM
Hi gang and Whirled Peas,
Right on Bruddah! Mahalo nui loa for the “Bookmark” info. I think I can do it. I know I’ve been missing a lot of great da kine links.
Need yo hep s’mo. I’m taking you up on your kind offer of kokua. I have become very fond of my very own blue/purple quilt square. But now that I am a proud possessor of a “Wedge” perhaps it is time to move on to my very own “avatar”.
You will have to hold my hand and very patiently take me step by step through how to do it.
I have scanned a picture and put it in an e mail, (to me). Where do I go from there?
You are very Akamai and Na’auao.
Now gang, it’s up to you to figure out how much of this is English, Hawaiian or Pigin.
If you go to my 8-9 year old web site, (not really a blog), you might want to turn up the sound. Very soothing music I think when you are frazzled. Anybody know who wrote it or where it came from? I have always considered it is a beautiful metaphor for life.
We are off to the big cities of Kapa’a and Lihue tomorrow and to pig out at Pizza Hut on the way home. So I may not get caught up and back here for a day or two.
Aloha! 🙂
Sistah Jean
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By: JeanΔ on September 23, 2009
at 12:36 AM
In case you missed it:
President Barack Obama
on Letterman (32 mins)
And a update/repost from above:
The Obama Plan
In Four Minutes
*Now with easy to understand bullet-points in case you want to send it on to ‘friends’ who might need a little persuading or enlightening.
😉 ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 23, 2009
at 12:20 AM
Hey everyone,
Like JeanΔ says above:
“None of us can possibly acknowledge all the thought provoking comments here. I read every one…”
I do too. My visits are sometimes (mostimes) a ‘post & run’. So if I don’t acknowledge you guys, I’m not ignoring you, I’m just not here that long…but I want add some/my perspective to the thread. I do go back and read every word. I go to your links and websites and even post them elsewhere in my ‘travels’. So thanks to all and I glad that you like my stuff.
I do wanna give a Hat-Tip to…
Thanks alaskapi 9/19 @3:39p:
“and your wedge is but a symbol of fellowship at M & H’s… made and shared by Whirled Peas to all who visit.
Be it a pie wedge, a delta – symbol, of change or any of the myriad of other ideas vest it with, it is first and foremost a symbol of fellowship”
The ‘Wedgie’ Explained
Anyone can use it. Δ Δ Δ Δ
Go ahead, copy and paste it next to your name. I have a little marketing in my background and I wanted an easy symbol to show our M&H solidarity. Each of us a part of the whole. The multi-definitions played to my nature.
I consider it a great
honor to be a ‘Wedgie’.
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 22, 2009
at 11:59 PM
Jean, be glad Whirled Peas got an answer to you first cause I’d be practically useless trying to describe how you do this with a mouse or on a pc. I’ve got an apple ibook which has a heading at the top called Bookmarks and all I have to do it click on it and ask it to save whatever site I’m at and it just does what I tell it to, unlike my MamaSun and 3 kitties most of the time. I would marvel at how it does this but I’l leave that for other folks.
I find the ‘pitchfork” a bit scary, Whirled Peas.
(_)
|| almost works, but is much too labor intensive and besides, the glass is way less than half full….what fun is that?
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By: Pamela on September 22, 2009
at 9:57 PM
It is definitely a pitchfork, could be useful in the future.
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By: no one's puppet on September 22, 2009
at 8:59 PM
Sorry to infer you, as in all or part of the group, are stressed with all the attention paid to the right wing, that actually would be me. I am okay now; I laid in a supply of cabernet and dark chocolate. Now I am as mellow and cool as Helen, without her talent.
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By: no one's puppet on September 22, 2009
at 8:57 PM
Hmm. Looks like a pitchfork to me. That would suit my mischievous nature well, but….
What do you other vinophiles think?
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By: Δ Tine on September 22, 2009
at 8:26 PM
Does this work for ya Δ Tine?
Testing: Ψ
Without a ‘Preview’ button I’m not sure if that will come out here or not. On my screen it kinda looks like a wineglass. It’s the symbol for Phi, underlined.
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 22, 2009
at 8:13 PM
This website
http://www.symbols.net/emoticons/
says this doodad
())=(
is a wineglass emoticon. I guess it does look like one (sideways), but I wish I could find a single character.
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By: Δ Tine on September 22, 2009
at 7:52 PM
JeanΔ,
When you roll your mouse/cursor over your own name (or the following link), does a little window pop open with Jean’s Gatherings in it?
Either way, you should be able to ‘Right-click’ (the other mouse button) to ‘Open Link in a New Window’ or ‘Save/Add Favorite.’
When you ‘Save Favorite’ or ‘Add to Favorites’ (either on the top line of your browser window or with the ‘Right-click Menu) you just made a ‘Bookmark’ so you can return without typing the web address every time.
I’d hate to think all my links are going to waste. 😉
Ask anytime Jean, I’m always glad to help. 🙂
PEACE ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 22, 2009
at 7:51 PM
I regret to inform you that I’ve searched through all my typefaces but (a) could not find a wineglass symbol, and (b) found a martini glass, but it doesn’t translate into the comment box here.
Damn.
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By: Δ Tine on September 22, 2009
at 7:47 PM
Hi gang, Lori, Pamela and Poolman,
Lori and Pamela, you both were so good for my ego with your flattering words. I am grateful for them….. but I just hope you didn’t put a bulls’ eye on my back to take aim at, for a few who don’t share my views. They could decide it’s time to take that Old Broad down a notch and shut her up! Well, so be it. I think you know by now, I can take care of myself.
None of us can possibly acknowledge all the thought provoking comments here. I read every one of them but can’t always pull up some of the links – because I don’t know how. There is plenty about computers I don’t know – YET! For instance, Pamela, please explain to me what and how “Bookmarks” work. I have heard of them but don’t know anything about them at all.
On to the news of the last couple of days. If any of the rumors and talk about John Edwards are true, then I think he is a shit head and a scumbag. The same goes for what’s-his-name Blagdonovitch, former governor of Illinois. (I can’t spell OR pronounce his name.) A “(D)” after a name does not necessarily confer sainthood! As Poolman said about South Carolinians, the decent people there and also those from Illinois must be mortified as well as embarrassed.
That’s all I’ll have to say about those two shit heads and scumbags. And you can quote me!
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
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By: JeanΔ on September 22, 2009
at 7:23 PM
Pamela, I saw your comment on my Airy Fairy blog and it absolutely made my day. Thank you so much!
You are as deserving as anyone else here of cutting and pasting a piece of pie next to your name. None of the rest of us asked, we just did it! HA!
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By: ImaginistaΔ on September 22, 2009
at 7:14 PM
thymeCher, I did my schooling in Santa Monica and just couldn’t leave, it was so beautiful and well, accepting! I never really thought then that I’d want to come home to the south as I always felt a bit of a misfit here, but the south does have its charms! And well, I guess I am stuck with this intense work ethic and lawd knows, we got work to do down here, as lori so eloquently reminds me.
I haven’t yet figured out how to get the pie symbol by my name and didn’t really feel I was quite the regular here it implies, as I have only been reading M&H for the past 3 mths. I do think that you could invert the piece of pie and add a bit of a stem/or l beneath it ???? and have a great looking glass of wine.
I actually have a couple of wine glasses sans stems and so that piece of pie sitting on its tip could suffice just fine as a rebel wine glass! You’re gonna have to try to create it though!
I’m gonna wrestle with MamaSun for a bit and curl up for a movie, me thinks!
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By: Pamela on September 22, 2009
at 6:57 PM
I too am disgusted with the media coverage. There is no such thing as ” liberal media” by the way. The only media there is, is the one that preys upon humanity’s worst qualities: the greed for blood! It’s like we’re back at the Colosseum!
I used to live in Australia, the news coverage there was phenomenal and unbiased. It is the same in Europe.
America is going down the toilet and the media has its hand on the handle!
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By: thedemocraddict on September 22, 2009
at 6:44 PM
Pamela we are kindred souls on different coasts.
Green Tea to start the day and probiotics (Three-Lac is the best) at night, good for the immune system & entire digestive track.
Thanks for the wine tips 🙂 Cheers
BTW we have a symbol for pie, think we need one for wine.
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By: thymeCher on September 22, 2009
at 5:50 PM
lori thank you for your wisdom in post 9/22, 10:06 am, and yes, sometimes that empathy does distract us, yet it is also the beauty within us. Now if that beauty is paired with equal measures of courage, we’ve got a force to reckon with. Obama seems to have them both in spades…umm, no pun or negative imagery intended here. I’m not in the least bit happy about his food safety czar but I’m going to learn more about why he made this choice before I make further judgements.
Imaginista, what can I say? I left you a comment in your site and well, going there just made this day full of signs and portents especially complete. What a wonderful discovery.
thymeCher,
I didn’t get by Trader Joes so instead bought a bottle of Cycle Gladiator, 07, a lovely cab out of Soledad, Ca. I fear I’m beginning to sound like a lush, and I’m really quite the light-weight. I go in fits and bursts with drinking of all things it seems, except my daily strong green teas mixed with yerba mattes in the morning… and I’m off and running through my day …… zoooooom!
no ones puppet, we’re really not stressing and definitely not feeding the beasties.
Delurker Girl: 9/27, 7:38 am:
This is the first I’ve heard of this and it’s insanely scary. I want to get folks off their meds and replace them with herbs and good diets but just replacing one med with another one and their doctor isn’t in the loop: isn’t that practicing medicine without a license?
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By: Pamela on September 22, 2009
at 5:41 PM
From a diary from Sun 9-20-9 Dailykos /
An Aussie Visiting Beckistan – Glenn’s America
“What is the one thing which Fox News has enabled and sought to do since its inception that is so absolutely Un-American that even an Australian can see it and is trying to point it out to you?
My answer:
To diminish the office of the President of the United States of America in the eyes of its citizens.
Think about this :
Fox News waged a disportionate witch hunt campaign over something which never affected Americans in any real way during the Bill Clinton years and distracted the country, continuously running the dignity and honor of the office of the President into the ground 24/7 on national network news.
Fox News helped in every possible way to get elected and to keep the most inneffective United States President, possibly ever, in power for eight years which left America almost a broken country.
Fox News is now endeavouring to destroy the office of your newest President through all means possible. Less than a year into his Presidency. Tying his hands by disabling his administration picks via the tactics of smear, innuendo and easily discreditable conspiracy theories.”
Long but worth the read:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/20/781730/-An-Aussie-Visiting-BeckistanGlenns-America
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By: thymeCher on September 22, 2009
at 4:36 PM
This Modern World
by Tom Tomorrow
What is this country coming to?
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 22, 2009
at 4:12 PM
Steve, the tea party crew is very busy here in Wasilla, and they are openly packing firearms. We did not have armed mobs in the city park during the Bush administration. The nature of the protests and the level of fear and anger these days is quite different, and doesn’t make a good comparison possible.
Also, this is a small town, and I know a lot of those people. There are some who are well educated and have done their homework, and with them I agree on some things and have a respectful difference of opinion on others. There are others who really aren’t that bright and/or that ambitious and are just being led around by the nose by those who have no qualms about preying on other people’s fears and are just trying to make a name for themselves. Very few of either group show up at civic meetings with specific suggestions as to how we can make this a better country in which to live. Of those few who do come, more than half haven’t bothered to read whatever legislation they’ve come to protest, and they usually have some misguided idea as to what’s in the ordinance or resolution that they got third hand from somebody else. It is extremely rare that they make positive suggestions for improvement. They’d be a lot more effective if they’d get their facts straight and show up where it counts with a constructive approach.
A well-reasoned debate about specific issues backed up with source documentation will get people thinking. If that is your goal, you will have to work harder. A negative attitude coupled with generalizations, condescension, and a lack of information isn’t going to work. You don’t stop a fistfight by throwing a punch from the other side.
I hope you don’t just “listen” to the other side, but actually “consider” it. There is a big difference between being involved in an open, respectful exchange of ideas and one side talking to a human wall, (or, if you prefer, talking ‘with’ someone, instead of ‘at’ someone).
Personally, I’m not fond of the “liberal” and “conservative” labels. “Conservative,” in my days of growing up in a Republican household and later as a registered Republican, meant you wanted a small, efficient, government that spent your money wisely and stayed out of your business and personal life. As near as I can tell, “conservative” now often means you don’t care how much government money gets spent, as long as it’s on the things you want, or better yet, personally benefits you, and you have way too much interest in what’s going on in other people’s bedrooms and between them, their doctors, and their clergy.
As for “liberal,” I often hear it uttered by “conservatives” as an invective, and can only assume the person doing so has never bothered to look the word up in the dictionary, for “liberal” is a fine thing to be. Ironically, while the far-right Christian faction is claiming the moral high ground (in between scandals, of course), it’s the “liberals” who are doing what Jesus would do in trying to find ways to look out for their fellow man.
I respectfully suggest we all start concentrating on the issues, one at a time, and forget about the labels and which side we’re supposed to be on.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 22, 2009
at 3:00 PM
Insurance denied because of typo’s…if you spell something wrong, do YOU deserve health coverage?
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/041b5acaf5/protect-insurance-companies-psa
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By: thymeCher on September 22, 2009
at 12:56 PM
I just came home from my grandmother’s funeral, who passed during an operation, which at 80 years old – aren’t they supposed to deny her a chance at life? I mean, she was on medicare! This government run option gave her the option, which was incredible! I would like to hear from those with private insurance who have faced major medical incidents and didn’t run into red tape, denials, corruption or any number of issues those opposed to UHC come up with in opposition of a government run program!
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By: LaDee on September 22, 2009
at 12:56 PM
Pamela, if you scroll over someone’s name and their blog page or website shows up, it is because they have provided that info in that space designated Website right under Name and Email, which means they are quite happy for you to stop on by. I have had some lovely visits from M & H -ers on my site via this comments section. I serve virtual chai lattes at my place. 🙂
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By: ImaginistaΔ on September 22, 2009
at 12:39 PM
Lori is absolutely right; we can deal with other liberals, moderates, and fiscal conservatives, but the Christian Right not so much. I know, because we have some, Christian Right, in our family. Unfortunately, if “The Rapture” doesn’t come through for them in a timely manner, their children won’t be able to get a job or further their education. As far as know, New Jersey is the only state where an attendant pumps gasoline now days. It pains me to report; their children’s history and science lessons come straight from the Old Testament. I ardently support freedom of religion, but sometimes in practice, it is child abuse and/or neglect. Let’s finish this healthcare issue, and move onto education. Our schools need improvement and we need higher standards for home schools as well, since our freedoms depend on a well educated citizenry.
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By: no one's puppet on September 22, 2009
at 12:34 PM
And God bless you, Poolman, for fighting fire and brimstone with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Have some fresh mussels for me, wouldja?
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By: Δ Tine on September 22, 2009
at 12:28 PM
Hello all, I have been down in Hilton Head Island for a family reunion enjoying the sun and surf this week. I just read through all the posts and so feel caught up on all the latest here with M&H. Thank you for all the insightful information. This is one place to find sanity in this world of chaos.
I haven’t run into Joe “you lie” Wilson yet, down here in his neck of the woods. I’ll keep looking. I expected to see a lot of shirts and other articles supporting his outburst and “position”, but most here are pretty quiet about it. Some are embarrassed. I guess it will be telling during the next election to see how many here support him.
Got to eat fresh seafood. Mmmmmm. We don’t get much fresh seafood in Phoenix. I’m going to OD on it, but that is my goal.
I am working on my fundamentalist Christian friends little by little. Most say I have caused them to think about certain things. Some are not posting some of the same rhetoric in the various places that they were. I am making small inroads that I hope will became major roadways soon. I am hopeful. I find it best to use the bible to prove my points. That, afterall, is their authority. They mostly pull scripture out of context and it doesn’t give the true meaning of the passage. This has proved quite productive. It is fighting the good fight.
Well, I’m going out to enjoy more of this glorious place. I’ll check back later. Have a wonderful day and keep up the fight for truth. May God bless all who post and read here, I pray. 😀
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By: Poolman on September 22, 2009
at 11:38 AM
Peckerwoods? Most of the men at that ridiculous excuse for a demonstration were too fat to have had any wood in their peckers for quite some time.
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By: Sfin on September 22, 2009
at 11:20 AM
no one’s puppet,
You are absolutely correct… The teabaggers/Rush-Beck listeners are meaningless when it comes to the big picture and also to the voting population. WE need to focus on doing this healthcare thing without them.
However, we are progressives’ and liberals’, on this site, thus are sensitive to what OTHER people THINK and feel ( empathy really is our worst enemy) … We need to channel that energy into “talking” with our neighbors, writing blogs/editorials that will reach the masses. Make calls to fellow progressives (democrats) and encourage them to do the same. We need to not waste time on arguing with trolls ( BT call out LIES) or trying to convince them they are “wrong”……It is a waste of many people’s talents here….. We can NOT stop at M&H’s blog!
Just because we feel like we “belong” and can vent here, in all reality, we are preaching to the choir…. Instead of getting angry and annoyed at the tone and tenor of THIS site and limit your engagement….. DO MORE!
Was MLK discouraged when he was met with is first critic, even when they were on the same sde?? Did he choose to be silent? Or did he use his TALENTED voice to speak to the greater good?
Please all you talented—-gifted people ( I NOT BEING ONE OF THEM mind you)… PLEASEEEEEEE use your talent and write editorials, hold neighborhood BBQ’s, talk to your friends over the fence line, connect with a person in church… Do whatever you are comfortable doing to make sure we don’t let THIS time… THIS place in history…… slip through our fingers… Use the talents for the greater good ! Lord gave you the gift now make a difference and make healthcare happen…
namaste’
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By: lori on September 22, 2009
at 10:06 AM
Reform or Bust
By Paul Krugman
“It’s time for the president to realize that sometimes populism, especially populism that makes bankers angry, is exactly what the economy needs.”
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 22, 2009
at 9:10 AM
Gonzalez, check out how much attention they are given on this blog. Helen puts things into perpective and then everyone on here goes ape-shit worring about this small minority of a minority. By the time I read their posts, I need a drink, I guess they do too, lot of talk about wine lately. Calm down folks, they feed on your stress.
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By: no one's puppet on September 22, 2009
at 8:57 AM
You ladies keep doing a great job. I also can’t believe that a few thousend nut jobs get all of the coverage. What we need to do is start calling out the media. They have become the problem.
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By: gonzalez on September 22, 2009
at 7:53 AM
I respect a person who is
‘philosophically consistent’. 8)
Today’s Doonesbury
Power to the People! ~ Δ ~ 😉
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 22, 2009
at 7:48 AM
thymeCher, you said “You can request them but the ultimate decision is with your doctor.”
I’d add – and your insurance company.
Most plans have drug lists of what they’ll cover and what they won’t.
Insurance companies are even overriding prescriptions now. You can come home from the pharmacy with a different drug than what your doctor prescribed – not just generic instead of brand name, but a different drug.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 22, 2009
at 7:38 AM
Thank you, Deluker Girl, for the compliment though I don’t think the questions I asked Steve to consider are so astute as they are, hopefully, thought provoking. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll rethink his stance of “equal opportunity hater” and possibly reorganize in a more “Lokahi” way.
I do know so well how tempting it is to just throw out insults. Lori, I thank you right now though may retract that thanks in the days to come, for the link to Theocracywatch. I read just a little bit about he meaning of Dominionism and I laughed because it reminded me of a word I coined that demonstrates just how mean spirited I can be….. hmmm…. I’m weighing in the consequences of sharing this here and though I may get a bit of flack from some Christian folks I offend, let me say I do apologize for the undertone of rudeness inherent in my words definition and just know it comes from the darkness within. I don’t toss it around lightly or often.
Anyways, my word is “old testadementian” and I have said that so many of the folks calling themselves Christian are not embodying Christ’s teachings nor emulating his life and that I believe a more apt moniker for them is “old testadementian, as they are obviously (to my, at this juncture, very small mind) drawing their vehemence towards all things unlike them from the teachings of the old testament.
Now please know that I’m not particularly proud of my mindset when I have said and used this definition but I have said and used it more than once so I have some more reflection to do myself on spiritual purity and tolerance.
Just remember as I remind myself often, we are a work in progress
Lokahi all (Jean you are a wonder and I bookmarked your “Jean’s Gatherings” and am beginning my explorations of its vast stores of fun filled insights and subtle teachings!
To all our relations!
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By: Pamela on September 22, 2009
at 6:12 AM
Astute observations, Pamela @ on September 21
at 2:57 PM.
You can’t make a grand rude entrance and then call people closed minded for not listening. Takes a while to earn respect after insulting people like that.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 22, 2009
at 5:01 AM
Another ironic fact…… the same “elderly” religious right and Beck-Rush listeners that brought them to power are the same people that have taken them out of power. When the repubs relinquished their party to the far right it was the beginning of the end.
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By: lori on September 22, 2009
at 3:16 AM
Pamela, From a political stand point there are areas we can reach out to the religious right. Environmental issues, global humanitarian issues, poverty—– both domestic and abroad, death penalty, to name a few.
Without getting to politicaly wonkish…. I think the YOUNGER members of that particular demographic are becoming less and less one issue voters and are looking at a larger picture and how those issues fit into their beliefs. I found this article to be very interesting and it follows my line of thinking. http://www.theocracywatch.org/ It talks about the Sarah Palin’s of the world and her way of thinking and how it relates to politics and gives you some back ground info on how they came to be.
I think if we move away from the strident “right to life issue” and focus more on the common ground, we could come a long way with our relationship with the religious right. I don’t think for one minute we should abandon that issue and we should remain steadfast in protecting the the right to choose however, we shouldn’t allow that sole issue to overwhelm all other things that we feel are important. We did this with “gun control”. We lost a good deal of our base when we took such a strong stand on the gun issue, consequently we relinquished about 6 years of power to the right in the house and senate(Newtie years) and 8 in the White House (Reagan …. I find that tragically ironic, don’t you?) Not only did we lose the gun battle, we gave away the entire store and consequently almost brought our country to the brink of economical and social ruin..
Your question reminds me of what my kids ask me all the time. Mom, how can I get so and so to do this or that? My answer is always the same. I ask them if they want to “get along” with this person, and if so at what cost. Because we ALLLLLL learn from a very early age how to “get along” with people. The question is what am I willing to do to get along with this person. When they have the answer to that question they can usually figure out what to do.
From a political standpoint, I am willing to try and find common ground on issues that are important to both sides. Education, poverty, death penalty, global humanitarian etc. I think the “faith based initiative” is a good place to start. The 15-20 million people that are Beck-Rush listeners do not represent a big enough demographic for me to worry about reaching. They are mostly old and Rush and Beck don’t have a message that is appealing to anyone under the age of 70 LOL so we won’t have many more years of listening to these asshats! LOL What we DO have to watch out for is a similar message that WILL appeal to the young….
Jean, Virgo eh>? Well that explains why your posts are always perfect..;-) We also know not only are you beautiful on the inside the outside is pretty spectacular too!
Pamela, you do have some inner stuggles don’t ya? LOL —sorry I can’t help but chuckle
namaste… alll
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By: lori on September 22, 2009
at 2:54 AM
Hi gang and Lori,
This evening we were out to dinner with friends in Hanalei Bay, overlooking the most georgeous scenery on the face of the earth. We lifted a glass of White Zin to Peter, Paul and Mary and “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Mary would have been pleased.
A Virgo here, Lori. (Yep! A virgin with three grown sons. Pretty miraculous, don’cha think? )
Personally, I don’t have a problem with cuss words. I use them and for the most part am not offended by hearing them or seeing them in print. I find “shit” a very satisfying word and in times of great frustration, “f***” serves my purpose nicely. However, there is one four-letter word that I find EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE. It starts with “h”.
During the turbulent 60’s that was a word tossed around indiscriminately as it is now. Maybe it has something to do with that three-letter word, “war”. I decided back then to eliminate that four-letter word from my vocabulary altogether. It took a while to train myself, but now after all these years, I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT bring myself to utter or write that word or any of its grammatical variations. I DISLIKE plenty of things. I DISPISE some too. I am capable of LOATHING at times and I really, really, really, really, really, really ABHOR fried eggs. (Gag!) But that other four-letter word. NEVER!
We see and hear lots of stuff that mostly goes in one ear and out the other, especially on TV or maybe talk radio. Or does it? Often it is just company in the background as we go about our business. I think a lot of it goes in that ear and stays. That is, until it comes out of our mouths or our fingertips on the computer keyboard. The wording may change somewhat but the jist of it is there, often in concrete.
On a blog we are at something of a disadvantage as how to express ourselves with only words. Blogs are not gender specific. My “nom-de-plume” here is “Jean”. In French, that spelling is masculine. The French feminine spelling is “Jeanne”.
(“Jean”, “John”, “Sean,” “Johann”, “Juan”, “José” in other languages with feminine spelling equivalents). We are unable to communicate non-verbally with body language, facial expressions and tone of voice.
On the endless repeats of the visual and auditory clips on TV, was there ANY mistaking the wordless meaning of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden’s reactions to the “You lie!” outburst?
To communicate effectively using only the written word requires tremendous skill. In my estimation, Helen is one of the all-time most effective!
In one of my recent comments, I referred to music. I spoke of Richard Wagner’s “Die Walkürie” and that it is FAMILIAR. Now, I can’t hum a few bars here. The closest I can come is, “Da-da-da-DAH-da, da-da-da-DAH-da, da-da-da-DAH-da, da-da-da-DAHHHH! Anybody saying? “So that’s where it came from!”
How about the wonderful musical, “South Pacific”. I have a recent DVD of Reba McIntye as “Nellie Forbush”. She is every bit as superb as Mary Martin in the original Broadway version and Mitzi Gaynor in the movie version. That music is VERY FAMILIAR.
Here in Hawaii, we have three distinctive languages, often intermingled. (Similarly to almost anywhere else in the mainland US.) We have English, Hawaiian and Pidgin. Pidgin is a ‘Lingua Franca’, much more than an accent or dialect. Until we made the effort to ‘catch on’ we couldn’t understand a damn word we heard nor could anyone make out what the hell WE were talking about. It took a little time but now, it’s not a problem at all.
Words matter.
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
P.S. Hawaiian language word for the day. “Lokahi”, just one word. Pronounced “Lo-kah’-hee.) It means harmony when we sing together; creating unity and finding ways to agree; teamwork and cooperation when working together. Just one word. Many meanings.
Do you think a little “ M&H Lokahi” will send “Fox News” a message to clean up its act? The more offensive ones can go ahead and find a street corner anywhere, put down a tin cup and exercise their First Amendment Rights to their hearts content. It’s a free country!
Lokahi!
Namesta!
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By: JeanΔ on September 22, 2009
at 1:47 AM
Donna, thanks for your explanation about the ability of Ms. Taitz to file lawsuits everywhere she wants. It seems to me that ANY lawyer accredited in another state who would sponsor Ms. Taitz’s PHV status merely so that she can file these patently frivolous lawsuits is also ethically-challenged. At the very least.
I don’t get to stop by every day, so my response is late. But I did appreciate your taking the time.
***********
jsri: my younger son was born outside the US (in the developing world) in the 60s and his father (my ex since the late 70s) was not a US citizen at the time of his birth. The US Consulate in the country of his birth issued his US birth certificate after we had presented papers from the clinic where he was born, signed by the doctor of record. To get an authenticated copy of that certificate, we must write to the US Department of State in Washington, DC.
If Obama had NOT been born in the US, as is alleged by Orly & Co, his birth certificate would not be on record in Hawaii at all.
But little things like facts don’t trouble these people.
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By: Voltairesneighbor on September 22, 2009
at 12:33 AM
Men that carry fancy, schmancy guns in squeaky holsters are suffering from short penis syndrome.
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By: Homewrecker on September 21, 2009
at 10:30 PM
thymeCher, thanks so much for that clip…. LOLROTF. “Do you have gum in your mouth? Spit it out”
OK, all my kitties are snoring round me and I gotta go to bed now. Night all and to all a good night.
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 9:49 PM
It seems much more than 5 years ago that I saw Sideways and I remember really liking it. I may have to revisit it.
You might enjoy ‘Bottle Shock’, based on the true story of Napa Valley vineyards entry into world class recognition when competing against French ‘elitist’ wine connoisseurs (yikes, spelling!)
If you get a chance, try a bottle of Scarlot Fox, from Fox Wineries (no relationship to Murdock, at least I don’t think so….sigh) I’ve cut and pasted this bit about them and it is the most delectable cab I remember tasting. There’s this tricky little hitch about enjoying more than one glass of wine…. Remembering its name and other elusive details ….hmmm
Anyways, Scarlot Fox is so fine.
I’m going to be near Trader Joes tomorrow, though mines down in Roswell, Georgia, so not likely to take away from your potential stash.
Thanks, Trader Joes, for 2 buck chuck too. It’ll do in a pinch!
Fox Vineyards & Winery
Their signature Scarlet Fox, a sweet cabernet, isn’t the only thing drawing connoisseurs to Fox Vineyards & Winery. Since 1983, wine production, tours and tastings have enticed visitors from throughout the country to the quaint town of Social Circle. Just four miles from the famous Blue Willow Inn, Fox Vineyards offers 13 different award-winning vintages. Call (770) 787-5402 for more information.
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 9:42 PM
Trailer with Miles comment on Merlot
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 9:25 PM
“I think I need another glass of merlot!”
Pamela,
Thought about the line in ‘Sideways’ one of my most favorite movies, (from a cab sav gal).
A movie about Merlot, this one’s for you…
BTW Trader Joe’s has a limited supply of absolutely the best 2006 cab sav Reserve from Stagecoach Vineyards. I’m going to be sorry for posting this becasue I want it all for myslef.
Overtones of blackberry, currents, touch of chocolate, full bodied, well balanced and is as smooth as silk.
Wish I could put the taste into words, but it is heaven in a bottle for $9.99!!! 🙂
Get out of the way two buck chuck.
Cheers!
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 9:04 PM
alaskapi, I was definitely in a listening mood when I started to engage my coworker. All he was interested in though, was to point out that President Obama, having criticized the engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan is still maintaining the troups in those countries. Therefore, easy to fill-in the blanks…”Liar, dishonest man at the helm!” I am sure, were it not for continuity and orderly withdrawls considerations, the President would have withdrawn from Iraq the day after the elections. Admire your tough yet gentle woman stance on life! Way to go lady!
Pamela, thanks for taking your time explaining things to Steve. I am loving it to see your exchange with Lori. Bringing big smiles to my sleepy face.
Whilred Peas, thanks for all the videos and amusing tid bits. Almost always bring smiles to my face. Loved the one on the signs in DC!
Jean and Granma Katie loved your posts!
This site inspired by Helen and Margaret is a magnet for really smart people! I always learn something new every time I visit. Thanks all!
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By: Easier on September 21, 2009
at 8:57 PM
Actually, lori, my rising is Libra, Sun is Aquarius and Moon is most likely Virgo, cause I definitely feel the Virgins influence in my life. No details now!
I am trying to decide if I’m gonna go scrolling over all yall’s names… this could be quite the evening. I think I need another glass of merlot!
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 7:59 PM
Well, lori, I’m glad you find humor in this situation but I’ve found it to be at the root of my basic struggles: feminine warrior versus spiritual healer and I gotta tell you, it’s not FUN!!!!
I have to fight for justice in this world and I don’t want to fight anymore, so must find another way…. go ahead and LYAO.
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 7:52 PM
MicheleOmega,
I just discovered. quite by accident but oh so fortuitously, how when I move the cursor over your name, a page comes up that is most beautifully done.
I imagine you were telling M&H you loved them (though some part of my ego wanted to think you were responding to my post) but I gotta tell you that I love your typepad page and the exceptional photos in 1 month, 2 sisters, 2 cameras…. and the sound track Keep Breathing… I could definitely find my feminine in her voice and words! I’ll listen more.
I love the intimacy of these views into you folks and your lives! Yet, I have to ask myself am I supposed to go there? Does this make me a voyeur? Am I invited into this place I’ve just discovered exists?
Did all of you regulars here know you can scroll over someones name and find their websites, typepads and other blogs?
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 7:46 PM
LOL I’ll bet rising in Virgo, moon in Pisces.. LMAO Mars in Aries.!!!!!! Lord have mercy!
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By: lori on September 21, 2009
at 7:29 PM
Hey, lori. I’ll look forward to your thoughts on my ? as I am definitely wanting to put more focus there.
My sun is aquarius and my moon is Virgo, though was once told my moon is Pisces. It’s my mars in Aries I have to watch out for LOL
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 7:26 PM
Delurker: you out there? Orly filed a brief today in the Central District of California. It’s perhaps her craziest yet–not her stupidest (that was in Georgia) but the most blithering, legally unfounded. Hearing on the motion in early October and I am morally certain the case will be tossed.
Next stop: her brief attacking the judge in Georgia. That will be truly one for the ages.
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By: Donna on September 21, 2009
at 7:25 PM
*IF not your sun sign.
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By: lori on September 21, 2009
at 7:18 PM
P.S. Pamela, I’ll bet my last dollar you have very strong Virgo in your chart… I not your sun sign. 😉
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By: lori on September 21, 2009
at 7:16 PM
lol Now this new Anonymous poster is a bright one isn’t he/she? You don’t suppose SP gave us a little visit do you?
nice catch Donna and Stacey Jsi… high fives
Pamela I need to sleep on your thought provoking questions! I can see the effects of a new moon in Virgo ( new beginnings new things)and Venus entering Virgo (total immersion in a new project or an attempt to “start” anew) in your posts! 😉 I’ll give it some deep thought tomorrow I promise! LOL
namaste all..
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By: lori on September 21, 2009
at 7:15 PM
My complaint has been lodged!
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 7:14 PM
thymeCher,
I gotta tell you that the fcc makes it really difficult to lodge these complaints cause they want to know exactly what time and date the offense(s) occurred.
So now I have to actually go and listen to some Limbaugh to get specifics….. gag and gasp! And now I know that Steve or Craig or some other right leaning Tower of Pizza is gonna jump all over me for complaining against that which I know nothing about because I have completely sworn off listening to these hate mongers!
I’m so sorry to read about the 3 year old being denied coverage for the pre-existing condition of diaper rash…. I imagine that could be a precedent establishing ruling as we all have had diaper rash at some time in our lives, so they can justify denying coverage for just about anything.
I do think most of the hate mongers out there have never gotten over their diaper rash and I can almost understand their meanness.
It does go a long way to explaining the dribble/drivel/diarrhea coming out their mouths.
I’m gonna go back and figure out the time of day that Rush spews his drivel and make that complaint now.
Ciao, bella
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 6:43 PM
Big pharma is just as bad.
Consider this. Why does big pharma have commercials for prescription medications? You can’t shop for them. You can request them but the ultimate decision is with your doctor. As a sales tool the commercials are horrendous, the side effects sound worse than the disease.
So…why? Because when you buy air time you make the media outlet less likely to say something negative about your product. 100,000 people die a year from the misapplication of prescription medicines? That should be a big story, shouldn’t it? Anti-depression medication that actually induces suicidal behavior. Should be big? By placing commercials on TV they are (to use a medical term) inoculating themselves from media scrutiny.
Notice how thick with ads Parade and Reader’s Digest are these days? It takes BIG buck$$$$
to do this kind of brain washing.
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 6:27 PM
There was an article in our local paper a while back about a family whose 3 year old was denied treatment for leukemia, even though they had Blue Shield insurance.
The baby had a pre-existing condition,
diaper rash.
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 6:22 PM
Whirled peas …. loved how President Obama credited McCain for his call during the campaign for health insurance protection for those with pre-exisiting conditions. Purely Inspirational!
The time for bickering is OVER! Yeah baby!
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 6:11 PM
Military families have already taken a stand (letter link below). And we urge other citizens to do so too–by lodging 10 million (minimum of) complaints.
Here is your complaint form, citizens start complaining:
http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
Voice your complaint against this irresponsible media outlet today. To quote our military families “to stop these ongoing, long running, assault campaigns“.
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 6:02 PM
Great suggestion from hiteminthewallet.wordpress.com
call South Carolina department of tourism and tell them you won’t be vacationing in their fair state, due to Wilson’s discourteous behavior and lack of decency. Need the number? Telephone 1 803 734-1700 or email medmonds@scprt.com.
It’s been a rain filled day here in the North Georgia mountains and this girls gonna feed the critters and self. Wish I had another piece of that yum deli icious chocolate pecan pie but I do think I’ve got a glass of merlot that will do in a pinch. There’s so much reading and discovery you folks incite!
A thought of inquiry to well, anyone who wants to think and respond about it. How do we women create our realities in the world using our feminine energy?
Namaste
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 5:59 PM
The Obama Plan
In Four Minutes!
It’s nice to share ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 21, 2009
at 5:27 PM
More than that, kitkat, can we ask for their apology for inciting racial violence (see Troy Dale West beating of Tasha Hill at Georgia Cracker Barrel) and demand that they cut Beck, Limbaugh, and Hannity and other hate mongers from their programming.
Thanks to ThymeCher 9/21 3:53 pm for posting the link to lodge complaints against Fox news.
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 5:14 PM
Letter sent to the Department of Defense
“As military families we are disturbed by your choice to advertise on the Fox News website, and, to air the Fox TV Network at military installations, worldwide. The approach taken by this media outlet, with shows showcasing Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly; all supporting Rush Limbaugh’s views. And, their choice of attack methods, in regards to our Commander and Chief, the 44th President of the United States, referencing race.
It started with the magic Negroe song, then email circulars, the most disturbing being, the one with the watermelon patch. Calling our first lady names, such as, angry black woman, and, only, God knows what other ugly names she has been called. We cringe when we think about it. In addition to, referring to the White House, as the Black House. The assaults, seem to continue on and on. Escalating to the point of, dropping all respect, and calling the President of the United States of America, a racist. And, without shame, openly promoting the teabagger and birther movements; which are ongoing, long running, assault campaigns.
We would like to see the United States become more united, and, American people working together towards the betterment of all citizens. Continously exposing us to these divisive, racially motivated campaigns, only serve to divide the military community and our families, when we rely on each other, while, stationed overseas.
This line of assault simply must change, along with your sponsorship.
With the racial rhetoric and the consistent assaults on our Commander and Chief, how long do you think, we, the military community, will continue to support each other, when we see the department of defense sponsoring shows and campaigns that promote hate? Please, pull your advertising and support from these types of shows, websites and media outlets, therefore, stopping all patronage.”
Thank you, Military Families, United
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By: Anonymous on September 21, 2009
at 4:49 PM
Can we inundate Fox news with emails stating that we think they are the biased news station?
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By: kitkat on September 21, 2009
at 4:46 PM
Pamela, don’t forget, number of states won by Obama: 28 + DC + Nebraska’s 2nd district. Number of states won by McCain: 22
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By: kitkat on September 21, 2009
at 4:44 PM
i love you.
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By: michele on September 21, 2009
at 4:37 PM
Thanks Whirled Peas…. love Doonesbury! That “Hell no, we won’t go” had me lol and the Teabaggers signs: what they said and what they meant…
I do wonder when we’re going to start seeing the Miraculous appearances of the image of Sarah Palin in fall leaves and bird droppings. I think we’ll be witness to these miracles shortly before 2012
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 4:22 PM
Letter sent to the Department of Defense
“As military families we are disturbed by your choice to advertise on the Fox News website, and, to air the Fox TV Network at military installations, worldwide. The approach taken by this media outlet, with shows showcasing Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly; all supporting Rush Limbaugh’s views. And, their choice of attack methods, in regards to our Commander and Chief, the 44th President of the United States, referencing race.
It started with the magic Negroe song, then email circulars, the most disturbing being, the one with the watermelon patch. Calling our first lady names, such as, angry black woman, and, only, God knows what other ugly names she has been called. We cringe when we think about it. In addition to, referring to the White House, as the Black House. The assaults, seem to continue on and on. Escalating to the point of, dropping all respect, and calling the President of the United States of America, a racist. And, without shame, openly promoting the teabagger and birther movements; which are ongoing, long running, assault campaigns.
We would like to see the United States become more united, and, American people working together towards the betterment of all citizens. Continously exposing us to these divisive, racially motivated campaigns, only serve to divide the military community and our families, when we rely on each other, while, stationed overseas.
This line of assault simply must change, along with your sponsorship.
With the racial rhetoric and the consistent assaults on our Commander and Chief, how long do you think, we, the military community, will continue to support each other, when we see the department of defense sponsoring shows and campaigns that promote hate? Please, pull your advertising and support from these types of shows, websites and media outlets, therefore, stopping all patronage.”
Thank you, Military Families, United
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 4:17 PM
The most important numbers
Votes for Obama 66,882,230
Votes for McCain 58,343,671
Only one set of numbers count: the electoral votes, and there we have, Obama-365 to McCain-173
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 4:08 PM
A different look at
‘Teabagger Signage’.
.
“What It Said” / “What It Meant”
😉 ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 21, 2009
at 4:07 PM
deja vu 9-12 Beckapalooza
“A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge hammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one’s will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic. And yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp.” – From George Orwell’s ‘1984’
Good one from HuffPo
Fox News Wants You To Send Them Instances Of Media Bias
Yes, you heard that right. If you see something fishy on the news, Fox News Watch wants you to send them an email. So let’s say you see something fishy on a news network that brags about being “fair and balanced,” you can report it at newswatch@foxnews.com.
The Open Call for American Citizens to Take Action Against Fox News Network, Mark Williams, Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh is working!!!!
Our media has gone from reporting the news, to inciting news. Our lives are being affected by the twisted reporting. They report it, and we have to live with the aftermath of it.
Stop the distorted reporting, by Fox News and Company–Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Chris Wallace, Bill O’Reilly, along with Mark Williams, Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh.
Keep lodging those fcc complaints:
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By: thymeCher on September 21, 2009
at 3:53 PM
i could not agree more. i said in my blog this morning almost the same thing. i am amazed by the fact that some people can’t put their heads together to improve the national health care crisis. it ain’t political, it is PERSONAL
Goddess
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By: ramblingsingleparentgoddess on September 21, 2009
at 3:42 PM
Anonymous on September 21, 2009
at 3:03 PM
In the future you may wish to stay away from copying verbatim from the site (Snopes) that is debunking the points you are trying to make.
Really pathetic and dishonest!
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By: jsri on September 21, 2009
at 3:37 PM
Not to mention that if the statistics ARE true (questionable) every SINGLE one of them can be attributed to liberals tending to live in more urban areas and conservatives tending to live in more rural areas.
And conservatives being on larger land does not mean they are paying more taxes – ever compared taxes between an acre in say, rural eastern Oregon and one in New York? Pretty sure they aren’t the same.
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By: stacey on September 21, 2009
at 3:28 PM
actually, don’t take my word for it. Go to Professor Olson’s page at the Hamline website. He is sufficiently concerned about the lies being attributed to him that he says, in part, “It is entirely BOGUS as to my authorship.” (emphasis in orignal).
So, Anonymous: perhaps you’d do well to check your sources rather than to perpetuate and spread bullshit.
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By: Donna on September 21, 2009
at 3:16 PM
I luv Doonesbury!
A wonderful mix of current events and historical perspective. 8)
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 21, 2009
at 3:15 PM
I’d suggest you go to Snopes–that has been discredited in its entirety. Professor Olson (who happens to be at “HAMLINE” rather than “Hemline”) has disavowed every having made those statements.
Thank you, Anonymous, for proving the accuracy of Helen’s post about the lack of intellect on the part of a number of those who oppose the President and his policies. Validation is always welcome.
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By: Donna on September 21, 2009
at 3:11 PM
Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning thePresidential election:
Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1
Professor Olson adds: “In aggregate, the map of the territory Republicans won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.
Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare…”
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the “complacency and apathy” phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase.
If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.
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By: Anonymous on September 21, 2009
at 3:03 PM
Valley Independent,
Yes, that is a reprint of the Frank Schaeffer article. I do believe your stance is the only effective one to take when dealing with fearful and angry folks who spout off with the irrational soundbites they’ve been fed for years. Its my challenge to stay in that place where I am willing to reach out and find our commonalities. John Lennon had the ability to IMAGINE a better world and Martin Luther King inspired us with a DREAM and when I get discouraged by all the venomous hate I hear around me, I find hope again through theirs and others messages.
Steve, you make me laugh with your references to “hippie, tree huggin pansies! If Jesus were in front of you, I suppose you’d insult him!
Steve, consider this.
You say your posts are to get people thinking, to consider the ‘other side’. But in reading your posts, I find you contentious and rude for the sake of being contentious and rude.
You appear to have fun hurling generalized insults. This is one of the best ways to shut down meaningful dialogue and raise peoples ire, definitely not the way to attain accord and find solutions.
Do you just like to fight for the sake of fighting? What value is there in that?
IMHO, Steve, you throw out bile to try to thrash folks on this site and you do it for the fun of it, it seems. This is a waste of time and keeps adding to the problem of divisiveness. Can we move beyond this?
I’ve pasted some of your previous posts here, and I ask you to consider if there isn’t a more effective way to get your messages across.
“Steve: I am sure this will not make it. The one thing about that march was at least those people had to take off work. Unlike at the million man march. Those people were mostly on welfare and food stamps with no jobs. The problem with American is we are getting soft due to all the hippy tree huggin, panzies”
“Steve: I have a problem with calling all the protesters rednecks. So some people spelled stuff wrong on their signs, who cares. By the way those ghetto thugs spell DOG = DAWG.”
“Here is proof that the hippy tree huggers have no clue……we’re terriers (with unrepentant liberal parents)”
“Steve: Well this blog and most of the comment made are againt the “redneck, uneducated, toothless” people. Just felt like turning it around for a second. The problem is that racism comes more from the non-whites now a days. I don’t have a problem with, well actually I am an equal opportunity hater. I give everyone an equal chance to piss me off. So it is ok for people to say…redneck, white trash, toothless hillbilly, but don’t talk that way about people of any other color. That is all BS.”
“Steve: The ghetto wouldn’t be the ghetto if people took a little pride in their neighborhood.”
“Steve: I am educated, I was in the military and served our country in Iraq. I wonder how many of you on this site have been in the military and actually have done something for the rights you have. Oh yeah I am also a gun totin, country boy from PA.”
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 2:57 PM
Mageen
I think it was Bernard Baruch
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By: jsri on September 21, 2009
at 2:23 PM
What point is there in aggravating a scared mob? They are a small minority within a minority; yes they get a lot of media coverage, so do train wrecks.
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By: no one's puppet on September 21, 2009
at 2:18 PM
the first “czar” in Washington was the guy FDR picked to gin up the extra rubber we needed to win WWII. The guy actually did a great job which established precedence for FDR’s successors. This was really popular under GWB who had 47.
I only wish I could remember the name of FDR’s win the war czar.
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By: Mageen in Old Virginny on September 21, 2009
at 1:42 PM
ValleyIndependent
Think about how the other side felt while Bush was president. All the people on the other side protesting. I have made some crazy post that people might not agree with. They were more to get people thinking than anything. I certainly don’t think that everyone that attended the million man march was uneducated and jobless. I was just putting out a counter to what was said about this past protest. I am actually very willing to sit and listen to the other side. People often ask how my girlfriend and I get along as she leans to the liberal side while I lean toward the conservative side. Funny it works because unlike a lot of people on here, I am actually willing to listen to the other side. If most of the people that thought my posts were crazy would take a minute and reread their posts they might just realize that what they are saying is their opinions and just because someone doesn’t agree it doesn’t make them any less educated then they are.
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By: Steve on September 21, 2009
at 1:39 PM
Pamela, I found this post on Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis and it sounds like the one you are referring to.
http://www.divasblueoasis.com/diary/847/francis-schaeffers-article-subversives-from-within-reposted
It is very scary. I wish I knew the best way to counter people who don’t care if they play by the rules or not. Becoming like them is no more an option than giving up and letting them have their way. So, for now, I smile and talk to people wherever I can, like in line at the post office and the grocery store, and when I hear outrageous things, I ask where they’ve gotten that information, and try to share a little of what I’ve seen on the other side of the argument. Being confrontational doesn’t work, and trying to change opinions in the midst of angry mobs not only doesn’t work, but can be dangerous. I’m thinking we’re going to have to build that base one person at a time, and I’m more than willing to offer up a chat over pie if I think it will help. I love my country. My father and my uncle both served in the military. I am not willing to stand by idly and let a bunch of paranoid, ranting, uninformed, armed, tantrum-throwing, irrational maniacs overthrow the truly amazing democratic republic established by our very wise founding fathers just because they lost the last election and our country has turned into a very interesting and colorful mix of people that don’t all look and think like they do. They aren’t “taking the country back,” they’re trying to create a country that would have our founding fathers spinning in their graves.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 21, 2009
at 1:23 PM
Oops, hadn’t finished my thoughts before mishitting a key! I am wondering if there is some way to EFFECTIVELY dialogue with the ‘religious right” and inspire a condition of community on a national level. I do know many of these folks and in their hearts they are mostly good folks who are being brainwashed by the Becks and Rush’s so that they come from a place of FEAR. And I know first hand that when I am in a place of FEAR, all I can do is react. How can we share our concerns which I think we all have in common and make these changes we desperately need?
Tine, you’re pie was most appreciated and it definitely has a place on the peace porch! I do believe that reaching out with ‘pie’ and listening are essential in this process. Maybe we need more town hall meetings with an agenda of social discourse and dialogue to find common ground and ways to work together.
Helen post 9/20, 12:31 link to ‘NalinPalinnow.blogspot.com’ was both disturbing and educational (well, the Tina Fey “speech” was quite funny). I read past the speech to the piece “Palin & Co. Subversives From Within” by Frank Schaeffer, and that’s the d&e I refer to. I have cousins and friends who homeschool and some of them are also very conservative christian folks. Now I tend to be more spiritual than ‘religious’ and I know they have feared for my soul at times. It is only in talking with them about my beliefs that they have seen the common thread that runs through our differences and they step out of judging the unknown to acceptance of my of my basic goodness. I believe these folks can be reached, we’ve just got to keep reaching out cause they’re in fear and can’t reach out as easily.
alaskapi, valley independant, lori, donna, greydog, I’ll keep coming back to read your sane thoughts!
Anyone have thoughts on how to build a base of community political activism where we all can get to know each other better and see we’re really all pretty much the same, no matter our political stance or religious creed.
Namiste all!
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 12:18 PM
Wonderful and thought provoking posts, as usual. I really admire so many of you folks here and will continue coming back to learn and listen and think.
Auntie Jean your post on 9/18, at 9:53 was beautifully written and brilliant. “The matador is going to wreck havoc no matter how lively he steps”
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By: Pamela on September 21, 2009
at 11:40 AM
Peas…. GREAT article.. Thanks for sharing. I thought I read that site from top to bottom apparently NOT!
I don’t think things are getting more polarized. I think it is only the fringe element has a larger bully pulpit. AND the they would LIKE you believe we are a divided nation.
Take this years election results ..Obama won by a HUGE margin, in all ways… Geographically, popular vote and electoral vote. Just for shits and giggles compare the election returns for the last decade. You will see the CLEAR political picture.
namaste”
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By: lori on September 21, 2009
at 11:07 AM
Grandma Katie on September 21, 2009
at 9:35 AM
Because I was born during the Hoover administration, it makes me feel sort of funny addressing someone younger than I am as Grandma.
Nevertheless, I was born in a New England mill town where neighborhoods were segregated by ethnic backgrounds because each individual mill owner imported and paid steerage fares for immigrants from a different country to prevent poaching by competing owners. So by the time I was ready for first grade I knew every ethnic pejorative that existed and how to use them effectively. However, I didn’t like it when they were applied to me so I also learned never to use them.
I also served a hitch in the Navy near the end of WWII and learned that ethnic hatreds could be dangerous, especially when mouthed by those raised south of the Mason-Dixon line. So it is really puzzling when I see people from our generation holding up signs disparaging President Obama with overt racist comments and referring to him as another Hitler. I would think that having lived through that historic period people of our age group would know better.
I think the level of hatred is getting out of hand and unfortunately I have no idea how to stop it. Like you, I would love to have everyone live by the Golden Rule but there are too many ugly voices out there that think otherwise and right now, they seem to have the upper hand..
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By: jsri on September 21, 2009
at 10:18 AM
I could not agree more. We don’t have “news” anymore, just “infotainment” that sorely lacks in the “info” department. These people are proof of that. After all, they were “infromed” by FOX.
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By: Inkberries on September 21, 2009
at 9:59 AM
none
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By: Anonymous on September 21, 2009
at 9:56 AM
BTW: I got that last link from an excellent diary that all you history lovers will want to read:
Yo, Pundits! Here’s What’s
Up With the Republicans.
“…the toxic meme that only [Republicans] and those who conform to [Republican] values are “real Americans” and that African-Americans, Latin Americans, Jews, Muslims, liberals, coast-dwellers, freethinkers, etc. are not, as well as the willingness eagerness to go to war against Iraq because we had been attacked by a group of Saudis operating from a base in Afghanistan. (In this case, for some reason, New Yorkers did qualify as real Americans — perhaps because it offered an excuse to fight.)”
“And the paranoia about Barack Obama’s presidency becomes clear as day: He’s a successful, African-American, peace-loving, cool-tempered, inner-light intellectual in a partnership of equals with a strong, professional wife . . . and he shows great personal leadership and ability to influence others and inspire loyalty. He’s an excellent thane — leading the enemy. No wonder they’re terrified.”
“The Republican Party has become the captive of a single cultural faction that is unwilling to compromise and unable to moderate its anxiety-warped view of the world. The rest of the nation is fed up with this faction and wants to move forward, not anxiously cling to the past. The teabagger protests, 9/12 movement and other antics of the right wing are the spasms of a culture that never learned to look toward the future and sees every “other” as an enemy. It fights because it doesn’t know what else to do.“
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 21, 2009
at 9:42 AM
I was born just at the beginning of the depression.
Growing up during th ose years was ot easy.
My parents were raised in the Midwest when being racist was common.REmnants of the Civil war.
However, my brother and I were raised to be respectful of every one regardless of who they were. RAce or predjudice was not mentioned.
So therefore my brother and I brought home all k inds of interesting people!!
I never knew that they had any predjudice until I had married and had a family.
Imagination how my mother would h ave reacted to having a granddaughter marry some one of a different race and have bi-racial great grandchildren! However she felt she would have been verypolite and smiled and when she got to know them, she would be pleased.
The point I am trying to make is that why can’t we live by those principals today. Treat everyone with respect. In other words the Golden Rule.
My father was a barber who worked for many year s for someone else. Then he was able to buy his own shop. The first rule of the shop was no discussion of religion or politics. He said h e had heard too many fights over those subjects.Consequently he had customers who stayed with him for years.
Unnnfortunately the trolls keep coming around, and sometimes the GoldenRule is difficult to follow. ESpeccially when the trollls are so an gry and self righteous in believing their way is the only way.
Treat evryone as you would like to be treated yourself.
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By: Grandma Katie on September 21, 2009
at 9:35 AM
Steve-
As the favorite hippie-commie-librul-feminazi-weirdo of my conservative friends and family
AND the favorite throwback-redneck-blue dog-plumber (of all dang things) weirdo of my liberal friends and family,
I invite you to ignore triggers like name calling- whether it’s part of an insult or a joke…
as best you can…
and move on to have some pie…
and conversation about things which matter to all of us.
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By: alaskapi on September 21, 2009
at 9:31 AM
Quoting Anon 9/20@6:02p:
“And if spelling were a prerequisite for citizenship, we conservatives (racists, according to you) would FAR outdistance the liberals.”
I could link to so many misspellings it would blow your mind. But I found a great compilation instead.
*w/ composite pic & (sic) transcript
Misspelled Protest Signs…
aka the Low Hanging Fruit.
Quick note: Nobody ever said all conservatives are racist, but most racists are conservative.
Just sayin’ 😉 ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 21, 2009
at 9:17 AM
HoneyJoRumples
I never said that my opinion was more important than anyone elses. I appreciate what your dad did for this country.
My comment about the million man march was in response to comments on this blog about all the people at the protest being..stupid, redneck, toothless hillbillies that took of work. I am more than willing to listen to both sides. I just find it frustraiting when others don’t. People who ever they are have no problem talking bad about the other side of the coin, but when someone does it to their side they get pissed. Just my point, you can call a country white guy a redneck, hillbilly and that is fine but if I use any racial statement about a black person, Hispanic person or any other race then I am wrong because I am white. Just trying to get people to think about the other side.
Again thanks to your dad for his service to our great country.
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By: Steve on September 21, 2009
at 8:53 AM
Alaskapi, thanks for sharing that story.
I grew up in a non-traditional household with a strong mother and a father that wanted a boy and got me instead, so for a good portion of my life it never occurred to me that there was anything I couldn’t or shouldn’t do based on my gender. Only later did I run into such things – the first time when I was told I couldn’t call a client to get what I needed to finish his project. Turns out he wouldn’t talk to any of the women doing the actual work on his account; me, my supervisor, or her supervisor. He would only talk to the male partner assigned to his account. He paid $230 an hour for what he could have had for $85. There truly is a price to be paid for stupidity, and we laughed all the way to the bank.
Later on, as a new hire in a male-dominated industry, I was told by one of the women in the company to watch out for a particular male worker, who was known to be very offensive. It didn’t take long to figure out that while his language was heavily salted with expletives, he was one of the least offensive people in the place. His expressions were apt, often funny, and were not used with the intent to offend anybody. (Unfortunately, she turned out to be very offensive, though I never heard her utter a cuss word.)
I’ve observed the following about people: Smiles are usually returned. Listening is generally appreciated, and a good way to find out where the other person is coming from, which is a helpful thing to know if you want to work constructively with them. Sometimes what was said wasn’t quite what was meant, and we all have our moments where we aren’t as articulate as we’d like. Most people want the same basic things – a little dignity, meaningful work, food, clothing, shelter, and a better life for their kids than what they had growing up. Only rarely is somebody all good or all bad – mostly they’re just human, with good days and bad, like the rest of us. (The woman I noted above was horrible to work with, but she and her family took it upon themselves to adopt two less fortunate families in the neighborhood, anonymously supplying complete meals and gifts at the holidays.) Sometimes well-meaning people are mad because they’ve been misled to believe something outrageous is true. It’s worth an attempt to gently find out where they got their misinformation and educate them. Sometimes it even works. There are only a few complete jerks in the universe, and they will eventually get what’s coming to them without any assistance from me, so while it’s worth a try to reason and find common ground with them, they aren’t worth losing any dignity or sleep over if it doesn’t work. (Incidentally, they’re often the ones who misled their well-meaning friends and neighbors, who tend to be furious when they find out they’ve been used and have publicly made fools of themselves for no good reason.)
As you can see, I’m a long way from mastering the art of gracefully dealing with people, so I’ll keep checking back to learn from the many wise voices here.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 21, 2009
at 8:41 AM
Alaskapi, I’m going to remember your story whenever I feel like pinching someone’s face off. I have no idea what that means, but it sounds about as ornery as I feel toward various idiots on a daily basis. Thanks, and I mean it. Really.
Good morning, all! I salute you on the last day of summer. 🙂
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By: Δ Tine on September 21, 2009
at 5:50 AM
Easier-
I think sometimes it’s just asking people why… Why did your coworker think it so important our soldiers just come home? Sometimes it doesn’t matter what we think or whether we disagree …
Sometimes it’s just listening…
The last 8 years we have all gotten insulted or dismissed so often , we maybe have forgotten there are just times to listen.
Don’t know what was going on with your coworker but I’ve talked with many ex-service men and women from earlier wars, the last few years, who are furious that we’ve put another round of young folks in front of guns to satisfy some dingy whim of whupped up politicos they can hardly stand it. They just want our young people to come home.
All that kind of thing is very different than the teabag-wasters…
ValleyIndependent Δ, judith, lori…
This whole set of questions about how to work toward dialogue has stirred up old memories for me…
I’ve always held non-traditional jobs for a woman, as the saying goes.
Thirty some years ago I was peeling poles to make fence posts in the shopyard when a gent strolled into the yard. Folks did, now and again, asking for directions …
When I asked him what he needed he countered with “Well! you people do everything these days don’t you?!”
I can be pretty dim sometimes and I started to tell him what all the outfit I worked for did do.
He got that red in the face, start of bulging eyeballs thing going and interrupted with ” No, I mean you… you… you women!”
Having put up with more than my fair share of some of my coworker’s stupid tricks and insults for a few years I REALLY, REALLY wanted to pinch his face off…
( don’t ask me how one pinches a face off… that’s just one of those sayings which appeals to me when people way bigger than my 5ft1in self are leaning over me and yelling in MY face… )
I told him the women I knew had always done more than a little a bit of everything starting with my grandmothers… a farm woman from Kentucky and an Alaskan Native woman on a homestead in the middle of nowhere…
He sputterd for a second..
And then,be danged, if he didn’t deflate with a smile.
We talked for a half hour about how hard everyone, men and women, had worked in the near past just to make it… and how some things were easier but we had given given up some important things… and on and on.
I walked away from that encounter with something I can’t articulate to this day… but it’s another part of what we need to do, now. Whatever it is… 🙂
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By: alaskapi on September 21, 2009
at 12:00 AM
Absolutely incredible isn’t it CP? But you know, they are and you aren’t. You probably can’t even build a decent bridge.
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By: farsight Δ on September 20, 2009
at 10:51 PM
Oh cool- plain old obnoxious trollies like CP still stop by here..
Do rules of civility apply…?
Naw…
CP- you can eat your pie, you can wear your pie , you can stuff your pie where … just take your pie and hit the street…
Peeing on your hostess’ porch is just …PHHHT
in front of their guests…
sheesh.
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By: alaskapi on September 20, 2009
at 10:51 PM
I just can’t believe a couple of old farts like you two, who remember the good ole’ days actually think that you are entertaining the world with this crap!
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By: C.P. on September 20, 2009
at 10:38 PM
Hi gang, donna, jsri, Tine, HoneyJo, Alaskapi, ValleyIndependent, Easier and how many others who commented today,
Women such as “Orally Titz”, Ann Coulter and Sarah Palin have set back the noble prefession of jurisprudence and the cause of Women’s Rights at least a couple of millennium.
jsri, your quick wit picked up on “Orally” with a masterful play, as neither a typo nor misspelling. But it took the sharp eye of an editor, Tine, to call it to my attention.
Donna, I leave it in your capable hands to keep us up to date on the shenanigans of “Orally”.
HoneyJo, you articulate in a most eloquent way what many of us feel.
My husband was born at home in 1929. His only “proof” of citizenship, attending doctor, etc., was his baptismal certificate. It was good enough to get him his first driver’s license and the United States Air Force accepted it for five years. His first passport; along with his driver’s licenses have both been renewed innumerable times.
The next time I get ‘pissed off’ at him, do any of you think I could report him to “Orally” and maybe get him deported. To where?
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
P.S. In Hawaii, in common vernacular, elders are referred to with affection as ‘Auntie’ and ‘Uncle’ So-and-so. They are terms of endearment.
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By: JeanΔ on September 20, 2009
at 10:33 PM
Looks like Craig and Steve tucked tails and ran. Anonymous seems to have filled their shoes. Sweet bunch of lads these. They expect to come here and spew debunked talking points and spew hateful rhetoric and expect to not be called on it. Well, at least they are consistent!
I just couldn’t take all the talk of pie. My wife and I bought an apple pie, baked it and I had mine with melted medium cheddar cheese on top a la mode. Oh, baby! That’s what I’m talkin’ about.
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By: farsight Δ on September 20, 2009
at 10:16 PM
An ex of mine marched at that rally. The operative word being “ex”.
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By: D on September 20, 2009
at 10:12 PM
Anonymous –
What, exactly constitutes an “elitist attitude”? An ability to speak in a coherent manner? An education? An ability to question the reasons why a bunch of people are protesting (and yes, it is their right to do so) but really can’t articulate WHAT they are protesting?
I still have no idea why these people are wandering around carrying badly-spelled signs and yelling. Except they have a right to do so. Okay. And? How is that productive? They are merely exercising a right to be ignorant. Bravo and may they actually come up with something substantial to shout about. So far, all I’ve heard is talking points taken from very uninformed talking heads.
I don’t really believe they know what the heck they’re yelling about. Too many posters here have already pointed those issues out. And in a much better way than I ever could.
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By: trixie on September 20, 2009
at 9:10 PM
HoneyJo–right again!
The First Amendment protects the right to speak and to assemble. Obviously, all citizens have the right in a Democracy to do so. However, the manner in which they choose to exercise such rights reflects the sort of people they are.
If their chosen messages are not directed at policies but are lies and personal attacks, they certainly have the right to convey those messages. However, they have shown that they are ugly, hateful people without decency or respect for others.
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By: Donna on September 20, 2009
at 8:28 PM
Anonymous, of course they have the right to march, no one is saying they don’t. But we also have the right to call out and acknowledge the fact that the reasons they are marching are mostly manufactured by incorrect to boot. This really isn’t a matter of opinion. The whole “You Lie!” incident, for example. It’s not about opinion or policy. The bill about which President Obama was speaking either does or does not provide coverage for illegal immigrants. If it does, you don’t break decorum, you hold up the bill at your earliest opportunity and show the world what it says. But as far as I know, no one has done this. They just keep marching and comparing our President to the most evil, insane mass murderer in history, and claim he can’t even really be our President since he’s not really a citizen (something else for which they have no proof).
Yes, as Americans, they have a right to march. And as an American, I have a right to say out loud what a bunch of ignorant, gullible, asshat sheep I think they are for doing so.
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 20, 2009
at 7:26 PM
Judith, loved the bit about introducing Jesus to the moderate muslims. “My God is is better than yours! Not is not! Is too! No is not!” Hopeless isn’t it? The childishness of it all!
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By: Easier on September 20, 2009
at 7:14 PM
What insight and so on point. Thank you
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By: NaDine Rawls on September 20, 2009
at 6:33 PM
Regardless of your elitist attitude, these people have every right to march, protest and voice their utter dissatisfaction with the way of Washington. I have always disagreed with your views, but I fear you are really beginning to lose touch, Helen. You may not like it or agree with it, but the Tea Parties are truly democracy in its living form, just as is this blog from the opposite point of view. And if spelling were a prerequisite for citizenship, we conservatives (racists, according to you) would FAR outdistance the liberals.
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By: Anonymous on September 20, 2009
at 6:02 PM
I forgot to include the idiot parents in that also…how dare they treat our President with such contemptuous disrespect!
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By: amethystlady2 on September 20, 2009
at 3:55 PM
Delurker: She’s absolutely insane. And she’s completely incompetent as a lawyer. I’m serious–I’ve known some terrible lawyers but she’s in a class of her own.
But let’s be thankful that she’s showing how outlandish a small segment of the country is. Ultimately, I think there are people like Philip Berg (he’s no prince but he does have a valid defamation claim against her) and the California Bar will bring her down.
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By: Donna on September 20, 2009
at 3:51 PM
This is off the topic, but it just occurred to me that all the schools that didn’t allow students to watch the PRESIDENT’S speech, were practicing a form of “book burning”! How DARE they post bans on the students in regard to having their President speak TO them…
Indoctrination, INDEED!
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By: amethystlady2 on September 20, 2009
at 3:50 PM
To Ann: Tune in to MSNBC and catch Keith Olberman, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz-and even Chris Matthews…they are what is called “Progressive”-and HONEST!…Keith even showed which of our U S Senators and Reps got/get money from the insurance companies and Big Pharma…and Baucus, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is the biggest taker…HIS version of the health care reform would charge us exorbitant fees to the benefit of the insurance co’s and the drug co’s.
And as far as Faux Noise, I can’t stomach listening to them…even just to see the garbage they are putting out there…same with Limpaw and CNN…
Thanks for the great article…
we IS American…
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By: amethystlady2 on September 20, 2009
at 3:40 PM
Heart warming story from the mudflats
http://www.themudflats.net/2009/09/20/voices-from-the-flats-thoughts-on-the-presidents-speech-from-a-title-one-school/
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By: SouthPaw on September 20, 2009
at 3:25 PM
Donna, that Orly is INSANE!
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 20, 2009
at 3:23 PM
“I had never been so shocked in my life. That was when I knew this was going to get ugly.”
Judith I aggree.
Don’t know why I keep doing this because it upsets me no end, but every evening I force myself to watch little bits of Hannity/OReilly/Beck just to see what they are up to.
Their dialog mainly consists of key buzz words ‘hate Obama’ ‘fear Obama’ ‘Obama terrifies me’ repeated over and over again. One can only imagine the hypnotized, ignorant, racist Fox viewers taking this in. It truly makes me outraged and depressed. Watching the 9-12 You Tube videos didn’t help. I have sent my boycott letters to the Fox advertisers but wonder if that will really do any good.
Thank goodness for Helen and Margaret’s blog an oasis of sanity in a desert of craziness.
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By: Jania on September 20, 2009
at 3:02 PM
I also despair of having a constructive dialogue with many of these people. Not all, never all. I do know some conservatives who believe differently than I do, but who can discuss points of difference in a rational manner. Some of their points are good and simply address a ‘shade of gray’ situation differently than I would. Ok, I can handle this.
But then I see the other crowd. Insensitive, enraged, entitled to ride over anyone else simply by virtue of being ‘right’. They turn all purple in the face and their wattles shake at the slightest hint of of debate.
A morning religion show was, possibly, trying to extend an olive branch to Islam this AM. They suggested that we need to find and reach out to moderate Muslims by “introducing them to Jesus before the radical Muslims could get to them”. Trying to convert them – no, that won’t upset them. It’s an irony-free zone, folks.
Reminds me of a group trip I was going to be on, going to the Gaeltacht (Irish language speaking area) of Ireland. Another group asked very politely if they could come with us to share costs and we were considering it, until… while asking us if they had to be fluent in Irish, they also asked how many Bibles we thought they would be able to bring along. Turns out they were planning to try to bring the natives to Real Christianity. After 600 years of occupation and attempted forced conversion, insensitivity and disrespect doesn’t even begin to describe it. We lied through our teeth & allowed as how you really couldn’t come on our trip unless you were an extremely fluent speaker. The trip didn’t happen anyway – we were scheduled to leave 9-14-2001.
One of the 9-12 marchers did something I also saw immediately after 9-11 at a rally on our State Capitol steps. Face contorted, she shouted out God! Bless! America! All I could think was – Lady, that’s a request. That’s a prayer. Not a command, not a threat. 9-12 had her hands full holding a sign, but our local shouter finished it up with a violent fist pump and loud grunt. She may as well have added “Don’t make us come up there!”.
I had never been so shocked in my life. That was when I knew this was going to get ugly.
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By: judith on September 20, 2009
at 2:14 PM
I only wish the “news” would call it the way you do. Instead we get what the corporate bigwigs want us to see and believe. It’s all just BS! As CNN said about Fox: It’s distorting not reporting.
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By: Kate on September 20, 2009
at 2:05 PM
for those who follow the Orly Taitz shenanigans, she has done it again: posted on her blog that she intends to file a brief in response to the judge’s order that she show cause why she should not be sanctioned. Now, any lawyer with even a modicum of professional judgment wouldn’t have gotten into this fix; however, someone who’d had a major lapse of judgment and was faced with such an order would do a serious mea culpa and humbly beg the Court’s pardon.
Not Orly! She claims the judge is in a conspiracy with the Department of Justice and that this is like Communist Russia. Not only will she argue that she did nothing wrong, she will demand The Birth Certificate so that she can prove that she was never frivolous in her filings. And she will not pay any sanction; instead, the government will be required (says she) to pay all of her fees which she claims just went up significantly.
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By: Donna on September 20, 2009
at 1:20 PM
ValleyIndependent Δ, I like the way you think. However, leaving in a red state makes it hard for me to see how we could come together. The vitriol down here is so intense against the President and everything he proposes! Maybe people leaving in blue states might be more hopeful than we are, about dialoguing.
Greytdog, amen to your list!
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By: Easier on September 20, 2009
at 1:20 PM
alaskapi, I love what you said about starting some type of dialogue with our neighbors. I have been trying lately, starting with colleagues at work. However, I quickly found out that old habits die hard with some people. These people who totally believe the “real American” and “not so real American” thing are just not inclined to contemplate other points of view. Liberals and moderates are more inclined to respect other people’s opinions. I rarely see them start conversations in the workplace that would exclude other groups. However, the right wingers do no exhibit such qualms, at least where I live and work. They are usually very direspectful and regurgitate the ilk espoused by F-news, in the workplace, regardless of the political leanings of other people around them. It is hard to have any kind of meaningful dialogue with such people. Not long ago, I told one colleague, who was going on and on about the government trying to force the healthcare reform down his throath, whereas he would have to pay out of his pocket for near-do-wells, that I would not mind paying out my pocket for him, if he were in a bind. I told him that I am being forced to pay for the wars we started and I am staunchly anti-war but nobody asked for my opinion. His answer to that was: “why are we still in Iraq? We should have pulled the day after the last election”. He was very emotional about this. I was left scratching my head. I responded that to just up and leave was not a promise the current president made, he stated he was going to follow a timetable. He could not just order our armed forces to leave the next day and leave the Iraquis in more disarray than we found when we went in, uninvited.
We lefties, I am afraid, are way too polite and too respectful of other people’s opinons. The right wingers do not care about what anybody else thinks, they are more vocal and disenclined to dialogue. I am afraid I do not see how we can dialogue when the other side is showing no civility. Sad to say, but we have to face that reality. And that is why President Obama will need to think hard about his strategy and work within the confines of this reality.
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By: Easier on September 20, 2009
at 1:10 PM
lace wigs, when it comes to the effectiveness of marching on Washington, DC, what I wonder is how many of those marching were well informed about what they were protesting (not many from the video clips I’ve seen), and how many actively participate in their local and state governments and/or have actually taken the time to write a well-researched, thoughtful letter to their congressional delegation. And, by active participation, I don’t mean simply voting for any candidate that had the “right” letter after their name on the ballot.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 20, 2009
at 12:41 PM
Alaskapi, I agree it’s going to take a LOT of pie, and a lot of personal strength to maintain our dignity, and that of those we don’t agree with. We need the toughness to hold ourselves and each other to a standard of civility, and to banish those who can’t be civil from the table until such time as they can behave better.
Lori, I also think that Obama hit the nail on the head with his comment, and I don’t think he was talking about just PA. His comment wasn’t against either guns or the Bible, but the fear that makes people use them in negative ways, for harm instead of for good.
Change is hard for people, even when it’s for the better or absolutely necessary for survival, as any manager who has been through a workplace reorganization can attest to. Some people prefer the certainty of doing their jobs the same way they’ve always done them, knowing full well the company is going under and they’ll soon be out of work, to trying something new in the hope that the company will survive and they’ll still have a job years from now.
It looks to me like the bulk of the tea party crowd would rather continue on a path that is unsustainable and end up with anarchy than admit that sometimes their poo DOES stink, other people have good ideas, nobody is out to get them, we’re all in this together, and we all need to work together or we’re all going to lose everything we have.
When it comes to health care and other issues, we’ve been spending so much time arguing about how we’re going to get there that I think we’ve sort of lost sight of where we are going. How about restarting the dialog by listing basic goals and seeing which ones we can agree on? I think both sides might be surprised by how similar their lists are.
For example, I think we can all agree that we want our families, friends, and neighbors to have access to the health care they need, and I think we can all agree that we want an open, transparent, efficient government that spends our money wisely.
From there, we need to work on some definitions (what’s “needed” and what’s “wisely”), and then, when we have agreed on exactly where we are going, we can start discussing how best to get there. It doesn’t always work, but the odds of a constructive discussion are better if all parties know they want the same outcome.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 20, 2009
at 12:31 PM
i have to disagree with this post. it’s overstating the obvious to say that the march on 9/12 was irrelevant. what is startling these days is where the american dollar is headed in terms of its value and what that is going to mean for all americans. so what if a bunch of people want to protest in washington dc? is it going to do any good in the long run?
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By: lace wigs on September 20, 2009
at 12:02 PM
Every time you say it perfectly. Thank you!
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By: Diane Beeler on September 20, 2009
at 11:38 AM
President Obama on CBS:
“the 24-hour news cycle and cable television and blogs” focus on the most extreme elements which fuels angry protests.
“They can’t get enough of conflict. It’s cat nip to the media right now. The easiest way to get 15 minutes of fame is to be rude to somebody.”
Didn’t Helen say that last part a few posts back? Maybe BO has been reading M&H. He should! 😉
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 20, 2009
at 10:49 AM
also Niki in case you were asking what is a simple resolution and why bring them forward..
Both sides of the aisle normally use simple resolutions for partisan political reasons. One side or the other wants to get the other side on “record” of voting for or against a resolution…. The tactic is normally used by the party in the minority as a way to score political points.
So in this case the repubs want it ON the record, that the democrats voted AGAINST this resolution. By signing the pettion it will be further “evidence” the American people do not want a public option. They want to be able to say “SEE the democrats won’t even use a public option, but yet they are asking their constituents to.”
Believe me when I tell you this resolution is coming to a campaign ad near you..
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By: lori on September 20, 2009
at 6:30 AM
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-hr615/text
heres the link niki .. got to excited thinking about my day! LOL
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By: lori on September 20, 2009
at 5:15 AM
I think you are right Alaskapi there are many reason for conflict. In my experience, when discussing politics with conservatives, when all is said and done, fear of the unknown, is at the bottom of the issue. Fear motivates them to cling to the past and kick their feet and scream and yell when they are asked to change. And add to that a “black” man is asking them to change!!! And you have a teabagger.
I know Obama took lots of heat for it but when he said Pennsylvanian’s cling to their guns and bible because of fear, in my opinion he hit the nail on the head.I bet he wasn’t speaking JUST about PA when he made that statement, but rather the mindset of Pa ers… I was born in PA and lived there until I married. I love the state and the people and their cultures, and it’s a blue state! 😉 But the reason it is a blue state is because of the manufacturing base of yesteryear, old habits die hard.. They have the big four there.. God, Guns, AND union, and of course football..;-)
But yes humor goes a long way, as M&H have demonstrated. Margarita’s and chips don’t hurt either! 😉
Niki here is a link of the 615 house resolution (John Flemming’s) and The senate’s resolution is much the same (Tom Colburn’s). It is pretty straight forward they are republican’s and are trying to make the point that the people who want to make these changes, and are shoving it down our throats, refuse to use it themselves. The e-mail suggests you sign a petion to be sent to the members in hopes of pursuading them to put it in the final version of the bill. It is my understanding, that this resolution would also mandate that for all who fall under that umberella, not just members of congress.
have a great Sunday all…. As I said, I’m a Pennsylvania girl, so that means Steerlers, food, and beer are in my near future..;-) namaste’
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By: lori on September 20, 2009
at 5:11 AM
I’d like anyone who needs a laugh to stop by and read this EXCLUSIVE: Upcoming Hong Kong Speech Leaked In Advance By Tina Fey!
http://nailinpalinnow.blogspot.com
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By: Helen on September 20, 2009
at 12:31 AM
It’s gonna take a LOT of pie!
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By: alaskapi on September 20, 2009
at 12:07 AM
farsight Δ-
I think that is part of it…
I think the retreat of far too many everyday Americans into a small world includes this particular failure of much evangelical teaching to look beyond the end of one’s nose…
It doesn’t mean the world ends at one’s nose however… simply that folks don’t look beyond it.
The fear so many have that what they have worked hard for is slipping through their fingers is another piece of it… the downright meaness factor over hoarding what little crappy collection of stuff they have gathered together of the “I’ve got mine, go get your own” style is a big block to getting anywhere as well.
The disconnect between calling oneself the “real America” and thereby assuming all else is un-american WHILE availing oneself of the fruits un-Americans provide in shared activities … roads, etc is another piece of it.
The list is long… I do not think we shall find, as I said, civil discourse in mere polite form .
I think the questions which face us will require toughness – like negotiators/mediators demand when working through seemingly unsolvable problems .
I think it will take determination to see it through as a group and not merely as victorsand losers … otherwise we become that which we revile…
I think it will continue to take a lot of biting of tongues while working towards definitions of ourselves which confer dignity on all who are at the table…
(and I expect the fringes to straighten up or leave the table til they can act decently in public. )
I think it will take a whopping lot of joking and laughing to survive the flareups which will occur…
I think it will take vigilance on many fronts…
from keeping an eye on the most basic concerns for safety of our President and the general population to more complex vigils over keeping an eye on whether what we make is what we want…
How do we reframe questions of common purpose now?
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By: alaskapi on September 20, 2009
at 12:00 AM
I agree that wedges of pie (and good coffee) may just be the way to restore civil discourse in this country. Dehumanizing each other by name calling sure doesn’t work, so how about getting to know each other better over pie? It’s really hard to talk over each other with mouths full of good pie, and it’s hard to hate somebody that turns out to be human, just like you, and that happens to share some common goals. Once the animosity is gone, constructive discussion can begin on figuring out the best ways to achieve those common goals.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 19, 2009
at 11:31 PM
I believe the article you will find when going to the following website details a part of the problem with maintaining/developing a civil discourse:
http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2009/08/bait-and-switch-of-contemporary.html
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By: farsight Δ on September 19, 2009
at 10:37 PM
Exactly right, as usual !
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By: Sarah on September 19, 2009
at 9:46 PM
“Honeyjo, when I saw your post to anon, I thought you were going to call him out on the use of the word dribble. Dribble is what he wipes off his chin. I’m pretty sure he meant drivel. ”
LOL I almost did, but I guess I was in a fairly charitable mood.
Don’t forget, dribble is also the fancy stuff you do on a basketball court. That’s my favorite kind. I can’t do it but I like watching it. I don’t mind hanging out here and dribbling with you guys. Dribble dribble dribble.
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 19, 2009
at 9:18 PM
I used to play a game called “Wagon Train” on the computer. Lots of people played at the same time, each in his/her own wagon, trying to get to Oregon safely. If someone was no longer contributing to the greater good, the rest of the wagons could vote that person out of the train and leave him behind. Too bad the commentors on this site can’t vote off someone whose comments are just posted to cause irritation.
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By: lindazoe on September 19, 2009
at 9:16 PM
ValleyIndependent Δ said;
” to all the others here that confirm regularly that there are sane, thoughtful people who think we should try discussing things with those who disagree with us instead of just killing them.”
——————————-
Dadgum… all this wedge stuff started me thinking about the wedges of distrust and fear which are served up far too often all over America now !
Pie, I vote for wedges of pie…
leastwise til I have to get a bifgger chair to wedge myself into…
—————————–
(Hey Greyt! Waving wildly from a much calmer , more sensible Alaska… what a difference a truly moderate Gov can make in a few weeks! Yeehaw- yahabadooby! She’s gone!)
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By: alaskapi on September 19, 2009
at 9:09 PM
I have a question or a set of questions…
As someone who frequented M & H’s last fall , as a way to keep from losing my mind over Mr McCain’s choice of our now -gone-gov as a running mate mostly, I stop in regularly still to read but rarely comment…
But lately, I have been struck by the activity here to arrive at some notion of civil discourse which might mend up some wounds in this country.
We have allowed enormous wedges to be driven between us for years now and I think civility will not be found in measures of politeness and respectfulness … at least not for awhile.
As Helen points to so well in this post, we have an endless stream of non-events, such as the teabag-wasters march , being thrust to the fore of daily so-called news and made-up talking head duels fill our radios and TVs…to keep the wedges driven in…
Personally, I think it civil and rightful to request and yes, demand , answers of neighbors who called so many of us traitors during the Bush years…for simply questioning how many left turns into perdition we might be making getting into 2 wars and so on .
I allow them their fears and worries… we NONE of us inherited the world we thought we were gonna get…
But I don’t see giving a free pass to the press OR everyday folks who claim the right to question where we are going now… surely, not those who threatened and intimidated so many of their neighbors such a short time ago…? They get their say… they do not get a free pass. Nor should they get so much attention.
The journalistic muckrakers of the early 20th century changed the way journalism got done in America.
We had long years of relative integrity in print and broadcast media…
That is gone… mostly.
So- what has to happen to change it?
I am mindful of my dad, uber civil for over 80 years now, but never afraid to call “horsepunky !” ( he doesn’t swear… ) should a conversation fail to get going on merit of ideas or devolve into petty ad hominem attacks ( Craig- that is WHAT YOU do… )
So, what ways can people start from a different place in these endless disagreements, shift their angle a bit, which might actually bear the fruit some here are reporting in talking with previously difficult family and neighbors about healthcare and so on?
How do the questions have to be reframed to start something more akin to dialogue?
I am comfortable in the blue collar world I work in . Certain notions which are prevalent within it have caused me much alarm, however, in recent years.
At whatever level the teabag wasters , birthers, and ignorant folks who think the gone gov, SP, is the new Esther are full of fringy hooey , they also give LANGUAGE to those less fringy but just as scared…
So how do we talk across these gulfs?
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By: alaskapi on September 19, 2009
at 9:01 PM
ValleyIndependentΔ
I’m appalled by the message being sent by the senior teabaggers holding up their signs reading, “Your Health Your Problem”. I’d bet almost all of them are siphoning from the top of the Medicare pile.
What they are really saying is “I’ve got my share now the rest of you can go screw yourselves.”
With that attitude it is no wonder that the next generation will be eager to pull the plug on granny.
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By: jsri on September 19, 2009
at 8:38 PM
Hi Helen!
I am writing you from Maine. I am a friend of Margaret’s. I saw her tonight at a dinner party and she told me all about your little blog. I thought I would check it out. You are certainly a hoot! Just like Margaret said you are!! I look forward to meeting you next time you are in Maine visting Margaret and Howard.
Your writing is very funny!
Thanks,
Gladys
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By: Gladys on September 19, 2009
at 8:26 PM
JeanΔ
I couldn’t resist the Orally comment
Haven’t posted much lately. I now have a volunteer opportunity that takes me out and about almost every day. But I still check in once in a while and it is encouraging to see so many intelligent folks still contributing here. But as I predicted to my wife at least a year ago, given the political leaning of most of the contributors, this blog will suffer from increasing attacks by the RW loonies out there. But it is also good to see that the regulars keep the nutcakes in check.
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By: jsri on September 19, 2009
at 8:21 PM
Hi gang and Greytdog,
Welcome back! We missed you. How’d the knee hold up?
I LOVED the Teabagger ‘petition’. Do you think any of them will get the point or would it be over their ‘pointy’ heads.
I think I speak for many of us when I say, we look forward to a LENGTHY and DETAILED account of your adventures when you get a chance to catch your breath.
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
P. S. Check out my pie wedge by my name. I’m official now and so proud to be one.
P.P.S. Oh, yes, jsri is turning out to be the crafty one. I know we will be keeping our eyes out for HIS posts.
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By: JeanΔ on September 19, 2009
at 7:18 PM
Honeyjo, when I saw your post to anon, I thought you were going to call him out on the use of the word dribble. Dribble is what he wipes off his chin. I’m pretty sure he meant drivel.
There’s something entertaining about a post like that where a person tries to sound superior, calling people idiots repeatedly, and doesn’t get their vocab right, LOL.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 19, 2009
at 7:16 PM
Hi All you intelligent people,
I need help.
My staunchly republic father, who is a retired physician sent me the email copied below. I have tried researching the issue and have come up with nothing. Does anyone know what he is referring to? Can anyone point me in the right direction to reseach what this is about? In his defense he did vote for Obama! I guess the other choice was to scary even for him.
“Subject: House Resolution 615
On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all Democrats – with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy – voted nay.
It took me less than a minute to sign up to require our congressmen and senators to drink at the same trough! Three cheers for Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana!
Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).
Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition (very simple – just first, last and email). I have immediately done just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/index.html
Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!
If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should have to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their families.”
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By: nikkidesi on September 19, 2009
at 7:11 PM
jsri, 😆 you are now one of the hall monitors keeping the sense of humor level up!
“BTW, Isn’t Orally Titz the name of a porn performer?
If not, it should be.”
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By: Raji on September 19, 2009
at 6:26 PM
😆 Good one Greytdog. Welome back. Hope all is well.
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By: Raji on September 19, 2009
at 6:15 PM
Dear Teabaggers, please have this signed and dated at your earliest convenience: http://tinyurl.com/myuyj6
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By: Greytdog on September 19, 2009
at 4:59 PM
Thanks, alaskapi, you are a treasured neighbor.
Thanks also to Whirled Peas and to all the others here that confirm regularly that there are sane, thoughtful people who think we should try discussing things with those who disagree with us instead of just killing them.
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By: ValleyIndependent Δ on September 19, 2009
at 4:58 PM
“Idiots. Idiots writing this dribble. Idiots supporting this crap. Idiots.”
Anonymous – who is more idiotic, the idiot or the idiot who has nothing better to do with his day than to angrily call people idiots just because they don’t agree with him?
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 19, 2009
at 4:20 PM
and thank you Helen and Margaret,
for a place to read and talk and think with so many interesting folks-
a place to laugh in great whooping guffaws.
a place to cry .
Fellowship here is a treasure…
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By: alaskapi on September 19, 2009
at 3:44 PM
and your wedge is but a symbol of fellowship at M & H’s… made and shared by Whirled Peas to all who visit.
Be it a pie wedge, a delta – symbol, of change or any of the myriad of other ideas vest it with, it is first and foremost a symbol of fellowship
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By: alaskapi on September 19, 2009
at 3:39 PM
ValleyIndependent Δ
copy and paste, neighbor, in your name line…
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By: alaskapi on September 19, 2009
at 3:35 PM
Quote from the daily kos:
“…what defines modern conservativism?
An almost autistic sociopathic indifference to the thoughts and feelings of others.”
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By: Jania on September 19, 2009
at 2:56 PM
‘BTW, Isn’t Orally Titz the name of a porn performer?
If not, it should be.’
heee!
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By: PalinShutUp on September 19, 2009
at 2:47 PM
lori, can you help me get my “wedge” too? Will that make me an official subscriber so I know when new posts are up without having to check?
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By: ValleyIndependent on September 19, 2009
at 2:40 PM
Jsri, funny stuff! Loved it!
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By: Easier on September 19, 2009
at 2:34 PM
100% on the money…thanks…love your stuff, and keep it up
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By: rare2go on September 19, 2009
at 2:21 PM
Welcome to the pie party, JeanΔ!
Jsri, now you just stop that. When I read your Orly Taitz comment, I snorted my diet coke through my nose, and it hurt!
😉
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By: Δ Tine on September 19, 2009
at 2:21 PM
Anonymous, by design, except for colorful and a couple of other people, I have chosen to steer clear of posters who run counter to the spirit of this blog. They are usually here to point to us the error of our ways and I usually scroll past them. They really wear “Jupiter’s Pouch” very well and can only see other people’s faults and can’t see to catch any glimpse of their own.
However, I would like to respond to your posting of 11:42 AM today.
The first thing that came to my mind about the protesters was, why was the deficit not an issue for these people when the last president was spending us into oblivion, starting an unneeded war? Their credibility would have gone up with me had they stood up then.
The second thing is, some of the projects being used to get us out of the quagmire are actually not free to the groups using them. TARP for example is very expensive to the banks and very lucrative for the Federal government. To hear it the way the news media reports it, it sounds like free money is being given to these banks. That is the reason driving people to think that their tax money is being squandered. Have the protesters not heard that some of the banks have already paid their TARP money back? Why would these banks pay back free money? The news media, as usual, is leaving a lot out of the discussion. That is also why the news media is focussing on the fringe element at the teabaggers march. Journalism has lost its way.
The race card is not an easy “counter attack” since the fringe element is getting the most press, what most of us saw were people screaming they wanted their country back in addition to all of the other offensive things being said, most of them not having anything to do with healthcare reform. Add that to the birthers movement and all the other groups clamoring for the head of a duly elected president. It has created this atmosphere of lynchmob that is difficult for some of us to understand. Could you explain why, for example, did a school district in Texas plan to have former President Bush speak to school children why refusing to let the district children watch President Obama’s address? The race card might be an easy counter attack but it is one that comes to mind when faced with the current climate being whipped up by these people.
I tried to address the points that jumped at me in your posts without going too long. Have a good day.
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By: Easier on September 19, 2009
at 2:02 PM
Voltairesneighbor on September 19, 2009
at 1:01 AM
re birthers
I was born in 1928, at home, attended by a midwife and until the middle 1960’s did not have a birth certificate. At that time I needed a passport so I wrote to the town clerk of the town where my mother claimed I was born and requested one. For $5.00 I received a Xerox copy taken from the town records that included my name, my parent’s names, the date and time of my birth, but showed nothing for the name of a hospital or name of an attending physician. But it did have a town seal and name of the town clerk. I sent this copy to the passport office and got my first passport that has been renewed several times since with no additional documentation. In fact I used my newest one two days ago. But following all this flap about Obama’s certificate, I’m beginning to wonder if I could get arrested for failure to produce a legitimate birth certificate or for getting a passport under false pretenses. Am I even a US citizen? Geeze!
BTW, Isn’t Orally Titz the name of a porn performer?
If not, it should be.
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By: jsri on September 19, 2009
at 1:56 PM
For Anonymous Jeff – You need to add regular WalMart shoppers buying all those Chinese goods to those in Washington DC who don’t seem to care how much we borrow from the Chinese.
Glad you made note of Halliburton. Cheney wasn’t too bad a governor of Wyoming, but he seems to have sold out to them on his way to Washington DC to be VP. I have no respect left for him and I am appalled that UW in Laramie just named a building dedicated to international studies after him. Apparently, the university has set the price of integrity at $3.2 million.
As for your “idiots,” Helen has 80+ years of life experience, and she’s pretty darned sharp, as are most who comment here.
It would be more accurate to apply that term to a good portion of the local tea party faction, since they can’t seem to haul their backsides down to civic meetings armed with some actual knowledge as to what’s in our local laws (posted online, mind you), behave civilly, and discuss rationally how we might make them better. They are not noticeably better informed about what’s going on in Congress (despite the fact that much of that is online also), and seem better able to mindlessly spout rhetoric than to offer up a rational defense of their positions or communicate intelligently with our congressional delegation. They are a bunch of poorly informed, irrational, armed asshats looking for a fight, and a few are advocating armed overthrow of the government because they didn’t win the last election. The M&H fan club believes in civil discourse while at least part of the tea party mob believes in stamping their feet, waving their guns, and staging a coup if they don’t get their way. The firearms don’t scare me, but the paranoia and two-year-old-throwing-a-temper-tantrum mentality of the people wielding them does. Maybe the tea party contingent elsewhere is different, but not from what I’m seeing via the videos on the internet.
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By: ValleyIndependentΔ on September 19, 2009
at 1:45 PM
Faux directing the crowd to be louder, fair and balanced my arse.
http://bit.ly/17f1kV
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By: Jania on September 19, 2009
at 1:18 PM
Hi gang and thank you Lori,
I think I am a full-fledged M&H fan at long last. Let’s see if my ‘wedge’ comes up.
Maybe I occasionally tend to make some things more complex than they have to be, ya think?
All we have to do here at M&H is ask and somebody is bound to come through. What a great group!
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
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By: JeanΔ on September 19, 2009
at 1:07 PM
Idiots. Idiots writing this dribble. Idiots supporting this crap. Idiots.
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By: Anonymous on September 19, 2009
at 1:03 PM
11:57 HoneyJoRumples said:
“Most of the people here are very intelligent and very well informed and get their facts from a variety of sources, not just Fox News.”
Two videos mack downs of Faux. MSM needs to do more of this.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4383-Portland-Progressive-Examiner~y2009m9d18-Tea-Party-Express-CNN-covers-Fox-promotes-Video?cid=examiner-email
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By: Jania on September 19, 2009
at 12:48 PM
From Craig: “These 30 plus hand chosen friends / CZARS who do not have to be vetted and or have even so much as had a back ground security check.”
That pretty much sums up the unqualified friends Palin picked from her high school year book to run the state of Alaska.
Palin was a darn expensive mayor of Wasilla, and we are still uncovering examples of how she wasted taxpayer dollars and disregarded the law. She wasn’t better as governor.
Donna, I see you did a full background check on McCain, also. I did mine after I discovered how much local veterans I respect disliked him.
I may not agree with everything President Obama does or says, but I think he’s doing much better with the mess he inherited from his predecessors than McCain/Palin would have done. I’m very pleased to have him and his lovely family in the White House and representing us with intelligence and dignity.
Palin has been an embarrassment to Wasilla, the state of Alaska, and I’m grateful that she and her tabloid fodder clan are nowhere near the White House.
HoneyJo, you rock.
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By: ValleyIndependent on September 19, 2009
at 12:46 PM
Peckerwoods is right.
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By: Nan Patience on September 19, 2009
at 12:01 PM
If you stand with a group where 1% of the signs are racist, as far as I am concerned you too are a racist. You’re known for the company you keep.
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By: no one's puppet on September 19, 2009
at 11:48 AM
This seems a pretty liberal bias. (By the way I consider myself a moderate- now called a Centralist). One of the organizers of the Tea Party was on TV and said their main objective is for their/our complaints to be heard regarding Bailouts, TARP, Spending Stimulus Package, and an almost trillion dollar health care reform bill – to be heard. He said he regretted that there were a few who had disrespectful signs pertaining to the President and pointed out they got most of the media coverage (if there were 78,000 as the blog posted; 1% would be a 780 possible loonies). Why would the media focus on them and not have an articulate, attractive person there to speak as to the reason for the march? I think the points he made are worth looking at regarding deficit spending. We are borrowing from the Chinese to pay our debt off and few in Washington DC seem to care. When the agenda you are trying to push through is being questioned; I believe the race card is an easy counter attack. What ever happened to intelligent dialogue that includes facts and reason? Is the almost trillion dollar health care reform bill the only way to provide health care for Americans? Why not enforce existing laws which protect the patients/consumers and legislate new laws where they are not in place?
Keep big government out of business unless of course you have a hidden agenda like a political payback for the financial support you received from the CEO of GE which happens to own NBC – CNBC and also owns & manufactures diagnostic & imaging machines and has a software product for electronic medical records waiting in the wings. Oh now I am starting to sound like a racist!!
Let us not forget; Bush made Obama possible; if we had not had the worse president in this countries history for two terms; a liberal like Obama would never been elected. The unnecessary invasion of Iraq to stop WMD’s that were not there and the subsequent no bid hiring of Halliburton for billions of “clean up dollars” set the precedent for the massive corruption like we have never seen before.- P.S. Halliburton promptly moved their headquarters from Houston, TX to Dubai – while Dubai was still prosperous. To Obama’s credit it seems as though he is trying his best to get us out of what a 20 year history of bad financial decisions has done to the world and our country. Unfortunately the laws have not changed for banking and Wall street that got us in trouble in the first place. As you watch all of the dirty cold bathwater go down the drain; before you put in the fresh clean warm water, clean the tub and then put the plug – Jeff
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By: Anonymous on September 19, 2009
at 11:42 AM
Have been thinking about UAW and his disappearance. Llets h ope it is not because of his wife and her health.
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By: Grandma Katie on September 19, 2009
at 10:28 AM
BillO with Chris Wallace:
.
.
.
How many ‘Teabigots’ were in DC?
“…the million, a hundred thousand, thousands and tens of thousands…”
70,000…yeah, I thought so.
BIG difference ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 19, 2009
at 9:42 AM
More Orly news:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/09/former_cleveland_law_director.html
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 19, 2009
at 7:30 AM
Craig, Margaret and Helen are humorous, you are not, there is the door, and here is the steel tipped toe of my boot, bye.
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By: no one's puppet on September 19, 2009
at 7:02 AM
Voltairesneighbor: Unfortunately, since California actually admitted Orly Taitz, she can use that admission as the basis for pro hac vice admission in other states and in federal court.
What is interesting is that judges can yank a PHV admission. Sometimes they do it on their own, sometimes another lawyer brings a motion. It’s essentially always for misconduct of some sort.
My guess is that lawyers will start objecting to Taitz’s future PHV applications and that judges may well decline to grant them. One of the things that the internet has done is to provide the ability to assemble a pretty powerful record about someone–in this case, it would be made up of Taitz’s pleadings and things like the judge’s decisions.
The fact that Taitz filed the motion that she filed in Georgia and then went national with claims that the judge before the motion was pending was incompetent and committing treason certainly suggests that she’ll escalate her behavior. I expect a real barn burner of a response to the judge’s order of yesterday to show cause. She also will likely file something equally inflammatory with the California bar.
Her days as a practicing lawyer really are likely to be numbered. At that point, she’ll probably get into the so-called “Patriot common law” movement, with the so-called citizen grand juries and the like. Short hop from that to violating criminal laws.
What is sad is that there are people who really have been taken in by her and who have thrown money away and are likely to have other problems caused by incompetent legal advice. While I may disagree with their politics and viewpoints, I do feel badly that they’ve been exploited by someone because she managed to get a law license.
As for Craig, I see that being forced to confront facts which are inconsistent with the Fox talking points has caused you to view the blog negatively. Too bad, so sad. Perhaps you might do yourself a favor and go elsewhere, where you might kid yourself that you’re actually having an exchange of ideas with people who validate your opinions.
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By: Donna on September 19, 2009
at 6:55 AM
Jean try this…
erase the little window that has your name in it.. then copy and paste this
JeanΔ
and paste it into your name window..;-)
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By: lori on September 19, 2009
at 6:50 AM
Happy Roshashanna ! 5707? ….
(thanks for reminding me Mr. President.;-))
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By: lori on September 19, 2009
at 6:34 AM
President Obama’s
Weekly Address 9/19/09
Progress in the
Global Economy
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 19, 2009
at 6:17 AM
Has anyone pointed out the slang meaning of “teabagging”? I’m to embarrassed to go into detail but let us just say it’s sexual. Look it up on urbandictionary.com and have a laugh.
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By: Cojo on September 19, 2009
at 2:06 AM
My one and only response to the trolls who like to hang out here:
This blog is called “Margaret and Helen” so M & H are perfectly entitled to write their common sense reactions to events and to “cut to the chase” as one poster here so aptly put it. The last time I looked, the blog wasn’t called “Steve” or “Craig” or “UAW” or whatever. So it is not surprising that the overwhelming majority of those who comment here happen to agree wholeheartedly with the sane and heartfelt comments of M & H.
People with differing viewpoints who do not simply spout RW factoids or terms are free to post here, but the trolls make themselves known by using that freedom unwisely and citing RW sources when they cite anyone at all.
If trolls don’t like what they read here, there are plenty of places where they can find posters with mindsets like theirs. While I understand that those environments are not nearly so pleasant, witty and creative as the one created by H & H, I ask them to please go there if this one offends them so much.
Or they should just create a blog of their own.
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By: Voltairesneighbor on September 19, 2009
at 1:15 AM
Spot on as usual, Helen! So glad to see that you are still as well and as feisty as ever!
*******
In re Orly Taitz: Donna: I have never understood how she is able to file all these lawsuits all over the US without being sanctioned. Not only are the lawsuits themselves without merit, but she is practically without qualifications to file them. She “studied” law at William Howard Taft University. But that law school is not accredited by the ABA because it is a distance-learning school only and teaches law primarily for passage of the California bar exam. California is one state that allows lawyers to become bar members even if they have not graduated from an accredited bar institution so long as they have passed the California bar exam.
Still, being a member of the California bar would not entitle her to practice law in any other state without meeting that state’s bar requirements unless she does so “pro hac vice” (with a lawyer who is accredited in that state). OK, she is filing these suits in federal courts,
However, the Federal Bar has additional requirements.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admission_to_the_bar_in_the_United_States#Federal_district_and_appellate_courts
Does her CA bar license entitle her to become a member of the Federal Bar even when she has not graduated from an accredited law school? If so, that is literally crazy and should be addressed by the ABA. Although she is not the only lawyer to give lawyers in general a bad name, she is certainly the craziest one in sight right now. She should lose her bar accreditation and be strongly sanctioned for ethical violations at the very least.
Of course, the “birthers” will never understand the irony in that the only person whose qualifications are illegitimate is their own lawyer. To know this, however, one has to educate oneself because our infotainment talking heads will never report this.
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By: Voltairesneighbor on September 19, 2009
at 1:01 AM
“The Sarah Palin dinner has closed. I hope it is Keith Olberman who won the dinner on ebay.”
LOL I think he gave up when he saw that you had to submit a pre-qualifying form before you could bid on it.
I just read on the AP that a woman named Cathy Maples of Huntsville, Alabama won. Her closing bid was $63,500. “Who on earth can afford to throw away that kind of money on a dinner with Sara Palin??” I read further. Ms. Maples owns a defense contracting company. No wonder she supports the wars so ardently. Now to be fair, the money will go to charity, helping wounded vets through cycling. But, the whole thing’s kind of ironic, don’t you think? And I wasn’t even trying to quote Ms. Morissette.
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 19, 2009
at 12:21 AM
Craig – I think this blog was set up on the premise that if you agree with what Margaret and Helen say, great. If you don’t, that’s ok too, but not very many people want to waste energy on negatives, as it’s draining and kind of unhealthy. We read Margaret and Helen’s blog because we agree with them. That’s why I don’t frequent Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck blogs. I don’t agree with them, and I really don’t get off on arguing with those who do. Differing ideas are welcome as long as they are presented in a respectful, intelligent manner. But just because you didn’t change anyone’s mind doesn’t mean we “want to know we’re right.” Most of the people here are very intelligent and very well informed and get their facts from a variety of sources, not just Fox News. Intelligent discourse is welcome, but I’m afraid if you came here expecting to bully the dirty libs into submission or to dazzle them with Fox factoids and have them all say “well good golly gosh , I didn’t know that!!! You must be right!!” then yes, you will be disappointed.
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 18, 2009
at 11:57 PM
HoneyJoRumples I am just as angry, it only takes one nut job.
Im also sick and tired of these phoney bigots using our soldiers or 9/11 as an excuse to bash the president or those of us who are fighting for health care for everyone, my brother fought two wars and if he could have been there with me at the last Health Care rally he would have been. Those people do not speak for us.
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By: PalinShutUp on September 18, 2009
at 11:41 PM
This site……
Its not about dialog between two differing viewpoints.
This site was never set up to be a place for an exchange of ideas.
Its a site that sadly wants to just be a sounding board for people who want to know they are right and everyone else is wrong.
“THE EASIEST WAY TO GET FAME, IS TO BE RUDE TO SOMEBODY.”
President Obama 9-18-09
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 9:57 PM
Hi gang Susan in CT, donna, Claire and Craig,
I’m dancing around the wonderful comments and multiple topics here today:
I imagine some of you were caught up in the “American’s Got Talent” TV show. I didn’t see all of the stages of competition but watched the Finals (off and on) Wednesday evening. I can get plenty of little chores done during the commercials and hype. The highlight for me was the re-appearance of dear Susan Boyle in as fine a voice as ever. There was lots of entertaining Las Vegas type production numbers. My favorites however, were the beautiful young soprano and the Texas tenors. Somewhat like the Olympics, if it were up to me, I would be passing out Gold Medals and Prizes right and left considering the amount of natural talent, study, training, work and courage it takes to get up there and do it on stage. But that’s not how the rules of competition work.
In addition to being a science and history buff, I have a life-long interest and training in music – all kinds of music but especially classical and Grand Opera. Naturally, I am drawn to fine operatic voices. The Texas Tenors all three have great voices. (But please, lose the big black cowboy hat props!) Of course, they were take-offs on the original three tenors; Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras followed by “The Three Irish Tenors” followed by the “Three Mo’ Tenors” and a variation, “Il Divo”.
So that definitely makes me an “Elitist”. Like many things, Grand Opera has a long tradition but has continued to thrive. One of the problems is that it is VERY EXPENSIVE to put on a full-scale production. We’re talking about a thousand or more people; singers, musicians, orchestra and chorus, set designers and builders, electricians, costumes, stage-hands, box office and publicity with most of them doing double, often triple duty; all working together for months to ultimately pull it off at the same time. These people, like everyone else, like to eat and have other silly necessities like roofs over their heads and other such luxuries. It has usually been necessary to have wealthy patrons or even corporate sponsors. (Texaco for example.)
Technology is changing that. There are and have been small independent opera companies all over the world and in this country, some 36 states and the District of Columbia. These companies are comprised of volunteers and music lover from all walks of life. Operas have been telecast on TV, are on DVD’s and are now being shown (sometimes LIVE) in cinema complexes in many of the states. This brings the “elite” art form of opera into the ticket price range of the general public. It is catching on nicely.
Susan in CT, here is a quote from a review in my ‘Opera News Magazine’ about this year’s summer Greenwich Music Festival in CT entitled “Out of ‘Darkness”; concentrating on the music produced in Terezin, the Nazi “show camp” (Theresienstadt), located in a small city northwest of Prague, [Czechoslavakia, I can spell that!] The Greenwich Festival presented choral and chamber works plus a song recital by mezzo-[soprano] Laurie Rubin.”
“The Operatic centerpiece was Viktor Ullmann’s “Der Kaiser von Atlantis”, an allegorical cabaret-style work halted at the dress-rehearsal stage in 1944. The [Nazi] SS understood all too well its stance toward militarism and packed the composer and librettist Petr Kien off summarily to Auschwitz-Birkenau and death.”
Greenwich Music “Festival co-founder and conductor Robert Ainsley argued in an admirable spoken introduction that Ullmann’s work must be treated not as a requiem but as a vibrant, multiple allusive work enjoyable on its own terms.”
One of the three tenors mentioned above, Plàcido Domingo, (Spanish from Spain, not from Mexico or South America nor one of “them lousy, lazy illegal aliens”), is the Music Director of both the Los Angeles Opera Company and the Washington DC Opera Company. The Los Angeles Opera Company presented Walter Braunfels “die Vogel”, and it was taped for a DVD release. Braunfels was another of Germany’s composing artists packed off to Auschwitz-Birkenau and death.
The music of Braunfels, Zemlinsky and others were banned during the years of the Third Reich. (You can Google these guys if you wish.) Not only were these only a few examples of human beings brutally murdered, but their work was murdered again by being represses and unheard.
(Zemlinsky’s grandparents were a Sephardic Jewish father and a Bosnian Muslim mother. Zemlinsky immigrated to the US in 1938 one jump ahead of the Nazis, taught at UCLA and USC. He died naturally in New York.
(Was he another one of “them lousy, lazy illegal aliens, with a Muslim grandmother no less?”)
James Conlon is the conductor of the Los Angeles Opera Company. He is also the conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival and the Ravinia Festival. He is reviving the almost lost music of these and other composer as “Recovered Voices”. These works are being produced side-by-side with the opera favorite of Richard Wagner’s “Die Walküre”, long associated with the Nazis.
Some of the stories of Wagner’s operas were based on old German mythology, which in turn was based on Roman mythology, which came from more or less Greek mythology. Back and beyond the Greeks, who knows?
The music of Wagner is FAMILIAR just as the music of Johnny Cash and Reba McIntyre’s.
The banned and/or repressed music is not FAMILIAR or in some cases has never been heard.
To quote Conductor James Conlon, “This is the result of societal narcissism – the idea that only contemporary thoughts have value and that the past is not relevant.”
Someone once said that we are able to experience thoughts and feelings in music, which no words could make clear.
So you see, Craig, I don’t believe there are many people who take lightly ANY references about United States citizens being Nazis or Facists. That’s somewhat like the metaphor of a matador standing in a bullring waving a red cape at an angry bull. The matador had better develop some fancy footwork and step lively!
And uh, also Craig, if you look up the origin of the word “Czar”, it commonly denotes the CONSERVATIVE SOVEREIGNS in Russia for hundreds of years. I would have thought you would FAVOR the concept of “Czar”. Is it possible I misunderstood?
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
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By: Jean on September 18, 2009
at 9:53 PM
“THE EASIEST WAY TO GET FAME, IS TO BE RUDE TO SOMEBODY.”
President Obama
I’d say this blog has it down pat.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 9:48 PM
You said it HoneyJo! Keep that soapbox handy!
That was right on point.
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By: SouthPaw on September 18, 2009
at 9:18 PM
Hi Brudda Whirled Peas,
OK. I know how to cut and paste. I went to “Word’>Insert>Symbols” but couldn’t find the ‘delta’ symbol so what do I do now? Where can I find it?
Thanks for your “kokua”.
Aloha! 🙂
Sistah Jean
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By: Jean on September 18, 2009
at 9:06 PM
Thanks Donna and Lori! At least I will wonder no more.
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By: Easier on September 18, 2009
at 8:54 PM
Yowza–I just clicked on the link about Taitz. If, in fact, she filed the motion without client approval, it’s even more serious. Lawyers are required by the applicable ethical rules to abide by client decisions. We cannot simply decide what we will do–it is always up to the client to approve or disapprove.
In the California case, Taitz filed a motion to dismiss certain plaintiffs that she didn’t represent–another violation of the ethical rules. I know there currently are two pending ethical complaints and Dr. Rhodes says that she intends to file one as well. Frequently bar complaints receive a slap on the wrist (I have seen very bad conduct not get more than that), but this really is the sort of thing that can result in a lengthy suspension of her license. In fact, in light of what I would anticipate would be Taitz’s response to an ethics investigation, she is likely to get herself disbarred. Which, IMO, would be a good thing–she has no business purporting to represent people’s interests. She’s simply incompetent.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 8:12 PM
Way to go Helen. 69 million vs. 78 thousand. C’mon Congress, let’s get some healthcare for the 47 million of us who are without – including some of the idiot protesters shown in the alternet vid.
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By: Shash on September 18, 2009
at 8:06 PM
Easier: I have two computers, depending on where I’m working. Unless you are someone with a custom avatar, it will look different depending on the computer you are using. And I’m not laughing–the whole avatar thing can be very confusing.
Yes, Orly Taitz is quite a piece of work. I practice in federal courts all around the country (been doing it for 30 years–yikes). And you almost never see a judge smack someone down like that.
Now, it was bad but she then made it worse. First of all, motions for reconsideration are very rarely granted and there are limited circumstances in which they are even appropriate. In this case, Taitz’s big complaint is that she wasn’t permitted to file an opposing brief to a motion to dismiss. However, a judge can always sua sponte decide that a case lacks merit. That’s what happened here.
So, not only does she bring a loser motion, she insults the judge in that motion–claiming that he’s under the control of the executive branch, etc. AND she then goes to the media and says he’s incompetent, should be tried for treason, etc. The woman has absolutely abysmal professional judgment.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 8:06 PM
Not laughing….. LOL well ok I fib… NO there is only one lori that i know of… I was wondering the same thing. I can only tell you my avatar changes when I change computers.
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By: lori on September 18, 2009
at 8:05 PM
HoneyJo,
When Veteran’s Day comes around in November and you call your parents to thank them for their service, I would be honored if you would also thank your parents for me. I’m sure many of the other commentors here would feel the same. They have raised a wise and wonderful daughter.
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By: Joni Δ on September 18, 2009
at 8:04 PM
Oh yes…always chocolate with red. Here’s some more of Grandma Jan’s pie for ya. You can have it all; I’m hankering for popcorn tonight.
Lori, you beat me to it. The whole czar = adviser / every prez has many / Reagan started it thingamajig, that is.
I miss Werner too. He’s rather um…intemperate? 😉 …but definitely a fun person to have in the parlor. Werner! Get your jazz-ukulele-playing kiester back in here!
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By: Δ Tine on September 18, 2009
at 8:03 PM
pschydelikat, congratulations on Baby Stella! honeyJo, it is always a good thing when you join the discussion. Please don’t anybody laugh. But do we have two Donnas posting on this site? One has a green quilt and one has a purple one. Or does the color change if a different computer is used? It is looking like some of the quilts have changed colors. Lori’s also change. Are there two Loris? Thanks for not laughing.
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By: Easier on September 18, 2009
at 7:39 PM
What kind of pie goes best with merlot? (please say chocolate pecan…! Tine has me hooked!) I’m also in the mood for some aged sharp Wisconsin cheddar. I can cut that in wedges, too! Δ Might be better for me than the pie.
I hope you all have a great weekend, with great weather and great people.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 18, 2009
at 7:30 PM
Craig = yawn.
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By: judith on September 18, 2009
at 7:08 PM
This Orly Taitz thing keeps getting stranger and stranger! She filed another motion AFTER the butt kicking & warning from the judge yesterday and may be sanctioned $10,000 – and that’s not all:
http://www2.wrbl.com/rbl/news/local/article/10000_sanction_proposed_against_birther_lawyer/93364
And here’s another corruption case – the Dems are such crooks!
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-norton17-2009sep17,0,6215749.story
Oops, NOT a Democrat! Must be irrelevant then, huh?
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 18, 2009
at 7:03 PM
Thanks for all the nice comments. I do get a little irritated at these teabagging anti-immigration people, one republican congressman actually said once “we don’t want them working in restaurants. For all we know, they don’t even use toilet paper!” OMG!! In addition to being a Korean War vet, my father was also an aerospace engineer who helped design defense weaponry for this country, working with NASA and the defense department, and in his spare time he taught English as a second language to LEGAL immigrants to help them better assimilate. He’s done more for this country than most of the nutjob yahoos screaming about all the dirty, worthless, stupid Mexicans wanting to “play the American system” put together.
Ok…off that soapbox. And onto another one!!! I just heard that after Nancy Pelosi called for more temperate retoric and for everything to be dialed down before we end up with a Harvey Milk sort of situation, Fox News and Rush Limbaugh are now saying THESE are the comments that will cause any potential violence. NO, not the nutwings bringing loaded assault weapons to town halls, not these bsers convincing the unwashed masses that Obama is Hitler, wants to kill your grandma, wants to line up sick kids and old people to die, that he’s not a real citizen and doesn’t deserve to be President, “We Want OUR Country Back!!” no, it’s NOT these whackjobs that have inspired violence, but Nancy Pelosi’s comments to dial it down that will cause violence. I used to think these people were just selfish, or maybe just really really stupid. But subversively calling for the assassination of the President, knowing full well that’s exactly what you are doing, and just in case someone actually does give you what you want and assassinates the president, do everything you can to blame it on the president and his people so your hands are clean once the deed is done. This is not just stupid, greedy, selfish, or even hateful. This is out and out pure, unadulterated EVIL. And that’s not hyperbole. That is not name calling. That is speaking the truth. Well, Bill O’Reilly may have gotten away with getting Dr. George Tiller killed, but he won’t get away with it a second time. If anything does happen to Obama, they’d better hope that Cheney has plenty of room in that undisclosed secure location. Because O’Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh, Coulter and Malkin WILL be held responsible for the hate THEY’VE whipped up and for the atmosphere of anger and fear THEY’VE created that could very well get our President killed. And God forbid, if anything does happen to Obama, God help us all. The LA riots after the Rodney King verdict were a walk in the park compared to the hell that could break loose.
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 18, 2009
at 6:59 PM
Isn’t it a moot point to argue about Obama’s qualifications at this point? And history has shown that being “prepared” to be president doesn’t necessarily give us the best presidents. Really. Look it up. Being a good president has more to do with personality, decision and organizational skill which leads one to be able to get people to work with them. Our own great ex-govenor Blagojavich had more legislative experience than Obama but he would have made as horrible a president as he made a governor.
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By: Anne on September 18, 2009
at 6:55 PM
I see our troll is back. He is to be igored.
Thymecher -if you get up this way, stop and visiit. Right by the 405.
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By: Grandma Katie on September 18, 2009
at 6:49 PM
The Sarah Palin dinner has closed. I hope it is Keith Olberman who won the dinner on ebay.
Keith – You are an idiot! I hope you enjoyed marching with the other 76,000 idiots.
I am very proud of President Obama, Michelle and how they represent our country.
Whirled Peas – you are amazing! Keep up the great work.
Helen and Margaret are the best!
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By: JuneauJoe Δ on September 18, 2009
at 6:45 PM
[…] We is America Margaret, I haven’t laughed so hard since Katie Couric interviewed Sarah Palin. A few thousand white […] […]
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By: Top Posts « WordPress.com on September 18, 2009
at 6:08 PM
Whirled Peas, your fellow hall monitors have deserted you. It’s a big job for just one person to maintain the sense of humor level we need here but you are doing a great job.
Greytdog, our den mother, hasn’t posted in a week since she left for the DC march.
Werner, surely by now you have completed that 60,000 word translation.
Hurry back guys
I’m working on the origin of “Going South”.
HoneyJo Rumples, what a great post. Thank you.
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By: Raji on September 18, 2009
at 5:49 PM
high five, Lori!!
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 5:38 PM
RIP Mary Travers
Blowin in the wind
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By: JANIA on September 18, 2009
at 5:33 PM
Craig here are some more of the “political hacks” that you claim have not been “vetted” and are “political hacks”…
Afghanistan Czar – Richard Holbrooke- confirmed by congress as an Ambassador to Germany
Economic Czar * – Paul Volcker- confirmed by the Senate when he was on the Federal reserve board
Ron Bloom is not a “czar” http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1880228,00.html
John Brenner worked for the CIA as Chief of Staff to Director of Central Intelligence as well as 6 other CIA postions.
Dennis Blair 4 star navy admiral
Shall I go on or have you learned enough?
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By: lori on September 18, 2009
at 4:56 PM
noticed that UAW dissapeared right after this went up on the previous post part 2 of 3 part interview. must have hit a chord. talks about the child abuse maybe craig and steve can relate
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By: thymeCher on September 18, 2009
at 4:36 PM
This is the best site I’ve read in forever. Helen, I want to be you when I grow up!
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By: Opinionated in North Carolina on September 18, 2009
at 4:34 PM
Craig declares: OBAMA has made it a whole nuther
level or government who is responsible to nobody but HIM. WE or the Congress did not vet these people/Czars.
__________________________________
This is not true Craig. Let us just take George Mitchell for example. (There are MANY more on that list of yours…. )He will work for the state department, get paid by the state department and report to the state department, along with the President and the Vice president. George Mitchell was a Senator from Maine for 14 years…. He also held one of top positions in the Senate, so not only has he been “vetted” by his peers he was vetted by the citizens for 14 years!
I could go down the line of the so called list of Obama’s Czars but it isn’t worth my time, you can look it up if you choose. However I will tell you most of what you are calling Czars are Presidential advisors, and Craig, ALLLLLL presidents have had advisors… it was the beloved Reagan who first coined the phrase Czar.
This is just another Fox News channel NON story, and the fools that ONLY watch that channel and do not bother to look up facts just regurgitate it.
Craig you must do better than that on this blog… We knows are stuff, and if we don’t know we know how to look it up.
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By: lori on September 18, 2009
at 4:31 PM
This book has been getting more press lately. May offer some insight to the right wing’s off the deep end actions.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-smiley/republican-gomorrah_b_290293.html
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By: JANIA on September 18, 2009
at 4:21 PM
I’ll peruse it later. And Thank you.
Good thing we never elected someone who was reckless…..
and dishonesty as a background..?
I thought that was a requirement.
And to think we might have elected someone who had scored at the bottom of Annapolis graduates?
Now thats a dumb boy. Oh my.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 4:11 PM
Does Michelle Obama have more staff than Laura Bush did? Guess not.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/michelle-obama-staff.htm
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 18, 2009
at 4:08 PM
Craig and Steve,
I don’t mind if someone spells “dog” as “dawg” but I think it’s very telling when one of the 9-12 marchers had a sign spelling “moron” as “moran.”
I don’t care if the protesters are from North or South of the Mason-Dixon line. What I do care about are signs saying “We Didn’t Come Armed [This Time]” or “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy” or quoting Thomas Jefferson’s comment about the tree of liberty with a gun strapped to your thigh. I have a problem with birthers who believe, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that President Obama isn’t a citizen and consequently isn’t rightly President (would they insist he wasn’t a citizen if his father wasn’t Kenyan?). I have a problem with those who insist, all evidence to the contrary, that President Obama must be Muslim, as if this would disqualify him from office. I have a problem with candidates for office who ignore and tacitly condone calls of “kill him” at political rallies. I have a problem with bigots comparing President Obama to Hitler and the Nazis (I lost my European relatives to the Nazis, so I do know the difference). I have a problem with racists photoshopping images of President Obama as a witch doctor or of the White House sitting in a watermelon patch. I have a problem with Rush Limbaugh singing a ditty called “Barack the Magic Negro” or most recently, calling for segregated school buses. I have a problem with Glenn Beck announcing that the President of the United states “hates” white people. I have a problem with Bill O’Reilly calling Dr. George Tiller a “baby killer” 29 times on the air and then acting surprised when an anti-choice fanatic assassinates him in church. I have a problem with the minority of a minority of the country which decisively lost the 2008 election trying to nullify it by any means, fair but especially foul. And I have a problem with the Republican “leadership” for attacking President Carter for speaking the truth about anti-Obama racism or Speaker Pelosi for calling for civility in political discourse.
There actually might be some issues in pending legislation with which the Republican party could logically, and perhaps correctly, disagree. But facts and details mean nothing to the right wing. The right wing media and politicians (and the politicians who depend on the right wing) would rather stoke the fires of hatred than engage in civil political discourse. And the mob eats it up.
It doesn’t take much in this country to bring out the nuts with guns. When one of these birthers, teabaggers (horrible term – don’t they know what it means?), deathers, 10thers, secessionists, or “American” militia wackos acts out on their hatred, the hate-peddlers of the right, whether in the media or in Congress, will raise their hands in shock and insist they didn’t encourage it and had no idea that anyone would do such a thing. But they will have blood on their hands, whether they want to accept it or not.
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By: K2inSR on September 18, 2009
at 4:04 PM
Make-Believe Maverick
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty
A rather long article but well worth the read:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain
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By: JANIA on September 18, 2009
at 3:51 PM
Its Happy Hour Donna..
I’m giving it a rest.
I would suggest you do as well.
Have a good evening.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:45 PM
Give you credit on the Doofus Brownie.
I’ll agree with ya 100% on that one..
And thats not a trick comment or bait.
Brownee was way over his head.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:43 PM
Donna..Your a lawyer?…
Or have a degree from a law school, correct?
I may have seen another poster who claimed to be a lawyer.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:41 PM
Cannot you move on from these sandbox school yard fights of “mine is better than yours” crappola?
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:39 PM
OK..Donna…I know and I knew that there have been Czars before Obama…
But this many?
I think not.
And Michelle..I did not count..but I’ll bet its more than have been in the past.
Why are you dredging up McCain’s bio?
Oh..I see I thought you were talking about crashes of the former president.
I thought we were talking apples and apples.
Presidents or former such….
Did not read McCains Bio…But I’ll bet the last Navy crash was from something called
ground fire..possibly a N. Vietnam missile?
Donna I give you credit for original thought and pasting it your posts.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:38 PM
Nah, Delurker–he doesn’t push any buttons. I do think he’s an idiot and I get impatient with people who lack any original or critical thought. But that’s it.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 3:16 PM
Actually, I read, I check facts, I look into both sides of an issue. I don’t simply–as you do–blindly accept the nonsense that’s being spewed on Fox. And the kool aid comment? Still more “originality” from Craig!
Perhaps you might want to check into McCain’s bio. Bottom of his class and only there because of dad and grandpa. The crashes are documented and, in fact, he admitted to them. And Cindy McCain’s father’s ties to the mob are matters of public record in Arizona. Try reading and checking sources–you’ll do better than accepting fraudulent bios by the Palin’s and McCain’s of the world.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 3:14 PM
Donna, Craig’s is sole talent seems to be pushing your buttons. 😛 Don’t feel bad, though – my teenagers have the same impact on me.
With teens, though, if the snark gets too much you can send them to their rooms. In non-snarky moments, teens often have interesting things to say. And eventually they grow up.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 18, 2009
at 3:13 PM
@Craig 1:25
“Charlie really did try and dumb her down.”
Sarah Palin in her very own words:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/07/palin-speech-edit-200907?currentPage=1
Yup and Snow Flake is writing a book…give me an effen break.
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By: JANIA on September 18, 2009
at 3:12 PM
Good Heavens..I should have seen who was peddlin the koolaid before I responded so quickly.
It’s Lady Donna
OK..since its you ..You get a pass.
Your glass is half full anyway.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:10 PM
crashing planes..?
married to the mob?
Your not talking Kennedy here are now ya?
Oh I did account for shrub for having czars..gave ya that one..But there are some pretty arcane titles?
While I whine…I at least hope I can get ya to think…
Maybe thats useless..when you come with a full mind.
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 3:08 PM
Actually, it’s almost not even fun–like debating a toddler. Who was it who said “heck of a job, Brownie” and what was their connection….? Anyone want to help Craig out on that one?
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 3:05 PM
My God you are uninformed. Perhaps you might wish to look into the czars under Bush–or actually not, since that will absolutely kill your argument. And perhaps you’d like to check into Laura Bush’s or Nancy Reagan’s staffs–oh, that’s right, you don’t want to do it.
As for the (gasp) “COMMUNITY ORGANIZER,” I kind of think that’s of more value than either a rich kid who got into Yale as a legacy and ran businesses into the ground (Shrub) or a military legacy who graduated in the bottom of his class and crashed a bunch of planes before marrying the daughter of someone with ties to organized crime who bought him a senate seat. But hey–I actully admire someone who gives to others and who tries to improve their lives.
It’s so interesting how there really are intelligent, thoughtful, informed conservatives. And then there are those who blindly spout the crap they hear from Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh and the like.
You really do offer nothing in the way of original thought; however, you sure do whine alot.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 3:03 PM
It use to be said that it takes a village to raise a child…or maybe a President…?
TO BE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES
YOU must have the following….CZARS
These 30 plus hand chosen friends / CZARS who do not have to be vetted and or have even so much as had a back ground security check.
If your from Ill. good. From Chicago..?..Even better.
An Acorn or community organizer background and being black almost assures you a seat at the trough….I mean table.
Oh and most of these citizens contributed mightily to the OBAMA campaign as well as the Democratic party for most of their lives.
You see these people are under the radar ..They can operate with impunity and they are accountable to nobody, except the administration.
So in effect we have NON-ELECTED officials, who are backed by The White House, who are given the tools and resources to do the bidding of the President and they are accountable to NO ONE!
These czar’s don’t have to undergo Senate Confirmation Hearings, they just get appointed.
The following is a list of Obama’s Czar’s
Afghanistan Czar – Richard Holbrooke
AIDS Czar * – Jeffrey Crowley
Auto Recovery Czar – Ed Montgomery
Border Czar * – Alan Bersin
California Water Czar – David J. Hayes
Car Czar – Ron Bloom
Central Region Czar – Dennis Ross
Climate Czar – Todd Stern
Domestic Violence Czar – Lynn Rosenthal
Drug Czar * – Gil Kerlikowske
Economic Czar * – Paul Volcker
Energy and Environment Czar – Carol Browner
Faith-Based Czar * – Joshua DuBois
Government Performance Czar – Jeffrey Zients
Great Lakes Czar – Cameron Davis
Green Jobs Czar – Vacant..was Van Jones
Guantanamo Closure Czar – Daniel Fried
Health Czar * – Nancy-Ann DeParle
Information Czar – Vivek Kundra
Intelligence Czar * – Dennis Blair
Mideast Peace Czar – George Mitchell
Pay Czar – Kenneth R. Feinberg
Regulatory Czar – Cass R. Sunstein *
Science Czar – John Holdren
Stimulus Accountability Czar – Earl Devaney
Sudan Czar – J. Scott Gration
TARP Czar – Herb Allison
Technology Czar – Aneesh Chopra
Terrorism Czar – John Brennan
Urban Affairs Czar – Adolfo Carrion Jr.
Weapons Czar – Ashton Carter
WMD Policy Czar – Gary Samore
Like we need a “great lakes czar”?
A “sudan czar”…I thought we had a Sec of state for that?
A Terrorism czar..what about Homeland Security?
A mideast czar? what about Hillary?
A faith based czar…? Are you kidding me..?
Now I realize that Bush and some others had CZARS..but OBAMA has made it a whole nuther
level or government who is responsible to nobody but HIM. WE or the Congress did not vet these people/Czars.
Even Michelle has her own retinue. I would not want to even look at the number or the classifications..it would make me sick.
So there you have it. Obama’s CZARS.
You don’t know most of them or where they came from or their personal ties to Obama and his past….so they are anonymous.
It’s easier to “get things done” when you have these political hacks doing the work of the presidency. Ya don’t have to answer to
anybody….end of story.
All you have to be is a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 2:58 PM
and it’s another canard from Craig! Can the Alaskans enlighten him on Palin’s fabulous executive experience? And, of course, the President had, by then, spent significantly longer running a huge, expensive, campaign.
Oh, he didn’t do that all by himself? He had people working for him? Gee–I didn’t realize that Sarah “Crunch Wrap Burrito” ran Alaska without state employees, agencies, department heads, or any other assistance. Who knew?
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 2:52 PM
You said it perfectly. I’m so glad my ex-daughter-in-law turned me on to you.
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By: Jackie on September 18, 2009
at 2:41 PM
… or he gave her the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong about her ability to lead.
🙂
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 18, 2009
at 2:03 PM
There’s no doubt the Charles Gibson interviews showed extreme prejudice against Palin and extreme favoritism towards Obama…
Uh, possibly, but possibly he was just reflecting what the country was concerned about and thinking. And honestly she didn’t need any help looking dumb. She did that all on her own.
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By: stacey on September 18, 2009
at 1:35 PM
HoneyJoRumples I am so happy you are here.
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By: PalinShutUp on September 18, 2009
at 1:31 PM
To JANIA:
The following is a list of the questions for Plain and Obama…It’s an interesting contrast in what he thought were subjective questions for each candidate. Charlie really did try and dumb her down. I found the following questions and pasted them here for you as well as the summation of Gibson’s softball questions to Obama vs. Palin.
Obama interview [transcript]:
How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to “win”?
How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech?
Palin interview [transcript]:
Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking? Specifically have you visited foreign countries and met foreign leaders?
Aren’t you conceited to be seeking this high level job?
Questions about foreign policy
-territorial integrity of Georgia
-allowing Georgia and Ukraine to be members of NATO
-NATO treaty
-Iranian nuclear threat
-what to do if Israel attacks Iran
-Al Qaeda motivations
-the Bush Doctrine
-attacking terrorists harbored by Pakistan
Is America fighting a holy war? [misquoted Palin]
There’s no doubt the Charles Gibson interviews showed extreme prejudice against Palin and extreme favoritism towards Obama…
He constantly questioned her ability to lead…
BUT never questioned Obama’s ability to lead,
.. all the more amazing considering that Palin was the only one with executive experience and the presidency is the highest level executive job in politic
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By: Craig on September 18, 2009
at 1:25 PM
Bravo!!! I couldn’t agree more!!! I posted a blog about the state of the news media a couple ofmontsh back. In that short time, things have only gotten worse!! Here’s the link if you’d like to join me in ranting: http://indignet.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/tv-news-more-like-a-chatfest-and-gigglepalooza/
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By: indignet on September 18, 2009
at 1:06 PM
I second Donna…Hear! Hear!
HoneyJo, always wonderful to get your perspective. You write with a force and integrity that only comes from direct experience.
BTW, I use this LINK for when I wanna describe ‘What it’s like to grow up different’.
Thank you for binging ‘it’ here to M&H and please don’t be a stranger.
.
Jean…Just cut and paste Δ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 18, 2009
at 12:49 PM
Amen, HoneyJo! Hadn’t noticed a comment from you in awhile . . . glad to see you’re still around. I LOVE what you did after 9/11. Dogs are one of my passions . . . yep, I’m an animal lovin’ tree hugger, too.
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By: Joni Δ on September 18, 2009
at 12:42 PM
HoneyJo: You rock. You just rock.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 12:26 PM
This weblog is being featured on Five Star Friday –
http://www.fivestarfriday.com/2009/09/five-star-fridays-edition-71.html
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By: schmutzie on September 18, 2009
at 12:26 PM
I’m sorry, but I don’t really know where people get off thinking that because they are a vet that makes them more entitled to voice their opinion or their opinion counts for more, or somehow they are “more American” than the rest of us. My Mexican-American father, the son of poor illegal immigrants, served in the US Navy and is a Korean War vet, and no one ever gave his opinion on our country more credence just because it came from him. In fact, I see teabaggers saying he should never have been allowed to be “legal” just because he was born on American soil. I’ve seen many people act as though they wish he were not here in this country, and me as well.
So sorry, if my dad doesn’t get a free pass because he’s a vet, neither does anyone else in my book. It doesn’t you make you any more worthy or any more American than anyone else.
Every vertans’ day and memorial day I call my parents and thank them both for serving in the Navy. And I’m the only one who does, or ever has.
Steve, you are no more American than I am, or anyone else on this blog, for that matter. And your assumption that everyone who was at the million man march was on welfare is just that, an uninformed assumption with no facts or figures to back it up. You are just assuming they were all on welfare because they were all black. And I bet you have the gall to say you’re not racist. Well, if you honestly think you are not racist, you need to look up the word racism. You obviously have no idea what it means.
On 9/12/01, I sent a care package to the German Shephards working with police and firefighters in New York who were digging through the rubble looking for bodies. The word was put out that they needed shoes and bandages for their feet, drops for their eyes, etc.
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By: HoneyJoRumples on September 18, 2009
at 12:08 PM
oh dear another double post.. yikes.. sorry all
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By: lori on September 18, 2009
at 11:38 AM
Pollman thought you would like this:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have introduced legislation to fix problems with surveillance laws that threaten the rights and liberties of American citizens. The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism.
The JUSTICE Act reforms include more effective checks on government searches of Americans’ personal records, the “sneak and peek” search provision of the PATRIOT Act, “John Doe” roving wiretaps and other overbroad authorities. The bill will also reform the FISA Amendments Act, passed last year, by repealing the retroactive immunity provision, preventing “bulk collection” of the contents of Americans’ international communications, and prohibiting “reverse targeting” of innocent Americans. And the bill enables better oversight of the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) after the Department of Justice Inspector General issued reports detailing the misuse and abuse of the NSLs. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, September 23rd, on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.
daily kos Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have introduced legislation to fix problems with surveillance laws that threaten the rights and liberties of American citizens. The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism.
The JUSTICE Act reforms include more effective checks on government searches of Americans’ personal records, the “sneak and peek” search provision of the PATRIOT Act, “John Doe” roving wiretaps and other overbroad authorities. The bill will also reform the FISA Amendments Act, passed last year, by repealing the retroactive immunity provision, preventing “bulk collection” of the contents of Americans’ international communications, and prohibiting “reverse targeting” of innocent Americans. And the bill enables better oversight of the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) after the Department of Justice Inspector General issued reports detailing the misuse and abuse of the NSLs. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, September 23rd, on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have introduced legislation to fix problems with surveillance laws that threaten the rights and liberties of American citizens. The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism.
The JUSTICE Act reforms include more effective checks on government searches of Americans’ personal records, the “sneak and peek” search provision of the PATRIOT Act, “John Doe” roving wiretaps and other overbroad authorities. The bill will also reform the FISA Amendments Act, passed last year, by repealing the retroactive immunity provision, preventing “bulk collection” of the contents of Americans’ international communications, and prohibiting “reverse targeting” of innocent Americans. And the bill enables better oversight of the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) after the Department of Justice Inspector General issued reports detailing the misuse and abuse of the NSLs. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, September 23rd, on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act. Dailykos.com
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By: lori on September 18, 2009
at 11:37 AM
Margaret and Helen: I Love You two ladies.
I am only able to get on the internet once or twice a week and REALLY ENJOY seeing a new post. You are so great.
I also have no TV and radio about 20 minutes a day max so the few minutes I on the internet is how I find out what is going on in the world.
Thank You both!
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By: JuneauJoe Δ on September 18, 2009
at 11:02 AM
Study says 45,000 excess deaths annually linked to lack of health insurance.
http://www.physorg.com/news172424058.html
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 18, 2009
at 10:42 AM
Steve,
You do not share my opinion, nor do you agree with me in spite of what you wrote.
I have no use for tea bigots or your opinion. You offer nothing constructive, except as you stated and equal amount of hate.
President Obama was elected President with a mandate and he is doing exactly what he said he would do. I agree with him 100%.
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By: Diane on September 18, 2009
at 10:22 AM
Thank you Helen! This gay hispanic really appreciates that you say things publically. Just imagine how the wing-nuts would sputter if the Obama Administration were to announce Journalism and Media Reform! We need it. Really.
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By: Jaime from Wasilla on September 18, 2009
at 9:45 AM
Ohhhhhh dear Steve, now that is the last straw You must be one of them eastern Pennsylvanian’s. You always give our state a bad name…;-)..
Well now that I think of it… maybe the next to the last straw, if you were a Cleveland or Baltimore fan I Guesssssssssssssss that would be worse…
I guess I will just put you on warning..;-) One more strike and I’ll just have to call it.. !!!
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By: lori on September 18, 2009
at 9:43 AM
Sorry Lori I am an Eagles fan. We will take the dog killer if he will get us a championship, I actually don’t agree with that and wish they would never have signed Vick.
artfuldodger, so because I have a different opinion than you I must be lying about having served in the military. I don’t know you and even if I did I really wouldn’t care what you thought. I did serve for 8 years and spent a year in Iraq.
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By: Steve on September 18, 2009
at 9:04 AM
girlvet–you are so right.
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By: Donna on September 18, 2009
at 8:39 AM
One of the things that keeps this country somewhat free is the press. It provides us with information. That aspect of our freedom is slowly seeping away because of irresponsible journalism that is driven by greed.
The way the press is covering these idiots you’d think tha they represented 90% of the country, rather than the 1% they do.
They are an embarassment.
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By: girlvet on September 18, 2009
at 7:58 AM
GOING SOUTH
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 18, 2009
at 7:46 AM
OK, I love finding the origin of different catch phrases and I was wondering if someone here might be able to help.
When things go wrong, take a turn for the worse or crumble beyond repair, why is it’s referred to as:
<a href="http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-show-health-care-lacks-south"GOING SOUTH?
Just wonderin’ ~ 😉
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 18, 2009
at 7:44 AM
WOW – NUTJOBS come in all ages and forms of BIGOTRY. But it is comforting to knot that you all wear your bigotry on your sleeves – though you should not make it so obvious that you are projecting your own RACISM and HATRED onto other folks who you disagree with. Rather unbecoming.
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By: Lenguado on September 18, 2009
at 6:57 AM
M & H, Jimmy Carter got it right and, of course, Ed Rollins will never admit it. Racism is a cultural sin which becomes totally personal in action. Think about this: the majority of folks start listening to others when they are babies and their comprehension grows apace with neurological development. Sadly, the first things they hear about other people are usually bad things, especially if the other people aren’t like the ones around them. By the time this baby is 5 and in kindergarten, he has already been carefully taught, as the old song goes. “Policy differences” is just a smoke screen for the racism.
Really! Totally mean it!
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By: Mageen in Old Virginny on September 18, 2009
at 6:45 AM
One of my professors mentioned the protest and said think about who is protesting. He said the majority were Elderly, and they were protesting government healthcare. He pointed out that most of them were probably using medicare, so they were protesting their own healthcare in a way.
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By: Stu on September 18, 2009
at 6:42 AM
Helen, You hit the nail on the head again. I really don’t understand why real news is so much less valued than scandal “news” that only entertains and incites the masses. I guess a couple generations of parents have not done a good job of raising their children to think.
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By: Jo Atlanta on September 18, 2009
at 6:16 AM
Hi gang and happyconservative,
As far as I am concerned, the gang here consists of whoever of the 2 million hits-plus-and-counting shows up and wants to be part of the gang. I highlight specific names whenever I feel it might be of interest to them, or maybe not!
The rules as stated by M&H are pretty loose.
I have been a M&H fan for quite a while, but I only recently learned how to do ‘smiley faces’. I still don’t know how to put up an avatar or do a ‘wedge’. One of these days, I’ll get around to it and when I do, I’l give Whirled Peas a shout. He is the computer genius around here. One of these days…….
Aloha! 🙂
Auntie Jean
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By: Jean on September 18, 2009
at 12:45 AM
Max Blumenthal did ask:
http://blurbomat.com/archives/2009/09/14/unauthorized-video-from-09-12-09/
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By: Kim on September 17, 2009
at 11:49 PM
[…] a Republican September 17, 2009 at 10:32 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment Go Margaret and Helen! I just love those two old ladies and their liberal rants. Then again, I just like old people […]
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By: No man is an island, not even if he’s a Republican « Hurricane Jill on September 17, 2009
at 11:32 PM
Beware of advanced stages of…
BECKERWOCKY!
*Note: Do not approach these subjects. May be armed and dangerous. Really. I mean it.
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 17, 2009
at 10:43 PM
Say it ain’t so Morning Joe…
Racism, What Racism?
*2 vids
Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 17, 2009
at 10:25 PM
I’m sorry but what the hell is an Imaginista?
Is that some sort of radical wannabe?
My God this kind of support would make ya want to curl your tents up, pick up your protest signs and get on home.
Speaking of…I once saw the X governor of Georgia…1973
Lester Maddox flanked by two state troopers in underground Atlanta signing pick handles
commemorating his defense of blacks who wanted to enter his restaurant.
That same day driving around downtown Atlanta,
appeared 3 NAZI’s with Jack boots and the whole
attire. I had my boss drive around the block so I could pick up their newspaper.
At the time I was dating a young Jewish lady.
The papers were completely full of cartoons and Socialist propaganda.
I guess what amazed me most is this was 1973 in downtown Atlanta. I was 22 and shocked that this was still in the open and going on.
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By: Craig on September 17, 2009
at 9:43 PM
Hey Helen~ Another good read…Spot on
We are also gun owners..Have a whole lot of respect for them..If i went to a rally of any kind and their were people packing it would scare the ^hit out of me…These loons have no respect for anyone..mho
Anne~re-video…makes ya think.thx
Jean! Dutch Apple crisp.. I owe ya one…he he
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By: Star on September 17, 2009
at 9:15 PM
Judith, my point exactly!
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By: Easier on September 17, 2009
at 8:45 PM
Thanks Helen, for this post. As usual, you drove the point home so beautifully! I believe in freedom of speech. But these protesters so scare me! Irrationality is elevated to the level of worship by these people, who do not understand anything about democracy. Spewing and repeating lies is not helping the democratic process in this country. Critical thinking is gone in certain quarters it seems like!
Jania, thanks for the youtube link. I already knew on a certain level that the marchers were not people you could reason with. The video brought it home so vividly. Such ignorance is unbelievable! The only thing to do is for the people who voted for President Obama to remain steadfast in their support and help him carry out the policies he was elected for. The aim of the protesters and the people egging them on is to keep nibbling until the independents, especially, lose faith. I will keep repeating this until I foam at the mouth. I’d rather my tax contributions be used to offer healthcare to those who need it than be spent funding wars. I’d rather we rebuild America. When has the deficit become so important? Nobody worried about the deficit when the war in Iraq was being funded. The deficit started to widen under President Reagan. It was ok then! Those same people are now screaming about it and acting so horrified, as if it has been invented by President Obama. Give me a break!
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By: Easier on September 17, 2009
at 8:27 PM
I’m glad racism is being addressed, and yahoo to Carter for acknowledging the skunk in the room. It’s a large part of the problem.
But I’m a lot more concerned about another part. Many of these people seem to be gobsmacked by the turn things have taken. They can’t believe it. I think they believed (and were led to believe) that God was on their side and he just wouldn’t let them lose.
Listen to them in other venues. It’s no wonder they won’t believe Obama is a citizen. They shouted down Bill Nye (the Science Guy) when he gave a talk on astronomy and casually mentioned that the moon reflects the sun’s light and has no light of it’s own. They don’t believe in the Solar System, because it’s counter to their biblical understanding! Evidence be damned. There really is no way to reason with them, because reason can’t be allowed to trump religion in their world.
They seem betrayed and confused. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. They don’t understand what’s going on and grasp anybody’s simple explanation, no matter how nasty and untrue, as long as it supports their world view. God is on our side and we’re right, damn it! If the majority disagrees with us, the hell with democracy. God plus me is a majority! We have to take our country back – when do we start shooting? (Look at other blogs. Some people are actually saying this).
When they won the elections, I bitched and moaned plenty. I’m allowed. They’re allowed. But I don’t have a belief system that would encourage me to consider violent overthrow of the government, let alone a holy war. In a way, I feel a little sorry for them, but there’s no way they can be allowed to overthrow our democracy just because they can’t grasp the concept of “We won the election fair and square and it’s our turn now”.
I’m sorry they feel that Sodom and Gomorrah are about to fall and that they’re going to get caught in the middle. It isn’t and they’re not. I only wish they’d pay more attention to stories like the Good Samaritan. The point of that was, a pagan unbeliever Samaritan turned out to be a better person than the true believers because of his actions to help another who wasn’t part of his own community. Sounds like another hippie treehugger to me.
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By: judith on September 17, 2009
at 7:47 PM
Great Post Helen!
I miss Werner Oderwer…
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By: Shirley on September 17, 2009
at 7:44 PM
Craig:
Thank you for respecting my right to a different opinion. I am willing to listen to anyone who speaks calmly and rationally. I watch Jon Stewart who has had such guests as Bill O’Reilly, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee on his show. I’ve listened to them have lively, thought-provoking discussions. And while I’ve ultimately not agreed with much of what they argue, I am still willing to listen. I am interested in learning and how can I do that if I won’t listen to a different opinion? But if people start screaming and insulting, I stop paying attention, no matter from which side they yell.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 7:36 PM
Helen, I REALLY want to be you when I grow up!
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By: Judy Schultheis on September 17, 2009
at 7:34 PM
Best one yet .. Keep keepin it real!
Merrilymarylee.. I enjoyed reading your blog! Your story about your DB warning you NOT to talk politics in the resturant made me chuckle. It just sounded like something my husband would say…. as a matter of fact he HAS said those exact words many times in our married life!
Steve you better be a Steeler fan or else I just might have to call bullshit on you!
Happy…. What did you expect Ed Rollins to say considering who he is..
Edward John “Ed” Rollins (born March 19, 1943) is a Republican campaign consultant and advisor who has worked on several high-profile political campaigns in the United States. In 1983-84, he was National Campaign Director for the Reagan-Bush ’84 campaign, winning 49 of 50 states. In December 2007, he was named the national campaign chairman for the Mike Huckabee campaign for President.[1]
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By: lori on September 17, 2009
at 7:15 PM
I think President Jimmy Carter’s comment that opposition to President Obama’s policies is based on race are just wrong. He totally missed the mark on this. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Here is a link to a commentary by Ed Rollins. He puts President Carter’s comment in the wider context of the issues at hand. I think Ed got it.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/17/rollins.obama.tv.health/index.html?iref=newssearch
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By: happyconservative on September 17, 2009
at 7:05 PM
I was one of the >1 million people marching for women’s rights. It was a fabulous day. I was also amonght emillion who protested the second inauguration of that arsebite, W. We didn’t see half the amount of coverage these twits get.
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By: Karen on September 17, 2009
at 7:02 PM
Video footage just released:
The Forefathers of Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, BillO, etc…
…discover the New World!
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 17, 2009
at 6:33 PM
Artfuldodger, THANK YOU. That was fabulous.
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 6:19 PM
Helen, you may have called a spade a spade this time. I recognize your frustration. I agree with Poolman that it is time to stop fighting among ourselves and start trying to regain freedoms that we are loosing. At least it is beginning to appear that we are all agreeing that the Media is the “problem”.
My ultra conservative right wing brother has conceded that this has become the “silly season” and he feels that racism has become too much of an issue. We can actually discuss issues now. That is a beginning.
Good grief, if I can now communicate with my brother, don’t you think it’s time for all of us on this blog to start communicating.
I agree with Jean. If you go back over the past year there have been many issues raised that have been discussed and dissected. This is how we learn, not by refusing to see the other side but listening.
I studied Communism and Russian history in college in the early 60’s getting a degree in International political science because I wanted to understand the mentality behind Marx and Engel. This of course did not go over too well with my southern republican family but they survived.
As I have posted before, there is a lot of fear in this country particularly among the senior citizens that have no other access to news except TV. Someone posted that we have access to the internet and international news media but I doubt seriously that the angry old white people marching in DC on 9/12 have that access.
I live in a rural community and know the majority of locals do not have that kind of access to information and can only believe what they hear or see on faux news and some of these people are well educated.
If you really want to be involved in your community, volunteer in getting out the facts and helping people become informed but not with left or right opinions.
I’ve been reading about Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and their new website Iparticipate.org making it easy for people to find volunteer opportunities in their communities. AARP has partnered with them and apparently during the week of Oct. 19 the major broadcast networks and others will highlight the value of volunteering. This could be a good source for getting out the FACTS!
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By: Raji on September 17, 2009
at 6:08 PM
Anne V, that was a telling video. That proves how newsworthy our news is. Fox news sure grinds em out. Talk about a propaganda machine! The dumbing down of America is officially a success. Rupert Murdock ought to get a medal for his accomplishments. Yeehaw! Facts? We don’t need no stinking facts.
Interesting note. Murdock has a an affiliation with the groups “Friends of Hillary” and “Hillary Clinton for President” and actually threw a fundraiser for Hillary. He was also a member of “John McCain 2008”, though he stated early last year he though Obama was going to win the election. Hmmmm.
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By: Poolman on September 17, 2009
at 5:40 PM
Another wonderful post by Helen. I so enjoy these and forward them to friends. But, it’s too bad the trolls have found Margaret and Helen.
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By: Sylvia on September 17, 2009
at 5:24 PM
Wouldn’t it be nice if all these total whackjobs, teabaggin, gun tottin, no government asshats would ALL move to a good ol boy state and be allowed to secede from the USA.
SP would be their queen, Coulter, Malkin, Bachmann would be ‘women in waiting, (couldn’t bring myself to use the word ladies). Beck would be king with Inshannity, Oreally, Dobbs as his footnmouthmen. Faux would be their only source of news and of course we would seal the borders. Tightly.
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By: JANIA on September 17, 2009
at 5:22 PM
Helen you are the best!
Jean…THANK YOU!!!!
Sometimes the comments here get out of hand and I think we forget why we all love coming back here again and again….you have put it in words very well indeed.
THANK YOU…..and thanks for the pie!!!!
For those of you who are new here…..go back and read Margaret and Helen’s posts from at least a year ago…read the comments…..see how it all began. You’ll have a better understanding of what Jean is talking about.
We love Margaret and Helen. Really. I mean it. 🙂
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By: Kim on September 17, 2009
at 4:46 PM
Jean, you got me with the Dutch apple crisp pies
pulling up to the table with fork in hand 🙂
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By: PalinShutUp on September 17, 2009
at 4:41 PM
Dear Helen,
It is always a good day when I see a new post from you! I haven’t often heard or read the colloquialism, “Peckerwoods” since I lived in Texas, Alabama and South Carolina way back in the 50’s. It made me chuckle.
Back then, as a “Yankee” I was impressed with the gentle and genuine Southern Hospitality of the people I met. At the same time I was APPALLED at the blatant and brutal humiliation of the “Jim Crow Laws” so strictly enforced at the time. This was long before the Civil Rights Movement.
“Brutal Humiliation” are the only nice words I can come up with the describe it. But in those days, NOBODY talked about such things as “Racism” and “Sexism” in “Polite Society”. That’s just the way it was. I think our country has come a long way, but there is still a long, long way to go.
I like your STYLE! Each of us has a different style of writing and expression ourselves, but the important thing is to get an overall point across. And biting political satire has always been an effective means of communication. You are right up there with the all time best of them!
One of the things I like about your blog is the wide variety of styles from so many parts of the country, and occasionally from across the world. Talking about so many issues and opinions gives each of us insights into other people’s way of thinking. It is the perfect place to vent, blow off steam, rant and rave as well as share opinions and information. Frankly, yours is the one and only blog I have the time or interest to participate in so I can’t speak for any other ones.
So for today, I brought some cherry cream cheese pies, some Dutch apple crisp pies and some homemade brownies. Please everyone, help yourselves! I would love to have brought some strawberry rhubarb pies but…..you cannot get rhubarb in the tropics. Few people here have ever even heard of it. I’ll bet most of the bloggers here didn’t know that little tid-bit of trivia.
Aloha! 🙂
Jean
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By: Jean on September 17, 2009
at 4:35 PM
I discovered your blog today, Helen and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoy your posts. You have great points – with a bit of humor. Keep up the good work!
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By: Marshall on September 17, 2009
at 4:35 PM
Oh, Helen. You make my day. You take care, now.
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By: Krystal on September 17, 2009
at 4:30 PM
Ann, Thank you for your rebuttal and shout out.
Everybody has an opinion and an anus.
I respect your right to differ.
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By: Craig on September 17, 2009
at 4:23 PM
PS–When I’m out of NPR range, I listen to it via the internet. There are many ways to do it. I usually go to the website of our local station because they carry great news shows.
Same with Jon Stewart; if I miss him on TV (which is not often, since he’s on at least four times a day!) I watch via the internet.
You know…I do the Googles and watch the internets. 🙂
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By: merrilymarylee on September 17, 2009
at 4:03 PM
What absolutely amazed me when I watched the youtube ‘TeaBagger Tour’ video @ 1:23 was that woman’s absolute closed minded belief that Obama’s birth certificate is a fake. “Don’t confuse me with any truth or facts, nosiree!”
http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2009/09/16/one-of-oc-attorneys-suits-tossed-in-obama-birth-debate/22003/
In case you haven’t read this:
The truth about Obama’s birth certificate.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html
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By: JANIA on September 17, 2009
at 4:01 PM
That response was for steve
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By: artfuldodger on September 17, 2009
at 3:54 PM
Why would anyone bring a weapon to a presidential appearance? To demonstrate Second Amendment rights? Any person that owns a firearm knows their right to bear arms. The sole reason is to intimidate and threaten. I doubt your claim that you are a veteran. I am, and I have never heard a firearm referred to as a gun. I also doubt your claim that you are educated. I do believe you are from PA.
I get to decide what is right and wrong when I vote. I am a Democrat and we won.
As for war criminals, if you served in Iraq, which I strongly doubt, you would agree with the sane majority, and Fox News, that Bush and Rumsfeld are war criminals.
You have no honor. You should spend more time at NASCAR then at the keyboard regurgitating Limbaugh/Beck talking points. Get yourself some sheets and join the next teabag party, and while your at it, honor those that died on 9/11 instead of glenn beck on 9/12
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By: artfuldodger on September 17, 2009
at 3:53 PM
Ironically, a public option would probably help the screamers the most. They’re listening only to Glen Beck and FOX. . . AS IF Beck and FOX gave a rip about anything but their ratings.
And what is all of this about “take back our country” crap? It’s my country–and yours, and the MAJORITY of other Americans who also voted for President Obama. Who do they think they are?
Crazy times. I’d hate to think that we have to yell louder than they do to make sure lunacy doesn’t prevail.
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By: merrilymarylee on September 17, 2009
at 3:52 PM
Steve:
My husband owns a gun. A couple of them. Also a rifle. I am not afraid of him. Why? Because he does not go around to political rallies carrying signs of the president as a Nazi and screaming while carrying his gun. If that doesn’t make you a little afraid, then there’s something wrong with you.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 3:38 PM
Steve:
People can have a different opinion that me. My husband has them all the time. But he follows up his opinion with a reasonable argument. When people shout unreasonable things, than I cannot take their opinions seriously. Hence, Tea Baggers who shout unreasonable things do not qualify as people with valid opinions.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 3:36 PM
equating a gun totting bigot hater to a child crying in a store is idiocy
this will be my last time replying to you
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By: PalinShutUp on September 17, 2009
at 3:24 PM
YOU ROCK. The media is all about numbers and everyone is in everyone else’s pocket, throwing money at their own personal interests (hello lobbyists) and undermining my one vote with the equivalent of 1 mil of theirs… because their votes are in dollar form.
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By: Amanda on September 17, 2009
at 3:03 PM
PalinShutUp……using my 2nd amendment to terrorize a nation. Are youo kidding me. So because I carry a gun and it scares you I am terrorizing a nation? Just because you don’t then I shouldn’t. So by that I should be able to say that people do just about anything are terrorizing that nation. I mean I could say that anything bothers me. How about parents that don’t discipline their kids and let them scream in a store. They are bothering me, should tell them that they need to fix that and fine them for it? Where is the line and why do you get to decide what is right or wrong?
I am educated, I was in the military and served our country in Iraq. I wonder how many of you on this site have been in the military and actually have done something for the rights you have. Oh yeah I am also a gun totin, country boy from PA.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 3:00 PM
Anne, I agree with you, just remember that it goes both ways. In my opinion Obama is a POS. I didn’t vote for him. Not that the other choice was a good one but…..
I have a friend that is liberal, not as liberal as most of the people on this site. I am surpised that they are even using the electic to power their computers. They should be out huggin trees and saving animals.
We have had some interesting conversations. She has had me thinking about a few things. We don’t agree on a lot but have learned a lot from each other. The way you sound in your message to Craig is that yeah he can have his opinion but it is stupid and uninformed, but oply because it isn’t the same as yours.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 2:53 PM
Thank you Helen!
We IS America
Thank you to KO for taking the time to document racist attacks
that Jon Stewart is probably ‘the most trusted newscaster in America’ is really a sad commentary on this country’s main stream media, I like him a lot but as noted previously lets not forget that he is an entertainer
I agree with Anne that BBC news is to be trusted but who is to be trusted for local news coverage? Like the Health Care march in Seattle completely ignored by the only mainstream paper left, the Seattle Times? I bet the PI would have covered it and thank you talea for confirming my concerns
our biggest threat are not people from other religions its domestic terrorists carrying nazi signs and guns, Im not against the 2nd amendment what I am against is people using it to terrorize a nation
and I keep asking:
Where were these yahoos who now demand ‘their’ America back when Bush was signing away our rights? my tree huger friends were out there protesting but not a peep from the tea people?, why now? and why protest when called out for what you are? a bunch of hillbilly bigots? at least own up to it, trust me, I am willing to bet that you will get more respect when you do
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By: PalinShutUp on September 17, 2009
at 2:48 PM
Not only do we have to deal with the Birthers, Deathers, and Beckers, now we’ve got the Flamers:
http://www.intuitivestatistics.com/
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By: Hallie on September 17, 2009
at 2:45 PM
Craig:
Let me respond to your post at 11:21. It’s not an issue of people simply having a different opinion. It’s the fact that their opinons are based on crap. Now, you are entitled to believe in crap, but I am also entitled to call your crap crap. You are entitled to believe any damn fool thing you want to, and as Barney Frank pointed out, the constitution allows you that right, but I am also allowed to tell you you’re an idiot. Not all opinions are equal just because they fall under the umbrella of an opinion. It may be your opinion that Obama is out to kill your grandmother, but your opinion is not as valid as that of someone who is involved in the writing of one of the numerous health care bills. Because someone with such an opinion is speaking out of fear rather than out of knowledge. Helen may not be as PC as some would like with her latest post, and indeed her post was more venemous than I am used to, but she is frustrated, as am I, that people are expected to be given respect when they act like fools. Indeed, it seems lately people are expecting to be admired for saying outrageously rediculous things. If a lot of peole believe it, it must be a valid opinion worthy of consideration, right? Well, I cry bullshit.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 2:42 PM
jsri:
I’m sorry to hear that. I live in Chicago, and we can go to Chicago Public Radio and listen live via the web. Maybe you can do that too where you live? Feel free to listen to CPR. It may not have your local news, but it will have national and world news.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 2:26 PM
God Bless you Helen. I look so forward to your little part of the world, where everything makes sense and morons are exactly that… MORONS…
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By: willpen on September 17, 2009
at 2:18 PM
And Glenn Beck, the Head Tea Bag (you can say Tea Bag in front of your granny where you might not want to use the real word, douchebag) didn’t even bother to show up at the “rally” he wanted to have.
Why do I hear echoes of Baron Munchausen saying “Vass you dere, Sharlie?”
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By: infmom on September 17, 2009
at 2:16 PM
Paris Hilton ate something??????
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By: pekegirl on September 17, 2009
at 2:12 PM
Jania, your video speaks for itself, that is “news,” so I won’t express my opinion. Does that work for you Steve?
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By: no one's puppet on September 17, 2009
at 2:08 PM
ValleyIndependent, the funny thing is that criminals don’t follow rules so by having “gun free zones” all we do is take guns out of the hands of law abiding people.
ImaginistaΔ…….”I thought was the most dangerous thing to our way of life and it would list Bush, Cheney, Rove and that whole usual gang of war criminals”
Are you serious? War criminals? A they flew planes into buildings and killed a lot of inocent people. Everyone wants to talk about the media here, that is one thing that I agree with you on. They suck. What you need to realize is that you are buying into it as much as you hate it. You really think that every time that the US drops a bomb that is kills 100s of inocent civilians? Nope they don’t, that is just how the people in Afghanistan want it reported and what they claim.
Do some research and find out how many of the terrorist that have been released from GTMO have gone back to the war. Bet you would be suprised to find out how many have. Obama has no plan but said he would close GTMO. Well what are you going to do with them? If you let them go a good number go right back and start fighting again and will claim they are not involved.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 2:04 PM
CNN lost what credibility it had when it declared that it would have been”irresponsible” not to report the “attack” on DC which turned out to be a Coast Guard training exercise. I seem to remember a time when responsible journalism meant checking your facts before you publish them. Walter Cronkite was spinning in his grave at that one, I’m sure.
The media needs to stop giving voice to the yahoo fringe elements on both sides and give the airwaves back to the sensible people who actually want to solve problems. Let the crazies go back to Jerry Springer where they belong.
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By: TJinTally on September 17, 2009
at 2:02 PM
Spot on about the media. In my opinion the reason so called 24-7 cable news presents opinion and calls it news is greed. Quality journalists stationed in news bureaus around the world cost more money than a desk jockey repeating their corporate perspective all day long. That said, why are we watching, we all have computers, read domestic and foreign newspapers (often the best coverage of American, and mostly certainly, world news) online.
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By: no one's puppet on September 17, 2009
at 1:58 PM
YES!!!
You are the best!!!
They are just idiots….now can we just move on and pass a bill already?
Helen, you are a Goddess.
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By: Kelley on September 17, 2009
at 1:41 PM
Wait .. what’s that I hear? Its an expression of SANITY … you truly made my day!
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By: Daryl on September 17, 2009
at 1:33 PM
I love you Helen, you hit the nail on the head yet again, can’t wait for your next post! 🙂
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By: meson on September 17, 2009
at 1:27 PM
This YouTube must have been one of the inspirations for Helen’s excellent post. Just support your lower jaw when watching. It is beyond amazing to hear Teahatriots regurgitate verbatim Becknboys.
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By: JANIA on September 17, 2009
at 1:23 PM
Helen, you are spot on as usual. Please give my love to Margaret. I hope she is okay – we don’t see much of her these days.
Whirled Peas, thanks for the link and the laugh.
We have a few nuts carrying “No Taxes” signs at our local tea parties (I’ve seen pictures of them at others, as well), which is pretty funny, since they drove to the rally on streets funded with tax dollars, have kids in public schools, use public utilities, enjoy the protection of the local police force, and some of them are even on medicare, medicaid, and welfare. Many of those folks suffer from not just an inability to spell, but from a total lack of common sense as well. They must have flunked out of history class (shame on any teacher that passed them), and really need professional help with their paranoia.
Steve, guns are common and necessary in Wyoming, where I grew up, and in Alaska, where I’ve lived almost 20 years, and I’m definitely pro-gun rights and anti-registration, but the paranoid people just itching for a fight who don’t realize that just because you can legally pack a gun nearly everywhere doesn’t mean it is appropriate to do so scare the bejeebers out of me. Unless you are a peace officer, there is no need to pack your gun into a civic meeting, the library, or the city park. There is no benefit to doing so, and there is avoidable potential for harm.
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By: ValleyIndependent on September 17, 2009
at 1:15 PM
[…] […]
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By: Who We Are - Politics and Other Controversies - City-Data Forum on September 17, 2009
at 1:12 PM
Anne V: I watched the whole video. Ho. Lee. Crap.
James, if you’re reading: Are these the “well-informed, dissenting citizens” you keep saying the Tea Party movement is made up of?
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 1:09 PM
arrgggh…I have sinned as much as anyone but I really REALLY hope people won’t feed Craig the Troll.
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By: Donna on September 17, 2009
at 12:55 PM
It had been speculated that Charlie was replaced because of his interview with Palin. Somehow, the fact that his glasses were on the end of his nose and he was “looking down” and over the rim of his eye wear gave an appearance that he did not give her respectability or viability as a serious candidate based on his questions and her answers.
Craig…OH PLUEEEEEEZE, I just barfed all over my computer, “give her respectability or viability”??????? She couldn’t answer the friggen questions what in the hell are you talking about?
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By: JANIA on September 17, 2009
at 12:53 PM
Reminder to the pie club: unfed trolls drag their knuckles back to Freeperland where they can all bow at the feet of their God, Glenn Beck. They are not here to discuss issues with anything approaching intelligence and their minds are slammed shut to all things rational.
Helen, this is such an outstanding post on so many levels. All through the dark days of Bush, I must have participated in dozens of surveys that polled for who or what I thought was the most dangerous thing to our way of life and it would list Bush, Cheney, Rove and that whole usual gang of war criminals, but on every single one of them I would check the box for THE MEDIA. Without the circus that passes now for “news” we would never have been saddled with any of the other jerks on the list.
We finally overcame the powers that are and despite the spin, we elected Obama. But the media remains the same and is more dangerous than ever. It is time for a return of the Fairness Doctrine. The airwaves should belong to the public, not the moneyed interests that currently control it. As a nation, we lost far too much with that deregulation.
This is one of your greatest posts ever. Your use of the word peckerwood was executed perfectly. I give it a perfect 10. I really adore the heck outta you.
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By: ImaginistaΔ on September 17, 2009
at 12:51 PM
The reason it’s so easy to pick on these idjits is because they don’t know what they are talking about! This is a bit long, but if it doesn’t make you laugh, it will make you cry.
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By: Anne V on September 17, 2009
at 12:51 PM
I saw a bumpersticker that made me think of you. “You are entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts.”
Those protesters are clearly proponents of truthiness–they don’t need your stinking facts or fancy book learning.
It’s always nice to read humorous straight talk with a good dose of thought behind it Helen. Keep it up!
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By: Suzi on September 17, 2009
at 12:50 PM
AS for national media.
I DVR both the CBS and ABC news as well as the FOX evening news coverage.
Now a few days ago Charlie Gibson was announced that he would be leaving the evening ABC stint and would be replaced with Diane Sawyer.
She’s good. But Charlie had a warmth to him.
It had been speculated that Charlie was replaced because of his interview with Palin. Somehow, the fact that his glasses were on the end of his nose and he was “looking down” and over the rim of his eye wear gave an appearance that he did not give her respectability or viability as a serious candidate based on his questions and her answers.
Now in the past two days or so it has also been revealed that Charlie was completely in the dark about the recent ACORN sting video and the congressional actions.
One Chicago radio morning cast questioned him about the ACORN scandal and being recorded and live on the air, Charlie” was completely at a loss. He laughed and evidently stated he had not heard a thing about the sting or the congressional actions. This was one week old news.
Then the radio hosts told Gibson that fellow news man Jake Tapper had been blogging about this ACORN debacle.
So now it appears that Charlie and the rest of the
Talking Heads are revealed to be just that.
They don’t investigate the news.
It’s investigated, researched and dissected before being spoon fed to the likes of Couric, Gibson and Brian Williams. Oh and to be fair..O’Reilly as well.
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By: Craig on September 17, 2009
at 12:45 PM
Helen, you hit yet another one out of the park. I really wish KO or RM would read your posts in a segment of their news programs. I can’t tell you how much they lift my spirits after I make the big mistake of channel changing thru the FauxIdiots.
Let us remember that
“69 million people voted for Barack Obama knowing full well that Universal Healthcare was a major issue in his campaign.”
Now our POTUS needs to NOT play nice anymore:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-olmsted/whats-it-going-to-take-ba_b_287497.html
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By: JANIA on September 17, 2009
at 12:45 PM
Dear Helen and Margaret,
I love your blog. I hoping that you would make a comment about the Accorn Tape that Jon Stuart had on his show the other day.
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By: EM on September 17, 2009
at 12:41 PM
I wonder what Margaret thinks about all of this?
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By: Valerie S. on September 17, 2009
at 12:36 PM
Rachel Maddow had Frank Schaeffer on last night, who wrote a book “Crazy for God” which sounds very interesting. The man was raised by fundamentalists and has a unique insight into their thinking process. He stated that no number of facts laid out will ever change their beliefs, as the fundamentalists are taught to believe and doubt facts (like the fact that the earth is billions of years old, dinosaurs did not co-exist with humans, Obama is a Christian and born in the US, etc.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#32886436
Tine, I agree with you about the blog today.
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By: kitkat on September 17, 2009
at 12:36 PM
Good Post Helen. The media is not in this to inform us. They do a better job of misinforming and disrupting us. And we play right into their hands. Like the participants of the disjointed 9-12 march, opinion passes for truth and facts are not important. Disorganization and illogical rationale are king. Now we are all riled up and ready for some butt kickin. We just keep fighting among ourselves while our freedoms slip through our fingers.
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By: Poolman on September 17, 2009
at 12:17 PM
Jsri, can you stream your nearest public radio station over the internet? That might be one solution to the lack of decent local/regional news coverage in your area.
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 12:16 PM
My point with my posts is that you don’t have to agree with their opinions or why they were marching/protesting. That is their right. I just find it funny that because of their opinions people want to call them Rednecks, toothless hillbillies. My comments were meant to come from the other side and see if it offended you when someone said the same things about people that think the way you do.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 12:04 PM
Anne on September 17, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Re Public Radio
Where we live public radio is offered on a couple repeaters that are so weak that they get drowned out by nearby stations so we get no independent radio news at all. And local TV news is pathetic, both in content and delivery. It is mostly amateur reporters with news stories that are either about recently dead junkies “turning their lives around”, bloody car wrecks or celebrity news which are all pretty much variations of the same thing.
The only place for independent TV news is PBS which has nothing for local coverage in our area. And when PBS does features about politics or world issues, they go overboard to present alternative views. Unfortunately, some issues do not lend themselves to alternative views which often give a free ride to purveyors of idiocies. But PBS News Hour still adheres to the Fairness Doctrine even in cases where it is not germane. I find this annoying.
Bill Moyers, on the other hand, still does the best in depth stories and they are often without a contrived “alternate” view but when an alternative is appropriate, he always includes one..
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By: jsri on September 17, 2009
at 11:58 AM
This has bee quite a discussion! I must say the media does more to mislead this country than any one person. Thanks for caring so much about this country!
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By: Lori Skoog on September 17, 2009
at 11:55 AM
You go, Helen! I hate that these people have adopted the tea party moniker. They have nothing in common with the patriots who took part in the Boston Tea Party.
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By: Mari on September 17, 2009
at 11:46 AM
Margaret, I love you, I really do but you just can’t generalize these idiots as “hillbillies”. I live in Eastern KY, we are called hillbillies. Most of us (not all) have all our teeth. A great many of us are college educated and even though we happen to live in a ‘red’ state and Mitch McConnell is one of the resident idiots, we simply are tired of the stereotype.
I do like the association of these narrow-minded morons as Klan, brainless toothless wonders, but look who they represent.
Love ya, I surely do and I look forward to every post.
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By: Maitsy on September 17, 2009
at 11:37 AM
Better yet…………….78,000 beckerwoods!
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By: MadCity Chick on September 17, 2009
at 11:36 AM
Well said!!! I’m adding you to my list of favorite blogs and I’ll be back!
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By: Brenda on September 17, 2009
at 11:35 AM
Please don’t feed the troll.
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By: Donna on September 17, 2009
at 11:29 AM
[…] “We is America” [Margaret and Helen] […]
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By: “We is America” « This Is Jasmine on September 17, 2009
at 11:28 AM
I’m just curious.
But what in your life’s experiences cause you to describe a group of marchers with blanket perfunctory derogatory descriptions just because they believe differently from you?
Through all of the medias coverage, I don’t think they, the on air talent refer to any groups past or present with language as yours?
So some marched and they carried signs..and those signs did not exhort your beliefs.
At least they felt fervently enough in what they believe, that they did exercise their rights.
Why not leave it to comedian Bill Mahr for cheap one liners and demeaning descriptions of Americans who do not believe as you.
And to say there were no people of color is false.
I have seen photos that included many different races. And yes, people from all walks of life were marching. Not all who march are wealthy..and as for comments about missing teeth..and hillbillies?
How does this type of rhetoric foster a discussion about what they were marching for or against?
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By: Craig on September 17, 2009
at 11:21 AM
And the sad thing is, those who might have some well-articulated, cogent thoughts are being completely upstaged by the yahoos. Thanks for your humor; keep it up!
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By: Leebot on September 17, 2009
at 11:15 AM
Oh my.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/17/insurance-company-must-pa_n_289841.html
Guess our rates will be going up, huh?
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 11:13 AM
A buttload of rotten apples are destroying the barrel.
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By: mountain.mama on September 17, 2009
at 11:11 AM
Can someone please explain to me why conservatives let themselves be drown out by jerks like Rush Limbaugh and his ilk? Psalm 101:3 (NIV) says:
I will set before my eyes
no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;
they will not cling to me.
So why do they tolerate the people who spew hate like that?
I was talking to someone I know from church the other day and he was articulating his opinions about why the liberal agenda is wrong for America. I didn’t happen to agree with him, but his opinions were thoughtfully developed and logically expressed. If there are people like that who want to see America change for their version of better, why on earth don’t they do something about the noisy bastards that are destroying their party and trying to take their country down with it?
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 11:06 AM
to steve:
i hope you realize your own biases — when you say things like: “The problem is that racism comes more from the non-whites now a days.” this is an inherently racist comment — why do you call people of color non-white? they dont have any agency of their own unless they are the opposite of white? WRONG, they are their own people, just like you and me — you need to focus, this blog is about the 9/12 protestors — trying to change the subject of the ensuing discussion by bringing up racism by people of color is a non sequitor
so when jews were relegated to ghettoes they just didnt take pride in their neighborhood? you have NO IDEA of what you speak
sorry, but whenever i see the usage of “non-white” i have to call it out
this is my first trip to this blog — i liked it, thanks helen for a good laugh
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By: whogivesa.... on September 17, 2009
at 10:57 AM
Thanks, Delurker Girl. 🙂
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 10:53 AM
I am completely sick with every last comment about race. The word race is meaningless and has a variety of incorrect deffinitions. Biologically we are all 99.9% similar and the .1% is a biological adaptaion to the enviroment that you/ your ancestors have lived in. This includes skin color/ nose width/ length of arms and legs. The “ghetto” is that way b/c socioeconomic status is very hard to change.
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By: Kurt Austin on September 17, 2009
at 10:52 AM
Damn. Every day that passes I wish to heck my Native ancestors had been a little more careful which White folks they let land on Turtle Island…
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By: mojnun on September 17, 2009
at 10:50 AM
Ouch, Tine! I sheepishly see your point. I’ll have to stew on that a bit, because my first reaction to your post was “yeah, but they….”.
I hope you feel better. I slept like heck the past couple of nights so I’m not feeling too well, but I’m sure good sleep will fix it. Just need to unload some things that are weighing heavy right now. Anyway, not to make it about me but just to say I can relate and I truly hope you feel better soon. Get some pie out of your freezer. 🙂
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 10:41 AM
Diane, I agree. We should take back America from those that want it. Those people being Obama and all his supporters.
Funny how things change. I had a lady tell me that we shouldn’t change laws for people. We were talking about Gay marriage. She didn’t think it was right. Thought that the US should not change the laws they have for gay people. Funny how that is, we as America have evolved and laws have changed for the better. She didn’t agree. My response is well if we shouldn’t change laws for the better of American we could always go back to when women couldn’t vote and when we had segregation. So should we or should we not allow laws to change
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 10:38 AM
I see the troll returned while I was writing. Why does he bother coming back here if he doesn’t like anything any of us has to say?
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By: Grandma Katie on September 17, 2009
at 10:38 AM
Christineam:
I’m sorry to hear about your mother. That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. When facts become opinions, then anyone’s opinion is equal to any else’s and before you know it, gravity and the earth revolving around the sun can be a matter of opinion. And opinions can become facts if enough people believe it. And hence, Obama is trying to turn American into a Socialist country and death panels exist.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 10:35 AM
Excuse the typos in previous post. Sometimes right hand doesn’t hit right keys!!
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By: Grandma Katie on September 17, 2009
at 10:33 AM
Hey H M Bascom
Way to go be a jackass. There was a Nascar race on Saturday. It was the lst race before the chase and oh yeah it was in Richmond. Way to be. Next time you want to run your mouth do some research, google is your friend, well could be.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 10:33 AM
Helen – thanks for starting my day off with your wise words. I have given up all local TV newscasts. CAn’t take the way news is presented. and as sor Fo=x. Since my SO passed I have n ot been subjected to any of the idits.
Thanks for making my day brighter.
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By: Grandma Katie on September 17, 2009
at 10:32 AM
They are no longer teabaggers.
They have switched over to
TEA BIGOTS
I never ever thought I would hear a national figure say bring back segregated buses. Limbaugh’s disgusting comment was made with very little outrage from the media and others.
I don’t think it is a laughing matter now. The internet nor Fox News nor 24/7 cable tv was available to these dangerous people before. They can lie and manipulate people to a greater extent then ever before. They are out for blood and never, ever underestimate the power of the mob.
It is time to take our America back from those who want
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By: Diane on September 17, 2009
at 10:30 AM
Well this blog and most of the comment made are againt the “redneck, uneducated, toothless” people. Just felt like turning it around for a second. The problem is that racism comes more from the non-whites now a days. I don’t have a problem with, well actually I am an equal opportunity hater. I give everyone an equal chance to piss me off. So it is ok for people to say…redneck, white trash, toothless hillbilly, but don’t talk that way about people of any other color. That is all BS.
The ghetto wouldn’t be the ghetto if people took a little pride in their neighborhood.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 10:29 AM
Psychedelikat, congratulatioins to you! Welcome to the world, little Stella.
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 10:28 AM
On target as usual!!
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By: Marti King on September 17, 2009
at 10:27 AM
Helen, I love you almost as much as I love my new baby girl. Stella and I salute you! (BTW, she was born on 9-12-09)
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By: psychedelikat on September 17, 2009
at 10:26 AM
Steve, you’re a tool. Every word you say indicates it matters VERY MUCH to you what color people are. Apparently the Americans to whom you object most are the ones with brown skin.
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 10:23 AM
hey Delurker it doesn’t matter what color they were/are.
I have a problem with calling all the protesters rednecks. So some people spelled stuff wrong on their signs, who cares. By the way those ghetto thugs spell DOG = DAWG.
Here is proof that the hippy tree huggers have no clue……we’re terriers (with unrepentant liberal parents)
Our tails wag when we see it and read it and we thank you for providing some fresh air in this smog-filled way-too-scary political environment.
Really your that into it that you have email addresses and post to blogs as your dogs?
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 10:18 AM
OK, in the spirit of full disclosure: I feel like hell today. So feel free to scroll past my buzzkill of a comment if you wish….
But.
Isn’t this new post just as mean-spirited and overgeneralizing as many of those stupid signs, and just as unhelpful as the neverending news coverage about them?
Back to your regularly scheduled commenting. I need a nap.
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By: Δ Tine on September 17, 2009
at 10:14 AM
I love you. I ran out of grandparents, will you adopt me?
What I don’t get is why they think my 9-12 has anything to do with angry protests. i will kindly invite these nuts to do what *I* did on 9-12-01- I gave blood.
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By: Catherine on September 17, 2009
at 10:12 AM
Thanks for bringing some humorous perspective to the “tea baggers”… your blog is amazing!
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By: Carl on September 17, 2009
at 10:12 AM
Tine or anyone else who might be interested, this is a much better link than the previous one I posted.
http://foxnewsboycott.com/fox-news-sponsors/fox-sponsors-a-l/
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By: avotresante Δ on September 17, 2009
at 10:10 AM
I’m a journalist of 30-odd years and I totally agree.
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By: talea on September 17, 2009
at 10:06 AM
“just 78,000 white people who can’t spell.”
LOL Simply Brilliant!LOL
Thank you, Margaret!
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By: Thomas Jefferson on September 17, 2009
at 10:05 AM
I agree wtih you 100% as usual! FIX news is saying that there were over 1 million people at that little racist-fest the other day, what a joke!
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By: Beth on September 17, 2009
at 10:05 AM
I think it’s time to switch our national anthem to Green Day’s “American Idiot.”
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By: Hayden on September 17, 2009
at 9:54 AM
Helen – you’re a dear, as always. These dittoheads have really started to get under my skin. You flayed them with your usual aplomb! Thanks.
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By: Margy Rydzynski on September 17, 2009
at 9:53 AM
I wonder if Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Paul Broun and others that are feeding the tea-bagging frenzy believe the crap they say. I don’t think they do. It’s all designed to “win” at any price.
Love you, ladies!
Crotchety
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By: Crotchety on September 17, 2009
at 9:53 AM
@ avotresante,
I too majored in journalism when I was in college 20+ years ago. IMO what passes for news today is everything that I was taught NOT to do like running with a story without doing a complete fact check, passing off press releases from a PR house as an actual story, etc. I always say TV news jumped the shark when Walter Cronkite was forced out of his anchor chair.
Margaret and Helen, can I adopt you as my grandmothers? Nobody can cut to the chase like you two.
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By: MsKitty on September 17, 2009
at 9:47 AM
The ‘peckerwoods’ in the park this weekend were really protesting for a MORE ROBUST PUBLIC TRANPORTATION option! 😉
9/12 Tea Party Protesters
Protest D.C. Metro Service
Can ya smell the IRONY!
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 17, 2009
at 9:36 AM
Helen,
As always, your wisdom is appreciated by so many.
When I first started college (this will date me!) my major was journalism. Back then, you would never receive a passing grade if there was any sort of opinion in your reporting; that was called yellow journalism. The actual facts were all that was acceptable. My, how times have changed. I don’t remember exactly when I noticed, but I stopped watching Peter Jennings when he was promoted as having all the solutions with his particular “spin.” All of a sudden everyone was a spin doctor. Thank God there are people like Rachel Maddow.
Tine, you asked in the last post what we can do as ordinary citizens. I’ve only just begun my particular search, but the following link may help you. Let’s all use our money to speak out; let the advertisers on Limpball know you won’t spend a cent on their products. Do the same with advertisers on Beck, Hannity, etc.
Money talks; we CAN turn it around and make it work for the Good Guys.
http://blog-me-no-blogs.blogspot.com/2009/01/boycott-rush-limbaughs-advertisers.html
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By: avotresante on September 17, 2009
at 9:35 AM
You made my day !!!
There is no journalism in this country anymore. The last person who tried to actually do a story with any substance was fired because the Bush/Cheney cabal declared America the news-free zone. Can’t talk about a moronic twit who skipped out on his military duties, can’t talk about an ilegal war, can’t talk about atrocities in Guantanamo, can’t talk about warrentless wiretapping………….but we can talk about hate and fear all we want !!
Civil discourse and constructive conversation, even if we disagree, is what we should be about. Not everyone who is a Republican and disagrees with the president is a racist. But, when you join a march, see the racist signs and hear the racist words and stay, you are judged by your actions and by the company you keep. Your silence speaks volumes.
If one of your fellow congressmen screams “liar” in the chamber during an address by the president and you sit on your lips and say nothing, your lack of action and silence says you condone those actions. There has not been one Republican to come out against the fool Joe Wilson and his disrespect before congress, no Republican who has come out against the racist signs and rhetoric of the 9/12 march. All they want to do is scream, “we’re not racists”……….then PROVE IT !!!!
9-12-2001 was a day when ALL Americans
came together as one for a common cause and that pride and community spirit was used against us to illicit fear and hate, to justify an ilegal war, to justify torture, to justify spying on Americans who didn’t look quite like we think Americans should look or who didn’t agree, in lockstep,with how they thought Americans should think.
They took the hate and fear to their radio and TV stations, into the churches and preyed on the ignorant to further their cause. Hate and fear is not news. But that is all they have.
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By: Colorado Blue on September 17, 2009
at 9:33 AM
I think the most depressing thing is that the truth doesn’t seem to matter any more. My mother (68) is someone who thinks that Obama is destroying the country. When we’ve talked about her concerns, I give her some facts that completely debunk her Fox News concerns, and she says, that’s just your opinion. I tell her that it’s a fact, and she can go look it up on various websites like Snopes, and she still believes that it’s just opinion. We’ve stopped talking about anything political. She says “Socialism”, and I ask for a definition or examples, and she can’t give me any. I think that the 24 hour news cycle has completely destroyed the truth. It’s all he said/she said, no one steps up and says that one person is right and the other is wrong.
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By: Christineam on September 17, 2009
at 9:32 AM
Donna, the link I posted for the Orly story was not really a news article per se, but it was the one that had the most content for what the judge actually said. The smackdown would rival anything on those professional wrestling tv shows, huh?
OK, I’ll stop posting for a while… for sure it’s not my turn, LOL.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 9:28 AM
Hey Steve, out of curiosity what color are the ghetto thug gang bangers that have guns that aren’t registered and that don’t have a permit to carry the pistol they have tucked in their baggy oversized jeans?
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 9:25 AM
Delurker–I’m a lawyer and typically practice in federal court. Other than one pro se nut who files cases all over the country, I don’t recall ever seeing this big a smack down by a federal judge.
I don’t know if people actually are paying Orly Taitz to represent them, but she’s completely incompetent.
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By: Donna on September 17, 2009
at 9:24 AM
Steve, when you’re right you’re right. It’s a fact that people have the right to bear arms. That doesn’t guarantee that everyone who legally carries one to an angry protest can be counted on to be sane or reasonable.
Gee, the same goes for the right to free speech.
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 9:23 AM
Amen, Helen!
In the news: Orly Tatiz – case dismissed
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/09/16/ga_dismissal/
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By: Delurker Girl Δ on September 17, 2009
at 9:15 AM
When I saw the pictures, I was thinking that’s a whole lot of angry white people.
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By: Kelley in TX on September 17, 2009
at 9:04 AM
Excellent post -as usual. Instead of asking those tea-baggers if they have insurance, ask how many of ’em have social security and with it, medicare. Then, explain to them that medicare is government run health care and though it isn’t perfect -what is? -they do a pretty decent job. Sure does beat the alternatives which are -NONE!
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By: Jeni Hill Ertmer on September 17, 2009
at 9:02 AM
It is my right to carry a gun where I want to. There is no law against it and there for legal. The people carrying guns at rallies are exercising their rights. Just like you do when you protest or what ever it is you do. Just cause they are carrying a gun doesn’t make them a criminal. They are not the ones you have to worry about. It is the ghetto thug gang bangers that have guns that aren’t registered and that don’t have a permit to carry the pistol they have tucked in their baggy oversized jeans.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 9:01 AM
Teaparty Hillbilly March – this is great, Helen!
I think Bill Maher referred to it as the Million Moron March.
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By: Lucy on September 17, 2009
at 9:01 AM
Just so you know — we’re terriers (with unrepentant liberal parents) — and when we find someone who speaks the truth with such flair — we want to jump up and lick their faces with joy!!
After having discovered you a week or so ago, we put you on our blog list and we look forward to every new post!! Our tails wag when we see it and read it and we thank you for providing some fresh air in this smog-filled way-too-scary political environment.
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By: Jake and Just Harry on September 17, 2009
at 8:57 AM
I am sure this will not make it. The one thing about that march was at least those people had to take off work. Unlike at the million man march. Those people were mostly on welfare and food stamps with no jobs. The problem with American is we are getting soft due to all the hippy tree huggin, panzies.
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By: Steve on September 17, 2009
at 8:49 AM
I should add, support your local public radio station. It’s one of the few places you can get in-depth news coverage, include BBC news, that’s not influenced by politics or people trying to make a buck.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 8:34 AM
Hee hee! Peckerwoods! You are My HEROINE Helen. Keep on keepin’ on!
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By: episcopalifem on September 17, 2009
at 8:32 AM
Helen is getting more and more frustrated, and so am I. Seriously people, read Idiot America. Anything is true if enough people say it is. The more people believe it, the more true it is. Talk radio and conservative talk shows tell people what they should be scared of, and then report on people being scared as though it’s a grass roots movement. People used to believe the world was flat, but that didn’t actually make it flat. People believe a plane didn’t really hit the pentagon, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t. People don’t believe in evolution, but that doesn’t mean they don’t keep adapting (light skin color is an adaptation to living in an environment where the UV rays are not as strong and dark skin made it harder to get the necessary vitamin B from the sun). It’s a shame that Jon Stewart is one of the most trusted people in journalism because–wait for it–he’s not a journalist! I love Jon Stewart, but, like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity, he is for entertainment purposes only. I want to be an intelligent, well-informed person, but it’s getting harder and harder to know where to go for my information. When everyone has an opinion and we feel everyone’s opinion is equal to everyone else’s, it’s hard to know who’s a crank and who actually knows what the hell they’re talking about. Bring back the intellectuals! We can’t have an effective democracy without smart people.
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By: Anne on September 17, 2009
at 8:32 AM
I loved Rachel Maddow’s coverage. There was a funny bit that I bet no one else carried. You should watch (she’s on msnbc) — best news there is out there!
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By: Karlas on September 17, 2009
at 8:29 AM
Thank you. I am so tired of people whining about the liberal biased media when clearly the bias is for those who own the media and their interests, which are not liberal.
That’s why you don’t see common sense, basic math being done. Major newspapers put the over 100,000 anti-war protesters in 2004 on the inside, but the teabigots were on the front page. Whose views do the teabigots support? Billionaires who can afford to own tv networks, newspapers and radio stations.
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By: DC Fem on September 17, 2009
at 8:21 AM
You are so right about journalism today. I live in Arizona and it turns out that this state is planning on selling the State Capitol building to balance our budget this year. Did I hear about this in our newspaper? No, I had to tune into the Daily Show to find out. No wonder Jon Stewart is the most trusted newscaster in America. The lead story in our newspaper here was that a new Krispy Kreme is opening on the east side of town.
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By: Judy on September 17, 2009
at 8:16 AM
Helen, I marvel at the way you hit a homerun every time you step up to the plate. You’re truly awe-inspiring! I mean it, really. Hokgardner, above, is correct. When I watch the news, I want the facts of the matter, not the opinion of some yahoo via e-mail or twitter. I am 70, retired, and I get very embarrassed at how these older people at the town halls and teaparties act. Why do some act so “entitled”? I don’t feel entitled to something special just because I am lucky enough to have lived to be in my 70’s. Just whom do these people think they are convincing or impressing with their very childish (actually stupid) actions, and why should their voices be heard before others?
Please keep up the good work. You keep some of us sane. Thank you.
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By: Junebug on September 17, 2009
at 8:14 AM
I’ve given up on CNN. Lou Dobbs should be an embarrassment to them, but apparently not-he keeps yammering on.
It’s getting embarrassing to be an American these day.
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By: knittergran on September 17, 2009
at 8:11 AM
Amen!
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By: berndoubt on September 17, 2009
at 8:11 AM
Dear madam (I overcame a strong urge to say ‘Yay, Babe.’)
Your blogs are pure sunshine. Please accept my sincer thanks–in lieu of roses.
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By: Gary on September 17, 2009
at 8:07 AM
Margaret:
You go! Well said, and right on target!
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By: kathie on September 17, 2009
at 8:05 AM
Love your blog, Helen. Just keep in mind, though, that not all pro-lifers are Bible-thumping nutjobs (as you put it in your inimitable fashion). Many of us believe true equality for women won’t come until we are not forced to sacrifice our babies for our jobs; many of us believe that an emancipated woman should be free to enjoy both family and career. Easily available, high-quality childcare? Yes! Health-care reform, including free prenatal care? Yes! Government-enforced maternity leave with pay? Yes! Abortion is not a necessary evil – it is forced on us by a society unwilling to protect and support its women and children.
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By: suburbancorrespondent on September 17, 2009
at 7:54 AM
Oh girl I missed you. I got a new computer and not everything transferred over. But I found you and Helen. I even started my own blog.. the first 100 years are the hardest. Any way lady you hit the nail on the head. These people are like sheep being lead to the slaughter. They don’t think or ask question. And the TV news is all owned by big business ( and religion)
Keep going lady you are an inspiration.
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By: Vie on September 17, 2009
at 7:51 AM
I’ve had to give up watching CNN and the like. Their newscasts have devolved into simply reading e-mails and Tweets from viewers. And it seems the only ones who send messages in are the same idiots who Marched on DC this weekend. It’s disgusting.
Thank goodness for Stweart and Colbert.
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By: hokgardner on September 17, 2009
at 7:47 AM
Yeeeeeee Haaawwwww!! Grab the young’ns Maw. We is marching on D.C.!!! Let me get my tabackie!
Holy crap. Never in the history of the world have so many “peckerwoods” been in one place at the same time. It’s a good thing that NASCAR wasn’t on 9/12. Only 12 people would have shown up in D.C. then.
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By: H M Bascom on September 17, 2009
at 7:44 AM
Helen,
As usual, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Thanks, again, for the chuckles.
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By: 2Legit on September 17, 2009
at 7:41 AM
and these dolts think it’s acceptable to bring their guns to presidential events. (and the media’s egging them on). They’re all scaring me.
As always, good truthiness, Helen. Thank you!
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By: MI J. on September 17, 2009
at 7:40 AM
I’ve thought that about the news for decades. I stopped watching when the would use any excuse to show a dead body, and not just local news, but national news too. Dan Rather in particular.
Things haven’t been the same since Walter Croncrite was forced into retirement. Yes, clearly remember, he was forced out.
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have more credibility than all of the rest.
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By: ol&p on September 17, 2009
at 7:38 AM
Great blog!
I marched some years ago on the Mall for the ERA. No matter who you interviewed that day, the responses were all the same. Not so on 9/12 with the Teabaggers. Everyone had a different issue. 10 to 1 they will all wonder why they never got anywhere and blame their favorite whipping boy. Yes, I saw the racism. It was behind everything they spewed. The most galling thing is that they will deny it to their dying day, but they won’t get away with it when face to face with St. Peter at the Gates! I know the President wants to take the high road and call it “policy differences”, but that is going to work for just so long. Then what? Even if the President is successful in getting health care reform, the racism isn’t going to go away. It may well intensify. Anybody got any ideas?
Really!
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By: Mageen in Old Virginny on September 17, 2009
at 7:38 AM
We IS America…..PRICELESS!!!!!!
🙂 🙂
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By: Michelle P. on September 17, 2009
at 7:38 AM
You are the Queen of all things!
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By: Meg on September 17, 2009
at 7:37 AM
Thank you for speaking the truth. God bless you Helen!
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By: Karen on September 17, 2009
at 7:34 AM
Keep firing Helen! Bullseye!
~
And for those following along:
Dots…
…dots…
Everywhere you look……MORE DOTS!
*KO ‘connects’ this time.
8) ~ Δ
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By: Whirled Peas Δ on September 17, 2009
at 7:34 AM
Peckerwoods! LOL
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By: Jenny on September 17, 2009
at 7:32 AM
you’re right, helen. there is a lack of news coverage and real journalists are few and far between these days. thanks for rebooting common sense with this blog : )
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By: gramma rock on September 17, 2009
at 7:24 AM
And then the Republicans say that the Democrats have some nerve bringing race into the mix. UH, the Democrats didn’t. Check the nuts on Fox.
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By: marianne on September 17, 2009
at 7:20 AM
I can’t believe I’m the first one to log on this time. As always, you are spot on, Helen. Living outside the US as I do, I don’t find these whackos quite as funny. They are really giving America a bad reputation in international circles. They are so vocal it’s getting harder and harder for the sane folks to believe they are in the minority.
Take care…Cat
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By: Cat Nesbit on September 17, 2009
at 7:19 AM
Helen, right on as usual! 🙂
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By: LRA on September 17, 2009
at 7:16 AM