Saturday Evening Muse

Time to sit and drink some hot tea and focus on the week that's been. I haven't done a Stream of Consciousness in awhile, and perhaps now is as good of time as ever.

On the homefront, the crockpot war is over. I call it a draw, only because I drew the line at throwing the thing out altogether, and...I did eat what I cooked, so I know it was at least edible. Crockpots are a lot like life. You can throw everything you can at it and hope for the best, methinks. The end result may not be pretty to some, but in the end, all that matters is that you were OK with it. I really hate cooking for other people. I get no pleasure from it and never have aspired to it. This said, I'm so very grateful to people who are good cooks and take pity on the rest of us. I ate some really good pumpkin cookies today from my Aunt.  Thanks.

Roy G. Biv. (Red orange yellow green blue indigo and violet.)

On the political spectrum....it's fun to have political discussions that put everything in such good perspective, that you know EXACTLY where you are in the scale of things. It's also a good way of honing your verbal skills while defending in honest terms what you believe. The blues and reds are so much more than simple, cookie cutter ideologies. I know a blue who is bluer than me. And that says something. But there are many blue hues....he may be an ultramarine blue... full of ideals and purpose, loves the Mother Earth, and hates war and nukes...and is also quick to criticize or defeat his own, in search of purity of spirit. He is noble and sincere and genuinely consistent in his values, no matter what color he finds himself confronted with. He really demands MORE from our elected officials. I admire him with my heart and soul and more than anything hope he finds his solace.

I see myself more in the Cerulean blue range.  Jaded. Certainly a true blue, but without the opacity of deeper blue hues. I can see through some of my blue ideals and forgive indiscretions, enter into "ends justify the means type arguments" and not feel judgmental about how things get done.  My expectations are lower, I guess. This way I am happy when I get "more."  And I will not cut my nose to spite my face. I'll support my own and take what is offered.

These ideas are subject to change with no notice, however.  That is the promise of a new day.  Someone can always emerge, and their presence changes everything....and that is where the hope lies in all of us.

Today's Thought

 The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

Groucho Marx

The Sunday Morning Muse, September 8, 2013

(Singing Star...above... a shout out to my friend Anthony who gave me this 30 years ago.)

Almost another trip around the sun. Birthday coming up this week. One good thing about it is a coupon for a free adjustment from the Chiropractor, which I quickly put into action.  Now the neck feels a lot better. Still have other assorted aches and pains but no one wants to hear about them.

Sun peeking through clouds this morning. Lazy cats on the window sill. An occasional growl when one gets too close.

I'm sure the Sunday Morning talking heads will be discussing what to do about Syria. Do we live in a world where nations stand by and let thousands of innocent people be slaughtered?  Do we start dropping bombs and hope that this will put a stop to it? I don't have the answer. The footage of the millions of refugees to neighboring countries is also disturbing to me. They are scared of their own government. They fled their homes and are living in tent camps, some with no water or bathroom facilities. It is horrible.

Back here at home, it's pulled pork dinner and birthday cake, watching the Steelers, paying bills, and basically living life. When we switch the channel on the TV the refugees are gone. But they aren't.

Another birthday here in paradise. 

The Sunday Morning Muse, November 11, 2012

The Sun is coming up over the valley and it's going to reach 70 degrees today. And it is Veteran's Day.  If that's climate change, I'll take it! Wow. 

I finally bought boots. Good boots for now shoveling and also a nice pair of brown low cowboy style boots for just kicking around in, and also a couple of pairs of tights. I'm ready when it does turn cold. The woolly worm has no stripe at all this year that means we will be in for a bad winter, eventually.  BUT NOT TODAY!!!:)

After a very cold couple of nights this week, Coco, the cat on the porch, will be happy to find the "door into summer" today. She has her cat mat out there under a covered table and has been huddled in there trying to stay warm. There is nothing that makes me smile more than to see her run out into the sun to her favorite tree. Her whole mood changes. 

Veteran's day is here. I just put the flag out. It's flying low because I lost the rod you stick in to make it longer. But it is out there. I'm proud of our country. The Mad Men versus Modern Family election is finally over. I'm done thinking about it. And I could care less who General Petraeus chooses to sleep with. I'm tired of scandal mongering. And I hate that 8 minutes of a 22 minute news cast has to focus on crap like this. Of course if you choose to live in the Fox News bubble you are already being programmed to think it is a huge

conspiracy to get rid of him because he was set to testify on Libya. The whole Libya scandal mongering done by Fox prior to the election continues.  Sigh.

Slavery, Killing and Stoning. Vote the Bible.

I saw Billy Graham's ad in an Ohio newpaper yesterday. A full page telling people to vote according to the Bible. Of course he means Anti-Gay, Anti-choice, etc. He never told people how to vote, but it is pretty clear he is not a Democrat. I get a chuckle out of people sometimes.

The first thing I thought of was a few lines from the TV Show The West Wing. President Bartlett, asking questions about some bible references:

"I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21 : 7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? 


My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35 : 2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it okay to call the police? 

Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11 : 7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? 


Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side-by-side? 

Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? 

Think about those questions, would you?"

The Sunday Morning Muse, October 28, 2012

Oh what a beautiful fall week! Record highs,  beautiful sunshine.... but now we prepare for a drastic change in weather....

FRANKENSTORM.

Just in time for Halloween. It's exciting. Now instead of the endless election horse race stories, we get treated to something new.... endless storm track speculation and hype! Complete with colorful maps with loopy colors going all over it in a swatch of thousands of miles. Obligatory storm supply prep stories...(get your milk batteries generator canned goods water...CAT FOOD,)  This is GREAT. It gives the media's 24 hour news beast something  to feast on other than that chucklehead Donald Trump. Or it gives Fox News something to do besides endless Libya scandal mongering. (Colbert will explain it to you if you don't have a crazy uncle who watches Fox news all day who is drooling on himself over this.Just follow the link. It's funny. it is also a good primer on how to make your own scandal should you ever need to.)

Until the power goes out. Then...no internet....no FRIDGE.  Back to books and candlelight. Hmmm. And warm beer.

A shout out to Bruce Springsteen in Pittsburgh last night for an Obama rally. Screw the haters out there.  They can have that other chucklehead, Ted Nugent.

The Sunday Morning Muse, October 21, 2012

It's a golden autumn day...the leaves have been beautiful this week, but are starting to fall off rapidly now. I took a picture of the gingko tree outback, it's still pretty green.  It's a strange tree in that one day all the leaves will fall off at one time and that will be it. Okay maybe not all in one day...but usually in two days. You could do a lottery with it. Pick a day. See if you come close. 

Living in a Swing State means that you can't watch TV without your blood pressure going up because of all the war commercials.  The War on Coal, The War on Women, The War on the Catholic Church, etc. You don't really hear much about the REAL war though. Go Figure. I'm sick of the hyperbole. Let's just get this over with. But then it's onto The War On Christmas season... Santa versus Jesus. Maybe they could debate.

It would be better than anything on TV right now. I'm still watching Pawn Stars and Jeopardy. And one episode of Honey Boo Boo just to find out what it was. Now I know. 

Van Morrison came out with a new CD this month. It sucks. I got a free one from a friend who said it sucked. Now I have nothing new musically to look forward to. 

Hot Docket- Jon Stewart Clip

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Better Left Unsaid

Really tough to collect thoughts and put them out there lately. I've started typing countless times this week and ended up deleting everything. I keep thinking of Janis Joplin, who at one time was a half decent artist. Until she saw someone who could paint better than she could, and decided that perhaps singing was something she could really open up with and let out whatever emotions she was feeling inside. And the rest is history of course.


With me, in the narrow sense of writing, I start out with a noble idea, and then end up in doubt. I read someone who got there first. Where I wanted to be. Made the points I wanted to make.  Whether it be Tony Norman's column  about Rush Limbaugh on Friday, or the brilliance of Jon Stewart ripping Rick Santorum for his asinine remarks about Kennedy's speech and the "snobbery" of actually hoping your kids go to college. Are you kidding me? 


My frustration with all the rhetoric out there is dragging me down. I get emotional and partisan and want to use four letter words and really lambaste people and make my points in capital letters. Hardly conducive to writing a civil post and putting out thoughts worth reading.

But I'll keep working at it.

The Sunday Morning Muse, January 29, 2012

Musing the moon today...pondering moon colonies, moon pies... and it all makes me want to spoon.... by the light of the silvery moon.

When the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars.....peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.It's is a marvelous night for a moondance, and a fantabulous night to make romance.

 Did it take long to find me...I ask the faithful light? Did it take long to find me...and are you gonna stay the night?

I'm being followed by a moon shadow. I have been since second grade when I had to write a poem about what I want to be when I grow up. (I want to fly to the moon and be back by noon.)

 Do I want to live on the moon?  No. I'd be pretty claustrophobic in that space suit. But the moon is sure nice to look at, and dream upon.  And it would be a great launching point someday to other places. So, as much as it sounds like we can't afford it right now, and I have to stipulate I do not support Newt Gingrich for any office higher than dog catcher.....he's onto something here. I say let's go for it. To the moon, Alice!  To the moon.

Taking a Peak at Reality

Curiouser and curiouser how this country picks a Republican Presidential candidate. Here is just a sampling of the stuff I've read this week that boggles my mind. None of this is boring political stuff. I'm not seeing long drawn out stories about economic policy, or an appreciation of the nuances of foreign policy. Replete with graphs and maps.

Front and center in the public square are no debates about real, thought out ideas on how to get us out of the economic mess we are in. No job creation strategy nonsense.

It's all about the DIRT.

Who are these guys?.... like who is the serial cheater,(the one who decided that "in sickness and in health" really shouldn't be part of any marriage ceremony he finds himself in), or who's great grandfather had multiple wives (at the same time) and had 30 children in Mexico? Who is stashing  between 7 million and 32 million dollars in the Cayman Islands ...oh no, not to avoid taxes. The money likes to be warm. It is nice to visit the money there. Hold up, wait a sec. BETWEEN  Seven an 32 Million? Can you narrow it down a bit? A million here or there...

Which candidate's wife had a long time affair with an "abortion doctor?" Egads....Incase you don't peek, It's Tricky Rick Santorum. The one who doesn't believe in birth control.  Irony is such a beautiful thing.

Kinky Friedman said it best in an interview on NPR.

"My definition of politics: 'poly' means more than one, and ticks are bloodsucking parasites," Friedman says. He says he doesn't really like Colbert's humor. But he says at least Colbert is taking risks, so Colbert has Friedman's endorsement for president of the United States. "Of course he does," says Friedman. "That's why we need Stephen Colbert in there — to stir things up, to be a troublemaker. I very much approve of that. That's what Jesus was."

That's an analogy that would doubtless please candidate Stephen Colbert.

What's the Evangelicals to do? Stay home and sip tea. Perhaps reflect on civility, and decency and family values and all the ideas that are so scarce these days. Go look for Ward Cleaver and see if he and June would be interested in serving in the White House? Beaver would love it.

The Sunday Morning Muse, January 15, 2012

The sun is shining brightly on this mid January morning as a cold blast these past few days shocked us back into the reality of winter. Musing over some of the headlines of the past few days, can you imagine the panic of those aboard that cruise ship off the coast of Italy as it made it's Titanic-like descent into the water and people scrambled for lifeboats? Terrible situation there.

In other news, I hear the company that makes Twinkies is filing for bankruptcy. This hardly seems possible. Is everyone quietly converting to bean sprouts and health foods and I am one of the few hold outs reaching for the snack cakes? Doubtful when you look around, everyone is still fat. Though I haven't eaten a Twinkie for a long time. I do like HoHo's and Little Debbies. HoHo's make me think of my childhood lunchbox. We always had them in the house back then. Though Hostess Cupcakes are the ones to beat. Yum.

 Newt Gingrich Grilled at Black Church  is a headline that caught my eye this morning. I know he is courting votes in South Carolina, but the headline makes you wonder if they served him with a side of fries and coleslaw.  Especially after those remarks a few weeks ago that poor kids, as young as 9 years old should clean their school for money.

I get more disgusted when I think about it actually. He is heartless. There are child labor laws for good reasons. Childhood is so short, and the at-risk kids already have so many problems they don't have the ideal childhood to begin with. Let them feel safe in their school. Do all we can to prevent bullying.  These are good steps. A "worth" ethic is just as important as a "work" ethic in my opinion. We have to teach these children that just because they are here, they matter.  That they are special and can do anything. It is not their fault they are poor.
But the answer is not turning schools into workhouses. We can do better than that for kids.

Random Things

I've been neglecting my blogging.If only I could harness this brain power... oh well.
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It's not like I don't do things. Today I watched a clip of Frank Zappa as a young man making experimental type music on a bicycle.  It was 1963 on the Steve Allen Show. You can find it yourself on YouTube if you are so inclined.
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I also watched a great piece on CBS's Sunday Morning about  Pink Martini. Well done.
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My interest in politics right now is at an all time low. I don't care which clown wins in New Hampshire. This day to day horse race of Republican politics is boring me to death.You never hear solutions to our problems other than cutting taxes for the rich.  Howzat working so far?  It has not. And the fact that Crazy Rick Santorum, who wants to bomb Iran, and ban birth control, is ahead in the polls, is just bizarro world.
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The St. Ronnie thing is wearing thin, too. Reagan raised taxes 12 times in 8 years. Makes no sense to me. Seems like they are creating a myth of what they want people to think Reagan was, as opposed to the facts. The Eric Cantor interview on 60 Minutes generated some buzz over that. Also, with regard to war, I agree with those who say that our military can go a long way to preventing bad things from happening but they can't necessarily make good things happen. At some point people who live in a country have to figure it out for themselves. President Bush campaigned on the theme that he was not going to use the military for "nation building."  Yet that is exactly how this whole mess has ended up.
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Even so, I'm optimistic. The auto industry still exists, the stock market has been up over 12000 for a bit now, a few manufacturing jobs here and there, and some sort of recovery is coming along. I want to see things get better for people.

Reponse to Newt's Get a Bath Statement

Reg Henry was spot on today. Well said.

Freddie Mac is probably no longer hiring historians at a consulting fee of at least $1.6 million—the job Newt managed to swing for himself—and it would be a waste of a good bar of soap if an ex-Occupier were to get his hopes up.

Reading is Fundamental... Pass it On.

The Herman Cain Art project gets freakier and freakier. Quoting the Simpsons? Really?

Reading is soooo overrated. Humph.

Stay Out of the Water

Remember the terror of having to do a book report? Imagine what it felt like to get called upon to go to the front of the sixth grade class and talk for five minutes about a book you haven't read.

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Well...the book is called Old Man and the Sea. It's by Ernest Hemingway. It's about a man...and a fish. But I can't say I agree with the way he caught the fish. I would have analyzed it more, got more intelligence. No, I can't really say I know what intelligence the old man had, but I would have analyzed it better. And the sea is a nice place. I've been to many seas...and I think water is a good thing. What did you ask me again? I can't say I agree or disagree with the old man. But there is a lot of things swirling in my head.

Now watch Herman Cain.

That's all for now.

Rainbows and Robots

Jethro better go home to the cement pond and help Ellie tend to the critters. It is pretty obvious he can't cut it on the national stage.

We just barely got over the lively video of him yucking it up with the conversatives...slurring his words. (drunk???) And now this week, he is abolishing cabinet departments he can't even name. Where are the Rhodes scholars? It's getting sad, people. Right now if you put a robot out there and program it to say "I won't cut taxes," and "I love Ronald Reagan," you are halfway to a nomination. Give lip service to the pro-lifers and the anti-Mexican wall builders, and there ya go. Oops, almost forgot, and "Drill baby drill."

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If you haven't seen the meltdown video, here it is. It is pretty obvious he's been cramming lists in his head. Nothing more than dry talking points. It's not like he has any real plan to solve America's problems. Something he has given considerable thought to that would be second nature to describe. Reminds me of when I memorized Roy G. Biv to remember the colors of the rainbow for eighth grade science. (red orange yellow green blue indigo and violet)

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T.E.A.