At 112, artist still going strong

CNN.com

Bless his heart, Frank Calloway is a 112 year old schizophrenic who has lived in institutions for most of his adult life. He draws beautiful folk art, full of color and energy that may turn out to be really valuable. The art world is beginning to pay attention.

Maybe there's hope for me yet. By this standard, I've got another 65 years to learn to paint.

How they'll try to bury Impeachment and fail

The following is a message from David Swanson, who has been a tireless advocate of holding the Bush Junta accountable for their crimes. He's one of the good guys - a real warrior fighting the good fight.  

http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/34899

**********************

In response to public demand for impeachment hearings and pressure from Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Congressman Robert Wexler, and others, as well as electoral challenges by pro-impeachment candidates, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally caved and proposed to allow Kucinich to present impeachment in a Judiciary Committee hearing.

The hearing was then scheduled for a Friday (July 25) and scheduled to last a full two-hours (10 a.m. to noon). Then the topic was altered. Rather than being about impeachment, the hearing will be about impeachment and other supposed remedies to a lawless presidency, with the bulk of the time devoted to those other remedies. Most of those other remedies will involve, believe it or not, legislative proposals. Thus, the dererrence to future presidents who follow the Bush-Cheney tradition of violating all laws and checks on power will be the knowledge that during the administration following Bush-Cheney some bills were passed criminalizing what had always been criminal activity.

Rumor has it there are two panels being planned for the hearing, one consisting of Kucinich and four other members of Congress (Jane Harman, Walter Jones, Brad Miller, and Maurice Hinchey), and the other consisting of five non-Congress Members (Elizabeth Holtzman, Bruce Fein, Frederick Schwartz, John Dean, and Bob Barr). Each of these speakers will likely have 5 minutes for opening remarks. So, Kucinich's presentation of the impeachable offenses of 7.5 years will be limited to 5 minutes. The hope of those planning this afair will be to bury impeachment.

Here's why they'll fail. Holtzman and Fein -- and Kucinich -- are among the most persuasive advocates for impeachment alive. At least those three speakers, it is safe to assume, will be standing up for our Constitution. Another you can add to that list is commmittee member Robert Wexler. Others are committee members Shiela Jackson-Lee and Tammy Baldwin. It is safe to assume that these members will direct their questioning to the need for impeachment and the advocates of beginning it. Plus Hinchey favors impeachment too.

Other supporters of impeachment on the committee are Keith Ellison, Steve Cohen, Hank Johnson, and Maxine Waters, as well as Luis Gutierrez and Anthony Weiner. Zoe Lofgren is also likely to speak up for impeachment. And those in the room as audience will be overwhelmingly defenders of our Constitution. But you can help defend it without coming to Washington. Here's how:

Contact the members of the Judiciary Committee and insist that they be there on Friday the 25th and that they speak up for impeachment:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/judiciarycommittee

**********************

Supporting the Constitution is not a Radical position!

cross-posted from My Barack Obama | Morgaine Swann's Blog!

I've been very disturbed by the way the corporate media is portraying people who were against the recent FISA vote. Supporting the Constitution is traditionally a Conservative value. Since the Reagan administration, our country has moved so far to the Right that the people who call themselves Conservative are really fascists and the people who are supposed to be Liberals are what we used to call Conservative. The Progressive movement, which is portrayed as radical and Far Left, seem to be the ones that are concerned with Constitutional Rights. Our political system is so changed that the hippies and the miitias are finding themselves on the same side more and more often.

The Constitution is the social contract that empowers our representatives to act for us. It doesn't give us our rights - those are innate, endowed upon us by Nature. Our founders declared our rights to be self-evident and unalienable. The Constitution enumerates some of those rights, reserving others not mentioned to the people, but it doesn't create them. That's why foreigners have to be treated as well as Americans - we aren't special in any way except that our government is supposed to respect our innate human rights.

People think only terrorists are being held without rights to habeas corpus. There US citizens being held both as potential terrorists and as illegal immigrants. The media doesn't talk about the detention camps filled by Homeland Security raids on immigrants. A lot of the people in those camps are citizens who aren't being given access to legal counsel. The government is reading our emails and listening to our phone calls. They're torturing prisoners who haven't been charged with any crime. The war in Iraq is illegal, because only Congress can declare war and they never did. Karl Rove outed a covert operative working in WMDs and he's still walking around free while 1 in every 10 Americans is in jail. . Our government is out of control.

I'm praying that we can count on Senator Obama, a Constitutional scholar, to do what he can to restore this country to the rule of law. The recent FISA vote was a mistake, and one I hope won't be repeated. In my perfect world, Senator Obama would start backing the articles of impeachment introduced by Rep. Kucinich, and he'd start pushing for prosecution of Karl Rove in the Plame case. I would hope that a President Obama and his newly minted Justice Department would start by investigating the illegal activities of the Bush administration. That's a big project, but I think it's a vital one. We can't just sweep these crimes under the rug as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid seem determined to do. If we're going to be a nation of laws again, and not some evil oligarchy that only benefits the elite class, then criminal prosecution of the crimes is essential.

Liminal Limbo...

My favorite pic of Mommy and me.

So at the last minute Mom relented and agreed to dialysis and life support. Yesterday the dialysis had to be stopped, but it went ok today. Things are not looking good, though. I have the feeling the doctors are going through the motions, if you know what I mean.

08.08.08 = StrangeBedfellows

Accountability Now PAC

kucinich.us - Petition to Impeach President George W Bush

kucinich.us


Yes, another petition, but the bastards are still breaking the law so we can't stop now. Please sign the petition, sign it for your kids, your pets, make sure your mom and dad and your neighbors sign it, then harrass your co-workers, too. The buzz is that there's a "perfect storm" for impeachment brewing as Karl Rove makes official his Contempt of Congress. Get behind Dennis and PUSH!

GONZO

a documentary by Alex Gibney



Narrated by Johnny Depp - both Depp and Dr. Thompson are native Kentuckians.

McCain=Bush

Woman Arrested at McCain Event for "McCain=Bush" Sign | Video | AlterNet

Picture a campaign event for John McCain. The event was supposedly for the public, since he is running for public office. The 61 year-old Librarian was standing on city property, holding a sign that said "McCain=Bush." She was arrested and removed from the area because she refused to get rid of the sign.

This is America. We have a right to protest in public places. The police don't get to arrest us and drag us off for expressing an opinion - though they've been doing just that for the last 7.5 years. This is why Obama has to win. I want the rule of law back in this country, I want the authorities to operate within the bounds of the Constitution, I want people to feel free again. This incident clearly demonstrates that nothing would improve under McCain.

This is the end...

So, mom's kidneys have stopped responding to the medication and she
has refused dialysis. The doctors say they'll move her to the other
hospital on Monday, but I don't think they really expect her to last
that long. If they do move her, it will be for hospice care. So I may
not be around for a while. Or I might - who knows? Having things to do
on line has helped me get through this, so maybe I'll keep on doing
what I'm doing.

I'll post again in a few days, or sooner if it happens.

Peace~

A Beautiful Boy...

Stuart Sutcliffe Estate




That was Stuart Sutcliffe, the "Fifth Beatle." He was John's best friend and traveled with them when they were playing in German clubs. He left the Beatles just before they became famous because of ill health, his love of a photographer named Astrid and his desire to return to painting.

Stu and Astrid were, in my opinion, one of the great love stories of the 20th century. He knew that the Beatles were going to be big, but he also knew it wasn't the right path for him. Astrid is responsible for the "mop top" hair-dos that were popularized by the Fab Four, and her photography had a lot to do with the unique imagery characteristic of their early photos. There's a wonderful movie about their relationship and the rise of the Beatles - BACKBEAT. Stuart died at the age of 22, but left a body of work in the abstract expressionist style that can be seen here. He worked in red most of the time, but my favorite of his work is this untitled black and white image:


I'm feeling a little melancholy tonight, mostly from the ongoing saga with my mom. She's conscious for the first time in a few days, but she's back at the hospital that gave her 5 various infections over the course of 2 months and still hasn't fixed her broken leg.

So, I guess I'm distracting myself with pretty boys - the one thing that makes this life worth living, and I'm thinking about how they die too young, and there is never enough of them to go around. They're a rare and beautiful gift in a world that can be too ugly and too sad to bear. I need a margarita, but I have to be able to get up in the morning to go see mom, so it will have to wait.

The-Goddess goes Mobile!

The-Goddess

Yes, dear readers, should you be out in the world and have a burning desire to know what I'm bitching about, point your phone's browser to

http://the-goddess.swiftmob.com/

which will give you access to the headlines from this blog, each of which is a clickable link so you can read my rants on the fly.

Now I have to decide whether to add content from the rest the site or not. Any comments or requests?

Merry Litha, everyone!

I hope the Summer Solstice finds you and yours in a happy place, and may it grow happier throughout the coming year. Goddess bring us peace.

Namaste,

Morgaine

Petition to Impeach President George W Bush

kucinich.us - Petition to Impeach President George W Bush

OK, everybody - get behind Dennis and push! This is the one to sign if you really want Congress to hear you. Please send the link to everyone who might sign it.

http://impeachment.kucinich.us/petition/

Is this a living Unicorn?

This little deer, named Unicorn and born in captivity in Italy, is all the rage in the Pagan world. His twin has a two normal horns, and while deer are occasionally born with only one horn, this one's central placement is especially rare. While some wish to dismiss his unique appearance as a mere genetic anomaly, I prefer to take it as a wonderfully positive omen.

We're in a time of huge transition, and I believe that our little friend here is a sign of hope. Maybe humans will get our act together after all, and get back in harmony with our Mother Gaia. Unicorns were traditionally signs of peace - what a concept!

More Mama Drama

Well, Mom was home for two very difficult days, then we had to call an ambulance because she was swelling in a way that reminded me of the girl in Willy Wonka - she turned round and blue. Ugh. The good part is, we got her to the hospital on time and she seems to be getting better, but I've been sleeping at the new hospital again. I wouldn't let them send her back to the other one because of all the problems and infections she had there.

Her kidneys are a little strained, but OK. She may have some kind of obstruction in her bowels that they are treating. The diabetes and congestive heart failure are ongoing conditions, but are under control. Her leg still, after 2 months, needs an operation. I'm really pissed about that - it was the whole reason she was hospitalized in the first place and it still isn't done.

The hospital she is in now is much closer to home - less than 25 miles round trip as opposed to 70. My 73 year old dad gets to sleep in his own bed, which is a vast improvement. This hospital is small but new, very modern and clean. They have the best of everything, and the staff is happy and not overworked. My mom's nurse has responsibility for 2 or 3 people at most and sits literally right outside her room. Mom is observed on video every minute. This hospital even has a lounge for the family to use with comfy couches, a coffee maker and a TV - it's like being in your own living room - and they provide meals for the family that's there with the patient, at least in the intensive care unit. She was in this hospital's rehab unit 4 years ago and also had excellent care then. It's the finest care I've ever seen and we've seen a lot of hospitals.

So, I have hope, we're getting some sleep and mom seems to be on the mend. There are still serious issues but (knock wood) things are getting better.

Domestic terrorists plotting against Obama

PEEK | AlterNet

And so it begins...

The linked article is by David Neiwart of Orcinus blog, who is the Progressive blogosphere's go-to guy on hate groups. If he is talking about it, we'd better be listening.

There's great potential for change witht his election - the question is whether that change is going to be for the better or worse. There are people out there that want things to get worse because they can make a profit from it. There are others that are wishing for a return to the Jim Crow days. We can't let that happen. We have to be sure that this country gets back on the track of JFK and MLK - not that of their assassins.

Impeachment Happening in Congress Right Now! | AfterDowningStreet.org

AfterDowningStreet.org

Great minds think alike - I just sent a letter to Congressman Wexler urging them to get on with impeaching these bastards, then I'm flipping channels and find Dennis Kucinich making history.

As I write this, Kucinich is reading article 5 of the 35 Articles of Impeachment against George W. Bush.

Get to C-Span 1 and watch, or check out these links, via David Swanson of After Downing Street.org, :


Or watch at the Video/Audio tab at
http://c-span.org

Take your laptop outside and turn the volume up!

More details coming later tonight!

Action in the House coming later this week!

Good websites to watch for updates and actions:
http://kucinich.us

http://democrats.com

http://afterdowningstreet.org


ACT NOW!

Call Dennis and show him your support (216) 252-9000

Send an email to Congressman Wexler and tell him you want Congress to get behind Congressman Kucinich and FINALLY do the right thing!

contact@wexlerforcongress.com

Drowning America: Iowa Edition

culturekitchen

Follow that link to Culture Kitchen and at least look at the pictures. Very instructiive.
What Liza has done is create a visual explanation of why Barack Obama must win this election.

Those pictures show what happened when people who don't believe in government took over our government. People are left without full National Guard protection, and the equipment used by the NG's is in Iraq with them. The levees, which have been neglected since before the Reagan administration, collapsed and FEMA, which was neutered when Homeland Security absorbed it, hasn't done a damned thing to help people stranded without electricity or potable water. Lovely.

And what was the lesson the Bush Junta learned from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? That they don't have to do a damned thing, and the rest of the country will complain for a few days, but then they'll continue as if nothing ever happened. Some celebrities will do some fundraising, people will languish for months and years waiting for FEMA to do its job and the best any of them will get is a few months in a toxicc trailer.

I want to know why the hell these people haven't been impeached. Every day they are in the White House, people die. Every member of Congress that had the option to vote to impeach and didn't do it has blood on their hands. In some sense, the rest of us do, too.

We can't wait until January to restore some responsibility to government.

The wife John McCain callously left behind

Mail Online

This story will absolutely break your heart. John McCain, the man who wants to be your president, came home from Hanoi to discover his beautiful wife had been disfigured in a car accident that required her to undergo 23 surgeries and left her 5 inches shorter because her legs were crushed. As soon as he found another pin-up girl, this one not only beautiful but heiress to a beer distributing fortune, he dumped her.

She says she isn't bitter, but then he pays her medical bills. What a creep. People who knew the couple refer to him as a phoney with no character. Ross Perot, who paid Carol's medical bills while John was a prisoner of war, calls him the classic opportunist:

‘McCain is the classic opportunist. He’s always reaching for attention and glory,’ [Perot] said.

‘After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history.’

I wouldn't vote for John McCain for dog catcher after knowing this story.

The Drama with My Mama

It just goes on and on...

After she spent over 3 weeks in rehab, doing great, making us think 2 days in a row that she was coming home, they tell us they have to operate again. Fine.

They move her to a surgical floor and for some unknown reason, give her a sedative - never a good idea with her. She throws off some weird potassium readings, probably due to a kidney infection, they put her in ICU thinking her kidneys were failing. After 2 days, they decide she has double pneumonia. I sit there for a day watching her and trying to figure out how someone who was doing as well as she was wound up intebated with a feeding tube over a weekend. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he problem was that they sedated her. I insisted that they the tubes out, which took a day and a half to make sure she didn't really need them, and she seemed fine. She was breathing well, she was starting to understand where she was and what was going on. By this time, it's been 5 days and she can't understand why they didn't fix her ankle while she was out. I'd like to know that, too.

Anyway, at this point she has been in that dirty hospital for almost 7 weeks. I tell one of her doctors that I think she needs to come home for a few days before they operate on her leg again because she has been convinced she's never getting out of there. The way this is playing out is very similar to the way her brother died in November and her sister in March. Psychologically, she needs a break from that place, she needs to be home and Dad and I need a rest from driving all the way over there every day. They made us think she might come home today. We go there - no doctor is around, no one has said anything about her leaving or moving her. We figure nothing will happen until tomorrow so we come home to rest, knowing it's going to be really hard work, especially for me, when she comes home.

10:30 tonight, Dad is asleep and I'm fighting off a troll attack on one of my Wikis. I hear Dad talking, and I know something is wrong. Turns out he's on the phone with Mom, who is extremely agitated and demanding that we come get her. Dad and I trade off talking to her while the other tries to call the hospital. Mom is telling tales of being neglected, no one comes when she calls a nurse, etc. We finally - FINALLY - get a nurse on the phone and they're totally freaked out. They can't calm her down, they're afraid of her, she's threatening to climb over the rails on the bed and crawl home. Believe me, my mom is big and mean and can be impossible to control at times. She's in danger of really hurting herself. I told the nurse to give her some ice chips, which is one of her complaints and will calm her down, and tell her her family is on the way.

I wanted to go and let Dad stay in bed, but he won't have it. He tells me to go back to bed and he'll go to the hospital. I know he's completely freaked out because he forgot his keys and had to call my cell phone so I could let him back in. So my poor father, who is exhausted from this ordeal, takes off through the damned mountains in the middle of the night and I'm here dealing with some asshole who put misogynist slurs and KKK propaganda on a wiki I worked really hard to put together.

I know Mom will calm down when Dad gets there. I'm sitting by the phone in case she calls again before he can get there, since the hospital is nearly an hour away. I don't know what the hell we are going to do. There's so much going wrong with me and my disability that isn't being addressed at all because all we can do is react to the stuff happening with Mom.

I've been trying to distract myself with the blogosphere, but I keep getting into fights with people about f-ing Hillary Clinton. The more people defend her, the more I grow to despise her.

So now what? Do I try to sleep? Do I wait to hear from Dad? Do I keep watching Ethan Hawke butcher my favorite Shakepearean play? I'm too hyper to read. My room is a horrid mess, which is not helping anything.

It's all just. too. much.

WTF is going on in the "Feminist" community?

Seriously - we're going to have to come up with a word other than feminism if they keep associating it with Hillary Clinton, Emily's List, and the irrational women who think staying home or voting for John McCain is a sane thing for an adult American woman to do. I can't believe so many women are supporting Hillary in spite of her race-baiting, threats to obliterate Iran, her attempt to manipulate tensions between the Jewish and African American communities, her ridiculous attempt to ride her husband's coat tails, her bold faced lies, her whining about sexism and finally, her unbelievable failure to bow out gracefully and let the Dems bask in the glory of making history by nominating Barack Obama. Clinton has been a complete embarrassment to women and I can't understand why so many don't see that.

First, I want to acknowledge that there was blatant sexism in the media coverage of Clinton's campaign, and some of it really was beyond the pale. It is also not lost on me that Chris Matthews only backed off a bit once Media Matters for America called him on it, taking a formal complaint from an organization run by men after ignoring years of complaints lodged by women. It got to the point, however, where any criticism of Clinton was labled sexism and the critic labeled a sexist. I found plenty to criticize, and I don't think that label applies to me. I think we need to get back in touch with what feminism means.

Emily's List is currently supporting a female candidate in Memphis that is using racism, homophobia and anti-semitism against an incumbent male who is pro-choice and pro-LGBT. What the hell are they doing? I thought the idea was to elect pro=choice candidates. Do they now support any woman for any office, no matter what her positions are? That is absurd!

Feminism has many definitions and a lot of women make a lot of money parsing, defining, theorizing and creating them so they can publish books and theses and dissertations about it. The bottom line, though, is that feminism has to be inclusive and address issues of social justice- things like racism, colonialism, violence, war, hunger, poverty, civil rights for everyone and defending a woman's right to choose- or it's meaningless. Electing more women to office is great, but they have to be the right women. There are feminist men who would be much better choices than some ultra-conservative women. We can't just play a girls-only game while we live in a society with both men and women. (I do think that it might be a good idea to develop women-centric communities or neighborhoods, but that's not the state we currently live in.)

If John McCain wins the presidency, kiss Roe v. Wade goodbye. He has made it clear that he'll nominate conservative judges like Samuel Alito, and he'll make sure abortions are banned. The Global Gag Rule will keep killing women all over the planet. We'll continue to endanger our kids by offering "abstinence-only" education that leaves them unprepared to deal with a world of AIDS and STDs. Poor children will still have no health insurance, just like their parents, and single mothers will be without resources if they are abandoned by partners or isolated from family or friends. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will continue. Lives, especially the lives of women and children, are at stake here.

Obama is the nominee and we have to make sure he wins.

George Monbiot Attempts Citizen’s Arrest on Former UN Ambassador John

Information Clearinghouse.info has the transcript of Amy Goodman's interview with Monbiot, who attempted to arrest John Bolton for war crimes after the British police refused to do so.

The saga continues....

Now Mom has double pneumonia. It will be a couple of days before they know what kind of infection she has going on, then they'll know how to treat if. Fun, fun.

All prayers, well wishes and positive energy gratefully accepted right now.

I'm taking requests...

With everything that's going on, I feel as if I'm writing the same things over and over - and maybe I am. So, I'm opening it up again - if any of you has a topic you'd like me to write about, please leave it in comments and I'll do what I can. Some of my best work has been prompted by you readers.

Peace,

Morgaine

Hillary and Misogyny

Americablog has a post called "HIllary's Girl Power" where they post a comment by Jacki Schechner, a feminist writer, in which she concludes that a woman would make a great Commander-in-Chief, but not necessarily THIS woman, Hillary Clinton. I heartily agree.

There is no doubt that the MSM has been horribly misogynistic in general, but particularly so in covering Senator Clinton's campaign. She has certainly used underhanded tactics that deserve derision, but the anti-female rhetoric was flowing from the very beginning of her run when she was just one of a field of candidates. Media Matters has covered this in detail, but I'll hit the high points. I don't remember anyone criticizing John Edwards' pantsuits, or debating whether any other candidates' show of emotion were real or practiced. John McCain has never been criticized for the unpleasant tenor of his voice. The word "bitch" flows from the lips of men who should know better far too easily - when was the last time anyone on TV called one of the candidates a "bastard" or some equivalent slur?

It took me months to resolve myself to rejecting the position taken by many feminists, as well as the majority of the Goddess community, that we should support Clinton because she was female. I've heard all the arguments - that it's a question of solidarity, that if she doesn't get the nomination, no woman in our lifetime will ever get it, that she "thinks like a woman" and is therefore a better choice, that she's the best qualified - and I don't buy any of them.

Solidarity, to have any meaning at all, means that we have to rally around a woman with equal or better qualifications for a particular position. I have grave concerns about the choices Sen. Clinton has made in her career. She opposed the impeachment of Richard Nixon. Her ties to Walmart and to overseas sweat shops are questionable. Her participation in The Family - a little known, DC based religious group focused on attaining and holding power for its powerful and often dangerous members - is completely unacceptable in a supposedly Liberal contender. The idea that she's the only woman in a generation to have a shot at the White House is insulting. We have many women in positions of leadership that would make better presidents, any one of whom might have a shot as Barack's VP, which would almost certainly guarantee a woman taking the office in 8 years.

I don't like her using gender as an excuse for losing. She's losing because she ran a poor campaign in which she, her husband and surrogates, have repeatedly behaved in racist and unethical ways, up to and including invoking images of violence against candidates in the past. These improper statements and tactics have convinced me that she lacks the judgement and ethics needed for the office of President. One need only remember her promise to "obliterate" Iran to know that she shouldn't hold sway in our public discourse, let alone control our nuclear arms.

I don't count her activism in her career of any greater value than Barack Obama's credentials as a community organizer and elected official in his home state. More importantly, she doesn't inspire the kind of hope and excitement that Obama does. America has, in my opinion, been on a gradual slide toward a form of fascism, or at least a greedy and inhumane form of Conservative extremism, since the tragic death of President Kennedy. The Bush administration is the direct result of the coup that began with that event - none of the Constitutional nightmare would be possible if President Kennedy had finished his term in office.

The Kennedy funeral is one of my earliest memories. I've waited my entire life to see another JFK, or Bobby, or MLK, who could invoke the "better angels of our nature." When a I see pictures of tens of thousands turning out to see Barack at his appearances, in numbers never seen before in presidential politics, It makes me believe that it's possible for America to be America again. Barack can begin to heal some serious national wounds - the enduring sickness of racism, our shame in the response to hurricane Katrina, our ill-advised and unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation, the specter of incompetence that was born of the failure to heed the signs that the 9/11 attack was immanent, and the suspicion of complicity by members of the Bush administration in allowing it to happen, the restoration of our Constitutional rights, the end of torture by our soldiers, and a possible restoration of our standing in the world and the end of our xenophobic and entitled stance toward the rest of the planet- none of which could be expected or even dreamt of in an administration built around the Clinton machine.

This is not about girls vs. boys. This is about hope versus cynicism, the past versus the future, whom we are and whom we can be as a nation. I am not prepared to concede my idealism for a new gender selling the same old shit. A token torturer is still a torturer. I want massive change, more, I'm sure, than Obama could ever provide, but I'm going with the candidate who promises more change than any other. For Sen. Clinton to say that my choice has anything to do with misogyny demeans the entire Women's Movement. Equality is about more than having a vagina. It's about a true shift in consciousness that Hillary cannot catalyze for our nation. The feminist candidate in this campaign is Barack Obama.

Mom's getting worse~

They moved her onto a surgical floor last night and we expected her to be operated on today, but when Dad called the hospital this morning we found out they were moving her to ICU because she was showing signs of kidney failure. This is starting to follow the same pattern that led to my aunt's death in March. Prayers and positive thoughts that she gets better would be greatly appreciated. It's too early to lose her.

Mom's in limbo...

We thought we were bringing mom home on Tuesday, but there were
problems. We're afraid she may have to have more surgery on her broken
ankle. We should know what's happening today. In the mean time, if
y'all could keep a good thought for us, we'd be very grateful.

PLEASE get the focus off the Fetus!

A disapproving commenter says:

I see you consider the fetus to not be a human. At what point do you believe it becomes human? Is the partial birth at 9 months considered not human? Frankly I find this hideous! As for me: I believe that the mother does have a reasonable choice. But there comes a time when the child can sustain life outside the mothers womb and be fine...it is at that point that I would consider it not okay to abort, a purely selfish choice, GIVE IT AWAY, don't throw it away.

I'm bumping her comment up because I want to talk about what makes a human being. A lot o people want to take the magical view that a fertilized egg is human and has rights. That's very romantic, but it's just an opinion. In nature, fetuses and embryos are produced in much higher numbers than are intended to survive.Nature doesn't expect every zygote to reach personhood.

Even Judeo-Christian tradition doesn't attribute human status to the unborn. "Ensoulment" was believed to take place at the babies first breath outside the womb. The religious fervor around the issue of Choice has no basis in scripture. It's the opinion of a Pope, and frankly, I haven't seen a pope yet that made the lives of women a priority. Until I do, I recognize no authority for them to influence women's lives. The Protestant objections to choice are purely superstition. Again, there's nothing in the bible that forbids or discourages abortion.

From The Skeptic's Annotated Bible:

What the Bible says about Abortion

Abortion is not murder. A fetus is not considered a human life.

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life. -- Exodus 21:22-23

The Bible places no value on fetuses or infants less than one month old.

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. -- Leviticus 27:6

Fetuses and infants less than one month old are not considered persons.

Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD. -- Numbers 3:15-16

God sometimes approves of killing fetuses.

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? ... Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. -- Numbers 31:15-17

(Some of the non-virgin women must have been pregnant. They would have been killed along with their unborn fetuses.)

Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. -- Hosea 9:14
Yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. -- Hosea 9:16
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up. -- Hosea 13:16

God sometimes kills newborn babies to punish their parents.

Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. -- 2 Samuel 12:14

God sometimes causes abortions by cursing unfaithful wives.

The priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell. And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen. ...
And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people. And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. -- Numbers 5:21-21, 27-28

God's law sometimes requires the execution (by burning to death) of pregnant women.

Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. -- Genesis 38:24

The Abrahamic deity doesn't give a damn about babies - the only goal is to control women's sexuality by the most brutal means imaginable so that a clear line of patrilineal inheritance can be assured. Now that we've dispensed with the patriarchal nonsense, let's look at science.

When do we consider a person dead, or at the point where we can legally consider ending their life if they are on life support? When brain activity has ceased. I therefore consider a functional brain to be necessary to define a living human. Such a brain doesn't exist in a fetus of less than 5 months, and most states don't allow abortions this late in the term except in cases where the mother's life is threatened. When push comes to shove, the actual life of a living mother MUST take precedence over theoretical life. We can argue whether we define an unborn child as having rights or not, but the mother most certainly has rights, and those must prevail.

Our culture is not oriented to support mothers and children. A woman with an unplanned pregnancy may have no income, no safety net, no child care, no escape from an abusive partner, no way to work and sustain a child. Women in a culture that is designed to control and subjugate them need options, and abortion needs to be one of those options.

It would be great if people always used birth control and birth control always worked. It would be great if a woman could devote 9 months of her life to creating a child to give away without disrupting her own life. I'd love it if every pregnant woman became so by choice, with no violence involved or poverty looming. In my perfect world, every child would be considered a gift and would be wanted and loved. That's not the state of our civilization, however, so our options in an unwanted pregnancy might be imperfect as well.

Women who are raped have no conscious or fair choice. Women dependent on an abusive partner may also have no fair choice. A woman who may, or WILL, die in child birth has no choice if she is to survive. An uwanted child can be born with health problems and or emotional damage inflicted on it because the mother is under stress during the pregnancy. These kids often have attachment disorders that prevent them from bonding with anyone, including adoptive parents. Life isn't ideal or fair.

Ultimately, the greatest burden and responsibility is that of the pregnant woman. Her rights must come first. Her choice must be hers and hers alone. As a civilization, we need to recognize that a woman is an autonomous being, with the right to control her own person, and no man, no government of men, and no "god" invented by men has any business telling her what she can and cannot do with her womb. Any coercion in this respect is a form of rape, and slavery, and these have no place in a democratic society of free citizens.

From David Sirota: The Uprising

If you're not familiar with David's work, follow one of the links below. He's an important voice in the Progressive movement, and I really recommend his work. He writes:

Friends,

I write to you from Burlington, Vemont where today my new book, THE UPRISING, will officially launch at an event with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. The book is all about the rise of populist politics on both the Right and Left. Now that the book is out today, I hope you will consider ordering it at any of the following retailers:

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Uprising-Unauthorized-Populist-Scaring-Washington/dp/0307395634

Barnes & Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Uprising/David-Sirota/e/9780307395634/

Powell's Books:
http://www.powells.com/biblio/0307395634?&PID=30567

Your local independent bookstore:
http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?isbn=0307395634

Audiobook:
http://www.tantor.com/BookDetail.asp?Product=0755_Uprising

This book represents two years of reporting, from the California-Mexico border, to the state capitol in Montana, to the streets of New York City - and everything in between. In its pre-publication review, Publishers Weekly calls the book "a rousing account" that "hits numerous high notes" with a narrative that is "fast-paced" and "entertaining." I hope you will buy THE UPRISING, and then come out to one of the many events around the country over the next two months. You can check the full book tour schedule at http://www.davidsirota.com/uprising

I hope you forgive the blunt sales pitch, but it is the official launch of the book - and so we're trying to make a big splash on the first day.

In the coming days, I'll be updating you from the road on the state of the uprising as I see it in my travels, and will let you know about the progress of the book (stay tuned for The Colbert Report on Thursday!). As I've always said, this book represents a perspective shunned by the Establishment - and that means I rely on grassroots support from you in buying the book and TELLING ALL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT IT (for instance, please pass this email on to your personal email list!). This is why I'm going to be on the road for the next two months doing events with local groups all over the country.

Thanks for all your support over the years - and for your support on this project. I couldn't do it without you.

Rock the boat,
David

P.S. For a brief overview of the book, check out this week's Newsweek, which featured a Q&A about it. You can find it at http://www.newsweek.com/id/138528

From Circle Sanctuary: Veteran Pentacle Grave Markers across the USA

The following was distributed by Circle Sanctuary. I didn't write it. --MS

One year ago today, US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-issued veteran grave markers with Pentacles were dedicated in a public ceremony at Circle Cemetery, a national Pagan cemetery, located in the heart of Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve near Barneveld, Wisconsin.

In observance of Memorial Day this year, we are releasing information about Pentacle veteran grave markers the VA has issued in the past year since the Veteran Pentacle Quest victory.

This news was compiled from Freedom of Information Act documents obtained from the VA by Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary just prior to Beltane, May 1, 2008. The following is excerpted and adapted from her report, which will be published in the next issue of CIRCLE magazine, which goes to press in early June.

VETERAN PENTACLE GRAVE MARKERS ACROSS THE USA

In the year since adding the Pentacle to its list of emblems, the VA hasissued 26 veteran grave markers with Pentacles. Two dozen are fordeceased veterans, and of these, one is for a veteran and his wife. The other two markers are interfaith with the Pentacle signifying the Wiccan faith of wives buried with their veteran husbands in federal cemeteries.

SERVICE: Wiccan and Pagan veterans honored by Pentacle grave markersinclude those who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.Their combined range of service has spanned seven decades. The majorityof the markers are for war veterans, including two who served in World WarII, three who served in the Korean War, and seven who served in theVietnam War.

WAR DEATHS: Some of the markers are for those who have died in 21stcentury wars. In addition to Sgt. Stewart, a Desert Storm veteran who waskilled in action in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and whosewidow, Roberta Stewart, spoke out publicly as part of the Veteran Pentacle Quest, there are markers for six troops who were killed in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and another for a soldier who had served both in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and who died of war-related injuries after returning home.

CEMETERIES: The 26 Pentacle markers are in 17 cemeteries across the UnitedStates. 16 of the markers are in national cemeteries, five of which are in Arlington National Cemetery. One is in a state veterans cemetery. Nine are in private cemeteries, four of which are at Circle Cemetery in Wisconsin.

STATES: There are VA-issued Pentacle markers in 14 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

On this Memorial Day, we honor the lives and service of Wiccan and other Pagan veterans who have died.

We give thanks for the Pentacle markers that have been issued by the VA thus far.

And, we send out the wish that the VA will finally finish revising its protocols and procedures for adding additional emblems of belief to its list of those it will include on the veteran grave markers it issues so that symbols of other branches of Paganism can be included as well as symbols of other religions.

Liberty and Justice for All.

Circle Times: Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2008

Fox News Jokes About Killing Obama - Full Segment

YouTube : ""

First this bitch on FOX Nois!e conflates Obama and Osama, then says she wishes to kill them both "if we could!"

WE who, lady?! I assure you, there is no "we" that includes me, you sociopath. What the hell is going on with these people? Thanks, Hillary, for making this the topic of conversation on MEMORIAL DAY weekend.

Are we seeing a case of "token torturers" here where the message is deliberately being sent through women to hide the work of the patriarchal forces that are really pulling the strings?

If he's that much of a threat to the status quo, then I know I HAVE to vote for Obama!

Hillary Unhinged - please, somebody make it stop...

Let's say I believe that it was just a gaffe on Hillary's part when she said that she's staying in the race because Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June so it was too early for her to quit. No, those were not her exact words but that's what every body thought when she said it. Let's put her remarks into context.

Very early in this campaign, Barack Obama began receiving threats, to the point that Senator Durbin requested that the Secret Service go ahead and start protecting him.

The Secret Service appears to have been lax in its duties at large Obama rallies.

Secret Service personnel were recently disciplined for placing a noose in their offices in harassment of African American employees.

People constantly compare Barack to JFK, to Bobby Kennedy, Michelle to Jackie Kennedy, and the Kennedy family has embraced his candidacy. MLK and Malcom X are frequently mentioned in reference to him as well.

Hillary Clinton did way too well in Appalachia, and Barack only campaigned on the fringes of the area. He is widely considered a Muslim, unamerican, the anti-christ, and a potential enemy of the state in the region, where he is commonly referred to as Hussein. Hillary and Bill have race-baited and provoked "color arousal" at every turn in this campaign.

MIke Huckabee recently joked about someone pointing a gun at Barack during a speech before the NRA.

These may all be unconnected elements of a vast aand eventful campaign season... or they may be a pattern no one is seeing yet. I'm not in a position to judge which is the case, but I think most people would be aware that one should be unusually circumspect in invoking images of assassination in this particular campaign. So, you might understand that to some of us, it kind of looks as if Hillary is staying in the race in case Barack gets shot. Yes, a person would have to be a sociopath to hatch such a plan. I never used to think of Hillary that way, but her scorched earth tactics in this campaign, in which she has championed the Republican nominee over her Democratic rival and seems to be theatening intra-party war if she is not handed the nomination or at least the VP slot, have given me reason to reconsider.

You readers know that I struggled over my choice of whom to support in this campaign. I now find myself in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar position of agreeing with the elite male bloggerati in choosing the Obama movement over the Clinton establishment. I no longer feel any guilt in rejecting this woman as a presidential candidate. A person who would make such a grossly inappropriate statement has no business getting near our foreign policy. Our needs are great and our task overwhelming. We need a leader made of much saner stuff than this.

I'm praying for a Super Delegate wave of movement to the Obama camp this weekend.