Catching up -- Again

Again, I've been truer to my Facebook friends and to my Quick TAKES and tasty tidbits blog than I have been to my Peace Hugs readers. When you don't see enough of me here, find me there, please. (I can use all the friends that I can get :-) All of that said, I am still rejoicing in the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, even as I know we will have to push him to do what needs to be done. He needs our support, our prayers, and our pushing -- not necessarily in that order.

And let's continue to "Make Music Not War" -- to this end, NYFOR has been working on compiling peaceful songs. Stay tuned for more on this.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Vote and Pray

I've been posting the quick takes on Quick TAKES and Tasty Tidbits, facing life on Facebook, working for corporate America, focusing on peace and migrating to my new computer. Life is busy and good. And today is hopeful. Following my friend Michele Maglione's lead, I documented my vote for Barack Obama on Row E, the Working Family Party's line. (This is important as it shows a progressive vote. Read David Sirota's The Uprising on this.)



I went into Gustavino's yesterday to make calls for the Obama-Biden Campaign for Change. Then I rushed home and made calls for True Majority's special election action project. I spoke with Mary Gervargis of Studio City who had not received her absentee ballot and was bereft. She's hispanic and they are for 2-1 for Obama. What happened? Her cousin in Valencia didn't get hers either. So after calling an election protection line last night and learning she could vote provisionally if she got to the polls, I made some more calls this morning to the California Democratic Party who promised to be in touch to help. Let's hope so! I tried. The more votes for Obama-Biden the better chance for them to have the positive progressive impact our world needs so desperately.

Now I'm off to Gustavino's to see if there is anything more they want me to do. Hey, it's just a short walk and a bus ride and another short walk. I'm taking my copy of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now to read on the way. (The last time I had it with me on the subway, the person next to me tapped me and showed me HER copy. We were both reading the same chapter!! We had a lovely chat) I remember my great grandmother's epitaph -- "She hath done what she could" -- and I go forth to do whatever else I can. Please, God. Breathe. Trust. Believe. Hope. Act. Thank you. Amen.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Where has the month gone??

It has been a busy month and I'm not ready to play catch up on Peace Hugs because my busy level is still high, BUT, I have posted autumnal pictures of my Adirondack visit to Dorothy Morehead's Northville cottage, a/k/a camp on Flickr.com and there are more pictures from various events yet to come.

You may have noticed I've been better at posting the quick stuff at Quick TAKES and Tasty Tidbits. You are invited to visit there for various political and personal snippets and recipes (great butternut squash soup!!), but I am reposting the whole thing from today as it bears repeating:

McBush and Folksy Palin endorsed by SNL's GWB

I was at the FreePress.net's 2008 internet Freedom Bash party last night so didn't see it live but George W. Bush endorsed McCain-Palin on Saturday Night Live's Thursday edition last night, with help from Will Ferrell and Tina Fey.

See Dubya, see McCain, or as my friend Judy Young Brannan from Kent Ohio put it: McBush!!! From Judy:

***

OMG -- when I saw Judy's McBush it struck terror into my heart. Now, let's get out there and win. Judy's picture is worth a thousand words. Please help out where you can, the Obama-Biden ticket or progressive candidates to Congress and to the state house and senate. It all matters. Thanks!!!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Jon Stewart on John McSame, err John McCain

You must see how Jon Stewart compares John McSame a/k/a John McCain to George W. Bush using videos of the two: sweet!



Enjoy -- and remind folks who haven't been listening to the facts.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Hartmann: Where's the News?

While the net bloggers are digging deep into her history, Sarah Palin needs to be vetted (and reported on) by the corporate media that she's decrying. Air America Radio's Thom Hartmann posted on his web site some of the items they should be considering. I've printed it here in its entirety because of its importance.

Where’s the News?

As I could have predicted, the corporate mainstream media is falling all over themselves to congratulate Sarah Palin on her speech. The well known truth is that Palin's speech has galvanized the conservative base. The media is not and most likely will not ask the tough questions like…

--Why does Sarah Palin continue to lie unchallenged by the media about her support of the “Bridge to Nowhere?”

--Why did Wasilla rarely received few any earmarks before Palin became mayor? She actively sought federal funds and hired a lobbyist with close ties to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who made funneling money to Alaska his hallmark.

--Why did Sarah Palin not walk out of her church when just two weeks ago, she sat there while her pastor gave a anti-Jewish sermon?

--While the McCain campaign has stressed her command of the National Guard – Why has Sarah Palin has never issued a single order to them?

--How do the American people sit with Palin’s claims that American soldiers have been sent to Iraq "on a task that is from God?"

--Why is Sarah Palin involved with AIP? Several days ago the chair of the AIP, a secessionist party, said that Palin attending the 1994 convention. “she was there.”

From www.mediamatters.org:

Neither ABC nor CBS aired analysis from Democrats, Democratic strategists, or progressive media figures during their live coverage of the second day of the Republican National Convention on September 2 (the first day of the networks' live coverage of the convention). By contrast, both networks aired analysis from Republicans and conservatives, as well as from Democrats and progressives, during coverage of the second day of the Democratic National Convention on August 26.

Let the media know we’re sick and tired of the corporate and “conservative” bias that doesn’t serve, “We the People.”

Thom Hartmann

Hey, Corporate Media, surprise Thom and me and do your job! And let us Democrats and rational independents follow Thom's advice and tell the corporate media that we are sick of their bias toward the Republicans. (Would that we find out that Sarah Palin successfully shot herself in the foot last night and that the press are on it! A few of them maybe??)

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Dennis Kucinich:" Wake Up America!" 2008 Democratic Convention

Beautifully said speech and finally Dennis Kucinich has been given the platform to say it to the masses (albeit pre-national feed). (Wonder if the corporate press will report it? I wouldn't bet yes on it.) Dennis is saying what people need to hear, to be faced with the facts and the alternatives: not a call to move from right to left, he said, but "a call to go from down to UP". Do yourself a favor and listen to (or at least read) this six minute speech -- the crowd caught his energy and went wild. 

Also, there are more great Democratic convention speeches to be found at CSPANjunkie.org  (I love "Junkie" from YouTube as I still don't subscribe to cable TV -- only cable I have is on my computer :-)

Peace hugs,

Kate Anne

John McCain: The Candidate We Still Don't Know

In his New York Times column this weekend, Frank Rich ponders the picture the press paints of Obama vs press favorite McCain.

As I went on vacation at the end of July, Barack Obama was leading John McCain by three to four percentage points in national polls. When I returned last week he still was. But lo and behold, a whole new plot twist had rolled off the bloviation assembly line in those intervening two weeks: Obama had lost the election!

The poor guy should be winning in a landslide against the despised party of Bush-Cheney, and he’s not. He should be passing the 50 percent mark in polls, and he’s not. He’s been done in by that ad with Britney and Paris and by a new international crisis that allows McCain to again flex his Manchurian Candidate military cred. Let the neocons identify a new battleground for igniting World War III, whether Baghdad or Tehran or Moscow, and McCain gets with the program as if Angela Lansbury has just dealt him the Queen of Hearts....MORE

When is the press corps going to follow the lead of a few insightful (and liberal) NYTimes columnists and start reporting on The Real McCain(s)? (Rich also discusses coverage of Michelle vs. Cindy. Puhlease.)

Finally, however, the Obama campaign must press the press to push the differences between the candidates. Bottom line, if the public were to hear more of the truth including the many covered-up gaffes, the cavorting with lobbyists (including his chief foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann having lobbied for the Georgian government until VERY recently!!), the cowtowing to the wealthy, and the many contradictions of John McCain, Obama would be the shoe-in he should be. [For more on how McCain is covered and how he is campaigning listen to AAR's Rachel Maddow's commentary, for example.] The Obama campaign must also give more play to such ads as the radio ad run in York, Pennsylvania [thanks, again, to TRMS], concerning McCain's telling Harley motorcycle enthusiasts that he enjoys the sound of the roar of American-made Harley's even as he opposed a law requiring the government to buy American made motorcycles, just one symptom of McCain's condoning American jobs being shipped overseas. McCain is the wrong choice if Americans care about the economy, jobs, and healthcare.

Keep on keeping on --

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Enough, Hillary / Enough Hillary

After hearing Rachel Maddow's rant from last night on podcast, I went to Hillary Clinton's website and left this suggestion on their contact form (which I duly signed with my full contact information to validate):

I am a woman. I am a feminist. I am a New Yorker. I am a peace and justice activist. Please get out of the campaign. You have lost unless you steal it.

My daughter-in-law abhors you and will not vote for you. I used to like you until you voted for Bush's illegal invasion (and before I realized what a corporatist you have been).

Enough, get out. Now.

Thank you.

Rachel contends that Clinton's decision to take it to the convention will cause the Democratic presidential candidate to lose. I will add that Clinton first and foremost believes in the divine right of Hillary. The party bigwigs have got to sit on her and set her straight. She is not helping women. She is not helping families. She is not helping our country or our world. She is being self-serving. Time, past time, for her to get out. If she won't leave graciously, then the Democratic Party must take action along the lines that Rachel Maddow suggests: They must get 90 super delegates to move right now to Obama to deflect her position about Florida and Michigan and make the subject of these two states moot.

Ah, the ego..... Talk about it. Contact her campaign. Contact any Dems who can help. (And then we will take up how Obama has to get real with his energy policy. There is no such things as good affordable nuclear energy or clean coal -- but that's another post.)

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Today - The Black or the White Twin?

Little Super Tuesday and I still haven't removed my John Edwards campaign button from this blog -- I so miss his more populist message. Meanwhile, DLC leader Hillary Clinton and "I'm not a member of the DLC -- why did they list me?" Barack Obama spout words of populism even as they accept corporate dollars via lobbyists and/or big spenders. Yeah, I voted for Obama, in the hope that he will rise to the level of his recent message. (After all, I allowed John Edwards growth and reconciliation.) But then I listened to the Black Agenda Report's Glen Ford being interviewed by WILL Radio's Media Matters' host Bob McChesney and I have real concerns. Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum. The Black or the White Twin. Listen to the February 24, 2008 show and see what YOU think. (Let me know below or via yahoo email to kateanne7.)

One thing for sure, either is better than any Republican who would most certainly finish wrecking the Supreme Court -- let alone allow Bush in essence a third term of lies, illegal wars, torture, spying, signing statements, political corruption, and other miscellaneous evil. Which reminds me, yesterday Thom Hartmann gave me the idea for a political button for Button Buddha Ruth Klein to create: National Exorcism Day Nov. 4, 2008. Vote Democratic. That said, we gotta get on Obama for talking nuclear power (too expensive, too unsecure, too unsafe) and there is no such thing as clean coal. Hope. Ah, Johnny -- the corporate media did you in and now all I can say is may the better twin win.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Edwards' Endorsement in the Offing?

Air America Radio's Rachel Maddow and David Bender have just been discussing the rumor of John Edwards endorsing someone, and possibly Hillary Clinton because she is viewed as tougher. It is Valentines Day and I do not wish to face such betrayal. I just went to JohnEdwards.com and left this on the Contact page:
 

Message for John Edwards:

There is rumor you plan to endorse. As someone who donated a lot (for me) to your presidential campaign, blogged and talked about it, and also collected petition signatures in New York City, I am begging you:

PLEASE do NOT endorse Hillary Clinton -- she has been a corporatist and has not listened to her peace and justice constitutents.

She gets big money from the ARMAMENT industry and the Big Pharma. A Hillary Clinton endorsement would be a SLAP in the FACE of anyone who worked for YOU.

Please do NOT make of your campaign a MOCKERY.

Thank you.

====

Will it make a difference? If enough of us do similarly, maybe. And perhaps Rachel and David are wrong about the endorsement. Rachel would prefer him not endorsing anyone. I'm with her -- especially if her endorsement is Clinton.

 

Peace hugs,

Kate Anne

Krugman: The Edwards Effect

I am feeling a bit better, reading Paul Krugman's column, The Edwards Effect. JRE has made a positive difference in Democratic politics and in brightening America's future. It isn't going to be easy going forward, but at least there really is hope. John and Elizabeth Edwards' issues must continue to be furthered. We have to push Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And YOU know how I feel. Much to do, but let's do it!! Here's to February 5th!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Paul Rogat Loeb: "Why This Edwards Voter Is Now Backing Obama"

While I continue to mourn the corporatist media's murder of the John Edwards campaign, I gather the opinions of others on where-to from here. I think I could have written the first two paragraph's of Paul Rogat Loeb's article published at CommonDreams.org -- Why This Edwards Voter Is Now Backing Obama:

I gave John Edwards more money than I’ve given to any candidate in my life, and I’m glad I did. He raised critical issues about America’s economic divides, and got them on the Democratic agenda. He was the first major candidate to stake out strong comprehensive platforms on global warming and health care. He hammered away on the Iraq war, even using scarce campaign resources to run ads during recent key Senate votes. He’d have made a powerful nominee-and president.

I’ve been going through my mourning for a while for his campaign not getting more traction, so his withdrawal announcement didn’t shock me. But sad as I am about his departure, I feel good about being able to switch my support to Barack Obama, and will do all I can to help him win.MORE

Meanwhile, I have yet to speak to an Edwards supporter who is now supporting Billary errr Hillary Clinton.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Matthews reports Raw Data indicated Obama Victory

Brad Friedman of BradBlog reports Chris Matthews quoting the Raw Data Exit Polls ("which only corporate mainstream media folks, not mere mortals, are allowed to see") indicated that Obama had a significant victory in New Hampshire -- see full story: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5535

Brad also noted a good follow-up article by syndicated Tribune Media Services columnist Robert Koehler: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5532 which Brad says "bumps up our serious concerns about last night's wholly untransparent, and still-uncounted (by anything but a hackable Diebold computer, and a company with an executive criminal past, to say the least) New Hampshire Primary election results, from 'blogger conspiracy theory' to mainstream media concern." For Koehler's full article check out his excellent website, Common Wonders (and bookmark it!).

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

New Hampshire - More Vote Theft??

I woke up this morning wondering about what happened in New Hampshire and the Light Bulb went on:

On Air America they mentioned that only certain people knew the results from the exit polls in New Hampshire. I'd like to know if the exit polls were ever announced and compared with the announced vote tally? There was such a discrepancy from all the pre-election polls (9?) and 81% of the ballots were optically scanned. (Were these scans precinct counted and then called in? -- This is important to maintain legitimacy as is good software.) Did Hillary's moment of tears really make an impact or have voters been ripped off again? Exit Polls vs Announced Count -- IMPORTANT TO KNOW.

I've asked this of Rob Kall at Opednews.com and have emailed Teresa Hommel of Where's the Paper and plan to email Thom Hartmann, especially after the chilling information I just now read on Bradblog -- we're talking serious problems again, folks. Read Bradblog and let's all stay on top of this again. I will apprise you of any light I hear.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Gregory: "I could vote for a Democrat - but not Hillary"

The above statement was made to me today by my brother Gregory, a nominal Democrat but a beloved rightist ditto head who joined the Democratic party to work on Paul Tsongas' campaign some years back. He also says he likes John Edwards. When will the mainstream Democratic party get the message? Will they get the message in time to make a difference? The way they have been screwing up, I wonder.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

"Hillary and the Politics of Disappointment"

I can oh-so relate to Paul Rogat Loeb's article at Common Dreams, Read it:

Hillary and the Politics of Disappointment
by Paul Rogat Loeb

When Democrats worry about Hillary Clinton’s electability, they focus on her reenergizing a depressed Republican base while demoralizing core Democratic activists, particularly those outraged about the war, and consequently losing the election. A November 26 Zogby poll, for instance, now shows her trailing the major Republican candidates, while Edwards and Obama defeat them. But there’s a further danger if Hillary’s nominated–that she will win but then split the Democratic Party.

We forget that this happened with her husband Bill, because compared to Bush, he’s looking awfully good. Much of Hillary’s support may be nostalgia for when America’s president seemed to engage reality instead of disdaining it. But remember that over the course of Clinton’s presidency, the Democrats lost 6 Senate seats, 46 Congressional seats, and 9 governorships. This political bleeding began when Monica Lewinsky was still an Oregon college senior. Given Hillary’s protracted support of the Iraq war, her embrace of neoconservative rhetoric on Iran, and her coziness with powerful corporate interests, she could create a similar backlash once in office, dividing and depressing the Democratic base and reversing the party’s newfound momentum. MORE

NOW, if you feel similarly to us you should be sure to send your donations to help out the candidate(s) of your choice. [I’ve donated to Edwards, Kucinich and Dodd.]

The latest Zogby poll is frightening — yes, I know other polls say other things, but Hillary has a lot of baggage and there are people on both the right and the left who abhor her (i.e., my brother Gregory and I). I have suspended my National Organization for Women membership since NOW Pac endorsed her — and I have been a member consistently since 1979. (And even started a NOW chapter in Ohio and restarted another.) That says a lot.

The mainstream corporatist medium would tell us it is all over even before Iowa and New Hampshire. The thought depresses me and then I decide to ACT. I’ve been petitioning for John Edwards and talking to folks and now I am going to make another donation to John Edwards (FYI — I worked for Kucinich last time and got Kerry — eewwwww — John Edwards and his Elizabeth are a great and electible team.)

Peace hugs!!!
Kate Anne

UPDATE: Paul Rogat Loeb is scheduled to be on Thom Hartmann's Thursday show. Should be good!

Fw: Edwards Move Makes Trade '08 Centerpiece

This is BIG -- John Edwards is sticking up for the working people on the Peru Trade Deal. Please read David Sirota's great article below. (David Sirota is a favorite of mine, now also published at http://www.creators.com/, fyi.)

(Also, Edwards is anti-nuke plant because he recognizes that between it high economic and environmental cost -- it takes lots of energy and money to build and put them into production PLUS uranium is limited AND of course the most important safety/security factory. Remember that the 9-11 Commission reported that the 9-11 terrorists first had their eyes on the Indian Point nuke plant but figured it had to be so well protected that they nixed the idea.)

Edwards is against another ginned up invasion, this time of Iran, too. So I say again: Edwards: Hurrah!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

-----Forwarded Message-----
From: "David J. Sirota"
Sent: Oct 29, 2007 12:28 PM
Subject: Edwards Move Makes Trade '08 Centerpiece

Link to original

Edwards Move Makes Trade '08 Centerpiece

By David Sirota
Working Assets, 10/29/07

The Financial Times headline this morning says it all: "Edwards' Attack on Peru Deal Shifts Debate." The story summarizes John Edwards (D) announcement that he is opposing not only the Peru Free Trade Agreement, but the entire package of White House-backed deals designed to expand the job-killing, wage-destroying NAFTA trade model into South America and Asia - the package of deals that a small handful of Democrats endorsed back on May 10th in a secret pact with the Bush administration. Edwards said the agreements do "not meet my standard of putting American workers and communities first, ahead of the interests of the big multinational corporations, which for too long have rigged our trade policies for themselves."

The move, consistent with Edwards' economic populist campaign, drives a wedge right through the heart of the Democratic presidential primary.

Last week, as noted at Working Assets, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) announced his support for the Peru deal, and then tried to obfuscate his position under harsh questioning. Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) hasn't said anything about the Peru deal.

As Public Citizen's Lori Wallach said, Edwards move now puts the spotlight on the divide between the progressive movement and what I have called the Money Party (and Edwards has called the Corporate Democrats).

"This is where the rubber hits the road and we find out how far Hillary thinks she needs to go on trade to court the Democratic base," she said. "Peru is about to go to a Senate vote so she can't duck the issue."

You can be sure we'll be hearing a lot of noise about how this deal is supposedly great for average Americans and Peruvians alike. But remember, no major labor, human rights, anti-poverty, environmental, consumer protection or religious group in either the United States or Peru have endorsed the deal. In its international version (not online) the Financial Times, in fact, points out that Edwards announcement was welcomed by, among others, "the heads of Peru's labor movement and Pedro Barretto, the country's archbishop."

Iowa is a state that has been hard hit by lobbyist-written trade deals and that has a history of trade/globalization issues roiling presidential primaries. Edwards' move will likely ensure that's the case again this year, especially considering how split the the Democratic cardidates are in terms of their allegiances to the progressive movement and the Money Party in Washington.

--------------------
Get the just-released paperback of David Sirota's New York Times bestseller Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government and How We Take It Back. Former Vice President Al Gore says of Hostile Takeover: "Every politically engaged citizen should read this book." The paperback includes a brand-new analysis of the 2006 elections. To order the book, go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Powell's Bookstore. To subscribe to Sirota's regular newsletter, go to http://www.davidsirota.com/ and sign up on the left hand side.

Don't Count Out the Real Liberal: John Edwards

Wonder why the mainstream corporate media isn't talking about John Edwards much, except to denigrate him for cutting his hair? They know he, with his populist message, is really the most viable Democratic candidate to win against Republican corporatist candidates. Thanks to Thom Hartmann, for pointing his listeners to the title-linked article, in Rolling Stone Magazine:

The Real Liberal: John Edwards is Third in the Polls, But Don't Count Him Out

by Tim Dickinson

If he weren't rich, handsome and so well married, you might feel a little sorry for John Edwards. Never before in the 231-year history of our republic have the inalienable traits that Edwards possesses -- his fair skin and a Y chromosome -- been anything but a prerequisite for presidential politics. Today, his race and gender stand a chance of derailing his campaign altogether. "There's a lot of democrats who would like to make history," says Markos Moulitsas, founder of the influential online forum Daily Kos. "The party is anxious to nominate a black or a woman," agrees Dick Morris, the former adviser to Bill Clinton. "You have to sign off on either of those two options before you even get to voting for Edwards." Indeed, Edwards has been all but eclipsed by the celebrity candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama: He ranks a distant third in national polls, and his $12 million cash on hand is barely a third of Hillary's and Obama's hauls.

But counting Edwards out would be a big mistake. Flying below the radar, the former vice-presidential candidate is pulling off a feat that Democratic consultants have long considered impossible: staking out the most progressive platform among the viable candidates while preserving an aura of electability. In head-to-head polling against the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, Clinton and Obama have managed to post only modest leads. Edwards, by contrast, not only bests every Republican candidate in the race, he trounces them -- by an average of twelve points.

"Edwards' message is more left than it was in '04, and it's attracting the right kind of people for the primaries," says Bill Carrick, a veteran party strategist. "But the general electorate still sees him as mainstream. He's doing a good job of threading that needle." MORE

If you like John Edwards, like I like John Edwards, support his efforts, populist efforts, by donating to his campaign. (And I do put my money where my mouth is. Matt Gerlach [sp? -- nice guy who used to work for IBM and know how important keeping jobs in the USA is] called from the campaign this past weekend and I donated another few dollars -- which add up! I donated on the web -- then I went to Dennis Kucinich's site and donated a few dollars because I like his message, too.) Thanks!!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Woof to Dogs Against Romney

I am happy to pass along this link, courtest of AAR's Rachel Maddow : Dogs Against Romney. Since Audient told me of Mitt Romney's dog abuse, I've been more than interested in this story. I may be a cat person but, as my Flickr.com pictures suggest, I have great love for my God-dogs, Munchkin and Barney Bear and other terrific canines. Check out this site and leave comments there. Truly worth barking up!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

What I've been up to

Life is busy and still a challenge right now (isn't it usually?), but I must take a few minutes to update my friends in case they come looking for me and see nothing new.

I've move down the street but I'm still on Bliss -- All together now, "Praise and thanks be to God -- Alleluiah!" -- and thanks be to Marc Crawford Leavitt who gave me the lead to my "new" place. That said, it is a bit smaller with no attic rights so I have more boxes still to deal with than I would prefer. I am making slow progress as I try to pick up on my life prior to mid-January when I learned that my old place is being sold. I must hold back even as I must do a little. I beg the understanding of my fellow activists.

Even my camera has been pretty much ignored. I did make it down to J&R to buy some new camera cords as mine have yet to surface from their safe place in some crevice of some box. I am anticipating downloading some pictures of the view from my second floor back porch (Dare I call it a balcony or a terrace? I don't want to sound high-falooting or hoity-toity.). In the meantime enjoy the pictures of Bliss Street from my Flickr.com site, linked in the title above.

I've been listening to too much Talk Radio -- the left wing feminine version of my dear ditto-head brother (who does listen to Air America on his satellite radio so perhaps he is making progress into the light. And I have blogged a little at Common Dreams and a few other places -- like the Sam Seder Show and with my Laura Flanders' friends. And I've listened more to Jon Elliott who kept me company during much of my late night packing -- but now AAR has him from midnight to 3 pm -- a little late for this usual morning person. Thank God for podcasts! (We'll get into my views of the new AAR lineup at some later time. But at least I still have "my" Thom Hartmann from noon to three.)

I've gotten angry at the Dems for caving in to Bush's demands for more money for the illegal Iraq invasion's occupation. Even those who voted no played with the rules, said another of my favorite writer/bloggers, David Sirota. ARGH!!! (Heard a good clip from Dem presidential candidate Mike Gravel on this issue -- on Jon Elliott's site: http://www.jonelliottshow.com/guests1.html. Must give Mike AND John Edwards more money. Somehow the media ranks the candidates according to contributions amassed rather than number of contributors or poll results and both Mike and John (and Dennis Kucinich) have to be taken seriously. Give money NOW.

The Dems have got to get serious with Healthcare. We need Medicare for all. I blogged this somewhere:

Last year Hillary Clinton was second in contributions from the Health and Pharmaceutical industry [shall we groan together?]. Not likely that she will be pushing much of a health care plan, is there? Unless it is really tied in to the establishment: read cost more money!!

We have to get away from business-centered healthcare and away from insurance companies -- except perhaps for auxiliary programs. What we need is universal healthcare which doesn't rely on the profit motive. Healthcare is a right. Healing is an art. Make a living, yes. Make a killing, no!

Obama's plan doesn't take this into account either. ARGH!!!

Health and healing should be open to every mother's child -- and that includes the grown ones, too!

Thanks!!

And I have cried a bit -- Casey's mom Cindy Sheehan is quite burnt out. I added this comment to the posting of her resignation letter at CommonDreams.org:

Kate Anne and Cindy Sheehan, 05-01-06 Peace March

Dearest Cindy -- be still, breathe, relax, heal, revive, retool, breathe, know that you cannot be expected to do it all. Do nothing for now except breathe, heal and feel our love and gratitude.

When and if you return to more visibility in the public eye, as your final parting messages to the people who love you on Air America Radio indicate perhaps you just may, walk forth with your own vision for peace. Don't let anyone should on you, and don't should on yourself. [Good for all of us to remember the extra commandment, "Thou shalt not 'should' on thyself today."] The only thing you should do now is heal.

I thank God for Casey's sacrifice and as Larkspur and 'aquietman' said it was not in vain because his death spurred you to to speak up for justice and peace. His death has meaning, not because it was in an illegal invasion, but because in his sacrifice Casey gave us you, and you, my dear Cindy, are a gift. If you never speak another word for peace, you have done more than most. Do what you must -- heal, revive, breathe, love and be loved. Then, do what your heart tells you to do -- but only do what you can. You, none of us, can do it all.

God bless you, my dear Cindy, mother of Casey and some beautiful other children who also need you and love you. Be there for yourself and for them. Thank you for being a blessing to us all. You are in our prayers and in our hearts. Godspeed in your life's journey, wherever it takes you next.

Peace hugs!

And my little boy Audient is planning to wed his Gina. Great news! Something to look forward to! But first gotta go to work and earn some money and then come home to a little more deboxing activity.

Peace hugs one and all,
Kate Anne