Just a Thought: A Stagnant Truth.

How far does loyalty and American Patriotism take you when a young, supposedly heterosexual soldier is ordered to rape (FUCK) anally abuse teenage boys?  Forget whether the acts were performed in front of family members, or not. It’s the very act that matters.

Just following orders! (?) Foul, evil, conniving, self-righteous.  Humans enjoy nothing more than the act of harming other humans

Does it take this sick behavior to finally stop you in your tracks to say, “this, my entire way of life, has been a vast red-white-blue lie.”?  Does it?  Even a little bit? No wonder more and more of our soldiers and hurting. There are secrets to keep, they bought into the lie, too.

Yes, by all means, let’s offer a free ride and safe passage to George Bush and Dick Cheney, but do everything possible to draw-and-quarter the likes of Edward Snowden for drawing attention to their crimes, and others.

All humans are truly pathetic, dangerous creatures. We’d rather harm others who suffered as we have, than to banish that suffering and those who ordered it in the first place.

I am sick.

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Support Courage Campaign Institute - Shop Amazon

This only just arrived via email and since I do a lot of shopping at Amazon I think it's a great idea to help support the CCI. A worthwhile, progressive organization.

I don't give to charities much anymore. I give to St. Jude's Children's Hospital and The Ali Forney Centers and they are the only ones to get any cash. I find most others too wasteful for my taste.

Before I hear the Amazon complaints I'll just say that I shop with Amazon, not only for the prices and service, but because there are no viable brick and mortar stores within 50 miles of where I live and I will not shop at Wal*Mart.  There are other fave go-to-spots for specific items on the Interwebs, but in general Amazon covers the other bases.

Shopping local is my first priority, even if the price is a bit higher, but driving 50 or 80 miles to Malls is out of the question.  If I find it at Amazon (I'm already a Prime Member for books & movies) and two-day shipping is free, that's where I'll get what I need.

So, if you're not in the mood to hassle the long drive, or brave the crazies at the Malls, check out Amazon for just about anything and everything (I've learned this over the years) and get it within 3 to 5 days - 2-day free shipping if you're a Prime member. Make sure your purchase is eligible for the donation.

Here's the email:
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Dear Friend, At Courage, we hope that you support and shop at small businesses. But if you're planning to use Amazon.com for your holiday purchases and beyond, please use AmazonSmile -- a program that allows small, non-profit organizations LIKE COURAGE CAMPAIGN to raise money from Amazon purchases. At no cost to you, Amazon will donate a .5% of the price to Courage Campaign for every eligible purchase you make! So why not get some of your holiday shopping done WHILE supporting a good cause? CLICK HERE to support our progressive campaigns while shopping on Amazon. You can keep doing this all through 2015! Want to make it easy to use our AmazonSmile link in the future? Bookmark this link and save it as ‘Amazon.’ It's a simple and automatic way to support Courage Campaign every time you shop at Amazon. With your purchases, you'll be helping Courage continue to fight for progressive values, equality, justice, and accountability for politicians and corporations, while training and organizing activists to change their communities. And to top it off, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate an extra $5 to Courage Campaign for each customer who makes an eligible purchase using this link, so get shopping! Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays! Paul, along with Annie, Eddie, Laura, Lindsay, Michael, Scottie, and Tim (the Courage team)

Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 900,000 members. The Courage Campaign Institute is the educational arm of the Courage Campaign family of organizations. Our mission is to defend and extend human rights through innovative leadership development, training, strategic research, and public education. http://www.couragecampaign.org?akid=1373.654996.Ur-96Q

The Post-Election Blues

Seems everybody’s got ‘em.  My mailbox has been crammed with whiney, sniveling messages from Liberal and Democratic groups about this being the end of the world now that the obstructionist Stoopids are back in control.

Two things here:

1.  It will take them less than the next 2 years to fuck up everything that has been good and positive for the country.

2.  Where were these pundits and consultants when Nate Silver warned of this happening as early as a year ago?  (click image to embiggen!)  No one chose to believe him, though his record speaks for itself.  He’s not an “I told you so” kind of guy.  He just does what he does best - numbers - and the powers that be chose to ignore him.  And, at their (our) own peril. 

Ah, and number 3:  Get ready for another war. One doesn’t need to watch TV to see that’s high on their agenda.

When I saw the crowds at the polls on election day I was alternately happy and worried; an off-year election after all and we didn’t have too much brewing in the pot this time.  I wasn’t surprised at the outcome. 

OK, Here’s the deal.  This election disaster is over.  Flush the fucking Pity-Potty and move on.  After a half century of activism I am most tired of saying this, but there is more work to do than ever. And, it is in our own party. It’s time to get fearless and fierce with those applying for elected office. 

If we don’t. If we choose to let it go and let others do it, well, we’re going to have to live in the world THEY decide we should live in.

Do you want that?  Think hard.  If not, then get your ass, head, and mouth motivated and move on. There is little time before the 2016 con-game bullshit begins to hit the fan.

If you’re miserable you have yourself to blame, if you’re into that sort of thing. So, STFU!!! Cut out the crying, whining, and hand-wringing - IT’S OVER - - FOR NOW!

Help me down off this soapbox.

More later.

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New Month, New Day, New Tarot Cards.

I was amused, though not shocked by theTarot Card for the Month of November.

I was quite taken aback, however, by the card for today, 4 November, 2014. Both are on the money. That said, I am still waiting for my reading from Dr. Spo, unless he sent it and it went into the junk drawer.

I am slowly getting used to being back in the real world and though I tire easily I find I can accomplish more than I imagined. My body clock is still wacky - waking up for meds in the middle of the night and all that - but it’s slowly getting back to it’s own rhythm. 

The visiting nurse showed up yesterday to check my vitals and check my overall outlook for the future.  Big mistake, that. Her patient information was riddled with inconsistencies and outdated medication data. I had to bring her up to date. Two hours later, she was out the door with a promise to return next Monday to check progress and perhaps discharge me as her patient.

Hospital fashion accessories.

Unpacked most things from the hospital, called for an appointment for Lab work at the Cancer Center on Wednesday morning, and promptly needed bed rest.  Not that strong yet. Slept through until 3:30 am today.

Felt stronger this morning; friend Jeffrey took me to the Polls - yes I voted and surprisingly it was crowded - then we decided to go out to breakfast. A first time for me in many months, and most enjoyable for us both. Gave me a chance to be out and about while we caught up on news and local politics as I realized I didn't have to wear the isolation mask, and had a pretty strong appetite for a change. It’s about time. Seems I’ve lost over 30 pounds, not the 20 pounds I had suspected. 

While he had me out and about anyway, he took me to do some light grocery shopping for things that fill in the gaps, like (canned/frozen) fruit, puddings, bagels, ice cream, juices, and even some cheese. I have been craving spicy sausage, cheese, and crackers.  Now I’ve got it.

After over 3 hours it was time to get back. The legs took to wobbling and balance began to go west, if you get my drift. So, he brought me home, brought the groceries upstairs, and helped me put the refrigerated items away before he headed back to the polls where he is on call this afternoon and evening.

Linda’s had car trouble, so I doubt I’ll see her today, but we have talked by phone and text. I’ve offered her my car, but she’s ignored the suggestion. I guess she’s afraid it might be needed in an emergency if I needed to go back to hospital. I don't see that happening right now.

She has taken it upon herself to organize every aspect of my daily recovery and I cannot tell you how comforting it is to know that. She sent over another container of her rich, meaty Irish stew yesterday, so I have another 2 home made meals that only require heating up for a minute or two. Nice.

I have part of a rotisserie chicken left and just might scrape up the energy to make a chicken noodle soup later in the week.

It is a perfect Autumn day with temps in the 50s - 60s, which is good luck for me. With the rash on my feet and legs it’s impossible to wear long trousers, my street clothes consisted of cargo shorts, long sleeve shirt and Dos Locos Hoodie. I was toasty enough and the cool air felt good on the rash and legs. 

Now, I’ve gotten out of the street clothes and into sweats, am about to crawl under the covers, maybe enjoy a nap. A lot was accomplished today in a short time, it seems more like a whole day has passed, it's only mid-day.

I am amazed.

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Just a Thought: Taliban

ORIGINAL CAPTIONED PHOTO REMOVED

The quote attributed to Reagan was in fact, true: "These Gentlemen are the moral equivalent of the founding fathers."   It's just wasn't made about the Taliban.

Sorry for the misinformation.  Thanks to Buckeyein Richmond for setting me straight. When I checked this out I didn't go deep enough and for that I am sorry. Close, but no cigar.

Here is the best explanation I could find to bring it all together. from Business Insider:

As the public debates some of the more controversial ways the US deals with foreign policy and safety, it's prudent to remember some of the less than fruitful foreign policy items where America invested its time and money. 

This photograph is from 1983, when Reagan and the CIA were dancing around the idea of arming Mujahadin fighters in order to fight back against Soviet incursion in Afghanistan. The result was a well-armed, well-trained group of jihadis who resisted (some say defeated) the onslaught of superior Soviet weaponry. 

Once the Soviets retreated, the U.S. lost interest and pulled the funding. Osama bin Laden took interest, and filled the vacuum, later fathering the Taliban. 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

Often erroneously paired with this photo is a Reagan quote, "These gentlemen are the moral equivalent of the founding fathers." 

Reagan was in fact referring to Nicaraguan fighters and another initiative to arm them, this time against the U.S.'s own treaties. 

We all know how that worked out as well.

Whomever Ronnie was referring to were certainly not at all like the founding fathers of these United States.

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Just a Thought: Choose

Nope.  Think I'll pass.
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Just a Thought: Punishment

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'Internet Slowdown' is Coming

This goes down tomorrow. You are hereby warned.

Top websites partaking in September 10 day of action in support of net neutrality. From Common Dreams:

Calling attention to the widespread disruption that will occur if Internet 'fast lanes' become the norm for wealthy websites, grassroots groups have organized a widespread Internet Slowdown Day on Wednesday to voice their support for net neutrality. 

A number of the Internet's largest companies including Etsy, Kickstarter, Mozilla, reddit, Foursquare, Vimeo, and Wordpress have announced that they will also join in the September 10th action by displaying an alert with a symbolic "spinning wheel of death" loading symbol and pushing individuals to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission, Congress and the White House.
"As that wheel spins, the rules about how the Internet works are being redrawn," Amy Goodman wrote this week.
As Goodman explains, large Internet service providers, or ISPs— such as Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T and Verizon— are "trying to change the rules that govern your online life," by creating a two-tiered Internet where certain content providers will pay to get preferred access on an Internet "fast lane."
Current FCC chairman Tom Wheeler is currently weighing a new classification for the Internet that could be a "huge boon" for big cable companies, according to protest organizers Fight for the Future. Those participating are calling on Wheeler and the federal government to protect Internet democracy and reclassify the web as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, which will mandate that ISPs deliver all content at equal speeds.
The FCC is expected to issue a final rule as soon as the end of the year.

Feel free to pass this on, or at least the above link to the original story at Common Dreams.

And so it goes.
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Just a Thought: Nuts

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BP May Be Fined Up to $18 Billion for Spill in Gulf

Hot on the heels of the announced Halliburton settlement comes this, making me think that there is still more covered up.  From the New York Times:

NEW ORLEANS — In the four years since the blowout on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and sent millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, BP has spent more than $28 billion on damage claims and cleanup costs, pleaded guilty to criminal charges and emerged a shrunken giant.
But through it all, the company has maintained that it was not chiefly responsible for the accident, and that its contractors in the operation, Halliburton and Transocean, should shoulder as much, if not more, of the blame.
On Thursday, a federal judge here for the first time bluntly rejected those arguments, finding that BP was indeed the primary culprit and that only it had acted with “conscious disregard of known risks.” He added that BP’s “conduct was reckless.”
By finding that BP was, in legal parlance, grossly negligent in the disaster, and not merely negligent, United States District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier opened the possibility of $18 billion in new civil penalties for BP, nearly quadruple the maximum Clean Water Act penalty for simple negligence and far more than the $3.5 billion the company has set aside.

The rest of the piece is HERE.

And so it goes.
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Halliburton To Pay $1.1 Billion Settlement Over Gulf Oil Spill

Halliburton & BP?  Pay Up?  Watch out for snowballs in Hell.

From the AP:

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Halliburton's agreement to pay more than $1 billion to settle numerous claims involving the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill could be a way for the company and victims of the spill to avoid years of costly litigation — if all the pieces fall into place.
A federal judge still has to approve the settlement. That same judge has rulings pending on the extent to which parties, including Halliburton, were negligent in the deadly explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig. Those rulings could affect plaintiffs' decisions on whether to participate in the settlement, which was announced Tuesday.
Pending action by the Supreme Court over interpretations of an earlier BP settlement with businesses also comes into play.
Joe Rice, of the law firm Motley Rice, which has been working for the plaintiffs, doesn't see those as major barriers to the settlement.
"They're not extremely complicated pieces," said Rice. "Whereas the litigation would be extremely complicated."
The settlement involves commercial or subsistence fishermen or hunters whose catches were affected by the spill, and businesses and property owners, including local government entities, who had property touched by the oil. They would be able to collect punitive damages from Halliburton through a fund to be administered by a court-appointed representative. The agreement also would settle claims for a separate class of businesses and individuals who were deemed to have causes of action against Halliburton under BP's 2012 settlement with businesses affected by the spill.

The rest is HERE.

Look for this to roll around the courts for a while, but don't look for any actual monies to change hands.  I truly doubt that will ever happen.  We're talking Dick Cheney's claws here.

And so it goes.

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Just a Thought: Tan

Truth is just truth. Sad to say.
And so it goes.
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Remember.

Nine Years Ago.

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Throwback Thursday: A Two-fer

Shot in the same hotel room 10 years apart. How strange is that?

1992: Washington, DC October weekend.  March on Washington for Equal Rights and the last display of the entire Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. It just got too big and fragile after so many years. Spent more time at the Quilt than in the march because that's where I was needed.

2002: Washington, DC October weekend. March on Washington against the War in Iraq. Dressed for the ordination of a friend which happened to be the same weekend. I offered the Prayers of the People during the ceremony.

Yep!  Same room, same hotel.  I never noticed it before now. What are the odds?

And so it goes.
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Just a Thought: Talk

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Random Musings

Made it through another 5 days of duel Chemo injections.  This is the third

cycle of 4 for this drug. My body is bright technicolor from the thighs to shoulders (another first) but so far the previous side effects haven’t made an appearance.

The injections are limited to the thighs, upper arms, and stomach and for some reason, the colorful reaction happened almost immediately. There’s red, yellow, pale blue and a strange sort of purple/wine color after a few days, but it’s always just at the puncture site. Very weird to look in the mirror - which I try to avoid whenever possible.

The Evening Primrose oil has become a hit with other patients at the Center. I made copies of the webpage and one patient told me that she paid thrice the price when she bought hers locally; she'll be ordering from Amazon next time.  I'm glad it's helping people. While the oil cuts the stinging, and itching, it has no effect on the discoloration.  OK, I’ll take what I can get at this point.  I’ve 2 more days to go - Monday & Tuesday - and I am done with this cycle.  There are 3 weeks to heal before the next, and final cycle next month. 

On the way home I stopped at the Pyrex store to look for a new mixing bowl. 

My favorite one broke the other night and I am lost without it.  It was very old and the only one remaining from a set purchased about 15 years ago. Traffic was the usual Friday bumper-to-bumper anyway, so it was a no brainer. Also, getting back into the stream of traffic is much easier from where I happened to be going.

As fate would have it, the Pyrex/Corning folks are discontinuing this line of bowls - medium size with a wide rim hand grip - and they were 50% off. Original price was $10.00 Sale price $5.00 Minus 20% coupon - I paid $4.00…Well worth the stop, I’d say.

Another whole set isn’t necessary. I seldom use a smaller, or larger one anymore. There were 3 (my size) bowls left and I was tempted to buy 2, but went for the one. There may be someone out there like me who enjoyed the convenience of this particular design and they’ll find one here before they're gone. 

Made the purchase, popped back into the middle of the traffic madness and was home in less than 20 minutes.  Very good for this time of year.

I was saddened to learn that James Brady has died.  Brady was Saint Ronnie Reagan’s Press Secretary who was shot in the assassination attempt against old

Ronnie back in 1981.  He and wife Sarah had a place here at the beach where they would come to rest and recoup after one or another medical procedure Brady endured just to function.

Brady was always in a wheel chair and loved the fact that Dos Locos was handicap accessible in many ways. They used to come to the restaurant, just the two of them or with a small group.  They loved their cocktails (especially Sarah) and enjoyed Darryl’s famous margaritas, to boot. They were very generous and supportive of the downstate beach communities.  He will be missed, but at least now he is pain-free.

Receiving quite a few compliments on the beard lately. I’m flattered, indeed.  Truth is I grew it because I was tired of looking at my skinny, drawn, pale face. It does make me look a little heavier and healthier, but honestly, I am glad I grew it again.

Anyway, I’m elated to have the entire weekend free. No poking until Monday. The weather is grand - high of 78’F and low humidity. I see a boardwalk stroll on my gay agenda all weekend. 

And so it goes.

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Aw Shucks!

Uncle Joe and Dr. Jill paid our little beach town a visit yesterday and I missed them. They were 2 blocks away at the Convention Center and didn’t even call to say they were in town.  I’m crushed. Crushed, I tells ya.

For you non-Delawarians, Uncle Joe is Vice President Joe Biden and of course, Dr. Jill is his lovely wife. Delawarians themselves, of course, and good people.  Our local elections are only a week away, so that may have had something to do with the visit. Seems they came to town by motorcade, did a fundraiser, or whatever and then suddenly whisked away by Helicopter in the early evening.  

This turn of events surprised everyone involved. There was talk that a cocktail reception was planned, but that never happened. Half hour later, the area was hit by a thunderstorm with rain and lightening of such a destructive nature that cars simply stopped in the streets, unable to see to drive, and the streets were cleared of pedestrians in seconds. 

Something tells me the gubmint has far better forecasters than the rest of us. The limos retreated quietly back to the highway as the first storm cleared. A second storm arrived within an hour of their departure. Interesting, no?

Awesome Steak! 

I decided I wasn’t terribly crushed by the brush-off, I prepared a quick supper (in case there was a power outage) and had a glass, or two, of Merlot. That truly was a melt-in-your-mouth petit filet. Just enough for one! Absolutely heaven. To hell with kissing the chef.  I’ll kiss the butcher - anytime.

The storms continued through the night, making it almost impossible to sleep comfortably. And it’s been raining most of the day. I’m staying in, doing some reading and when I feel the urge, a bit of cleaning. Plan to venture outdoors on the morrow, as they say. The sky is supposed to clear by then.

And so it goes.

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Vlad the Sex Toy?

Yep.  Gives a whole new meaning to Vlad the Impaler, don't you think?

Yes, this is real. Putin the Plug!

h/t MPS

More later.
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Candidate Scares Political Analyst

Christ on a cracker.  From a Cook Political Report on a LA State Rep running in the November election.  Scary stuff.

Louisiana state Rep. LENAR WHITNEY (R), candidate, Louisiana's 6th Congressional District 

PERSONALITY: 12 

GRASP OF ISSUES: 3 

SENSE OF PURE ANIMAL TERROR: 30 

LEFT SHAKEN BY ENCOUNTER: OH GOD, YES 

Our Summary 

Review"Fourth in the GOP field" but first among "climate deniers," Louisiana state Rep. Lenar Whitney succeeds in standing out among the "over 300 congressional candidates over the course of seven years" that this reviewer has sampled. Where the average candidate is "accustomed to tough questions" and typically capable of merely leaving one feeling "impressed" or merely "underwhelmed," Whitney -- a self-described "Palin of the South" who "relishes poking Democrats in the eye" -- stands apart from the candidates met in "hundreds of Cook Political Report meetings" by being not just "fact-averse" but, indeed, "the most frightening candidate I've met in seven years interviewing congressional hopefuls." The best moment was when Whitney "fled the room." Sure to be somebody's "worst nightmare."

Jason Linkins

Also, too, She fancies herself as the Palin of the South.  Hahahaha! Isn't the south fucked up enough already?

And here everyone thought there were crazies only in Texas and Mississippi. We grow 'em big in Louisiana swamps, y'all.

October is going to be a long month.

And so it goes.
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Just a Thought: Watching

Or, worse.