Over at Crooks and Liars...

They got the latest Bill Moyers Vid :

"According to one poll after another, a majority of Americans not only want a public option in health care, they also think that growing inequality is bad for the country, that corporations have too much power over policy, that money in politics is the root of all evil, and that working families and poor communities need and deserve public support when the market fails to generate shared prosperity. But when the insiders in Washington finish tearing worthy intentions apart and devouring flesh from bone, none of these reforms happen. Oh, they say, "it's all about compromise, all in the nature of the give-and-take of representative democracy." That, people, is bull — the basic nutrient of Washington's high and mighty.

It's not about compromise. It's not about what the public wants. It's about money, the golden ticket to "the select few who actually get it done." And nothing will change. Nothing. Until the money-lenders are tossed out of the temple, and we tear down the sign they've placed on government — the one that reads: "For sale."

I've been saying it for years: we won't get our government back, We won't get our country back, until we get the money out of politics. They now have a bill in congress allowing even MORE money from the lobbys! Never mind a slow step forward, we're going two steps back as we speak.

The crux of it is mandatory public financing of elections across the board.

Until we have that, we are nothing but slaves to big money.

Pic of the Day

A little perspective

18,000 people die every year in the US because they have no health insurance.

Think about that for a moment: that's SIX 9/11's every year, year after year after year.

Because of 9/11, we have thrown a TRILLION dollars down the toilet that is the Middle East Wars(GWOT).

Flush rinse repeat with Pakistan.

I don't see us spending three trillion on health care... the naysayers in congress say even 1.5 trillion is too expensive, and are cutting the subsidies that would have helped to cover those with no insurance to the bone.

Since the Iraq war started, 108,000 US citizens have died because they have no access to medical care.

Does anyone in DC even care?

Conversation overheard in local grocery store -

The mother looks like one of those tennis moms, kid is boy, mid grade school, in striped shirt and shorts:

Kid: Hey Mom, they have purple cabbage!

Mom: What's purple cabbage?

Kid: It's the good kind! (singsong)Green Cabbage bad, Purple cabbage good. Can we get some Mom?

[you would think any normal parent would jump at the chance to encourage their child to eat veggies of any kind, not to mention having the kid beg for it...]

Mom: Well, how do you COOK it?

Kid: You don't cook it, you put it in salad. Can we get some? It's really yum.

Mom browses off.... totally ignoring the said cabbage.

Hell, I raised my kids vegetarian for the first half of their childhood, and I was still trying to get them to eat more veggies!

Some adults are just too farking stupid to make good parents.

*grouches off to snarl at dog on lawn*

Friday Cat blogging

Yowser, purr engine

Bonus Pics from a lazy 3-day weekend

I write more letters... with hopefullness receding

Dear Mr President,

MEDICARE FOR ALL, NOTHING LESS!

Without offering us Medicare for all, I won't favor any draconian mandatory health insurance. It would only be a giveaway for the big insurance companies, and it would beggar most people who want insurance and cannot afford it now.

Do you actually think we all WANT to be without access to medical insurance?, that we wouldn't buy it if we could afford it, and qualify for it?

With the way the Insurance industry has been abusing the American public, you are ready to hand over to them the lower middle class, mandate that we either:

1. buy insurance that we cannot afford that may or may not pay for any medical care or

2. pay a fine and still not have any insurance

It is high time for Democrats to stop settling for badly flawed second bests and to throw their energy into a first best that could rally popular support and produce a system that serves everyone.

WE NEED SOME LEADERSHIP HERE

Or, will the Obama Administration be known for breaking ALL of it's promises, starting with transparency, moving on through all that you have promised to the marginalized, and ending up by completely breaking your vow - done three times that I know of - to uphold the Constitution (which prohibits torture, and spying on Americans - both of which you seem to be OKIE DOKIE with)

Time to start doing what's right -
STOP THE WARS - they are unjust, they damage our image worldwide, make our nation less secure, and won't give us what we want and need

MEDICARE FOR ALL - medical care is a right, not a perk of the rich

STOP THE SPYING ON AMERICANS - honor the Bill of Rights

STOP THE TORTURE - BRING THE TORTURERS TO JUSTICE - American Justice demands there be NO difference in the eyes of the law between citizens - no matter how well connected and rich they are

As long as America honors it's principles and lives up to it's own laws, we are and inspiration and do well globally. When we go around acting in opposition to our laws and principles, we are reviled as hypocrites and traitors to the human race.

Ahmadinejad looking for Neda's real killer.

Takes cue from OJ's successful defense.

Today's Pic

Chipmunk making himself at home near our watergarden.

Picture Tuesday

Our shade garden is working overtime this rainy year

Pumping out the blossoms all over

Silver Lamium nestled into the native ferns

The Bleeding hearts are sending up hundreds of little baby plants

Yellow primrose nodding in the drizzle

...and my new favorite flower: sleeping kitty

Friday Cat Blogging

Our sweet kitty. She's 8 years old, and has only a few teeth, but I think she was a pampered kitty because she's very lovey-dovey. She cuddles up with us every night while we watch Rachel Maddow, and purrs like a real motorhead.

I saw several absolutely gorgeous adolescent kitties, as well as scads of adorable kittens, at the rescue house. I wanted to take them all home... but I kept reviewing the list I gave to the rescue people: an older lap cat who is not especially active who loves people and wants to be petted... and we took Yeowser home. The cat rescue lady said she was so glad this kitty got a good family, she was worried no one would choose her since she's older.

So, she's middle aged... it's a great fit, 'cause so are we!

first day home, Hubby says: This is your cat, and you have to take care of it, 'cause I don't particularly like cats...

second day Hubby says: This is OUR cat, and she likes us both...

third day Hubby says: What would you do if I said this is MY cat?

I say: I'd just go right back to the cat rescue house and pick another one for me!

Hubby says: Yep, this is OUR cat!

Yeowser

I have for so long wanted a kitty. Hubby wants a dog, dogs take up alot of time*, and thinking that retirement was near and that pets brought home at the same time will get along better, I agreed with Hubby to wait until we both could retire before committing to a pet. Now that the economy is melting down, retirement is looking like a far off option. Our retirement accounts have taken big hits. I figure I got 10 more years of punching the clock now.

So, I've been questioning the idea that I should wait for a cat, I mean, the sum total of training a cat is pretty much dropping them in the cat box and showing them their food and water, am I right?

We got in touch with a cat rescuer in our area, and went to see their kitties last night. We asked for a lap cat, one who was old enough that their personality is set, and who is lazy and likes people.

Meet our new kitty:


She's a total people kitty, and purrs like a muscle car engine at idle - loud and constant - give her any attention, and she purrs. She's very vocal, and when she's not purring, she meows loudly. I've been talking to her since we brought her home... I've been calling her Yeowser - like mouser, only with a Yeow!


The cat rescue people say that with the bad economy, many people are giving up their furry friends, unable to afford to keep them. I was torn at having to only pick one, there were two more there that I would have taken away with me at the drop of a hat, but I have to be realistic...

So, Yeowser, welcome home!

*(dogs: at least 2 hours a day just to walk them, not to mention training the pooch)

I write my Senator

Dear Senator Lieberman,

I'm writing today to tell you how I feel about the Photos that you are trying to supress, and the idea of government secrecy in general.

Senator, the quickest way to loose the Republic that the founding fathers bequeathed to us is to encourage and install government secrecy.

The quickest way to turn ourselves INTO a good facsimile of what we're spending trillions fighting is to hide whatever we're doing wrong from the American people in the name of protecting the troops. If what we're doing would be dangerous to our troops, if it would precipitate an outcry to Justice at home, if it's patently against our laws, our treaties, and our founding principles - simply stop it, and bring the wrongdoers to meet the blindfolded lady with the scales.

What kind of person would argue that those who ordered torture should be immune from investigation and prosecution?

More important, if those photos are worse than we've already heard(and I cannot sleep at night for thinking about what we might have done that's THAT much worse than what I've already seen...); then it's a direct affront to everything I've been brought up to revere about America. It's a direct affront to every law and Intn'l treaty we have pushed as a civilized nation - hell, it PROVES that we are NOT a civilized nation.

-And YOU're signing on to sweep it all under the rug?

I want you to know that every time I see that you have attached the Graham-Lieberman Amendment to any bill in congress I will be talking to anyone who will listen about how disgusting and terrible the photos must be, and speculating about the depraved and disgusting things they must portray in order that YOU would want them hidden. I will be sure to mention that YOU are trying to cover up this mess all the while holding our troops as a shield in front of YOU and BUSH and CHENEY and OBAMA.

The shite will hit the fan EVERY TIME

Thank You

New Orangutan & Mom

OMG ZooBabyz!

*Click the title of this post for more baby orangutan pics
* WITH A TIP OF THE OL' HAT TO SKM

More letters... Too bad they are needed

Dear Mr President,

Are we a country that upholds the law or not?

It's time to appoint a special prosecutor if AG Holder doesn't have enough time to deal with the previous administration's lawlessness and debauchery. (I'm talking torture as well as the Interior dept's partays.)

Uphold the Constitution, Uphold the Law, Uphold our iternational obligations re: our treaties.

It's your Job, it's what you were elected to do, so do it fearlessly, do it boldly, but do it NOW .

Sincerely SB Gypsy

No Torture Involved

I see on the news this morning that the FBI foiled a perhaps serious terrorist threat. (if they're buying their bombs from an FBI informant, can they really be such a serious threat?)

Not only did they not have to resort to torture to find these people and bring them to justice, they will be holding them in American jails, and prosecuting them in American courts.

It's simple, really. 

Justice: with it anything is possible, without it nothing can be right and true.

It's the bedrock upon which our rights and freedoms are built.

It's long past time to bring the wrongdoers to meet the blind lady.

I write another letter

Dear Mr President, 

~~~~~~~~~~quote~~~~~

President Barack Obama's "administration is weighing plans to detain some terror suspects on US soil -- indefinitely and without trial -- as part of a plan to retool military commission trials that were conducted for prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay," The Wall Street Journal said 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope to heck this is a misprint. It is more than scary that this administration, which ran on "CHANGE" is ready to double down on the Bush/Cheney excesses. Justice is to be applied to everyone, without exception. Anything else is unacceptable. If the Bush administration instituted policies that left multiple prisoners unable to be prosecuted because of the misconduct of their accusers and interrogators, then that fact must be trumpeted as the number one most pragmatic reason that torture is ILLEGAL PERIOD.

To even contemplate holding anyone prisoner for the rest of their lives without trial is directly against everything that the United States of America stands for. It will put the cap upon the degradation of American Ideals.  

For the love of everything we believe in and hold dear, CEASE AND DESIST WITH THE HIGH LEVEL GOVERNMENT LAWBREAKING.  

Thank You 

SB Gypsy