"Green, Red, Black, and Female"

Terrific article.
the-future-must-be-green-red-black-and-female

Standing in the rain

This week's Time magazine, Oct. 21, had a thoughtful and articulate piece by James Poniewozik in his "Tuned In" culture page.  Normally he reviews television, movies or trends and such.  However, the culture of our media "The Fourth Estate", (as I share definition of below) is relevant today for our culture, for our understanding as we ingest media coverage of events, and most importantly, for our understanding of the road that our democracy seems to be taking in this past decade and more.

As it turns out, the Times article (October 21, 2013 "Unfair and Balanced") is not yet posted online, however I did photograph it, shown below.

And then, I found Poniewozik's online version that he posted on October 7th:
Read it here: why-false-equivalence-matters-in-the-shutdown-showdown

As a personal writing note,  I find it interesting to see the editing choices made by Time as they removed perhaps disparaging quotation marked words and unnecessary parenthetical additions.  Fair.

"Reality doesn't always have a bias - liberal, conservative or otherwise.  But when it does, it's not journalism's job to rebalance reality."
His last two lines say it all.  It is my prayer (and my push in posting links on FB) that we can still use a person's thoughts and words, researched, truthful and clear of "false equivalence" to get back our democracy and our personal stake in it.

"The Fourth Estate"
In United States English, the phrase "fourth estate" is contrasted with the "fourth branch of government", a term that originated because no direct equivalents to the estates of the realm exist in the United States. The "fourth estate" is used to emphasize the independence of the press, while the "fourth branch" suggests that the press is not independent of the government.^[12]
Don't confuse the two.  
And to define further:
"the Networked Fourth Estate as the set of practices, organizing models, and technologies that are associated with the free press and provide a public check on the branches of government."^[14] 
"It differs from the traditional press, the traditional fourth estate, in that it has a diverse set of actors instead of a small number of major presses, these actors include small for-profit media organizations, non-profit media organizations, academic centers, and distributed networks of individuals participating in the media process with the larger traditional organizations."^[15]

• 12:  Martin A. Lee and Norman Solomon. Unreliable Sources (New York, NY: Lyle Stuart, 1990) ISBN 0-8184-0521-X

1. 14:  Jump up to:"US vs Bradley Manning, Volume 17 July 10, 2013 Morning Session" (PDF). Freedom of the Press Foundation: Transcripts from Bradley Manning's Trial. July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on |archiveurl= requires |archivedate= (help). Retrieved 11 July 2013.

1. 15:  Jump up to: "US vs Bradley Manning, Volume 17 July 10, 2013 Afternoon Session" (PDF). Freedom of the Press Foundation: Transcripts from Bradley Manning's Trial. July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on |archiveurl= requires |archivedate= (help). Retrieved 11 July 2013.

Recently I watched the 2003, very graphic and emotional film set in Civil War time, 1864 "Cold Mountain" and the words spoken by "Ruby" stuck in my head:

"Every piece of this is man's bullshit.  They call this war a cloud over the land.  But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say 'Shit, it's raining!'"

Jon Stewart interviews Robert Reich

Jon Stewart interviews Robert Reich.
Robert Reich says he is an optimist and says there is hope and things will change.
I believe him.
Jon has a plan to corrupt congress in order to keep uncorrupted congress.
Robert questions "Why can't we expect our public servants to be truly great people?"

Parts 1 and 2 of the interview:
robert-reich-extended-interview-pt--1

robert-reich-extended-interview-pt--2

Celebrating Abbey

Larry, Joseph and I said our goodbyes to Abbey and she passed away Thursday, August 1st.

Over the last month, her 13 years, 9 months (that's a graceful, nearly 98 year old in doggie years) had been showing in subtle yet progressing challenges for our sweet girl.  Tuesday eve was her last begging for dinner scraps and lying down for the night in the entryway (she had stopped climbing the stairs to go up to bed with us about a week before).  By Wednesday morning she had suffered something neurological and became listless, no panting and not herself.  She did walk outside and go poop and pee and then looked lost again in the front yard.  She need to lie down out there and we had to carry her, on a tarp, back inside.  We hoped she would chipper-up by the afternoon, but there was no change, no tail wagging (and a second vomit).  We took her to the vet. 

Whatever was happening in her body had caused her to go into heat stroke, with a high temperature, irregular heartbeat and more loss of function in her back legs.  After ice bath, alcohol bath on paws, intravenous cold fluids, her temp went down a little and she was prepped to stay the night.  We saw her in the morning, and she couldn't stand and her response was still going downhill.  Silent, with dignity, sliding into her own peace.  We had to make a decision.  Holding onto some hope, we waited until the afternoon, and then said our goodbyes, kissing her head and rubbing her ears.  Abbey lifted her head slightly for us, and then would lay it back down, close her eyes for a bit, and open them up to see us there on the floor starring into her eyes.  Still no tail wag.  We whispered our love and our thanks to her over and over.  She was going away and her body was not strong enough to show us her feelings anymore.   If ever there was a time for the phrase, "it was her time to go," this was it.

I write these details to package this final time we had with her, to process the science behind her departure (because that is what I do), and to find peace with her own graceful exit from Earth.  Her spark, her soul, is back to the universe and we remain so very thankful for the time we had with her in our lives.  Now, Abbey lives within our hearts forever.

From an 8 week old pup to a 13 + year old "girl", Abbey has brought immeasurable joy to our lives. She was integral to every day life in our family.  Larry and I got Abbey as a pup in downeast Maine, two years after we were married.  When she was almost six, our son arrived and oh the joy!   New action, two different moves, and new adventures always.

Abbey ever present, ever beautiful, full of grace and gentle of spirit.

This video celebration is long, over 200 photos - so be warned.  There are hundred(s) more in hidden places and videos, I'm sure.  For some reason, even beyond the fact that we didn't have a digital camera when Abbey was a pup, there are not many puppy photos.  As any dog owner knows, this puppy year goes by way too quickly.

Abbey is an odd spelling, we know.  She also went by the names:  Little Blackie, Abigail, Abbeygirl, Abbeydog, Abbeee, Abbs, Abbster, Little girl, Pup pup, Scuppy, Scup, Fluffy, Pupperator, Abbergail, Dog dog, Snark, Stinkbutt, Fluff butt, Fluffnut, Flufferdoo ... and from there, as you can imagine, we continue into whatever loving coo flies out!

Thank you to family and friends who shared their love with Abbey. 

She gave love back to all of us unconditionally, in abundance.

Abbey
October 30, 1999 - August 1, 2013

"Rise Up or Die"

This is the same basis of my understanding and for my frustration in our government.  Particularly when the actual Presidency has very little influence.  There are several key things that Obama is doing and NOT doing that make me aggravated, and give evidence that no matter which political party we vote with, the powerful in our government is way beyond what we can do with simple political votes.  The powerful over our government has bought their way into our government voice in a very deep way.
commondreams.org/video/2013/05/22

As Thom Hartmann asks, "Why are we not calling this Fascism?"  Why?

The article introduced, by Chris Hedges, was first published May 19, 2013 at Truthdig
Rise Up or Die

What can we do?

Read.  Learn.  Write.  Discuss (however painful) with friends, family, strangers.

Think.  Think from your own conscience.

Vote your conscience.

And repeat.

Chris Hedges on TOTN

Humanity in journalism; peaceful, nonpartisan.  Full-out commitment, depth and courage.
Chris Hedges - I hold in highest ranks of journalists.

Find his writing listed here at alternet and regularly here at truthdig and here at truth-out
and his books can be found here (Amazon).

Most recently he was interviewed by Neal Conan on NPR's Talk of the Nation
Poverty, politics and U.S. culture
Link has both the audio and full transcript.

Inspiring.

America on Solar Power - Imagine!

Why?
why-pay-double-solar-america

Solar installation and benefits working well in other countries, so ... red tape, of course:
cut-the-price-of-solar-in-half-by-cutting-red-tape

germany-solar-power-wins

And the reason why U.S. might be so slow in taking this on, is in the following graph:

half-germanys-53000-megawatts-renewable-energy-locally-owned/

Major utilities only get back 6.5% of the share.  Imagine their reaction to American citizens becoming financially free from gas/coal companies!?

And imagine if the U.S. government was the project planner (14%) or even part of the Fund/Bank (11%) and contracted out development and manufacturing (similar in idea to the hundreds/thousands of military contracts so easily given out to multitudes of companies), and thus supporting huge job creation (in non-military goals) and gaining economically from a reasonable percent share to be used in social services (ie, education, medicare, VA modernization, etc.)

IMAGINE!

Let's talk. No, REALLY TALK!

Why we should keep (BEGIN) truly, constantly, talking about climate change:
messages-climate
and:
global-warming-message-polling

The public has been more than ready for it:
study-debunks-al-gore-polarized-the-debate-myths-of-public-opinion-climate-change

From April, 2006, TIME

And from November, 2012:

A certain political party (guess!?) needs a true paradigm shift if it wants to stay relevant in the future:
yale-poll-finds-climate-change-action-is-a-political-winner

Sandra Steingraber - Biologist, writer, mother

"Steingraber demonstrates how closely the intimate world of parenting connects to the public world of policy-making and how the ongoing environmental crisis is, fundamentally, a crisis of family life."

How many mothers/fathers are on my facebook friends list?  No matter if you are a parent or not, you are a citizen of the world.  As so, even if you are not neighboring fracking operations, Steingraber's articles, books, and interviews - a must read, must attend to.

All links found throughout her site.
steingraber.com

Rachel Carson was able to work from within government and had Pres. Kennedy's attention.  Sandra brings the same expertise and passion to talks with scientific and non-scientific audiences across the country and however difficult, to the media and to a very different lobbying/congressional system than 50 years ago.  There is, I have to believe, always hope where there are passionate people.

I wanted to share this with family and friends as it is something close to me that I have been working on for awhile, and has helped refine my writing/literary focus in my goal in this next year.  I eagerly work to add my voice to this struggle to open awareness and action in regaining and protecting clean water and air.


Peace in the New Year

"We have a problem, and we know how we can fix it."

This article was posted on December 12th, two days before the tragedy at the elementary school in Connecticut.
And updated December 15th.  link:  we-must-stop-pretending-guns-are-not-a-problem

PCTC (please cut the crap) may seem like a "progressive" blog, written by Milt Shook, yet he brings out issues that all political parties are dealing with in our country.  He brings out well researched truths and tries his best, however impassioned, to articulate it, and represent truth among all the other crap.

I especially agree with the notion he writes, that "The Constitution is a large document, and each clause works along with every other clause in the document; they don't all work separately."  In particular in the simple arguments thrown up supporting the second amendment and so paralyzing lawmakers for years, unable, no UNWILLING, to make fair and just regulations the way that our government has the rights to do.

M. Shook writes:
"The Constitution is a large document, and each clause works along with every other clause in the document; they don't all work separately. As part of the "militia," you have the right to keep and bear arms. Unfortunately, Article I, Section 8 also gives the government the power to regulate the "militia," and their arms.  Here's the Second Amendment:

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Many of you want to ignore the first part of that Amendment, but it's there. Your right to bear arms is related to your status as part of the "Militia." And that is also related to the relevant portion of Article I, Section 8:

Section. 8

The Congress shall have Power To: (...)

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Note that nothing in the Constitution refers only to guns. Obviously, the government has the power to regulate arms. Even the strongest gun advocates would admit we shouldn't be allowed to keep a rocket launcher or nuclear warhead in our backyards, and if the head of the NRA discovered a chemical weapons plant next to his neighbor's pool, he'd call the police. So, the issue is not now, nor has it ever been whether or not we can regulated guns, but how. Why is there such a problem with regulating guns in a way that keeps them out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them?"

Find the actual language dates and explanations under the US Senate link:  constitution

This makes complete sense to me!  I don't even have to be a constitutional lawyer to understand this writing.

And in a long, but clear comparison, he later address the emotional argument, 
"“Guns don’t kill people; people kill people”: You'll notice I haven't talked about the "cars don’t drive drunk, people do" example yet. I saved the best for last.

You have a right to drive. It's not a privilege, but a right. In order to drive a car legally, you need a license, which requires the holder to be tested for minimal competence behind the wheel. You have to be able to see and read road signs, and you have to show that you are physically capable of operating a motor vehicle safely.  In addition, the license holder must also demonstrate knowledge of the laws and regulations regarding driving. Moreover, if your doctor finds that you can no longer be trusted to drive a vehicle and preserve the safety of everyone else on the road, he is legally required to report you to the state motor vehicles department, and your license can be suspended, pending a hearing. Likewise, if you can’t demonstrate financial responsibility in case of an accident, in the form of either insurance or a bond, you lose your license to drive a vehicle. If you demonstrate irresponsibility on the road, your license can be taken away for that, as well. 

Your car must also be registered with the state, meaning the state knows who owns every single vehicle at any particular time, and each owner is responsible for his or her vehicle. If your car is involved in an accident, the state knows who to go to. And you are not allowed to drive a tank, or a rocket car, or a car that shoots flames from its exhaust on a public street, because that would be dangerous. You have a right, but that right is balanced with the right of everyone else to drive their vehicle safely.

Here’s a novel idea; let’s treat guns and gun owners like cars and their drivers.

All guns should be registered, and all gun owners should have to be licensed and carry insurance, the same as we do with cars. Gun owners should have to attend gun safety courses and demonstrate a minimal competence, and a knowledge of basic gun laws in order to keep and/or carry a firearm. All gun owners should also have to insure every gun, and be required to report it every time their gun is missing or stolen.

It's no secret that some people are not naturally responsible, and must have it enforced upon them, under penalty of law. We do that with everything else; why do firearms get a pass. If the cost of lead was half the price of stainless steel, do you think manufacturers would hesitate to use it in manufacturing spoons and pencils, regardless of the health effects, if they could do so legally? Laws, regulation and enforcement are what keep us safe.  There may be a lot of gun laws on the books, but if you don’t give authorities the tools to enforce those laws, we won’t be safer.

We have to do a better job of enforcing the laws already on the books.  Convicted felons and the mentally ill are not allowed weapons, but we don't screen for that, except when a gun is first sold byby a licensed dealer. Once that gun has been purchased, the owner can sell it to anyone else without so much as a background check, and that person can sell it again, and so on. Try to do that with your car. If you sell your car to someone else, and don’t sign over the pink slip, guess who’s financially responsible if that car plows into something?"

...

 "The problem isn’t the guns; it’s the people. But as is the case with every other aspect of our society, we have to make rules that protect the majority from the crazy minority. The United States has less than 5% of the world's population, but 45% of the world's gun murders occur on our soil. We have a problem, and we know how we can fix it.

It’s just common sense."  

 

Yes, Milt Shook has a liberal bias, yet his arguments are sound.  Look things up for yourself, and be fearless in accepting hard changes that need to be addressed seriously in this country of ours.  Please.

Any questions now?

Four political debates, zero questions on climate change.
11-1-12  Any questions now?

Climate change is not politically controversial.  It is decades accumulation and ongoing of research by thousands of scientists, around the world.  Yes, the science is overwhelming, that's the way accumulated scientific studies and peer reviewed papers are.  There are so many specialists in very defined fields (climatology, oceanic studies, marine biology, geophysics, atmospheric studies, plant biology, entomology, arctic studies, . . . ) in every college and university, and in federal and state governments research and private research, in America and around the world.

You get my point of how expansive the scientific research is in reality.  Heck, it was difficult for me to keep up with in my small field in developmental neural substrate cell biology (the more adjectives in the title, the more specific the study gets), and yet hundreds of scientists are studying just this subject.  Do you get my point?  Scientists are not out there fabricating lies for a bottom line in a financial report!  Every day, they are curious and driven by seeking truths and work tirelessly and often unrecognized outside of their field.

Unrecognized and denied by the leaders of governments and the businesses lobbying to see their bottom line increase for the sake of "free market".  And we get statements such as, "Climate does fluctuate. It goes from hot to cold. We have ice ages." that are no better than a fourth grader can say about climate, from one of the wealthiest man in fossil fuels, david koch, who is force feeding the deniers in governments.  State and local governments that must serve all people, beyond businesses, in our democracy.  There are too many links I could provide for quotes regarding climate change denial.  You know what they sound like.  I dare anyone to go into any university atmospheric science department, or department in any of those fields that I mentioned above, and say to anyone in research that climate change is a hoax!  Go ahead.

We need not be afraid of asking questions and reading studies (a little at a time).  To start, here is a compressed timeline of study, climate/timeline .  And we cannot be afraid of the answers. science-of-global-warming-impacts-guide

We need to demand this investigation from our children's teachers as well.  Do you know how much, and if, they are teaching your children about the earth's communities and atmosphere and species and environmental interdependence?  Are they teaching about air and water pollution and what can be done to keep this pollution out of our environment?  Are they silent?  Why?  Will you stay silent when your children need your guidance.  Will you stop reading when it gets too depressing?  Will you ignore the connections between corporate business leaders and the politicians they want to influence for their own financial wealth?  Need I say it, will you ignore the excesses of the fraction of one percent of our country's population, who are buying their way into the halls of congresses and onto the airwaves and into the media (yes, mainstream, so called "liberal" media)?

I will continue reading current, reputable, highly researched work about changes in our climate and in our environment and how these are being caused.  I will make choices, becoming self aware and an environmentally literate citizen, working to make small changes for good causes, and educating my child.  And because I can, I will choose to support people, whether by work or simply my vote, who I know are working in truth to understand the one world we are given stewardship of (not irresponsible dominion over) by the divine.

Even though I am deeply saddened by friends and family choosing to stay hidden from these life changing realities of the world we live in, I am hopeful and fearless of the awesomely complicated mysteries, our fragile life on earth present.  And when at times, hope fades and fear rises, I simply live in the present, awake, and love and give thanks.

Gender Gap in Pay

"My passion on this issue is actually me making a factual argument on it."  ~ Rachel Maddow

the-problem-of-working-from-different-facts

cnn-rachel-maddow-meet-the-press-fact-check

scott-walker-wisconsin-equal-pay-law

Protest movement

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/11040-the-quebec-student-protest-movement-and-the-power-of-the-radical-imagination

and add in Howard Zinn and Chris Hedges

"Care!"

the-moral-of-maurice-sendak

"Do parents sit down and tell their kids everything? I don't know. I don't know. I've convinced myself — I hope I'm right — that children despair of you if you don't tell them the truth."  ~ Maurice Sendak

"Hug the Monster"

hug-the-monster-for-realistic-hope-in-global-warming-or-how-to-transform-your-fearful-inner-climate/

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/issue/

four-big-oil-companies-are-members-of-alec-task-forces/

t-boone-pickens-the-biggest-deterrent-to-an-energy-plan-in-america-is-koch-industries/

War on science

new_lows_in_the_war_on_science

Add some friction

Get past the knee-jerk reaction of shouting "socialistic crap."  Open up and face into the wind.  Take it all 22+ minutes in.  And then ask yourself, are there lies here?  Am I afraid of the truths?  Why am I afraid?  And what can I do to add some friction?

If you would rather not see visual images, that may rouse prejudice, then read the transcript only.

Let your life be friction


A key point I feel that keeps the machine going was this twist in ethics after the Cold War, and the continued false belief that Capitalism will always right itself:

"Now, instead of simply intervening in situations where despotism or tyranny required America to forcefully implant our just and ethical democracy, America had to become the shield and bulwark of the sacred capitalist system in which “free enterprise” was magically and increasingly identified with democracy and equally to be defended."


Peace

Democracy is for people

Speaking of democracy, Citizens United may top the list of recent history corruption in thinking and actions. 
No thank you US Supreme Court members (5-4 vote).

Bravo and all power to you, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-19) and Senator Bernard Sanders (VT) in this fight for democracy for all Americans:

 SandersDec8,2011

The Saving American Democracy Amendment as it is presented:
SADA

What this amendment means:
Fact sheet

"I Pledge Allegiance . . . "

Nordquist Pledge Monster

Exactly! is my response to this Politico article.  Now if the President of the U.S., U.S. Reps and Senators and State government officials who have NOT signed this would just speak up and shine a light on the fact that these elected officials are not serving the people of this country, nor doing their job as written and sworn in under the US Constitution.  These signers are power addicts, cowardly and soulless, and are of no service to the majority of the population of this country.  And if the American people (use this OWS folks, please) would just see this for the toxic drug that it is.

What are they really pledging allegiance to?  Corporations and their high financed special interest lobbyists?  One powerful and arrogant man?  They certainly are not pledging to do the work of the country for the good of the American people.  And if they don't sign, the money flow stops and their line to power (not service, they've already chosen to give that up) comes to an abrupt end.

This Nordquist pledge and what it has done to the minds and actions of those charged to serve our country, seems so obviously corrupt and immoral (in that money and greed are keeping people's democracy hostage) that I can not understand nor accept anyone's defense of any politician who has signed onto this.

To think, to feel, to love - democracy

Charlie Chaplin

Speech from The Great Dictator