Is a CIA Recruit Training Kit toy really necessary? Really?
I was in a toy store picking up a few things for our son’s birthday tomorrow, and when I saw this, I just had to catch it on camera.
Does anyone think that the CIA is all about playing infrared tag? This is what we’re telling our kids now?
(shaking head)
Enjoy this day, and meditate upon hope and resurrection and refreshment and life and the eternal.
And chocolate (why not?).
[myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=26253154[/myspace]
“White Lily” – Laurie Anderson
What Fassbinder film is it –
The one-armed man
Walks into a flower shop
And says: “What flower expresses
Days go by
And they just keep going by…
Endlessly…
Pulling you
Into the future?
Days go by…
Endlessly…
Endlessly pulling you…
Into the future?”
And the florist says: “White Lily”…. ?
Just when I had loads and loads to blog about, I got knocked down by oak pollen. I just knew those trees were hostile. There is too far too much to tell, so here’s just a very quick summary.
Spiraling outside my will. Surrounded by a wall. Falling down a well.
But then… the thunder quieted a little and – between the soundcracks of the whirlwind – I began to hear multiple voices in my spirit.
… wake up… wake up… wake up, love… look who’s here to see you…
Friends. Light. Comfort….
Take heart…. open your eyes… Arise!
And then the gifts arrived, one after another…
Take a look at the art! I’m writing an essay on the artwork (stay tuned), but meanwhile listen to this interview. Since Joseph’s art was on the cover, they also had a copy of John’s book
Friends turned up! Jerry was embroiled in conversations brilliant. Robert and Sloane (who appeared with a baby! how did they hide that little gem from us?!?!?) dropped in and on such as day as that there is much hugging. Geoff and Curzio got in some good conversations with Joseph and John, and I drank champagne and reveled in my happiness level. We went out for snackies afterwards and I got to meet David’s wife – a very cool woman who is – unfortunately – allergic to Facebook. Wah. I was able to speak at greater length with Marie-Claude, and hear all about their impressions of Atlanta. There were foot rubs! Perfect evening.
Finally, we went back to Manuel’s and ordered a drink at the bar. That was fortuitous, since we then became involved in conversation with two very charming men – one who lived in a part of France that we’ve wanted to visit (John cornered him for details), and another that I clicked with right away – he works at GA Tech and is originally from New York. We were soon trading stock phrases in northern accents and having a grand time. We all exchanged contact information…. Then, I had a sensation on the back of my skull, looked toward the door, and there they were, just walking in!
And yes, the beautiful young woman – Desirina – a talented writer in her own right- had also been waiting. Along with were more creative cool friends Will and Sara – but I hardly even got to talk with them at all! Why? Why? Because the restaurant was too darned noisy, that’s why! The old Cafe Diem was always more subdued – it was easier to talk then.
John and Jeff huddled – it sounded like it was probably a fun conversation, but I only got little bits of it. I’m sorry for that, because I would have liked to talk more with Jeff, but I can’t complain because I had a fabulous time talking with Ann. She brought us issues of the magazine she edits – Weird Tales. Yes, that’s right – THE Weird Tales. Why I don’t already have a subscription to that, I have no idea (that’s been rectified). The magazine is on the ballot for a Hugo this year. Even against the steep competition, I think they’re going to take it. Ann is an amazing woman – I love her, and she is henceforth considered to be my sister, with all associated benefits.
Click! Click-click – CLICK! Thank you, benevolent deities, inc.
This is the second year they’ve done this, and there’s a confluence between me, the rock-climbing place, and the presence of pounding rain. As I approach this building, it’s pelting rain. Once I enter the building, the rain dies down and stops. Silly, you say?
Yes, but oh, it goes further! I accompanied Mark to go fetch the pizza and ice-cream cake. Again, as we approached the building – RAIN! Once inside… no rain. It made me feel a little like Tyrone Slothrop in Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. Sometimes even magical paranoia can be fun. We had a low-key and enjoyable afternoon. I got exactly three photos before my cellphone died. Great expression, Marty!
Oh, Mark: Linen which?
Thank you to my beautiful lovely smart creative wonderful friends of the spirit. You make me remember.
Jolly Roger of Reconstitution 2.0 has bestowed upon me a very lovely award. It’s been a busy, busy week, but I finally have a chance to post it.
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
Jolly Roger is unrelenting in his commitment to speaking the critique that may yet return us to the uniquely American vision of a viable and vibrant free society. He also coins hilarious words. He doesn’t mince those words much, because the issues that he confronts are much too important to soften. His critiques are as thoughtful as they are sharp, so if you can’t argue effectively, you had best vacate the debate. I am honored to be his blogger friend. Big hugz, JR!
As I think about all the people I’ve met through blogging, I have to echo Jolly Roger’s sentiments:
There are some really decent people doing this thing that we do, and quite a few of them reach out to others with kind words, encouragement, and a pat on the back, delivered in HTML. I’d like to recognize some of these folks here, because they certainly deserve the recognition.
I would like to be on record, however, as being in (respectful) disagreement with the characterization of his critically patriotic blog:
Heidi of Virus Head is a long-time friend of this disgusting rag. She’s also very human in her writings, no matter what they are about.
I am indeed pleased to be considered fully human (grin).
So – here are some of the friendly blogs and bloggers upon which I rely.
Kimmy blogs at Kimmy Sharing Light. The title is apt – she shares the light, even to the droopy-eyed. She’s also become a very fun Facebook friend – always sending little tidbits and extending her beauty through a thousand little kindnesses.
Vance blogs at Meditations on an Eyeball and at the related Deferral of Meaning. He posts far too infrequently, but there is always a central question or concern that is worth mulling over. Vance is one of the only people I know with whom I am inclined to discuss biblical interpretation. Because his studies are question-driven and a bit existential and postmodern, we speak something close to the same language. Our visions of God might be a bit different, but our paths often intersect in ways that enrich both.
Darrell blogs at Blog of the Grateful Bear, and I’m grateful for him. He inspires me with hope. He is very service-oriented – truly caring and compassionate. We’re both mystics of a sort, and so we share a love of cats and coffee (as all good mystics ought).
Amanda blogs at Welcome to the Trueness. She is a tireless worker for issues having to do with our animal friends on planet earth. She also a creative, lively, curious and compassionate woman. I’m glad to count her as a friend.
She has also started up a business – Lemon Queen Web Design – to support her website design habit. Check it out.
Kate blogs at ITISI. We met through a series of coincidences. We just kept meeting up, and after a while resistance to synchronicity is futile isn’t it? She is witty and fun and she has a wonderful aesthetic sense – with images, with words, with ideas. I love her blog, and I love her too.
So, the shining woman and mom known as Judith writes at The Only Thing I Know. She makes me laugh and celebrate. We share a deep love for the nuances and resonances of language. I wish she lived in Atlanta.
Todd blogs at – and about – Postcards from Hell’s Kitchen. He’s one of the first bloggers that turned up when I started blogging, and we’ve been faithfully following each other’s blogs ever since. I get a vicarious pleasure from his explorations of restaurants and cultural events, and have come to value him very highly as a friend. I also think that he must be an excellent teacher.
Mark blogs at Left Behind and Loving It. Although we went to graduate school together in Iowa, we didn’t really get to know one another very well at the time. I’ve been enjoying the way Mark thinks since we rediscovered each other recently on Facebook. He’s churchy, but in a good way. It’s a two-for-one friendship too, because his wife Christine is totally cool, too. I still remember their wedding (sniff, sob).
I could go on and on, really. I can think of ten more right off. But because there really are so many terrific blogging friends, and so many friends who have yet to start blogging, I’ll leave this space open. Ask yourself: Are you a good friend and blogger? Are you kind and encouraging to others? Do you offer laughter or wit or authentic questions? If so, claim it!
Sarah Palin enthusiastically defends the cruel practice of shooting wolves from the air.
Palin has proposed legislation – and even cash incentives – to encourage this practice. She offered aerial hunters a state payment of $150 for every wolf killed before it was defeated by the state superior court as an illegal use of bounty payments. Back in 2007, she had already approved spending $400,000 of state money to counter a citizens’ initiative at halting the killing of animals from the air. I’m guessing much larger expenditures of taxpayer funds have accrued since then.
Defenders of Wildlife has some pieces on this issue that you might have seen already, one including actress Ashley Judd.
Many hunters oppose the aerial kills as cruel and unfair. Interestingly, the stomach-churning film that is circulating on YouTube (it was produced by Defenders of Wildlife), in fact depicts government hunters shooting wolves with tranquilizer darts, in order to study them. “The reality is much more gruesome,†says Toppenberg. “They get hit with buckshot, it goes right through and their blood splatters all over the snow.†The hunts often take out alpha males, leaving younger animals that don’t know where to make dens or find ungulates at certain times of the year. “Then you have them going into rural villages and eating dogs,†Toppenberg said. “You’re creating wolf problems rather than solving them.â€
There are responsible, ethical, and scientific practices of wildlife management. Sadly, Palin and others have no interest in this. There’s not even an acknowledgment that federal law bans airborne hunting. They don’t even realize that much of a wolves diet depends on scavenging, not hunting. Their methods are not only barbaric, but they are also ineffective – even for the tourism they wish to promote.
Any argument about providing food for Alaskans is ridiculously deceitful. If it’s about putting food on the table, then how are these questions from Eye on Palin to be answered?
- Why are sport hunter groups the biggest advocates of aerial hunting as opposed to advocates for the poor or hungry?
- Why does the Palin administration allow out of state hunters to hunt and directly compete with rural hunters for supposed limited resources in most of the areas where aerial hunting is done?
- Why does Palin oppose what is called “rural preference†which would give true rural subsistence hunters priority access over sport hunters to the areas where aerial hunting is conducted?
- Why did she file an appeal in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to block the Cheesh-na Tribal Council from expanding their subsistence hunting in key areas?
This has much more to do with Palin’s political ties, and with their interest in entertainment, than with even the questionable wildlife management theory that has been proposed.
By allowing sport hunters to hunt predators from the air, the state wildlife agency aims to boost the numbers of other game animals such as moose and caribou so that these animals may in turn be killed by sport hunters. Alaskans have twice stopped this circumvention and banned the cruel and unfair practice of shooting wolves from aircraft and twice the legislature has ignored the will of its citizens and overturned the law. Animal advocates, environmentalists and hunters agree. Shooting animals from the air or chasing them to the point of exhaustion and then shooting them violates all standards of fair chase hunting. It is like shooting fish in a barrel.
Last year, 172 scientists signed a letter to Palin, expressing concern about the lack of science behind the state’s wolf-killing operation. According to the scientists, state officials set population objectives for moose and caribou based on “unattainable, unsustainable historically high populations.” As a result, the “inadequately designed predator control programs” threatened the long-term health of both the ungulate and wolf populations. The scientists concluded with a plea to Palin to consider the conservation of wolves and bears “on an equal basis with the goal of producing more ungulates for hunters.”
Palin’s response was to introduce legislation that would further divorce the predator-control program from science by transferring over the program from the state Department of Fish and Game to Alaska’s Board of Game, “whose members are appointed by, well, Palin.”
It was partly because of the issue of the aerial hunting of wolves that the Humane Society Legislative Fund endorsed a president for the first time in their history: Barack Obama.
My dear amazing friend Amanda is livid about all of this. Take a look:
Take action!
Tell Congress to support the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act, legislation to close a federal loophole and curb Alaska’s brutal aerial hunting program — and prevent programs like it from spreading to places like the Greater Yellowstone region.
While you’re there, find out how your Senators and Representative have voted on conservation issues this year.
And, as always, you can – you can – write to your newspaper, make a video, tell your friends, and contact your congressional representatives.
I’ve been noticing an upsurge lately in the frequency of some Republicans referring to the Democratic Party as the “Democrat Party.”
It’s not the Democrat Party. It’s the Democratic Party.
A member of the Democratic Party is a Democrat.
I don’t know what the right-wing imagines might be gained by referring to the Democratic Party as the Democrat Party. The far right seems to think that this terminology works as a pejorative. It doesn’t. It just makes you sound a little bit stupid, and not in a way that makes anyone want to hang out with you.
It’s just silly.
I’m grateful that no-one on the other side seems to have fallen for any mirroring. The “Republic Party” is even more absurd than the “Democrat Party.”
I’ve heard this a lot lately, even on relatively reputable news programs.
What baffles me is why no-one ever seems to correct the person who says it. They just let it slide, and I suppose it’s meant to affect us in some subliminal fashion.
Word to intelligent Republicans, talking-point authors, and assorted blowhards: It doesn’t work.
Inside of insidiously slithering into our minds, it only just makes the speaker seem even more annoying.
Time to retire it.
This has been a public service announcement.