do I hear an alleluia?
PJ has left a new comment on your post
FRIEND IN A DARK PLACE:
GOOD NEWS!
Ms. Doxy has updated her Facebook page from afar, and has authorized me to let you know that all is well. She says:
Digital mammogram, with results read on-site. All is clear. Thanks be to God! (and to all you wonderful people...)
Thanks be to God, indeed.
Posted by MadPriest.
Alleluia!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What About Dover?
From John Soltz at The Huffington Post:
Christina Bellantoni, writing in the Washington Times today, details President Obama's first experiences writing letters of condolence to families of the fallen. According to the story, the president is taking the time to write each letter himself, signing it simply "Barack." As the president writes these letters, and feels the weight of Americans dying in war under his administration, he should also consider how the human cost of war has partially been hidden from the public, and reverse that policy.
Yes. So long as the policy change is sensitive to and respectful of the privacy of the families of the fallen, change must come. US citizens, along with the families of those who have died, need to know the true costs of war. Several years ago, a video (illegal?) which showed the dignified and respectful treatment by the military of the remains of those who died in the wars made the rounds. It's something we should all see.
In the end, those of us who served swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Part of that Constitution is freedom of the press, to promote the ability of the public to have as much information as possible -- even when that information is not comfortable for those decision-makers in power.
The return of our war dead certainly falls into that category. The policy should be changed.
A veteran speaks.
Picture from The Memory Hole.
UPDATE: I added the picture.
Career Change
A gynecologist had become fed up with malpractice insurance and HMOs and a medical center who did not pay him what he was worth. Hoping to try another career where skillful hands would be beneficial and he could write his own ticket, he decided to become a mechanic.
He went to the local technical college, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could.
When the time for the practical exam approached, the doc prepared carefully for weeks and completed the exam with tremendous skill.
When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%.
Fearing an error, he called the instructor, saying, "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the grade."
The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. "You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark."
After a pause, the instructor added, "I gave you an extra 50% because you did it all through the muffler, which I've never seen done in my entire career."
Don't blame me. Blame Doug.
He went to the local technical college, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could.
When the time for the practical exam approached, the doc prepared carefully for weeks and completed the exam with tremendous skill.
When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%.
Fearing an error, he called the instructor, saying, "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the grade."
The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. "You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark."
After a pause, the instructor added, "I gave you an extra 50% because you did it all through the muffler, which I've never seen done in my entire career."
Don't blame me. Blame Doug.
Monday, February 16, 2009
David Brooks' Beltway Wisdom
From Glenn Greenwald at Salon:
The New York Times' David Brooks and Gail Collins had an online "conversation" with one another this week, and Brooks did an excellent job of explicitly demonstrating most everything that is relevant -- and destructive -- about the mentality of the standard Beltway journalist (h/t reader jm). In fact, much of what Brooks wrote about what he believes tracks almost completely the discussion I had with Jay Rosen on Bill Moyers' show last week regarding the rot of the American political press. First, there's this from Brooks:
To David Brooks, lobbyists are nothing more than "experts" who provide important and helpful insight to legislators as they earnestly try to craft laws in the public interest. Not only are lobbyists a positive influence, but they're actually indispensable. The fact that these so-called "experts" are paid by the wealthiest corporate factions to ensure that the laws Congress passes are designed to serve their narrow, insular interests -- and that this is accomplished by pouring money into the coffers of the very people who write the laws so that they're writing the laws that serve these interests -- never makes it into Brooks' understanding of this process. Thus, he is baffled that anyone would find lobbyist-domination of our political process to be at all objectionable.
David Brooks is no favorite of mine. He's never been. Often, his columns seem incoherent to me, and trying to make sense of them turns my brain into mush. I stopped reading him a long time ago. But he's clear enough in his idiotic description of corporate lobbyists as "experts". Experts in what? In getting legislation passed that will benefit their clients who pay them money. That's where their expertise lies. They may very well know a good deal about the subject of the legislation, but their loyalty is to the clients who pay them.
When former lobbyists serve in the administration of an elected official, how easy is it to completely break away from loyalty to former clients and serve the best interests of the the citizens of the country? I'd wager that it's not easy.
Obama works against the culture of the Beltway. The culture embraces the elected officials, the corporate lobbyists, and the top tier DC press and pundits in a cozy circle. They attend the same dinner and cocktail parties and exchange insider gossip. I doubt that group of press people could function outside the circle, because they've long forgotten how to, you know, gather news. They're well paid, most certainly not of the hungry-reporter species.
My main objection to Tom Daschle was not the tax problem. That can happen to anyone, right? Except if one the little people make a "mistake" of a couple of hundred dollars, the IRS could be on them rather quickly. It's his being part of the corporate lobby culture of cars with drivers, salaries in the millions, etc. that caused me to want him gone. That he actually lobbied for the health care industry seemed significant to me. We must believe him capable of quickly shedding the lobbyist skin and donning the skin of a fierce advocate of ordinary people, who so badly need a fix for health care in the US.
Are we to believe that lobbyists are the only folks with expertise?
Greenwald appeared with Jay Rosen on Bill Moyers Journal. He quotes Rosen:
JAY ROSEN: Well, what doesn't get considered, Bill, is that there could be anything radically wrong with Washington. That the entire institution could be broken. That there are new rules necessary. That idea, that the institutions of Washington have failed and need to be changed, doesn't really occur to the press, because as Glenn said, they're one of those institutions. And they're one of the ones that failed.
Yes.
Read the conversation between David Brooks and Gail Collins at the link. There Brooks exposes the weakness of his brain function from which come the incoherent columns. Obama ruined his honeymoon, folks. Shall we all send him sympathy cards?
I'm grinding my teeth as I write. I'd best end the post while my teeth are intact.
UPDATE: Post edited to clarify that I referred to corporate lobbyists in the post. Thanks to Bruce C, who works for the American Library Association, for reminding me in the comments that not all lobbying is a bad thing.
The New York Times' David Brooks and Gail Collins had an online "conversation" with one another this week, and Brooks did an excellent job of explicitly demonstrating most everything that is relevant -- and destructive -- about the mentality of the standard Beltway journalist (h/t reader jm). In fact, much of what Brooks wrote about what he believes tracks almost completely the discussion I had with Jay Rosen on Bill Moyers' show last week regarding the rot of the American political press. First, there's this from Brooks:
What I’m really annoyed by, though, is the withdrawal of Tom Daschle. What are we, a nation of virgins? . . .
Of course, Obama asked for all this with his cynical promise to ban lobbyists from his administration. There’s a word for lobbyists: experts. Some are sleazy and many are quite admirable, but the idea of trying to run Washington without them is absurd.
To David Brooks, lobbyists are nothing more than "experts" who provide important and helpful insight to legislators as they earnestly try to craft laws in the public interest. Not only are lobbyists a positive influence, but they're actually indispensable. The fact that these so-called "experts" are paid by the wealthiest corporate factions to ensure that the laws Congress passes are designed to serve their narrow, insular interests -- and that this is accomplished by pouring money into the coffers of the very people who write the laws so that they're writing the laws that serve these interests -- never makes it into Brooks' understanding of this process. Thus, he is baffled that anyone would find lobbyist-domination of our political process to be at all objectionable.
David Brooks is no favorite of mine. He's never been. Often, his columns seem incoherent to me, and trying to make sense of them turns my brain into mush. I stopped reading him a long time ago. But he's clear enough in his idiotic description of corporate lobbyists as "experts". Experts in what? In getting legislation passed that will benefit their clients who pay them money. That's where their expertise lies. They may very well know a good deal about the subject of the legislation, but their loyalty is to the clients who pay them.
When former lobbyists serve in the administration of an elected official, how easy is it to completely break away from loyalty to former clients and serve the best interests of the the citizens of the country? I'd wager that it's not easy.
Obama works against the culture of the Beltway. The culture embraces the elected officials, the corporate lobbyists, and the top tier DC press and pundits in a cozy circle. They attend the same dinner and cocktail parties and exchange insider gossip. I doubt that group of press people could function outside the circle, because they've long forgotten how to, you know, gather news. They're well paid, most certainly not of the hungry-reporter species.
My main objection to Tom Daschle was not the tax problem. That can happen to anyone, right? Except if one the little people make a "mistake" of a couple of hundred dollars, the IRS could be on them rather quickly. It's his being part of the corporate lobby culture of cars with drivers, salaries in the millions, etc. that caused me to want him gone. That he actually lobbied for the health care industry seemed significant to me. We must believe him capable of quickly shedding the lobbyist skin and donning the skin of a fierce advocate of ordinary people, who so badly need a fix for health care in the US.
Are we to believe that lobbyists are the only folks with expertise?
Greenwald appeared with Jay Rosen on Bill Moyers Journal. He quotes Rosen:
JAY ROSEN: Well, what doesn't get considered, Bill, is that there could be anything radically wrong with Washington. That the entire institution could be broken. That there are new rules necessary. That idea, that the institutions of Washington have failed and need to be changed, doesn't really occur to the press, because as Glenn said, they're one of those institutions. And they're one of the ones that failed.
Yes.
Read the conversation between David Brooks and Gail Collins at the link. There Brooks exposes the weakness of his brain function from which come the incoherent columns. Obama ruined his honeymoon, folks. Shall we all send him sympathy cards?
I'm grinding my teeth as I write. I'd best end the post while my teeth are intact.
UPDATE: Post edited to clarify that I referred to corporate lobbyists in the post. Thanks to Bruce C, who works for the American Library Association, for reminding me in the comments that not all lobbying is a bad thing.
A Message From Roseann
Dear Mimi,
It is hard enough to feel so poorly and not knowing why makes it just that much worse. Yet I woke up this morning feeling grace and peace. I sincerely do not think I could survive this trial without the prayers of my family and friends. I was feeling very whiney and abused and shook my fist at God asking what did I do to deserve this. A few hours later I started getting emails and messages from all over the world sending me healing, love and peace. Again I have to ask what did I do to deserve this. The good news for me is I don't get what I deserve. I always get mercy when I deserve judgement, hope when I deserve fear, love when I deserve indifference.
Please pass on the message for me that I am so grateful. I will have more tests done on Monday and then we play the waiting game a little longer to get a diagnosis. Whatever happens I will keep plugging away. Thank you and thank my OCICBW friends for the prayers and kind thoughts.
love, Roseann
Her words made me cry. What a brave woman our dear Roseann is. You see that the prayers and the messages help. Roseann doesn't give up, so we must not. Please continue to pray and support her with emails. She doesn't have access to blogs through the hospital server, so emails are her lifeline.
I'm sorry to say that this message came in yesterday and went into my trash mail, because it was a new address. I just found it tonight. Better late than never.
Roseann's email address: revamundo(at)gmail(dot)com
It is hard enough to feel so poorly and not knowing why makes it just that much worse. Yet I woke up this morning feeling grace and peace. I sincerely do not think I could survive this trial without the prayers of my family and friends. I was feeling very whiney and abused and shook my fist at God asking what did I do to deserve this. A few hours later I started getting emails and messages from all over the world sending me healing, love and peace. Again I have to ask what did I do to deserve this. The good news for me is I don't get what I deserve. I always get mercy when I deserve judgement, hope when I deserve fear, love when I deserve indifference.
Please pass on the message for me that I am so grateful. I will have more tests done on Monday and then we play the waiting game a little longer to get a diagnosis. Whatever happens I will keep plugging away. Thank you and thank my OCICBW friends for the prayers and kind thoughts.
love, Roseann
Her words made me cry. What a brave woman our dear Roseann is. You see that the prayers and the messages help. Roseann doesn't give up, so we must not. Please continue to pray and support her with emails. She doesn't have access to blogs through the hospital server, so emails are her lifeline.
I'm sorry to say that this message came in yesterday and went into my trash mail, because it was a new address. I just found it tonight. Better late than never.
Roseann's email address: revamundo(at)gmail(dot)com
Still No Good News On Roseann
Hi Mimi,
I just spoke with Roseann, and she is very down saying everyone wants a piece of her. She had an upper GI series, x-rays, and dialysis today and is exhausted. Because of the nausea and pain, she is munching on ice chips and nothing else. So she has not only not slept, but not eaten in 5 days.
I'm hoping the tumor biopsy report will be available tomorrow so they can proceed onto the next step, Whatever that is.
Keep prayin' y'all!
Sue
Oh my! I have no words, but pray, pray, pray!
I just spoke with Roseann, and she is very down saying everyone wants a piece of her. She had an upper GI series, x-rays, and dialysis today and is exhausted. Because of the nausea and pain, she is munching on ice chips and nothing else. So she has not only not slept, but not eaten in 5 days.
I'm hoping the tumor biopsy report will be available tomorrow so they can proceed onto the next step, Whatever that is.
Keep prayin' y'all!
Sue
Oh my! I have no words, but pray, pray, pray!
Doing what Don Wildman Tells Me
The following is an example of the emails that I get as a result of filling out the survey by the American Family Association. I requested that my email address be removed from their list, but I continue to receive messages from them. I meant to block them, but I forgot. I will now. The survey was for the purposes of obtaining email addresses. I won't make the mistake of filling out a survey at a fundie site again.
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends.
Now available! My new book 'Speechless...Silencing The Christians'
February 16, 2009
Dear June,
You’ve seen the TV show and have perhaps purchased DVDs of Speechless: Silencing the Christians, a documentary series co-produced by the Inspiration Networks and the American Family Association. Now you can get my book which has just been released to you, my friends, and to Christian bookstores and secular markets as well.
My purpose in writing the book is to make people aware that Christians are being silenced all across America: in the political debate, the public square, the schools, the workplace, and even in the sanctuary of their own churches. You’ll find accounts by Christians all over the United States that were never (and probably never will be) covered by main stream media.
I have a two-fold purpose in this message as well. First, I’d like for AFA supporters to be able to receive my book for a donation of $24.95. Secondly, I’d like for you to help AFA get the word out about this book. I am including a printable flyer for you to take, not only to your local Christian book store, but to secular book stores as well and asked them to please stock this book. It is my hope and prayer that the information in my book will inspire more and more people to join the fight to keep Christian voices strong in our darkening culture.
Click here to get the book for a suggested donation of $24.95.
Click here to download and print the flyer to distribute to bookstores.
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon,
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
No link. I'm not that stupid.
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends.
Now available! My new book 'Speechless...Silencing The Christians'
February 16, 2009
Dear June,
You’ve seen the TV show and have perhaps purchased DVDs of Speechless: Silencing the Christians, a documentary series co-produced by the Inspiration Networks and the American Family Association. Now you can get my book which has just been released to you, my friends, and to Christian bookstores and secular markets as well.
My purpose in writing the book is to make people aware that Christians are being silenced all across America: in the political debate, the public square, the schools, the workplace, and even in the sanctuary of their own churches. You’ll find accounts by Christians all over the United States that were never (and probably never will be) covered by main stream media.
I have a two-fold purpose in this message as well. First, I’d like for AFA supporters to be able to receive my book for a donation of $24.95. Secondly, I’d like for you to help AFA get the word out about this book. I am including a printable flyer for you to take, not only to your local Christian book store, but to secular book stores as well and asked them to please stock this book. It is my hope and prayer that the information in my book will inspire more and more people to join the fight to keep Christian voices strong in our darkening culture.
Click here to get the book for a suggested donation of $24.95.
Click here to download and print the flyer to distribute to bookstores.
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon,
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
No link. I'm not that stupid.
Wagner Declines Papal Promotion
From the Herald Tribune:
A conservative pastor who suggested God punished New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina says he's relieved after passing up a papal promotion that had sparked an outcry from Austrian Catholics.
Pope Benedict XVI promoted Gerhard Maria Wagner to the post of auxiliary bishop in Linz on Jan. 31, causing an uproar from church groups and priests. Late Sunday, Wagner unexpectedly announced his decision to turn down the opportunity.
That's good news. One wonders if Fr. Wagner got a bit of a nudge before announcing his unexpected decision which resulted in such relief for him. Whatever. If he's the best the pope can find amongst conservative priests in his domain to promote to bishop, then he's in trouble.
A conservative pastor who suggested God punished New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina says he's relieved after passing up a papal promotion that had sparked an outcry from Austrian Catholics.
Pope Benedict XVI promoted Gerhard Maria Wagner to the post of auxiliary bishop in Linz on Jan. 31, causing an uproar from church groups and priests. Late Sunday, Wagner unexpectedly announced his decision to turn down the opportunity.
That's good news. One wonders if Fr. Wagner got a bit of a nudge before announcing his unexpected decision which resulted in such relief for him. Whatever. If he's the best the pope can find amongst conservative priests in his domain to promote to bishop, then he's in trouble.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
All Night Long
As some of you already know, my father was an alcoholic. I've sobbed away already about my wretched childhood, but it's not my intention do that here. I present to you a memory of odd, though essentially benign, behavior by my father when he was, as they say, in his cups. He'd be drinking, probably at a bar, and some nights, when he'd made it home, he was moved to play "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" on the old Victrola all night long. That's right, all night long. He didn't play it loud enough to keep us from sleeping, but if we happened to wake up, we'd hear the old song. Mind you, this was the 1940s, and he played the single on an old wind-up Victrola. He had to put the needle back on the beginning of the record each time and keep the record player wound up to keep it going.
Sometimes, it was still going in the morning when we got up, when my mother would put a stop to it. I can't swear it was Al Jolson's version, but of the old versions that I've listened to, it seems the most likely. I know that my father liked Al Jolson. Despite the all-nighters, or perhaps because of them, I'm still fond of the song.
Place - park, scene - dark
Silv'ry moon is shining through the trees
Cast - two, me - you
Summer kisses floating on the breeze
Act one, be done
Dialog - where would ya like to spoon?
My cue, with you
Underneath the silv'ry moon
By the light of the silvery moon
I wanna spoon
To my honey I'll croon love's tune
Honey moon, keep a-shinin' in June
Your silv'ry beams will bring love's dreams
We'll be cuddlin' soon by the silvery moon
Thoughts For The Weekend
Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctr Alt Delete' and start all over?
If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
Ponderisms
I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.
Garden Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?'
Who was the first person to say, 'See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its butt.'
If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if he's going to look up there anyway?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
But Most Of All, Remember!
A Good Friend Is Like A Good Bra. Hard to Find, Supportive, Comfortable, And Always Close To Your Heart!
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your email address?
Doug, I never do. I know where my bread is buttered. What WOULD I do without you?
If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
Ponderisms
I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.
Garden Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?'
Who was the first person to say, 'See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its butt.'
If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if he's going to look up there anyway?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
But Most Of All, Remember!
A Good Friend Is Like A Good Bra. Hard to Find, Supportive, Comfortable, And Always Close To Your Heart!
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your email address?
Doug, I never do. I know where my bread is buttered. What WOULD I do without you?
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