I tease my mother by calling her Emily after Emily Gilmore both because overall my family reminds me very much of the Gilmores and because she’s never met a brand name she didn’t like whereas I’m perfectly content to buy generic.

I thank her among many things for a thorough grounding in the domestic and other arts.

Mom teaches first grade and is actually famous in a quiet sort of way.  The kind parents brag about and angle their kids for though she’s won national awards too.  Of course I owe everything I know about educating to her and among my own peers I’m considered an asskicking trainer.

She also insisted we learn to perform routine self maintenance, little things like laundry and ironing, machine and hand mending. basic cooking.  Of course she always indulged us with trips to museums and zoos, made sure we got library cards, did the usual bus driver thing to swim practice, had this huge second career as a Brownie/Girl Scout Leader for my sister.

At one point when I was old enough for it to make an impression she took her Masters of Fine Arts in Art of all things, so I know a little Art History with Far Eastern.  I understand how to bang out a copper pot and make silver rings because she took me to class once or twice.  She liked stained glass so much that she and dad made several pieces (you use a soldering iron and can cut yourself pretty bad so it’s a macho thing too).  They also did silk screening which taught me a lot about layout and graphic arts.

But she always liked fabric arts and in addition to a framed three dimensional piece in the living room, there are Afghans and rugs and scarves and pot holders and wash cloths and hats and quilts and dolls.

And the training kits and manuals for her mentorship programs, and the adaptations and costumes for the annual first and fifth grade play.  Did I mention she plays 3 instruments, though mostly piano?

She touch types too.

So to Emily, a woman of accomplishment and refinement, Happy Mother’s Day.

I’m sorry but my machine is acting really hinky and while I’ve been working on it for 4 hours now, my next diagnostic step involves a fresh OS install which will take about 2 hours and during which I’ll not have ‘net access.

I’ll be back when I can with WND and in the mean time you can use this open thread to complain about your computers so I won’t feel so stupid.

I really like DocuDharma and my family does too.  My brother actually posts here on occasion and my Aunt is a regular reader.

What they tell me sets this place apart is that we are mellow and relaxed and I definitely think that’s the kind of atmosphere that buhdy and the rest of the founders intended to create, a space where you are free to express yourself in ways that are not rigidly limited by considerations of electoral victory.

I think our site’s tone is an accurate reflection of it’s readership and contributors.  I’ve always tried to feature the essays of others.  My opinions are mine to the extent I express them and to me that includes signing off on my promotions though I don’t always check every link.  All the Contributing Editors have the power to promote or at least draw attention to content so if you feel you’ve been unfairly overlooked all I can say is I’m sorry my arbitrary laziness offended.

While others aspire to more lofty goals I’m happy that we can give some exposure and consideration to content that might get missed at faster paced blogs, not that we’re slow.  We have 14 regularly scheduled slots a day that we mostly fill with member promotions.

Our anchor spots are mishima’s Late Night Karoke (3 am et) and early morning (7:30 am et) DocuDharma Times, Robyn’s (6 am et) Muse in the Morning, and Magnifico’s 4 @ 4 (pm, et).

Almost every day buhdy has something to say around 2 pm (et).

The regular weekly contributors are mishima again with Random Japan Fridays midnight (et), Pony Parties are published 2 pm (et) Wednesdays and 11 am (et) Sundays.  I kick in with Weekend News Digests on Saturdays and Sundays at 4 pm (et), Monday Business Update and Wednesday Science Supplement at 8 am (et).  Robyn has Friday Philosophy (6 pm et), Nightprowlkitty the aptly named Friday Night at 8 (pm et).  NLinStPaul is Sunday at 11 am (et).

Otherwise it’s up to you.

The payoff should be eyeballs.  In addition to the editorial freedom you have to create something that conforms to your own “artistic vision” (that I have no hesitation crushing like a bug without explanation should I decide to promote you), everything you publish here is more exposure for your work.

You can’t count on comments to measure effectiveness, between us and Democrats.com we’ve rounded up about 50,000 signatures urging AG Holder to prosecute torture.

But the bottom line is that I want to encourage your active participation- commenting, publishing, and contributing.  I value the service we provide and I hope you do too.

Also.

Purity

Some people are using Arlen Specter as an example of what happens to a party that demands “purity”.  Instead it’s a perfect example of “beltway think”.

You see Arlen feels his 29 years as a Washington Weasel entitles him to another six regardless of his constituents.

He is a valuable unique man.  A Galtian architect of policy.  A super hero of moderate conservatism and upholder of the two party system.

A thoroughgoing Villager with no connection to the voting public he supposedly Represents.

He actually represents only those interests who promote and provide his lifestyle of privilege and uses his power only to protect them from the righteous wrath of the shafted 99%.

What an aristocrat.

What a vain pompous ass.

How typical.