Sep 13 2009
It was eight years ago that we were told America was changed forever, that we would need to go to the “dark side” to fight terrorism, that we would get Osama Bin Laden “dead or alive”. The Bush administration was correct about some of it; they did change America and they did lead us to the “dark side”.
What they failed to do, however, was effectively deal with terrorism.
Sep 08 2009
UPDATE: Thursday, Sept 10, 10AM… After Pics in my last comment…
NOON UPDATE: Today’s art session has been postponed until tomorrow. pooh.
Only in America… Fried Butter. Okay then.
Okay so I’m in a weird mix of bored and frustrated so Imagonna just Open a Thread here and hang out, if that’s okay with you. Hub finally went to work this morning, so I am alone at last.
I have a friend planning to come over a little later, she’s an artist, and she’s going to do some art on my casts. Might be fun.
Any suggestions?
It’s the tattoos I’ll never get for real. heh. I’m hoping she can do some celtic variation of my “totem” heron.
Sep 04 2009
When you work night shift at a hospital, you are bound to have a bad week. What I was not expecting to experience was “the moment”, the moment when you have very little time to think or plan.
We had a perfect storm. Normally we have more than one supervisor. I was supposed to work half a shift and take a class in the morning but alas everybody was also sick. I was also sick, that stomach thing going around, but functional. Just tired. When I came in the day shift said,”Houston we have a problem” and laid out all the issues. We all rolled our eyes at one another. Day shift said,”hey man want us to stay a few minutes and make out the schedules for the next day.” I accepted which turned out to be a good idea. They offered which turned out to be critical because as it turned out I wouldn’t have time to do it.
I told myself,”Well, I won’t be bored tonight.” I told the staff I was apologizing in advance that if I did not answer their pages right away it was simply because I was tied up but I would still be available. Eye rolls. They were very busy and I often help them make clinical decisions as well as tactical ones.
Aug 23 2009
Emotions are wreaking havoc now that the divorce papers are days away from being final. I look back to one of our camping trips. We backpacked into the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area many years ago, before Eldest Son was conceived.
It was over spring break, and it was warm enough. Cuddles, Mrs. Translator’s dog, was a very nice little dog, a cockapoo. She had a wonderful personality, and loved to hike with us.
Aug 16 2009
Crossposted at Daily Kos
My father committed suicide over 13 years ago. If he had gotten mental health care maybe it would not have been so.
My mother had a stroke 2 years ago. When she first felt a shock in her arm she went to a doctor. The doctor told her “Change your lifestyle.” They did not take more tests than the first one. Two weeks later she had a massive stroke. She is diabled and paralyzed on her left upper body to this day.
My Grandmother (my fathers mother) is 75. Her basic insurance eats up more than a third of her retirement income. Her mortgage eats one half and her medication eats up the rest.
My step uncle (my fathers half brother) is chronically sick with liver problems and suffers from mental health problems. He is in the hospital right now with gallstones. He suffers from intense paranoia, depression and other mental disorders.
My sister suffers from anxiety and depression because of my fathers tragic death. She was only 6 when it happened. Now she is 20. I want her to find help, and I need the same help myself. Neither of us can afford it. We need reform NOW, for health care, both physical and mental.
This fight for Health Care Reform is VERY personal for me. I will not back down, and neither should you.
Aug 12 2009
So, GM is unveiling a new car that is electric/gas and gets 230 mpg. Given the time from the mandate, to the new announcement, to the unvieling (late ’10), who doesn’t realize that they have been sitting on this technology?
My next rant: The State newspaper in South Carolina gets punked by Associated Press. Why is the AP doing better journalism than the newspaper who has access to every record, and person, involved?
Harder rant: An Illinois Judge sentences court member to 6 months of contempt over a yawn, while giving said offender’s cousin
PROBATION
for FELONY DRUG CHARGES.
Ok… another drink… more words… after the fold…
Aug 05 2009
Cross-posted at Daily Kos
After over a year, nearly losing my house, cars and other possessions, I have obtained gainful employment. It came after applying for hundreds of jobs, not just in my area, but across the country, for anything I am qualified for.
I didn’t do it myself. It came with help from friends, my network, my family, this community, and from the government.
Follow me over the fold to tell you about how I see us all as interdependent and what a truly great this country is, if you choose to see it.
Jul 28 2009
The Blue Dog Democrat’s are busy. They want to derail health reform, and, not to be outdone by the GOP crazy “birthers”, want the world to know that 25% of liberals believe 9/11 was done by Dick Cheney.
Out-party politicians have long had to deal with conspiracy theorists on their side – the people who think that the Clintons killed Vince Foster or that the Bush administration helped orchestrate the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Twenty-five percent of my people believe the Pentagon and Rumsfeld were responsible for taking the twin towers down,” said Rep. Collin Peterson, a Democrat who represents a conservative Republican district in Minnesota. “That’s why I don’t do town meetings.”
In case you missed it, this where the villagers turn it into a “he said/she said” with neither side right or wrong. Typical Modus Operandi.
But, let’s look at the two theories and compare them:
Jul 21 2009
Well, it is all your fault. That’s right your support for the Dog has resulted in the great folks at Democracy for America awarding the old hound a Netroots Nation Scholarship!
For those who don’t know, Democracy for America is Dr. Dean’s social activism group. DFA provides all kinds of great things; it provides a place to get hooked in with other progressives from your area, it provides training in candidacy, campaign management and activism and this year along with last, it provides scholarships to the Netroots Nation.
“Originally posted at Squarestate.net“
Jul 15 2009
I’m on temporary lay-off since July 01.09. Today I get my unemployment package telling me my total benefits are $40, not weekly, TOTAL.
WTF, I’ve been working for that place for almost 2 1/2 years and all I’m getting is $40? Then I look closer and see the name of a place I worked for last year, for 2 weeks until Gustav made a mess of things.
This must be a mistake I’m thinking, placing a call to the unemployment office and can only get a recording, no humans work there!
For most of the afternoon I’m trying to track down the chairman of the board, he’s out of town, but I get his cell phone #. Great!
So I’m waiting until 7pm, to not interrupt his business dealings, and I explain to him my reason for calling. “Yeah,Yeah I see, but no we don’t pay unemployment. We don’t have to, we’re a non profit, a church. Nothing I can do.”
Jul 13 2009
I was having an interesting discussion the other day about the CIA lying to Congress with an acquaintance. Most of the conversation revolved around my background, former military security clearance and experiences.
So, let’s discuss secrecy in our government…
Jul 10 2009
Well, today the Dog became a statistic. After nine years at my company, after projects which returned over $4 million a year in bottom line dollars, the company decided that I was not valuable enough to keep around anymore. It is not like the Dog did not know things were bad, they were. Sales were off by 30% across the board and there had been a 10% reduction in workforce just three months ago.