blog de la resistance

blog de la resistance has moved

2006-01-04T15:55:00.000-06:00

to a new home. C'mon over and take a look. Don't forget to update your bookmark.

Holiday Absurdities

2005-12-28T15:31:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season for over-spending, over-glitzing, over-eating, over-drinking and now, over-reacting. The Christmas/Holiday debate launched by knucklehead Bill O'Reilly and his conservative Christian followers was amusing for awhile. I'm not a Christian, but I carry enough Catholic DNA to know that putting the "Christ" back in "Christmas" involves more than playing with words. You can bemoan the more inclusive "Happy Holidays" greeting all you want, but if your car is sitting in the parking lot at Wal-Mart and your kids are whining for an X-Box or an I-Pod under the tree, you done lost any "Christ" you thought you had. Clicking your heels and chanting "Merry Christmas" isn't going to bring back the true meaning of the day. I officially stopped being amused by this charade at 10:15 this morning when Greatest Husband gave a hearty "Happy Holidays" shout-out to our crew of housecleaners and was informed by the cleaning business's owner that she was "a Merry Christmas person." WTF? We now have camps? Since when is it acceptable to respond with rudeness to someone wishing you a happy anything? Apparently, the pea-brained among us (and there are plenty) have been emboldened by a language campaign that has convinced them to feel agrieved by a simple greeting, and they have no shame in responding with righteousness, ungraciousness and mean-spiritedness in order to make the point that they are Christian. What a perfect melding of actions and values. Christianity. Making the world a better place for more than 2,000 years.

It's All About Me

2005-12-19T09:28:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by BlueGal, and as much as I'd love to deconstruct W's speech last night, or gloat over Krusty's chilly reception by the military in Iraq over the weekend, I have an obligation to a higher calling. Here goes . . . Seven Things to Do Before I Die:

Learn to tango
Raise sheep
Own a beautiful old barn that once housed livestock
Learn to cook Thai food
Pick cloudberries
Watch the sun come back to the Arctic
Live somewhere where I can see mountains every day

Seven Things I Cannot Do:

Donate a kidney before I die
Play the accordion (I really, really tried)
Whistle
Run a mile in less than ten minutes (who am I kidding? 10:30, and at that pace it's not even fair to call it running.)
Speak in a complete sentence before my first cup of coffee in the morning
Contemplate paddling Class IV whitewater (Class III is sketchy, but negotiable)
Consider golf a form of exercise

Seven Things That Attract Me to My Spouse (significant other, best friend, lover)

His passion (for teaching, for politics, for food, for friends, for skiing, for me)
His love of language
The way he gets me to laugh at myself
His intellect
The color of his eyes (and other objectifying attributes)
His devotion to truth
His mastery with household tools

Seven Things I Say or Write Most Often

Is there a reason we're saving this?
He's not here. May I take a message?
Where did you ski today? (closely related to #2 above)
It was on sale.
How stupid can people be?
I'll be right there. I just have to finish this row.
F**king Republican!

Seven Books I Love (Impossible. I can only list authors.)

Adrienne Rich
Margaret Atwood (I'm with you, BlueGal)
Philip Roth
Donald Hall
Jane Kenyon
Annie Proulx
Thomas Hardy

Seven Movies I Would Watch Over & Over Again

The Wizard of Oz
Quick Change, or just about anything with Bill Murray
Anything "Hitchcock," except 'The Rope'
All That Jazz
Old musicals - I love them. They should be in their own category.
Any Busby Berkeley extravaganza
Dr. Zhivago

Seven People I Want to Join In (I don't have seven blogging friends. How pathetic is that?)

Chemical Reaction

2005-12-14T15:22:00.000-06:00

Yes, indeed. There's more than a few of us out here who have earned our chemistry badges honestly. Frankly, I probably got a head start on most of you being the daughter of a nurse, dontcha know. I grew up in a household where mommy brought home the penicillin and administered the injection at the kitchen table. Hell yeah, it was odd, but it was the 50's, and we practiced 'duck & cover' excercises, too.

The issue of personal responsibility - brought up by BlueGal's commentary - is pertinent to any discussion of health issues and our cultural reliance on pharmaceuticals. But how is it possible to determine what role personal responsibility should play in our distribution of health care resources when so many of our fellow citizens are denied access to our health care system altogether?

In my job, I talk to people every week who are just hoping they can make it to age 65 when Medicare benefits will kick-in. They are unemployed, underemployed, working for employers who provide no health insurance - or prohibitively expensive health insurance - they can't afford an individual policy, and they count on luck to grant them a free pass for just a few more years.

They ignore warning signs of potentially serious medical problems because they know they can't afford the drugs, tests and treatments that might be prescribed for them. If they reach Medicare, these people enter our health care system already sick, and we are paying the price for their more expensive, late-stage medical care.

Our ethical and moral discussions have not kept pace with the advancements in medicine that allow some people (those with adequate health insurance) to evade responsibility for their own lifestyle choices and appear to suffer little or no consequences as a result.

I don't know the answer to the responsibility part of the equation. Is it ethical to deny care or penalize those with an addiction to tobacco? Maybe it is. A diabetic who continues to consume sweets and alcohol? Perhaps. But, what about someone with AIDS who is dying because they had unprotected sex? And those nutcase anti-abortion folks think it's just fine and dandy to force a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term because, to them, the sex act is a lifestyle choice.

Deep, deep, deep muddy waters, and I'm not sticking my toes in it.

Over Dosed?

2005-12-13T15:00:00.000-06:00

Question: Do drug companies inundate the airwaves with pill-pushing ads to feed a cultural propensity to treat every ailment with a pill? Or, do they push so hard in order to overcome our innate tendency to view the use of drugs as a weakness? When I consider the people I know - friends, family, acquaintances - the vast, vast majority fall into the latter category. They resist being medicated, even when medications would alleviate pain or, in the case of cholesterol lowering drugs, quite possibly lengthen their life span. They resist the very idea of pill reliance and the resistance is not based on factors such as the ability to pay for the drugs. It's a deep resistance to, and fear of drug dependence, that applies to everything from sinus sprays and lip balm to post-surgical pain relief. No where is the resistance more evident than when it involves mood altering medications. As painful as depression can be, both physically and psychologically, my experience with family and friends is that there is a visceral opposition to drug therapy on the part of the patient in almost every case. The same applies to patients in hospice care. I'm certain any medical professional in the field would agree that overcoming the patient's fear of drug dependence on pain relieving medications is a big obstacle, even at the end-stage of life. So, where do we get the premise that we are all rampantly "pill-popping" our way through life? Is it really true, or do we exaggerate our response to drug use of any kind?

Mother's Little Helpers

2005-12-12T10:58:00.000-06:00

blog de la resistance has been silent for a bit, but there's a good reason. Virus. As in invade the body, bore into sinus passages, attack gray matter, flatten in bed, bad-ass virus. With a little help from my friends Nyquil, Tylenol and Greatest Husband's homemade chicken soup, I'm back to a vertical position and feeling the old sass in my veins again. Which brings to mind the last cyber communications I had before delirium set in - BlueGal's discussion on the evils of big pharmaceuticals and our societal dependence on pills and drugs for everything what ails us. As much as I love to hate the drug companies - especially their advertising methods which are nothing short of immoral - I admit to being a healthy, if not robust consumer of big Pharma products and byproducts in the form of everything from treating insect bites to keeping my cholesterol level low enough to brag about. My medicine cabinet overfloweth. The practice of modern medicine has decisively shifted from hospital/surgical care to the dispensing of pills and vacines. Not necessarily a bad thing, it seems to me, to treat conditions prophylactically and minimize expensive utilization of hospitals and emergency rooms. For example, my recent allergic reaction to aspirin was controlled by a self-administered dose of OTC benadryl thus saving me a trip to the ER. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical advances that I am eager to take advantage of require a certain degree of education, access to information, access to a physician, health insurance and money. In other words, the big "C" word, "Class" becomes the dominant and relevant variable when it comes to my health. Last week, I took the position that our pill-popping culture was not in itself a sign of Evil Big Pharma manipulation, but that the issue was one of access, availability and drug company profits. Was I wrong? I'll be posting more thoughts on this all week long. Go on, now. Discuss amongst yourselves. It's time for my little blue pill and a nap.

Knitting Up a Storm

2005-12-02T14:51:00.000-06:00

Check it out, knitters. No idle fingers here.

Guys - It's NOT Your Choice

2005-12-02T11:16:00.000-06:00

An op-ed piece in yesterday's NYTimes by Dalton Conley, titled "A Man's Right to Choose," argues 'yes' to the question "when men and women engage in sexual relations both parties recognize the potential for creating life. If both parties willingly participate then shouldn't both have a say in whether to keep a baby that results? " It's not an insignificant question, especially in the context of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's support of spousal notification requirements for women seeking an abortion. But, Mr. Conley's affirmative position is wrong. Here's why. It's hard to tell whether or not Mr. Conley is philosophically opposed to abortion, but his stance is premised on the assumption of willing sexual activity between both parties and the presumption that an embryo is the same as a baby. Furthermore, his argument suggests that consensual sexual activity equates to readiness for parenthood. Were that the case, most of the men I've known would need to forgo sex altogether until the age of 48. No man, no matter how ready and willing he is to be a father, has the right to either fatherhood or a woman's body to carry his seed. Not that plenty of men haven't tried it. Remember King Henry VIII? And even if one eliminates rape, incest and contraceptive failure - a sexual act based on willing participation does NOT equalize the rights of both parties in deciding whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. Maybe men have been the bosses so long that they've forgotten what it's like to not hold all the cards all the time. The very idea that there are limits and obstacles to attaining one's desires must be difficult for a lot of men to face. From seats of powerful governments to armies to organized religion to corporate board rooms, it's still a man's world out there. But guys, this choice belongs to us. Until you figure out a way to insert a uterus into your bodies.

The Right Tree

2005-11-30T14:07:00.000-06:00

It's not a 'holiday' tree. It's not a blue spruce, a Norway pine, Scotch pine or even a fir tree. Nope. The Christian right, led by spokesman Jerry Falwell want you to know they are serious about putting the 'Christ' back in Christmas and you'd better be, too. Liberty Counsel (an organization with the tag line, "Restoring the Culture One Case at a Time) and Rev. Falwell have marshalled an armada of attorneys to ensure that the message comes across loud and clear.

Christians have a right to celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree.

Now, aside from the fact that early Christians stole the pagan winter solstice celebration from the Druids - decked-out tree and all - possession is, as the saying goes, nine-tenths of the law. If they want their fantasy birthday party for Jesus, in a manger, under a Christmas tree, in Bethlehem, with snow falling and ghostly white angels singing, I say fine. It would be a big improvement over the engorged retail spending spree the holiday, OOPS!, Christmas has become across our Wal-Malled land.

Personally, I think the Puritans had the right idea. They banned ALL celebration, merry-making, decorating and gift-giving on December 25th in order to retain focus on the religious aspect of the day. How about that, Jerry? Care to stand between the fanatic faithful and a blue-light special to restore that culture?

Falafel Head

2005-11-29T11:19:00.000-06:00

Blue Gal made me do it, and don't cha know falafel head is better than falafelsex, especially when knit up in Rowan Cotton Glace (greens) and Koigu (falafel balls).

No sauce, less mess.

And, when I tire of falafel head I plan to use this as the holiday centerpiece to set a festive mood for my holiday entertaining.

Falafel head could be the new Knit-A-Long rage in 2006. Remember, you saw it here first.

What Fools, Part the Second

2005-11-17T08:59:00.000-06:00

I just love it when the White House clowns, Chump & Krusty, get all bothered and righteously indignant. What? All those pretty hot air balloons they released in the months leading up to the US invasion of Iraq are bursting in a 'shock & awe' redux here at home? Not to worry. There's plenty more gas bags where those came from, but the latest releases are noticeably more transparent. My current favorite was launched last night by Krusty: "The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone," Cheney said last night. "But we're not going to sit back and let them rewrite history." For the moment, I'll ignore the oxymoron of juxtaposing "politician" with "memory" and "backbone." Too easy. But, how DARE the administration's critics attempt to rewrite the history the Bush administration worked so hard to fabricate? That's a stunner, Krusty.

What Fools These Mortals Be

2005-11-14T14:44:00.000-06:00

In preparation for attending a local theatre production of "The Taming of the Shrew," I ducked into a Barnes & Noble outside Dallas in hopes of finding a paperback version of the play to read on the plane. Helpful saleslady: "You look like you could use some help. Is there something specific you're looking for today?" Me: "I'm looking for 'Taming of the Shrew' by Shakespeare." Saleslady: "OK. Shakespeare has his own corner right over here. Let me show you. Yes. Here it is, 'Taming of the Shrew.' And this is my favorite edition. Look! All the left-hand pages are Shakespeare, and the right-hand pages are an exact English translation!" . . . um, OK. I know I'm living out on the edge of normal with an advanced degree in English literature, but I never realized I was bi-lingual. Apparently, it's true. I speak English and Shakespeare. Sometimes both at the same time. Thou cans't maketh this sh*t up.

Avert Your Eyes

2005-11-01T10:08:00.000-06:00

In honor of Dia de los Muertos, I consumed a delicious concoction of shrimp and mussels and spent the weekend watching my face blow-up to monster proportions. Ah, but I was only toying with the idea of death by histamine overproduction. Next time I feel the need for a facial peel, (did you know your eyelid skin can peel?) I'm sticking with the artificial chemical variety. And speaking of scary, puffy faces . . . we certainly have been seeing enough of "Scooter," Karl Rove, and Dick Cheney lately, but where has Rummy gone? Probably shelved in some sort of damage control effort by the White House. The reappearance of His Nasty Highness might actually remind the public that this Valerie Plame case is ALL ABOUT the administration's phony, trumped-up reasons for going to war in Iraq. Now, you'll have to excuse me. Another piece of my face just fell onto the keyboard.

ha, ha, ha, ha, ha - Really, I'm trying to be serious

2005-10-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

How perfect is it that a grown man named "Scooter," limping around on crutches, has become the latest poster boy for the ailing Bush administration? And, lo - this is enough to tickle my atheist sensibilities. Merry Fitzmas, one and all.

Check His Briefs

2005-10-25T17:18:00.000-05:00

Standing puffed-up and proud in the eye of the storm swirling around the current administration, he hasn't lost his programmed edge. Maybe that's why I love following the daily briefings of White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Give him credit for being a quick study when it comes to language. What "they" say: War in Iraq What "we" say: Global war on terrorism They say: U.S. casualties in Iraq We say: Sacrifices Them: U.S. military deaths Us: Sacrifices in defense of freedom They say: Scotter Libby, Karl Rove, Vice President Cheney, Valerie Plame, CIA leak We say: No comment. Ongoing investigation They ask about: Truth, trust We reply: I appreciate that question. Next. They want to know our stand on: the CIA and use of torture We say: blah, blah, blah, adhere to laws and values blah, blah, we are a country of laws and values. A testy lap dog in iron jockeys, that Scotty is, and the leash they have him on isn't around his neck.

Let Me Tell You 'Bout the Clean & Press

2005-10-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

I am a woman of a certain age. Certain age, such a charming euphemism for um, well . . . menopause. Oh, that word. Gray hair, wrinkles, sagging body parts and, let's not forget - dry eye syndrome. (wink-wink) It's not a pretty picture. But, can I admit something here? I'm loving it! That's right. Abso-f**king-lutely loving it! Why? Because bad girl AL has nearly obliterated the good girl (or whatever was left of her) right out of my psyche and physical body. Good riddance, I say, but not everyone is bound to agree. Just ask:

the guy in the pickup truck who had the nerve to throw up his hands in some histrionic act of male driving supremacy and exasperation because I forced him to drive down a parking lot aisle filled with pedestrians and children at a reasonable rate of speed
the check-out woman at a local department store who thought it was more important to take care of a telephone inquiry instead of waiting on the customer (me) standing right in front of her with a purchase
my locker mate at the crowded gym who appropriates twice as much space as anyone else for all of the personal crap she drags around with her

and, hey, it's only THURSDAY.

Yeah, I'm psychotic - hear me roar. This is SO MUCH fun.

And the sagging body parts thing? Got that licked. Weight training with big-boy barbells does amazing things to the female form. You get lean AND you get balls.

Menopause gives you license to use 'em.

Icy Blue

2005-10-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

BlueGal would like to welcome any newly awakened conservatives back into the fold of humanity as errant and misguided prodigal children. She is a smarter, better person than I - but you already knew that. Here's the evil flip side. I have nothing but contempt for my fellow Americans who are only now expressing dissatisfaction with the current regime. Let's face it, what exactly has changed since last year when these same folks voted Dubya back into office? Is the war in Iraq any less of a mess? Have the lies that got us into Iraq changed? Is the graft, corruption and incompetence of this administration a surprise to anyone who (gasp) reads? No. I'll tell you what has changed. The price of gasoline at the pump. Oh, the evangelical church parking lots are still crammed with SUV's and pickup trucks every weekend, but the promised land of "W" is not looking quite so rosy at $2.89 per gallon with a long, cold winter ahead. If I owned a gas station, I'd post the photographs of dead soldiers at every pump and charge double for anyone with a yellow ribbon magnet on their vehicle. Maybe then, the American public would begin to connect the dots. As it stands, the majority of our fellow citizens have shown a remarkable ability to hold disparate, warring facts at arms' length, allowing them to act, vote and speak without thinking, and to express outrage, shock and surprise at the logical and predictable outcomes coming our way. My heart is stone cold to the entire lot of them.

I Wasn't Going to Do This

2005-10-13T10:39:00.000-05:00

The professional side of my life has me in bondage. I'm skimming headlines the way I'm racing through my days, scanning for essentials - hoping for a break in the traffic and the occasional good parking spot. Here's one. Thanks to the knitting curmudgeon for pointing it out. We're off early tomorrow for the rosy red state of MO to catch-up with family and friends. See y'all next week.

Blue And Blue

2005-09-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

This article arrived in my inbox today and the timing could not have been more serendipitous. I've been troubled recently, with misgivings about the tactics and rhetoric of the current progressive political movement - protest marches, sit-ins, teach-ins, rallies and yes, even bumper stickers (for which I have an unabated soft spot.) None of these old-school approaches to social change appear to be very effective in a world that has changed dramatically since the anit-war movement of the 60's and 70's. Even the re-circulated emails I receive from like-minded individuals and political leaders are often filled with personal anecdotes and horror stories that cannot be verified. I know these messages are meant to alarm me, push me to action. But, if someone with my political bent is only moved to delete the message because it seems more urban myth than fact - who is going to take it seriously? Based on my observations from the Barbara Ehrenreich reading last night, the answer to that question is middle-class, middle-aged and older white folk (and, sorry, mostly men) who can talk forever without saying anything. I found it an embarrassment. The subject of Ehrenreich's latest book - "Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream" - takes on the corporate world and examines the sad future of the unemployed white collar worker trying to break back into the job market after downsizing, right-sizing, whatever one wants to call it. The audience should have been filled with women, college students, people in their 20's and 30's, people from the suburbs, black people, brown people. Instead, it was mostly the same old-same old lefty crowd with the looniest lefties running off at the mouth. Something is terribly wrong here. I hate to admit it, but a bumper sticker isn't going to solve the problem.

Church Lady Hates Me

2005-09-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

Sorry, BlueGal. I am definitely the Evil Twin today. Intelligent Design theory is alarmingly dangerous and worthy of the panty-wringing effort it takes to confront its proponents head-on. Frankly, I’d be less concerned about a movement to introduce straight-up religion classes in our public schools, especially if ALL religions were given equal time and consideration. (Hey, ID proponent, if you want your child to have options to consider, why not Islam?) ID is insidious quackery of the worst kind. It has no place in the science classroom. Rather than inspiring young minds to theorize creatively and seek-out verifiable answers to what cannot yet be explained, ID is a dead-end pile of mushy-headed big words that lead NOWHERE. The-universe-is-really-really-complicated-and-no-one-can-explain-how-it-got-that-way-so-it-must-be-the-result-of-a-superior-intelligence-so-that’s-pretty-much-a-wrap-and-btw-your-jeans-are-really-really-far-out-dude. Isn't our nation dumb-downed enough already? Holy crap, look at our elected leadership! I'm going to cool down now before I go listen to Barbara Ehrenreich and get all steamed again.

A Message from the White House

2005-09-27T14:30:00.000-05:00

" the United States is a leader when it comes to speaking out about violence against women, and taking steps to prevent it. And that is a message we state very clearly across the world." -Scott McClellan, White House Press Secretary September 26, 2005 Indeed, the message rolls across the world, but it may not coincide with the official White House spin. According to Iraq BodyCount, the truth is this:

24,865 civilians were reported killed in the first two years.
Women and children accounted for almost 20% of all civilian deaths.

Who did the killing?

US-led forces killed 37% of civilian victims.
Anti-occupation forces/insurgents killed 9% of civilian victims.
Post-invasion criminal violence accounted for 36% of all deaths.

Scotty, you're right about one thing. The message is clear. It just doesn't square with the official line about spreading freedom, democracy and what's that third thing? Oh, right. Liberating the Iraqi people.

Unless . . . is it a 'permanent' liberation you have in mind?

It's Like This . . .

2005-09-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

Oh sure, like you've never played 'passport control?'

Slippin' Out the Back to Tacoma

2005-09-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

Just when I'm thinking the Department of Homeland Security couldn't be any less effective in reacting to a homeland disaster - this arrives in the mail addressed to Greatest Husband. It seems that my plan to be a broad abroad in February or March, (Norway, Poland and similarly popular late winter travel destinations) happens to coincide with this particularly attractive west coast happening involving Blue Gal and 2nd Nature. Thus, a kidnapping plot is hatched. But really, with Greatest Husband training for the American Birkebeiner race at the end of February, do you think he'll even notice if I slip away for a few days? And since my new passport was accidently destroyed by an unfortunate pairing of said document in a drawer with a certain unmentionable lubricant - which was not a funny discovery BTW - well, maybe it's a sign I should stay within borders a bit longer.

Anger: I Choose It, I Own It

2005-09-20T14:09:00.000-05:00

I'm still fuming over "ownership society." Not only is it the height of hypocrisy for anyone in the Bush administration to utter these words after driving our economy into its current level of indebtedness to foreign interests, but it smacks of the same insensitive and out-of-touch attitude displayed by Bush and others in the administration during the early aftermath of Katrina. Remember Michael Chertoff's response about those left behind in New Orleans? "Some people chose not to obey that (the evacuation) order. That was a mistake on their part." "Choice" and "ownership" are hollow terms if one is starting from a position of utter bankruptcy. A true ownership society provides equal opportunity for acquiring the skills required for a family-supporting job. A true ownership society provides universal health care so that unpaid medical bills don't stand in the way of homeownership. A true ownership society provides good schools in EVERY neighborhood and community so that even the most disadvantaged child has an equal opportunity to reap the benefits of a solid education. The 37 million impoverished citizens of our country do not "choose" to live in unsafe neighborhoods, whether threatened by violence, crime or natural disaster. The appeal of right-wing "ownership" and "choice" propaganda language only resonates with those who already own their homes, their chosen careers and carefully select the best schools for their children. For the disadvantaged, these words mean less than nothing.

A Bold Question

2005-09-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

After three days of hard labor at the homestead repairing a summer's worth of torn up sod, bulldozed garden beds and left-over mountains of clay, plywood, sawdust and assorted construction cast-offs - I planned a quiet Monday morning with my coffee, newspaper and the transcript from last Friday's White House press briefing. Bonus! Turns out it was a full line-up of Presidential goons and sycophants at the podium. Go ahead, read it for yourself, but here's my favorite excerpt from Claude Allen, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in response to this question: "The President said last night that one of the problems that has to be addressed is poverty that is steeped in racial discrimination. Where's the bold action that he said is going to be required to address that?" MR. ALLEN: Well, the bold action comes in both the proposals that the President has laid before us, in terms of education opportunity, in terms of home ownership. . . .we need only look at New Orleans and see that many of those who were impacted came out of public housing units where you don't have jobs, where you don't have business investing, where they don't have a choice in where their kids go to school. Additionally, the President's proposal calling for organizations, . . . such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to reach into the region to sister and brother organizations to do that, . . . through a person-to-person contact, . . . to build those relationships that also go into helping to break down some of those barriers. . . . the biggest initiative I would say is, is what the President has spoken about for his tenure as President, and that is the ownership society, whether it be ownership in terms of housing, ownership in terms of your choice and where you want to educate your children, ownership in terms of opportunity for jobs. So, bold action to reverse the effects of generations of poverty and racial discrimination will fall on the shoulders of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the magical granting of "ownership" over everything under the sun. Umm, excuse me, Mr. Allen, I have a follow-up question. The federal government is operating at a deficit due to heavy military spending, a recession and tax cuts for our wealthiest citizens. In addition, the rate of government borrowing is skyrocketing. The current administration has gutted our national economy and left it as vulnerable as a New Orleans levee. Is this the example of an "ownership society" that we should look to as a model for reversing poverty? Frankly, I'm more inclined to put my trust in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. With a motto like, "Be Prepared," they seem downright brilliant in comparison.

Feeling Woozy

2005-09-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

"Better late than never," may be a tired bromide, but it still applies to many situations. Thank you notes, apologies, going to college, getting one's period, starting an exercise program, quitting smoking, birthday presents and finding one's Presidential balls after a major federal fiasco involving hundreds of thousands of the folks who depend most on their government for support - the poor. As expressed earlier in this blog, I never expected W to utter the words, "I take responsibility." He said it. He even appeared to be sincere. Blog de la resistance was shocked, flummoxed and slightly ferklempt. Will I rip the "No W" sticker off my car? Hardly. Still, it was the right thing to do. For the people of New Orleans and the Gulf coast. For the President. For the country.

Let Stan Decide?

2005-09-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Blue Gal, I added a new tool to threadingwater that provides a rather large amount of information about visitors to the site. No, no, no . . . your identity is still obscured, but I can tell, for instance, which city, state and country visitors are coming from - and I can determine which pages are being visited. I have regular readers from Australia, Canada and several countries in Europe. It's fun to track these statistics from all over the world - including the hits coming from the Virginia/District of Columbia region that Greatest Husband suspects are CIA monitors. (C'mon, they're dumb enough not to cloak their Internet activity, so I suppose it is possible.) But, just in case there ARE spooks out there reading my blog entries and monitoring my Internet activities, I want to make it clear that the recent hits from Islamabad, Pakistan are individuals voting in the tool belt competition. For real. How funny is that? "Hold your fez's," the competition ends when we move into our new kitchen - another two weeks or so. Vote often. Vote well. May the best tool wielder win.

Sustainable Bottom-line Mission

2005-09-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

a.k.a., I'm too busy working to get to the gym. It may still be in the 90's outside, but a sure sign of the changing seasons is my burgeoning schedule of meetings, workshops and assorted corporate events. The summer-induced sleep of the business world has ended. For those of you in similar straits, I offer this, courtesy of weaselwords.com to keep you alert during important meetings and (my personal favorite) endless conference calls. Go forth well-prepared and PowerPoint-ed, and if you ever succumb to the allure of the plague rats, I will have to kill you.

Naked Men

2005-09-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

are working in my yard. Cabinets are being installed in the kitchen. The electrician is electrifying everything in sight. No one can get in or out the front door because of wet concrete. Preparation for punching a hole through our basement foundation is in progress and the street in front of our house is nearly impassable due to the heavy equipment vehicles lining both sides of the block. Our neighbors love us. And speaking of naked men . . . White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried vainly in Wednesday's press conference to defend the emperor with no clothes. Poor Scotty. Reduced to baby talk like "tick-tock" and "blame-gaming," so that those pesky reporters will stop already with their irrelevant questions like, "How much did the President know, and when did he know it?" Now, why does that question sound familiar?

Cat in the Yard

2005-09-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Care to see what Greatest Husband and I faced before coffee this morning? The heavy equipment is back. No, not the motorized variety. I'm talking about "Animal," wielder of the mighty jack hammer. Gals, I'd love to put him in the tool belt competition but, truth is, some guys just don't NEED a tool belt to get the job done.

Weasels and Whiners

2005-09-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

What do they have in common? They all start with "W." It's a Bush camp smack-down and it's about time. But why read my lame commentary when so many others are putting it (to W) so much better? Osama and Katrina Haunted by Hesitation

Family Values

2005-09-06T09:52:00.000-05:00

Ah, remember the days of the first Bush presidency and all those grandmotherly images of First Lady Barbara in her matronly pearls? Yes, she was capital 'M' Mother to us all back in the 'big hair' 80's. Well, maybe not ALL of us, but certainly to her boy, George. I personally would like to make a snarky remark here about "pearls before swine," but that would be an insult to pigs everywhere. In remarks to an NPR 'Marketplace' reporter this past weekend in a segment titled, "Houston, We Have a Problem," W's Mother opined that it was "scary" that so many Katrina refugees at the Houston Astrodome planned to stay in Texas, and since most of the Astrodome's inhabitants were underprivileged to begin with, her assessment was that they're doing quite well in their current digs. Oh, and she chuckled when she said this.

Leadership Jeopardy

2005-09-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

The answer: "The price of greatness is responsibility."-- Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill (1874-1965) The question: "What is the leadership lesson least likely to be learned by the Bush administration?" Can you imagine how refreshing it would be to hear our President take responsibility for the failure of a coordinated national response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster? To admit that mistakes were made? To actually assume the mantle of leadership inherent in the office he holds? W's consistent inability to respond appropriately - sans smirks and ill-timed jokes - with words (ANY words, even mangled ones) that convey empathy and understanding, is damning evidence of his inability to lead. Even his staunchest supporters must cringe in disbelief to hear him blather to storm victims in Mississippi, "We're gonna rebuild Trent Lott's home and it's gonna be big and beautiful again." WTF!? and Dick Cheney couldn't get back from his vacation in Wyoming until Friday? What is wrong with these people? Please, I really want to know how anyone who voted for this administration less than a year ago can continue to feel good about that decision. Especially those of you who were 'undecided' prior to entering the voting booth and went with W because you attributed higher moral values to him, whatever that means. Excuse the profanity, but have you found your f**king brains yet?

Bush Fiddles while the Levee Breaks

2005-09-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

This was our leader on Tuesday, the day after Hurricane Katrina . . .

while the residents of three states reeled from the most devastating natural disaster in 100 years

Oh, and I'm sure he got his little afternoon nap in, too.

Home is Where the Levee Is

2005-09-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

A mounting local insurgency, lawlessness, shortages of food and water, lack of electricity - the remaining residents of New Orleans would be better off right now if they were in Iraq. Think there's no connection between W's war and the disaster wrought by Hurricane Katrina? You need to read this: Why the Levee Broke While W read through a list of emergency supplies being sent to Louisiana and Mississippi, he failed to mention the millions in federal aid that he denied to agencies working to better secure the gulf coast area before this latest hurricane rammed ashore. Homeland security? How about starting at home.

Eat Cake

2005-08-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

With the country, nay the world in crisis, isn't it a comfort to know that the leader of the Free World has ended his 5 week vacation after only 4 1/2 weeks? I'm sure the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi are feeling better knowing their President cares enough about their plight to cancel a holiday weekend's worth of barbeques and return to work.

Gin and Granola

2005-08-29T11:10:00.000-05:00

With several weeks left to go before our new kitchen is ready to move into, we have moved back into our destructed house and set up temporary facilities in the dining room and basement. Look closely at the juxtaposition of the gin bottle and the granola container and you'll have a sense of where our heads are at right now. Then again, why should our corner of the world be any less roiled up than the rest of the universe? Hurricanes, wars, insurgencies, protests - more than half of the world's inhabitants would be happy to step into our shoes. We have food and water and access to medical care should we need it. We also have sons who are not in Iraq - much like every member of Congress. For an excellent analysis of how morally bankrupt our political leadership is, you'll want to read this opinion piece by Frank Rich. And if you'd like to leave a comment - something that is already difficult to do with this blogging program - I've made it a bit harder. That's because I was hit with spammers over the weekend. Sorry. Just know that your comments will be doubly appreciated.

Quack!

2005-08-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

Duck and cover. Remember that drill from the early 60's? Well, maybe not first-hand (since most of you are probably not as ancient as this humble scribe) but our Prez seems to have taken that early lesson to heart. With little bombs exploding all over Washington - Downing Street Memo, mounting war dead in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iraq Constitution fumbles, visible fissures in the Republican Party's wall of unity, a rising sentiment of disapproval of his handling of the Iraq war among a majority of Americans - our leader flees to Crawford, Texas for a five week 'working vacation.' Duck. When he does emerge for brief appearances, he does so only surrounded by staged, friendly audiences and makes statements like, "An immediate withdrawal of our troops in Iraq . . . would only embolden the terrorists and create a staging ground to launch more attacks against America and free nations." Cover. Duck and cover couldn't save anyone from the radiation effects of a nuclear bomb as we naively thought in the 1960's. Duck and cover isn't going to save "W" now. The truth is this. The U.S. invasion of Iraq, and our lack of preparedness for handling the aftermath of toppling the Hussein dictatorship has CREATED a terrorist recruitment campaign and staging ground where none existed before. We are not safer and, unlike our Prez, more and more Americans appear willing to emerge from their cover of ignorance to begin asking pertinent questions about our country's war efforts in Iraq and the Middle East. Could it be that 'duck and cover' for "W" turns into 'duck, duck, goose!?'

Run, Kinky, Run

2005-08-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

Speaking of ornery tornados and updrafts . . . just stumbled across this article in the August 22nd New Yorker. Kinky Friedman, mystery writer and singer/songwriter of classics like "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore," is running for governor of Texas. With a campaign slogan of "KINKY 2006: WHY THE HELL NOT?" and an education policy titled No Teacher Left Behind, what's not to support? Give it up for the Kinkster, why don'tcha.

Close Call

2005-08-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

Today's blog quiz question: When is green NOT my favorite color? Answer: When it's the color of the sky. I'm a midwestern gal, in love with cornfields and oak groves and red barns and holstein cows blossoming in black and white across open fields. I know midwestern skies and weather patterns. Hell, I can read the ice crystals that form around the moon some nights and tell you what the weather will be like the next day. I can also tell you all about barometric pressure and how, if you listen to birds and frogs and insects, you can determine whether or not a dangerous storm is about to hit. I've seen twisters and water spouts and lightning strikes at close range. Too close. Many times. I have never seen the sky the way I saw it last night. Surreal, unnatural colors, shapes and forms with cloud tops at over 50,000 feet. A super cell tornado erupted in southeastern Wisconsin yesterday evening and, for a long time, the storm appeared to be headed our way. It veered south instead and soon dissipated over Lake Michigan. We were fortunate. Others were not. Even before news reports of the extent of the devastation reached the airwaves, many people in our city were reporting that debris and vegetation were falling out of the clouds. Letters, bank statements, greeting cards, roof shingles, plywood, tar paper - some with identifying marks from towns more than 70 miles west of us. So far, only one death has been linked to the storm. In the end, that may be the most astonishing report from last night.

The Word: Part the Second

2005-08-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

Holy moly, the Big Guy is running a freakin' campaign. According to the website, the billboard company is donating the space. Yeah, right. Like they'd have the nerve to send God an invoice. Turn up the volume to fully appreciate the heavenly musical accompaniment. A special thank you to Chase for sending in this link. Thought you'd remain anonymous? Baby, your pawprints were all over that email.

The Word of God

2005-08-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

God speaks to mortal humans in many ways. First, there is the Bible - the overwrought novel God decided to write one evening with a Smirnoff Ice (after he created Smirnoff Ice). Then He decided to try His hand as an avant garde artist, drawing pictures of His family members on windows, buildings, toast and eggs - little messages to remind us of His God-ness and His miraculous powers. Not content with books and spooky images, God has ratcheted-up His marketing and P.R. to include billboards. Yes, it's true. You can see it for yourself if you're traveling north on highway 57 outside Plymouth, Wisconsin. In atypical minimalist style, the following message is writ in large white letters on a simple black background: 'One nation under me. --God' Naturally, our Norwegian passengers thought it must be a joke. We assured them, however, that it WAS NOT FUNNY.

This 70's Show

2005-08-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

I know what the calendar says - (I'm not so old that I'm losing touch with reality) - but, crap, have we entered a time warp? An increasingly unpopular war overseas with all the markings of an inescapable quagmire, rising energy prices, a megalomaniac political machine running the White House (c'mon, W's not smart enough to run a vacuum cleaner without supervision) - even the fashion world has spun backwards to the 70's. The Stitches 'Trends' show on Sunday gave me an ice-cream brain freeze. orange? kelly green? animal fur exploding everywhere? (think Cher) And, don't even get me started on ponchos. Listen, folks. I LIVED through that era and the only thing that made it fun was access to The Pill and cheap dope. Spin the clock forward to 2005 and you don't even get THAT, thanks to "W" and his Christian Right supporters who get their undergarments in a bundle over anything that smacks of physical intimacy between consenting adults, while dressing their little girls like shake-your-booty harlots and stuffing their Christmas stockings and gift boxes with Barbie dolls and training bras. WTF? Want to remind yourself of what the 70's era was really like? My first husband used to dress like this - and I made him pose like this, too. Any wonder I needed The Pill? Cue the Pink Floyd while I excuse myself to retch.

Stitches: Day Two

2005-08-14T09:29:00.000-05:00

Oh, yeah. That's the look all right. Jaw-dropping. Eye-popping. It takes about three visits to the Stitches Marketplace before one can even begin to focus on making realistic purchases. Some of us never get to that point. Proof: I bought a hefty chunk of superfine, lace weight silk and camel yarn for, what? I hate making lace. I blame the foreign influence of my grafting instructor Galina Khmeleva. Her afternoon class on Russian grafting was so inspirational that I swear, I had a technique orgasm. I also dropped a few pence here on some yummy hand dyed skeins in brilliant red. A cardigan, perhaps? Well, that may have to wait until I receive my special order shipment from Great Yarns - fourteen balls of Shrek-y green for a great swingy, slightly asymetrical jacket with lots of texture and fantastic drapiness. Today is the final day of Stitches Midwest and I'll be hanging until the bitter end. This afternoon's class? The Norwegian Purl. Does it get any better?

Windy City Report

2005-08-13T07:50:00.000-05:00

Dateline: Chicago What? Where have I been? Well, darlings, it's been a tough summer what with all the construction commotion, the heat, the disruption of living in two houses, running a tool belt competition, and, well, you get the picture. My reward is Stitches Midwest - a fiber arts wet dream. Last night was the fashion show and, I have to say, there are some nice design developments on the way. Finally! It's been a long dry spell in the knit wear design field, filled with crappy, ill-fitting and just plain weird garments. Nothing will make me turn and run faster than a "novelty yarn" label on anything. Blechh. Yesterday, I learned to knit and purl backwards. Today, I'll try my hand at Russian grafting. But right now? Well, the Marketplace is about to open so this fiberholic babe actually ate breakfast this morning for the extra, and absolutely necessary energy surge to make it through at least half the vendors.

Red Looks Good From Here

2005-08-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

Reasons to relocate to Canada 1. Better National Anthem 2. Road signs in French are funny 3. English translations of French road signs are funnier ("Squeeze Right") 4. More donut shops per capita 5. Canadian drivers are polite 6. Canadian U.N. Ambassador Allan Rock hung out with John Lennon at peace rallies Our new ambassador to the U.N. is such a rogue nation onto himself that he couldn't win approval from his own political party and needed a sneaky political maneuver on the part of "W" to gain the appointment. Desperate times + desperate men = more desperate times ahead. But, hey! Is that a toolbelt on my Mountie?

Murder a Bush

2005-07-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

I did, and it felt sooooo good. The heavy equipment got rolled out this week at threadingwater homebase. Check out the action. The front of the house is looking a tad naked without her green flank skirts, but it was definitely time for a fashion update. And did I mention how good it feels to watch a bush get whacked?

Too Hot to Bother

2005-07-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but here in the North American midwest, we're frying this summer. We have had day after day in the high 80's and 90's (31-33 celsius for the rest of the universe) with wickedly high humidity. blechhh! My brain's gone tropical and is dragging my body with it into the land of torpor. Last year at this time, GHIW whisked me away to Paris for my 50th birthday. There, to my delight, my son and DIL were waiting to surprise me. I had packed a bag of sexy summer frocks in anticipation of languid walks along the Seine, interspersed with champagne-sipping interludes in outdoor cafes. Big mistake. It was so cold and rainy that our first outing was to purchase leggings and scarves and sweaters to layer over and under those adorable dresses. Still, it was Paris, and a cold day in Paris is still better than a hot day in Milwaukee. Proof: I'm not dissing my hometown. After all, I never found any hot beignets on the streets of Paris like the lovey one I devoured yesterday. Here at blog de la resistance, we love France, we love revolution and we love beignets. Happy (belated) Bastille Day to the Fillon family of Grenoble and all like minded revolutionaries wherever you may be. Vive la resistance!

It's a Tool Belt, Not a Choice

2005-07-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

Abandonment, abuse, neglect - an all too familiar story when condominiums fail. Please, make every tool belt a wanted tool belt. Hammer responsibly. Be cool with that tool. And don't forget to vote for in threadingwater's "Best in Show" tool belt competition.

"Scotty! Over Here!"

2005-07-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me, know that my interests often turn to obsessions. My latest obsession is White House Press Secretary, Scott McClellan. Scotty, as his fans lovingly call him, is an amazing piece of construction - cool, tetchy and well-scripted. In short, everything the Bush White House could want in an official spokesman, including the twisted-sycophant-bowel-syndrome he must surely suffer from. But why take it from me? You can follow along yourself with the transcripts of his press briefings and engage in your own "Scotty Watch" survey like the one I gathered from yesterday's briefing. Number of times Scotty invoked "ongoing investigation" as reason to deflect 1.) questions about W's statements that he would fire anyone involved in the Valerie Plame/CIA leak and 2.) his own statements that Karl Rove was not involved in the leak? 32 times!

Freedom, With a Side of Orange

2005-07-07T15:58:00.000-05:00

Following today's terrorist attacks in London, the Department of Homeland Security raised the terror threat level to Orange, once again raising the question, "What on earth are U.S. citizens supposed to do with this color-coded non-information?" Avoid public transportation and walk to and from work? Flood 911 call centers with reports of suspicious individuals? As in, "Hey, 911! I'm following a Muslim-looking cabbie with a 'Kerry-Edwards' bumper sticker. " The irony is too rich when we're told we are being attacked by terrorists because "they hate our freedoms," by the same people who have brought us the Patriot Act, restricted womens' reproductive rights, and outlawed gay marriage. But I forget. It's all about 'context' isn't it? White House spokesman Scott McClellan is big on 'context,' especially when it comes to explaining one bonehead comment after another by members of the Bush administration. On the other hand, the Bush White House thinks it's extremely important for Federal Judges and Supreme Court Justices to eliminate 'context' from their interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. The London bombers have committed a heinous crime in taking the lives of innocent people. They must be apprehended and punished. So, too, those politicians who lead any nation or group of people into unjustifiable war. Are they any less guilty of shedding innocent blood? Tell me, what context or lack of context explains the difference between them?

Blue State Rambles

2005-07-05T12:45:00.000-05:00

From a week of travel in Wisconsin and Illinois, my vote for best billboard: Picture of giant red heart with heartbeat monitor lines and the following text - "War stops a thousand beating hearts" - spotted in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin and best bumper sticker: "Mission Accomplished" with "Mission" crossed out and replaced with "Nothing" - spotted on an Illinois vehicle on our way home from St. Louis, MO.

Nix On Abuse

2005-06-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

In honor of the final day of National Accordion Awareness Month, I leave you with this chilling image of an accordion held hostage. Sadly, accordion abuse is real. Please do your part to make sure that every accordion is a wanted accordion. Play hard. Play safe. Play to liberate the free reed instruments of the world. And, in case you're wondering what's kept me from regular blog entries lately, here's the scoop. I've been playing. With power tools. With found objects. With new friends.

After three days of hilarity at Siever's Fiber Arts School, we get to pose with our display of wild-crafted garden trellises. That's me, second from the right. Have a happy holiday weekend!

A Tale of Two Solstices

2005-06-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

Summer Solstice - 2005 Summer Solstice 2004 (do you see something in the sky?)

Blot Him Out

2005-06-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

Tell me what you see. Trees? Wings? Butterflies? I see a thing of considerable beauty - a slowly rising tide of blue.

Betsy's Needle

2005-06-14T09:13:00.000-05:00

What better day to muse upon my love/hate relationship with the Stars and Stripes than Flag Day. As a child in the 50's, the US flag was a sacred and respected symbol, dutifully saluted every morning with a heartfelt pledge of allegiance. As a 60's teenager and hippie, the flag became a symbol of nationalism at its worst, a symbol of warmongering, bullying and chest beating. To honor the flag was to profess solidarity with those who used the flag for all the wrong reasons - to promote the status quo in race relations, to wage war in Vietnam, to bow to the "love it or leave it" attitude which permeated the culture at that time. I never burned a flag, but I might have without remorse. For more than twenty years I refused to stand or salute or sing the National Anthem at any public event. Is it time now to find a new way to honor the flag? A new way of thinking about nationalism? About patriotism? Are they the same? I used to think so. I'm not so certain any longer. While I am completely fed up with the Right's theft of the flag as a symbol of conservative values, I realize that my own discomfort and mixed feelings about the flag have allowed the conservatives to successfully claim the flag as their own. The flag's symbolic power is capable of stirring deep emotions. The current administration knows this. It's why we don't ever see any of the 1,700 war dead returning to US soil in flag-draped caskets. Even the conservatives realize that the power of the flag could be turned against them in a flash. All of this from the fleet fingers of a colonial woman in 1777. I believe Betsy Ross left behind a needle or two, hidden in the seams of that first flag, to prick our national sensibilities from time to time, to remind us it's a flawed symbol in many ways. Flawed and meaningful and belonging to no one ideological group. Happy Flag Day.

Taking a Break

2005-06-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

What's this? Roses and soft lighting? Yeah, I know there's a million issues to rag about, especially after a whole week of being AWOL. Then again, it's June. It's hot. Our kitchen is sitting in a dumpster in our front yard and we spent half of last week in St. Louis (where it's even HOTTER) and the bounty of roses and peonies and iris and poppies has just cast a spell over me that I'd like to enjoy for a bit. So, relax. Blog de la resistance will be back.

Operation Blue Rescue

2005-06-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Needed: Wombs for surplus frozen embryos (aka, "snowflakes"). Mother and any partner of her choosing (although partners are not required) must meet following requirements:

Have a brain - as in knowing the difference between Intelligent Design Theory and real science
Have a heart - as in being able to empathize with human beings from other cultures, social classes and skin colors
Have courage - as in a willingness to speak out against immoral government actions and policies, ask questions and demand answers

Singles, married couples, lesbian couples and women willing to provide a "snowflake" to gay couples are encouraged to apply.

C'mon. We can beat them at their own game by molding those 400,000 clumps of frozen cells into card-carrying, voting liberals. Consider it your patriotic duty to produce a blue flurry.

P.S. to BlueGal: I know you're doing your part already so keep The Raisin away from this column so he doesn't get any more smartypants ideas.

A Summer Reading List

2005-06-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

Following a tip from a secret source in central Wisconsin, I slipped over to this site to view the results of a poll run by The National Conservative Weekly on the 10 most harmful books of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Anyone want to start a book club? And for all you construction junkies - you know who you are - work on our kitchen, dining room and basement has begun. I have my own dumpster! More construction photos are posted at threadingwater for GHIW (who is missing all the fun at home because a week with friends in Maine sounded like more fun) and anyone else who wants to follow this project.

Secrets & Lies, Second Part

2005-06-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

How delicious is the timing of the unveiling of Deep Throat? W. Mark Felt is today being called a "traitor" by Pat Buchanan. He is being dissed by the man he helped to convict as a common (and apparently unrepentful) criminal, G. Gordon Liddy. And, Nixon White House attorney, Leonard Garment, muses openly that Felt kept his secret for 31 years because he knew his actions were "dishonourable." Contrary to the opinions expressed by this group of criminals, rogues and fools, Mr. Felt and the Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein, and their boss, Ben Bradlee, performed their jobs with a spirit of patriotism that we could use more of today. The "Downing Street Memo" may be the Bush Administration's Watergate. If it's true that "W" and his henchmen fixed the facts to suit their policy on Iraq, they are guilty of an even more heinous abuse of power than the Nixon administration. Let's hope the renewed spotlight on Watergate will set the wheels in motion to bring down another corrupt presidency, and in so doing, restore our country to greatness.

Secrets & Lies, Part 1

2005-05-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

I eavesdrop on conversations. I peek in windows at night. I cheat at board games. I always stop to watch airplanes fly overhead because I believe one day I will witness a plane fall from the sky. I love this website.

Today's Pentagon Lecture

2005-05-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

"We're in an environment where people react to impressions," Lawrence Di Rita, the Pentagon spokesman, said at the news conference Thursday about Guantánamo. "And so what we're trying to make sure people understand is that the impression they ought to have is that the guards, the interrogators, the command down there have been extraordinarily cautious, and yet there have been instances where inadvertent mishandling has occurred or other types of mishandling," Mr. Di Rita added.

New York Times 05/27/05

Well now, "We're in an environment where people react to impressions" ?? What the h*ll does THAT mean?

Of course people react to impressions, and in this case the impressions have been formed by mounting evidence, including reports from the Pentagon itself of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, and the FBI and CIA's admission of numerous cases of detainee torture.

The White House and The Pentagon may wish to alter the American public's impression of what they're up to behind closed doors, but the evidence being disclosed on many fronts suggests that failure to react to our impressions makes us complicit in the crimes being committed in our name. Crimes of torture and abuse euphemistically labeled "inadvertent mishandling" by the Pentagon, cannot be suppressed indefinitely.

It's an ugly stain and it marks all who remain silent.

Needs, Wants and Hypocrisy

2005-05-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

It's been a quiet week at blog de la resistance, but a slow burn is making its way to the surface. And nothing, but nothing fuels the fire like hypocrisy. Consider the current cult of the individual as practiced by our Republican bretheren. Pharmacists don't have to dispense a medication if they disagree with a woman's reason for taking the drug. "W" believes so strongly in the sanctity of life that he refuses to support stem cell research and therefore denies hope for millions with life-threatening illnesses - to say nothing of the generations to come. Lawmakers can't imagine the desperation of a pregnant child, teenager, rape victim or victim of incest or abuse, and enact legislation requiring onerous waiting periods and parental notification requirements before an abortion can be performed. All of this takes place under the banner of "family values." Well, buckeroos, I can't think of any healthy family that operates under this sort of thinking. A family, after all, is a social unit that functions for the good of everyone. I have a brother-in-law and sister-in-law who routinely sit down for a "needs and wants" discussion with the entire family. Together they negotiate the tricky terrain of these distinctions - someone "needs" time to finish their science project, another "wants" to soak in a hot tub. They give and take and sacrifice "wants" for the other person's "needs" until everyone has been heard, responded to and taken care of in the manner of a well-functioning family. No one is allowed to dismiss or belittle another person's "needs," and everyone is expected to sacrifice a "want" from time to time. The trouble with the Republicans in control now is that they are unable - or unwilling - to make the distinction between "needs and wants," a distinction that even my ten year old nephew has been making for several years already. Without that distinction, every issue becomes an individual, un-negotiable need that disregards the legitimate needs of a larger society. The "wants" never even make it to the table. The Republican family model is dysfunctional at its core. It is laden with hypocrisy and disregard for the least members of our society. They call it tough love. I call it mean and punitive. And any former adolescent will tell you, the harder the fist falls on the table, the more bloody the rebellion. Vive le resistance!

A Cleansing Breath

2005-05-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

Today is the birthday of one of our greatest contemporary poets, Jane Kenyon. In one poem, she describes being claimed by melancholia as an infant and she did, in fact, suffer from long depressive bouts throughout her life. In her writing, though, she captured best those intense moments in which we recognize happiness in the minute details of our daily routines. Ten years after her death from leukemia at the age of 47, her voice still radiates its deep appreciation for the joy of living in the world. The Suitor is one of my favorites. I hope you find a quiet moment for poetry. Righteous anger at the state of the world today can deplete energy and stamina. Some days a gal just has to take a deep breath.

Spin This, Bushies

2005-05-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

This is what was done to a prisoner his U.S. captors thought was innocent. And the White House would have us believe Newsweek magazine is responsible for the poor image of our country abroad.

Finding Real Religion

2005-05-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

Turn up the volume and holler a righteous AMEN to this outpouring of indignation and rage from George Galloway. If this four minutes of video doesn't make your day, stop wasting your time at blog de la resistance.

Bothered and Bewildered

2005-05-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

Today's topic: Holy-moly and the lathering of His followers

Human abuse at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons? Big shrug.
Report flushing a book down a toilet? Bloody riots across several countries.
Pre-emptive invasion of Iraq based on lies and fabrications - a war that so far has resulted in the deaths of over 1,600 U.S. soldiers? Collective yawn.
A husband takes his brain-dead wife off of life support after 15 years? Special session of Congress amid weeping, wailing hystrionic public outcry.

Differences? Similarities? Discuss among yourselves.

From the Bowels of the White House

2005-05-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

And speaking of sanctimonious opportunism, how about the inflated rage of the White House over the Newsweek report of U.S. soldiers desecrating the Koran? This just in from White House spokesman Scott McClellan: "It's puzzling that while Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts wrong, they refused to retract the story. I think there's a certain journalistic standard that should be met and in this instance it was not." "The report has had serious consequences," he said. "People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged."

I'm trying to take the outrage seriously, but Scotty dear, you must be joking. First, some entity (like maybe a government) gets the facts wrong (like maybe connecting Saddam Hussein to Ossama bin Laden, or fabricating the existence of weapons of mass destruction). As a result, people lose their lives (oh, let's say somewhere in the range of 1,600 U.S. soldiers) and the image of the U.S. abroad has been damaged? And all this is due to the corrosion of journalistic standards?

Try again, Mr. McClellan. Try again.

Camelot vs. The Shameful Lot

2005-05-13T12:06:00.000-05:00

"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory" - John Kenneth Galbraith Last weekend, GHIW and I traveled to the Windy City for a quick romp of theatre, dining, a visit with old friends and new, and a whirl through the Field Museum's special exhibit, "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years." The exhibit was memorable. My excitement at viewing Jackie's gowns, suits, dresses, hats - the defining couture of my upbringing, segued to nostalgia for those halcyon days of scratchy black and white television images and my younger, simpler existence of the '60's. But by the end, GHIW and I both found ourselves depressed and angry. How sad that no one younger than us has any memory at all of a time when the White House was a gathering place for intellectuals, artists, musicians, writers and thinkers. Who is left to imagine a presidential administration that could and did reach out to other nations in a spirit of equality - speaking other languages, bridging cultural differences. We know now that the Kennedy years were not the Camelot years we imagined. But the tone and timbre of those years were pitch perfect; refreshing and inspirational and far-reaching. One need only contrast the Kennedy administration to the current administration to understand how low we've descended on the evolutionary ladder. My God! We have a president who can barely speak his native language. A man who never traveled beyond the borders of his country until after becoming president. A president who brags about not reading newspapers. A president who surrounds himself with sycophants and sanctimonious opportunists. JFK sent Adlai Stevenson to the United Nations as ambassador. "W" wants to send John Bolton. I want to send bananas to the White House 'cause it's nothing but a monkey house now.

Take a Message - Please!

2005-05-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

It's Friday. It's raining. It's dreary at threadingwater base camp and I'm in a snitty mood. Today's number one snit-o-commentary concerns a most annoying trend that has recently been noted by GHIW and myself. Businesses - especially doctor's offices - that seem to have a policy of refusing to take messages. "Hello. I need to speak with Dr. So-and-So's nurse." "Sorry. She is only in the office between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. I suggest you call back tomorrow between those hours." "Could you take my name and number and ask her to call me?" "It would be better if you just called back tomorrow between 8 and 3." Umm . . . excuse me, better for whom? Maybe my upbringing as the daughter of a self-employed businessman who often received calls at home from his clients, is to blame for my peevishness. Or maybe it's all the years I worked as an office secretary taking messages as part of my job. Whatever the reason, I find these attempts to shift responsibility back to me for follow-up to be grievously annoying. Voice mail and other forms of automated answering devices are bad enough. When I finally reach a human being, I shouldn't be forced into a verbal arm-wrestling contest in order to get them to take my name and number and relay a simple message. So there. Thinking giant thoughts today.

"What's It Going To Take?"

2005-05-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

asks one reader. Good question. The current administration's lies, PR spin, abuse of power and indifference could fill a catalog the size of a Texas oil rig. Those of us who pay attention are dismissed as un-American, out-of-touch liberals, whiners and even traitors. In today's NYTimes writer Bob Herbert tells the story of Army reservist Aidan Delgado and his photographic memoir of his tour of duty in Iraq. Not a Hallmark scrapbook to be sure. Read this on an empty stomach. In our current reality-crazed culture, can Mr. Delgado's dose of realism effect a change in public attitude? Mr. Herbert thinks it can. I want to think that it MUST, but my darker side is less certain. What IS it going to take?

My Mistake

2005-04-28T14:06:00.000-05:00

The recent reader reaction that resulted in yesterday's blog entry was not, as I reported, entered as a response to my Earth Day posting. It was a response to my musings about the ironic nature of those "Support Our Troops" magnetic ribbons being affixed to our gas guzzling automobiles. Re-examining the argument in this new light is making my head hurt. I mean, this reader would appear to accept as truth that our reason for invading Iraq was to secure (read, gain access to) the country's vast oil resources. Soooo . . . let's just set aside all pretense of invading because Saddam Hussein was connected to the 9-11 attacks, or that he was harboring WMD's, i.e., the collected lies of the Bush administration, and agree to agree that our reason for being in Iraq is oil. Does anyone believe that the American people would have found this an acceptable reason for going to war? For taking pre-emptive military action? The American people are being kept in a suspended state of unreality in order to make the mounting loss of life in Iraq palatable. Meanwhile, we get to keep consuming natural resources like there's no tomorrow. I have an idea. How about this for a car magnet? "(fill in name of dead soldier) died so I could drive this (car, pickup truck, Hummer, SUV)" The current US military death toll stands at 1,573.

Glass House or Green House?

2005-04-27T15:49:00.000-05:00

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In response to my Earth Day entry, a reader questioned my authority to lament the sorry state of our planet’s health. “Do you drive?” she asks. “Do you live in the city or in a nice house in the suburbs? ye who is without sin cast the first stone.” I don’t have the right to criticize because I’m part of the problem? Is that it? Better yet, is that all you’ve got? Yes, I’m part of the problem. We all are. (I take it you breathe?) And yes, I have a right to be critical of individuals who make grotesquely wasteful decisions about the use of natural resources and the long-term effect on our planet. I especially claim my right to be critical of the current administration in Washington – one that continues to promote a series of lies including the one in which they claim global warming is a theory currently under debate within the scientific community. It is not. Global warming and its threat to the planet is no longer theoretical. It hasn’t been since the late 70’s. For the record, I live in a city. I drive to work because my town’s public transportation system is so inefficient it would not allow me to do my job if I relied on it entirely. Some directives from the federal government for my community to improve mass transportation, rather than the construction of more highways might help. I’m not going to hold my breath. Then again, maybe I will have to.

Big "C" Cred

2005-04-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

Got spanked by an anonymous reader over the weekend for being disrespectful towards the Catholic faith in my entry on the coronation of the new pope. Well, Anonymous, I'm happy to fill you in on my Catholic pedigree:

Eight years of Catholic grade school education both pre-Vatican II and post-Vatican II
High school catechism classes
Post high school theology classes
Four year undergraduate degree from a women's Catholic college

I would also point out that I contributed money and significant campaign support in an effort to install a Catholic as president of our country in the most recent election cycle.

If you take offense at my ridicule of last week's scene in Rome, so be it. However, the pageantry and politics of the Cardinals' secret conclave have nothing to do with the Catholic faith or the Catholic values that I know well.

The church leaders in Rome deserve the same amount of respect they demonstrate towards women everywhere in the world. None.

Kiss the Earth - Goodbye?

2005-04-22T12:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Earth Day from Threadingwater

Thirty-five years ago on the very first Earth Day, I skipped out of my high school classes to celebrate what my friends and I thought was the beginning of the environmental movement. We wore "Save the Earth" buttons and painted flowers on our faces. We collected trash from a local park. We dreamed of a time when recycling would be a viable community-sanctioned activity. We were enthusiastic. Hopeful.

We never dreamed the clock could be turned back to the pillaging ways of our ancestors. Strip mining. Clear cutting forests. Unchecked urban sprawl. The wholesale theft of the planet's natural resources by business and corporate interests.

We never imagined the Bush family of political special interests. We never dreamed our fellow citizens would choose selfish isolation over the best interests of a world-wide community. Hummers, SUV's and McMansions for households of two dotting every horizon were beyond any science fiction scenario we may have imagined in our future.

Yesterday, I listened to a radio report from Broward County, Florida. The county officials there are promoting the importance of establishing micro-environments to help struggling species of insects, birds and mammals by encouraging residents to provide small natural green spaces.

Is this what Earth Day has become? We calculate our achievements by counting up the number of backyard gardens while we drill for oil in the Arctic National Refuge? The polar ice caps are melting, but Rosie's Diner has a concrete planter of native grasses in the parking lot.

Save the Earth. Indeed.

Ratz Crowned in Rome

2005-04-20T10:04:00.000-05:00

Dateline - Rome: After winning the swimsuit competition, front-runner Cardinal Josef Ratzinger wowed the secret conclave of Cardinals with a moving rendition of "Feelings," sung in his native German, to become the Roman Catholic Church's newest pope. As the anxious crowds in St. Peter's Square watched and waited, Ratzinger, who immediately renamed himself Benedict Ex-Vee-Eye, waved from a balcony still clad in his crimson evening gown. "This is just fantastic," said American tourist Heather Hofnagel, "the world really needs a hard-line leader right now what with all the wars and stuff going on." "Ben Ex-Vee-Eye's the MAN!" echoed her husband Eric. "We're not really practicing Catholics," Hofnagel added, "I mean, all that stuff about eating the real blood and body of Christ is pretty weird, but being present at this historic moment kinda rocks. "

Irony on Sticky Support for Troops

2005-04-19T09:34:00.000-05:00

On December 9th, I sent the following letter and an accompanying yellow ribbon magnet to Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Dear Secretary Rumsfeld: I hope the enclosed car magnet will serve to remind you that “the Army you get,” as you so succinctly put it to our troops in Iraq, is the Army YOU provide. In response I received the following reply from the Department of the Army last week: The office of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld shared with me the letter and car magnet you sent to the Secretary. Thank you for sending your reminder. Troops stationed around the world need reminders, too, that devoted Americans like you are behind them and will not forget the sacrifices they continue to make on our behalf. They are out on the front lines fighting for our freedoms, and we owe them our support. These car-and-truck magnets are a great way for us to show our continued support for them and their families. Thank you again for writing to your military. Sincerely, Mark Heeter Public Affairs Specialist Nice letter, but am I the only one who thinks our troops are in big trouble when the Army advocates sticking magnets on our oil-dependent cars and trucks - the very reason our troops are in Iraq - as "a great way for us to show our continued support" ? Help me, please.

The Shadow of the Blackbird

2005-04-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

On a late autumn day in 2003, I spent an afternoon at the Ravensbrueck concentration camp outside Berlin with 75 Norwegian teens and their adult guides. It was part of a week-long tour through Poland and Germany in which we visited four camps. One of the adult guides was a survivor of Ravensbrueck - a camp used by the Nazis primarily for incarcerating, torturing and murdering women and children. Today is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. The words of the women who lived and died here resonate movingly in this on-line art project by Pat Binder. Go there and remember.

Two Karens

2005-04-15T11:52:00.000-05:00

Thanks to "good" Karen in Plymouth, Wisconsin for bestowing this bit of praise by referring to my blog entries as, "elegant writing about stupid people." Funny, there never seems to be a shortage of inspiration. Like this other Karen . . . Karen Brauer of Pharmacists for Life. In a Washington Post article about pharmacists refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, she posed this "stupid people" argument: "(she) defends the right of pharmacists not only to decline to fill prescriptions themselves but also to refuse to refer customers elsewhere or transfer prescriptions. "That's like saying, 'I don't kill people myself but let me tell you about the guy down the street who does.' What's that saying? 'I will not off your husband, but I know a buddy who will?' It's the same thing." Presumably, by virtue of her pharmacist credentials, Ms. Brauer knows the difference between an unimplanted zygote and an adult male - husband or not. Taking oral contraceptives is NOT the same thing as hiring a contract killer to off your mate. Isn't it about time reporters started challenging the false rhetoric of Christian fundamentalism?

Sorry We Missed You

2005-04-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

Cat Fight

2005-04-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

Blog de la resistance rarely dips its pen into local issues, but a recent proposal by Wisconsin's Conservation Congress to declassify stray and feral cats as protected species has my cat-loving attention. While it is unlikely that Wisconsin will ever allow cat hunting, measures to capture and euthanize these animals will probably be put into practice if the proposal advances. Cat lovers who object should be focusing their efforts on educating themselves and other cat owners about the importance of keeping pet cats indoors. Stray and feral cats are a menace to the environment and, as a non-native species to North America, their very existence in the wild is entirely due to irresponsible pet ownership practices. Please, if you care about preserving native species of birds and other forms of wildlife, if you care about the health and longevity of your cat, keep it indoors.

Monday Maelstrom

2005-04-11T16:17:00.000-05:00

That's shorthand for immediate, unrelated bursts of scatting from my cerebral region. First, the pope. Listening to a short radio broadcast from last week's funeral, the latent Catholic girl in me was moved to tears - that is, until I realized what a wasted opportunity his term of leadership had been. Imagine how possible it would have been for a charismatic, intelligent, poet/playwright/religious leader to have moved the Catholic Church into a position of relevancy in the 21st Century had he chosen to do so. A bit of messing about in the yard yesterday resulted in this addition to the neighborhood. Check out updates at threadingwater on the construction and knit pages. And finally, an article today about women in Afghanistan learning to drive reminded me of the scientific experiment I performed on our long driving trip to Texas. I can now prove that is physically imposible to sing along with Janis Joplin on "Me and Bobby McGee" while maintaining the posted speed limit. To all my Afghani sisters, remember that great lyrical line, "freedom is just another word for nuthin' left to lose," and get out there with the big boys drivin' fast and braking hard. You've earned the right.

My Geezer, My Love

2005-04-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

Just in case you're wondering, the magazine defines their "geezer" audience as age 40 and older. He's still GHIW to me, with or without a modeling portfolio.

Beaming

2005-03-30T11:36:00.000-06:00

It just keeps getting stranger here in the Lone Star State. After driving nearly twenty-five miles of freeway surrounded by concrete strip malls as far as the eye could see, we arrived in downtown Dallas at the Nasher Sculpture Center. At last, an island of big ideas - not big hair, big cars or big box retailers. Pictured above: Jonathan Borofsky's "Walking To the Sky"

Stranger in a Strange Land

2005-03-27T10:09:00.000-06:00

With the Big Ass Van loaded for the Righteous Road Trip to Texas, GHIW and I took off for parts south early Friday morning. We made good time, arriving in Springfield, MO by 5:30 to ensure GHIW plenty of time to settle in for NCAA basketball on the telly. Saturday morning we began the last leg of our journey to Dallas and, I gotta say, the scariest stretch of highway in recent memory. Deep in the heart of Bible-belt land, our "No W" sticker prominently displayed on the back window, I felt like a moving target. Driving through rural Oklahoma, it's hard to fathom how and why people in this area voted overwhelmingly, and against their own economic interests, to support George W. Bush. But there it was, the "disconnect" between their impoverished living conditions and the spanking new Evangelical church complexes rising from the rattiness of the surroundings, displayed town after town along the way. The atmosphere of anti-intellectualism was palpable. We feel safe enough now, having arrived at D & K's fabu new home outside of Dallas, but there is still the small matter of the conservative exorcism to be performed on their house. (They report seeing Ann Coulter books inside the house on one of their pre-purchase visits) So far, no ghostly apparitions have been spotted, but one can never be too cautious about such things.

Hysteria + Hypocrisy = Righteous Wrong-Headedness

2005-03-24T13:01:00.000-06:00

One last ( I promise) comment on my favorite hypocrisy inherent in all the hoopla surrounding Ms. Schiavo's sad case - that of the "Right to Life" credo that all life is sacred. There is something appealing about the simplicity of the argument, but the argument falls apart when, as so often happens, it is not applied with equal fervor or interest to preserving the lives of everyone. Why should the life of a zygote be more important than the woman carrying the fertilized egg? Why aren't anti-abortion proponents fighting just as hard to reverse laws that allow for criminals to be put to death? Why has the religious right remained supportive of a Bush administration that is responsible for the deaths of thousands of humans in Iraq when it is well-documented that our reasons for going to war were trumped-up falsehoods? Why do leaders like Senator Bill Frist find it necessary to defend their support of Ms. Schiavo's parents based on what he believes is the quality of their daughter's current existence? If one applies the test of conviction that "all life is sacred," then surely the question of whether or not Ms. Schiavo has the functional ability to understand her situation, experience pain or ulitmately recover from her current medical state is completely moot. Life is life. A true believer needn't parse the particulars. But of course, silly me, that isn't at all what any of these "right to life" conniptions are really about, are they?

Hey, Bushies! If You're Not Embarrassed, You Should Be

2005-03-23T13:39:00.000-06:00

Hubris is a magnificent leveler. Look for instance, at the plight of those unfortunate Republicans and, yes, some Dems, too, who bowed to hysteria among Christian fundamentalists over Terri Schiavo's case by passing the "Act for the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo." The histrionics surrounding passage of this Act even included "W's" trotting out sage bits of advice like, "it is always better to err on the side of life." Wow. This from a man and a Congress responsible for the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqi citizens killed in a war that still cannot be justified as anything more than an oil resource grab. And do I even need to get started on the death penalty? Human rights violations at Abu Ghraib? Guantanamo Bay? The foray by the President and the Congress into the practice of medicine, and their intrusion into the private lives of the Schiavo's, appears now to be backfiring. It seems that members of the judicial branch - no matter who appointed them - don't like to have a group of Congressional nincompoops telling them how to interpret the law. Nor do they seem to appreciate being second-guessed. It's enough to stir my patriotic heart. Now, how about erring on the side of life by bringing our soldiers safely home from Iraq? I guess that will have to wait until the important issue of steroid use in baseball is resolved by our lawmakers.

Congress: A Persistent Vegetative State

2005-03-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

It's been decades - decades of waiting for politicians to take action on the abysmal lack of a universal health care system for all Americans. Finally, Congress has solved the problem by declaring that THEY are qualified to practice medicine and will pass laws to enforce their own diagnosis and treatment plans ONE PERSON AT A TIME. Apparently all it takes is the submission of a videotape to Senator Bill Frist. No inconvenient office appointments. No pre-approval by your insurance plan (if you're lucky enough to have one of those). No expensive diagnostic tests. Hell, you don't even have to fill out the four page patient history form for Doc Congress. Wait until they get the videotape of my sorely chapped a**. Richard Cohen's op-ed piece is a must-read: ". . .(this) is a legal case that no longer is about Schiavo. Instead it's about the politics of abortion -- right to life -- and political opportunism. Terri Schiavo lives so that others, notably Frist, can run for higher office."

Spring Storm

2005-03-18T17:00:00.000-06:00

still snowing here at threadingwater basecamp . . . Birds huddled at the feeders, tulip noses and snowdrop fingerlings obliterated under inches and inches of fresh snow - spring is tender in Wisconsin. Knitting with cotton is an act of goofy faith.

Antiponcho, AntiGreen & Ante-Up

2005-03-17T10:20:00.000-06:00

I know I've regained my health when my cranky index returns to normal. Ready for a dose? First - the poncho. This is a fashion horror that simply will not go away. The mania for these impractical, ridiculous articles reached new heights when Martha Stewart emerged from behind bars sporting a crocheted version last week. Martha, please! - why not a pill box hat? Why not a well-tailored dress? Why this shapeless, artless piece of frippery that DOES NOT hide anyone's hips or a**? Kill poncho. kill, kill, kill . . . OK. I know it's St. Patrick's Day and everyone is supposed to be Irish and happy and gay, but I don't get it. Why the universal love affair with all things Irish? The music all sounds the same, the history of the Irish people is sad and sadder, the lovely Gaelic tongue has all but disappeared and morphed into a mushy English dialect that pretty nearly defines "quaint" and "folksy," and the sight of green beer and face-painted shamrocks makes me queasy. So there. And finally, thanks to reader and cub reporter G. Parker for sending me the counter to the ongoing cost of the Iraqi war. I'm hosting it on www.threadingwater.com If you have the stomach for it, take a look at how the cost of the war compares to what the U.S. spends on public education or kids' health. Did I throw a wet poncho on your day?

Pinking the Edge of Sanity

2005-03-14T14:13:00.000-06:00

A plague of viruses have descended upon our house, inserting their barbed and misshapen bodies in all sorts of places. There we were sailing merrily through the winter months eating right, exercising vigorously & often, armed with flu shots and a hand-washing routine that bordered on obsessive/compulsive when, BAM! those mutants arrived on the doorstep with a search warrant and a blood hound looking for the weakest link - me. Today, it's GHIW's turn and it makes me wonder where on earth was that CODE ORANGE warning when we needed it? But, here's the really odd thing that I tried to explain to GHIW last night. Despite the viral setbacks and the corresponding lower than bottom of the sea energy levels, when the going is good I've never felt so bursting with energy and creativity and complete and utter joy as I have in the past couple of weeks. I mean, weirdly joyful as in nearly crying at hearing a cardinal singing its spring song at the same time the weather forecast is calling for another three inches of snow. Or, get this, just hanging out in my yarn closet sniffing skeins of wool to decide which one I'm going to play with next. Every molecule in my body is groovin' and smoovin' and, hell, if I got a whack at "Craft Corner Death Match" I just know I'd be crowned the doyenne of decoupage.

Wake Me on Monday

2005-03-04T10:10:00.000-06:00

Has it really been more than a week since my last post? Here's what's been shaking. First, the trip north to Hayward-Cable, Wisconsin for the American Birkebeiner race. GHIW races and I volunteer to work at the registration/problem desk the day before the race. See pictures and read more about the event on my home page. We returned Sunday night to find the final architectural drawings for our kitchen and back of house remodeling job awaiting our approval. This is really going to happen! We are busy preparing ourselves mentally for the disruption and deconstruction that is about to descend on us. After struggling through aerobic and weight-lifting classes early in the week, a latent flu bug finally emerged on Wednesday forcing me to apply the brakes to my normal schedule. Yesterday, I completely gave in and crawled into my sickroom bed late in the afternoon. Too weak to knit (imagine!) I could only manage to toggle the TV remote back and forth between "Extreme Makeover" and "This Old House." I drifted off to sleep dreaming about a fireplace that gets a nose job and a kitchen that gets upgraded with 220 wiring and a tummy-tuck. Stay well, everyone. Zzzzzzzzz . . .

Afternoon Delight? Only If You're Wealthy

2005-02-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

As a member of the "Make Love, Not War" and "Better Living Through Chemistry" generation, this article, Companies Fight to Ensure Coverage for Erectile Drugs, in today's NYTimes caught my eye. The issue centers on whether or not Medicare's drug program should pay for what some lawmaker's refer to as "lifestyle drugs" for our nation's seniors. Well, now. I don't normally come down on the side of the pharmaceutical companies, but this time I find myself (rather uncomfortably) in their camp. Why is that? Frankly, when it comes to sex, I just have to say I'm in favor of it. And if certain people think a healthy sex life is a "lifestyle" rather than a function of a healthy "life," I believe they are dysfunctional in more ways than a drug like Viagra is capable of overcoming. But what truly offends me about the Medicare debate is the unspoken, unacknowledged class element to whatever decision lawmakers arrive at. Wealthier seniors will be able to afford drugs like Viagra and Cialis whether or not coverage is afforded by Medicare. Poor seniors will not be invited to the party. A healthy and vigorous sex life should not be viewed as a lifestyle choice for those who can afford it. Instead, the benefit of these new drugs - for men and women - should be extended to everyone. After all, our world might be a better, kinder place if our current leaders didn't have to expend quite so much effort compensating for their shortcomings with military chest thumping. An afternoon "nap" might advance the cause of peace and harmony more effectively.

Friday Funnies

2005-02-18T14:15:00.000-06:00

Smile. It's Friday. Even here at blog de la resistance, a gal's got to keep her spirits up. So today I bow to the High Priestess of Sass and direct you here. Who's the ill-tempered bow-wow chasing our poor kitty? Click on the picture.

True Love May Be a Pill

2005-02-17T16:41:00.000-06:00

In the NYTimes article referenced here yesterday, it was noted (rather off-handedly) that the National Right to Life Foundation does NOT take a position on contraception. Quite frankly, I found this so inconceivable that I went to their website to look for myself. Sure enough. There are positions on abortion, human cloning, euthanasia, even Medicare. There was nothing on contraception. How can it be that an organization so obsessed with dictating what a woman can and cannot do when she becomes pregnant, not take a position on contraception? Duh, hit me on the head with a crate of abstinence purity rings. It's the sex, stupid. Just paste a stop sign on your panties and chant, "True love waits" five hundred times or until - guess what - it doesn't. Maybe it wasn't true enough, or maybe he weighed fifty pounds more than you, or maybe you lacked an adult sense of judgement because, heck, you're still a kid. Just maybe the cute stop sign and the darling ring and all the good intentions weren't sufficient totems to override nature's hormones. Then what? Tough love, baby. Not sufficiently sassed yet? Read Bush's Sex Scandal, by Nicholas D. Kristof.

Send Harry a Message

2005-02-16T10:06:00.000-06:00

An article in today's NYTimes about a movement in the Democratic Party to soften their oppostion and rhetoric on abortion, included these comments from Senate minority leader Harry Reid: Senator Reid said that he welcomed the new "emphasis on recognizing the diversity of the party." He added, "We have had a lot of pro-life Democrats, but the pro-choice folk haven't reached out to them and haven't protected them." He acknowledged some complaints from abortion rights groups about the party's shifting rhetoric. "They have to keep their folks geared up, just like people who work for more highways," Mr. Reid said. "That is what they do, just like the pro-life groups." Yeah, you read it right. Proponents of women's reproductive rights just haven't done enough to reach out to our brothers and sisters with opposing views and, hell, it's just another marginalized issue like working for more highways. Let's see . . . roads - no roads/pregnancy - no pregnancy Sure, that equates TO SOMEONE INCAPABLE OF BECOMING PREGNANT. Is there any better illustration of why the Dems are floundering than the election of someone like Senator Reid as minority leader? Please, groups like Emily's List, NARAL and Planned Parenthood need your support in fighting the battle to preserve reproductive rights for women. Give generously and help these groups show Senator Reid and others like him, the best possible highway. The one that leads out of office.

I Feel A Draft

2005-02-15T15:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday's entry was all loopy Lupercalia and the lottery of love. Today, I am reminded of a different kind of lottery; the birthday lottery of the military draft that took place during my '60's and '70's youth. I was fortunate. I was a girl and not subject to the draft. The draft lottery gods passed over my small world of boyfriends, brothers and classmates with barely a glance in our direction. The war in Vietnam ended. We married, had children, grew into middle age, and the memory of living under that particular Sword of Damocles faded. Until now. A reader from central Wisconsin sends this article for consideration: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/6862691?pageid=rs.Home&pageregion=single7&rnd=1106949643712&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.872 It's chilling to think that it will take a military draft to fan the flames of an effective anti-war movement in this country. Faced with the recent Bush reelection and a lazy, complacent press, it hurts to admit that it might be the only wake-up call American's will heed. I have a son and a stepson, both in occupations that the US military would find quite useful. I'd like to joke that it's not too late for them to switch careers, hair styling maybe, but it doesn't seem funny. I worry that my good karma with the draft lottery gods will run out. Then it occurs to me, I already believe deep down that every one of us will pay the price for our collective depravity in having lost our moral center as a nation under this administration. That's what fuels my anger. Every damn day.

Lupercalia, lotteries and love

2005-02-14T09:26:00.000-06:00

For all you curmudgeons who think Valentine's Day is nothing more than a retailer's dream for boosting sales revenue during the middle of winter - listen up. You're mostly correct. There was, however, an ancient pagan festival called Lupercalia that was celebrated in mid-February by the Romans. In the usual pagan fashion, the celebrations and rituals were a hodge-podge of dissonant symbols, in this case wolves, Romulus & Remus, sacrificial dogs and goats, and naked young men running around slapping fair maidens with bloody strips of goatskin. Hmmm . . . I suppose that last part could be fun. Anyway, it seems the Lupercalian festival changed as the Romans moved north into France and Britain. My own guess is that running around naked in the middle of winter wouldn't hold the same appeal to the conquered northerners, and the ritual changed to one in which young men drew the names of available maids from a box. For the next year, the men were obligated to protect and accompany the young women whose names they had drawn. Ah, romance at last. But wait. Enter, the Catholic Church. Flush with success over their appropriation of the Druid festival associated with the winter solstice, the Church set its sights on Lupercalia. No longer would men draw the names of young women from a box. Instead, they drew the names of Christian saints whose lives they were then required to study for the next year. (Oh, c'mon . . . you can see the appeal, can't you?) Alright. It was a spectacular marketing and public relations failure and the Church eventually abandoned all hope of gaining ground with Lupercalia. The only reminder of the Church's interference was success in changing the name of the festival to Valentine, as in St. Valentine. However you choose to celebrate the day with your lover, I wish you a rollicking good time, (if there's a bloody goatskin involved, I don't want to hear about it.) Since every day with GHIW is a celebration of Lupercalia, there won't be anything out of the ordinary at our house today - just me imagining the old days of drawing names from a box. Say, Dick Cheney drawing Maureen Dowd's name, or Jon Stewart with Ann Coulter . . . XXOXXOO

Blastocyst Blues

2005-02-11T08:57:00.000-06:00

Thank you to Guila Parker for the following item -A judge in Cook County, Illinois, has ruled that a mistakenly discarded embryo at a fertility clinic is legally human, allowing a Chicago couple's wrongful death claim to go forward. Imagine for a moment how preoccupied our courts are going to be enforcing the rights of fertilized eggs should this ruling be allowed to stand. I mean, really, all those frozen blastocysts demanding to be born! Perhaps the good judge might also rule that parents who wantonly fertilize and freeze mulitple offspring be forced to bring each and every little egg to term. That might put a damper on the fertility business. Heck, it might even encourage infertile couples to adopt. How's that for a concept? Or, perhaps the government, in a form of conscription, will enlist young women with empty and available wombs to carry the fertilized eggs of those wealthy enough to afford fertility treatments. Anything less would be child abuse, wouldn't it?

Thursday Sass

2005-02-10T10:46:00.000-06:00

Three things that made me smile this morning:

The nutball right wing criticism of Clint Eastwood's film, "Million Dollar Baby" Surely, their movement is imploding when they stoop to snapping at their own former poster boy's exploration of - get this - ideas in a fictional movie that might result in viewers thinking instead of being hit over the head with ideology.
The state of Virginia's ordinance against low-riders Here in Wisconsin, where 58% of the population is overweight or obese, the low-rider phenom is a source of boundless mirth. No legislator would dare venture into the realm of fashion-ista lawmaking in a state that worships Holstein cows and recognizes Packer green and gold as the height of couture for the masses.
Prince Charles to marry Camilla Parker Bowles You mean there are still people who care about that rotter's sordid private life? (apologies to David Glass, the only person with proper credentials for using the term "rotter," but I couldn't help my sassy self)