If you hadn't seen it, would you believe it? An informed citizenry...not.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
ITALIAN MEN CAN MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE A WOMAN...Thanks to a "friend".
On a transatlantic flight, a plane passes through a severe storm.
The turbulence is awful, and things go from bad to worse when one wing is struck by lightning. One woman in particular loses it. Screaming, she stands up in the front of the plane.
'I'm too young to die', she wails. Then she yells, 'Well, if I'm going to die, I want my last minutes on earth to be memorable! Is there ANYONE on this plane who can make me feel like a WOMAN?
For a moment there is silence.. Everyone has forgotten their own peril. They all stare, riveted, at the desperate woman in the front of the plane.
Then an Italian man stands up in the rear of the plane. He is handsome, tall, well built, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He starts to walk slowly up the aisle, unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time...
No one moves ... He removes his shirt... Muscles ripple across his chest, she gasps...
And he says...
"Here! Iron this, and get me something to eat."
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| Penzance in Cornwall, UK |
The process of clothing elimination happened yesterday as I packed for my trip to England. I so wanted to take my dress boots, but they are made for walking only short distances. For walking long distances, only trainers work, so my black trainers will have to do for dress shoes. What does it matter? The last time I heard an opera at Covent Garden, I wore jeans and WHITE trainers, due to a miscalculation in time allowing for change. The visit included dinner at the elegant restaurant at the Royal Opera House. Humiliation past and gone and not so very bad after all. "Madame Butterfly" was gorgeous, and I enjoyed every minute, despite attire in jeans and WHITE trainers. Where will I go that will be dressier than Covent Garden? I've already been there dressed down, way down, so no worries about dress.
I carry a small, folding umbrella in my car, which I was going to pack for rainy days in England, but when I opened it, I saw "Chevrolet Truck" emblazoned in gold on the black umbrella. Then I remembered that it came with Grandpère's truck, and he gave it to me, so I bought another. The Chevrolet umbrella is fine for here in town, but it was not quite the note I wanted to strike in England.
Next week, the temperature in London will rise to 70°F. Also, the long range predictions for Cornwall and Copenhagen don't bode for cold weather. Looking good.
I leave my house early tomorrow morning to begin my travels, and I will have access to the internet only through Cathy's notebook, mostly for emailing my family. Probably, no blogging while I'm away, but I'll have lots of news and pictures when I return.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Another dastardly Republican plot is afoot to convince young people not to sign on to the Affordable Care Act but rather to pay the penalty. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) speaks strong words about the people in the groups participating in the scheme.
Even as those of us here at home watch in horror the spectacle of Republicans in their recklessness and intransigence risk the welfare of the entire country in their refusal to vote on the clean budget bill from the Senate, my friends from other countries watch with dismay and incredulity the continuing temper tantrum of the extremists Republicans in the House.
As David Kurtz from TPM says:
Tuesday begins a 6-month race to enroll as many uninsured people as possible in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges. For the markets to be effective, they need millions of customers, and for elderly participants not to vastly outnumber younger ones.Sen. King is my hero for his plain-speaking in naming for what it is the despicable deception in the pressure groups' attempts to convince young adults they do not need health insurance. The extreme right in the US care about nothing and no one in their determination to achieve their own political agenda whatever the cost to people other than themselves.
It’s in this context that well-heeled conservative groups are appealing to uninsured young people to remain uninsured — part of a backdoor effort to undermine the structural integrity of the health care law. (My emphasis
Their efforts have attracted the attention of one senator who recounts how being insured saved his life when he was a young adult, and who has since then watched others die due to lack of coverage. And he doesn’t mince words with those who’d take risks with other people’s health security.
“That’s a scandal — those people are guilty of murder in my opinion,” Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent who caucuses with Democrats, told me in a Friday interview. “Some of those people they persuade are going to end up dying because they don’t have health insurance. For people who do that to other people in the name of some obscure political ideology is one of the grossest violations of our humanity I can think of. This absolutely drives me crazy.”
Even as those of us here at home watch in horror the spectacle of Republicans in their recklessness and intransigence risk the welfare of the entire country in their refusal to vote on the clean budget bill from the Senate, my friends from other countries watch with dismay and incredulity the continuing temper tantrum of the extremists Republicans in the House.
As David Kurtz from TPM says:
It can't be reiterated often enough: If John Boehner puts a temporary spending bill on the House floor, without any anti-Obamacare stunts in it, it would pass.Rep. Boehner, at least some of us are aware that the Hastert Rule is not in the US Constitution, and you can, if you so choose, bypass the rule at any time.
He can do it today and avoid a shutdown, or he can do it in a few days or weeks and end a shutdown. It's up to him.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
According to CenLamar:Tony Perkins has worn many hats throughout his life: television reporter, police officer, Louisiana state representative, head of a certified hate group. But the president of the viciously homophobic Family Research Council earned a new title this week when Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed him to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, which awards grants, trains officers, and regulates law enforcement throughout the state.
Why the secrecy? Is Bobby Jindal ashamed of the appointment? If he's not, he should be.Tellingly, although Perkins was appointed nearly three weeks ago, Governor Jindal’s office kept things quiet; the appointment was first revealed by Woody Jenkins, a man who is best known in Louisiana for his three quixotic campaigns for the United States Senate. Indeed, according to multiple sources, Governor Jindal’s office had repeatedly denied or refused to acknowledge Perkins’s appointment until only yesterday, when it became the subject of national news.
Perkins hasn’t exactly mellowed out in recent years. While he’s no longer courting white nationalists and white racists, Perkins now spends a great deal of of time and energy lambasting gays and lesbians, or scientists who believe in evolution and vaccines, or people who simply strive toward ecumenical fairness and love.Is there someone around carrying less negative baggage than Perkins for Jindal to appoint? I'm sure there's an angle here, something in it for Bobby, but if his goal is a position of power outside Louisiana when his term expires, then the appointment could be viewed as taking things too far. Perhaps Jindal and David Vitter will switch places, though I heard through the grapevine that the two are not the best of friends, so I'm not certain either would support the other if there was a Republican alternative.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Dear Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA):
I cannot understand why Republicans in the US Congress, who make much of personal responsibility when the matter under discussion is programs for the neediest among us, think it's right and proper for the federal government of the United States to default on debts that are owed, an occurrence which has never happened before in the history of the country. Why is paying our debts a matter of controversy?
You may not approve of Obamacare, but it is the law of the land, and the issue has nothing to do with upholding the full faith and credit of the US government and paying debts that we owe. If you and the members of the Republican party think the American people will place the blame for their recklessness and irresponsibility on the shoulders of President Obama, I believe you are sadly mistaken.
Of course, you may think your position will play well in Louisiana in your campaign to replace Sen. Mary Landrieu, but I would not count on it. You are elected to serve the American people in the Congress of the United States, therefore you are part of the government. Your present position to wreak havoc on the entire country by holding the government hostage on the debt limit is quite disappointing to at least one of your constituents.
Sincerely,
June Butler (aka Grandmère Mimi)
------------------
Email No. 2
Dear Rep. Cassidy:
Earlier today I sent you a message on the debt ceiling. Looming imminently is the Monday deadline for passing a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. Here again Republicans in the US House display a recklessness and disregard for the welfare of the people you were elected to serve. Please pass the clean bill that the Senate sent to the House to continue the functions of the government, of which you are a part, to avoid a government shutdown.
Republicans, not President Clinton, were blamed for the shutdown in 1995 and 1996, and history will once again repeat itself as the blame will be placed firmly on the shoulders of the GOP. Why don't Republicans learn from history?
Sincerely,
June Butler
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Matt Yglesias is correct. The Republican sharks smelled blood, and they have never let up trying to repeat that success. For the life of me, I cannot understand why Republicans in the US Congress, who make much of personal responsibility when the matter under discussion is programs for the neediest among us, think it's right and proper for the federal government of the United States to default on debts that are owed, an occurrence which has never happened before in the history of the country. Why is paying our debts a matter of controversy?The absolute worst mistake Obama has made as president came back in 2011 when Republicans first pulled this stunt. At that time, Obama desperately wanted a bargain over long-term fiscal policy. So he tried a bit of too-clever-by-half political jujitsu in which GOP debt ceiling hostage taking became a pretext to start negotiations over long-term budgeting. All manner of evils have fallen forth from that fateful decisions, including an economic weak patch in 2011 the ongoing mess of sequestration, and worst of all the setting of a precedent for future crises. The good news is that the White House recognizes they made a mistake, and the last time Republicans tried to pull this they didn't give in. And they can't give in now. Not even a little bit. A terrible monster was let out of the box in 2011 and the best thing Obama can possibly do for the country at this point is to stuff it back in and hopefully kill it.
Syrian President Bashar Assad is a cruel despot, but the US should not involve itself militarily in Syria's civil war. The tangled alliances and relationships in the Middle East change quickly, beyond our abilities to follow or understand, but the civil war is not simply a struggle between the good guys vs. the bad guys.
More than a dozen key Syrian rebel groups said Wednesday that they reject the authority of the Western-backed opposition coalition, as U.N. inspectors returned to the country to continue their probe into chemical weapons attacks.Our efforts should be directed toward humanitarian relief of the Syrian people, who are suffering greatly, rather than sending missiles that will surely serve to inflict further suffering. The plight of the 1 million Syrian refugees who fled to surrounding countries is, in many cases, desperate, and we must focus our attention on giving aid to relieve suffering.
In a joint statement, 13 rebel groups including a powerful al-Qaida-linked faction but also more mainstream forces slammed the Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition, saying it no longer represents their interests.
....The rebel groups' statement was titled "Communique No. 1," a term used before in Arab countries following military coups that suggests the creation of a new leadership body.
A video released on the Internet showed Abdel-Aziz Salameh, political chief of the Liwaa al-Tawheed brigade that is particularly strong in the city of Aleppo, reading the statement.
....
The signatories called on all military and civilian forces "to unite under a clear Islamic framework based on Shariah law, which should be the sole source of legislation"— an apparent reference to the al-Qaida faction's aspirations to create an Islamic state in Syria.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
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| Starry Night Over the Rhône - Vincent van Gogh |
Light of the WorldImage from Wikipedia.
Phos hilaron
Light of the world in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
In a little more than a week, I will head to Merrie Olde England for my final trip across the Atlantic. Traveling by plane has become so difficult and unpleasant, that I don't see myself making the attempt again. Even I think it's a bit crazy for me to attempt it now. Grandpère surely thinks so, and he will not travel with me. On this trip, I will be in the south of England, with Oxford as my outpost farthest to the north.
While I'm there, I will have access to the internet mostly on my friend's laptop. Email messages to and from my family will be my priority, so it's likely few posts will appear on Facebook or my blog.
I've just been summoned to jury duty on a date when I will be out of the country, so I must write to be excused, though I like to do my civic duty when called upon. The notice tells me that I may also be excused due to my great age, but I would not ask on that account.
A man with a cough is examined by his doctor and asks, "Doc, are you sure I'm suffering from pneumonia? I heard once about a doctor treating someone with pneumonia but eventually finally he died of typhus."
The doctor replies, "Don't worry about that: It won't happen with me. If I treat someone for pneumonia, he will die of pneumonia."
Cheers,
Paul (A.)
The doctor replies, "Don't worry about that: It won't happen with me. If I treat someone for pneumonia, he will die of pneumonia."
Cheers,
Paul (A.)
Monday, September 23, 2013
From their wonderful album, The River in Reverse.
From a review at Amazon:
By
Tim Brough "author and music buff"
The most searing of musical indictments during 2006 didn't come from some young buck MC or a snorting enraged punk band. It came from a pair of wizened musical vets. Elvis Costello teamed up with Allen Toussaint and dropped this amazing 13 song collaboration that both celebrates the spirit of New Orleans' music makers at the same time it ravages those that willingly stood off and averted their eyes. "Ascension Day" is this album's centerpiece, mournfully delivering the lyric "40 days passed by, 40 alibis" with the clarity of his best work. "The River In Reverse" takes on this dichotomy and doesn't flinch. The angry young man of old finally gets to harness his vitriol to a new cause, and Toussaint gives Costello a whole new batch of colors to work with.
Oddly enough, it is the catalog numbers from Toussaint that really bring out the soul to "The River In Reverse." Versions of "Tears and More Tears," "Freedom for the Stallion" and "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" (with the lead sung by Toussaint) make their emotional mark to the time, even despite their age. Toussaint's arrangements (often not varying much from their older recordings) also draw out some of Costello's better vocal skills. He sounds more soulful here than on his "My Flame Burns Blue" CD, released with the same year as "The River In Reverse."
Sunday, September 22, 2013
In the month of September, we celebrate four birthdays (Patrick, Alison, Joey, and me) and one anniversary (Tom and me). We try to gather the family together each year for the celebration.
As the grandchildren grow older, it's not easy to have everyone together at the same time. We're missing two grandsons because they were out of town.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Until I see the possibility of the enactment of sensible laws to regulate ownership of guns in the United States, I have no words. I am silenced by the insanity of acceptance of a culture of frequent mass shootings with no will to change. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Wounded Bird receives fewer comments now than ever before in the six years of its existence. I'm not complaining, simply stating a fact. Except for the most popular blogs, those with thousands of readers, commentary has moved from blogging to other social networks, such as Facebook, etc. When I disallowed anonymous comments earlier, due to the overwhelming numbers of spam comments coming through, mostly in the name of "anonymous", some regulars here were unable to comment because they were not registered with Blogger, Google, or one of the other blogging formats. Now, perhaps too late, I invite those readers back to the comments, because with comment moderation enabled, anonymous comments are permitted. I ask those who comment as "anonymous" to sign a name, any name, make up a name, when you leave a comment, so we can distinguish one anonymous from another.
My wish has always been to keep the comment function open and free, and, for many years it was possible, but no longer. Wounded Bird must change with the times. Thank you for your cooperation.
My wish has always been to keep the comment function open and free, and, for many years it was possible, but no longer. Wounded Bird must change with the times. Thank you for your cooperation.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
We are sad to report the death of Laptop, the Cathedral cat. The friendly feline had lived at the Cathedral for many years and it was estimated that he was over 18 years old.See the cathedral website for more adorable pictures of Laptop. Surely after 18 years at Canterbury, Laptop ought to have a title, if only honorary.
Laptop was a free spirit and the exact story of how he came to live at the Cathedral is somewhat of a mystery. It is believed he started his life here visiting the choir boys at Choir House, and this is how we think he got his name, as he was forever trying to jump on people’s lap when they stroked him.
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| Irvin Mayfield, Fats Domino, Davell Crawford |
Rock ’n’ roll pioneer Fats Domino, 85, was honored Wednesday at his home by New Orleans Jazz Orchestra founder Irvin Mayfield and keyboardist Davell Crawford.My relationship with Fats goes back a long time, to the early 1950s, when we jitterbugged or slow danced to his music. Fats' recordings remain in my music collection today, and I listen fairly often. Congratulations, Fats. The gold records, No. 1 hits, and honors are well-earned and well-deserved.
....
Domino’s ascendancy began in 1949 with his million-selling recording of “The Fat Man.” By the early 1960s, he had racked up 35 Top 40 records including the No. 1 hits “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill” and “Blue Monday.”
Here's Fats with "Blue Monday".
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