I Have Good News and "Gooder" News

First the good news:
(This is good news because they caught the bastards.)

1. This is not hunting, this is killing for the sake of killing.

2. This is murder.

These two stories caught my eye because deer hunting season started yesterday and it overlaps with pheasant season. My husband is out with the dogs every day and I do not stop worrying until he walks back in the door.

Then the "gooder" news":

Update to Pagosa Springs story. Nice to know they are still flying their freak flag.

Flu Season Is Coming

So I got my flu shot yesterday. Today my body feels like it fell down a long flight of heavily carpeted stairs. Plus the lateral deltoid muscle in my left arm is still sore where they injected the vaccine.

Sooo, since I still hurt where I was injected and since my body is reacting to the vaccine and since it is snowing outside I will now curl-up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and spending the afternoon watching The Lady Eve, White Christmas, and Cat Ballou. It is definitely a three movie day.

Peace Be With You

-The Bible, Genesis 43:23


Ok, first things first. This is a peace symbol:


And contrary to popular urban myth it is not a Satanic symbol, it is not anti-Christian, and it does not depict a broken upside down cross. It is a peace symbol, created by Gerald Holtom in 1958 as a logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in Britain. The two lines that form the upside down V is the semaphore flag signaling position for the letter N. The line straight down the middle of the circle is the semaphore flag signaling position for the letter D. ND = Nuclear Disarmament.


Lay one over the top of the other, put a circle around them, and you have the peace symbol.

Why am I telling you this? Because of this news story out of Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

How Long Has This Been Going On?

The Revolutionary War- 6 years, 9 months. (July 1776 to April 1783)

War Of 1812- 3 years, almost 6 months. (June 18, 1812 to January 8, 1815)

The American Civil War- 4 years. (April 1861 to April 1865)

Mexican War, Remember The Alamo!- 1 years, 2 months. (December 1846 to February 1848)

Spanish American War, Remember The Maine!- Less than four months. (April 21, 1898 to July 17, 1898)

World War I (American involvement), Remember The Lusitania!- 1 year, 7 months. (April 21, 1917 to November 11, 1918)

World War II (American involvement), Remember Pearl Harbor!- 3 years, 8 months. (December 7, 1941 to August 14, 1945)

Korean War- 3 years, 1 month, 2 days. (June 25, 1950 to July 27 1953)

Vietnam- 8 years, 5 months. (August 1964 to January 1973)

Persian Gulf War- 1 month, 10 days. (January 18, 1991 to February, 28 1991).

Afghanistan, Remember 9/11!- 5 years, 1 month, and counting. (Started October 7, 2001)*

Iraq- 3 years, a few days past eight months, and counting. (Started March 19, 2003)



Which means the only wars lasting longer than we have been in Iraq so far are: The Revolutionary War, The American Civil War, The Vietnam War, and "the war we do not name" Afghanistan.

Of these four, which ones are the most like the mess in Iraq?

(Hint- It is not The Revolutionary War or The American Civil War.)



*Forgot about this one, didn't you?

Buy Nothing Day

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Freedom From Want, Norman Rockwell (1943)

Consumer Madness

Anybody remember the Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy? How about Beanie Baby insanity? Well, last week we had Playstation 3 riots with the launch of the newest Sony video game machine. Selling at $500 to $600 (depending on the hard drive) the almost impossible to get toy (only 400,000 were released in the USA) was listing for up to $5,000 on eBay at one point.

I am bringing this up because Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow and millions of Americans will be sitting down to dinner with family and friends. At the beginning of the meal the host or hostess will go around the table asking each person there what they are most thankful for this year. I don't think many will be answering that it is their Playstation 3.

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday in the selling business and is traditionally the start of the Christmas retail season. Try to ignore the fact that most stores have had their Christmas items on display since October. Black Friday has nothing to do with the spirit of the Christmas season. Black Friday is a stressful, gluttonous day of consumer buying that brings out the worst in some people.

This year I will be opting out.




Buy Nothing Day

We Just Got A New Camera

Testing...1, 2, 3, Click!

Game Over

You have done well, grasshoppers, ten out of fifteen.


1. If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the cross-roads.

"You have it for tonight, darling." whispered Jane, and she tucked him in just as Mary Poppins use to do...
-Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers


2. In the Cordova Hotel, near the docks of Barcelona, fourteen Marine Corps fighter pilots from the aircraft carrier FORRESTAL were throwing an obstreperously spirited going away party for Lieutenant Colonel Bull Meecham, the executive officer of their carrier based squadron.

Ben Meecham filled up on the road to Atlanta with the love of his father, with the love of Santini.
-The Great Santini by Pat Conroy


3. When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
-To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee


4. "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
-Little Women by Louisa May Alcot


5. 3 May, Bistritz- Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46 but train was an hour late.

"The curse has passed away!" And, to our bitter grief, with a smile and in silence, he died, a gallant gentleman.
-Dracula by Bram Stoker


6. No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality: even larks and katydids are supposed by some to dream.

Within its walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.
-The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson


7. The family Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex.

Between Barton and Delaford, there was that constant communication which strong family affection would naturally dictate;- and among the merits and the happiness of Elinor and Marianne, let it not be ranked as the least considerable, that though sisters, and within sight of each other, they could live without disagreement between themselves, or producing coldness between their husbands.
-Sense and Sensibilty by Jane Austen


8. Barrabas came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy.

It begins like this: Barrabas came to us by sea...
-The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende


9. He rode into the dark of the woods and dismounted. He crawled upward on his belly over cool rocks out into the sunlight, and suddenly he was in the open and he could see for miles, and there was the whole vast army below him, filling the valley like a smoking river.

It rained that night. The next day was Saturday, the Fourth of July.
-Killer Angels by Michael Shaara


10. Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery.
-The Di Vinci Code by Dan Brown


11. In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit.
-The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien


12. Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians.

They kissed once. Then he turned upon his heel and disappeared into the Darkness.
-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke


13. As I walked through the wilderness of this world I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me down in the place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream.

Should it be my lot to go that way again, I may give those that desire it an account of what I here am silent about: meantime I bid my reader
FAREWELL
-The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan


14. You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy.
-The Color Purple by Alice Walker


15. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't fell like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
-The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger

The Minute You Walked In The Place

Back around 1998 my mother had a heart attack and I flew out to New York from Denver to be with her. I thought I would only be staying at my sister's apartment for a week or two but ended up being there almost a month as my mother's health problems were a little more complicated than we first believed. Twice a day (once in the morning and once in late afternoon) I would take the train up to West 168th and Broadway and then walk over to New York- Presbyterian Hospital to visit her. Twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening) I would ride the train back down to my sister's neighborhood.

One evening when I got off the train I did not feel like going straight back to my sister's apartment and decided instead to stop at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore on 82nd and Broadway. When I got there I wandered around stopping to look at any book that peaked my interest. At one end of a row of shoulder high bookshelves, on the top shelf of the Film and Television section, I found a large coffee table sized book about the history of Broadway musical theater. I started flipping through it and stopped at a full page color photo of Gwen Verdon as Lola in Damn Yankees.

As I stood there I had the feeling that someone was watching me so I turned around. Behind me an older woman with ginger hair piled on top of her head stood smiling at me. She was a little shorter than I am and delicate looking. She was wearing a red pullover sweater, a wide black knit scarf wrapped loosely around her neck, black pants, black boots, and a full length unbuttoned black cashmere coat. I smiled back at her and, still smiling, she turned and slowly started walking down the aisle. I turned back to the book and the second I saw the photo again I knew the women who had been watching me was the same person as the woman in the photo.

I turned and watched her as she sauntered to the other end of the row of bookcases, turned right, and disappeared around the corner. I stepped away from the bookcase I was standing in front of and then stepped to the other side of the row of bookcases to my right and saw a large open space with rows of chairs lined up facing away from me. Behind the chairs was a large poster on a stand announcing that Gwen Verdon was going to be doing a reading in the store at 9:00 P.M. that night.

For a second I thought about getting her autograph for my mother since my mother was a big fan of hers, but I knew I would not because I am not the type of person who would every do that; I felt foolish even thinking about it. I did smile. Syncronisity. Who would have thought that at the very second I randomly opened a book to a page on which there was a photo of Gwen Verdon printed she would be walking behind me?

(Note: "The Game" still has six five titles unnamed. I'll leave the post alone until Monday to give anyone who has not seen it a chance at them.)

Let's Play A Game (part two)

Six Ten books named. So, to help you out I will now give you the last sentence of the nine five remaining books.


1. "You have it for tonight, darling." whispered Jane, and she tucked him in just as Mary Poppins use to do...
-Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

2. Ben Meecham filled up on the road to Atlanta with the love of his father, with the love of Santini.
-The Great Santini by Pat Conroy

5. "The curse has passed away!" And, to our bitter grief, with a smile and in silence, he died, a gallant gentleman.

6. Within its walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.
-The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

7. Between Barton and Delaford, there was that constant communication which strong family affection would naturally dictate;- and among the merits and the happiness of Elinor and Marianne, let it not be ranked as the least considerable, that though sisters, and within sight of each other, they could live without disagreement between themselves, or producing coldness between their husbands.
-Sense and Sensibilty by Jane Austen

8. It begins like this: Barrabas came to us by sea...

9. It rained that night. The next day was Saturday, the Fourth of July.

12. They kissed once. Then he turned upon his heel and disappeared into the Darkness.

13. Should it be my lot to go that way again, I may give those that desire it an account of what I here am silent about: meantime I bid my reader
FAREWELL

Let's Play A Game

I give you the opening sentence and you give me the name of the novel.


1. If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the cross-roads.

2. In the Cordova Hotel, near the docks of Barcelona, fourteen Marine Corps fighter pilots from the aircraft carrier FORRESTAL were throwing an obstreperously spirited going away party for Lieutenant Colonel Bull Meecham, the executive officer of their carrier based squadron.

3. When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
-To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4. "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
-Little Women by Louisa May Alcot

5. 3 May, Bistritz- Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46 but train was an hour late.

6. No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality: even larks and katydids are supposed by some to dream.

7. The family Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex.

8. Barrabas came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy.

9. He rode into the dark of the woods and dismounted. He crawled upward on his belly over cool rocks out into the sunlight, and suddenly he was in the open and he could see for miles, and there was the whole vast army below him, filling the valley like a smoking river.

10. Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery.
-The Di Vinci Code by Dan Brown

11. In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit.
-The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

12. Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians.

13. As I walked through the wilderness of this world I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me down in the place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream.

14. You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy.
-The Color Purple by Alice Walker

15. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't fell like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
-The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger

Maybe The World Isn't Going To Hell In A Handbasket

1. A basketball player thinking about the kids.

2. "Arrrnoold" thinking about the future.

3. People thinking about each other.


Then again...maybe it still is.

Blue On Blue

I subbed at the library today and since the library was closed on Friday and Saturday I was very busy. This will be a short post. I had a great time with my sisters this weekend but the minute they left I sunk into a big pool of depression that is still clinging to me today.

Some days living in this town is like being in a foreign country. I just don't understand the mentality of the people here. I was checking the election returns for the country I live in and the results that bummed me out the most was the race for Attorney General. The Attorney General before the election was Republican Phil Kline who ran against Democrat Paul Morrison.

After a two year legal fight Kline has seized the medical records of women who had abortions at two Wichita clinics. One is a Planned Parenthood clinic in Overland Park. The other is the clinic of Dr. George Tiller, who is known for doing late-term abortions. Kline said he wanted the records to see if there was evidence of unreported rape, child rape, incest, illegal late-term abortions or child sex abuse. If this is true then why hasn't he gone after the medical records of all hospitals, medical clinics, and private doctors in the state of Kansas? Talk about invasion of privacy issues.

Anyway, Kline was defeated with 58% of Kansas voters choosing Paul Morrison and 42% voting for Kline. This in a state, as the Kansas City Star pointed out,” where Republicans account for nearly 46 percent of all registered voters."

In my little corner of the world 37% of the people who voted chose Paul Morrison while 63% chose Kline. Almost three-thirds of my neighbors voted for a man who was abusing his position as Attorney General to advance his own religious views. Screw the fourth amendment. Screw Roe V. Wade.

I really don't understand these people.

A couple of articles about Kline's crusade here (from 2005) and here.

A Woman's Work Is Never Done

I still have not caught up on everything I need to do since I got back from Denver. My sisters are coming this weekend so today I am cleaning my house. It turns out to be a good day to work inside since outside a cold, blustery wind is blowing from the North. You spend more than thirty seconds out in that wind today and you end up chewing on gritty dirt. See you Monday.

Post Election Letdown

I woke up this morning feeling blue because I am not really sure that things are going to change that much in this country. The Republicans may not be in control of Congress any more but that fact may not have any influence on what is happening in Iraq. The President is still the one with the power when it comes to the war.

So, I was moping around most of the day until I saw this:



It made me feel so much better.

Bush and Rumsfeld

Listened to Bush's press conference this afternoon. My favorite part of the president's speech was this:

The election has changed many things in Washington, but it has not changed my fundamental responsibility, and that is to protect the American people from attack.

As the commander in chief, I take these responsibilities seriously. And so does the man who served this nation honorably for almost six years as our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

Now, after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon.

Our military has experienced an enormous amount of change and reform during the last five years while fighting the war on terror; one of the most consequential wars in our nation's history.

Don Rumsfeld has been a superb leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war.

Don Rumsfeld's a patriot who's served our country with honor and distinction. He is a trusted adviser and a friend, and I'm deeply grateful to his service to our country.

As I heard these words I thought, "Did Rumsfeld jump or was he pushed?"
I also thought it was a strange way to announce that Rumsfeld was no longer Secretary of Defense. Bush sounded just like a murderer describing how he had killed his victim, "The next thing I knew, the gun fired and "Don" was lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to his chest."

Nope, Bush had nothing at all to do with Rumfeld's resignation, it just happened.

No Rest For The Weary

Election Day

I just got back home after voting. This election is going to be a mess. There are major problems with the electronic voting system being used this year. In Colorado, instead of precinct polling places, they set up voting centers around the state with officials having access to computerized voter lists. Voters are able to vote at any one of the voting centers they wanted to, which meant they could vote near where the worked instead of driving all the way home. Good plan except that the computerized voter lists were unavailable to the officials at most of the voting centers. The Colorado Democratic Party has filed a court appeal asking that voting hours be extended two hours beyond the usual 7:00PM closing. These kinds of problems are not limited to Denver but are happening all over the country. This is going to be a long night.

Oh, and this:



is the political party I voted for today. Instant Karma's gonna to get you.
(YouTube video via Changing Places)

Election Do-do

One of the "perks" of television watching here in Denver during an election is the many, many, many negative campaign ads. No one wants to speak about the issues; they all just want to tell you what slime buckets their opponents are this year. There are so many running on televisions all over the country that MSNBC and NBC's The Today Show are running a contest. You can go to the MSNBC website and vote for "the meanest, the dumbest, and the funniest ones."

Still Here

In Denver. Which means I get to watch the latest episodes of CSI and ER tonight. God, I am so shallow.

Where I Live

Population

2,407 souls

50.6% are female
49.4% are male
25.8% are over the age of 65
4.6% are under the age of 5

Median age of population 44

Birth Place

97.1% were born in town or in the county

Ethnicity

98.0% White

Ancestry

46.5% said they were of German descent
13.4% said they were of English descent
7.3% said they were just American

Social Characteristics

15.7% have never married
64.9% are married
11.4% are widowed
7.0% are divorced

61.2% are high school graduates
12.3% have a Bachelor degree or higher

Housing

97.7% of the population live in individual households
2.3% live in some kind of group home

43.5% of the houses were built before 1939
20.5% of the houses were built between 1940 and 1959

Median value of homes $50,200

Economics

52.4% of the population works

Median income $35,731

Families below poverty level 1.7%
Individuals below poverty level 7.67%

Work

Top three fields:
1. Agriculture
2. Retail Trade
3. Education, health and social services

Commuting to Work
71.1% drive alone
11.9% car pool
5.3% walk
No one used Public Transportation- we don't have any

Mean travel time 14 minutes

Religion

There are 12 churches, all Christian

(Via ZipCodeStats by way of Reading & Writing)