Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Man's Best Friend
Action is the real measure of intelligence.
-Napoleon Hill, American author (1883-1970)
Little Sally Pumpkinhead has always been a bit of a goof. I thought the problem was poor or total lack of impulse control on her part but I may be wrong. She is very good at ignoring me when I tell her to come if she is busy doing something she doesn't want to stop like searching for bunnies when we are out walking. She has a hard time staying in place after being told to sit for a treat. She always breaks and moves to a position right in front of me in an attempt to not be overlooked when the doggie biscuits are handed out. She will not stop getting up on the couch and comfy chair in the living room, our bed in the bedroom, and the futon in the basement no matter how many times she had been caught doing so and no matter how many times she has been scolded for it. Of course she would be caught less if she did not stand right next to said couch, comfy chair, bed, and futon with the same look on her face as a rookie football player who just got caught committing a foul on the field and is trying convince the Ref that he is innocent of all charges.
This morning I went into the bedroom to make the bed and noticed that one the dog blankets was missing. Little Sally Pumpkinhead loves to take her blanket outside and whip it around as if she is trying to kill. This is a game I try to discourage as it ends with her bringing the now dirty blanket back into the house and dropping bits of dead grass all over the carpet which are a pain to clean up. She used to proudly prance across the living room with the blanket in her mouth before racing outside but now that she knows it is supposed to stay in the house she sneaks it out through the kitchen. After checking around the house to see if it was still inside, I looked out the front door and found her lying near the front steps with the blanket wadded up under her body. I did not want to go out to try and take the blanket away from her as that usually ends up with her griping the blanket in her teeth and racing off for a game of "Chase me, chase me!" Instead I stood at the door and called her to me, following that command with the words "bring it." She stared at me and I again told her to come and bring the blanket with her. I did not really expect her to do this but she grabbed the blanket with her teeth, stood up, trotted up the front step, through the front door, through the living room to the bedroom, hurried to her bed, dropped the blanket on her bed and lay down on top of it. She stared at me with a look that said, "Is this what you wanted?"
Now why do I now have the feeling that Little Sally Pumpkinhead isn't the goof I thought she was but instead is a very smart dog who has been playing me for a fool?
-Napoleon Hill, American author (1883-1970)
Little Sally Pumpkinhead has always been a bit of a goof. I thought the problem was poor or total lack of impulse control on her part but I may be wrong. She is very good at ignoring me when I tell her to come if she is busy doing something she doesn't want to stop like searching for bunnies when we are out walking. She has a hard time staying in place after being told to sit for a treat. She always breaks and moves to a position right in front of me in an attempt to not be overlooked when the doggie biscuits are handed out. She will not stop getting up on the couch and comfy chair in the living room, our bed in the bedroom, and the futon in the basement no matter how many times she had been caught doing so and no matter how many times she has been scolded for it. Of course she would be caught less if she did not stand right next to said couch, comfy chair, bed, and futon with the same look on her face as a rookie football player who just got caught committing a foul on the field and is trying convince the Ref that he is innocent of all charges.
This morning I went into the bedroom to make the bed and noticed that one the dog blankets was missing. Little Sally Pumpkinhead loves to take her blanket outside and whip it around as if she is trying to kill. This is a game I try to discourage as it ends with her bringing the now dirty blanket back into the house and dropping bits of dead grass all over the carpet which are a pain to clean up. She used to proudly prance across the living room with the blanket in her mouth before racing outside but now that she knows it is supposed to stay in the house she sneaks it out through the kitchen. After checking around the house to see if it was still inside, I looked out the front door and found her lying near the front steps with the blanket wadded up under her body. I did not want to go out to try and take the blanket away from her as that usually ends up with her griping the blanket in her teeth and racing off for a game of "Chase me, chase me!" Instead I stood at the door and called her to me, following that command with the words "bring it." She stared at me and I again told her to come and bring the blanket with her. I did not really expect her to do this but she grabbed the blanket with her teeth, stood up, trotted up the front step, through the front door, through the living room to the bedroom, hurried to her bed, dropped the blanket on her bed and lay down on top of it. She stared at me with a look that said, "Is this what you wanted?"
Now why do I now have the feeling that Little Sally Pumpkinhead isn't the goof I thought she was but instead is a very smart dog who has been playing me for a fool?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Books, Books, Books
Bookselling has been called a very pleasant way of making very little money.
-Jacob Zeitlin (American bookseller, 1902 - 1987)
Yesterday I was adding the title of the book I was reading to my Book Room list in the sidebar on this blog when I noticed something, see if you notice it, too. For those of you who do not know, Book Room lists, in order, the last ten books I've read with the one I am currently reading sitting at the top of the list. Scroll down right now to Book Room over in the sidebar and read the list of books there. Now, can you tell which books on the list are nonfiction and which books on the list are fiction? Easy, isn't it? When and why did they starting attaching short, descriptive blurbs to nonfiction book titles? I'm not sure when this tend started but the reason why may be the Internet.
-Jacob Zeitlin (American bookseller, 1902 - 1987)
Yesterday I was adding the title of the book I was reading to my Book Room list in the sidebar on this blog when I noticed something, see if you notice it, too. For those of you who do not know, Book Room lists, in order, the last ten books I've read with the one I am currently reading sitting at the top of the list. Scroll down right now to Book Room over in the sidebar and read the list of books there. Now, can you tell which books on the list are nonfiction and which books on the list are fiction? Easy, isn't it? When and why did they starting attaching short, descriptive blurbs to nonfiction book titles? I'm not sure when this tend started but the reason why may be the Internet.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
What A Beautiful Spring Day Here
Only The Friends Of Distinction can tell you how great it was- can you dig it, baby?
It sure is mellow grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
What a trip just watchin' as the world goes past
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
There are so many good things to see while grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Flowers with colours for takin',everything outta sight in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh, yeah
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Oh, let's dig it....
It sure is mellow grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
What a trip just watchin' as the world goes past
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
There are so many good things to see while grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Flowers with colours for takin',everything outta sight in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh, yeah
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Oh, let's dig it....
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Bunny Heaven
I took the dogs up to the cemetery to run them this morning. Little Sally Pumpkinhead mostly stayed with me but Duke ran off on in a search for rabbits. He checked around the cemetery's metal storage building and then started a systematic search of the large evergreen bushes scattered among the gravestones and markers. I find it very amusing whenever I see the back half of Duke protruding from the bottom of a large cone shaped bush. Those bushes are so dense Duke cannot get all the way inside so the only way I can tell if any rabbits are hidden in there is by watching his tail. If his tail is still, no rabbits. If his tail is wagging furiously, rabbits. As long as the rabbits do not panic and make a run for it they are as safe as a bar of gold in Fort Knox. That is, most of the time.
As we neared the end of our morning run Duke was nowhere to be seen so I started calling his name. After about 30 seconds I spotted him half way across the cemetery running towards me. As he got closer I noticed he had something in his mouth which looked as if it could be a dead bird. When he got within 30 feet of me he stopped and dropped what he was holding. When it hit the ground I could see it was a small mound of tan colored fur. Little Sally Pumpkinhead also noticed that Duke had dropped something and started trotting quickly over to him to take a closer look and, I could tell, maybe steal it away from him. I rushed over, got there just before she did, and picked the lump of fur up. It was a still warm baby bunny. I don't know how old it was but it just fit in my open hand. I had pick it up in such a way that it now lay on its back with its tiny paws held up in the air. It had tiny ears like a terrier puppy and its mouth was slightly open with the tip a tiny tongue sticking out. Its eyes were almost completely closed and as I stared at it I wondered if it could see me. I also wondered if it was alive because I swear it moved a little when I first picked it up. Then I wasn't sure because it lay limp in my hand. Was what I interpreted as slight movement by the bunny simply gravity pulling at the body when I picked it up? I kind of hope it had died in my hand as that would mean it had not died alone. No living thing should leave this earth without the knowledge that another living thing was there to bear witness and mourn its passing.
As we neared the end of our morning run Duke was nowhere to be seen so I started calling his name. After about 30 seconds I spotted him half way across the cemetery running towards me. As he got closer I noticed he had something in his mouth which looked as if it could be a dead bird. When he got within 30 feet of me he stopped and dropped what he was holding. When it hit the ground I could see it was a small mound of tan colored fur. Little Sally Pumpkinhead also noticed that Duke had dropped something and started trotting quickly over to him to take a closer look and, I could tell, maybe steal it away from him. I rushed over, got there just before she did, and picked the lump of fur up. It was a still warm baby bunny. I don't know how old it was but it just fit in my open hand. I had pick it up in such a way that it now lay on its back with its tiny paws held up in the air. It had tiny ears like a terrier puppy and its mouth was slightly open with the tip a tiny tongue sticking out. Its eyes were almost completely closed and as I stared at it I wondered if it could see me. I also wondered if it was alive because I swear it moved a little when I first picked it up. Then I wasn't sure because it lay limp in my hand. Was what I interpreted as slight movement by the bunny simply gravity pulling at the body when I picked it up? I kind of hope it had died in my hand as that would mean it had not died alone. No living thing should leave this earth without the knowledge that another living thing was there to bear witness and mourn its passing.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Stiller And Meara
One of my happiest memories from childhood was watching the comedy team of Stiller and Meara on The Ed Sullivan Show. You probably recognize Jerry Stiller from Seinfeld where he played George Costanza's father, Frank Costanza. Anne Meara has done bit of acting, too. She had had a recurring role on Archie Bunker's Place, she played Mrs. Sherwood in the movie Fame, and Mary Brady in Sex and the City. Both of them have also had parts in several of their son Ben Stiller's movies.
Below are a few clips of them on Sullivan's show back in the late 1960's and one from nineteen seventy. Listen to how many times Ed Sullivan mispronounces Anne Meara's last name (pronounced Meer-ah) and how once he even gets her first name wrong. Mispronouncing guests names was a Sullivan trademark.
As they explain in the video below, that Jonah in the whale sketch was the first thing they ever did on Ed Sullivan.
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara are now in their eighties and still funny. They have their own weekly web show on Hulu.
You can find a sweet interview they did with New York magazine back in 2011 here.
Below are a few clips of them on Sullivan's show back in the late 1960's and one from nineteen seventy. Listen to how many times Ed Sullivan mispronounces Anne Meara's last name (pronounced Meer-ah) and how once he even gets her first name wrong. Mispronouncing guests names was a Sullivan trademark.
As they explain in the video below, that Jonah in the whale sketch was the first thing they ever did on Ed Sullivan.
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara are now in their eighties and still funny. They have their own weekly web show on Hulu.
You can find a sweet interview they did with New York magazine back in 2011 here.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Robin Gibbs (1949 - 2012)
I started a joke
Which started the whole world crying
But I didn't see
That the joke was on me, oh no
I started to cry
Which started the whole world laughing
Oh, if I'd only seen
That the joke was on me
I looked at the skies
Running my hands over my eyes
And I fell out of bed
Hurting my head from things that I'd said
Till I finally died
Which started the whole world living
Oh, if I'd only seen
That the joke was on me
I looked at the skies
Running my hands over my eyes
And I fell out of bed
Hurting my head from things that I'd said
Till I finally died
Which started the whole world living
Oh, if I'd only seen, oh yeah
That the joke was on me, oh no
That the joke was on me, ohh
LA Times obituary here.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Waking Up With The Blues
The blues is life.
-Brownie McGhee
Lenny Welch
-Brownie McGhee
Lenny Welch
When you just give love
And never get love
You'd better let love depart
I know it so, and yet I know
I can't get you out of my heart
You
Made me leave my happy home
You took my love and now you're gone
Since I fell for you
Love
Brings such misery and pain
I guess I'll never be the same
Since I fell for you
Well it's too bad, and it's too sad
But I'm in love with you
You love me, then you snub me
But what can I do, I'm still in love with you
Well I
Guess I'll never see the light
I get the blues most every night
Since I fell for you
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Last Dance
RIP Donna Summer (1948 - 2012) and thank you for the music.
LA Time obituary here.
Last dance
Last chance for love
Yes, it's my last chance
For romance, tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, this last dance tonight
Last dance
Last dance for love
Yes, it's my last chance
For romance tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance tonight
Yeah,
Will you
Be my Mr. Right?
Fill my appetite
I can't be sure
That you're the one for me
All that I ask
Is that you dance with me
Dance with me,
Dance with me, yeah
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance tonight
My Mr. Right
He is my appetite
Now that I am sure that you're the one for me
Well, well, well
All that I ask
Is that you dance with me
Dance with me,
Dance with me, yeah
Last dance, last change for love
Yes, it's my last chance for romance tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
And to hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance tonight
Oh, I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
When I'm bad, hold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So, come on baby, dance that dance
Come on baby, dance that dance
Come on baby, last dance tonight
LA Time obituary here.
Don't Fence Me In
There are days when I remember what a privilege it is to live in the West.
-Gene Autry
-Gene Autry
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies.
On my cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise.
I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences
Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in.
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies.
On my cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise.
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in.
-Cole Porter
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
There May Be Hope For Kansas After All
This is Josef Miles. Last Saturday he and his mother were at Washburn University* in Topeka, Kansas when he came across members of the Westbro Baptist Church (A family based cult not affiliated in anyway with any other Baptist organizations) spreading their messages of hate. The leader of WBC's believes that God hates homosexuals and, therefore, any organizations or schools that "supports" homosexuality is also evil. Young Josef decided to make his own sign and wrote the words God Hates No One on a piece of paper and then held it up for all to see. Way to go, Josef.
Topeka Capital-Journal article.
BTW-If members of the Westbro Baptist Church hate homosexuals so much why do they act like such a-holes?
(* If you follow the link to Wikipedia's entry about Washburn University do not follow the link to Washburn's website. I did and it crashed my computer.)
Saturday, May 12, 2012
"The Bible Says....."
Pastors in Ohio, North Carolina, Florida and other swing states are readying Sunday sermons inveighing against same-sex unions,...
-Minneapolis StarTribune May 12, 2012
Psst, Pastors, God didn't write the bible men did and some of them put in their own bigoted ideas about anyone who they thought was beneath them such as gays, women, and pagans. Then they said their bigoted beliefs were the words of God.
Now, don't you men of God who turn to the bible to find support for your bigoted views feel just a little foolish?
No, probably not.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Thank You, Mr. President
A Conservative is a fellow who is standing athwart history yelling 'Stop!'
-William F. Buckley
We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it.
-John F. Kennedy
Well, for us, in history where goodness is a rare pearl, he who was good almost takes precedence over he who was great.
-Victor Hugo
Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.
-Harry Truman
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
-The United States Declaration of Independence (July 4th 1776)
Obama Gay-Marriage Embrace Is Campaign Risk-Taking Moment
-William F. Buckley
We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it.
-John F. Kennedy
Well, for us, in history where goodness is a rare pearl, he who was good almost takes precedence over he who was great.
-Victor Hugo
Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.
-Harry Truman
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
-The United States Declaration of Independence (July 4th 1776)
Obama Gay-Marriage Embrace Is Campaign Risk-Taking Moment
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak has left us to go join the wild things. In their obituary the New York Times wrote this about Mr. Sendak:
Roundly praised, intermittently censored and occasionally eaten, Mr. Sendak’s books were essential ingredients of childhood for the generation born after 1960 or thereabouts, and in turn for their children.
Rest in peace Maurice Sendak.
Monday, May 07, 2012
Dear Kansas State Legislators
I see you have again proven that you have your feet firmly planted in 1600's Puritan Massachusetts, where religious beliefs shaped governmental policies. You have shown this by voting to withhold $334,000 of Title X money from Planned Parenthood and transferring it to The Stan Clark Grand Matching Fund For Pregnancy Support and Adoption Counseling. As you know the Stan Clark Fund gives state tax money to organizations which provide services that are related to what is called by former Kansas State Senator Stan Clark "pregnancy maintenance." This year the Stan Clark Fund distributed $297,113 of Kansas tax money to the following organizations:
1. *Bethlehem House, El Dorado, $22,000
2. *Catholic Charities, Wichita, $155,237
3. Community Health Center of Southeastern Kansas, Pittsburgh, $27,800
4. *Family Life Service of Southern Kansas, Arkansas City, $36,455
5. *Gerald House, Via Christi Health (A Catholic organization), Wichita, $16,500
6. Leavenworth County Health Department, Leavenworth, $32,455
7. Reno County Health Department, Hutchinson, $8,179
The organizations with asterisks beside their names are religious organizations. Organizations without an asterisk are public institutions. The organizations with asterisks received $228,192 while the organizations without an asterisk received $68,921. The Stan Clark Grand Matching Fund For Pregnancy Support and Adoption Counseling distributed the majority of our tax dollars to organizations which have a religious-based reason for stopping abortions and in some cases (the Catholic Church) limiting access to any form of birth control whatsoever. Why some may ask didn't organizations like Planned Parenthood receive any of this money? Because section (c) of the Stan Clark bill says this:
What crap, this bill's only purpose is political. It was created to deny state funding to any organization that provides abortion services, period. In fact, one organization specifically Planned Parenthood of Kansas. An organization that, in addition to preforming abortions, provides services such as pre-pregnancy health care, birth control, and information about a woman's options when and if she becomes pregnant which is not allowed under the Stan Clark Fund.
Not only is this political it is religiously-political as you the state legislature gave roughly 58% of the 2012 Stan Clark Fund budget to the Catholic Church. By taking Title X federal tax monies away from Planned Parenthood and giving it to the Stan Clark Fund you will be giving even more of our tax dollars the Catholic Church and helping them push their anti-abortion agenda. An agenda which is purely based on religious beliefs.
Of course giving our tax money to any religious organization or creating laws that are religiously-based in principle goes against the precept of separation of church and state as covered by the first amendment of the US Constitution. People will tell you that this is not what this amendment means but Thomas Jefferson addressed it in a letter he wrote in 1802 to The Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut:
Since this is the man who wrote the Constitution, he would be the one to know just what he meant when he wrote that amendment, "...separation between Church & State," you can't get any clearer than that.
Not only am I apposed to any of my taxes going to any religiously-based initiatives which curtail mine or anyone's legal rights as an American citizen, I am apposed to any legislative body that uses it power to punish a group, such as Planned Parenthood, because it is not politically or religiously on the same page as them. You people are flirting with religious totalitarianism. For those of you who do not know what totalitarianism means Merriam-Webster defines it as "a political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority." Stick the word religious between "absolute" and "state" in that definition and we could be describing you. I for one will be fighting you on this even if it means starting a 21st century underground railway which shuttles women to Denver or any other city outside the state that has a Planned Parenthood. I will not let women who do not have the money or means to go elsewhere for birth control or family planning information or, yes, even an abortion be bullied by the likes of you.
1. *Bethlehem House, El Dorado, $22,000
2. *Catholic Charities, Wichita, $155,237
3. Community Health Center of Southeastern Kansas, Pittsburgh, $27,800
4. *Family Life Service of Southern Kansas, Arkansas City, $36,455
5. *Gerald House, Via Christi Health (A Catholic organization), Wichita, $16,500
6. Leavenworth County Health Department, Leavenworth, $32,455
7. Reno County Health Department, Hutchinson, $8,179
The organizations with asterisks beside their names are religious organizations. Organizations without an asterisk are public institutions. The organizations with asterisks received $228,192 while the organizations without an asterisk received $68,921. The Stan Clark Grand Matching Fund For Pregnancy Support and Adoption Counseling distributed the majority of our tax dollars to organizations which have a religious-based reason for stopping abortions and in some cases (the Catholic Church) limiting access to any form of birth control whatsoever. Why some may ask didn't organizations like Planned Parenthood receive any of this money? Because section (c) of the Stan Clark bill says this:
(c) Such grant services may include an array of social services relating to pregnancy maintenance. Such grant services shall provide: (1) That no individuals who are unable to pay may be denied the delivery or provision of pregnancy maintenance services; and (2) adoption services, education or information as a part of the program being provided to the individuals. No grant under the program shall be entered into with any group performing, promoting, referring for or educating in favor of abortion. No part of the grant moneys shall be used for any political purposes.
What crap, this bill's only purpose is political. It was created to deny state funding to any organization that provides abortion services, period. In fact, one organization specifically Planned Parenthood of Kansas. An organization that, in addition to preforming abortions, provides services such as pre-pregnancy health care, birth control, and information about a woman's options when and if she becomes pregnant which is not allowed under the Stan Clark Fund.
Not only is this political it is religiously-political as you the state legislature gave roughly 58% of the 2012 Stan Clark Fund budget to the Catholic Church. By taking Title X federal tax monies away from Planned Parenthood and giving it to the Stan Clark Fund you will be giving even more of our tax dollars the Catholic Church and helping them push their anti-abortion agenda. An agenda which is purely based on religious beliefs.
Of course giving our tax money to any religious organization or creating laws that are religiously-based in principle goes against the precept of separation of church and state as covered by the first amendment of the US Constitution. People will tell you that this is not what this amendment means but Thomas Jefferson addressed it in a letter he wrote in 1802 to The Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut:
"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
Since this is the man who wrote the Constitution, he would be the one to know just what he meant when he wrote that amendment, "...separation between Church & State," you can't get any clearer than that.
Not only am I apposed to any of my taxes going to any religiously-based initiatives which curtail mine or anyone's legal rights as an American citizen, I am apposed to any legislative body that uses it power to punish a group, such as Planned Parenthood, because it is not politically or religiously on the same page as them. You people are flirting with religious totalitarianism. For those of you who do not know what totalitarianism means Merriam-Webster defines it as "a political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority." Stick the word religious between "absolute" and "state" in that definition and we could be describing you. I for one will be fighting you on this even if it means starting a 21st century underground railway which shuttles women to Denver or any other city outside the state that has a Planned Parenthood. I will not let women who do not have the money or means to go elsewhere for birth control or family planning information or, yes, even an abortion be bullied by the likes of you.
Friday, May 04, 2012
Racist Is As Racist Does
Patrick Lanzo of Paulding County in Georgia is not a racist. How do I know? He said so and that sign in front of his business calling the President of the United States the N word? Why that is just him exercising his right to freedom of speech.
My visceral reaction to this is to call Lanzo out for being the racist bastard that he really is no matter what his says to the contrary. Then I found New York Hip-hop DJ Jay Smooth's video explaining how to confront someone about their racist behavior and not get sidetracked by labeling them a racist.
My visceral reaction to this is to call Lanzo out for being the racist bastard that he really is no matter what his says to the contrary. Then I found New York Hip-hop DJ Jay Smooth's video explaining how to confront someone about their racist behavior and not get sidetracked by labeling them a racist.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Jesus Loves You But I Don't
Sean Harris, pastor of the Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a man of God. What he is not is a follower of Jesus. Last Sunday Pastor Harris gave a sermon in which he splashed his corrosive hatred of homosexuals onto innocent child children by telling his flock to punch (hit with a closed fist) their four-year-old sons if they are "acting a little girlish" .
He also had some advice for handling daughters who are "too butch."
As you can imagine Pastor Harris' remarks went viral and he is now saying his words were taken out of context. In a letter posted on his blog Pastor Harris wrote the following:
He then turns his "I don't believe parents should punch their children" statement into a "I do believe parents should punch their children" statement by quoting passages from the bible that he believes support a parent's right to hit their children for acting gay.
He then ends his letter with these words:
Talk about a none so blind as those who will not see declaration. Pastor Harris may not know it but when he writes about a lack of tolerance he is writing about himself.
God save us from the ignorant.
He also had some advice for handling daughters who are "too butch."
"So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, 'Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,' you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.
Can I make it any clearer?
Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. OK? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting too butch, you rein her in. And you say, 'Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.
You say, 'Can I take charge like that as a parent?'
Yeah, you can. You are authorized. I just gave you a special dispensation this morning to do that."
As you can imagine Pastor Harris' remarks went viral and he is now saying his words were taken out of context. In a letter posted on his blog Pastor Harris wrote the following:
For the record, I want to ensure everyone that I do NOT believe physical force is capable of fixing effeminate behavior or homosexual behavior. Parents should not punch babies or children. (Ultimately only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to deliver one from sexual immorality and behavior including effeminacy; )
I would never advocate for such discipline or actions on behalf of a father or mother. I misspoke. Hopefully, you understood that I was speaking in a forceful manner to emphasize the degree to which gender distinctions matter to God; and therefore, must matter to each of us and especially parents.
He then turns his "I don't believe parents should punch their children" statement into a "I do believe parents should punch their children" statement by quoting passages from the bible that he believes support a parent's right to hit their children for acting gay.
He then ends his letter with these words:
The opposition is revealing their complete lack of toleration toward those do not approve of the LGBT lifestyle or agenda. However, we must be tolerantly intolerant. Jesus our Savior provides the perfect example of grace and truth.
Talk about a none so blind as those who will not see declaration. Pastor Harris may not know it but when he writes about a lack of tolerance he is writing about himself.
God save us from the ignorant.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
You Have Comments
A blog friend informed me this morning that she has been unable to comment on my blog for a few weeks now. I am sure it started when my old commenting system ECHO decided to get rid of their system. They sent me an e-mail that said I had until October of 2012 to find a new system but evidently they lied. It looks more like they're going to just ignore their system and let it slowly or deliberately decay before that date. I have switched to DISQUS because DISQUS said they would be able to import all my comments (or at least the majority of them) to their site. Blogger cannot do this. Blogger does have about two years of my comments but I really want them all because, as my blog friend pointed out, a blog without comments is just a website.
Now, when I tried to import my comments from ECHO to DISQUS I got an error message and no comments. Thinking I had lost those comments I went to Blogger and had my Blogger comments imported to DISQUS. Then I wondered if no comments were imported from ECHO because of a mistake on my end and went back and tried it again. It worked, I think. I have comments now but also lots of duplicates on the most recent ones. What I don't have is any comments from posts written over two years ago.
What I cannot figure out right now is whether the duplicate comments are there because I imported from both ECHO and Blogger or if they were created when ECHO started screwing up. As for the missing comments, tomorrow I should get a better picture of just what is going on as DISQUS says it can take up to 24 hours for all comments to migrate to their site. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have created by ignoring this mess for so long. ECHO would let me and a few other people comment so I did not realize what was going on until today.
Now, when I tried to import my comments from ECHO to DISQUS I got an error message and no comments. Thinking I had lost those comments I went to Blogger and had my Blogger comments imported to DISQUS. Then I wondered if no comments were imported from ECHO because of a mistake on my end and went back and tried it again. It worked, I think. I have comments now but also lots of duplicates on the most recent ones. What I don't have is any comments from posts written over two years ago.
What I cannot figure out right now is whether the duplicate comments are there because I imported from both ECHO and Blogger or if they were created when ECHO started screwing up. As for the missing comments, tomorrow I should get a better picture of just what is going on as DISQUS says it can take up to 24 hours for all comments to migrate to their site. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have created by ignoring this mess for so long. ECHO would let me and a few other people comment so I did not realize what was going on until today.
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