Boo Yah!

Obama signs pay equity bill!!!

William Fitzsimmons

Fuck YOU and the flying horse you rode in on.

Exxon-Mobil posts an annual 45.2 BILLION DOLLAR PROFIT : Click Here!

Personally, I think they should hand over a check right into Obama's smooth, long hands. Then, he can have Hillary hit 'em with a fast Left jab.

Damn.

Roads Diverging

This is a mirror image of a road I find myself going down several times a year. It leads to an open, water-filled quarry, with pines and woods, trails and places to explore. I come here to ask questions sometimes. To throw rocks into the water and seek answers to my questions in either the ripples forming on open water, or the skittling and pinging sounds of my projectile hitting and sliding on the ice.

Once or twice I have brought a tibetan singing bowl with me, allowing my ringing to rise up and up and up, to echo against the rocks.

Things manifest pretty quickly when I go here.

Right now my life is manifesting new growth in some really wonderful ways. New friends, new work possibilities, new ways of being with my daughters, new ways of being in the world with myself. As I write, the ice is melting from the roof, little nursery rhymes of water-song blip, drip, poing down the side of the house to the ground.

I feel very grateful today, for the sun shining, but mostly for the ice melting in what was once a nuclear winter of the soul.

Oh. Thank. Gawd.

Layer Tennis Returns!!!!

Ooooooo! Yer in TRUBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!

Carl's Big Trip to the Principal's Office

Weekend Update:Friends, Presents and Bitter Cold

Images of Hawaii by D. Singer

I had a faboo weekend. It was a good mix of private time and social time, cleaning, exercising and rest. Saturday morning Lux got up muy early. We went for our morning ablutions and I hopped back into bed with coffee and this book, which Kevin had sent me in one of his last goody boxes. Several hours later, all toasty warm in my jammies, I crawled out again. I checked the mail and found ANOTHER GOODY BOX! This one had a my favorite yummy fig bars, 4 (count 'em FOUR) honkin' Swiss chocolate bars, a book on Bob Dylan, another book on Women and Running, a scarf, and a few other cool things. Jumping for Joy!!! Gifties!!!! Yay for presents!!!!


I went to visit for tea at Dragonfly House, home of my friend, Daniel and his girlfriend, Giselle, and had some wonderful tea (he had tried this tea in Hawaii and loved it and bought a box JUST FOR ME!).

On the way home I stopped by another friend's house for a brief visit and then headed home to run with Lux for about 30 minutes. It was about 22 degrees out, balmy for our recent weather, but still, pulling the cold air into my lungs was difficult, and my thighs were stinging quite badly from the cold. Due to some over consumption of coffee that day, sleep was evasive, until past midnight.

Sunday was a nifty day for all sorts of things. I went to the gym and worked out: 30 minutes on treadmill, 30 minutes on elliptical, 15 minutes on recumbent bike, 15 minutes yoga ball stretch and crunches. All warmed up, I went home again and began to clean, clean , clean my house. I was expecting company for wine and snacks around 5:00. I made a yummy onion jam and swiss pizza, and chilled down a bottle of Piraat Ale. Unfortunately, my guest called to cancel, so it was me and a big pizza and a whole bottle of ale. I ate two pieces of pizza and downed the ale promptly.

Later in the evening, Kevin and I had another of our weekend marathon phone calls. This time he called me to tell me to turn on the TV and we watched a show on skunks together. We laughed and chortled and got grossed out together at the (oh-so-very) close ups of the skunk's rectal glands emitting that lovely spray. Holding my sides , laughing and screaming "NO! NOT AGAIN!!!" as they showed the process over and over. Because of the time lapse between our two stations, he was aware of things before I was, and would tell me "Oh. Wait until you see THIS!!!! Here it COMES!!!!! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" T'was great fun. I hung up and proceeded to watch part 2 of Wuthering Heights (He did the same. We both watch Masterpiece every Sunday). It is so much fun to have a friend far away, sending cool care packages back and forth. I feel so very fortunate to have found him via our mutual friend, Jenny.

Today, I wake to this:

My face turned to paper this morning on our Business Walk. Lux picked up her paws and cried after about 20 minutes, so we ran home, in hopes that the elevated circulation would aid in the frosty and painful paw problem. Now she is whining to go out again. This kind of cold makes for frequent and short walks, not enough for her to get all her jigglies out. I wish I could bring her to the gym and put her on the treadmill. I don't think Planet Fitness would appreciate that, though. (she does smell better than most of the guys I have run beside lately,P.U.!!)

Keen Things Old School:

Barbie Karada

Every time I see a Barbie now, I think of Cindy McCain. I am ever so glad that we do not have to suffer the ills of watching her for four years with her Stepford Stare standing beside Grinny McClenchJaw. I don't think John knows how to tie knots. That big knot in his head makes things rather difficult, especially small motor skills...

Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Oh! To go someplace WARM! Click Here!

Keep Those Doggies Warm! Click Here!



I have fallen in love with One Stone Eye: Clicky-Clicky Here!

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Check Out May Bente Aronsen: Click Here!

Your Daily Dose of Inspiring Words:

An Open Letter to Barak Obama from Alice Walker

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

Hot Gingerbread Tea

1 tablespoon black molasses

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

Hot water

Milk to taste

Say Wha???

Via Rude Cactus (linky over in sidebar!)

http://www.thanko.jp/bustbeautypad/

Note the name up top.

In case you really need some RARE mono.

Some times it is the best word...

I saw this ad last night around midnight. My jaw dropped. And then I said to myself "Holy. FUCK!"

Some body knows how to sell cars.

Like, Whoa!

Relationship 101: The Library

These are just a few of the books which I recommend to anyone, in general, and to couples/partners in specific. Each of these has been extremely nutritious for me, and at one time or another each has helped me navigate through tough times, as well as celebrate the good times. They are an arsenal of Keen.

Loving What Is by Byron Katie

Journey of the Heart/The Path to Conscious Love by John Welwood

The Art of Sexual Ecstasy by Margo Annand

Embracing the Beloved : Relationsip as a Path to Awakening by Stephen and Ondrea Levine


Love is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky


Non Violent Communication - A Language of Life /Marshall Rosenberg

When Things Fall Apart: Heartfelt Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

The Dance of Intimacy by Harriet Lerner


The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner

About that Promise...

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

See, this here sentence is key. It is here that I find some serious issues. Now, I preface this by saying that my forbears signed the Declaration of Independence, and I fully get that the rights and privileges afforded me by the documents which are keystones of our culture are many, and are important.

But, it strikes me that the Constitution was created as a socio-political manifesto for a time which has been eclipsed by our progress. The Right to Bear Arms was originally intended for a culture and social environment that was steeped in personal protection against the terrors of the time. We don't, as a rule, bear arms for the same reasons we used to. We can get our food from a store, and we have police and military protection against Evil Doers, for the most part. While we can argue back and forth about Constitutional Law all day, I would just like to point out that the Oath of Office SPECIFICALLY addresses the document and laws and their protection. The President does NOT say anything about protecting the people, or the Good of the Nation. While that may be implied, many a Presidential Decision has turned on the phrase regarding the document and protection thereof.

Go take a look at the link provided. Look at the Amendments. Not one has been added since 1992. What's with THAT? So much has happened since then. Our entire National Outlook has altered considerably over the past 17 years. So much damage has been done in the name of the Constitution. That which the President is held to protect. Subject to interpretation. Interpretation that is many, many years out of context from the original intent, which was to in response to dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation and the need for a strong centralized government.

It is a tool. A tool to be wielded by a "strong centralized government". Which, in my humble opinion, we have not had in many years. What we have had is a circus of inept clowns who are playing chess with our future.

I stood up in my livingroon yesterday as Biden and Obama took their oaths. (for the record, I thought the rest of the Event was really quite awful...I mean what was with all that God talk? The poetry was horrid and simplistic and while I like Aretha Franklin, I had to leave the room when she sang that song. That is a beautiful song best sung simply, not dragged all about the Soul Connection). Not once, aside from Obama walking down the hall towards his end goal, did I find myself moved. I waited for that soaring feeling. It never came.

Still, I hold optimism for the next 4 years. No Messiah, Obama will throw himself wholeheartedly at the ills of our time, and with luck and hard work, begin to unknot the massive tangle that is the American Experience.

Still, part of me wonders, how long it will be before we dust off the Constitution and add some more relevant Amendments.

"Uncle!"

My elbow hurts. Really. Hurts. I don't know what,exactly, happened, but I suspect it was from repeatedly hoisting a shovel full of snow over my head so that the deposit could be made 6 feet high, over my head. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. I went to bed and woke up to 4 new inches of fresh snow.

Lux and I romped about in it for a while, then I grabbed the shovel and started to dig us out. Again. Now, all sleepy in a curled up ball, she smells of wet mittens, and only lightly of dog (I find that a raw diet leads to a less smelly dog. In fact, I love the way she smells). I have blankets up over my knees and a hot mug of Joe (alas, not a real Joe, mind you...*le sigh*).

I will say that crawling into bed at night, after shoveling many times and hiking in the snowy woods, with my laptop and Fancast to keep me warm, has been a joy. I made it through all of the episodes of The Practice, and have now started to watch episodes of Twin Peaks.

So, um, yeah...about this snow. I love snow. I really do. But, I am tired now. And my elbow hurts.

Cease with the precip. M'Kay?

2008 Masthead Review:Including Rejects

Just Like Glass

Water, when it moves very,very slowly, when the molecules are so constricted by cold that the Matter of it becomes solid, is very similar to glass, which is also a very dense and slow moving liquid,yet NOT a solid.

Life sure is complex.

Flying Home

There are plenty of geese and ducks near where I live. There are woods, and streams, lakes, ponds, stone walls to hide beside, fields galore. I never tire of seeing them take off into the sky, forming their instinctual V, drafting one another, pacing themselves, being a community. It never ceases to make me smile.

The DickHead Award:Gold Medal

Don't Let the Door Hit Your Ass on the Way OUT!

"Midnight Legislation" on his way out the door threatens to leave a very dangerous legacy: Click Here!!!

"The Bush administration has implemented a rule that will allow individual health care providers to deny patients vital health care information and services based on their own personal biases, without the patient even knowing. A woman's ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology."

Um, Yeah...

8 degrees. 7 dog walks planned. 2 kids home sick. 2 doctor visits. Pharmacy run for meds. Mr. Today, I want you over with, NOW.

Either that, or change your attitude, Thursday, or I will send you to your room!

Todays Hike

I could begin to tell you about the rush of bitter air
filling my mouth and lungs
as I pull for breath
step aside step
deep in the woods

I might be able to explain to you
the rush of blood
in my ears
as my heart pounds harder
with each hill I climb

I would show you
the inside of my mind
where Thought's Dominion
calls songs of hope and possibility

All thinly veiled attempts to be known
to share my experience
and those words would be blown in the wind
the frigid stealth of heat

Believe me, life courses through
my veins
and sings through sinew, bone and marrow
and the billow of my breath against the cold
is coupled only with my footsteps
in leaving some legacy
of my being here
amongst the trees and streams