Last night four Boundary County Democrats (that's me, too) attended the North Idaho Democracy Dinner, which is a yearly Kootenai County Democrat fundraiser. Held at the Coeur d'Alene Casino in Worley, it included a wonderful buffet dinner, an opportunity to chat with a variety of northern Idaho Democrats, and a chance to bid on baskets of treats, donated by individual northern counties with the proceeds going back to the respective county. Now how cool is that!
It was emceed by Councilman Mike Kennedy who brought some humor to the sad state of political affairs in the U.S. today. Mr. Cliffored SiJohn, of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe of Idaho, gave a warm, thoughtful, and inspirational Invocation. The wonderful friendship between the tribe and the Democrats should be an example for counties who do not share a similar relationship. Idaho Democratic Party Chair, Richard Stallings, provided an informative and personable introduction to the main speaker, Jim Hansen. Jim delivered a thought-provoking and motivational speech that spoke to the grassroots. Using his personal background and his recent campaign for Idaho's 2nd District Congressional race, he spoke about the necessity to form grassroots' relationships in every town in Idaho, with as many people as possible. His position, which also forms the philosophical foundation upon which United Vision for Idaho is built, bases itself not on big money hoopla and rich-folk donations, but on whatever it is that individuals can give in order to build a movement and a political way of thinking that begins with people, people at the grassroots. Of course money is also important, as Hillary Clinton has so blatantly pointed out. But I think the U.S. populace is changing, and individuals have become more important than money, just like they should be more important than corporations. Paul Wellstone and Howard Dean, and groups like Moveon, have made this abundantly clear. Grassroots Idaho will turn Idaho blue!
The evening ended with Kootenai Country Chair, Bev Moss, announcing the winners of the 2007 Art Manley Lifetime Achievement Award, Bob and Eileen Riddle, who have, without a doubt, given so much, so often, to the Idaho Democratic Party. Bev also announced the winners of the silent auction baskets. I enjoyed myself and it's always nice to be able to speak with the folks in the party, the potential and announced candidates for upcoming elections, and just other north Idaho Democrats. Given the driving distances amongst the counties, the price of gas, and just about everybody's work schedule, I think the regional communication that has begun amongst the counties will be a real asset for future elections.
I cannot finish without a special thank you to Shelley Landry, the Northern Field Organizer, whose creative thinking provides a new framework in which to voice our Democratic concerns (who else, upon learning that someone is a Republican, would then ask, "But are you a happy Republican?"), the energy enough to constantly touch base with all the counties in District 1 (which runs the length of the state), and, on top of that, get us to begin working not just as individuals, or individual counties, but as a cohesive whole. (Has she been teaching Jim or has he been teaching her????) You go, girl!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
An Almost Perfect Bread
Yesterday was Monday Lunch day and I finally had the opportunity to make a terrific loaf of bread from a recipe I originally found at Michael Ruhlman's blog, as posted by guest chef Bob del Grosso. The original recipe, with photos, left me with some questions, so that's what my comments contained. Well, Bob was considerate enough to email me his response, and I'm so happy he did because the bread was very, very tasty. It's still not exactly like the artisan breads I can buy elsewhere, but I'm getting there. Now if I can only learn how to achieve those great air pockets inside the loaf, I'll be very happy.
Anyway, I used the bread to make sandwiches, yes, leftover Easter ham, Swiss cheese, homemade Dijon mayonnaise, and lettuce, served with one of my home-canned dill pickles. Oh, that wasn't the end of lunch. I also made winter squash soup with chipotle pepper. Actually it was a beautiful golden Hubbard squash, that I had bought last fall at the Farmer's Market from my friend, Marsha. I am very impressed that it kept so well, for this long, in my root cellar! I began with a mirepoix, added garlic and a chopped, canned chipotle in adobe sauce, mixed in some flour, then added homemade chicken stock and the pre-cooked squash. Before serving, I mixed in some creme fraiche. I loved it. I hope my customers did too.
Dessert this week was simple: some chewy oatmeal raisin cookies as well as some chocolate chippers. My son had come home from university for Easter and I had to make some of his favorites....
Soon it will be my birthday and I'm finally going to get a digital camera! Once that happens, perhaps I'll also be able to figure out how to add photos to this blog. In the meantime, if you want to see how the bread looks, you'll have to visit Bob's blog, A Hunger Artist. And if you love cooking like I do, check out Ruhlman's blog which receives numerous comments, hosts guests (like Bob del Grosso as well as Anthony Bourdain), and lists his books, all of which I highly recommend. For that matter, I like Bourdain's books as well.
As you can see, cooking is one of my favorite activities so I really like Monday Lunch day....
Anyway, I used the bread to make sandwiches, yes, leftover Easter ham, Swiss cheese, homemade Dijon mayonnaise, and lettuce, served with one of my home-canned dill pickles. Oh, that wasn't the end of lunch. I also made winter squash soup with chipotle pepper. Actually it was a beautiful golden Hubbard squash, that I had bought last fall at the Farmer's Market from my friend, Marsha. I am very impressed that it kept so well, for this long, in my root cellar! I began with a mirepoix, added garlic and a chopped, canned chipotle in adobe sauce, mixed in some flour, then added homemade chicken stock and the pre-cooked squash. Before serving, I mixed in some creme fraiche. I loved it. I hope my customers did too.
Dessert this week was simple: some chewy oatmeal raisin cookies as well as some chocolate chippers. My son had come home from university for Easter and I had to make some of his favorites....
Soon it will be my birthday and I'm finally going to get a digital camera! Once that happens, perhaps I'll also be able to figure out how to add photos to this blog. In the meantime, if you want to see how the bread looks, you'll have to visit Bob's blog, A Hunger Artist. And if you love cooking like I do, check out Ruhlman's blog which receives numerous comments, hosts guests (like Bob del Grosso as well as Anthony Bourdain), and lists his books, all of which I highly recommend. For that matter, I like Bourdain's books as well.
As you can see, cooking is one of my favorite activities so I really like Monday Lunch day....
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The Second Civil War
Idaho is rocking with all sorts of political intrigue....
I absolutely cannot believe that after mentioning a RUMOR about a Vandersloot/Larry Craig/Wasden connection, that 43rd State Blues received a "take-down" order from Vandersloot (Melealeuca). Since when are bloggers not allowed to post rumors? What happened to the First Amendment? Does that mean we are not allowed to mention that most of Idaho government knows, and has known for years, about the rumor of Senator Craig's homosexuality? I know our governor has always opposed much, if not all, of the Patriot Act, but when did our first amendment rights disappear? Could someone from the ACLU give me a clue? This sounds more like a science fiction movie, or perhaps even an Orwell novel....
Then, it sounds as if Larry Craig might run, Larry Craig may not run, is some kind of Republican game. Well, it's true that one never knows what sort of mischief Karl Rove has in his Pandora's box.... First we learn over at The Mountain Goat Report that Larry Craig only has $270,000 cash at hand (information from Open Secrets) and that his primary opponent is Robert Vasquez. Other bloggers and news announcements also mention this in articles about former Congressman Larry LaRocco's announcement as a candidate in the upcoming senatorial race for Craig's seat. Then we learn that Craig may actually be considering running for re-election. And finally, we hear about his defense of a guestworker program even though Americans for Better Immigration give him a C- for his immigration voting record. His stance on immigration is more clearly described, vote-by-vote, here. So what will Larry Craig be doing about the 2008 election?
I think we can be more fully informed about Idaho, immigration, and perhaps even Craig's political role in all this, if we take a look at the prescient HBO movie, The Second Civil War. In order to appreciate even more the foresight of the movie, we must also remember the recent Idaho legislation making English Idaho's official language. So much for Idaho's Indian tribes who are having a difficult enough time as it is retaining their native tongues, and so much for our Hispanic communities, and so much for all the other immigrants we have brought into the state. But, as I said, HBO's movie is prescient. Although the plot summary doesn't exactly match current events, the behavior of the governor and the president seem especially apt, and Craig's yes/no stances on immigration fit right in with the movie's plot and its character motivation. Finally, the portrayal of the media couldn't be more appropriate. In short, the US president (Phil Hartman) announces that Pakistani orphans are going to live in Idaho. The Idaho governor (Beau Bridges) says no, and when the orphans arrive, Idaho declares war on the US. The News Media sensationalizes the entire ordeal. This is a comedy, and the writer, Martyn Burke, seemed (to me, anyway), to pick the right state as the setting for this satire. We all need a good laugh once in a while, and this will certainly get you laughing at Idaho's rocking politics....
I absolutely cannot believe that after mentioning a RUMOR about a Vandersloot/Larry Craig/Wasden connection, that 43rd State Blues received a "take-down" order from Vandersloot (Melealeuca). Since when are bloggers not allowed to post rumors? What happened to the First Amendment? Does that mean we are not allowed to mention that most of Idaho government knows, and has known for years, about the rumor of Senator Craig's homosexuality? I know our governor has always opposed much, if not all, of the Patriot Act, but when did our first amendment rights disappear? Could someone from the ACLU give me a clue? This sounds more like a science fiction movie, or perhaps even an Orwell novel....
Then, it sounds as if Larry Craig might run, Larry Craig may not run, is some kind of Republican game. Well, it's true that one never knows what sort of mischief Karl Rove has in his Pandora's box.... First we learn over at The Mountain Goat Report that Larry Craig only has $270,000 cash at hand (information from Open Secrets) and that his primary opponent is Robert Vasquez. Other bloggers and news announcements also mention this in articles about former Congressman Larry LaRocco's announcement as a candidate in the upcoming senatorial race for Craig's seat. Then we learn that Craig may actually be considering running for re-election. And finally, we hear about his defense of a guestworker program even though Americans for Better Immigration give him a C- for his immigration voting record. His stance on immigration is more clearly described, vote-by-vote, here. So what will Larry Craig be doing about the 2008 election?
I think we can be more fully informed about Idaho, immigration, and perhaps even Craig's political role in all this, if we take a look at the prescient HBO movie, The Second Civil War. In order to appreciate even more the foresight of the movie, we must also remember the recent Idaho legislation making English Idaho's official language. So much for Idaho's Indian tribes who are having a difficult enough time as it is retaining their native tongues, and so much for our Hispanic communities, and so much for all the other immigrants we have brought into the state. But, as I said, HBO's movie is prescient. Although the plot summary doesn't exactly match current events, the behavior of the governor and the president seem especially apt, and Craig's yes/no stances on immigration fit right in with the movie's plot and its character motivation. Finally, the portrayal of the media couldn't be more appropriate. In short, the US president (Phil Hartman) announces that Pakistani orphans are going to live in Idaho. The Idaho governor (Beau Bridges) says no, and when the orphans arrive, Idaho declares war on the US. The News Media sensationalizes the entire ordeal. This is a comedy, and the writer, Martyn Burke, seemed (to me, anyway), to pick the right state as the setting for this satire. We all need a good laugh once in a while, and this will certainly get you laughing at Idaho's rocking politics....
Thursday, April 5, 2007
How To Cook A Wolf
I'm still catching up on work put aside for a week, but I just had to post a blog today in order to share the wonderful experience I had this morning watching the video posted at IdaBlue. For a good chuckle to lift the spirits, I strongly recommend checking it out.
Moving from one wingnut leader to another (have you watched the video yet?), we have Gov. Otter promising to bid for the first tag to shoot a wolf in Idaho since IDFG lowered the fee to less than $10.00, as well as vetoing a bill to provide any relief from the Idaho grocery tax. Maybe we should just eat wolves in Idaho instead of buying beef at the grocery store.... Desperate times call for desperate measures, and M.F.K. Fisher, writing in 1942 when war shortages were at their worst, took up this task by writing How To Cook A Wolf (also available in a collection titled The Art of Eating). Basically, she demonstrated how to get the most nutrition out of the least amount of food. Perhaps Otter could distribute that book around the state in order for those of us who do not live with his bank account, to at least be able to stretch the foods we can afford into really nutritious albeit scant meals.... Either that, or give us a break on the grocery tax! Indeed, since 29 states do not tax groceries, why not eliminate the grocery tax completely? Oh, perhaps if that happened Idaho would not have enough money to give IACI their regular big tax breaks, and with this administration (take your pick, national or state), big business rules and the individual pays taxes....
Actually, I should be more fair to the citizens of Idaho, because many of them are quite good about stretching their food dollars by supplementing with hunting and gardening. Indeed, I have a neighbor who only eats beef at restaurants: the rest of the year it's game meat. Frankly, I think the game meat is probably much healthier and overrides the worry about mad cow disease and the e coli in store-bought Spinach packages.
One of the many things I love about north Idaho, as those of you have heard several times in this blog, is the availability of great food here. I am impressed by how local people swarm the summer time Farmers' Markets, how much of their own food they raise, and how efficient they are with hunting their own food. In our little town, we only have two Fast Food places, and neither of them is a MacDonald's. I think that's impressive. Of course, I am a big fan of the Slow Food movement. But that's another blog....
Ending on a happier note than wolves and grocery tax slavery, I'd like to steer everyone over to Red State Rebels who observes that the Northwest Progressive Institute bestowed regional awards on our own Idaho bloggers: Grassroots for Grant, IdaBlue, and honorary mention 43rd State Blues. Good job and congratulations! My day will end on the same happy note with which it began!
Moving from one wingnut leader to another (have you watched the video yet?), we have Gov. Otter promising to bid for the first tag to shoot a wolf in Idaho since IDFG lowered the fee to less than $10.00, as well as vetoing a bill to provide any relief from the Idaho grocery tax. Maybe we should just eat wolves in Idaho instead of buying beef at the grocery store.... Desperate times call for desperate measures, and M.F.K. Fisher, writing in 1942 when war shortages were at their worst, took up this task by writing How To Cook A Wolf (also available in a collection titled The Art of Eating). Basically, she demonstrated how to get the most nutrition out of the least amount of food. Perhaps Otter could distribute that book around the state in order for those of us who do not live with his bank account, to at least be able to stretch the foods we can afford into really nutritious albeit scant meals.... Either that, or give us a break on the grocery tax! Indeed, since 29 states do not tax groceries, why not eliminate the grocery tax completely? Oh, perhaps if that happened Idaho would not have enough money to give IACI their regular big tax breaks, and with this administration (take your pick, national or state), big business rules and the individual pays taxes....
Actually, I should be more fair to the citizens of Idaho, because many of them are quite good about stretching their food dollars by supplementing with hunting and gardening. Indeed, I have a neighbor who only eats beef at restaurants: the rest of the year it's game meat. Frankly, I think the game meat is probably much healthier and overrides the worry about mad cow disease and the e coli in store-bought Spinach packages.
One of the many things I love about north Idaho, as those of you have heard several times in this blog, is the availability of great food here. I am impressed by how local people swarm the summer time Farmers' Markets, how much of their own food they raise, and how efficient they are with hunting their own food. In our little town, we only have two Fast Food places, and neither of them is a MacDonald's. I think that's impressive. Of course, I am a big fan of the Slow Food movement. But that's another blog....
Ending on a happier note than wolves and grocery tax slavery, I'd like to steer everyone over to Red State Rebels who observes that the Northwest Progressive Institute bestowed regional awards on our own Idaho bloggers: Grassroots for Grant, IdaBlue, and honorary mention 43rd State Blues. Good job and congratulations! My day will end on the same happy note with which it began!
Monday, April 2, 2007
America's Corporate Mercenaries
Yes, the blog has been empty for the past week because my best friend of 40+ yrs. came to visit me and although I thought I would still write, the time with my friend was too precious to give away. She had never seen north Idaho, or the Canadian Rockies before, so you can imagine how difficult it was to pick and choose the places to visit and how the time was to be spent. In short, we had a fabulous time together and I showed her enough that she definitely wants to return. She also would like me to visit her in Arizona, but, I'm just not one of those desert people. Even in winter the heat would kill me. However, best friends aren't that if there's no reciprocity....
Before my break, my friend, Jo, in southern Idaho, asked that I print some comments she made after reading the previous blog entry on how Mike Simpson feels about supporting our troops. She reminded me that the US is actually supporting two sets of troops in Iraq: our military troops, and the privatized mercenaries working for big, government funded corporations like Blackwater.
Jo says, "One angle of this issue is: who are the troops we are supposed to support with our billions of taxpayer funds? I personally do not support these privatized actors in our Iraq war, and see them as a means for continuing the war. The Dems in Congress are now dealing with Bush's Iraq budget with nary a reservation about mercenaries. They should force Bush to provide an itemized budget instead of the vague junk he sends them that they are reviewing right now! In that case they could cut the funding for mercenaries and up the funding for the US military!"
Much of her information comes from a blog by GDAEman, who writes (and note, an article containing a bibliography just in case someone is in doubt) about these privatized mercenaries. It is an article well worth reading. Jo has highlighted some of the important points in the article and I'll include them here (but please read the article in whole).
GDAEman reports, "...Currently in Iraq, more than 40 percent of the total occupying force comprises private contractors. For President Bush and his political allies, war has become just another industry to be outsourced, with contractors providing a backdoor means of expanding the occupation through the deployment of private armies.In his State of the Union address in last month, Bush mentioned a major new initiative in the U.S. disaster response/reconstruction/war machine: a Civilian Reserve Corps. Bush said: 'Such a corps would function much like our military Reserve. It would ease the burden on the armed forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them.' But this is precisely what the administration has already done, largely behind the backs of the American people and with little congressional input. Private contractors constitute the second-largest force in Iraq, about 100,000 strong, of which 48,000 work as private soldiers, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
...The problem is that firms such as Blackwater rely primarily on large, taxpayer-funded U.S. government contracts to stay in business, not on the business of private sector customers or clients. Blackwater has a $300-million, no-bid contract (from 2003) with the State Department to guard diplomats in Iraq. Thus, tax dollars are used first to pay to train the troops, then to pay them a lot more to do basically the same job with a private contracting firm, and finally to pay hefty profits to the contracting firm.
...Many of the 48,000 U.S.-funded mercenaries in Iraq are not Americans, and their deaths are not tracked by the Labor Department. Blackwater and other U.S.-based military contractors have created a private military melting pot by hiring not only Americans, but also mercenaries from Bosnia, Chile, Colombia, the Filipeans, and South Africa. Many of these soldiers-for-hire are veterans of repressive military regimes, including that of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and South Africa’s former apartheid government. Other recruits are impoverished former military personnel desperate for a paying job (Blackwater has a recruitment center in the Philippines)."
So, think about this. We have Rep. Simpson voting not to provide for our troops, yet he consistently votes the Republican party line when it comes to giving money to big corporations, like all those US corporations in Iraq with their private mercenaries. Now if that isn't an indication that something is very, very wrong with our government, then I don't know what is. And the most annoying part is that so many Democrats are in the pockets of those same corporations....so, let me now invite all Progressives to move to Idaho....
Before my break, my friend, Jo, in southern Idaho, asked that I print some comments she made after reading the previous blog entry on how Mike Simpson feels about supporting our troops. She reminded me that the US is actually supporting two sets of troops in Iraq: our military troops, and the privatized mercenaries working for big, government funded corporations like Blackwater.
Jo says, "One angle of this issue is: who are the troops we are supposed to support with our billions of taxpayer funds? I personally do not support these privatized actors in our Iraq war, and see them as a means for continuing the war. The Dems in Congress are now dealing with Bush's Iraq budget with nary a reservation about mercenaries. They should force Bush to provide an itemized budget instead of the vague junk he sends them that they are reviewing right now! In that case they could cut the funding for mercenaries and up the funding for the US military!"
Much of her information comes from a blog by GDAEman, who writes (and note, an article containing a bibliography just in case someone is in doubt) about these privatized mercenaries. It is an article well worth reading. Jo has highlighted some of the important points in the article and I'll include them here (but please read the article in whole).
GDAEman reports, "...Currently in Iraq, more than 40 percent of the total occupying force comprises private contractors. For President Bush and his political allies, war has become just another industry to be outsourced, with contractors providing a backdoor means of expanding the occupation through the deployment of private armies.In his State of the Union address in last month, Bush mentioned a major new initiative in the U.S. disaster response/reconstruction/war machine: a Civilian Reserve Corps. Bush said: 'Such a corps would function much like our military Reserve. It would ease the burden on the armed forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them.' But this is precisely what the administration has already done, largely behind the backs of the American people and with little congressional input. Private contractors constitute the second-largest force in Iraq, about 100,000 strong, of which 48,000 work as private soldiers, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
...The problem is that firms such as Blackwater rely primarily on large, taxpayer-funded U.S. government contracts to stay in business, not on the business of private sector customers or clients. Blackwater has a $300-million, no-bid contract (from 2003) with the State Department to guard diplomats in Iraq. Thus, tax dollars are used first to pay to train the troops, then to pay them a lot more to do basically the same job with a private contracting firm, and finally to pay hefty profits to the contracting firm.
...Many of the 48,000 U.S.-funded mercenaries in Iraq are not Americans, and their deaths are not tracked by the Labor Department. Blackwater and other U.S.-based military contractors have created a private military melting pot by hiring not only Americans, but also mercenaries from Bosnia, Chile, Colombia, the Filipeans, and South Africa. Many of these soldiers-for-hire are veterans of repressive military regimes, including that of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and South Africa’s former apartheid government. Other recruits are impoverished former military personnel desperate for a paying job (Blackwater has a recruitment center in the Philippines)."
So, think about this. We have Rep. Simpson voting not to provide for our troops, yet he consistently votes the Republican party line when it comes to giving money to big corporations, like all those US corporations in Iraq with their private mercenaries. Now if that isn't an indication that something is very, very wrong with our government, then I don't know what is. And the most annoying part is that so many Democrats are in the pockets of those same corporations....so, let me now invite all Progressives to move to Idaho....
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Simpson Fails Our Troops. Again.
At the DailyKos, Kagro X calls them the troop killers, meaning the Republicans who repeatedly vote to send our young men and women of the American military into Iraq even though they may be unarmored, not trained, not rested, possibly wounded and not healed, and even mentally unstable. And which Republican in Idaho makes the list? It's Rep. Michael K. Simpson, 2nd District, Idaho. He says he supports our troops, but check out how our Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America rate not just Simpson, but many other members of our national Congress, including Sen. Craig and Sen. Crapo (D- and D, respectively).
Red State Rebels and We have failed... have already reported on this, and you may see it turn up on the other Idaho and national blogs today because we are all so sick and tired of the hypocrisy of Republicans who say one thing but do another. Check out the video at the Daily Kos, it's well worth 30 seconds of your time.
This lying and hypocrisy was recently exposed through the atrocious conditions and treatments offered so many of our troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Coming right on the heels of this exposure of egregious behavior and deploring conditions, Kagro X reports, "...the Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee unanimously opposed requiring that the troops sent to Iraq be properly prepared for their mission and protected with armor. Again."
Way to go Rep. Simpson....you who have never served in the military, you who say you support the troops but then want to send them into war without protection. Once again we have an elected official who does not represent the best interests of his communities, his state, and the troops he has sent to war. Shame on you.
Red State Rebels and We have failed... have already reported on this, and you may see it turn up on the other Idaho and national blogs today because we are all so sick and tired of the hypocrisy of Republicans who say one thing but do another. Check out the video at the Daily Kos, it's well worth 30 seconds of your time.
This lying and hypocrisy was recently exposed through the atrocious conditions and treatments offered so many of our troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Coming right on the heels of this exposure of egregious behavior and deploring conditions, Kagro X reports, "...the Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee unanimously opposed requiring that the troops sent to Iraq be properly prepared for their mission and protected with armor. Again."
Way to go Rep. Simpson....you who have never served in the military, you who say you support the troops but then want to send them into war without protection. Once again we have an elected official who does not represent the best interests of his communities, his state, and the troops he has sent to war. Shame on you.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Spring: Time to End All War
Ah, springtime is here in my garden. Well, it's rather foggy this morning, a kind of Rivendell type of morning for you Tolkien fans, with the trees shrouded in the mists, deer wandering through the forest, birds awakening to light of day, and wild turkeys in the forest gobble-gobbling their terrorist plans for my garden today. I think I'll check on today's war protests, recognizing the date of our disgusting and violent assault upon the Iraqi people in an obvious attempt to control the not just the oil, but, along with the Saudis, and James Baker III, the oil prices in the Middle East.
If you want some national as well as international news about the weekend's protests to the war in Iraq, check out antiwar.com, who provides coverage from Bangkok to Spain to Los Angeles to Athens to Toronto to the Pentagon. But we all know that won't be enough for the Bush Administration. I just hope that it's enough for the Democrats. Perhaps the protest tomorrow, Monday, on March 19th at Nancy Pelosi's office will convince the Democrats that all is not well in Mudville.... For a list of today's protests taking place in Idaho, take a look at Red State Rebels, a blog that frequently tells you more than the Idaho Democratic Party does....
And just in case you think these people march in vain, as of today at least 655,000+ Iraqi civilians have died in this war, 3,211 U.S. military personnel have perished (official number), and the war now has cost $409,052,121,231.
I hate to end on such a tragic note, but perhaps it's the weekend we should all be either marching or holding candlelight vigils. The Bush administration is like a runaway train, and although the train may be falling apart, they just keep on going. I would urge people to contact Nancy Pelosi's office tomorrow and let her know you are there in spirit.
On that note, back to the spirit of springtime, a reminder of the cycle of life that we in four-season country fully appreciate. It's time to start our seeds, be they for the garden or for the rebirth of Idaho into a blue state. I hope you'll enjoy a sonnet I once wrote about the disappearcne of winter into spring:
Sonnet XIII
While tulips remain hidden underground
Under a thick white blanket, safe from cold,
Mysteries unfold there, without a sound,
A secret story waiting to be told.
Ten years ago the tulips seemed to hide,
But now I see them almost everywhere.
During each winter’s sleep they multiplied,
Now become common, when once so rare.
What happened during winter, I don’t know.
Do tulips do the things that people do?
What springtime preparations do they sow,
In full anticipation of the new.
I’m astonished by what I should have known:
During winter’s sleep, spring’s blossom was sown.
If you want some national as well as international news about the weekend's protests to the war in Iraq, check out antiwar.com, who provides coverage from Bangkok to Spain to Los Angeles to Athens to Toronto to the Pentagon. But we all know that won't be enough for the Bush Administration. I just hope that it's enough for the Democrats. Perhaps the protest tomorrow, Monday, on March 19th at Nancy Pelosi's office will convince the Democrats that all is not well in Mudville.... For a list of today's protests taking place in Idaho, take a look at Red State Rebels, a blog that frequently tells you more than the Idaho Democratic Party does....
And just in case you think these people march in vain, as of today at least 655,000+ Iraqi civilians have died in this war, 3,211 U.S. military personnel have perished (official number), and the war now has cost $409,052,121,231.
I hate to end on such a tragic note, but perhaps it's the weekend we should all be either marching or holding candlelight vigils. The Bush administration is like a runaway train, and although the train may be falling apart, they just keep on going. I would urge people to contact Nancy Pelosi's office tomorrow and let her know you are there in spirit.
On that note, back to the spirit of springtime, a reminder of the cycle of life that we in four-season country fully appreciate. It's time to start our seeds, be they for the garden or for the rebirth of Idaho into a blue state. I hope you'll enjoy a sonnet I once wrote about the disappearcne of winter into spring:
Sonnet XIII
While tulips remain hidden underground
Under a thick white blanket, safe from cold,
Mysteries unfold there, without a sound,
A secret story waiting to be told.
Ten years ago the tulips seemed to hide,
But now I see them almost everywhere.
During each winter’s sleep they multiplied,
Now become common, when once so rare.
What happened during winter, I don’t know.
Do tulips do the things that people do?
What springtime preparations do they sow,
In full anticipation of the new.
I’m astonished by what I should have known:
During winter’s sleep, spring’s blossom was sown.
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