Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Not Surprising





Newsweek Magazine poses the question as to whether Tea Party members are racist. No surprises in that one!

"A new survey by the University of Washington Institute for the Study of Ethnicity, Race & Sexuality offers fresh insight into the racial attitudes of Tea Party sympathizers. "The data suggests that people who are Tea Party supporters have a higher probability"—25 percent, to be exact—"of being racially resentful than those who are not Tea Party supporters," says Christopher Parker, who directed the study. "The Tea Party is not just about politics and size of government. The data suggests it may also be about race."

"Surveyers asked respondents in California and a half dozen battleground states (like Michigan and Ohio) a series of questions that political scientists typically use to measure racial hostility. On each one, Tea Party backers expressed more resentment than the rest of the population, even when controlling for partisanship and ideology. When read the statement that "if blacks would only try harder, they could be just as well off as whites," 73 percent of the movement's supporters agreed, while only 33 percent of people who disapproved of the Tea Party agreed. Asked if blacks should work their way up "without special favors," as the Irish, Italians, and other groups did, 88 percent of supporters agreed, compared to 56 percent of opponents. The study revealed that Tea Party enthusiasts were also more likely to have negative opinions of Latinos and immigrants."

Just goes along with the scary remarks made by people like Sarah Palin and Glen Beck. These people and groups are only gaining more followers and momentum.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Toxic Tea




If you Google the Tea Party you will find more signs and images than you can believe. These were just two of my faves.

Up till now I have been largely ignoring them and their rhetoric. I have only marginally been listening to Sarah Palin and the crap coming out of her mouth. I also include Glen Beck in that as well.

Ron Rosenbaum, of Slate Magazine
, wrote an excellent article about the Tea Party and how dangerous they are to ignore. How they flagrantly misuse words like tyranny, communist, Marxist and socialist. They are also quite guilty and misrepresentation of history, but does that surprise us?

I am a great believer in used-bookstore serendipity. Sometimes when you're thinking about how to express something, you find a perfect exemplification of it just by chance in the musty stacks of such an emporium. Here's a remarkable example. I'd been trying to find a way to write about Tea Party ideology, and in particular about the fraudulent history and distorted language it indulges in. Listen to Tea Partiers on cable news—or read the signs they hoist or their Internet comments—and you frequently encounter the flagrant abuse, the historically ignorant misuse, of words such as tyranny, communist, Marxist, fascist, and socialist. "

"You hear them say, for instance, that we live under "tyranny" because one side lost a health care vote in an elected legislative body. And that, in all seriousness, the president is a communist. For many Tea Party members, the word is not just a vile epithet; it's a realistic political description. Check out this clip in which Tea Party "celebrity" spokeswoman Victoria Jackson flatly tells a flummoxed Fox News host, "The president's a communist." When the host (the Fox host!) starts to object, she responds that Glenn Beck has taught her that progressive is a code word for communist. (Time to put that ugly hammer and sickle logo inside the "O" on your I-hate-Obama T.P. protest sign!)"

How can they play so easily on the fears of the weak minded and how can these people be so lead? I shake my head when I think about this. I am continually stunned, although I guess I should not be, that people like Glen Beck can gain suck a foot hold upon the public.

These people scare me.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Going, Going, Gone!!




Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. Ever hear that one? Well, it's true.

I am solidly right in the middle of a break down. I am slowly circling the hole that will lead me into mental oblivion.

Still in my 40's I did not know what was happening to me.....I just thought that it was a year long extended session of PMS. Now we have the facts. It is the ugly word that I never thought that I would speak......MENOPAUSE. OMG!

I had the mental vision of this only happening to "older women". I never saw myself as someone that was heading into this area. Well, let me tell you I am standing knee deep smack in the middle of it and holding my nose as I sucked deep into the vortex.

I am trying to get into a new doctor since my old one, literally, has never mentioned it or talked to me about it. My mom says that she was totally done with it by the time she was my age. Done!? I can not imagine how that might be. From what I have been reading this could last for years. YEARS!!!!!!!! Are they serious. I may have to move into a quiet, padded room long before this is over.

During any day I dance through such a myriad of emotions that I don't know if I am coming or going! I have enough patience that would fit inside a thimble. Sleeping is a thing of the past. I just can't. Sleep. I toss and turn every night and that, in turn, sets me up for the emotional roller coaster that is the rest of my day.

I had talked to my "old" doc about this and he just told me to get more exercise and that it was okay to keep taking the night time PM sleep pills that I have been taking. As I stabbed him in the heart with his own pen I knew that it can not be good for my kidneys to keep taking this crap just to sleep each night. Did I also mention that I am taking them with a glass or two of wine? Oh yeah, that's safe!! Never has he mentioned that it might be the "M" word or that blood work might be necessary to see where all my hormone levels are. As if I have any left!! They have to be all wazoo. He said get more exercise....hell, I can't get out the door. I have been so depressed that I am lucky to even get dressed or go to work!

I found a new doc and am trying to get into her office. I have been reading a good deal about HRT and other drugs and I am ready to say,"Hook me up"!

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Out the Door




Today was the first time that I have taken a walk, without a dog, in almost 20 years. I had to force myself out the door. well, really I had to force myself to get my shorts on, and shoes, an Id then out the door. It was/is a beautiful 80 degree day here and I wanted to begin getting myself into walking/running for my 5K this fall.

Last year I did not make it due to a knee problem, but now I am slowly making my way back. Hopefully by October I will be able to run again.

It was the most boring walk ever AND i did not know what to do with my arms and hands! I am so conditioned to either walk a dog or pick up poop that I don't know what to do otherwise.

I don't want to listen to music because I want this time to be for meditative thought or reflection or whatever. I listen to music when I run, so I want my walking time to be more peaceful.

I know that as time passes it will become more natural, but for now it is hard to leave the house and take the same routes that Casey & I used to take. I think that I will change them for awhile until I don't think about it anymore.

Although it was weird the sun was shining and the 80 degree day felt good on my skin. Like they say...time heals everything.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Heads and Shit Rolling Downhill




I can't help laugh as the latest Catholic follies are coming into light. The church/leadership that has always acted so far above everyone else is now being shown for the liars, hypocrites and fakes that they really are.

I think that Maureen Dowd,
of the NY Times, says it the best in her recent editorial.

"It doesn’t seem right that the Catholic Church is spending Holy Week practicing the unholy art of spin.

Complete with crown-of-thorns imagery, the church has started an Easter public relations blitz defending a pope who went along with the perverse culture of protecting molesters and the church’s reputation rather than abused — and sometimes disabled and disadvantaged — children.

The church gave up its credibility for Lent. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are now becoming Cover-Up Thursday and Blame-Others Friday."

Instead of playing all pious as the Easter weekend comes upon its followers they are instead ignoring all of this and focusing on things as they wish to divert attention. I don't think that this is going to happen!.


"The Catholic Church can never recover as long as its Holy Shepherd is seen as a black sheep in the ever-darkening sex abuse scandal.

Now we learn the sickening news that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, nicknamed “God’s Rottweiler” when he was the church’s enforcer on matters of faith and sin, ignored repeated warnings and looked away in the case of the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, a Wisconsin priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys.

The church has been tone deaf and dumb on the scandal for so long that it’s shocking, but not surprising, to learn from The Times’s Laurie Goodstein that a group of deaf former students spent 30 years trying to get church leaders to pay attention."


These most recent abuse revelations are some of the worst yet! Still the pope tries to cover it all up under that big hat. Then they also trot out the blame for the gays defense as well!! They must either be on drugs or so out of touch with reality that they think that that age old line still works.


With this much heat coming down it might be time for the millions of followers to finally toss in the towel and look at these men for who and what they really are. It's a sham.