Category: Politics

I guess I can assume that most of you have seen Obama’s speech on race

I am not going to say anything except I enjoyed it, I was moved by it, and I thought he was definitely showing more grit and more spine than most American politicians since the end of WWII.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s easy enough to find on Youtube.  Ooo, and I’m up over 400 views for the Tapioca song now.

To quote Eric Frank Russell

I feel like a half stunned cripple, and Jeff collected a few bruises and scrapes as well, but the big furniture is in and I slept on at least a portion of my bed in the new place last night.  Yahoo, as they say.  I should have been pushing stuff into corners after we got here, but the lure of watching the first two episodes of Deadwood with Jeff was too great.  I slept with the door open and Eddie came to visit me sometime around four.  He makes as much noise as a person walking.

This guy will never be President.

Sigh.  We can dream about it.
Mind you, neither will these gents.

Phew.

Today, unpacking, bed assembly, and then over to St James Hall for the dress rehearsal of the show and then to visit the Luddite. I just wish I felt more like moving.

An open letter to the Defence Minister

February 24, 2008

The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay
Minister of National Defence
National Defence Headquarters
Major-General George R. Pearkes Building
101 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0K2

Dear Sir:

I was alarmed to learn via the National Post that Canada is currently
negotiating an agreement with the United States to allow American
troops on Canadian soil and vice versa for the purposes of mutual
assistance during civil emergencies.

There is no question that the US and Canada as part of NATO must
rehearse and communicate coordinated military maneuvres and strategy.
American troops on Canadian soil, even in the event of an emergency,
is an entirely different — and to me, horrifying – prospect and unless
the locality affected by the disaster (ie province, municipality)
specifically asked for the assistance and expertise of the US military
and coordinated the request with the federal government, not to be
borne.

Why do we want US troops on Canadian soil when they mismanaged the
Katrina response so badly that the US became the shame of the
developed world?  Civilian Canadian responders were on the ground in
the lower lying parishes faster than the US military anyway.

As a citizen of Canada and resident of BC, the first thing I thought
when I read that is that we’re going to have US troops walking up and
down the streets of Whistler in full combat gear during the Olympics
in 2010.  I can think of other, equally gloomy and distasteful
scenarios.

Unless the full text of the agreement is publicized prior to
government approval (I am assuming that this will be passed by an
order in council rather than being exposed to the harsh light of
parliamentary democracy) this proposed coziness with the American
military is a looming disaster for Canadian civil rights and
sovereignty.

Please publicize the details of the agreement.  Perhaps I’m upset over
nothing — but at this point I can hardly be sure.

Yours very truly,

Allegra Sloman

Sundry & Various

Obama vs Clinton…. detailed legislative lists. I was more interested in the emotional content, but that’s just me.
Best sellers in Canada this week. John Grisham continues his stranglehold on the reading public.

I think this stuffed bear thing has gone TOO FAR Not safe for prudes

I’m doing my best to work this pic into a story, but I’m drawing a blank so far. All ages pic.

Funny story about what dogs will do to get attention… and food. Language.

Took me a second to figure out what was going on here. Then I burst out laughing. All ages pic.

The Old Testament in Lego. Not safe for prudes.

Ho lee crap. All ages.

Father’s Day is coming! language.

Probably fake, but still very funny. Passport application letter. Language.

It’s raining. A crow just flew past my window. I have to buy printer ink today. I’d like to call Keith but it’s too early still. And my thoughts are just bouncing around gently.

I think I’ll make a big list of things to do this weekend… I have no commitments, and that feels good.

Consensus definition (from the work of Naughty Scotty (M. Scott Peck))

“Consensus is a group decision – which some members may not feel is the best decision but which they can all live with, support, and commit themselves to not undermine – arrived at without voting, through a process whereby the issues are fully aired, all members feel that they have been adequately heard, in which everyone has equal power and responsibility, and different degrees of influence by virtue of individual stubbornness or charisma are avoided, so that all are satisfied with the process. The process requires the members to be emotionally present and engaged; frank in a loving, mutually respectful manner; sensitive to each other; to be selfless, dispassionate, and capable of emptying themselves; and possessing a paradoxical awareness of both people and time, including knowing when the solution is satisfactory, and that it is time to stop and not re-open the discussion until such time that the group determines a need for revision.” [© 1988, Valley Diagnostic, Medical, and Surgical Clinic, Inc. of Harlingen, Texas and the Foundation for Community Encouragement, Knoxville, Tennessee, reprinted with permission.]

Everything’s up to date in Kansas City

Including these signs recently welcoming George W. Bush.

The 25th anniversary of the church establishment dinner was yummy fun; I didn’t get there early enough to do the percussion thing.  On one hand I feel lousy for not doing what I said, or checking when I was supposed to be there; on the other hand I think I was miserably underrehearsed.  Public performing less than two months after you purchase an instrument seems the height of hubris.

I’m in a very strange mood.  I’ve come to the realization that there is something I keep doing which is really hurting my mental health, and I’m just trying to figure out how I stop doing it without going crazier than I was to start out with.  I think I’ll pour myself another cup of coffee, have a piece of the 85% cocoa chocolate the Luddite insisted on leaving here (“Oh, don’t worry, I have plenty at home”) and contemplate my options.  With any luck, daughter Katie will be joining me this afternoon.  The urge to kidnap her and do an intervention is urgent, but I think I can manage without doing anything dumb.

One of my LJ buddies was at the church dinner last night.  I was thinking, Gosh, we finally get to talk IRL! and then her daughter threw up and they had to leave.  For this, she commented wryly, I stuffed them all into their nice clothes (or words to that effect).

My granny is still in a lot of pain, but they found painkillers that work.  I light a candle for her, and for the heroic amount of care she’s been getting from her two sons and daughtersinlaw. It makes me shudder to think what old age is like when we have no children, loved ones, or adoptive family to help us.

I light a candle for the folks who went to Nancy’s memorial service yesterday. I hope everybody stayed cheerful and full of happy memories.  The grinding hard work of sorting the estate out – I light a big phalanx of candles for that heavy chore.

I made biscotti.

Off to meditate on mental health now.