My sister. I love you.

I've opened myself to so much here I suppose because it's anonymous and safe. I'm on vacation but I got a call from my mom late this afternoon. My sister passed away today. My sisters are much older than I am, so in a sense it's more surreal because of that. I didn't grow up with them. I suppose I would say I was closest to her simply because I have so many memories of her. I'm not sure I remember a time that she was truly happy and frankly this isn't completely unexpected. Her life has not been her own for a very long time. I truly believe that she has now found happiness.

If tears could build a stairway
and thoughts a memory lane
I'd walk right up to heaven
and bring you home again
No Farewell words were spoken
No time to say good-bye
You were gone before I knew it
And only God knows why.

My heart's still active in sadness
And secret tears still flow
What it meant to lose you
No one can ever know.
But now I know you want us
To mourn for you no more
To remember all the happy times
Life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten
I pledge to you today
A hallowed place within my heart
Is where you'll always stay.

God knows why, with chilling touch,
Death gathers those we love so much,
And what now seems so strange and dim,
Will all be clear, when we meet Him.
I Knew you for a Moment
~Unknown

Okay NOW I'm scared...

So the headache.. Blah blah blah.
Of course I know that the blood pressure and things cropping up EVERY doctor's visit isn't boding well. I've known that for a very long time. It's something we joke about because no one thinks of it in real terms. I guess I joke about it, but it's the only way it's ever addressed.
So we're going out of town for a few days tomorrow. I've been printing up Google maps for the destinations of the places we are going. I printed up two maps for the nearest craft stores as my town's recently went out of business. I printed one for Michael's and one for Robert's crafts AND I printed up 40% off coupons for each store but I can't remember why. I can't remember what I need. It sounds stupid but it's never happened like this before. It's also disheartening that I KNOW that I've told everyone in my family but no one knows what I'm talking about. Why am I even here?
Reminds me of some lyrics to one of my favorite Evanescence songs:

Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up,
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:
"Isn't something missing?"

I kind of can't wait until someday.

The amazing world created by Phil McDarby

I got an email today from Mr. McDarby who is the artist that created the picture that has become the mascot of my blog. At least the whimsical side of me that is Briar, rarely heard from because I usually blog about political frustration! I had done a search earlier to find his site and more of his amazing work. This is his site:

http://www.philmcdarby.com/

A little known factoid about me: I've actually written some stories that have been published but not in the form they were intended. They read like a poem but were meant to be a picture book. I lack the illustration skills (and persistence) to bring life to the world I see in my mind but Phil McDarby has shown the world I can only paint with words. I appreciate his generosity in allowing me to keep the picture up. Visit his site. His gift is astounding.

Facebook?

So, unlike the Patch, my Facebook page limits my freedom of speech. If you have it and are tired of Teabagger nonsense, here's a link to a group. I didn't name it and I've always said that no party has cornered the market on stupidity. To say that all Republicans are idiots would be stupid and I'm not stupid.

Enjoy:

Republicans Are Idiots And Arguing With Them Is A Waste Of Time

I will say that it broke the short truce I had with my sister who took offense even though I pointed out that I didn't name the group. That was totally predictable. I knew that day was coming. Like always, the story changes, but online conversations are forever. Like I wouldn't save THAT one knowing it was going to happen!! Again, I'm many things but I'm not stupid.

The wisdom of Winston Churchill and me.

"If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons."
~Winston Churchill

"When Glenn Beck claims to be a Mormon, a Vatican endorsed Warrior of God, that God speaks to, torturing the gullible night and day on the radio and Fox News, we can rest assured he'll be tortured night and day forever and ever. Because it says so in the book of Revelations."
~Me :)

I am mellowing out. Anyone notice that?

Okay NOW tell me you don't believe in Chupacbra!

I found these on a site I'm not going to link to because of the language, but they borrowed the pictures, so can I.

Yeah they only LOOK nice on Harry Potter:


This reminds me of someone.... I can't put my finger on it.


You know how Damien on the Omen was actually the off-spring of Satan and a jackel? I've SEEN this things children. Seriously scary stuff.. Worse than the images conjured while reading the book of Revelations!

Dig Baby Dig..

I've actually passed the point of horror and am waiting for even the STUPIDIST of the stupid people realize this so such a sick and twisted human that he not ONLY shouldn't be on air, he should deserted on an island to watch him recreate Lord of the Flies. Remember the Metholatum moment when he was speaking of the constant fear his family is in danger of haters, Maoist, Socialist, Nazis? He talked about how vile it is to attack children.. OOPSY!
This comes in response to President Obama saying that his daughter said "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?"


Transcript and video from Media Matters
BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy? Daddy? Daddy, did you plug the hole yet? Daddy?

PAT GRAY (co-host): (imitating Obama) No I didn't, honey.

BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy, I know you're better than [unintelligible]

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Mm-hmm, big country.

BECK: (imitating Malia) And I was wondering if you've plugged that hole yet.

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Honey, not yet.

BECK: (imitating Malia) Why not, daddy? But daddy--

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Not time yet, honey. Hasn't done enough damage.

BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy?

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Not enough damage yet, honey.

BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy?

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yeah?

BECK: (imitating Malia) Why do you hate black people so much?

GRAY: (imitating Obama) I'm part white, honey.

BECK: (imitating Malia) What?

GRAY: (imitating Obama) What?

BECK: (imitating Malia) What'd you say?

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Excuse me?

BECK: (laughing) This is such a ridiculous -- this is such a ridiculous thing that his daughter-- (imitating Malia) Daddy?

GRAY: It's so stupid.

BECK: How old is his daughter? Like, thirteen?

GRAY: Well, one of them's, I think, thirteen, one's eleven, or something.

BECK: "Did you plug the hole yet, daddy?" Is that's their -- that's the level of their education, that they're coming to -- they're coming to daddy and saying 'Daddy, did you plug the hole yet?' " Plug the hole!

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yes, I was doing some deep-sea diving yesterday, and--

BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy?

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yeah, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I was doing--

BECK: (imitating Malia) Why--

GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yeah, honey, I'm--

BECK (imitating Malia) Why, why, why, why, do you still let the polar bears die? Daddy, why do you still let Sarah Palin destroy the environment? Why are -- Daddy, why don't you just put her in some sort of a camp?

Like shooting dead fish in a barrel of oil...

I recognize my favorite phrase "Stupid People" is not something that sits well with some. I don't think it bothers smart people but helllllooooo! If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck...
Sarah 'drill baby drill' Palin had a recent outbreak of verbal diarrhea that was SO stupid and hypocritical it would have made Allen Funt speechless. She was nattering on about the money that President Obama from big oil. WHAT??? The Bush Administration thrived on their big oil partnership. Cheney was the biggest corrupt puppet master in U.S. History by literally putting himself in the position of President while reaping the benefits of Halliburton. The margin of comparison of money invested in candidates by big oil is SOOO huge that it's astounding. Well, it's astounding to people who haven't watched in horror as we are stuck in the political Le Brea Tar Pit of Republican making.
Sooo we've watched the GOP machine natter on about Obama and his goal to make us a socialist country. No more big government take overs and no more bailouts. Guess what they are clamoring about now? BP isn't stepping up to the plate (Duh! Who DIDN'T see that coming?) So the Republican's are not happy with Obama's response. Guess what they want? A government take over and a bailout. Personally I think he should get a written agreement that as he adds this to his list of Republican messes that he's expected to fix overnight that they will support all strides made to encourage alternate forms of energy. Stupid, stupid, people!
Here's a blog on the matter. Enjoy!

Bob Cesca
Author, One Nation Under Fear

The words "government takeover" were originally injected into the discourse by Frank Luntz in the early stages of the health care reform process and have been repeated in the pejorative sense by Republicans across the board.

Despite the fact that thousands of Americans die every month from a lack of affordable health insurance, the Republicans have argued that the government isn't allowed to "takeover" the industry. It goes without saying that the president wasn't proposing any such thing and, in fact, publicly denounced single-payer health insurance, but okay. The Republicans truly believe the health care reform bill is socialism and a total takeover of the industry. It's not.

Likewise, the Republicans and tea party people have been screeching about the bailouts. They insist that the banks and financial institutions (and GM) should have been allowed to fail, rather than receiving emergency loans from the government in order to, at the time, prevent the American economy from being dragged down along with these institutions had they not been hoisted with an infusion of cash.

Speaking of which, the Republicans also loudly opposed the recovery bill, which included, as a total dollar amount, the biggest middle class tax cut in American history as well as a considerable amount of funding for the states. Yet the Republicans, once again, screeched about state's rights and tried to block the funding.

In his response to the president's first address to a joint session of Congress, Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana famously mocked such obviously hilarious things as volcano monitoring in the recovery bill. Volcanoes? Why should we monitor those?

The dominant centerpiece to all of this outrage has been the Republican idea that the states and the free market should be left alone to deal with problems and crises on its own without "socialist" -- or even "communist" depending on which AM radio station you listen to -- interference from big government and our America-hating president. No government takeovers. Freedom! Liberty! And no stupid volcano thingees also.

Americans dying from a lack of health insurance? Too bad. No government takeover. The economy about to sink into a second Great Depression? Too bad. No government takeover. The Earth growing warmer due to the burning of fossil fuels? Too bad. No government takeover.

That is until last month.

A major corporation, not unlike General Motors or Bank of America or WellPoint, failed to properly outfit one of its deep-water oil drilling platforms with the proper failsafe mechanisms and a chain reaction of death and destruction ensued. The Transocean Deepwater-Horizon oil rig, leased by British Petroleum, exploded and eventually sank 5,000 feet to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, snapping its drilling riser in several places which, consequently, is spewing black gushers of oil into the ocean at a rate of upwards of a million gallons per day.

And suddenly all of these state's rights, anti-government takeover Republicans are demanding a government takeover of the capping and cleanup process. (If only someone had blasted uninsured Americans in the face with reddish-brown crude oil, the health care reform bill might have received a few Republican votes.)

Bobby Jindal, the state's rights small government governor who tried to block stimulus money from entering Louisiana (though it didn't stop him from eventually accepting giant checks during photo-ops), is demanding that the federal government take over the handling of the disaster.

Jindal said in his now infamous TV address, "Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C."

Zing! POW!

But now, with a different kind of eruption 25 miles off the shores of Louisiana, Jindal can't walk past an open microphone without begging for the federal government's help in cleaning up BP's mess. A government takeover of a private corporation's mess for the sake of protecting American jobs and natural resources? Sounds not unlike the justification for the recovery bill and the bailouts.

Last weekend, Sarah Palin appeared on Fox News Sunday with her shrill, staccotto word salads and made a similar case. She very clearly contradicted Rand Paul, whom she endorsed, by wondering why President Obama is "taking so doggone long to get in there, to dive in there..."

So one half of the 2008 Republican presidential "drill, baby, drill" ticket which, by the way, accepted $2.4 million in contributions from oil companies (double the amount donated to the Obama-Biden ticket), called for a government takeover of the BP situation, and lamented that it wasn't happening because the president's campaign accepted oil money. This is such a twisted, Mobius Loop of backwards logic and opposite-day thinking, it's difficult to summarize it without also becoming trapped in the same tangle of stupid. Something tells me that's the whole idea. Anyway.

Here's Sean Hannity, who very likely repeated the Luntz "government takeover" meme more often than any other Republican last year, complaining that the president and the federal government "outsourced" the oil spill crisis to BP -- the very company that's responsible for actually creating the mess. "Outsourced," we're to assume, as opposed to spending taxpayer money to solve the crisis.

Hannity himself said, "This is the worst environmental disaster and [the administration] did nothing from day one." And, "Bobby Jindal has been begging for help and it's not been forthcoming."

In the U.S. Senate, the anti-bailout, anti-spending Republicans have been filibustering any Democratic effort to lift the $75 million liability cap on oil spill damages, effectively bailing out the oil companies and potentially forcing the federal government to cover any damages above and beyond the limits of the cap. Put another way, once an oil company reaches $75 million, American taxpayers take over, and Republicans like Senator Inhofe are working hard to keep it that way. Once again, just like the bailouts, the Republicans are embracing privatized, free market profits, but socialized losses.

Now that crude has begun to wash upon the shores and wetlands of Republican red states, any superficial bumper sticker griping about socialism has been temporarily forgotten.

That's the bitch about building a party platform around specious, shallow platitudes. They might be effective in terms of rallying the easily-led, low information base, but as soon as practicality steps in, all sloganeering is dropped in lieu of confronting and dealing with reality. Subsequently, these alleged free market state's rights small government anti-regulation southern conservative cardboard standee Republicans continue to demand federal help and socialized taxpayer money. The Republicans are demanding redistributed wealth from Pennsylvania and Vermont and Illinois and New York and Massachusetts with all of its socialist bleeding heart tree-hugging environmental wacko liberals.

However hypocritical the Republicans might be on this, they're ultimately correct. The federal government has a responsibility to protect our economy, our natural resources and our lives from the destruction that's often wrought by irresponsible corporations. Thanks, Republicans, for finally catching up.

More of the same?

Idaho candidate and minion of Palin has been caught plagiarizing *gasp* President Barack Obama. I'm pretty sure Palin would have given permission to use her words dude. What? Her words are stupid and make no sense? Yeah, that's why she's not Vice President...
The clip comes to us from a tea party candidate/blogger Lucas Baumbach. I'd probably vote for because this is just so beautiful:

Ward’s campaign dismissed the video, and spokesman Mike Tracy told POLITICO: “This is just more of the same from folks who are afraid that Vaughn’s the front-runner.”

“Folks are getting desperate — they’re saying anything to get Vaughn to go after him. If anyone thinks he’s anything like Obama, they’re dead wrong,” Tracy said.

Source: Politico
More of the same?? People even THAT is lifted!!! If you are going to nag at President Obama for being the Anti-Christ, the Kenyan-born, black Hitler, that can't speak without benefit of teleprompter perhaps you shouldn't parrot him.. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use a teleprompter because you aren't even giving a speech, you are reading one and it's OBAMA'S!!!!
After checking out Vaughn Ward I have to agree with his spokesman, he is NOTHING like President Obama.

Glass houses and all that jazz...

On the message board I was recently banned on twice (but there's no keeping me down) I've always maintained that saying Republicans are the "Moral Party" is really unwise. Kinda like saying "MY child would NEVER do something like that." Please! That is practically begging karmic justice. Recently another stupid Republican got caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. The Dems can't help but snicker because, they are SOOOOOOOO stupid. So we get Clinton and Edwards, etc. thrown in our faces like we've forgotten. We don't forget, we just aren't the ones calling ourselves "the party of golden morals". That would just be borrowing trouble. Here's a little sampling of the snootful of trouble. It would be funny if it all between consenting adults.
Republican Sex Offenders

No need to counter with a list of Democrat sleazys. WE KNOW ABOUT THEM. We don't pretend to be anything else. It's in the fine print :)