National Blogging for LGBT Families Day

I don't know if the "button" at the top of this post will show up or not. I can't see it but that doesn't mean it's not there. For some reason, I've been having problems viewing pictures and images.

Dana at Mombian reminds us that June 1st is Blogging for LGBT Families day and has asked us for posts. I'll be happy to.

This is a link to a post I wrote last February about LGBT students and the dangers they face in the schools. Dana assured me recycling was allowed.

I'm sure you know by now I'm the mom of a gay son and a charter member of our local PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians & Gays) group. I've marched in the San Francisco gay pride parade with my son and been as active as my time and energy permits in fighting for equal rights for all our citizens.

Our local PFLAG group in this small, conservative city, has marched, banner flying proudly, in our local parades and we've manned booths at every available opportunity. People are becoming accustomed to seeing us. They have even cheered or, at worst, been polite.

I've spent the last hour searching through the internet looking for statistics on LGBT families. Instead, I discovered Gay Family Support written by a woman named Debbie, not unlike me, with one gay and one bisexual son. She tells her own story and provides links which answer questions for parents.

It's written in conversational language, accurate and helpful.

My oldest great-granddaughter, Elcie, graduated from the 8th grade this evening. We're all immensely proud of course. You can read all about it over on "granny".

I posted pictures, one of which is a photo of Elcie's two younger sisters, Rebecca and Rochelle, with me and their Uncle Tim. Take a look and see if you think our multi-racial, multi-gender, multi-generational family poses a threat to anyone. Don't we look pretty much like everyone else?

I've made several friends in the blogging community who in one way or another are LGBT families. Lion Mom and her partner (now married courtesy of Canada) have adopted several children. Yondalla fosters gay teens. Foster Abba and Foster Eema are lesbian foster parents. Bacchus and his partner have adopted a little boy. Trey and his partner have adopted a little girl. And Mombian of course. Her blog name speaks for itself. Each of their sites has links to other parenting blogs. i wish I had time to read them all.

None of them are involved in undermining society. They're far too busy raising their families.

Perhaps someday we can stop attaching labels to families. We're no different from anyone else.
COMMENTS:

Kvatch said...
PFLAG always makes a big appearance at the Pride Day Parade here, and...next to the guys who populate the Department of Public Works float, always seem to be the happiest group on the parade route.
Friday, June 01, 2007 1:33:00 PM
Jo said...
Your family looks just like mine. Filled with love. Hugs to you and yours!
Friday, June 01, 2007 1:46:00 PM
betmo said...
i am sorry i missed out.
Friday, June 01, 2007 4:47:00 PM

The Blob That Ate The World

..........The BLOBGOOGLE...................................

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/05/
4534_google_trying_t.html (url had to be divided as it extended into sidebar space and pushed sidebar material to the bottom)

Google Trying to Get Bigger -- and More Evil?
When Google announced a $3.1 billion acquisition of online advertising company DoubleClick, European Union officials and internet privacy advocates warned that the massive trove of information Google has on virtually every internet user just got bigger.

Count Mother Jones amongst the concerned parties. In 2006, we ran a feature called "Is Google Evil?" that looked into the myraid different ways Google collects information on you -- and the ways it coughs up that information to snooping governments. Should you be concerned? Well, Google's famous founding duo certainly seems to be:
Google Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the two former Stanford geeks who founded the company that has become synonymous with Internet searching, and you’ll find more than a million entries each. But amid the inevitable dump of press clippings, corporate bios, and conference appearances, there’s very little about Page’s and Brin’s personal lives; it’s as if the pair had known all along that Google would change the way we acquire information, and had carefully insulated their lives—putting their homes under other people’s names, choosing unlisted numbers, abstaining from posting anything personal on web pages.

Hmmm. Read the feature here.
Posted by Jonathan Stein on 05/30/07 at 6:24 AM E-mail Print Digg de.licio.us Reddit Newsvine Yahoo! MyWeb StumbleUpon Netscape Google
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
[WA: I recommend clicking on the link above for the article on Google and your (lack of) privacy.]

COMMENTS:

The Future Was Yesterday said...
From the second I turn the power switch on, until I see the screen go black, and hear the HD's wind down, I assume there is no such thing as privacy on here.Google would seem to be doing very little to dispel that belief..(:
Thursday, May 31, 2007 4:56:00 PM
betmo said...
i am continuing my sigh here.
Thursday, May 31, 2007 8:46:00 PM

Internet Taxes?

Net taxes could arrive by this fall
By Declan McCullagh, Staff Writer, CNET News.com
1 2 Next >
The era of tax-free e-mail, Internet shopping and broadband connections could end this fall, if recent proposals in the U.S. Congress prove successful.State and local governments resumed a push to lobby Congress for far-reaching changes on two different fronts: gaining the ability to impose sales taxes on Net shopping, and being able to levy new monthly taxes on DSL and other connections. One senator is even predicting taxes on e-mail.
........
Excerpt, page 2:

Internet access taxes
A second category of higher Net taxes is technically unrelated, but is increasingly likely to be linked when legislation is debated in Congress later this year. That category involves access taxes, meaning taxes that local and state governments levy to single out broadband or dial-up connections.

(See CNET News.com's Tech Politics podcast this week with former House Majority Leader Dick Armey on this point.)If the temporary federal moratorium is allowed to expire in November, states and municipalities will be allowed to levy a dizzying array of Net access taxes--meaning a monthly Internet connection bill could begin to resemble a telephone bill or airline ticket with innumerable and confusing fees tacked on at the end. In some states, telephone fees, taxes and surcharges run as high as 20 percent of the bill.
.........
Complete article here .

COMMENTS:

betmo said...
sigh. what more can i do? i am so tired. sigh.
Thursday, May 31, 2007 8:45:00 PM
Worried said...
As a retired senior citizen who lives on a low income, fixed budget, I am concerned. I have a number of email addresses and have increased them since google demanded emails for blogs as ids. It probably was a mistake to create new emails for some of those blogs. If taxes are imposed, I wonder if google/ blogger will allow changes so I can consolidate several blog ids into one email.
Thursday, May 31, 2007 10:57:00 PM

Cindy Sheehan

Ingrid just left a comment asking if I'd heard about Cindy Sheehan

No, I hadn't. I was listening to music instead of the news this morning. In any event, she's resigned her position and put the property in Crawford up for sale. She said enough is enough.

I know how she feels and I haven't put in anything resembling the work she has.

Thank you Cindy for what you tried to do.
COMMENTS:

The Future Was Yesterday said...
She speaks from my heart as well.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 1:50:00 PM
Worried said...
Even the strongest, bravest, most valiant warrior gets battle fatigue sometimes, and Cindy has certainly been a warrior.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:15:00 PM
SheaNC said...
It's too bad it ended on such a bad note for her. I wish her well.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 10:29:00 PM
Daniel said...
Cindy was broken by the sheeple, by all those who ignored her efforts or just didn't care. Is it any wonder that Bush and his Bullies are so arrogant?So sad!
Thursday, May 31, 2007 12:38:00 AM

Attention, Readers

This is a comment to a post but worthy of a post in itself. If a 12 year old can work for such a great cause, so can we adults.

Anne said...
PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO OTHERS TO HELP HONOR OUR SOLDIERS
My Memorial Day Wish, By Zach -- Age 12
Director of RandomKid's OPDVD KidsToday
we remember our fallen soldiers. I think one of the best ways we can honor them is by doing something for the soldiers who are still serving our country.I know a lot of grown ups have watched the TV Show "MASH" and they saw soldiers playing basketball, or sometimes baseball. But I've received letters from today's soldiers that tell a different story. They can't do any fun stuff outdoors, for fear of getting shot.

One of them wrote to me,"As you know there is not a lot for the soldiers to do when they get a little time off. So when they do get the time to rest up a little, it is important we have something for them so they don’t sit around thinking about home. We all miss being with our families but the more we think about it the harder it is to stay focused."

So I've been collecting DVDs and sending them to the troops overseas. I want to collect 140,000 by Veterans Day. One for each soldier in Iraq (but the videos will also go to Afghanistan and other places).

PLEASE JOIN ME. GET OUT THOSE DVDS YOU DON'T WATCH ANYMORE, AND LET'S SEND THEM TO OUR TROOPS. Please email me (zach@randomkid.org ) to request DVD collection boxes . IT'S SO EASY. For more information, please visit http://www.randomkid.org/operationdvd.asp .

Another soldier wrote to me:"These (DVDs) can bring the light of home to an otherwise dismal place."I hope you'll help me honor them.God bless America!

Sincerely,Zach -DirectorRandomKid's OpDVD KidsHelp Kids Help Others. www.randomkid.org *** P.S. Please forward this to EVERYONE you know!
Monday, May 28, 2007 9:14:00 AM

COMMENTS:
Worried said...
I hope our readers will participate in this worthy endeavor. My friend, Professor Bob, a Vietnam War vet and a retired teacher, routinely sends movies to troops overseas on an individual basis. I will forward this link so he can expand his efforts, since he has many, many movies he no longer wants. (He is a movie buff and collector with many friends in the business).
Monday, May 28, 2007 5:46:00 PM

Ingrid said...
I just 'adopted a soldier' and haven't heard back from him yet. I hesitated to include any dvd's as I have no idea what kinds of things he likes. After all, what mind frame would one be in being in such an environment and what would one want to watch? I know I have different moods that make me want to watch different things so..I hope he writes back soon so I can be more specific with my care packages..btw..heard about Cindy Sheehan?the fight continues..Ingrid
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:38:00 AM
Worried said...
Thank you, Ingrid. That is a great idea.Please tell us how you "adopt" a soldier!
For reader's info: The post office gives Flat Rate Boxes FREE in which to ship items. Be sure to ascertain that the boxes say "Flat Rate". They are larger than a shirt box and for only $8.90 you can ship as much as you can cram in them.It is surprising how much you can get in them.
Daughter Jo ships to her husband in Iraq all the time and depending on what she sends, has shipped as much as 25 lbs. One time she sent him 15 lbs. of Irish Potatoes to make baked potatoes for a barbecue the guys were having.
Just like everyone far from home, troops and civilian workers love home made goodies. Jo bakes cookies, brownies, etc. and seals them in vacuum sealed bags. Crushables like muffins, cupcakes, or small single layer cakes, she puts in smaller boxes with the goodies padded with popcorn (which is also eatible) and puts the small boxes inside the flat rate boxes.
Some of the guys really envy Lloyd because he receives so many "care" packages from home. They said he gets more than all the rest combined. They crowd around like little kids with their noses pressed against a candy store window, watching when he opens his package. The guys usually share their home baked/home made goodies. Judicious experimenting will prove how much you can get in those boxes and ship all the way overseas for only $8.90 - quite a bargain for all the pleasure it gives to our men and women overseas.
You can also senf VHS tapes, as some men on base have VCRs; others have DVDs. They share their movies around so one movie gives pleasure to many people. It is a shame how many of the troops get NOTHING from home; some do not even receive mail. How depressing!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:08:00 PM

Memorial Day 2007

I've been trying to think of something to write about Memorial Day this year and nothing comes to mind.

As I often do, I'll borrow someone else's words.

John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..."

Our thoughts and prayers are with our brave men and women overseas and with victims everywhere.

COMMENTS:

Kvatch said...
I found something. I wrote (obliquely) about Cheney's nonsensical speech before the West Point cadets. What a ethically challenged tool he is. What a terrible folly has caused 3455 men and women to be killed in combat for nothing. I'm feeling very ashamed today.Good quote though. You can always count on Donne.
Monday, May 28, 2007 4:05:00 PM
Granny said...
I didn't hear Cheney but I did hear part of the Bush speech. The hypocrisy turned my stomach.
Monday, May 28, 2007 4:33:00 PM

Replacing Deleted Post - What Happened? Conspiracy?

We don't know what happened but here is the link to On The Home Front.

And here is the original post from The Calm Before The Sand. This soldier is quite vocal with his opinion about the compromise cavein.

If we had comments, perhaps WA can repost them.

COMMENTS:

Worried said...
There were comments that I posted to your post. However, as I explained in my email to you, either the Dastardly Duo or the MFfor some unknown reason published our entire sidebar under the post instead of comments, leaving an empty space where sidebar should have been.On "edit post" page, everything was fine, but on "view blog", our sidebar material was in place instead of comments.
After over 45 minutes of hissy fits, I finally managed to get the sidebar back to sidebar space and comments under your post. Checked out "view blog" 3 times and all was well. But when I switched from Mozilla Firefox back to IE, the entire post, comments and all was gone! Unfortunately I did not have copies of the comments. I remind myself NEVER NEVER NEVER publish with MF as it most often messes up publishing, even though it serves its purpose for deleting unwanted material and in copying pics and slides better than IE.
***If commenters to this post of Granny's will re-comment, we will publish them (via IE) under the post. It is a good post.
Monday, May 28, 2007 6:01:00 PM

Faces of the Sacrificed

The Face of one - Medal of Honor Recipient Cpl. Jason Dunham
Grief for buddies , not mere names, statistics, but friends.

SACRIFICED FOR EMPIRE
OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCES, BLOOD SACRIFICES ON THE ALTAR OF EVIL MEN'S LUST AND GREED FOR POWER, MONEY, AND EMPIRE.

THEY ARE NUMBERS ON STATISTICAL RECORDS, NAMES ON GRAVESTONES, BUT TO US AND ALL THAT KNEW AND LOVED THEM, THEY ARE PRECIOUS RESOURCES - THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA.

Honor and Remember the Sacrificed:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18338428/GT1=9951

Click on each thumbnail for brief bio and enlargement. To view entire page, use slide bar. For more, click on link at bottom.

Memorial Day 2006 to 2007 - Casualties

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18885483

Nearly 1,000 soldiers killed in Iraq in past year

Deaths since last Memorial Day speak to shifting strategy, rising dangers

[WA: Blogger is being a total dork this morning. It has placed these long spaces between sections of the post and will NOT allow me to pull them up closer together. Therefore, scroll down to next section to view. ]

John Gress / Reuters

View related photos

Michael McConnell looks at one of more than 3,400 pairs of combat boots, one pair for every U.S. soldier killed in the Iraq war, displayed as part of the "Eyes Wide Open" anti-war exhibition in Chicago on Friday.

[WA:
Also see Thursday's post "The Human Cost of War"]

BAGHDAD - Americans have opened nearly 1,000 new graves to bury U.S. troops killed in Iraq since Memorial Day a year ago. The figure is telling — and expected to rise in coming months.

In the period from Memorial Day 2006 through Saturday, 980 soldiers and Marines died in Iraq, compared to 807 deaths in the previous year. And with the Baghdad security operation now 3½ months old, even President Bush has predicted a difficult summer for U.S. forces.

“It could be a bloody — it could be a very difficult August,” he said last week.

U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus on Saturday acknowledged the increase in casualties as a result of the American surge in forces to regain control of Baghdad.

“We’re doing heavy fighting. This is a fight. There’s a war on out there,” he told reporters at al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq.

Michael O’Hanlon, a military analyst with the Brookings Institution and a consultant to the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, said the increased casualties were a result of the security operation.

Danger at every turn
Thousands more American soldiers are patrolling the streets and living in isolated outposts across Baghdad, leaving them more vulnerable to attack. He also said the increase in raids on extremist Shiite militiamen had brought a wave of retaliatory attacks.

“We’re out there on the streets a lot more. There are more patrols going on every day, so we’re more open to attacks,” O’Hanlon said.

Stephen Biddle, a military expert at the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of a group that spent weeks in Iraq assessing the situation for Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, agreed that more American deaths were likely.

May among the deadliest of months

“The biggest change in their (insurgent and militia) tactics is that they’ve changed to exploit the vulnerabilities we’ve opened ourselves up to. They see a new, small American base in their neighborhood, three blocks away, and they’re going to car bomb it,” said Biddle.

“We’re going to see a spike in the short term,” said Biddle. “But the likelihood is that in six months we’ll see a drop in casualties as these areas become more secure. The problem is, what about the rest of the country?”

By the end of Saturday at least 100 American troops had died in the first 26 days of May, an average of 3.85 deaths a day. At that pace, 119 troops will have died by the end of the month, the most since 137 soldiers were killed in November 2004, when U.S. troops were fighting insurgents in Fallujah.

As of Saturday, May 26, 2007, at least 3,451 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,817 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military.

MORE BELOW:

	Your photos of soldiers who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.
	Pictures and messages from U.S. troops overseas and their friends, family at home.

COMMENTS:

Anne said...
PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO OTHERS TO HELP HONOR OUR SOLDIERSMy Memorial Day WishBy Zach -- Age 12Director of RandomKid's OPDVD KidsToday we remember our fallen soldiers. I think one of the best ways we can honor them is by doing something for the soldiers who are still serving our country.I know a lot of grown ups have watched the TV Show "MASH" and they saw soldiers playing basketball, or sometimes baseball. But I've received letters from today's soldiers that tell a different story. They can't do any fun stuff outdoors, for fear of getting shot. One of them wrote to me,"As you know there is not a lot for the soldiers to do when they get a little time off. So when they do get the time to rest up a little, it is important we have something for them so they don’t sit around thinking about home. We all miss being with our families but the more we think about it the harder it is to stay focused."So I've been collecting DVDs and sending them to the troops overseas. I want to collect 140,000 by Veterans Day. One for each soldier in Iraq (but the videos will also go to Afghanistan and other places). PLEASE JOIN ME. GET OUT THOSE DVDS YOU DON'T WATCH ANYMORE, AND LET'S SEND THEM TO OUR TROOPS. Please email me (zach@randomkid.org) to request DVD collection boxes . IT'S SO EASY. For more information, please visit http://www.randomkid.org/operationdvd.asp.Another soldier wrote to me:"These (DVDs) can bring the light of home to an otherwise dismal place."I hope you'll help me honor them.God bless America!Sincerely,ZachDirectorRandomKid's OpDVD KidsHelp Kids Help Others.www.randomkid.org P.S. Please forward this to EVERYONE you know!
Monday, May 28, 2007 9:14:00 AM
Worried said...
I hope our readers will participate in this worthy endeavor. My friend, Professor Bob, routinely sends movies to troops overseas on an individual basis. I will forward this link so he can expand his efforts, since he has many, many movies he no longer wants. (He is a movie buff and collector with many friends in the business). The troops to whom he sends movies share them all around their base and the soldiers, marines and air men are very grateful.
Monday, May 28, 2007 5:46:00 PM

How Appropriate

If I could remember where I first saw this, I'd give credit. Maybe I can find it again later.

Meantime

I wish it had been a seagull - on his head - but this is better than nothing. I'm sure the sparrow speaks for us all.

My mind just came back to me. Thanks to Fred & POP at Morning Martini for the link.

COMMENTS:

Worried said...

Appropriate; oh so fitting! Cheers to the bird.
I NEEDED that belly laugh, Ann. Made my day and changed my sour disposition.
The comments after the article are GREAT!

Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:11:00 PM

David Cho said...

Good to see you back to blogging, Granny.

Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:36:00 PM

SheaNC said...
He didn't even bother to use a handkerchief or anything, he just grabbed the poop with his fingers. I practically expected him to lift his fingers to his face and...Anyway, they used to say that breeding will out, you know?
Monday, May 28, 2007 3:07:00 AM

Worried: Oh you SheaNC! Another good laugh!

More on the "Compromise" Today

I still don't have the entire tally but I know my Congressman will be hearing from me tomorrow. I've heard him rant against the current administration and the war but when push came to shove he caved.

Worried American, I know this is more your area of expertise than mine but I was too furious to remain completely silent. Bush and the rest of the gang must be crowing right about now.

We sent one message loud and clear last November. Bring our men and women home - now. We were ignored. I could just as well have stayed home instead of voting. At least with the Repubs, I knew what to expect. I feel betrayed.

For any of you who haven't seen it yet, here's what Keith Olbermann had to say.

And here is a real blast from the past - set to music. We've learned nothing except more effective ways of killing.

Update: I've been surfing around youtube looking for something a little more cheerful. No such luck. Instead I found one of the saddest and most beautiful choruses in all of opera. Even though I live in the United States, I can identify with the Hebrew slaves as they mourn their beloved country.

Maybe I should have stayed on hiatus longer.

COMMENTS:

Worried said...
You are darned RIGHT we were betrayed. Betrayed by cowards and greedy (bleeps) who were bought off with $20billion in pork.
Friday, May 25, 2007 2:12:00 AM

ThomasLB said...
I had doubts from the start whether Democrats *really* wanted to end this war. After all, they did vote overwhelmingly to start it.They held all the cards. They could have told the president, "Either accept funding with strings attached, or veto it and get NO funding."I am very discouraged.
Friday, May 25, 2007 6:43:00 AM
betmo said...
honey- you could be on indefinite hiatus and it wouldn't make a difference. these people betrayed us. if you watched the liar-in-chief yesterday, it was evident that he is so far removed from america that he- i don't even know. his entire 'monologue' (because the press certainly didn't participate surprise surprise) was the same rhetoric from 2,4, and 5 years ago. he referenced all of the rethuglican rhetorical lies that have since been debunked by sentient beings; he reiterated that his plan was it- screw the american people; and he defended gonzo. no desire to lead or govern. they have their own agenda that is moving forward nicely. everything else is window dressing until they get what they want. and the dems won't stop them. sigh.
Friday, May 25, 2007 6:59:00 AM
peppylady said...
I now wonder what my congress person (Bill Salli) is doing about the war in Iraq or anything.I could go on and on about Bill Salli but I won't
Friday, May 25, 2007 10:45:00 AM

Marty said...
My congressman, Gene Green, called me the other day (I wasn't home, so he left a message) in response to an e-mail I sent him wanting to know why he voted with the republicans to continue this war. He said he would send me a letter with his explanation, but that as long as the president is doing what he's doing, he(Green) will NOT withhold funds from the troops. So the war continues. A friend and I are going to Gene Green's office on Tuesday to speak with him face to face.
Saturday, May 26, 2007 9:55:00 PM

Endorendil said...

The balance of power is long gone. Congress no longer provides effective control of the executive. We'll have to wait for another Nixon to dial back the presidential power.

Sunday, May 27, 2007 4:05:00 PM

Dems Cave to Bush

COWARDLY DEMS NOW SHARE THE GUILT!!
>>>>

http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=11021

Why Congress Caved to Bush
by Patrick J. Buchanan
The antiwar Democrats are crying betrayal – and justifiably so.
For a Democratic Congress is now voting to fully fund the war in Iraq, as demanded by President Bush, and without any timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal. Bush got his $100 billion, then magnanimously agreed to let Democrats keep the $20 billion in pork they stuffed into the bill – to soothe the pain of their sellout of the party base.
Remarkable. If the Republican rout of 2006 said anything, it was that America had lost faith in the Bush-Rumsfeld conduct of the war and wanted Democrats to lead the country out.
Yet, today, there are more U.S. troops in Iraq than when the Democrats won. More are on the way. And with the surge and retention of troops in Iraq beyond normal tours, there should be a record number of U.S. troops in country by year's end. [WA: And MORE deaths and mutilations.]
Why did the Democrats capitulate?
Because they lack the courage of their convictions. Because they fear the consequences if they put their antiwar beliefs into practice. Because they are afraid if they defund the war and force President Bush to withdraw U.S. troops, the calamity he predicts will come to pass and they will be held accountable for losing Iraq and the strategic disaster that might well ensue.
Democrats are an intimidated party. The reasons are historical. They were shredded by Nixon and Joe McCarthy for FDR's surrenders to Stalin at Tehran and Yalta, for losing China to Mao's hordes, for the "no-win war" in Korea, for being "soft on communism."
The best and the brightest – JFK's New Frontiersmen – were held responsible for plunging us into Vietnam and proving incapable of winning the war. A Democratic Congress cut off aid to Saigon in 1975, ceding Southeast Asia to Hanoi and bringing on the genocide of Pol Pot.
Democrats know they are distrusted on national security. They fear that if they defund this war and bring on a Saigon ending in the Green Zone, it will be a generation before they are trusted with national power. And power is what the party is all about.
Yet, not only does the situation in Iraq appear increasingly grim, with rising U.S. and Iraqi casualties, other shoes are about to drop that will reverberate throughout the region.
Support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with his war in Lebanon a debacle and his leadership denounced by a commission he appointed, is in single digits. Waiting in the wings is Likud super-hawk "Bibi" Netanyahu, the most popular politician in Israel, who compares today to Munich 1938 and equates Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with Hitler.
If and when Bibi comes to power, he will use every stratagem to provoke us into attacking "Hitler." [WA: The kettle calling the pot black? Bush and Netanyahu are the "Hitlers"]
Also drumming for war on Iran are the floundering neocons and the Israeli lobby. Under orders from the lobby, Nancy Pelosi stripped from a House bill a stipulation that Bush must come to Congress for authorization before launching an attack on Iran.
With Democratic contenders reciting the mantra, "All options are on the table," and Iran defying U.N. sanctions, pursuing nuclear enrichment and detaining U.S. citizens, Bush has a blank check to launch a third war.
Lebanon is ablaze. Gaza is ablaze. The Afghan war is not going well. The Taliban have a privileged sanctuary. The NATO allies grow weary.
In Pakistan, the most dangerous country on earth – one bullet away from an Islamic republic with atom bombs [WA: that BUSH gave to them!] – our erstwhile ally, President Musharraf, is caught in a political crisis over his ouster of the chief justice.
Presidents Musharraf in Islamabad, Karzai in Kabul and Siniora in Beirut, and Prime Minister Maliki in Baghdad, sit on shaky thrones. No one knows what follows their fall. But it is hard to see how it would not be crippling for America's position.
With such volatility in this crucial region of the world, with such uncertainty, it is easy to see why Democrats prefer to be the "dummy" at the bridge table and let Bush play the hand.
The congressional Democrats are cynical, but they are not stupid. If the surge works and U.S. troops are being withdrawn by fall 2008, they do not want it said of them that they "cut and ran" when the going got tough, that they played Chamberlain to Bush's Churchill.
And if the war is going badly in 2008, they know that the American people, in repudiating the party of Bush and Cheney, have no other choice than the party of Hillary and Pelosi and Harry Reid. [WA: GOD FORBID!!!]
That is why congressional Democrats are surely saying privately of the angry antiwar left what has often been said by the Beltway Republican elite of the right: "Don't worry about them. They have nowhere else to go."
And that is why the antiwar left was thrown under the bus.

COMMENTS:

Granny said...
It's a pathetic day when I find myself agreeing with Pat Buchanan on anything.We were indeed thrown under the bus.
Friday, May 25, 2007 1:50:00 AM

The Human Cost of War

Readers may have noticed that Is America Burning now has a counter in the sidebar of how many of America's children (men and women) have been slaughtered in Iraq, just above the counter for the incredible cost of this unspeakable war.

How many more? How many more native civilians? How much more destruction? How much longer will Americans tolerate these atrocities before the nation rises up en masse to put an end to it, impeach and prosecute the guilty?

>>>>>
http://www.antiwar.com/casualties
Casualties in IraqThe Human Cost of OccupationEdited by Margaret Griffis :: Contact
American Military Casualties in Iraq

Since war began (3/19/03):
3438
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) (the list)
3299
(Remember that ridiculous photo op? 3299 more of our children killed since the mission was "accomplished".

Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03):
2977
Since Handover (6/29/04):
2579
Since Election (1/31/05):
2001
American Wounded
Estimated
Total Wounded:
25378
23000 - 100000
Latest Fatality May 24, 2007
Page last updated 05/24/07 11:21 pm EDT
Put a Casualty Counter on Your Website
Other Coalition Troops
276
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan
390
Iraqi Body Count
IBC
(click on IBC to access Iraqi body count- vastly underestimated according to some sources )
American Civilian Casualties
(not recorded. Many mercenaries -"civilian contractors" - and real contractors and workers have been killed)
Sources: DoD, CentCom, MNF, and iCasualties.org
Daily DoD Casualty Release
>>>>
Now we find that our elected representatives, the Democrats, have wimped out and allowed these obscenities to go on. See Granny's post , second below this one.

Not only do our sons and daughters sacrifice their lives for our government's corporate fascism, greed for money and imperial power, that fuels horrific human right's abuses globally and spawn "ethnic cleansing" in Iraq and other parts of the globe, Bush's war is destabilizing the entire globe and wiping out hard won efforts at civilization of the nations.

Please see the post immediately below this one for other horrors Bush's war has brought about.

COMMENTS:

Granny said...
Good morning WA. Looks like we're back.
Friday, May 25, 2007 1:40:00 AM
Worried said...
Betrayal of the American people, betrayal of our troops, and more of our sons and daughters to be sacrificed and maimed? You bet your bippy we are back! Threaten the lives of our nation's young and the future of our country, and even old great-grandmas come out swinging.
Friday, May 25, 2007 2:08:00 AM

THIS IS WAR !: US War on Terror Fuels Human Rights Abuses

THIS IS WAR !: US War on Terror Fuels Human Rights Abuses
Excerpt:

"LONDON - The United States is treating the globe like a giant battlefield in its war on terrorism, eroding rights worldwide, a leading human rights group said Wednesday.Amnesty International’s secretary-general, Irene Khan, said the United States' and its allies’ behavior was setting a destructive example for other nations, and that other countries were using the war on terrorism as an excuse to violate human rights and stifle dissent. "
>>>>>>

THIS IS WAR !: Genocide in Iraq
Excerpt:
"Amid daily media body counts and analyses of whether the “surge” is “working,” there is an even more horrific reality in Iraq, almost universally overlooked. The latest annual report by the London-based Minority Rights Group International, released earlier this year, places Iraq second as the country where minorities are most under threat—after Somalia. Sudan is third. More people may be dying in Darfur than Iraq, but Iraq's multiple micro-ethnicities—Turcomans, Assyrians, Mandeans, Yazidis—place it at the top of the list.While the mutual slaughter of Shi’ite and Sunni makes world headlines, Iraq is home to numerous smaller faiths and peoples—now faced with actual extinction. Turcomans are the Turkic people of northern Iraq, caught in the middle of the Arab-Kurdish struggle over Kirkuk and its critical oilfields. Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, now targeted for attack, trace their origins in Mesopotamia to before the arrival of the Arabs in the seventh century. So do the Mandeans, followers of the world’s last surviving indigenous Gnostic faith—now also facing a campaign of threats, violence and kidnapping. The situation has recently escalated to outright massacre. "

Someone Remind Me Please

Didn't we have an election last year? Didn't we take back both the House and Senate?

Why did we bother?

Source: Associated Press

"Bowing to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled House reluctantly approved fresh billions for the Iraq war today, minus the troop withdrawal timeline that drew his earlier veto.

The 280-142 vote sent the bill to the Senate for final passage, expected later Thursday night."

Later Thursday night:

The Senate just approved it - the tally doesn't matter. Shame on them all.

COMMENTS:
Nvisiblewmn said...
Sad.
Thursday, May 24, 2007 7:04:00 PM
Worried said...
Shame is not strong enough word for it.
Thursday, May 24, 2007 10:39:00 PM
The Future Was Yesterday said...
What we hoped (and thought) was a cure to the problem, ended up aiding and abetting the problem...(:Back to square one.
Thursday, May 24, 2007 11:35:00 PM

Modern Home Remedies

Some of the emails I receive are often strange and wonderful, sometimes bizarre, some thought provoking, and some hilarious.

Daughter Jo works at one of the colleges and there are always a variety of emails flying from college to college, some of which she forwards to me to peruse or amuse.

The following home remedies post is one such college email. I have books on old time home remedies and herbal cures; it seems that modern society is no different from our ancestors in devising home remedies for various problems.

I do not endorse these remedies. Use them at your discretion.
>>>>>>
Unknown CURES... Keep This Handy On The Fridge

Did You Know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.
[WA: I think those Altoids would unstop a clogged sink!]

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar and the honey kill the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine therapy for toenail fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again. [WA: I have read that Vicks salve also does the trick.]

Easy eyeglass protection.. To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Smart splinter remover ..just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's tomato paste boil cure ...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine ...a powerful antiseptic.

Vinegar to heal bruises .. Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Kills fleas instantly...Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.

Rainy day cure for dog odor ...Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Eliminate ear mites ..All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear...Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... It's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Testing

Does this link work?

It should link to a Maxine cartoon.

Oops. I meant to run this test over on granny.

Oh well.

COMMENTS:

The Future Was Yesterday said...
Not only does the link work, but as the former owner of five peks in another lifetime, the cartoon is entirely accurate!:)
Sunday, May 20, 2007 6:38:00 PM

Update

A quick update on the state of affairs here so our readers will know that neither I nor Granny have abandoned them.

Granny is, as they say, doing as well as can be expected under the tragic circumstances. Her blog Rocrebelgranny gives her personal updates.

Gadfly is doing ok, still a bit under the weather and somewhat debilitated from all the tortuous tests to which she was subjected, but her fire is little diminished. Whenever the time comes that that one is called into "that good night" she will go down kicking and screaming, spitting fire and turning the air blue and purple. No graceful resignation for her! She is a fighter and a survivor.

If ANYONE has come across a conspiracy theory, the more outlandish the better, it would absolutely delight her if you would email the url to her. She loves the crazy things and takes a great deal of enjoyment and hilarity from them. Even the occasional credible ones.

I am doing ok. All the backing and forthing and unaccustomed activity has rather drained my strength and stamina and I find myself somewhat exhausted much of the time. In view of much of the personal life-doings at present, I simply cannot deal with politics at this time.

Daughter Jo is back from her holiday in Germany, back at work and busily plotting to return ASAP. Her shipment from Germany arrived just in time for Mother's Day. In addition to her much burbled about cuckoo clock, the shipment contained an exquisite music box she had purchased for me. See http://there-was-an-old-woman.blogspot.com (a personal blog) for that bit of news on Worried's homefront. I adore the music box.

The proposed move to another nursing home for Mother failed; one is much like another, we find, no matter how nice it is and well reputed. Mother will be 98 in July. It would be a blessing to live so long IF she had managed to keep her mind. Otherwise it is a curse and a heartbreak for her family. Her grandson Robbie, an officer in the Navy, took her home with him on a pass for a huge Mother's Day celebration. Mother had some lucid moments and recognized some family members and seemingly enjoyed the day.

Daughter Wild Child is recuperating from yet another surgery and the M.D.s say they will soon begin her chemical therapy. She is doing well, sometimes depressed but mostly still her ebullient self. Other family members settled down at present except youngest daughter, Jeannie.

She awakened me this A.M. quite distressed. An old friend's ex-wife had recently died after a long bout with cancer; they were divorced but still kept up a close relationship. She was the mother of his 18 year old daughter, a pair of 7 year old twins and 2 grandchildren. He had been emotionally unstable for several months, extremely stressed and depressed. He called her at 3 A.M., weeping, and asked her to marry him and mother his twins. She declined his proposal very kindly, as they were merely friends with no romantic involvement. An hour later his boss called her and said her friend had blown his brains out. It was a shocking horror for her and imposed a terrible guilt upon her, thinking perhaps her refusal of marriage had been the final straw to push him over the edge.

I spent some time reassuring her that it was NOT her fault and attempting to assuage her feelings of guilt for his suicide and her grief at the loss of an old friend. I now must complete some home situations, drive the 40 miles to pick her up and take her to daughter Jo's to spend the day, a 66 mile run from her house to the country. Her fiance is out of town and it will be good for her to spend time in the bosom of her family instead of alone with her distress.

Personally, I am furious with her friend. I well understand the pressures of extreme despondency and sympathize with the man, but am angry that he would impose this further pain and grief upon his children and grandchildren, and leave his 7 year old twins now fatherless as well as motherless. HOW DARE HE!? I am so very very sorry for his family and those precious children.

Friends and readers, please bear with me, Granny and Gadfly for the present. We are strong old women, survivors, and we have weathered many of life's storms over the many decades of our lives. We will be back.

COMMENTS:

Granny said...
Yes, we will.I've finally begun reading a few news clippings and am planning to be back with a post by June 1 by the latest.I've been asked to post something about GLBT families on that day.I'm so sorry about all the trauma but glad Gadfly's doing a little better.
Sunday, May 20, 2007 7:32:00 AM
Worried said...
Thanks you, Granny. I am pleased that you are coping under trying circumstances. Take all the time you need.
Sunday, May 20, 2007 4:54:00 PM
Nvisiblewmn said...
Poor Jeannie! And those poor kids, to be let down so badly by the person they needed most....
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 8:17:00 AM

The Dastardly Duo Arouses Gadfly's Wrath! Ooooh!

Gadfly is in a tailspin and a furor about the Dastardly Duo. Blogger/Google accepted her google ID (email address) and password to allow her to sign in and post on the blog. However, she called me in a froth because they would not accept the same info to let her post a comment. Comments accepted her ID but refused her password after numerous tries. Then when she tried to sign back in, the Duo told her 3 times that her email didn't exist before she finally got them to accept it. She wanted their support email address which I gave her but she wouldn't tell me what she wrote them. Her computer hasn't melted down though; she just IMd me. :-) so it is still working. I hope the Duo doesn't ban her from blogging. Very bad timing on their part to hassle the Gadfly.

This is Gadfly at normal times; always in a spin and a swivet about something.


This is Gadfly during all the tests at hospital, clinics and doctor visits. (They will not forget her).c
COMMENTS:

Granny said...
The Dastardly Duo doesn't know who they're taking on, do they.
Saturday, May 12, 2007 8:02:00 AM
Progressive Traditionalist said...
Hello, Worried.Not so sure this is Blogger's error. It could well be a browser setting.At any rate, with the new Blogger2, I find the only way that I can consistently comment is to log in to my dashboard first, and keep that open in a separate tab.

Wholly off topic here--A photo, 5 bloggers, and one commenter--First row: Thurman (Xpatriated Texan), Jay (Lassiter Space), my niece (holding Aaron), my sister-in-law (holding Joseph, my godson), yours truly PT, and Beth (a sometimes commenter)Second row: Rachel (Velveteen Rabbi), Mark Lewis, and Hussein aka Islamiyankee (Islamicate)Third row: the fellow whose name I can't remember, and Howard.

&btw, you can read about Mark, here.In fact, Granny blogged about him, here.
Saturday, May 12, 2007 9:15:00 PM
Worried said...
Thank you, Granny and PT. Gadfly is not communicating civilly right now. Something about a gallon of laxatives and enemas and other unpleasantries.

Lovely photo PT. I checked out the link.
Monday, May 14, 2007 3:10:00 AM
Daniel said...
Hey you gals, hang in there! I can't carry the whole bloody world on my shoulders.May peace find you!
Monday, May 14, 2007 4:26:00 AM
betmo said...
good luck gadfly!! don't let the bastards get you down!!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 4:47:00 PM

Gadfly Speaks

You are durn tooting I'll be back! I might be down but I'm not OUT! At least I'm back home now even if I do have to go for more outpatient f***ing tests. Does making stars instead of a word make one of those ufeemiszms the Old Woman says means an innocent word instead of a bad word? I FEEL LIKE BAD WORDS but Old Woman will have my hide if I use them on this blog. She and Granny are nice ladies. I'm a hell raiser.

Even hell raisers have soft hearts sometimes and my heart bleeds for you, Granny.

All you guys are really top drawer.

I'll blog again as soon as I find another nice juicy conspiracy theory worth my time, the more outrageus the better. I need a good laugh. And who knows, I might even find one I agree with or at least part of one. Email contributions cheerfully accepted.

COMMENTS:

Granny said...
Good to hear from you.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 9:15:00 PM
fjb said...
Granny, I hope you're finding peace, and I just wanted to send you a big cyber hug. I'm sorry I didn't comment earlier.Gadfly,Nice to see you haven't lost your hell raising spirit.Worried,Don't forget to take care of yourself, while you're taking care of everyone else.Peace be with you all,Fiona
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 10:10:00 PM
betmo said...
all of you chicks take care of yourselves! gadfly, feel free to come to my place- or future's (hee hee) and use all of the bad words that you want!! the invite goes for all of you :)
Thursday, May 10, 2007 11:39:00 AM
Progressive Traditionalist said...
Hello, Gadfly.Good to see you back.Warm regards,
Friday, May 11, 2007 8:51:00 AM

Thanks, all you guys. I really appreciate the good words and thoughts.
Betmo, can I really really use cuss words on your blog and future's? Sometimes nice words just don't express my feelings at all! The Old Woman says I turn the air purple once in a while and she puts up with it but she don't like me to do it on her and Granny's blog.
PT, warm regards to you! I LIKE smart men and Old Worried says you are one of the most intelligent men she knows. But then, I like most men , not all, but I really like them. Where would we be without the dears?
Fiona, you're a sweetie.
Gadfly

NOTICE TO OUR FRIENDS AND READERS

For a brief time this blog will be on hiatus. We ask our faithful friends and readers to please check in now and then to see if we are back online and not to abandon us. I will oversee the blog for updates.

Undoubtedly everyone knows that Granny Ann has lost her beloved daughter, Carol. See post below. We do not expect Granny to concern herself with political blogging at this most difficult time. She must deal with her pain and loss, which is grievous, be strong for her family, care for an ill husband and 3 lovely great grand daughters, and maintain her household. She struggles under a terrible burden. I know that everyone who knows and loves her, including her blogging friends, feel deep sympathy and concern for her.

The Future Was Yesterday has dubbed the 3 partners on this blog "the Golden Girls", as we are all senior citizens. At present, the Golden Girls are suffering setbacks, although neither Worried nor Gadfly suffer as severely as that of Granny Ann. Gadfly is experiencing health problems and unpleasant hospital tests that spark her most vociferous and sometimes salty complaints. Worried is dealing with health problems also as well as multiple family crises at once among my very large, extended family that require my attention, support, time and energy. I am out of town a great deal at this time.

But never fear, dear friends and readers, like MacArthur, "We shall return!" and the South shall rise again!

COMMENTS:
betmo said...
ladies- take all of the time that you need- positive energy and thoughts going out to all of you. you may be temporarily gone- but certainly not forgotten.
Monday, May 07, 2007 4:26:00 PM
Granny said...
Or, as our Governator said, I'll be back!!Thanks, WA.
Monday, May 07, 2007 6:36:00 PM
The Future Was Yesterday said...
Forgetting you is impossible. You all are national treasures. Y'all jist git all fixed up: this blog thing ain't goin' no where.Hugs....long, soft, wordless hugs, Ann. Hang on baby. You can do this.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007 10:09:00 PM
Gadfly said...
Granny Ann; I am so so sorry for your loss. My best to you and all of yours at this time.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 8:20:00 PM

Carol Kathleen Breeze June 2, 1956 - May 3, 2007

My daughter Carol died peacefully at around 7:30 last night.

Thanks to all of you who have given me and my family your support through this long siege.

We're grieving but glad that her pain is finally over.

Ann

COMMENTS:

David Cho said...
My deep condolences, Ann.
Friday, May 04, 2007 11:40:00 AM
Nvisiblewmn said...
Please accept my condolences, Ann.
Friday, May 04, 2007 5:54:00 PM
Progressive Traditionalist said...
Hello, Granny Ann.My deepest sympathies for your loss.
Friday, May 04, 2007 8:11:00 PM
Farnsworth68 said...
You have my deepest condolences, and my thoughts are with you.--Farnsworth
Saturday, May 05, 2007 12:13:00 AM
Worried said...
Dear Ann; I am so very sorry for the loss of your daughter. It is a blessing that her ordeal is over but the loss of this dear person in your lives is a tragedy for you and all those who loved her. I pray for your strength and support for those who lean upon you for comfort. We spoke in the past that you always had to be "the strong one" but even the strong need someone to lean on sometimes and I hope that you have that in this time of need. My own daughter will begin her chemical therapy as soon as her additional surgeries are completed and it has been a difficult time. However, I know it has not been as hard for me as what you have had to endure. My heart goes out to you.
Saturday, May 05, 2007 12:19:00 AM
Granny said...
Thanks to all of you for your kindness. WA, I meant to email you this morning and the time got away from me. We're doing okay but I'm beyond tired. The sadness is mixed with relief of course. I pray for your daughter.
Saturday, May 05, 2007 12:25:00 AM
betmo said...
love, empathy and sympathy your way from the betmo's. we are sorry for your loss.
Saturday, May 05, 2007 8:19:00 PM
L-girl said...
Ann, I'm so very sorry.
Sunday, May 06, 2007 5:47:00 AM
Ingrid said...
Dear Ann, I am sad for you and wish I could come over to hug you.. words fail me, hugsIngrid
Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:05:00 AM
Daniel said...
For any parent to lose a child is a huge tragedy. Life is a difficult journey, Ann. Only the strong survive. May you find strength at this difficult time.Love from Daniel. xxxxxxxxxx
Monday, May 07, 2007 1:27:00 AM
Marty said...
Oh Ann. So sorry to hear about this. May our Lord be with you and your family during this time of sorrow and fill you with His peace. "When peace like a river attendeth my way...when sorrow like sea billows roll...whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say...it is well, it is well with my soul."
Monday, May 07, 2007 10:08:00 PM

Thinking Blogs Award: II

The Future Was Yesterday: Thank you for including us. You are not being ignored by Worried and Gadfly. Gadfly is down and out temporarily. I have been out of town much of late, about to go again, and am quite harried and in the midst of hassle and turmoil. I will respond as soon as I have a brain cell free to think.

Cheers, All.