my September song ...

Dear Readers, 
I've been out of touch for a couple of months and it seems like much longer. I hope that people still read blogs.

I was honored to be doing what I could to assist my beloved closest friend through a surgery and hospital stay. He is recovering well now at home and I'm so proud of him and his courage and wonderful spirit. 

Another person in my realm was distressed recently when told a needed hip replacement couldn't be done because of some other existing health concerns. He is now getting in-home health therapy which is a welcomed step forward.

Shifting gears, I'm wondering if there is anything that the general populace can do to help unite people together and gather the momentum to promote peace? Peace is cool (war isn't).  It would be a comforting contrast to current news items.  I'd love to hear songs like we heard in the '60s .... "Love Train" and "He's Not Heavy He's My Brother", "Blowin' In The Wind", "Imagine", and many other of the wonderful songs of that time.  I think we truly can say that the hippies had it right! These songs are beautiful, humane, inspiring, exciting, and could really do some good now. We would hope for radio stations with the courage to play them. We humans need universal love, compassion for each other and for our fellow beings the animals, respect for our planet, and a sense of gratitude for life itself and all that is beautiful.

I'd like to write a little joyful thing here. I always have a little reservoir of joy on hand, just waiting to make an appearance. Here we are in the initial days of autumn (Autumnal Equinox) ... equal daylight and darkness on the 22nd! And no matter what the circumstances, Nature offers comfort and balance and good energy.Trees are magic in their ability to absorb our concerns and take us in under their comforting boughs. My personal immediate advice includes hugging a tree and petting a dog or cat. My dog, Ruby, is like a psychologist, able to look into my eyes and lift up my thoughts. Also, I find that doing something nice for somebody really does give me joy. So, with gratitude, I thank anyone who is reading this blog. And I thank everyone who promotes kindness today.

Questioning Our Values … and much more

Our  country is and has been very divided and the corruption in politics has been shown to have been running rampant for quite a while. Some of the questions that come to mind might be: What are our values and priorities? Can and will our government reduce the reality of the wealthiest 1% elite financial system? Can we lower the volume on considering ourselves (and boasting that we are) the top-dog of all nations?  Do we regret the fruits of starting wars for nefarious or unsubstantiated reasons?  Do we believe government and corporations should not have the right to trample on the lands and rights of citizens?  Will our infrastructure be fixed? Should citizens know what's going on within federal agencies such as FDA, CIA, Dept. of Interior's Wildlife Dept. and others that have serious shadows via rogue factions in some of their activities?  I'm just tip-toeing through the tangled mess of issues that I've become aware of.

We have a new president now and he and the congress have a mammoth job ahead of them in working toward unifying and fixing so many facets of our country. I believe the time has come for each one of us, as citizens, to abandon hate, political violence, corporate greed, bullying, unaccountability, and anything else that could invite negative energies and destructive actions. It's time to let the dust settle and then for government and citizens to adopt an attitude of ethics and peace.

As a nation, we need to seek and legislate for solutions that will be helpful to middle-class American citizens who are in an economic, healthcare, and employment squeeze-play. Also as a nation, we need to seek and legislate for what will be positive solutions for Planet Earth's well-being.

Worldwide, a peaceful human co-existence is the only way for our planet and all of its people and interconnected life forms to survive. Most Americans are nice people ... and most people in other nations are nice people. I'm asking us to put aside residual and/or unclear thoughts about other established countries and their perceived positions as friends or enemies. Rather, consider that most of them are very much like us under the skin. Peaceful discussion is always a good idea. Even people in war-torn areas and suppressed nations have feelings like we would have if we were in their situations.

Also, please consider the birds flying in the sky, our wonderful fellow creatures THE ANIMALS who DO NOT have a vote in human politics, NATURE'S SUPREME ARTWORK the flowers, adorable bumble bees, butterflies and honey bees currently being wiped out by insecticides, THE TREES who give us shade and beauty and who supply us with oxygen so we (even asthmatics like me) can breathe, the wondrous beauties of nature on Earth. Consider the CHILDREN. Should all THE INNOCENTS I've just mentioned suffer and be annihilated because of our behaviors, political gestures, and choices? Better to choose a compassionate, ethical course of interactions ... so that life at a cellular level can have a chance to survive and so that our planet will never be made devoid of life. Whether the  human race evolves or devolves, depends on the choices our human species will make now. There is a whole lot riding on our planet's big picture. We each and collectively can heal ourselves and our world if we really want to. If we really, really want to.

Please check out my Healing The Earth Family blog and listen to the song that is included called 'I Love All The Voices"; it is at http://healingtheearthfamily.blogspot.com.  

My Take On Bullying ...

I wrote the following in response to a recent media article written by a psychologist who blamed Mr. Trump for the post-election street violence that is taking place in some large cities … AND … claimed Mr. Trump will be the cause of an increase of bullying in schools and other areas of life. To blame Mr. Trump for perceived future bullying is IMO ridiculous. I mean the entire campaign was malicious and devious. The media did their best to create and inflame the news rather than reporting it and, in some cases, media ignored (a kind of bullying) candidates they wanted to push into the background, as in the case of Sanders.  In many ways, it was a very unkind election process.  But my thoughts on bullying are not politically influenced, as I was neither a Trump or Clinton supporter (I voted third party Green). 

We constantly hear about bullying these days. I think that to blame Mr. Trump or anyone for perceived "future bullying" is really off-base, as I am an elderly person and bullying was very alive and active all the while I was a child.  All it takes is for one individual (and his/her posse or accomplice if he/she has one) to pick on a child who seems "alone" or smaller or special in some way.  Both verbal and physical bullying are devastating to the recipient.  As an eleven-year-old, I was thrown from the sidewalk into the street twice by the same gang of teen girls, and as a very young pre-school child, was repeatedly thrown to the ground by a large boy in my neighborhood who sat on me and pummeled me with his fists until my mother would run out of the house in response to my screams (he later added putting one hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream and at that point, my mother talked to his parents about it). I also had a brother who once punched me in the face. The bullying that I was so conditioned to followed me into adulthood and marriage.  One day I responded to bullying by throwing a bag of garbage at the bullying person; I knew I was doing a dangerous thing but it was my moment of turning point.  And typing the word "turning" brings to mind an early conversation in which my father had given me some well-meant advice when I was a kid, but I hadn't followed it.  He said "don't act scared but if a bully starts chasing you, run away (to fool him/her), then when he/she has almost caught you, suddenly stop and turn and punch him/her as hard as you can wherever you can reach with good leverage.  So in essence, the garbage bag was my sucker punch and it worked. IMPORTANT -- This is not advice I'm giving on how to deal with a bully in today's world. I survived bullying because I learned and practiced avoidance techniques and because I have a guardian Angel who works overtime.  In today's world, bullied kids and adults have agencies and resources that can help -- if they know what's going on.  People who are bullied need to find the courage to get over their reticence to report it to proper authorities.  

There will always be bullies in our population because some humans do carry that gene or have been conditioned by their own bullies to pass it on. On a national and world level (bringing this writing back to where it began), I believe Mr. Trump wants to be a good president. Now we need to let the dust settle and stop the bickering and street violence in our country. I believe Mr. Trump and some of the other world leaders are awake to the fact that war is a huge mistake and peace is the prize we should all seek.

Thoughts For Chaotic TImes ...

Sunny, sunny day ...  Spring is on the way and on March 20th we will have the Vernal Equinox, first official day of Spring and equal hours of daylight and darkness!  Accentuate the positive :)

Things in our world are chaotic; the election politics are vicious, the middle class is in financial difficulty, our fellow creatures in Nature are in trouble, and our nation is coming apart at the seams in all the important categories. We're encouraged to vote ... and we do vote ... and yet there are super delegates who can ignore our votes and decide elections. Much of the media and both of the party national committees are definitely not playing a fair and impartial role, quite the opposite. They each in their own way are choosing our nominees and next president. There is a lot of anger being expressed in news reader comments by "ordinary" citizens and the outcome is of great concern. And so ...

And so I look out upon the sunny day and try and think of good things. The sun is helpful. I think about my walk along a spiritual path that is guided by Buddhism, Animism, Nature, Empathy, and Wonder.  For me, they go together very well. I understand and love the concept of mindfulness and am greatly helped by it. How about (to go with mindfulness) soulfulness?  I don't think I've heard anyone speak of soulfulness.  Soulfulness feels like love and compassion, deep caring. Wonderful Buddhist author Thich Nhat Hahn doesn't call it that but his writings are full of references to how each of us is part of, responsible for, and connected with the plight of others. His references to the unfortunate life roles of pirates and prostitutes, for example, are food for thought.  His wonderful references to flowers and other denizens of Nature ... and the "continuation" of each living entity, give light and hope.  Here we need to avoid confusion by differentiating between "hope" (which I consider an essential), "faith" (which I regularly pray to have), and "expectation", which can be disappointing and can cause us grief. Soulfulness comes ultra naturally to me. I think it is that mystical part of existence that I haven't really seen named. The Zen word "suchness" is very valuable to me and it neutralizes a lot of frustration when I understand that a person or thing is the way he/she/it is because it is his/her/its suchness to be so. And "It is what it is" often is the best advice to fall back on (for me) and I'm very grateful for it.

I find that I'm greatly helped when I remind myself of the Serenity Prayer -- God grant me .... the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (very hard for an empath to do because we're so sensitized to what other beings are feeling), the courage to change the things I can (I try, I try ... and I pray for courage) ... and the wisdom (ah, there's the pivotal point) to know the difference. Amen.  It's a wonderful prayer.  And some of my readers are familiar with my affinity to Nature and its healing power.  Take me to the mountains, the ocean, the forest, a lake, the park, an overgrown part of the backyard!

For anyone who is so inclined, I still have my free "Healing The Earth Family" program components standing handily by. Contact me if you or an east Tennessee group you belong to has an interest. Also, I have a few copies of my highly unique booklet "The Invisible Hand And Awesome power of My Guardian-Guide -- A Divine, Ever-Present Being Of Energy" (a revelation of some of my experiences); the photo art in this booklet has been praised.  I guess $12 is an affordable price for the booklet and postage.  Also I've got three or four copies left of my "Dr. Clara's Music For Esoteric Healing ... (Mind, Body and Spirit"; it's different than anything else that's out there and goes into detail regarding music, keys, peripherals, and color, their correlations even with the Cosmos; this is a slim booklet (13 pages) crammed with information and should be especially interesting to musicians and anyone else who senses the intrinsic value and power of music. These I can send for $7 which includes postage. Please contact me via e-mail at claralandau@yahoo.com or call me at (865) 659-5383.

OK -- meanwhile, let's think Spring!  Think Beauty, think Loving Kindness. Embrace your loved one.  Have faith in the planet's renewal. Have hope for peace and honest, ethical government. Have courage to carry your sign. Thank a tree for oxygen and fellowship. Maybe get some nice rocks and stack them around your flower bed. And send me your thoughts if you would like to :)

HEY, HAY ...

I'm hearing from horse rescue organizations that hay prices are higher than ever and not just because of the drought.  I have a letter here in front of me that tells us that "the sky is the limit" on hay prices because China is buying up U.S. hay ... AND that China is shipping the hay back in their own ships, as they return (home) from delivering to the U.S. all the goods Americans are buying from China.  The letter also says that over the years, hay prices have gone up and down depending on weather, but the current situation is beyond "anything ever experienced".  Also, the letter mentions some dairies that are killing off their livestock and cashing it in because they can't afford to feed their cows anymore.  Of course, this leaves horse rescuing organizations and the horses already in their care in a precarious place -- that of no hay to eat because it is scarce and very, very expensive.

Someone, please tell me how this horrific trade situation (U.S. and China) has evolved to this extent.  Honestly, we in the U.S. (as a nation and as a people) have been kept so busy with a a glut of inane celebrity gossipy "news" -- while almost being pushed into taking divisive political sides regarding issues such as gun control, the ill-conceived crazy war on drugs, racism, police brutality, foreign terrorism, domestic terrorism, the struggle for gay rights, reproductive rights, government invasion of citizens' personal records, along with the myriad of issues that scream of inequities and wrongdoings and corruption connected with the wealth of our country being concentrated in the hands of a small, powerful percentage of our population ... that I guess I have answered my own question.  The country's vital import and export policies and what's actually going on, though very visible in stores and catalogs, just aren't able to compete in terms of newsworthiness.  Also and sadly, many of us have become conditioned to imported (even inferior) goods as the new normal way of life.  I hope someone in our government can and will take the personal risks necessary to initiate a policy that "encourages" U.S. corporations to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and put some controls on our exports (such as hay) as well.   Bottom Line:  Where I'm going with this is that a giant news item about hay isn't likely to make the scene, so it remains unspoken news.  But hey, hay is extremely important!

To anyone wanting to donate hay money to horse rescue organizations that have near-empty hay barns and hundreds of horses (who have been rescued from the most horrendous of conditions) to be fed,  you might want to contact Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue at info@wildhorsercue.org; www.wildhorserescue.org, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, 661-727-0049; or Southern Winds Equine Rescue at 316-830-0013; www.southernwindsequinerescue.org. 

A Thrilling And Inspiring Event!

"It truly was remarkable to me, more than anything else, to watch the world celebrating with us and welcoming us back into the global community's embrace. It was like 'ding dong, the witch is dead' all over again. I never felt so good about my vote as I did this time. I knew I'd really participated in a very historically significant event." Those are the words of my friend, Sanman, a person I consider to be most wise.

Election night numbers felt like a miracle unfolding – at long-last, the eight-year pall was lifting and hope was becoming a reality; and then came that wonderful, defining moment when Obama was declared the president-elect! What an inspiring way to, at last, unite all Americans ... with pride and honor! It feels good.

There is an incredibly huge cauldron full of Bushist wrong-doing that now needs to be tackled, dumped out, fixed, renovated, reversed, cleansed, healed. The reeling and sinking economy, the chasm between the rich and the poor, the fractured health care "system", the ill-conceived war, the pulverized environment, the jobs that need to be brought back to the U.S.; all these are in the emergency zone, crying out for help. Obama has the intelligence, courage, leadership, and ethics to meet the challenge. It is monumental in size and scope. He deserves and needs the full support of each and all of us. Think about it. I am thinking about it. I’m very thankful our country now has a chance to save itself. Thanksgiving has, for me, renewed significance this year!

Out Of The Mouths Of ..... Comedians –

Always pushing the satirical envelope in ways that make us laugh – sometimes uproariously – at unfunny politics, Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert lately have been outdoing themselves. They are having a veritable feast on our country’s current political and economic fumbles, foibles, fakes, and fools. One recent scene that my mind still sees and hears is the Colbert Report’s observation that by "wearing these (a look-alike for the old cardboard-framed 3-D) eyeglasses, McCain almost seems to come to life". Well, it was hilarious the way Colbert delivered the line. Seeing and hearing the clip where Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says (regarding the economic crisis) that Americans "got put on the hook by the system we have, the system we all let happen, the system that Congress, the administration, future administrations let exist" pushed hilarity and outrageousness together as book-ends.

Truly, the arts (and comedy is certainly an art) can effectively convey the truth that other methods of communication can only struggle with. These guys and their writers are comedic and political geniuses.

Bad Politics --

With nothing of merit to contribute and with no class, Palin is the perfect complement to McCain’s phony, pasty-faced visage. A few days ago, someone remarked to me that Palin reminds her "of a bottom-feeder". Do the Republicans think that American women who supported Clinton could possibly be bamboozled, as a bloc vote, into supporting Palin?

Let's Try To Keep Our Sense Of Humor :)

I’m thinking now of the economy. What – you say it’s not funny? Well OK ... I know, I know. In truth, it’s exceedingly troubling. The only remedies I can think of are to vote non-republican, meditate/pray/dance/sing (not at the same time), and laugh uproariously! Laughing won't keep us from going broke, but it may help keep us healthier and saner so we can stretch our dollars a bit further without having to buy extra meds and stress-related services.

Because my last two SS digits are in the government’s very last group of scheduled tax rebate mail-outs, I haven’t seen hide or hair of my rebate. I would say that maybe they’re running out of money, except that they were out of money way before the mail-out concept was even conceived.

I’ve heard that the hot line (for rebate inquiries) is not being answered (!) I wonder what that means. More reasons for therapeutic laughter in whatever uproarious style you prefer :)

Religion and U.S. Politics --

In a recent post I wrote "the truth will speak for itself" and now I add, "I hope it will have more than a few who will listen".

As a person who leans away from corporate and conglomerate power, dogma, and narrow-mindedness...and toward tolerance, compassion, the freedoms of the individual, and diversity, I take strong exception to the (predictable) slurs currently being perpetrated about Senator Obama and his family of origin – and intended to put him on the defensive about religion. To begin with, he says he’s Christian and there is every reason to believe that he is. It is very disheartening that a candidate could be harassed on the basis of religion, by persons who are opportunists with an agenda.

But I’m just getting started. Has a sizable portion of the critical mass of our country drifted away from or allowed itself to be hoodwinked away from the freedoms cited in our Constitution? I hope not. The authors of that fair-minded document carefully worded it so we would understand that a person of any religion ... Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Unitarian-Universalist, Baha~i, Mormon, Wiccan, even Atheist, and any I may have left out ... can be elected president of our country if he/she is deemed to have the good judgement, ethics, intelligence, fair-mindedness, conscience, compassion, reasoning skills, courage, and statesmanship to effectively lead our country and be our talking head to the rest of the world. That a candidate now could be expected, indeed required, to produce acceptable religious credentials (acceptable to right-wing zealots and media) denotes danger to the freedoms of the entire U.S. population, not just non-Christians.

Currently, the struggle for religious supremacy between extreme Christians and extreme Muslims is mucking up the whole of life for everybody and, in unvarnished truth, is driven by the lust for power. In its extreme, dogma is dangerous. Our Constitution calls for separation of church and state for very sound reasons!

National Politics

The Democratic contest has gone on long enough. It’s time to nail it, name the nominee, and prepare for the change our country desperately needs (no McBushes, please). Obama has my vote.

Democracy Or Republic?

I’m looking now in my Oxford American Dictionary at the word "republic". It says "a country in which the supreme power is held by the people or their representatives, or by (emphasis is mine) an elected or nominated president". I’ve driven by a church in town that says "God Bless Our Republic" (on the building’s marquee). This is the wording, rather than saying "our country". This pushes a little red alert button in my mind.

Next I will look at the definition of the word "democracy": "government by the whole people of a country, especially through representatives whom they elect; a country governed in this way". Are we currently a democracy? I think not.

There is one additional word I want to look up now. It is "plutocracy": "rule of the wealthy; a nation ruled by the wealthy". Therefore, a "plutocrat" is "a person who is powerful because of his wealth". Bush and Cheney and their ilk come to mind.

Excursions

Remember the song lyric "In my mind, I’m goin’ to Carolina"? Lately, that one line of that song starts playing in my head once or twice a day. "In my mind I’m goin’ to" a relatively peaceful world where the environment is in balance, everybody has enough to eat, all people (including all Americans) have access to health care, people and industry have respect and compassion for animals, and politicians tell us about their ethics and their reasoning skills instead of how "conservative" their religion is (the word "conservative" has taken on ugly meaning over the past several years). In a more lyrical and frivolous sense, "In my mind I’m goin’ to" a beautiful island where sea oats and those lovely rose-colored flowers sway in the breeze; there is a lighthouse, too, and the lull of the turquoise surf. I could go on and on. That’s why I named this post "Excursions"!

Herds (this is more interesting than it sounds)

The animal herd instinct to follow the leader is based on the desire to survive. Of course, animal leaders are chosen for their strength, courage, and ability to lead. Survival isn’t always the outcome though, if the leader doesn’t choose the right path of escape, the right location to breed, etc. In the face of danger, some of the herd might escape at the expense of the frail, infantile, or just unfortunate members. With humans, whoever the leader is has the ability to majorly impact every facet of our lives. This we’ve especially realized under the rule of the arrogant Bush team. A leader needs to know (and care) about much more than how to wage or continue war. So if Americans are swept up by herdism this November, our entire population can suffer the consequences. The "polls" being published are an affront to us. Their authenticity and credibility depend on their origins. For example, a poll that originates with Fox (even if elsewhere published) will reflect their strong Republican leanings. The intent of published political polls is not to inform, but to influence.

If McCain is really on a poll par with Obama, something is really askew. If we’re to believe that most Americans want change regarding war, economics, torture, and health care, how can we then also believe that many of those same people would vote for a man who is steeped in war, knows nothing about economics, and doesn’t have a plan for health care? Polls are propaganda tools being passed off as legitimate information. Mentioning the word "torture" above reminds me that I recently read the post of a fellow-blogger (and one whom I greatly respect) that says there are now reports of Rice being considered as McCain’s VP; the post also reminds us about Rice’s sanctioning of torture.

Getting back to my thought on herds and "herdism" (I was tempted to look that word up to see if it exists, but decided to just go ahead because you know what I mean), for the love of whatever we hold dear, please let’s be thinking people and not follow herds and pollsters.

Save The Wolves

The May issue of Men’s Journal magazine has a poignant and compelling ad and an article; the items are about two related travesties – the Bush Administration’s plan to slaughter hundreds of gray wolves and the Bush Administration’s handing over our public lands for use and abuse by off-road vehicles. In each case, pandering to political and industrial special interests and friends is responsible.

You may recall the post I put up recently (please scroll down) about the wolves and I promised I’d post about them again when I learned more. The Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund headline "Using Tax Dollars To Shoot Animals On The Endangered Species List? The Bush Administration In Action", begins the one-page article that sums up the situation well. A visit to the organization’s website tells us more and goes on to say "Bush Administration Takes Aim at Wolves – In Greater Yellowstone and across the Northern Rockies, gray wolves are facing mounting habitat destruction from industrial development and other harmful activity. Nonetheless, the Bush Administration recently stripped these wolves of endangered species protection, leaving them vulnerable to mass killing. Both Wyoming and Idaho are planning to use aerial gunning, as well as baiting and trapping, to exterminate hundreds of wolves.The comeback of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies is America's greatest wildlife recovery story. But the Bush Administration's ‘License to Kill’ plan could drive these wolves back to the brink of extinction".

Gray wolves were almost completely wiped out of existence by every vile means imaginable. Finally put on the Endangered Species List, there are now about 1,500 of these beautiful animals in the northern Rockies area, where they have revitalized the region’s environment and enhanced the tourist industry. Bush has recently removed the wolves from the Endangered Species List and now plans to sanction a wolf-kill, in which wolves would be mass-killed by any horrific means. We must let Congress know we do not want this to happen.

The Bush-Cheney Administration has done and continues to do damage of epic proportions to all things environmental, ethical, and humane. Now is the time to speak up in defense of the wolves. The truth is that there is not an over-abundance of wolves; additionally, ranchers already have the right to kill any wolf that may harass livestock; and the elk population is at an all-time high across the northern Rocky Mountains, providing plenty of elk as targets for "sport" hunters to shoot at. The Bush Administration is obviously determined that not one component of our ecological and natural heritage be left unmolested ... using our tax dollars to fund the killing and destruction.

Please visit the website of Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund at
www.callofftheguns.org
for all of the facts and to tell your U.S. Representative to oppose Bush’s wolf-killing plan.

Public Lands

The related article chronicles the devastation of land and resources and the dangers to and injuries of hikers at the hands of or, I should say under the wheels of, off-road gas-powered recreational vehicles. Bush has pandered to the self-serving political interests of friends and allies in the motorized recreational vehicle (gas-powered) industry. Of course, given today’s situation with high gasoline prices and the belt-tightening we ordinary drivers are faced with at the gas pumps, the ORV issue stands out as a particularly sore thumb.

Fragile desert lands and forest ecosystems are being destroyed ... and other land users such as hikers are fleeing from dangers such as being run over by "a 12-year old on an ATV he can’t control". The report goes on to tell of cows being run to death; extensive vandalism and intentional destruction of flora and land; the seeming ineffectiveness of BLM (Bureau of Land Management), the agency charged with overseeing this and other public land matters; and the Forest Service’s shrugging off of complaints they say they can’t do anything about. Bush has opened these previously protected lands for this plundering use and, of course, it’s an industry dependent on gasoline and ... you guessed it ... Oil.

Footing The Bill -- U.S. Economics

You know, if you or I go out and run up a huge bill on our personal credit cards for a luxury item or a needed item, we then need to pay our bill but we can, at least, look at that item, use it, wear it, drive it, whatever ... and know it is the source of our debt. We in the U.S. citizenry have a huge, mind-boggling national debt; the ironic question is, what have we lavished on ourselves to incur this debt? Our national debt is our bill – the tab we are paying – for an ill-begotten war, corrupt politics, cronies and the good ol’ boy thing. The "items" we can look at and experience for this expenditure of ours are the millions of home mortgages in danger of or actually in foreclosure, business collapses, lost savings, a blatantly abused and suffering environment, neglected bridges and roadways, White House-sanctioned torture, invasion of our privacy, a badly damaged national reputation, and a horribly deformed and unbalanced health care non-system. Now there isn’t enough time left to impeach the scoundrels – the administration that brought our economy from a surplus into a deep and terrifying deficit.

The next president will have a fearsome job righting the wrongs committed over the past seven years and those currently ongoing, some of which probably cannot ever really be fixed. Hopefully, we won’t find ourselves with a Bush-like new president. McCain has admitted he knows nothing about economics (but he knows lots about war). Folks, the country is at the brink of economic disaster. I know it’s too scary to think about ... I don't want to think about it, but it’ll be even scarier if we just coast along the way we are. We need to think about it, talk about it, write about it, and vote about it. Vote for sound economics, a national health care system, peaceful resolution to political and world issues, honesty, true ethics, humane treatment of U.S. citizens and political prisoners, protection of our earth (forests, oceans, animals, air, rivers). Put our tax dollars to work on positive national efforts.

Let's Demand Safe Food For Ourselves & Our Pets!

Remember the pet food recall, brought about by the illness and deaths of many pets due to poisonous, chemically-tainted ingredients imported from China? Our federal government really needs to be prodded to actually do something to prevent this from happening again. We are the only ones who can do the prodding.

At this very moment, there is a so-called website for public comment about Docket 2007n-0487 (regarding the FDA's need to regulate the processing and labeling of pet and human food ingredients). I say "so-called" because it has been inoperable and inaccessible since its supposed inception. Do a web-search for Docket 2007n-0487 and you'll find plenty of comments ... from people who want to access the site but can't; you'll find the site address there, too. I just have to wonder if the site is a planned failure or hoax being perpetrated on the public -- you know, maybe the industry or importers want it to be inoperable; or, maybe it's just another government blunder. I just finished writing a letter (yes, I know that takes more time and seems like a hassle, but it feels important to do) to my two U.S. senators and U.S. congressman, requesting that the FDA institute effective regulations regarding importation, processing, and labeling of food ingredients for pet and human food products.

Our pets have been the canaries in the mine-shaft ... alerting us, via their illnesses and deaths, to the dangers of foods and additives imported from China. Last summer, there was a comprehensive, revealing magazine article I read while in a doctor's waiting room; it was either TIme or Newsweek ... I think it was Time. It had photographs I will never forget -- about the thousands of Chinese "factory" workers (folks, we would call these places something other than "factories") who are lined up like robots in long lines that stretched on and on, uniformed and hooded and masked from head to toe, as they stood there, very close to one another, working on whatever product line to which they were assigned; their uniforms were color-coded by product; each photo showed a different product and its workers. The article said that they live in dormitories above the work area and one photograph showed massive amounts of garbage that had been thrown out the little dorm windows to the building surface below. I had to wonder how any product made under these conditions -- where everything was being done as cheaply as possible -- could be trusted to be safe or reliable. Also, in my mind, these are inhumane conditions under which workers should not be forced to work (and live) ... all so that we in the US can see "made in China" on practically every product we buy at our favorite stores? But, see, that label doesn't appear on food product ingredients.

I would like to see the imports from China stopped or restricted ... and, most definitely, regulated!

Those Anticipated Tax Rebates...

Personally, I think this plan will contribute to our burgeoning Bush national debt and not do much to spike the economy via people's spending, but many people are now painted into a financial crunch corner; these few dollars coming their way will be of some help to them for the moment, so bring it on! Because the economy is down-turned and has noticeably worsened during the past year, individuals and small businesses are having a really rough time staying afloat. Dear reader, if you're not at the top of the corporate food chain, you're already well aware of that. So this particular post of mine is probably more of a journal entry ... you know, the type of thing a person writes when venting about a topic beyond his/her control.

National Health Care System

We need it – we need it – we need it!
Please vote with health-care in mind.