The Trail Since 2006
It began with a spark of inspiration from a few kindred spirits scattered along the Appalachian ridges, mostly in North Carolina and Virginia. Back then, we were virtual friends who—for the most part—never shared a physical porch, but we built a digital one together. Some were writers, some were poets, and some were photographers, each of us finding our way through those early “virtual woods” on the internets.
What follows is a collection of my latest musings (and perhaps a bit of blathering), a trail of thoughts that winds all the way back to those first steps in 2006.
Or just meander through my past muses… Just hope the coffee isn’t stale!
Gas Prices – Update
I really did not think the oil companies would be this desperate to keep the Republicans in charge but I guess you keep the ones that are letting you get away with it all. I…
Colin Powell in Houston
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Colin Powell is not backing down from his stand on the issue of American Principles…Nor the decision to invade Iraq.American principles are vital to terror fight, Powell says: “Former…
Election Season nonsense
You can always tell when election season rolls around, the Republicans start warning about voter fraud. And I love the way they do it… Georgia Law Requiring Voters to Show Photo ID Is Thrown Out…
Torture Is Torture
I guess this is what sticks in my craw most about these self-righteous leaders we are stuck with and Eugene Robinson said it pretty well…Eugene Robinson – Torture Is Torture – washingtonpost.com: “But we shouldn’t…
Ann Richards
A great lady who preceded the mess we had with Gov. G W Bush died last week. Molly Ivins remembers a thing or two in her latest column. Go have a read… Creators.com – Creators…
Get out of Jail Free Card
Mr. President, this is not a Monopoly Game (‘though I’m sure from your point of view, there isn’t much difference). You will be held accountable by history if not by the Courts of this world….
Bush’s Problem
Bush’s problem is he sees big issues and has simplistic responses. With his inability to expand, and unwillingness to change, his ideas he leaves even his own party scratching their heads.Tribunal Dispute Could Ruin GOP…
A License to Abuse
After reading this editorial this morning I had the uneasy experience of seeing the White House’s Stephen Hadley on Face The Nation, try to justify their reasoning about their “Torture Amendment”. His appearance after Sen….
To torture or not to torture…Is there a question here?
You know, I’m getting really tired of this Administration trying to tell me what morality is. As they lie and cheat and push crony politics to new limits, they seem to have a disconnect with…
Gas Prices
A few days ago I thought I posted a comment on gas prices, but, for some reasons I could not find it anywhere. So here is a reprise…And the election season has begun…Isn’t it just…
Former Texas Governor, Activist Ann Richards, 73 – washingtonpost.com
Former Texas Governor, Activist Ann Richards, 73 – washingtonpost.com: “Former Texas governor Ann Richards, the witty and flamboyant Democrat who went from homemaker to national political celebrity, died Sept. 13 after cancer was diagnosed this…
The Path to 9-11
You know I avoided ABC’s fictional account of the lead up to the terrorist attack. Not hard to do since most evenings I turn the TV off after the Newshour if I have even turned…
With No Ideas, The GOP Seeks to Scare – washingtonpost.com
Harold Meyerson – With No Ideas, The GOP Seeks to Scare – washingtonpost.com: “What’s a party to do when its high road leads nowhere but down? The Republicans tried privatizing Social Security, but their numbers…
Bloggermann: This hole in the ground – Bloggermann – MSNBC.com
Ok I was wrong…Bloggermann: This hole in the ground – Bloggermann – MSNBC.com: “History teaches us that nearly unanimous support of a government cannot be taken away from that government by its critics. It can…
Has Bin Laden Won?
I was reading the morning papers (on-line of course), and Richard Cohen’s column had some interesting thoughts. His contention that Bin Laden has won resonates. He lays out a very good case that everything Bin…
Sept. 11, 2006
I was trying to come up with a way of expressing my feelings for this anniversary of the day America awoke to the realities of the world…This post led to same thoughts…Daily Kos: The lessons…
Lie By Lie
Do you want to really get mad? Review what you know happened without the years of spin from the White House. Then pass it on…It’s time to take back America.Lie By Lie: “Lie by Lie:…
Economic Hard Times
As a followup to the previous post and a commentary on the many conservative pundants who don’t understand the sour attitude of the American Public on the state of the economy I would like to…
Whatever: Being Poor
Whatever: Being Poor: “Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.Being poor is seeing how few…
The Carpetbagger Report » Blog Archive » President Cheney
The Carpetbagger Report » Blog Archive » President Cheney: “President CheneyWe’ve all heard the jokes, some of them funny, about Dick Cheney being the real president, but over the weekend, Robert Kuttner made a compelling…
A Climate Repair Manual — Global warming is a reality.
Fred at Fragments posted this link this morning. You should jump on over and check the article. I know I will be looking for the magazine at the B&N this week to read the rest….
Bush Team Casts Foes as Defeatist
Bush Team Casts Foes as Defeatist: “When Bush and his allies accuse those favoring such a timetable of ‘self-defeating pessimism,’ as Cheney put it this week…”I guess that should make me proud to be an…
Happy Birthday Molly!
The Writer’s Almanac from American Public Media: “It’s the birthday of political humorist Molly Ivins, born in Monterey, California (1944).”Have a great birthday Molly…And many more. Your humor is appreciated and I marvel at your…
Rep. Harris Condemns Separation of Church, State
I guess this pretty much explains the shenanigans in Florida in 2000…ORLANDO, Aug. 25 — Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) said this week that God did not intend for the United States to be a ‘nation…
Cheers and Jeers: Rum and Coke FRIDAY!
Cheers and Jeers: Rum and Coke FRIDAY!: “From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…What the Terrorists WantI lived for 5 years in Dusseldorf, Germany inthe late 70s when I was just a li’l nipper. Terrorism was…
IX. Inherent Power
page 40…Article II of the United States Constitution provides that any citizen of appropriate birth, age and residency may be elected to the Office of President of the United States and be vested with the…
The War Bush Isn’t Fighting
The War Bush Isn’t Fighting:When unsmiling agents at the airport take away your contact lens solution, your toothpaste, and your cologne or after-shave, remember Osama bin Laden. Remember the real war on terrorism that the…
Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish
Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: “Yglesias Award Nominee10 Aug 2006 04:37 pm’And yet, much as I’m reluctant to agree with him, Weisberg has a point: aside from kvetching about Bush’s policies, the liberal blogosphere…
Press Briefing by Tony Snow
As for the primary election in Connecticut last night, I know there’s a lot of concern and interest about that. Democratic voters in Connecticut have made their choice, and they have chosen Ned Lamont over…
War Crimes Act Changes Would Reduce Threat Of Prosecution
War Crimes Act Changes Would Reduce Threat Of Prosecution: “The Bush administration has drafted amendments to a war crimes law that would eliminate the risk of prosecution for political appointees, CIA officers and former military…
BUSH’S BACKFIRE
BUSH’S BACKFIRE:As usual, Jim Hightower says it better than I can:Giving credit where credit is due, I’ll concede that Bush’s gang of neo-con ideological nutballs were right when they said that Bush’s approach to Iraq…
HoustonChronicle.com – Court rules GOP can’t replace DeLay on ballot
HoustonChronicle.com – Court rules GOP can’t replace DeLay on ballot:”Aug. 3, 2006, 4:39PMCourt rules GOP can’t replace DeLay on ballotBy R.G. RATCLIFFECopyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin BureauAUSTIN – A federal appeals court panel today in…
Bill Moyers for President
Molly Ivins – Creators.com – Creators Syndicate: “The poor man who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives,…
It’s Disproportionate. . .
It’s Disproportionate. . .: “I felt better when I thought the Decider didn’t have a worldview, just a set of instincts about freedom and democracy. But even if you set aside the president’s embarrassing open-mike…
I.R.S. To Cut Tax Auditors – New York Times
I.R.S. to Cut Tax Auditors – New York Times: “The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some…
“I was for the law I signed before I was again it”
Bush’s Tactic of Refusing Laws Is Probed: ‘The President’s constitutional duty is to enforce laws he has signed into being unless and until they are held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or a subordinate tribunal,’…
The People’s Business
The People’s Business: “On Tuesday it (the House) took up the gay-marriage amendment. This was a meaningless exercise, except in terms of amassing political ammunition: The Senate had already defeated the amendment. Nonetheless, some members…
Daily Kos: What Did You Expect, America?
Daily Kos: What Did You Expect, America?: “If you put people in charge of running a project they are ideologically committed to proving a failure, it will fail. ” I would normally add something here,…
OpinionJournal – Peggy Noonan
OpinionJournal – Peggy Noonan: “I note here what is to me a mystery. It is that people with lower IQs somehow tend, in our age, to have a greater apprehension of the meaning of things…
Blowing the Whistle on Diebold — In These Times
Blowing the Whistle on Diebold — In These Times: “The single greatest threat to our democracy is the insecurity of our voting system,” warns Kennedy. “Whoever controls the voting machines can control who wins the…
Strategery’ From the Primary Source
USNews.com: Washington Whispers: “To the list of those penning books about the prez add the most authoritative source of all: President Bush. Insiders say that he’s been working on the project for a year. ‘He’s…
The False Hope of Biofuels
I know we are all holding out great hopes for biofuels, but these nagging pieces keep showing up in the papers… The False Hope of Biofuels: “Biofuels such as ethanol made from corn, sugar cane,…
Common Ground: The Shortest Food Chain
Here’s another article on the sustainable foods culture. The tie is to the book by Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Looks like another trip to the booksellers for me. Everthing I keep reading about “Omnivore” makes…
Let There Be Law
Let There Be Law: “Let There Be Law The Supreme Court has offered a chance to put the war on terror on solid legal ground. Will Congress rise to the occasion?” One of the basic…
Jim Hightower’s Common-Sense Commentaries
I guess one of the things that really bothers me about this country is the way everyone lives the myth. If you ask almost anyone in the USA, they will tell you they are “middle…
CNN.com – Democrats vow to block pay raises until minimum wage increased – June 27, 2006
CNN.com – Democrats vow to block pay raises until minimum wage increased – June 27, 2006: “WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Democrats ratcheted up their election-year push for an increase in the federal minimum wage Tuesday by…
Support Your Local Farmer, Craftsperson, and Shopkeeper
It looks like if there is a common thread running through recent posts it is the idea of buying local. My concern was originally in the way of food. I feel a bit leery of…
In the Senate, Covering Themselves in Old Glory
In the Senate, Covering Themselves in Old Glory: “The Citizens Flag Alliance, a group pushing for the Senate this week to pass a flag-burning amendment to the Constitution, just reported an alarming, 33 percent increase…
House Sacrifices Revenue and Earmarks
Washington Post: House Sacrifices Revenue and Earmarks: “The legislation, which passed 269 to 156, would exempt estates worth as much as $5 million — $10 million for couples — from taxation indefinitely. The tax rate…
The Blog of Henry David Thoreau
Thursday, June 22, 2006 Thoreau’s Journal: 22-Jun-1851 As I walk the railroad causeway, I notice that the fields and meadows have acquired various tinges as the season advances, the sun gradually using all his paints….
