Molly Ivins and Why We Fight

I wish I had known Molly Ivins.

I found her name turning up repeatedly as I was moving around the Net today, so I did a search on her. It turns out she was a respected political journalist and I suspect the Bushies are not mourning her. (Bushies is a Mollyism that I like, as is guvment.) In fact, there may be general rejoicing in a certain house on Pennsylvania Avenue that a thorn in their respective hides has now been removed.

I found a link to some of her last columns, written as she was succumbing to her illness (or as death was rescuing her from cancer). As I read them, I found myself wishing that I'd discovered her much earlier and very sorry that will be no future columns.

She comes across as a thoughful woman pained by the lengths to which the guvment will go to fool itself, not easily sidetracked by b.s. herself, and happy to point out the flaws which need correcting. If Keith Olberman is the dessert, Molly Ivins would have been the entree.

I like and respect common sense, which may be the commodity in shortest supply. But, hey, judge for yourself. http://www.creators.com/opinion/molly-ivins.html

Also, if you get a chance to see the documentary Why We Fight, don't pass it up. I ran across it as I was channel surfing this last week and was instantly riveted.

It's not about human nature or testosterone. It's the award winner from the Sundance Festival 2005 and worth seeing. It actually puts the war in Iraq in historical and current perspective. Having had two friends lose their sons in that part of the world has made me antsy to get the answers to those nagging little questions about the how and why and who and what.

The answers are not pretty.

I came away with new respect for Ike. His farewell speech warning about the Military-Industrial Complex really was a window into the future. Too bad we weren't paying attention--we could have saved ourselves money, time, and lives. Heck, this film is two years old and we weren't paying attention then either.

For those who remember TV news during the Vietnam era with nightly shots of bloody litters carrying the wounded and wondered why we don't see anything but bombed out cars and pock-marked walls in Iraq--well, there was actually a memo about how the electorate shouldn't see the bodies of their neighbors on TV or else we might not support a war. Somehow the guvment successfully neutered the news media.

If I had any doubt before, the Bushies have successfully proved the truth of the adage that "those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it," not that Dubya has ever shown any respect for History. Maybe he has more respect for politicians who twist the facts.

It's out on DVD and was on the Sundance Channel last week. Check out the trailer at this site to get a feel for it. Totally worth it, people. http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/


So...Molly Ivins and Why We Fight ...check them out.

6 Weird Things About Me

I was surfing the Bloggies Awards site and came across this meme. I couldn't resist. So without too much soul-searching or editing, here are a few of things that make me me.

1. I'm a cord neat freak. Be it extension cord, hair dryer or curling iron cord, or clipper cord--I put it away neatly coiled or folded.

2. I love doing laundry. I sort, wash, dry, fold and iron effortlessly. If only I liked doing any other sort of housework.

3. When I have a headache, I have ice cream for breakfast.

4. I hate obstructions in ice cream. You will never see me eat Rocky Road or Tin Roof Sundae. Ever.

5. I'll read anything except novels by Russian authors. In-flight magazines, romance novels, biographies, scientific articles, newspapers used as packing material, blogs, Dick Francis mysteries, Euripides, Jane Eyre for the hundredth time, short stories, poetry, Highlights for Children, the Yellow Pages--all okay. Five lines of Tolstoy...five lines too many.

6. I can't smell. Nope, not roses, apple pie, barbecued hamburgers. Also not teenage sweat. Not barf. Not skunks. Not farts. I'm really quite happy this way. Don't for a moment think that I can't taste food. Taste and smell are two quite separate senses. My opinion is that most people have never actually tasted their dinner because they were too busy smelling it.

Please don't let numbers one and two lead you to think that I'm tidy. I'm absolutely not, which is why those two things seem odd to me. My sweetie is the clean-it-up-as-you-go type. I'm the clean-it-up-when-you-can't-stand-it-anymore type. I frequently tell him that he's lucky I'm just obsessive about cords because otherwise I could make his life a living hell. (I'm sure that in his deepest soul he thinks his life could only be improved by clean floors and counters.) He doesn't know how lucky he is that I'm not following behind him and demanding, er...suggesting, improvements in packing the car for vacation, putting groceries in the fridge, and organizing the medicine cabinet.

And when it comes to laundry, I'm happy to get his clothes from hamper to drawer, but I do draw the line at ironing his clothes. My clothes are all ironed, but unless he has a dress shirt he's going to be using soon--well, just let's say that he's lucky his shirts and pants seem to be wrinkle resistant.

Delicate Lacy Sparkles

Isn't it beautiful? Pogonip is one of my favorite treats. If you've every wondered where my blog got its name, you're in the right place...

It's an amazingly beautiful and incredibly infrequent phenomenon. I've lived in Nevada since '88 and we've only had pogonip four times! Pogonip is the Indian word for frozen fog and pogonip may be unknown outside the Great Basin.

Fog almost never occurs here; our humidity level is so low that there is no real point in measuring it. Fortunately, January is the magical (and extremely cold) month that occasionally produces an overnight fog.

The fog precipitates out just on the tips of pine trees and the edges of remnant leaves clinging to their trees and around skinny dormant branches. Then our pre-dawn temps plunge from almost freezing to mid-20s and the pogonip crystals begin growing. We awaken to find ourselves inside a fairy tale. Delicate white lace decorates our entire world. Even common chainlink fences take on an ethereal appearance.

Two years ago, the pogonip was incredible. It stayed around for three days and the crystals grew larger each night. A huge snowpack contributed moisture and a chilly overcast prevented it from melting during the day. As I walked to my car at lunchtime, the sun peeked out and a breeze appeared from nowhere and suddenly I felt like I was inside a snow globe with sparkles swirling all around me. Some moments are just unforgettable!

Pogonip was an irresistable title for a blog--I have a January birthday so I have a certain connection to this event. If you google it, you'll find out that there is a book called Pogonip Magic and there is a park and trail in California (for some reason that I have yet to understand) and there is a Pogonip geological formation. But that's it. It's a very fun word and basically unknown outside the Great Basin. My newly arrived (and elderly) neighbors raved about having pogonip to a friend in California and she wanted to know what kind of sex they were talking about. We all got a good grin out of that one.

Since I love Nevada and everything about it, I just had to put in the NV. And if you say the whole blog title it sounds like Pogonip Envy. That was the original title but I couldn't make my banner show it as "eNVy" so I just took the easy route.

A "C" Note and Other Delights

There are few things I enjoy more than a "C" note, nice and crisp, the ultimate gift certificate. Yes, the hundred dollars is fun to play with or even to hoard until that moment that I've found the perfect item to spend it on.

When I was younger, the fifty cent piece was my favorite coin. I loved the large size and the Liberty Bell on the reverse.

The common connection between these two is the portrait of Ben Franklin on the front. I admire Ben. Totally. He has always fascinated and amazed me. He was pretty much an Early American blogger with Poor Richard's Almanac. He helped popularize many pithy sayings that are a part of our culture. Healthy, wealthy and wise. The early bird. A penny saved. He contributed one of our three legends of Americans--Washington and the Cherry Tree, Lincoln and the Log Cabin and Franklin and the Kite. Where would we be without bifocals? I know I wouldn't be reading this computer screen without my specs. I'm not crazy about the cost of a stamp, but I'm still grateful that the Post Office regularly delivers my mail correctly and on time. And what would the Declaration of Independence have been like without his participation?!

He was a Renaissance Man, inquisitive, thoughful, a philosopher and an activist. The dude rocked. So...Happy Birthday, Ben!

Vacation and Recess

Okay, vacation's over. I survived two weeks of unscheduled bliss.

Now, I get to see how big my kindergartners can get in 16 days--it's a surprise every year to see their growth in that short time. I'm eager to see them all, but I'm gonna miss those late sleepy mornings. And entire days with the puppy. And lunch anytime I get hungry. And blogging late at night.

But I'll get recess twice a day and lots of hugs and some adult conversation. And maybe I'll still find some blog-time.

Unfortunately, all the have-to-do's crept up on me about 4:30 a.m. and at 6 I gave up and got up. So, I've made lists so that all the things that were bugging me all night can go away and maybe, just maybe, I'll get some sleep tonight. I'd better or else the little ones will think they have a red-eyed sleepy witch instead of a blue-eyed enthusiastic teacher! Thank heavens for Diet Mountain Dew (should go well with oatmeal for breakfast).

Pioneer Confessions

Try visiting The Pioneer Woman (in Links) sometime. I am dying to try her recipe for Cinnamon Rolls. They look gooey, warm, spicy, tasty and altogether yummy. I'm gonna wait until I either have a large hungry group of visitors around or until I have had a full week of strenuous exercise and deserve the 1500 calories per bite they undoubtedly have. Because I have NO WILLPOWER. If I've cooked it, then I've tasted it. If I've baked it, then I will go to any lengths to make sure the entire batch is slurped up as soon as possible.

I'm not as young (chronologically) as the "Mommy Bloggers" that I love to read. Some of them weren't even born when I met my sweetie. They are in the process of stressing about turning thirty-eight. Ha!

They truly don't need to worry about aging. Why? 'Cause the Baby Boomers are changing the landscape of aging. We've changed everything else throughout our lives, so why not aging? The Boomers don't feel old or elderly or over-the-hill or anything else, but young and eager.

I know I'm in better shape now than I was when I was in my Thirties. I'm stronger and more fit. I'm more adventurous. I'm smarter about my choices. I'm loving every bit of life. After a summer of walking hills for fun and exercise, I even love my buns. That alone is an accomplishment.

Part of feeling young is being around kindergarten moms year after year. I feel like they are my contemporaries, when in fact I may be closer in age to their mothers. They and their children truly keep me young. I'm occasionally shocked when I realize how many years separate us. (I know now what my mom meant when she said she was surprised to realize she wasn't seventeen anymore.) Then I'm shocked when I meet a kindergarten parent who is actually older than I am! I may feel young, but I'm not crazy enough to think I deserve a five-year-old in the house.

I freely admit that I lie about my age. I think that age-ism is alive and well, unfortunately. I don't want anyone to stereotype me because of my chronological age. I want every opportunity that any young adult has available. I like the kindergarten guesses about how many birthday candles are on my cake. I don't think anyone has guessed more than twenty-odd candles yet in seven years.

Or maybe it's my age that lies about me. I don't think that we match at all. Yes, I need reading glasses and my hair color may be slightly different than Mother Nature's currently choosing, but I feel like I'm evolving in some way that doesn't involve age. Does that make sense? Maybe it's something spiritual horizons that I'm heading towards. Maybe I've always been something of an old soul and now I'm caught up and exploring other dimensions. Whatever. It works for me.

Let's just forget age and judge each other by our aspirations.

A Woman's Place...

...Is in the House. With a gavel in her hand, a glowing smile on her face, surrounded by grandchildren galore, and two heartbeats away from the Presidency.

I love it that Nancy Pelosi is unabashedly liberal. The "L" word as many smug conservatives have been calling it in print and on TV for way too long. I happen to think it's a compliment. Liberals change things. Like extending Civil Rights and championing underdog farm workers in the 60s. I think we could use a few changes.

Liberal and from California, haven for bleeding heart tree-huggers. Except for the gavel, the grandchildren and the heartbeats--I could be her.

Watching the change of power in DC gave me a thrill. The hopeful kind. Yes, I'm a Democrat, but I've voted for plenty of Republicans over the years if I thought they were the better choice. Which is another way of saying I have nothing against Republicans per se. However, for too many years, I have watched two branches of our government collaborating so closely that honest disagreement was branded unpatriotic.

Disagreement is our national right. Heck, it's our national duty. One commentator yesterday said that peaceful handoff of power is a hallmark of our democracy. I agree, but I think that the right to disagree, gripe, bitch, swear, and heckle (or more importantly, acknowledging that as our right) is also a hallmark.

So let's hope for some disagreement. The conservative bobble-head majority in Congress is gone. Let's stir the pot. We have some messy situations that need some creative solutions and the previous group of problem-solvers turned out to be a bunch of brown-nosers.

Let's hear it for controversy. Let's open up options. Let's see what we can do together after we listen to the other side. I want to be proud of the U.S. again. I want us to be the guys who do the right thing, the moral thing, the stand up thing.

I'm hopeful.