Gifts

Gifts


Sandy with Mariano Rivera

"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."

This past week, I lost a treasure in my life. Her name was Sandy. We first met when she and her family moved next door to my childhood home when I was only six years old. Her husband worked with my Dad at the same company, General Electric. My mother and Sandy became immediate friends. My mother has always had an intuition for people and she knew Sandy was genuine in her feelings. That's what made them the best of friends for such a long time.

Sandy and her husband owned a marina in the Thousand Island region of New York State, where they'd spend each summer taking wonderful care of their clients. One customer (and friend) wrote this about Sandy:

We will cherish those nights on the porch at the Marina watching the sun set with a cup of coffee.

Even though life is not always beautiful, Sandy lived a beautiful life. She made sure that her family lived a beautiful life.

She loved to sing and play guitar - and she did both with complete joy. Her husband was a trained vocalist, too, and along with my own musical parents, I recall that my childhood was made sweet with all kinds of music. Her nephew had this to say, and I recall the song he's speaking of very well. I particularly remember Sandy performing it at one of my parents' wild and wacky Halloween parties.

I have very special memories of cousin Sandy when she played the guitar and sang "that chocolate ice cream cone".

1973 - My parents and my Uncle Howard looking a lot like Clooney's bunch in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?"

A number of years ago, Sandy was once walking in the city when a would-be robber came from behind her and ripped her purse from her shoulder. She ran after the robber, and remained on his heels relentlessly screaming "You took my purse! Hey! That's my purse! Give it back! Drop it!" Stymied by Sandy's unusually strong will and overall excitement, the robber actually dropped the purse and ran away! Sandy's son Mark wrote this about her:

Mom would give you the shirt off her back without any hesitation. She also had a very strong will power as the thief that tried to steal her purse found out when she yelled to him to "drop it!"...

She was a major New York Yankees fan, and was thrilled to have made the acquaintance of closing Yankee pitcher Mariano Rivera while on a cruise (photo above).

What can you say when you know you have a treasure trove filled with unspeakable gifts left behind by a person that you spent so many years living with and loving? With so many years comes so much to say, yet we cannot say it all at once. It comes back to us, day by day - memory by memory. It provides warmth and reassurance on the days we feel we don't have a friend in the world.

My own brother recalled wonderful memories of childhood and the bittersweet time last Fall when my own dear mother asked for her sweet friend Sandy when Mom knew she was facing her final days on Earth. Sandy was there - with a friendship and faith never failing. She was a true and loyal friend to the end. Little did she know, when she was so selflesly tending to her best friend's last wishes, that she would soon discover that she also had a cancer that she would have to battle with valor and spiritual strength.


My grandfather with my mother (ctr) and Sandy (rt)
Note the trikes in the background

My brother Peter wrote this about his memories of Sandy:

Mike and Sandy were like my second parents, and I love them. I recall so much fun and laughter on Fremont Road. Sandy and Rose stayed the best of friends. Later in life, when my own mother was dying, Sandy was by her side always. Never missing a day. Faithful, and loving, never leaving my Mother's side. Sandy's gift of caring and giving was God given. We should all be so good. It came to her naturally. Why God takes such an Angel shall remain a mystery.

The greatest gift Sandy gave me was her lifelong example of how a good person should their life so it becomes worth more to her loved ones than all the gold in this world. She did it with faith, with humility, with hope, with caring, and with love.

How I'll miss her. Yet, I take comfort in knowing that I'll always have the gifts she left behind. I'm so very grateful. I hope to learn how to pass along those gifts myself someday.

The Angry Young Town Hall Boy

The Angry Young Town Hall Boy

This young man, who looks young enough to be my son, shows us the folly of the argument that requires a pot to call a kettle black. Says he:

"There's a reason the candidates Moulitsas backs always lose: He's a loser. The constituency he represents is an angry, radical constituency that is more concerned with being anti-Bush than pro-anything."

It seems that the only "angry" person, in this case, certainly seems to be the young gentleman (and I use the term loosely) who refers to another gentleman as "a loser." People who are real winners and who have a bit of class are generally congenial, collegial, - perhaps even conciliatory toward someone they perceive as the underdog. Make no mistake, this young man is one hundred times as angry as those who he claims harbor animosity. If young Ben Shapiro isn't angry, then it's quite possible that he's afraid that the object of his vicious comments is, indeed, a real threat.

If these possibilities do not apply, we can only surmise that this young man has little class and terrible manners.

Work a little harder at this, Ben. Even if you tell us you're not, your words make you look like an angry boy.

Dan Rather Leaving CBS

Dan Rather Leaving CBS

"Finishing details are being worked out for me to leave CBS News after 44 years," Mr. Rather said in a TelevisionWeek interview.

There's been much speculation about Dan Rather in cyberspace. The decidedly right-leaning NY Post had their snarky Page Six say:

Don't blame Katie Couric for the way CBS is treating Dan Rather, who's off the air and negotiating his severance from the network. "Katie had nothing to do with it," said one network insider. "This decision was made long before she got there." Some viewers with long memories assumed Rather, 74, was getting exactly what he gave to legendary Walter Cronkite in 1981 when he deposed Cronkite and took his anchor chair. Cronkite, known as the most trusted man in America, was eager to continue reporting for CBS News, but Rather kept him off the air. "Don't blame Katie," said our source. "They [CBS execs] just want to get rid of him." It was confirmed yesterday that CBS will not offer a new deal to Rather, whose contract expires at the end of the year. Earlier this week, Rather told The Philadelphia Inquirer he's not ready to retire: "My position is I want to work. Maybe it's my hubris, but I still think there are things I can contribute." But not at CBS

The truth would most likely be posted on CBS, so I went to check. Dan says he's leaving CBS. He said, "If it had it worked out for me to be an important contributor to CBS, I would have liked that...The work has not turned out what I hoped it would be.."

You can read between the lines.

David Blum talks about Rather's departure at the Huffington Post.

Bloomberg News Launches New Political Show

Bloomberg News Launches New Political Show

From ABC's Political Note:

Bloomberg News will launch a new weekend television show from Washington this Saturday, June 17: "Political Capital with Al Hunt." It will feature analysis of the top political, economic and international stories from Bloomberg reporters in Washington and around the world; "Simon Says" — a political debriefing from Roger Simon, Bloomberg's chief political reporter; an interview with a prominent newsmaker Sen. Obama this week, and a "Last Word" debate between Robert Novak and Margaret Carlson or Michelle Cottle.

Those in the know have been reading the text version of "Simon Says" for years — it is sort of a cross between Erma Bombeck, Richard Daley, and Jeff Zeleny's e-mail traffic.

Bloomberg television, of course, is carried in about half the cable homes around the country and also early mornings on the E! network which can be seen on virtually every cable system. More than 25 million additional homes can get Bloomberg on satellite. Because the key to Bloomberg is ametorization, "Political Capital" will air numerous times on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 6:30am (EST) and including 7:30 and 10:30pm on Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoon.

Thank You, Reps Murtha, Skelton, Pelosi

"The American people are not naive. They know a failed policy when they see one. Iraq is a failed policy. It's time to redeploy."

- Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa) (link to story below)

Thank You, Reps Murtha, Skelton, Pelosi

We can see how you are bringing sanity and appeals for truth and reconciliation to the debate on the House floor over Iraq. When I saw little Patrick McHenry from North Carolina, who'd never seen a battlefield in his life, shaking his fists and spewing every sanctimonious Rove-flavored talking point he could remember while supporting this vacuous resolution on Iraq, I could clearly see how empty their arguments have become. I regret that they hold majority status in the House. They've abdicated a serious responsibility by drawing party lines around a meaningless "stay-the-course" slogan that is at the core of this resolution.

You are right, House Democrats. Stay strong. The Republicans in our House are acting as partisans in unison with a Pentagon-propanganda sheet by their sides. They are dividing the people of this country with their tactics. This time, however, because of your strong voices, the dividing line created by the meaningless rhetoric of this GOP resolution leaves many, many more Americans on the side of truth and reality, regardless of the outcome of this resolution.

I respect all of you House Democrats for standing up.

God bless you all.
May truth continue to prevail in the hearts of the American people after this divisive resolution vote has long passed.

_____________

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH by John Murtha

See the USA Today rebuttal that twists the truth to the extent that, if their opinion held water with reasonable peoople, it would mean that Democrats who ask for a real debate and responsiblity for oversight on the failed policy of the Bush administration in Iraq would not be honoring our troops. The opposite is true, most Americans know that, and we can only hope and pray that these misguided writers of the Fourth Estate learn that - soon. It's obvious that people with common sense and a patriotic spirit still have much to fear from misleading journalists - the same ones who followed along with the majority (with no objectivity) and contributed to the misleading wave that resulted in our nation going to a totally unnecessary war.

When will they learn?

Thank God for the Fifth Estate - the bloggers and writers of the alternative press.

The 2500th: Just a Number, Tony?

The 2500th: Just a Number, Tony?

Q: Tony, American deaths in Iraq have reached 2,500. Is there any response or reaction from the President on that?

MR. SNOW: It's a number, and every time there's one of these 500 benchmarks people want something.

Just a number, Tony?

Hardly.

He (or she) was someone's baby; someone's husband (or wife); someone's friend; someone's love; someone's life.

Never just a number.

MyDD Posts Netroots Survey Results

MyDD Posts Netroots Survey Results

Chris Bowers has graciously posted results of a Netroots survey at MyDD (cross-posted at Daily Kos) that you may have not yet seen. It was the first conducted under BlogPac's new management.

If Netroots-Democrats could give Democratic candidates any advice, the thing they'd most want to tell them would be: "Stand for something!"

Senator John Edwards received the highest "favorable" rating of any potential Presidential candidate for 2008, sharing the highest "very favorable" ratings with Russ Feingold, who is greatly admired by the Netroots. (A tip of the hat to Benny).

Bush Republicans Obsessed With Sex

Bush Republicans Obsessed With Sex

This is unacceptable, immoral, indecent...so say those in government who are obsessed with making war on something that will harm few people, but will get them a few extra votes in November from voters with warped priorities. (Dick Cheney can say a major "F**k you" to his colleagues in the Senate whenever he likes, but a schmuck on the radio will be fined for it).



Meanwhile we lead our children to believe that the circumstances shown in photo below are perfectly acceptable - even honorable, as George W. Bush and his Republican rubber stampers were (and still are) obsessed with going to an unnecessary war with another country.



Everyone sees the hypocrisy. Everyone can see that the object of the Bush administration's obsessions are a product of misplaced values-priority.

Saving life, at all costs, is a moral venture. Going to unnecessary war increases the chance that you will lay innocent life to waste.

I'd rather look at a bare breast - maybe a thousand bare breasts - than to know a child died needlessly.

Maybe you'll say that's a false choice - and heaven knows the Bush Republicans never give us any of those!

Storm Troopers' Delight

Storm Troopers' Delight

Don't bother to knock.
Just break it down.
That's what liberty sounds like.
That's what liberty feels like.
Thanks, Right Wing Supreme court.

And the New Boogey-Man Is.....

And the New Boogey-Man Is.....

Ask Ricardo. He makes a very good point.

Muhahahaha!

Rumsfeld Orders Gitmo To Go Dark for Journalism

Rumsfeld Orders Gitmo To Go Dark for Journalism

We cannot know what will happen in the last days of Gitmo. These are tales that have nothing to do with the beacon held high in the hand of the Statue in New York Harbor.

Nice Move

Nice Move

Someone, please tell me Bush didn't do this.

House Leadership Fears Open, Honest, Fair Debate on Iraq

"...what is being proposed is nothing more or less than, really, a charade."

- Walter Jones (D-NC 3rd district)

House Leadership Fears Open, Honest, Fair Debate on Iraq

The House leadership (partisan Republicans) are scrambling to cut off meaningful debate about Iraq in order to cover for the failed policy there. Raw Story is reporting that "a group of Democratic and Republican House members held a press conference today at the Capitol with their hands 'literally tied' to protest the blocking by Republican leadership of any real debate about the war in Iraq."

"Do not put us through the farce and the fraud of a pseudo-debate going nowhere and ending nowhere. This is not about a discussion of cutting and running. This is a question of whether the Congress is going to sit and watch while people are dying."

- Rep. Neil Ambercrombie (D-HI)

The House leadership continue to misjudge the hearts and minds of the American people. They've taken them for chumps - suckers - for just a little too long. You see fatheads like Karl Rove belligerently spouting, like a rebellious pimply-faced adolescent, that his party owes no one an apology for their tremendous amount of misjudgements and errors and lies told about Iraq, labeling a pointless occupation as "the central front in the war on terror."

"It is a cynical attempt to mold politics into a document that their political spinmeisters come up with to turn Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terror, all munched in together, assuming that the American people are too stupid to know the difference."

- Rep. Martin Meehan (D-MA )

I don't personally want my government representatives to sit on their partisan asses and make cute and meaningless little "thank-you" resolutions and propaganda statements to cable news pundits while people die needlessly and soldiers fight for freedoms being blatantly denied to the People of the United States to have a realistic discussion about a war in which those soldiers are engaged.

Let's Talk Turkey.
Who Wants a Quagmire?

"Let those who believe that we should be in Iraq for the next 15 years or 20 years go on the floor and talk about it. Let the members of the House meet their constitutional responsibility and debate it and vote up or down."

- Rep. Walter Jones (D-NC 3rd district)

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

"....it is a good day for American jurisprudence as it has been upheld that it is not criminal to be an irresponsible, grudge-holding, power-grabbing, unethical, immoral jerk."

Xpatriated Texan on the news about Karl Rove's slithering escape out of an indictment.

Bush Looks Weak When He Defers to Gen. Casey

Bush Looks Weak When He Defers to Gen. Casey

- Iraq had no connection to 9/11. If Republicans are going to keep bringing up 9/11 as if it's connected to Iraq, they should be asked where Osama bin Laden is each time they raise the spectre. After all, wasn't he was the mastermind behind 9/11? Weren't we going to drain the swamp? The swamp has not been drained and we ran headlong to a another swamp altogether - and nearly drowned instead of drained.

- Bush is abdicating responsibility as commander in chief every time he says he's leaving it all up to General Casey to be the one who has the last say on troop levels in Iraq. Shit - who's the President, anyhow? For all his passion about defending the chaotic and unecessary path he took us down in Iraq, this abdication of the highest responsibility always makes Bush look weak and indecisive.

- Terrorist threats around the world will not fade away on their own - but the war in Iraq has created more terrorists than there ever would have been had we not precipitated an unjust and unnecessary unilateral war against a nation that had nothing whatsoever to do with the terror threat that faced the world in the first place. (That lies were told to the American public only serves to make things worse for those who participated in the knowing transmission of the lies).

- The President looked high and happy at the press conference today on the heels of killing the Bin Laden substitute boogey-man al Zarqawi. Will it be enough to remember this day when the television screens report on and on about the senseless killing that goes on in that country every day? I know of a soldier who came back after his first tour of duty in Iraq and told a classroom filled with ninth-graders that each Iraqi citizen that came up to him would say the same thing: "Thank you for getting rid of Saddam. Now you can go home." There's no sin in helping these Iraqis to find a political solution to the problems of their new democracy, and there would be myriad intelligent ways to internationalize the effort. But this occupation should have ended years ago. A foreign power killing Iraqi citizens embroiled in sectarian strife is not a good accompaniment to winning political hearts or minds and anyone with a fifth grade education should be able to see that. It never should have even taken place.

Louise Slaughter's Blogpost About Iraq

Louise Slaughter's Blogpost About Iraq

NY state Representative Louise Slaughter has written a blogpost to the Daily Kos site and even offered to answer some reader questions. She made reference to her report America for Sale: the Costs of Republican Corruption in which she'd written:

One of the ways House Republicans have made it clear they are not interested in getting to the bottom of the Bush Administration’s mismanagement of the Iraq War is by repeatedly blocking the Democratic proposal for an Iraq “Truman Commission.” During World War II, then-Democratic Senator Harry Truman conducted a series of famous oversight investigations into the Roosevelt War Department’s conduct of the war. The beneficial effects of these investigations (conducted by a Democratic Congress into a Democratic administration) were to reduce inefficiency and fraud in the defense contracting process and to strengthen our war effort. Not surprisingly, House Republicans have shown more interest in protecting the Administration from scrutiny than in ensuring that taxpayers’ funds are not being wasted and that our soldiers have the equipment they need. Republicans opposed a Democratic motion to consider the proposal in May 2005, and then blocked Representatives John Tierney (D-MA) and James Leach (R-IA) from debating the issue on the House floor during consideration of the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (H.R. 1815).

She referred to this week's "sham Iraq debate." More on the sham debate here.

Take Back America Breaks Agreement with Conscientious Citizens

Take Back America Breaks Agreement with Conscientious Citizens

"We were amazed to discover that the organizers of Take Back America treat dissent the same way that the organizers at a Bush rally do," said Ms. Murphy. "Most progressives do not support Hillary Clinton, and stifling our legitimate, heartfelt opposition to her pro-war position is an outrage. I guess we have to take back ‘Take Back America.’"


I think it's very important for you to know about suppression of dissent and a breaking of trust within the Democratic party. Officials of the "Take Back America" conference violated a trusted agreement made prior to the event regarding the logistics of protest from the moment citizens arrived at the event, which is held annually in Washington, D.C. Bear in mind the fact that this conference is supposed to be a venue for prominent progressives to gather and debate the major issues of our day. Read Medea Benjamin's story.

This, people, is not good news for America. It's telling us that, even at the doorstep of the party that boosts itself as a party that invites free speech and debate, there are limits when it suits a political purpose. Agreements they make in good faith will be crushed whenever they deem it necessary to do so.

Is that the kind of party with whom we wish to identify?

We'd best see some public statement of explanation or apology here.

If you see the injustice done to progressive citizens at this conference, please sign the pledge at Voters for Peace. (endorsed by Casey Sheehan's momCindy)

This time vote
for what you believe in.



Hear this NPR story about the Take America Back conference, along with interviews of some of the attendees by Mara Laisson.

To see Hillary Clinton’s position on the Iraq war, go to www.ListenHillary.org.

It's About Time, Bush: Now Change the Course, Bring Troops Home

The soldiers in Iraq have done their duty.
Bring them back to the green, green grass of home.


It's About Time, Bush: Now Change the Course, Bring Troops Home

President Bush needed to make his secret trip to Iraq to raise his poll numbers. It was a great photo op, but it will be meaningless unless a change is made now.

Newt Gingrich, with politics on his mind and before he knew of the secret plans for Bush to visit Iraq, sniped at Bush who he'd thought was at Camp David:

"Are they really changing anything that we're doing in Iraq? Or is this designed basically to shore up and win public support."

If Bush uses this opportunity as a turning point - convincing the new Iraqi government that the U.S. needs to change its course in Iraq and turn this into a successful political effort with an earnest attempt to fully internationalize it, and to begin redeployment of U.S. troops now, he will begin to heal what are now almost non-salvageable wounds - the deep and bleeding gashes - felt by the American public for all the lies and misleadings about why the Bush administration made pre-emptive war upon the government of Iraq and many of its people while there was no WMD, no imminent threat to the United States, and no connection found by any reputable journalist to the planning and carrying out of the 9/11 attacks. It will also force the Iraqis to get on the stick and become responsible for themselves. Bush has been covering for their responsibility for too long.

We'd won WWII in the time it's taken for our President to TELL the Iraqis that they must take responsibility for their own security. What kind of leadership is that?

Karl Rove, who has apparently snaked his way out of charges in the Patrick Fitzgerald investigation, says that Republicans owe no apology to the American public for all the lies and misleadings on the Iraq war. Karl's a day late and a dollar short. The apology was already made by Condoleeza Rice months ago when she admitted the thousands of mistakes that were made in Iraq. Public polls have been withering on the issue of our reasons for being in Iraq since then. Any apology made now is well beyond the point.

Bush said:

"...the enemy doesn't stand for anything. They have no message of hope. They have no positive philosophy. All they can do is kill and hope that the government splits up, or that the American people lose their will."

America's will to do what? Our military presence for the past three and a half years has contributed to the Iraqi people's sectarian strife. If our "will" is to win hearts and minds, it's high time for Iraqis to take responsibility for themselves and it's time to end the U.S. occupation of their country.

A significant percentage of hearts and minds of the Iraqi population has been lost to us forever because of the way this action, never necessary for U.S. security, was led by the Bush administration. There is a civil war and an increase in the terrorists' presence in Iraq today because of the inept commander in chief. In Iraq, now that he has safely snuck himself under the radar of so many Iraqi citizens who'd just as soon target him than welcome him, he has some serious repairs to do. It's been three years since he visited anyone in Iraq. It's about time. Now let's see a change.

Bring those American men and women home from Iraq. They've served you well, President Bush. Bring them home with honor - and begin now.


* Bush's remarks to Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq sound more "PR" than a move toward any substantial change.

* LA Times: Poll: U.S. Disapproves of War in Iraq ' - The death of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq came as more Americans than ever thought the war in Iraq was a mistake, according to AP-Ipsos polling.'

Iowa Poll: John Edwards #1 for 2008

Iowa Poll:
John Edwards #1 for 2008

Senator Edwards: "It was a nice gift to see we still had friends in Iowa." - DesMoinesRegister.com

About the Poll - DesMoinesRegister.com: Experts say it's the first poll showing anyone besides Clinton as the preferred Democrat in the race for the White House.


NYPost.com: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was defeated by former Sen. John Edwards in an early Iowa poll - a rare blow to Clinton's front-runner status for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

One America Committee blog: Edwards Leads Dems in Iowa for 2008

The blogtalk (Google)

Even more blogtalk. (Technorati)

Sweetness - From David Yepsen/DesMoinesRegister.com:
The poll is all sweetness for John Edwards. The 2004 vice-presidential nominee is the Iowa front-runner with 30 percent. That, in turn, will help his fund-raising and his ability to attract top talent and support elsewhere...A victory for Edwards here in 2008 would make him the leading alternative to Clinton and give him an important boost toward the nomination.


Geoffrey Nunberg: John Edwards' storytelling ability is a real strength [Raw Story]

America: Do You Want War, War and More War?

America: Do You Want War, War and More War?

Your President does.
Listen to Bill Christison, former CIA analyst. His most pressing point:

This writer's belief is that the only long-term hope the world has of avoiding a quite widespread further proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional nations in the coming decade is for the U.S. to undertake honest and serious multilateral negotiations aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons everywhere.