Monkey Trial all over again

Latest episode in the evolution vs. Intelligent Design smackdown to take place in Pennsylvania, starting this week.

I really don't care if they want to teach Intelligent Design in addition to Evolution in schools. Provided they point out the tomes upon tomes and fossil records that support Darwin and the cricket song that supports I.D. And, perhaps more importantly - that they also teach other non-scientific, non-Christian creation "theories". Like those of Native Americans.

The Apache myth sounds eerily like Intelligent Design, doesn't it? "In the beginning was only Tepeu and Gucumatz (Feathered Serpent). These two sat together and thought, and whatever they thought came into being. They thought Earth, and there it was. They thought mountains, and so there were. They thought trees, and sky, and animals etc, and each came into being. But none of these things could praise them, so they formed more advanced beings of clay. But these beings fell apart when they got wet, so they made beings out of wood, but they proved unsatisfactory and caused trouble on the earth. The gods sent a great flood to wipe out these beings, so that they could start over. With the help of Mountain Lion, Coyote, Parrot, and Crow they fashioned four new beings. These four beings performed well and are the ancestors of the Quiché. "

So does the Maya. And the Norse. Chinese. African, etc. All "theories" of higher beings who created or made the world fit for human habitation. Bonus - most also include a myth of a great deluge.

But please - do not call it "science" unless you precede it with "social" or follow it with "fiction". And make sure you give equal time to the "theories" of other ancient cultures besides Judeo-Christian-Muslim.

I really, really do not understand the Right's insistance on trying to get Intelligent Design labelled as a viable scientific theory. In fact, I think they're shooting themselves in the foot by doing so. Science is only meaningful when placed into practical application. In the laboratory. So I have 2 questions for the I.D. community: 1) How do you propose to prove this "theory" using the scientific method; and 2) what do you plan to do with that information?

Getting them to answer these questions takes them somewhere I don't think they really want to go: Cloning. Genetic Engineering. Global Warming. Mankind playing God. Pure and simple. In fact, you can take those legitimate scientific disciplines as proof that an intelligent being can create life, manipulate global climate and manipulate the laws of evolution. By doing so, it is perfectly reasonable to speculate that a more advanced being may have created us. Or terra-formed an inhospitable world to make it safe for us. We do it to lesser species everytime we create a pretty hybrid tulip. Or breed Dachsunds. Or clone kitty cats. The difference, of course is everytime we do that we also prove Darwin in the process. But you could argue that we also prove I.D.

But if they introduce Intelligent Design as a legitimate scientific field of study, what are they going to use as their textbook on the subject? Can I nominate author David Brin's "Uplift Saga" series?? Sci-Fi for the fundies. Sounds like a plan to me. Next up maybe some Heinlein?.

Happy 6 months, Duncan!

The Critter, he turned 6 months old back on the 14th. And got 2 bright, shiny and very, very sharp lower cuspids to mark the occassion. These come in handy now that we've begun to feed him solids on a daily basis. He loves the bananas with the rice cereal, tolerates the yams and pears but shudders adorably at the sight of applesauce. Those pediatricians, they say feeding solids doesn't help babies sleep any better but I tell you - they LIE!!! Either that or it was absolute coincidence that the week after we began giving him solids he began, once again... to sleep through the night. ***sigh*** 10pm - 5 of 6 am. Except for the nights when said two toofs broke through the gums. Those two nights were a bit hellish but their respective nights after?? Blissful sleep. Well, except when he does the occassional shange up and sleeps from 8 - 3:30. Those nights are a little brutal because inevitably, we choose those particular nights to stay up late to watch the premier of Lost or something.

His ped is amazed at his motor skills. Wonderfully average in all other respects but he has remarkable control over his digits, that one. In the last week he has learned to pull himself up to a stand like nobody's business. In fact, he whines bloody murder if you're not assisting him in this endeavor every available moment. He'll scoot & roll to get where he wants to go but didn't have much use for crawling until he discovered that getting up on your knees gets you 6" closer to getting up on your feets! So he's working on that - gets up on all fours and starts to rock back and forth, back and forth with the sides of the crib as a block to better perfect his starting technique. We put him on the floor and watch with baited breath for the moment when he'll build up enough confidence to take off on his initial baby dash & stick his finger/tongue in the non-babyproofed electrical socket on the other side of the room.

And the damned dog isn't helping. She keeps bringing her slimy, nasty toys and dropping them 2 feet in front of him. Which, of course are so much more enthralling than the nice sanitary plstic rattle we just pulled out of the dishwasher. Though the sooner we can teach the Critter to throw her back her balls instead of sticking them in his mouth the sooner we can let them entertain each other.

Worrywart and Rita

When I mentioned my bro is in the Coast Guard, did I forget to mention that he's stationed at Galveston? And that he and my wonderful SIL just bought their first house about 12 miles from there, which was under a mandatory evacuation order? And that she's 6 1/2 months into her first pregnancy with a "high risk" flag due to high blood pressure already? Oh, and on Monday they sent her to an Oncologist because they were worried about high white cell counts on her last blood draw? (who did allay their fears by saying he didn't see any signs of the big bad C... and was inclined to chalk up her lab results to the pregnancy or a lingering illness/cough she's had, but took some more blood to be sure).

I'm a little freaked out. Having bad dreams on their behalf (would you dream people pick up a damned power drill and piece of plywood already and get busy already??!!). She's already evacuated to her Dad's north of Houston but bro will be riding out the storm in Reliant stadium and will then deploy for search & rescue. Bro says they're fine, they have insurance and isn't worried. SIL says she's doing OK and it's just stuff. But it was really hard not having him there when she was driving away from her home, and the nursery and all the hard work they've done and not know what would be left when they came back. She knew it would be this way when she married him but this is the first big test and it's harder than she thought.

I'm not really worried about them physically. I'm more worried they'll come home to a nightmare of matchsticks for a crib (and everything else) and a waterlogged nursery full of moldy toxic stuffed animals and baby clothes which insurance will find some way to weasel out of paying to fix/replace. And the stress and trauma of dealing with the clean up will cause her more problems with the pregnancy, etc. etc.

So that's fine guys - don't worry. I'll do it for you. I'm really, really good at that. Not quite as good as Grandma, but close.

**Update: As you know by now Rita veered to the east and spared Galveston/Houston a direct hit. Word is my bro and SIL had a fence blow down in the backyard but that was it, other than some cosmetic damage. Crisis averted.

Finally, some answers

Newsweek's breakdown of the breakdown. Doesn't paint a rosy picture of the locals but realistic, I think. And puts the ultimate blame where it belongs - lack of imagination, lack of initiative/leadershop and the sad result of bad policy. I gotta give Shrub props for finally stepping up and accepting responsibility for once.

Oh - and you gotta love the Coasties: "He was replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen. The Coast Guard was one agency that performed well, rescuing thousands."

Have I ever mentioned my brother's in the Coast Guard? His crew alone rescued 700 in one day. In this entire nightmare the Coast Guard was one shining example of how shit should be done.

"Indeed, while state, local, and other federal officials appeared not to fully comprehend the magnitude of the disaster at hand, the Coast Guard acted with the urgency the crisis demanded.

Admiral Robert Duncan, head of the Eighth District in New Orleans, dispersed cutters, helicopters, and other vessels ahead of the storm. He also requested additional forces from the commander of the Coast Guard's Eastern Area, in Norfolk, Va., which is responsible for everything east of the Mississippi, according to Coast Guard officials.

''We don't have to get approval to execute," said Richard J. Dein, a retired Coast Guard commander and a search-and-rescue specialist. ''The Coast Guard is organized by geography. All of those districts act autonomously. They each have a command and control center. What you had was a ready response network."

But then, they do this every. single. day. Save lives, relieve suffering. And get no credit (not that I'm bitter or anything). In all the recriminations about what went wrong, I want to remind folks of what went right. And I'm proud to say my bro was part of what was in all likelihood one of, if no the largest search & rescue effort in U.S. history.

In the Coast Guard, they train to respond in the most adverse, hostile conditions imaginable. And more importantly, they have a standing mandate to act on their own recognizance to save lives threatened by the worst of Mother Nature. It seems everybody is looking for an answer to the red tape and beaurocratic hoopjumping that plagued Katrina. And the more I think about it, the more I realize you've got your answer right there.

Separate the emergency first response duties from all the other accounting bullshit. In times of natural disasters, just hand over that authority to the Coast Guard. Expand their mandate, give them a bigger budget and there you go. They're already on-call 24/7. They have assets deployed & ready to go at a moment's notice in every geographical area. They have ongoing operations in every geographical area, which means they have ongoing relationships with state and local Emergency Services agencies (fire, police, medical - etc.) . Like the National Guard, they have law enforcement authority besides rescue authority. And they deal with pollution, environmental and hazmat situations on a daily basis.

Or, revamp the National Guard (or a portion thereof) to model the Coast Guard in it's mandate. Cut all the red tape - if a Governor declares a state of emergency, then the Nat'l Guard is automatically activated and authorized to mobilize on their own. None of this "Gov. has to specifically ask and that request must be specifically approved by the President" bullshit.

Can you say "that was awkward!"

I started using the office of the CEO's assistant M (who is out on maternity leave) to pump at work last week. Previously I'd been going out to my car but what with gas prices being what they are, sitting there idling the engine for the sole purpose of powering my boob-juicer was getting a little expensive. Then too, there was the whole environmental guilt going on (i.e. how many penguins are going to die as a result of the global warming resulting from my burning precious petrol for the sole purpose of feeding my baby? Why not just pour Penzoil in his bottle?) So in the context of formally requesting a lactation room be included in the build out of the new office we just bought and will be moving into in about 6 months (though I may or may not still need it then) my boss said I was welcome to use M's office instead of my car for the time being, since it had a lock on the door. And I took him up on the offer.

Well apparently that lock doesn't work too well if the CEO's easy ability to poke his head in this morning without knocking is any indication. Judging by the awkwardness that accompanied the embarassed blush, my boss apparently did not tell him that I would be availing myself of his assistant's office for the purpose of juicing the girls.

It's a good thing I don't embarass myself too easily and managed to cover myself up before much damage was done. If I'm lucky he might even take that embarassment and channel it into approving my request for a lactation room in the new building.

So do I a) go back to using my car; b) ask them to fix the lock or c) cross my fingers and hope it doesn't happen again? And do I mention it to my boss to make sure he's told the CEO that I'll be borrowing the office periodically? Have I mentioned how much I hate having to ask my employer to make special accomodations for my baby and his little juicers? I know I shouldn't, but I still do. I hate drawing attention to myself.

They're playing Hockey in Hades

OhmyGawd! Hell has officially frozen over! Shrub is actually taking personal responsibility for the failures of the federal response to Katrina! Guess he can afford to be the fall guy now since he won't be running for reelection next year.

When amateur legal hobbyists go wild

I was thinking that the local and state governments do bear some of the responsibility for the Katrina fiasco long before the Republican spin machine started hounding it. Primary responsibility? No, but some. There were those buses, floating in the floodwaters abandoned, unused. There were the shelters - apparently undersupplied. I had assumed that no city would send tens of thousands of evacuees to a shelter without supplying it with enough food & water to take care of those evacuees. Thanks to the Spin machine, I'd even begun to wonder if maybe, just maybe the mayor and governor HAD done everything in their power to ameliorate the tragedy. Maybe they hadn't jumped through the correct beaurocratic hoops. Maybe they hadn't formally asked for the right amount of help early enough. Maybe it was just a tragic legal misunderstanding, where the Feds DID have their hands tied until the locals did something.

Then I started to wonder - who does bear that primary responsibility? And here's what I found, right on their own mission statements:

FEMA: On March 1, 2003, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

DHS: Specifically, the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have three primary missions: 1) Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, 2) Reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and 3) Minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters.

Within the DHS charter, under "Emergencies & Disasters" it simply states:
"In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility on March 1st for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort.

Nothing at all about "the Feds will only provide EXACTLY what the state/local gov'ts request", which is the most recent spin (i.e. Gov. Blanco did not *specifically* request x number of troops, just "send me everything") . Just simply "we will bear primary responsibility for any large-scale crisis or natural disaster".

Part of the Louisiana governor's letter to the President asking for a federal Declaration of Emergency says "Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.

The states DID their jobs - they declared the natural disaster 3 and 4 days ahead of time. Bush even declared the national disaster a couple of days ahead of time. The ball was clearly, and I believe legally in the Fed's court. And they dropped the ball.

Many many questions still remain in my mind. At the moment, it's unclear who, exactly prohibited the Red Cross from entering the city immediately after the storm. Lefty sites blame FEMA, of course (why was busy keeping everyone and everything out of the city - from donated supplies to fuel to search & rescue personnel) but the wingnuts (via Fox news) apparently have video proving it was Gov. Blanco.

Given the source, Fox News - I'm not inclined to find that credible but I won't get a chance to watch the video myself until I get home. If true, however I'd like more information as to context. I'm not one to paint the locals entirely blameless - I just want all the facts.

On a sidenot, I watched the author of this book "Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 & How It Changed America" on CSPAN overe the weekend and he provided some fascinating background. Amazing how history repeats itself. Sad, but amazing. Anyway, it gives some clues as to what we can expect in the coming months. Even if Shrub & Co. were totally oblivious to the fact that Katrina presented a threat of Biblical proportions (despite all warnings to that effect), the rest of the country is not so unaware. Floods in the past have proven to be major watershed events, and Katrina should prove no different in causing consequences of a historical nature. Political fallout in the form of rolling heads first... but secondarily also in the sheer number of displaced Americans which will have a significant impact on local & state politics.

The Red State/ Blue State deadlock may finally be broken - though events will yet prove to whose benefit. You can bet that Rove & his strategists are busy trying to figure that out right now, however. We need to get on top of it before they do.

Still stewing, lots more thoughts but if you're like me you're desperate for some good news. In the last couple of days I've been following some of the animal rescue stories:

Rescue Journal of Oregon Humane Society rescue volunteers and MSNBC's Katrinablog, who've been desperate to find one evacuee's Miss Kitty. I'm planning to drop some more $$'s to Noah's Wish next payday and encourage everyone else to do so too.

Speechless

Just totally speechless I’m so angry and pissed and feel so powerless. We can send robots millions of miles through the vacuum of space to land on a ball of dirt a mile wide but we can’t evacuate a few thousand people from downtown New Orleans? I feel like Queen Amidala… “My people are suffering and DYING while you discuss this in a committee!!”.

Would it help get things moving if it were a terrorist named Katrina who had blown up the levees instead of a Hurricane? Can we just pretend that happened? I know, the hurricane obviously makes things difficult. I’m just furious – you clear a road to the Superdome, confiscate every bus or personnel carrier in a 300 mile range, drive ‘em in filled with water, food, ice & medicine and pull them out. What's holding that up? What if this HAD been a terrorist attack? Do we not have plans in place to deal with millions of displaced people in this country? Clearly, not.

If the Army can’t do it then get the Disney people over there – they know how to fucking move large amounts of people in a short period of time. In the meantime, you have supplies for setting up refugee camps airdropped to shelter locations to be waiting for those folks to show up. I’m sure local charities would be more than happy to help set them up, or the refugees themselves.

Yes there are a handful of very angry people there with guns. It's understandable. I'd be pissed too. You tell me to go somewhere to be taken care of. I go like a good citizen and they you leave me to rot and die.

Here's what we do. We send in choppers to the evacuation point with the buses to provide air cover. You have a bullhorn. You say “there are 500 busses behind this one. We'll get you out. But in the meantime, we need to get the grandma's and babies out first. Put down your weapons. Anyone holding a weapon will be shot”. Count to 3. Shoot anyone still dumb enough to hold a gun. You have able-bodied refugees offload critical supplies. Note - this keeps them too busy to grab the guns. You get families with kids & old/sick folks on the bus first. Anyone not of those two categories who tries to mob the bus will be shot. Leave supplies with them until it's their turn.

Or if people are so unwilling to open their homes, their churches, their community centers as shelters. You confiscate cruise ships, as one online buddy suggested. We did it in WWI and WWII – if ever there was a natural emergency that justified that kind of act this is it. Carnival says they’re “considering that” but nobody has asked them to do it. What’s so difficult? Supposedly we have the money, supposedly we have the OK from Georgie to use WHATEVER resources are needed. So what’s the hold up?

I think it’s the will to use those resources. I think this administration has an unwillingness to demand companies sacrifice anything for the greater good. It’s the whole “faith based charity” bullshit. Apparently you can’t get your ticket to heaven by paying tax dollars that go toward relieving human suffering and saving lives. They can only be purchased via church-sponsored charities. Run by Pat Robertson.

I hear stories of tons of folks waiting to go in "as soon as they get the word" as soon as it "gets safe". You know what? The quickest way to make it safe is to get those people out. They're not getting any happier, any healthier and sure as hell not any more patient.

About time - Best Invention EVER

I'm taking a break from hurricane rubbernecking to bring you this story:

South African creates Anti-Rape Female Condom. Snips: "A South African inventor unveiled a new anti-rape female condom on Wednesday that hooks onto an attacker’s penis and aims to cut one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.

“Nothing has ever been done to help a woman so that she does not get raped and I thought it was high time,” Sonette Ehlers, 57, said of the "rapex," a device worn like a tampon that has sparked controversy in a country used to daily reports of violent crime...

Ehlers said the “rapex” hooks onto the rapist’s skin, allowing the victim time to escape and helping to identify perpetrators...The device, made of latex and held firm by shafts of sharp barbs, can only be removed from the man through surgery which will alert hospital staff, and ultimately, the police, she said...

Ehlers, who showed off a prototype on Wednesday, said women had tried it for comfort and it had been tested on a plastic male model but not yet on a live man*. Production was planned to start next year.

But the “rapex” has raised fears amongst anti-rape activists that it could escalate violence against women.

“If a victim is wearing such a device it may enrage the attacker further and possibly result in more harm being caused,” said Sam Waterhouse, advocacy coordinator for Rape Crisis.

Other critics say the condom is medieval and barbaric** — an accusation Ehlers says should be directed rather at the act of rape."

*wonder where they're going to get volunteers? Maybe cadavers?
**This pissed me right off. Yeah, no shit it's medieval and barbaric. So is rape. Fire to fight fire, I say...

The funny thing is I once envisioned a sci-fi type story along similar lines. Only in my fictional world, women on some planet had evolved natural anti-rape defenses. Such as... acidic vaginal secretions that would only be rendered harmless with a certain state of arousal.

Will this work? I don't know. Once word gets out smart rapists would just check and remove it before commencing. And yes, might retaliate more against the woman for her audacity. Or might sodomize her instead. But maybe it'll launch an urban type myth that could provide a deterrent. It's worth a try. Afterall, it's not like anyone's coming up with any other plan to deter rapists *before* they strike...

The razor-wielding bug has morphed into a frog and taken up residence in my throat. My co-workers and husband are finding my new voice quite amusing. They keep asking me leading questions just to entertain themselves. The hacking and coughing they don’t enjoy quite so much, however. Needless to say, neither do I. Curt was feeling a tickling in his throat yesterday so he’ll probably get it next. I pray to whatever deities that specialize in small ones clad in footed jammies that the Critter doesn’t get it, too. He’s been kind of whimpering the last two days and not sleeping well. But when awake he is ecstatic and still shrieks in joy when tossed in the air, spun around, belly kissed, or when Momma makes her funny croaking noises so I’m inclined to think it’s still the teething thing. Massive drool and chewing on any and everything in sight supports that conclusion. I assume if his throat starts to hurt he’ll be miserable 24/7. So keep your fingers crossed!

Work is keeping me very busy lately which while on the one hand is great (job security!), sucks on the other hand since I can’t wallow in mucusoidal misery.

Things could be worse – I could be in New Orleans. I’m watching Hurricane Katrina in horror, wishing for once that I had expanded cable (CNN, etc.) or at least speakers/ working headphones on my work PC to catch the audio of the streaming video reports. Instead I just watch the detached stoplights flying down the street and provide my own commentary. Which is better than your standard “yep, getting pretty darn windy down here, Bob” that you get from network reporters.

My version: “Jane: Nothing much going on over here (where the Eye *didn’t* hit)…. .getting pretty windy/rainy. There’s not a Starbucks open anywhere within 100 miles. Chickenshits. Hey, look at the flying debris! How’s it going where you are, Bob (where the Eye is hitting)?”

“Well Jane, I was feeling pretty lucky to have drawn storm duty – I’m going to get a ton of face time. But then a half a building flew by and there’s not a laundromat open anywhere within 100 miles to clean the crap out of my drawers. Good think the network sprung for that hi-tech raingear that wicks away moisture – I don’t know what’s from the rain/flooding and what’s from pissing my pants. Guess it doesn't matter - this whole place is turning into an open sewer anyway.” A smart investor would have stocked up on hip waders this hurricane season.

Then I think about how miserable those people are (and are going to be for quite awhile). You're forced to evacuate, leaving behind cherished possessions, maybe even pets. Don’t know if you’ll even have a house to come home to. Your work/business/livelihood may be washed away, and even if you do have something to come back to, you’ll be trying to rebuild the shambles of your life in a stifling hot toxic environment with no A/C until they get the electricity back online could be weeks) and will likely be fighting off looters and other criminal elements with minimal emergency resources (police, medical, etc.) available.

Welcome to Baghdad New Orleans. Hang in there folks - we're all thinking of you.

Duncan & the Dawg

Duncan & the Dawg
Originally uploaded by MsMustangsally.

In the interest of full disclosure, however, we rarely see full on crankmonster. This is far more typical.

Friday Baby Blogging

crankthirty
Originally uploaded by MsMustangsally.

Julie's Charlie is just a tad older than Duncan, so I often tune in to her blog to get an idea of what I can expect in the near future. After reading her account of a really shitty day today I had to swallow my snickers for fear of inviting my own shitslinging come-uppance.

Just so she knows she's not alone, here's D. in classic crank mode. Note cause & effect placement of cranky child and blessed blender. Bottle of rum and pina colada mix are just out of frame.
This week, cold medicine replaced the bottle of rum due to some evil little bug that has been spiking my food with microscopic razor blades for 4 days. Hence the dearth of posting recently.

Plame, anyone?

Not to be forgotten in the Cindy-brew-ha-ha: Rove & Traitorgate. The LA Times has a most excellent overview of the entire affair. via Crooks&Liars.

Moms are Unamerican...next baseball & apple pie!

It's a kick watching Cindy Sheehan do some brush clearing of her own down in Texas. She really needs to patent her methods for getting invasive Shrubs to self destruct, because she’s got Bush by the balls and everyone knows it. There are three American institutions that anyone in their right mind knows you don’t mess with: Baseball, MOM & Apple Pie.

And the rightwing’s below-the-belt skewering of Cindy (one of the mothers of fallen soldiers Bush claimed to have “loved” personally back on the campaign trail) is going over with the American people about as well as that Major League baseball strike a few years back. Everything they try to throw at her is just making them look like bigger assholes. Most normal people know you don't disrespect the Mama. To most normal people, motherhood is a sacred institution - you don't get between a Mama bear and her cubs. But then, wingnuts aren't normal. They seem to only respect the Mama when she dutifully fulfills her Old Testament role by keeping her famy fed, her uterus full and most importantly - her mouth shut. Bonus points for dying a painful death in childbirth.

Bush in particular must be tickling his intestines with his toes by now, he's got his foot shoved so far down his throat. The woman has lost her SON and he claims going bike riding is more important than helping her (and through her, the thousands of other mothers she represents) come to terms with her loss? Casey won't ever get to ride a bike. He won't get to teach his own children to do so. But I bet Cindy would be more than happy to accompany Bush on his little rides around the ranch. Heck, I bet she'd pony up and pull some tumbleweed just to help him multitask. He's got time for his biggest supporters - I'm sure he entertains them lavishly at the White House. But no time for Cindy? Pulleeze... ! It's not like she's asking for a night in the Lincoln bedroom or anything. Just a chat.

One thing that's got me fuming about this are all the wingnut pundits, commenters, bloggers, radioshow listeners, etc. who have the unmitigated gall to presume to know her son's political beliefs better than she, just because he wore a uniform. Like camo gives them some kind of telepathic insight into his mind. I hadn't realized the military was *that* technologically advanced! I get so sick of their blatant assumption that just because someone is in the military, or if they served/are serving in Iraq they MUST support Bush, agree with his pathetic justification for the war and praise his miserable handling of it.

I’m referring of course to the comments you hear/read to the effect that “if Casey were alive he would be ashamed of his mother” or “I’m sure he’s turning over in his grave”. I’m sorry, did they know Casey? Cindy indicates even her rightwing in-laws who made that statement disagreeing with her didn’t have a personal relationship with her son. But Michelle Malkin is supposed to have? What, did they date once? How in the hell would she know what Casey thought?

According to an interview I heard Cindy give, her son DID agree with her political beliefs before going to Iraq, and the only reason he deployed was out of a sense of duty TO HIS COMRADES. Not because he believed it was a noble mission. Not because he agreed with his commander in chief. And if you listen to any of the returning vets who are against the war &/ against Bush, you hear the same thing over and over. The only reason they are there is for EACH OTHER.

How dare they tell a mother who Bush demanded the ultimate sacrifice of – the loss of a CHILD that they, absolute strangers know her sons mind better than her? HOW DARE THEY??? Did they nourish him with their very lifeblood for 9 months before laboring in intense pain to bring him into this world? Not that giving birth to a child gives you special insight into their mind 24 years later, but it sure gives you a headstart. Did they change any diapers? Did they comfort him through long nights of teething and illness? Did they teach him how to ride his first bike? Walk him to school his first day? Play tooth fairy? Experience his devestation when he didn't get what he really wanted from Santa Claus? Help him with his homework? Comfort him through his first heartbreak? I don’t think so. The absolute arrogance is unbelievable – to tell a mother who has lost her child that her relationship with that child, her lifetime of experience understanding him is beyond worthless just because he was wearing fatigues when he was slain.

It would be one thing if she’d been estranged from her son before his death. But by all accounts, nothing could be further from the truth. Given that, I’ll bet that wherever he is Casey is watching his Mom & cheering her on, proud that she’s continuing to do the one thing he DID think risking his own life was worth – protecting his fellow soldiers who are still in harm’s way.

Because what so many who feel “it’s the military’s job to protect U.S. Citizens and an honor for them to die in that service” fail to realize is…. Just as it’s their job to protect us, it is OUR job as good citizens to protect THEM. They give up so many fundamental rights when they join up. They sacrifice so very, very much. Not just lives shattered, but bodies, careers, financial wellbeing – even families. Who is supposed to protect them? Who is supposed to make sure that the sacrifice we ask of them has meaning?

“We, the People” are, that’s who. With rights of citizenship come responsibility and this is one of them: responsibility for those give up their own rights to serve on our behalf, and in our name.

Never have so few words said so much!

The other day the Critter was commencing one of his classic crankups for something or another. Usually he’s tired and we’re trying to feed, dress, change or swaddle him. Anyway - loud guttural, prolonged grunt (envision a muscleman trying to lift something like a car, or someone trying to squeeze out the hardest BM ever); screwed up red face; arched back with heels dug in… just the perfect picture of infant indignation. He looks like a baby possessed.

Which we find hysterical.
So we start to laugh.

He gets this surprised look on his face and then busts into this huge grin and chortles along with us. Which makes us laugh all the harder. Somewhere between the tears of hysteria I manage to say in babytalk: “you are SO BUSTED! Yes you are! Who's got your number now? Mommy & Daddy, that's who!! Googiddygoo goo goo!”

I didn’t think infants were capable of such histrionic behavior until they were a little older (and they develop that wonderful puke-on-demand just as Mom & Dad leave for a night out ability) but now I wonder if there might be more goin' on behind those baby blues than I thought!.

Turns out I'm not the only one: Innovative Studies Reveal that Infants' Minds are Much More Emotionally and Intellectually Complex than Previously Believed.

I totally buy the jealousy thing. Duncan and the Dog have this adorable little mutual envy thing goin' on. If we ignore the dog and play with the baby Jinx will bring us every toy she can find in the house and toss it in our lap, hoping to initiate a game with *her*. And if we play with the dog and ignore Duncan, he starts grunting and kicking in frustration, only to smile disarmingly once he wins our attention. The other night, Curt made a big show out of taking Duncan's favorite rattle and pretending to chew on it blissfully. Christ on a cracker you should have seen the sideways LOOK of sheer betrayal he got! And the heartfelt SIGH! And the sad little dramatic closing of the eyes and dramatic look away. If he had more motor control I swear he'd have crossed his arms in a perfect pout.

Damn he's adorable! Yeah, he's so got our number. We're so screwed.

When I saw this headline: Scientists Crack the DNA Code of Rice my first thought was they meant Condoleeza Rice. My second thought was, "Is that someone we really want to clone?" When it comes down to it, she's kind of the feminist version of Anikin Skywalker. So much potential. So much promise. Then she sold her soul and turned to the dark side.

Note to self:

If you insist on continuing to frequent the nice, cheap Vietnamese hair salon up the block do not agree to work on a webcam project at work that will require you to look at yourself onscreen many times a day. Isn’t it bad enough you make other people look at the trainwreck you optimistically call a “hairdo” all day long? Granted, the Critter does find it fascinating and likes to grab great big handfuls when you give him belly kisses, so you may be protecting him from developing a clown phobia. And it does act as a sort of natural birth control, given Curt's reaction. But as soon as it grows out a little you really must get yourself to a proper hairstylist who specializes in naturally curly hair. Or point the webcam over the cube wall.

Sincerely, Self.

Rules Are For Sissies....

So say the Oregon House GOP members who have apparently managed to kill SB1000 (the Civil Union Bill) once and for all by **big surprise** changing the legilative rules to make DAMNED sure it won't make it out of committee. I really hope there's a backlash from this kind of bullying behavior come election time. As a general rule, Oregonians don't like their representatives dicking around and subverting the will of the majority. And the majority does support Civil Unions, if not same sex 'marriage' per se.... Hell even my neighbor who had the gall to knock on my door last year asking me to sign the petition to get that Maude-aweful Measure 36 on the ballot said she'd have no problem with civil unions. If Minnis has her way and kills the issue this session I smell a new Civil Union initiative in the works and I'll be marching right over to her door demanding she put her signature where her mouth is.

Still Worried about Saudi....

So King Fahd passed on, and the succession went smooth this time after all . However apparently the new King, Abdullah is about 82 and not in good health, reportedly which leaves the next in line pretty murky, according to this article.

I'm still trying to figure out what all this will mean for women's rights on the Peninsula. I believe Abdullah is more reform minded than his father, and the younger generations even more so. But perhaps the Wahabists (sp?) ala Bin Laden are getting a firmer grip. Time will tell, I suppose. In the meantime I'm hopeful.