Tag: politics

Not really Hobbitses

Yesterday after Tom’s usual Saturday morning with AFH’s Stone Soup, we met the Disgruntled Liberals Club for brunch at The Hobbit Cafe, which at its former location was called The Hobbit Hole. This was my first time at the new place (“new” to me only, as it moved years ago), and the food is still excellent. The company included some of my very favorite people in the world. Only Don, our Founder, was absent. This is always the case when I have my camera. I threatened to photoshop him in to our group picture, but the best photo I have of him is in his cap and gown when he got his doctorate. Robin thought that would be appropriate, but I’m holding out. I truly believe that one day we’ll all be together at the same place at the same time when a camera is present.

Robin surprised us with this:
read more–with photos!

A humorous and liberal voice is silenced

Another Texas original, journalist Molly Ivins, died today after struggling with cancer since 1999. How I will miss her wonderful wit as she took aim at the more foolish and confounding elements of politics and politicians. She made me actually look forward to Texas legislative sessions because they provided such wonderful fodder for her columns. The coming presidential campaign won’t be nearly as much fun without being able to find out, “What does Molly say about this?”

You can read a heartfelt tribute from Molly’s editor here.
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On a more private note and unrelated to Molly Ivins: Denece, I am thinking of you. Your fellow Virgo, Jim, wanted me to extend his sympathy for your loss and tell you that you’re one of his favorite Houston people. Let me know when you get back in town.

Did I miss the party?

You thought I’d be here Wednesday gloating, didn’t you, seeing as how I’m a big ol’ Democrat? I’ve gotten my first sense of political relief since late 2000; I’d be lying if I said otherwise But it’s not all about the Democrats. It’s about balance. It’s about no one group or individual thinking they or s/he can just do whatever without explanation, without listening, without accountability. In simple terms, I think the three branches of our government should represent ALL of us, and I haven’t felt represented for a while.

So yeah, I feel better. But I guess I stayed away from the celebration because it’s hard for me to break into a big dance when I feel like I’d be doing it on top of the bodies of the freedoms we’ve jeopardized, the allies we’ve alienated, the international treaties we’ve snubbed, the non-combatants we’ve sacrificed, and the more than 2,800 dead and over 21,000 wounded American men and women in Iraq.

All that being said? Thank you, Pennsylvania. Dogs–yellow and otherwise–everywhere knew Rick Santorum was lying.

It’s Election Day!

Yes, so I did that, as I was instructed by FARB as well as the 20 to 30 e-mails I’ve gotten daily over the past month and the five to ten phone calls that began at 8:30 a.m. every day including Sunday for the past two weeks. LEAVE ME ALONE NOW! What I couldn’t believe was that as I walked out of the school where I vote, I thought, At last. That hippie guy strumming his guitar and saying, “Vote for Kinky!” and the half-dozen campaigners standing on the sidewalk will let me be. But no. A man leaped barriers, pushed his friends aside, said, “I MUST GIVE THIS TO HER!” and shoved a card into my hand because he’s RUNNING NEXT YEAR.

I always vote but can this be finished now? To reward myself, I got a turkey chef salad from Schlotzsky’s, even though every ingredient that is in it is also in my refrigerator (okay, exchange the turkey for chicken, but let’s not quibble).

I saw the Timpire emerge from his lair earlier with Rexford G. Lambert, but they’ve already voted. In fact, this is Texas. Rex probably voted three times.

PETS Act

Proof that everyone gets it right occasionally, this was just passed to me from Cousin Ron:

“This past Friday at the White House, President Bush signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act into law.

“This landmark legislation, which was strongly backed by The Humane Society of the United States, requires local and state disaster plans to include provisions for household pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster or emergency. When I was in the Gulf during Hurricane Katrina, I saw the government’s failure to have a plan for helping animals. Tens of thousands of animals suffered terribly and were lost or left behind because our communities and responders didn’t have a plan in place.

“With more than 358 million pets in the United States residing in 63 percent of American households, the PETS Act will help ensure that Americans never again are faced with the horrifying choice of abandoning their pet and finding their way to safety, or staying with their pet and remaining in a hazardous, and potentially life-threatening situation.

“Some states and local communities have already engaged in disaster preparedness for animals, and with a federal law now in place, the future for you and your companion animal in a disaster is much brighter.

“Thank you for helping us pass the PETS Act, and for all you do on behalf of animals!

Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States”

they wanted to go to school

On October 2, 2006, a shooting occurred at the West Nickel Mines School, an Amish one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, a village in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The gunman took hostages and shot ten girls, killing five, before taking his own life in the schoolhouse.

Dead
Naomi Rose Ebersol, 7, died at the scene, October 2, 2006.
Marian Stoltzfus Fisher, 13, died at the scene, October 2, 2006.[
Anna Mae Stoltzfus, 12, was declared dead on arrival at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, October 2, 2006.
Lena Zook Miller, 8, died at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, October 3, 2006.
Mary Liz Miller, 8, died at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, October 3, 2006.

Injured
All of the surviving girls were hospitalized.

Rosanna King, 6
Rachel Ann Stoltzfus, 8
Barbie Fisher, 11
Sarah Ann Stoltzfus, 12
Esther King, 13