Weighing in on Stupak

So, Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan tried a trick play during the Health Care "game". Stupak said, if the Speaker of the House would allow consideration of his amendment, he would guarantee a certain number of reluctant representatives would vote for the full Health Care Bill. Something must have gone wrong in that brief moment between mouth and ear, because while the reluctant representatives voted FOR HIS amendment, they did not vote in favor of the full Health Care Bill.

This "trick play" in the "game" effectively takes away a legal medical procedure for women who choose the public option. According to The LA Times, the Stupak amendment "would prohibit federal dollars from being used to buy any policy offered through the exchange that covered abortions other than those related to rape, incest or danger to the mother's life. It also would require insurers that offered elective abortion coverage through the exchange to also offer policies "identical in every respect" except that they did not cover such abortions. The main effects of the amendment would be to stop anyone receiving a federal subsidy from buying a comprehensive health insurance policy that covered elective abortions, and to bar the proposed government-run insurance plan (a.k.a. the "public option") from covering such procedures. The amendment would allow insurers to offer "supplemental" policies that covered abortions, but their customers could not use federal subsidies to buy them." In essence, what Rep. Stupak is saying, if you're not able to afford insurance, you are SOL if you want to control your own body. Your options are limited, and if you decide to go ahead with the birth, your government will probably not help you with the expenses of raising that child, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rep. Stupak rails against you in the House at some future date for being irresponsible and having so many children that you cannot support.

I wish I could drill a hole in his head (and in the heads of others like him), and get directly to the part of the brain that doesn't understand that abortion is a medical procedure, the right to which is protected by law. What if his doctor said to him, "Stupak, you need to have a procedure. But I'm sorry--you can't afford it, and insurance doesn't cover it. Go home and make the best of it."? The scary thing is, he does understand, and it bugs the shit out of him. His "trick play" is a end-run around the legal right for a woman to choose. The travesty is that it got into the final bill; the game he's playing could become law. His game could have dire consequences in the lives of women, and he doesn't care.

While others were expressing outrage at Stupak's amendment, I found myself feeling resigned. It's just that it's been done so many times before; some men are always trying to control women in any way they can--killing abortion doctors, bombing clinics, instituting state "regulations" that force women's clinics to close, withholding money. They just can't stand it that a woman can have utter control over something they cannot.

As I was writing, I was reminded of that quote: "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament." And, I might add, safe, fully funded, and readily available on every street corner.

Indeed.

Karen and Gale Go to Washington, Part 2

We found out the hard way how quirky our hotel room was. Steam from the shower sets off the smoke alarm EVERY time. The maid, totally unconcerned with the shrill noise coming from our room, tells us to open the window to help with ventilation. There also isn't much water pressure, you need an elevator to get into the very high bed, but hey--it's location, location, location that makes this room worth $500+ per night for some.
We also found that it was convenient to use our tour bus for a taxi and bus service. The third of our "circuits" took us to see the FDR Memorial. This is another of my favorite places in DC, and I really, really wish it wasn't raining so hard while we were there.

I wish we had had time to savor the quotes in each "room", but I'm determined to get the book, so I can read them all again and again.








We had also thought about walking out to the Jefferson Memorial, but the rain really dampened the desire for another trek.
Next stop was the Native American Museum. We met our friends TJ and Terri, and had a great lunch--so many of our friends told us to eat in the restaurant in the museum, and they were right--it was wonderful. You have to make up your mind to be adventurous; there are 4 quadrants, and each has a cultural specialty. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the museum and visiting with TJ and Terri. The exhibits are just overwhelming, and I know that they barely touch the diversity of Native American life. The top level is a history of Native American peoples, and the displays are full of artifacts. The next level down describes modern day life for a few tribes. I just kept wondering what would have happened if the white people had not intruded so heavily on Native American culture?


Going down another level lead us to two special exhibits; a fun one on skateboarding, and another of the works of an artist who makes art from everyday objects.




Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Terri and TJ, and also sadly, it was STILL raining! We had some time to kill before heading out to dinner with a friend of Karens, so we decided to check out the National Gallery of Art.


Maybe we walked in the wrong door, but it took us about 15 minutes to find a piece of artwork. We went down the steps, along a walkway, through a gift shop and a cafeteria, up some stairs, through another gift shop and cafe', and around the rotunda. Who knew art could be so elusive? As Karen says here, "Where's the ART???"



We didn't have a lot of time, so we chose to focus on American and British artists, with the Impressionists thrown in for good measure.
Who says art can't be entertaining?
We had the BEST time in one gallery in particular, imitating the people in the portraits. That's yet another reason I love Karen so much--she does goofy stuff like that with me.





Dinner that night took us to Alexandria, Virginia, so Karen has another state to add to her list.


The next morning was the first I spent without Karen, and I had a full itinerary to complete before I met her in the afternoon. Strangely, I found I was talking to myself as I got ready; guess it was just too quiet in the room without Karen.
First stop was Au Bon Pain (I ate there every morning); I had an incredible cherry danish (aren't you glad I got a photo before I finished it?)--it kept me full for hours.

I jumped on the Metro and took it to the National Archives stop--first of my stops for the day. The ride ended up being a little more expensive than I had anticipated, because I lost my Metro ticket--I consoled myself with the thought that someone more deserving than I had found it.
I was thinking about the movie National Treasure as I walked to the building--Nicolas Cage sends some kid in to the National Archives to figure out a code that is hidden on the Declaration of Independence. The first case I came to was the Magna Carta. Why does the US have the Magna Carta? Did we steal it from someone? I stood in line with some squirmy, squirrely middle schoolers, and then approached the humidity-controlled, bullet-proof security cases that hold our countries' most important documents. To my surprise, the Declaration of Independence is almost unreadable--the ink is that faded. The Bill of Rights is much more readable--I know it's not as old as the Declaration of Independence, and was probably handled and stored differently. I was disappointed not to be able to see the Public Vault; it was closed.


There was not much else to do, so I headed out on to the Mall. It was such a beautiful day, I walked through a bit of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.






They were installing a new piece of artwork, and were beginning to set up the ice skating rink, so there was plenty to see in addition to
all the quirky sculptures.











It was such a beautiful fall day, I called my sister to tell her I missed her and that she should be in DC with me--it would have been a perfect sister's autumn outing!
On my way to the Supreme Court building, I passed a Congressman (didn't know who he was, so I didn't punch him), and a very important dog. I say this because I saw this dog twice during the day, both times being walked by some very important-looking people. No, it was not Bo Obama.

There was a line forming at the front steps of the Supreme Court building, but I didn't know what for, so I ignored it and instead asked for directions to the cafeteria. The Supreme Court cafeteria is billed as the best in town, so that's where I had lunch. I have to say, their chicken salad was very good, and fairly inexpensive.




This statue of an earlier Supreme Court was just outside of the cafeteria--it made me laugh, to see the Court depicted as these very small (puppet-sized) caricatures of themselves.





I still didn't know exactly how to get in to the building to see the actual Court room, so I asked a very helpful officer. Turned out I needed to stand in that line at the front steps after all. I'm still not sure what these students were doing--they have tape over their mouths that says either "Life" or "Lies". I would have asked them but thought it would be rude to make them break their silence.


I still was clueless as I stood waiting in the line--I knew that when the Court is in session, they will allow you to stand in the back and listen for 3 minutes at a time. I wasn't even sure the Court was in session, but I did want to see the Court room, so I stayed put. Finally, an officer took a group of us inside, and told us to put everything in a locker--we were allowed to keep a piece of paper, and a pen. No cell phones, no bags, nothing else. I marveled at the strict policy, but complied--those guards are not to be messed with. Finally, we were escorted into the Court room, and to an actual bench. I sat down and there they were (well, all but Alito--he had recused himself from the case)--20 feet away (except for that fierce-looking guard, there was nothing else between us)!!! Sotomayor was speaking as I sat down. Clarence Thomas sits 2 seats away from her, and it was clear to me that he despises her--he does NOT have a "poker face", and was rolling his eyes, leaning way back in his chair, rubbing his eyes--anything to show he was so annoyed at the time she was taking to discuss this case. Justice Ginsberg also asked questions, as did Justice John Paul Stevens; the rest of the justices' asked a few questions or none at all (Thomas was the only one who didn't ask a question). The two women justices' looked to be very engaged, or at least paying attention--they were sitting up in their chairs, and focusing on the lawyers as they spoke. Some of the male justices looked as if they had just discovered how their chairs worked--they were rocking back and forth, swinging around, or leaning back as far as they could. The audience was much better behaved--they were attentive (that fierce guard came and got in your face if you appeared to be asleep--I never did, because I was so facinated), and there was a certain energy in the room--the audience was engaged, interested, and not distracted by things like cell phones or computers. Alot like the "good old days". Needless to say, this was one of the highlights of my trip; I never thought I would get to do something that cool. If you're interested, here's the link to the case that was being argued. It was very interesting, but hard to follow, and harder still to explain.



I met Karen at the Library of Congress. The building is an impressive place of mosaics and color, but it's hard to figure out where to go and what to do inside.






The Reading Room (another setting in The Lost Symbol) is inaccessible to the "lay person", but you can look at it from a viewing area upstairs. I was able to impress Karen by telling her that there are no shadows anywhere in the room--the lighting is such that you will always be able to see a whole page of print
clearly.



We found, by accident, the Congressional Reading Room, but there were no members there, so again I had no one to punch. The best part of the building was a miscellaneous collection of speeches and writings--we saw Martin Luther King's draft of his "I Have a Dream" speech.








Then we headed off to the National Portrait Gallery--our favorite place by far. Maybe it was the way the art was displayed (with writing on the walls and an unpretentious feel to it), but the Portrait Gallery was such a better place than the National Gallery of Art. There was a fabulous gallery of artwork from the Depression (all were dated 1932-34). What struck me was the color of the paint used on the canvasses--each artist seemed to use color to evoke a certain energy, and although these were Depression-era, not a one of them was depressing.




The other gallery we visited was a Folk Art exhibit, with a room dedicated to an enormous altar made of construction paper, glue, and tin foil. Just when you think you've seen nearly everything in this world!

We made a vow to go back to the National Portrait Gallery later in the week, and rushed off to meet my college friend, Gail, at a nearby tapas restaurant. We all started with Hook and Ladder ale, and then Karen and I differed to Gail for the ordering--she had been to the restaurant many times, so knew her way around the menu. Who knew watermelon, tomatoes, and goat cheese would make such a tasty dish? We had figs wrapped in bacon and lightly breaded, wild rice with a creamy cheese topping, a garlic shrimp dish to die for, an asparagus dish, olives and pickles, and the best gazpacho soup I've ever had. The bonus was that I got to see Gail again--she's one of the few friends from college I still hear from, and I've always been in awe of what she's accomplished in her life--for starters, she's been in DC for 30 years.

From the restaurant, we waddled over the the Newseum, to hear Robert McNeil and Tom Brokaw talk about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Turns out the Newseum has the largest whole chunk of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany--it's....well...quite colorful.
After the energetic walk back to the hotel, Karen and I decided we needed Ben and Jerry's ice cream (yet another reason I love this woman!). As we ate, we wandered through Union Station, where we met "Chris". Chris was a very drunk, middle-aged, white guy who said he wrote for the National Review AND the Westchester Times. He said he wanted to buy us a drink, because we looked "refreshing". We kept walking until he said he was a Log Cabin Republican--with a line like that, you just gotta stop to see what he's all about. Turns out he really wasn't a Log Cabin, but he was a Republican, and he just wanted someone to talk to. He was a likable Republican--was one of the "old school" Republicans who are fiscal conservatives, and believes that government should just leave everyone alone. He feels his party has been hijacked. He loved, loved Barry Goldwater--must have told us that about 25 times. I actually enjoyed talking to him, but was relieved when his cell phone rang, so we could get away before he tried to follow us back to our room.
The next day was Election Day, and the highlight of the whole day was hearing an Asian man, trying to get out the back door of the bus, say in a very polite, sing-song voice, "Open the door, bitch!" Not aggressive or angry at all--made the whole bus laugh.

After Karen went off to work, I headed to the Museum of American History. This is the Smithsonian home of Dorothy's ruby slippers, the Greensboro lunch counter, Archie and Edith Bunker's chairs, and the American flag that inspired "The Star Spangled Banner". Last time I was at this museum, the flag was being cleaned and patched or something, and I must say that now, it's a visually stunning display.








But dammit, the Toy Section was closed!!!!! Instead, I took my time and really enjoyed the "America on the Move" section--lots of old cars and other forms of transportation.


The America at War exhibit was interesting too--I especially appreciated the area dealing with the Vietnam War--you know, the war that took place in our living rooms:






Sigh...they've even saved, and now display, campaign buttons and protest signs. I...was...in...Heaven!






Of course, the highlight of the day (since the Toy Section was closed, dammit) was Julia Child's kitchen--yes, they actually took possession of her home kitchen, and rebuilt it in the basement of the museum! Thanks to the popularity of the book and the movie Julie & Julia, the place was packed!

I was so pleased to see that even Julia had cool magnets on her fridge.








Today was Karen's "late day", so we decided to go to Georgetown for dinner. There's a bus that goes from Union Station to Georgetown for $1, so it was a cheap trip out there. Otherwise, it would have been a cab ride--turns out the snooty residents of Georgetown didn't want "those" people coming out there to build a Metro stop, so they don't have one. Sucks to be them now. The barbecue restaurant was good, but the rest of Georgetown was underwhelming.

Very trendy, very posh (we wandered around a grocery store to laugh at the outrageous prices), but not all that remarkable otherwise. But our hearts nearly stopped when a large, muscular man put out his hands and prevented us from walking down the sidewalk--he said, "STOP!!! We have a motorcade coming!!" Sirens were blaring, lights flashing, and I got my camera ready.

THIS would make the trip to Georgetown worth it!!! We would finally see a celebrity, and the celebrity would be the best of all--Barack Obama!! I grabbed on to Karen, raised my camera, took this photo, and out of the second car stepped.......................a guy in a monk's robe and his wife.
Really. Sigh.

To console ourselves, we went back to the hotel and had Dubliner Amber Ale, followed by trifle for dessert.

I spent our last full day in DC at the National Zoo. This zoo is so much better than I remembered it from my trip to DC in the 1980's. There are far fewer animals, but larger spaces for them to roam. The orangutans even have a "skyway" about 60 feet in the air, and they can crawl across the width of the zoo, to whichever area they want to be in that day.



Of course, the pandas were cool, and the cameras set up allow you to see them even when they're "hiding". The adolescent male apes were hilarious as they tried to open a water bottle that got into their enclosure--I say go out and buy one for your kids, because this one was ape-proof!








The mom gorilla and her baby (10 months old) were sweet, and it was interesting to watch the orangutans use a computer--they are participating in a memory study. I
was disappointed not to see the "Big Cats" or the elephants, but both enclosures are being renovated, which has to be a good thing.




Back to meet Karen in the afternoon, and then to the White House!!! As we stopped to take photos of the South Lawn, I swear I counted 6 different languages being spoken. No words are needed there though; if someone hands you a camera, you know you're supposed to take their photo!




If you want to get close to the White House, and if you want to see the "working side" (where the television cameras are, and employees are wandering in and out), you should find a way to the north "lawn". For all you West Wing fans, this is where Donna walked when she couldn't make campaign calls from the building.


There's also a lone "demonstrator" camped out there--an ancient woman who has been there, protesting against nuclear weapons, since 1981.





On a lighter note, we saw this statue in Lafayette Park--proof that the gays ARE everywhere!





One more delightful trip to the National Portrait Gallery, and we weren't disappointed! We saw Katherine Hepburn's 4 Oscars, and this great portrait of her. The special exhibit was SOOOOO cool--a neon map of the United States--inside each state were televisions, and on each television screen was something that represented that state--The Wizard of Oz for Kansas, the Indianapolis 500 for Indiana, and so on.





We also loved the David Hockney room--it was a painting on the floor and on the wall, with little pegs sticking out of it. The room was dark, and the rest of the walls and floor were black. The light changed in the room, ever so slightly--to the naked eye, it was beautiful, but seen through the "eye" of a camera lens, it was spectacular! I'm so glad Karen got these amazing shots.




Finally, an end to a wonderful trip--pizza at Ella's. If you ever go to DC, and if you ever eat at Ella's, be sure and save room for the Double Chocolate pudding. You will not be sorry.


We took one last walk down the Mall, past the Capitol.

You know, it's easy to dismiss Washington DC because of the politicians who reside there; during the Bush years, I don't think I could have stomached a trip to our nation's capital. But it's a beautiful city, and the buildings that house the three branches of our government are grand--they are there to inspire, and they do. The politicians come and go, but the buildings remain. They are a lasting legacy, and they stand for the beauty that is the democracy Americans have built.

Feels Good

It feels good to do something for someone else, even if you don't know that someone. Yesterday I donated a sample of breast tissue for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center. It was quick, easy, and fairly painless, thanks to the 50 or so volunteers they had at our local Cancer Center. I had heard about the event from a friend, and because I will do anything for a t-shirt, (besides the fact that my mom, aunt, and best friend have all had breast cancer) I signed up. They said the appointment would take one hour, and they were right on the mark. I walked in, signed a consent form, provided a medical history, gave a little blood, and before long, I was with a doctor and an assistant, ready to give the sample. The doctor numbed the area (I felt a little stick and that was it), and took 3 samples from the same area. That was it! The assistant applied pressure to the area for a few minutes, put some gauze on the little, tiny cut, gave me an ice pack, and I was free to go. I got a goody bag, a free smoothie, and could have waited and had a massage, but by then I was feeling a little guilty about all the thanks I was getting for doing such an easy thing.
The Tissue Bank is asking for these donations of breast tissue, so they can establish a bank of healthy tissue to compare against specimens from women with breast cancer for research purposes. For me, I felt like I was doing a little to help some smart people who are studying a horrible disease.
I didn't write this as a "Yay Me" post--I wrote it to demystify the process. It's not a painful procedure, and you'll feel good about it afterwards. My hope is that if you hear about an event like this in your area, you'll sign up to donate. Please.

Karen and Gale go to DC

We knew our trip was off to a good start when, as we were getting off the plane, our flight attendant winked at us and said, "I chase the rainbow too". Made me feel like I was part of a secret club that watched out for each other; I felt like DC was going to be a good place to be.
The flight into DC was prettier than I thought it would be; I thought planes were prohibited from flying over the Capitol Building/White House area. But, as luck would have it, we were sitting on the left side of the airplane as we came into Reagan Airport, and, as our flight attendant pointed out, "The people on the left side of the airplane can see the Capitol and the White House. The people on the right? Sorry." We were also given a fabulous view of the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson memorial, the Kennedy Center, and the Watergate building.
Within 30 minutes, we were walking toward the Capitol Building--the photo above is the first glimpse of that magnificent building.



It's a fabulous sight any time of the day, but I was partial to it at night, with the white facade gleaming through the dark.



There were a large number of security people on the grounds every night (you can see three of them standing on the steps in the photo above), so we felt quite safe walking through the area any time. I think we saw Nancy Pelosi's car the first night--what other car would be parked in a primo spot, next to the Capitol building, with a Stanford sticker in the window? That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it; besides, it's the closest we came to a celebrity all week. Unless, of course, if you want to count these guys:
















I don't think I'll count them as celebrities--one has to stand on a box, for goodness sakes! I was really, really, really hoping Rachel would be broadcasting from Washington at some point during the week, but sigh........I digress.

While walking around that first night, we found, on the Capitol grounds, a little garden area that can only be described as grotto-esque. It was made of red brick, and inside was a fountain, surrounded by drinking fountains, surrounded by benches. You have to enter through wrought iron gates to reach this little oasis--I'm sure it gets a lot of use in the summer, as it seems like a refreshing place to stop. I have since "Goggled" this little oasis, and have found it's called Summer House.
On the way back to our hotel, we found the building where Karen would be spending much of her time in Washington--it houses all the big names in broadcast journalism (in this case, NBC, FOX, and C-Span). We finished our first night at the Dubliner, which is comparable to our local Irish pub--the Smithwicks and the Shepard's Pie were spot-on.
The morning of Halloween found us on a bus tour of our nation's capital. I highly recommend the "jump on, jump off" variety--we were able to use our tour for two days as taxi, bus, and Metro all in one, and were able to see almost everything we wanted to.



First stop was the National Cathedral--I'd forgotten that it's built high on a hill, and you can see it from all over Washington.








This window contains a moon rock at its' center, as a kindly volunteer explained to me.





This photo of the Rose Window does not do it justice.








It's easy to overlook the small details when looking at such an overwhelmingly beautiful building, but I'm glad the builders took the time to put them in. Can you imagine being the sculptor of the highest point of the cathedral--knowing your work will not be seen up close by anyone, but knowing it's important to the overall artistry of the building?




From the Cathedral, our next stop was the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial--all within walking distance of each other, and each equally inspiring in its' own way. During our time in DC, I was struck by how many languages were being spoken in one place--at one stop, I counted at least 5 different ones in a space of a few seconds. Anyway, since a picture is worth a thousand words, here you go:












We then had to cut short our bus tour to get to our scheduled tour of the Capitol Building. I highly recommend, if you are planning a trip to DC, you read the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol, first. He goes into great detail about the symbolism "hidden" in many of our national buildings, and it's great to then see them in detail. For instance, from the moment I entered the new Visitor's Center at the Capitol, I had things to look for.


I looked for the Lady Liberty statue in the entrance to the Visitor's Center--it's an exact replica of the Lady Liberty that is at the very top of the Capitol.
See?



Then it was on to the official tour, and the Rotunda--I couldn't wait to tell Karen what was found at the center of the Rotunda. But, thanks to Dan Brown, I had knowledge of what I was looking at when I looked up, and around, the Rotunda.



The corn on the pillars that welcomed those rural representatives to Washington.


The way those crazy architects and Masonic brothers saw Washington and other Founders. I also noticed some gay recruiting going on in this scene--see that sinister rainbow?!!




And I never knew they honored the Wright brothers in the Rotunda, did you?


But all in all, we were not impressed with the official tour of the Capitol--we had been spoiled by the C-Span documentary on the Capitol, and although it was great to see Statuary Hall in person, it would have been nice to see the Senate and House chambers as well. I mean, come on--the tour lasted all of 30 minutes (including a 10 minute film), and we weren't even allowed to see the House or the Senate? It was the weekend--we wouldn't have disturbed anything.
It was also Halloween, so we were eager to get out to Dupont Circle to see the costumes--we were told that Georgetown would be good for seeing clever costumes, but that Dupont Circle would be good too, and maybe not as crowded with drunken college kids. I've learned that it's always good to ask the locals where the good restaurants are, so as soon as we arrived, we went to a bookstore and asked. We were directed to Thaiphoon, and it was a great recommendation. I loved that our server was dressed in drag and our waitress was a dominatrix--it got our evening off to a good start. The food was great too.





We ordered a Thai beer, which was nice, but then Karen ordered a Thai iced tea--it was beautiful!








Karen was sad when the colors ran together, but you gotta admit that the drink was still colorful. And tasted good too.






After dinner, it was time to look for some costumes. And again, a picture is worth a thousand words.










The maid in the "V" mask was part of a group of protesters outside the founding Church of Scientology. The protesters were having a great time, getting their points across to bystanders, AND, generally making the Scientologists very, very uncomfortable.
We browsed in a few shops, bought some souvenirs, and then had dessert. Which was just as fabulous as dinner. Take a look at these thousand words:


I was just like a kid in a....well...cupcake store!

We'd had enough food, and "culture", so our next stop of the evening was Phase 1, the oldest lesbian bar in the country. We were unsure how long it would take to find, so we allowed some extra travel time, and arrived at the bar at 9:25. It was dead. We were customers # 3 and #4. But at 10 on the dot, the doors flew open and the bedecked dykes poured in. My favorite costumes of the evening were the Catholic nun and schoolgirl, but Karen liked the woman in the shower the best--she had taken a shower curtain on a rod, added some fake plumbing, and really looked like she was showering. We had a great time women-watching, but our favorite trio of the evening, by far, were the elderly couple and their friend who wandered in. These people could have been anyone's parents or grandparents, but they seemed right at home in the bar. They ordered beers, watched the crowd for a while, seemed to enjoy the music, and then they were gone. Odd, but cool.
We decided to walk back to the hotel--it was late, but we were hoping to see some more costumes, and a little more of the city. It was during this ramble that we came upon the scariest sight of the night--THE C Street House!!! Of course, we HAD to take photos:



We were trying to look cool, but knowing who lives there sure gave me the creeps!! Those crazy fundamentalist Congressmen would scare any liberal to death.

And Now, A Couple of "Holy Mackerel" Stories

Thanks to Rachel Maddow for the tag line.
The first story concerns our newest senator, Al Franken from Minnesota. Senator Franken offered his first amendment to a bill. His amendment would withhold government contracts from those companies that prohibit their employees who are raped, sexually harrassed, or discriminated against from taking their cases to court. Seems that companies like Haliburton make their employees sign a form that states that if they are raped, sexually harassed, or discriminated against while on the job, they will not report this to legal authorities.
HUH??? Well this is a no-brainer, Senator Franken! I'm guessing you got a vote of 98-0 on this one, right? Ummm.....apparently the Republicans are still in their toddler phase, where they're saying, "NO" and putting out their bottom lip at anything proposed by a Democrat. 30, yes 30 voted against this amendment. Thank goodness Senator Lugar is too old to play those childish games when the well-being of humans is on the line.
The second story comes from the great state of Louisiana, where Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell refused to sign the marriage license of Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay. What had they done that was so heinous? Was Ms. Humphrey a convicted drug dealer? Was Mr. McKay a child molester? Nope. They were an interracial couple! Yes, one was white and the other black, and Bardwell feared for the children they might have. Why, if these two were allowed to marry, and then they had children, why one of those children might just grow up to....to....be President of the United States!! The horror!!!!

Randomness

Some days I feel like Andy Rooney; I have a lot of different thoughts in my head, but no two are similar enough for even a segue-way. I guess they all could fall under the category of "I Saw" or "I Heard"...

• A few days ago, I was standing in line at the Post Office, and I noticed the young woman at the counter. Actually, I noticed the back of her head. I've never had the experience of looking at someones' hair, and feeling very sad, but it happened at that moment. This woman had beautiful, wavy hair, but it was pulled back and hastily shoved into a barrette. The barrette was slightly askew, and hair was poking out of it in every direction. It's almost as if the woman had said, "I can't take any more stress in my life! I've got this...and this...and this...to do today, and I really can't handle having to deal with my hair!!". I just felt so sorry for what must be going on in that head; I wanted to pat her on the back and tell her that she was going to be OK--her hair looked like it needed for her to have that kind of pep talk. I did look at the rest of the back of the woman, and she appeared to be a painfully thin professional woman--matching the hair, and making me feel even more sad for her. It was a very odd moment indeed.
• I was recently listening to NPR, and heard an interview with Steve Schneck of Catholic University of America. He was part of a discussion about proposed health care reform. I was not surprised to hear he was against any funding of abortions in the new health care plan, but I was a bit taken aback when he said he was against funding birth control as well. I know his opinion was in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church, but really? Don't fund birth control of any kind? Does the Catholic Church care so very little for women? Has he truly considered what happens when women are not allowed to use birth control? He and the Catholic Church may be pro-life, but what happens when human life is no longer sustainable on this planet because there are just too many of us?
  
• I watched a clip of a recent Glenn Beck show, where he started to cry when speaking about "simpler times" in America; he was certain his audience would "go back there in a second". You remember those times, don't you? As Beck described it, it was a time in America when "We used to be united on some basic things." He's a little younger than me, so he can't be talking about the 1950's. My guess is his earliest memories would be 1966 or 1967. The March on Selma was in 1965, Stonewall was in 1969, the Women's Liberation Movement really got going in the early 1970's, Roe v Wade didn't happen until 1973, and Harvard didn't admit women until 1977, so he must have been nostalgically recalling his early years, when Negroes still knew their place, Homosexuals were not spoken of, and all those "uppity women" were kept busy having baby after baby, not thinking that they too could be vital members of the workforce. Oh yes, those glorious "old days", when 99.7% of our leaders were white men, all the "talking heads" on television were white men, when we could still watch commercials for cigarettes on television, when seat belts were a new invention, when we didn't feel sorry about what we did to the "Indians" in this country because all we saw were television shows where cowboys were the real heroes, and when women could be sexually harassed in the workplace because why on earth would they be there anyway? Of course--that America--the one that existed before those damn hippies came along and ruined it for everyone. I could go on and on, but clearly I didn't live in the same "simpler times" that Glenn Beck did.
  

Fortunate Friday

Today has been a good day so far. It's the little things that make me realize life is good:
1) I got to sleep in this morning (OK, I got up twice to let the dog out, but I was able to go back to sleep both times). I dreamt about my aunties, which always makes me laugh. Sure, I have the day off today because I work tomorrow, but hey--that means I have a job to go to.
2) The day is rainy and grey, but it was nice to know the author of the local newspapers' Forecast felt the same way: "Overcast and chilly. Might rain too. Ugh." Misery loves company.
3) Sela Ward was on "The View" this morning, making it doubly good. "The View" is one of my guilty pleasures--I watch when I am home at 11 on a weekday. I've loved Sela Ward since she was on "Sisters". I must admit, until this morning, I had never noticed her slight southern accent. Nice addition.
4) I talked to my mom, and she's doing pretty well. The doctor thinks the radiation is shrinking the tumor, and my mom sounds stronger (and more like herself) every time I talk to her.
5) I have leftover Arni's Junior Salad for lunch! Went out to Arni's after seeing "Capitalism: A Love Story" last night, and it was the perfect end to a great evening with Big N.
6) I have bowling to look forward to tonight. I really love Fridays with my friends.
7) Lastly, I know that at the end of the day, I will not have to climb into bed alone. Karen will be back tonight from her trip to Colorado. It's been a long week, and I've really missed her.