shimmer

Change of a Dress

2006-08-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Shimmer has moved to shimmering.wordpress.com ...

please come visit the new site!

Blech!

2006-08-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried kombucha? I just had my first--and hopefully my last--taste of the stuff.

I should have looked more closely at the ingredients, but you know, even that may not have disuaded me. I can be fairly adventurous.

This was a pomegranate-blueberry kombucha... I thought it was a sort of fruit drink. Pomegranate-blueberry sounds pretty yummy, don't you think? Then I got in the car, and looked at the ingredients. It has green and black tea in it. I'm not a tea fan, but it's OK. Then I noticed that the label also said, "This product contains less than .5% alcohol." Alcohol?!? I wasn't expecting any alcohol. But whatever.

So I get back to the office, open the (very cool-looking) bottle, and take a swig. Oh, jeez, I nearly lost my lunch! That was nasty.

Apparently, kombucha is a fermented mushroom culture. The drink didn't taste mushroomy at all; at least I didn't think so. But it did taste like something rotten... I don't know, like when apples get old and nasty and start to ferment. You know how that smells? The kombucha tasted like that.

I will not be sampling that again. Less than .5% alcohol... for that taste, the stuff ought to be chock full of booze!

Look at what I can do...

2006-07-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

OK, here is my first ball of handspun yarn. It took me about a week to spin it; I had two ounces of the roving, and wound up with about 25 yards of yarn. It's not very even, but I had fun! I've already started on the next batch of roving, of course!

Before I rolled it into a ball, I had it in the skein, drying:

And finally, a detail shot:

Oh, get over it already!

2006-07-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

'Breast' Cover Gets Mixed Reaction

By JOCELYN NOVECK
The Associated Press
Thursday, July 27, 2006; 5:55 PM

NEW YORK -- "I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine," one person wrote. "I immediately turned the magazine face down," wrote another. "Gross," said a third.

These readers weren't complaining about a sexually explicit cover, but rather one of a baby nursing, on a wholesome parenting magazine--yet another sign that Americans are squeamish over the sight of a nursing breast, even as breast-feeding itself gains more support from the government and medical community.

Babytalk is a free magazine whose readership is overwhelmingly mothers of babies. Yet in a poll of more than 4,000 readers, a quarter of responses to the cover were negative, calling the photo--a baby and part of a woman's breast, in profile--inappropriate.

(Read the rest of 'Breast' Cover Gets Mixed Reaction)

My favorite quote from the whole story was this:

"I'm totally supportive of it _ I just don't like the flashing," she says. "I don't want my son or husband to accidentally see a breast they didn't want to see."

Yeah, they probably hate that! I suspect she actually means she didn't want them to accidentally see a breast that SHE didn't want them to see.

At any rate, I think people really just need to get over this issue. I've seen nursing women relegated to bathrooms (Eww! Would YOU want to eat in the bathroom?!?) and asked to leave restaurants just because they are feeding their baby. Just ridiculous.

When I was nursing my children, I was reasonably discreet and usually covered the baby/breast conjunction with a little blanket, but there was no way I was going to the bathroom to nurse. It says a lot about how puritanical and life-denying our culture really is that this is such a big deal. Isn't this 2006? What is wrong with people, anyway?

The Salt, or the Ketchup?

2006-07-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

I just read this article in Parabola magazine regarding the work of Christopher Alexander. What most fascinated me in the article was a question asked by Alexander in his book, The Phenomenon of Life:

Suppose you and I are discussing this matter in a coffee-shop. I look around on the table for things to use in an experiment. There is a bottle of ketchup on the table, and, perhaps, an old-fashioned salt-shaker, both shown [below]. I ask you ‘Which one of these is more like your own self?’ […] you, your own self, in your totality.

I make it clear that I am asking which is the better picture of all of you, the whole of you: a picture which shows you as you are, with all your hopes, fears, weaknesses, glory and absurdity, and which - as far as possible - includes everything you could ever hope to be.

It may seem like a random question, but if you take it seriously, it is quite interesting. Apparently, more than percent of Alexander's subjects gave the same answer. As it turned out, it was my answer as well.

So, are you the salt shaker or the ketchup bottle?

Too. Freaking. Hot.

2006-07-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

So it was 103 or 104 degrees (Farenheit) yesterday in Portland. It was intolerable. And today isn't much better... it's 95 and rising.

On top of that, my car will not start... oops, more later. The auto service is here to save the day!

Friday's Feast

2006-07-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Friday's Feast: a meme

Appetizer
Fill in the blanks: I fidget when I try to sit still.

Soup
Name something you use to make your home smell good.

Incense... except my husband hates it. He's not being a jerk, he just has a lot of environmental sensitivities and breathing problems, so I really can only use it in certain areas of the house, and especially if he's not home and not going to be home for a few hours. Scented candles are RIGHT OUT! He can't even stand them to be on the same floor as he is. A lot of them are too strong. Anyway, the thing I can use and that I do like is Trader Joe's air freshener. It's a sage and lemongrass scent... very nice, and good for when the dog farts!

Salad
If you could receive a coupon in the mail for 50% off any product, what would you want it to be for?

Yarn. Good yarn. Or books. Wait, can the coupon be for yarn and books?

Main Course
Besides sleeping, what do you spend the majority of the hours of your typical day doing?

Working. Isn't that just a terrible answer? I can't help it, I'm American. We work our asses off. Or we're supposed to.

In truth, my workday is probably evenly split between goofing off and actually working. I'm trying to improve that ratio (in favor of work, that is; see Demotivated post below.) I spend a great deal of time on the web... surfing and working and reading and researching. Yeah, I love to research stuff.

At home, I spend most of my hours semi-watching TV. I'm not really that big a TV fan, but Hubby is handicapped and can't really do that much in the evening. So he sits and watches TV and movies. So there are some shows that I actually care about watching, some shows that I watch with Hubby, and a lot of shows I sit through so that I can just be with Hubby. In the latter category, I do a lot of getting up to do other things during the show: let the dogs out to pee, check email, have a smoke, grab a basket of laundry, help the son with his homework, etc. And of course, when I'm sitting watching TV, a lot of times I'm really knitting and sometimes looking at the TV.

Dessert
What can you hear right now while answering these questions?

I heard one of my co-workers talking about a movie he saw last night at our local film center. Now I hear nothing but the click-clack of my own keyboard and an occasional squeak from my boss's chair. It's a pretty quiet day here at the office. And thank god, Friday is almost over.

Blog problem

2006-07-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm trying to figure out how to fix a little problem with my blog template. The background image at the top does not seem to display in Firefox, which is my preferred browser! It used to display OK. Argh! I wonder if it's just my computer... I'll have to try it out on some different machines, but if anyone knows why this is going on, please let me know. Thanks.

De-motivated

2006-07-21T06:45:00.001-07:00

I don’t think "demotivated" is a word that appears in the dictionary, but I saw it in yesterday’s Dilbert.

Anyway, I want to have a better attitude at work, but I am seriously demotivated. No one at my company has had a raise in 5 years, and no sign of one coming anytime soon. I’m a good, but imperfect, employee, interested in improving my work performance because I will feel better about myself and my job if I do. But the wage situation is so dismal, it’s hard to keep that want going.

See more progress on: Have a better attitude at work

Voila!

2006-07-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

OK, here she is... the finished Wobbly Circles tote.

I knit this up on US13 needles, in Lamb's Pride Worsted. I used not quite two skeins of the amethyst, and less than a skein each of the orange, blue, green, and pink. (Can't recall the official names of those colors, but that's the jist of them.) I only bought the main color, because I had the rest in stash already. So it's also the first time I've been able to knit something significant from stash. Nice!

Wobbly, side two

2006-07-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

I finished Side Two of my Wobbly tote last night... then I stitched her up, and felted her, and she's drying on my kitchen table. Woohoo!

I understand it takes her a while to dry, so, luckily, I still get to practice my patience. Oh, goody.

Anyway, the final photo will be up in a few days....

To spin, perchance to dream

2006-07-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

I just ordered this: Skeintily Clad's Learn to Spin Yarn Kit

The Very Exciting sell copy is below. And yes, I did hear about in Bust.

Want to try making your own yarn? Here is everything you need to start making your own, all in one box! As featured in Bust Magazine (April/May '06)

it includes:
1 beginner drop spindle. Can be configured 4 different ways, so you can try out different spinning styles.

1 oz each of FOUR different breeds of wool. 2 are handpainted, 2 are white. This wool sampler gives you a chance to start with an 'easy' wool and work your way up to scrumptious merino. NEW: all wool in this kit now comes from local, independantly owned farms. You get a chance to try a variety of types of wool, but also support indie business!

'So You Wanna Spin Your Own Yarn?' Spinning Instruction booklet written and illustrated by Skeintily Clad! unique, can't be found anywhere else. This is completely unique and not available from any other beginner spinning kit out there.

Informational pamphlet of my favorite resources for spinning and dyeing.

Colors vary in every kit. If you have specific requests, let me know and i will try to accomodate.

Very attractively packaged, it makes a wonderful gift for your knitting friend that mentioned wanting to learn spinnig. Maybe your SnB buddy? Hello, Secret Pal gift?! Also a great gift for crafty kids, its SO easy for them to pick it up and get started making their own yarn!

OK, so I'd been thinking about learning spinning for a while now. Not like a serious need or anything, just one of the vague and nebulous ideas bouncing around up there in my noggin. But then, Hubby discovered a show called Knitty Gritty on the D.I.Y. Network.

"Hey," he said. "Look, here's a knitting show for you," and he flipped the channel. Yes, indeed, he flipped it to a knitting show, which he then proceeded to watch with me. What a great husband, eh?

Anyway, my point is that they were doing a show on spinning. They showed how to make a drop spindle out of a wooden dowel, an eyehook, and a couple of old CDs. And of course, they demonstrated spinning with the drop spindle, as well as with several big spinning wheels. They spent considerably less time on the wheels, because they are big and expensive and I'm sure people who use spinning wheels aren't the beginners this episode was clearly for.

Then, when I saw the mention of this kit in Bust... well, that just sealed the deal. I hope it gets here by the end of the week, and then I can play around with it all weekend!

Too Good for Marriage

2006-07-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Too Good for Marriage

By KENJI YOSHINO
Published: July 14, 2006

LAST week, New York’s highest court voted 4-to-2 that a legislative ban on same-sex marriage did not violate the state Constitution. In doing so, it added to the patchwork of state rulings on the issue, including those of Indiana and Arizona (which similarly upheld legislative bans) and Massachusetts (which struck down a legislative ban).

What’s noteworthy about the New York decision, however, is that it became the second ruling by a state high court to assert a startling rationale for prohibiting same-sex marriage — that straight couples may be less stable parents than their gay counterparts and consequently require the benefits of marriage to assist them. (click the title above to read the whole editorial)

Naturally, it pains me that the court struck down gay marriage. But what interesting reasoning.... In this opinion piece, Yoshino eventually concludes that this reasoning is given because it just sounds better. You know, less bigoted. I agree. Because since when do we give special rights to people for being unstable, immature, or otherwise unfit? You know, "special rights," like the "special rights" anti-gay bigots are always accusing glbt folks of wanting.

I think this decision is really quite a stretch. It has become increasingly clear that there is just no good reason for denying gays the right to marry. Our marriage laws clearly violate the civil and human rights of gay people. They should be changed at once. It's that simple.

Super Cool: Pandora Internet Radio

2006-07-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Pandora Internet Radio

This is pretty damn cool, if you like music. Pandora Radio is a result of the Music Genome Project.

Tim Westergren, the founder of the Music Genome Project, describes the project:

Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like.

So basically, you type in an artist or song that you like, and Pandora creates a radio station with music that shares the same musical attributes. You can rate each song (thumbs up or thumbs down), so the radio can get to know even better what you want to hear and what you don't want to hear. You can find out why Pandora has chosen any song. You can create up to 100 personalized stations.

Very cool.

So far, I've created the following radio stations:

Tori Amos Radio
R.E.M. Radio
Prince
Elliott Smith Radio
David Bowie Radio
Depeche Mode Radio
The Coral Radio

And just now, I am listening to R.E.M Radio... Pandora is playing a song called Big Darkness by a band called Crooked Fingers. I've never heard of them before, but I like what I hear so far.

StopIE

2006-07-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

StopIE: Help stop Internet Explorer, the world's most popular and worst internet browser

Internet Explorer's Main Problems

There are countless bugs in Internet Explorer, but here are the main reasons to choose a free alternative.

Prone to viruses and worms

Renders pages incorrectly. Web designers then need to spend extra time working so that pages work in Internet Explorer. This puts costs up, and slows the web down.

Doesn't let people resize certain text sizes. This means those with poor sight cannot read small text on many sites.

Far slower program than other web browsers

Far larger program than other web browsers

Isn't as user-centric as other web browsers. It lacks many handy features such as tabbed browsing and integrated search

Doesn't support PNG images properly

Me? I recommend Firefox. I love the tab feature and the addons. In fact, I found this StopIE site by using a Firefox addon called Stumble Upon. While we're talking about how awesome Mozilla is, I'd also like to mention that my favorite email client of all time is Thunderbird, which, like Firefox, is completely free.

Earth Day Footprint Quiz

2006-07-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Earth Day Footprint Quiz

I know it's not Earth Day, but try this quiz anyway. My results show that I do slightly better than average, but I've got a long way to go. To decrease my footpring somewhat, I plan to replace more of our incandescent bulbs with those compact flourescents.

My results:

CATEGORY ACRES
FOOD 5.7
MOBILITY 0.7
SHELTER 7.7
GOODS/SERVICES 5.7
TOTAL FOOTPRINT 20

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 4.4 PLANETS.

Casanova update...

2006-07-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

Casanova continues to do well. He is happy and seems to be back to his usual good mood. He enjoys going outside and sitting in the sun on nice days. His diarrhea has even gotten better. Very strange.... but we're grateful for whatever time we have.

A few knitted items...

2006-07-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

OK, here's my most recent finished project:

This is a set of bibs and burp cloths I made from Sugar n'Cream and Peaches & Creme cotton yarn. They're for a former co-worker who's having a baby next month. They were really fun and easy to work up. Despite this, everyone I've shown them to at work seems quite impressed. Hehe!

Then I have two other projects on my needles. One is another square for my Log Cabin blanket, ala Mason-Dixon Knitting (the bibs and burp cloths are also from MDK). I'm working this up in Blue Sky Cotton, which is really soft and lovely to work with. I'll make a dozen of these squares... hopefully, that will make a big enough afghan to cover our queen-sized bed... if not, I can always make a few more to make it bigger.

Finally, we have the first side of my Wobbly Circles Tote. This is a "first intarsia" pattern from Interweave Knits. There's a Wobbly Knit-Along, but I don't think I started mine in time to join. I started it maybe a month ago, snatching the Spring Interweave Knits just before they took it off the supermarket magazine rack! Whew!

Anyway, it is my first intarsia. It was frustrating at first, the colors tangling and all. So I asked my favorite knitlist for advice, and they assured me that my yarn would tangle no matter what I did, and that I should just deal with it. I also got the recommendation to do what Kaffe Fassett does, and just "let it hang."

So that's what I did: I just let strands of the colors hang off the back, no bobbins or butterflies or anything like that. Since I'm working this up in Lamb's Pride Worsted, I soon realized that it was a great time to practice my spit-splice!

The fact that the bag will be felted in the end gave me the confidence I needed to try spit-splicing: after all, I thought, even if my splice is weak, once the bag is felted it will NEVER come loose! So I worked on it, and finally got the hang of it. My spit-splice is beautiful, if I do say so myself. That also means fewer ends to weave in. Woohoo!

That's it on the knitting front for now...

10 reasons why gay marriage should be illegal

2006-07-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

10 reasons why gay marriage should be illegal

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

No, I didn't write this, and I don't know who did. But I like it. A lot.

Stuff on Louis

2006-07-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

As featured on stuffonmycat.com:

Happy Birthday, Son!

2006-07-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, actually, he doesn't read my blog anyway. But my son turned 15 this weekend, and I measured him to see how much taller than me he is now. I'm 5'6", and it turns out he's 5'7" now... hmmm, I thought he seemed a bit taller than that. Still... it's weird when your kid gets bigger than you!

This ought to work on kids, too...

2006-07-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage

By AMY SUTHERLAND
New York Times
Published: June 25, 2006

AS I wash dishes at the kitchen sink, my husband paces behind me, irritated. "Have you seen my keys?" he snarls, then huffs out a loud sigh and stomps from the room with our dog, Dixie, at his heels, anxious over her favorite human's upset.

In the past I would have been right behind Dixie. I would have turned off the faucet and joined the hunt while trying to soothe my husband with bromides like, "Don't worry, they'll turn up." But that only made him angrier, and a simple case of missing keys soon would become a full-blown angst-ridden drama starring the two of us and our poor nervous dog.

Now, I focus on the wet dish in my hands. I don't turn around. I don't say a word. I'm using a technique I learned from a dolphin trainer.

I love my husband. He's well read, adventurous and does a hysterical rendition of a northern Vermont accent that still cracks me up after 12 years of marriage.

But he also tends to be forgetful, and is often tardy and mercurial. He hovers around me in the kitchen asking if I read this or that piece in The New Yorker when I'm trying to concentrate on the simmering pans. He leaves wadded tissues in his wake. He suffers from serious bouts of spousal deafness but never fails to hear me when I mutter to myself on the other side of the house. "What did you say?" he'll shout.

These minor annoyances are not the stuff of separation and divorce, but in sum they began to dull my love for Scott. I wanted — needed — to nudge him a little closer to perfect, to make him into a mate who might annoy me a little less, who wouldn't keep me waiting at restaurants, a mate who would be easier to love.

So, like many wives before me, I ignored a library of advice books and set about improving him. By nagging, of course, which only made his behavior worse: he'd drive faster instead of slower; shave less frequently, not more; and leave his reeking bike garb on the bedroom floor longer than ever.

We went to a counselor to smooth the edges off our marriage. She didn't understand what we were doing there and complimented us repeatedly on how well we communicated. I gave up. I guessed she was right — our union was better than most — and resigned myself to stretches of slow-boil resentment and occasional sarcasm.

Then something magical happened. For a book I was writing about a school for exotic animal trainers, I started commuting from Maine to California, where I spent my days watching students do the seemingly impossible: teaching hyenas to pirouette on command, cougars to offer their paws for a nail clipping, and baboons to skateboard.

I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the American husband.

The central lesson I learned from exotic animal trainers is that I should reward behavior I like and ignore behavior I don't. After all, you don't get a sea lion to balance a ball on the end of its nose by nagging. The same goes for the American husband.

(Read the rest of: What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage)

I may have mentioned sometime in the past that I have two children, both teenagers now. My daughter, 17, just graduated high school, but my son, who will be 15 in a few days, just flunked out his freshman year. Of the 24 credits he should have earned, he earned 3. Yes, that's right, just the three.

This is not just about adjusting to high school. This is a battle we've been fighting for years now. My son has never done well in school. It's not because he's not bright--he's exceptionally bright, something he tells me he's really sick of hearing. But he doesn't do the work. Indeed, he spends more time and energy getting out of homework than it would take to just do the work. I've tried to explain that to him, but he just refuses to get it.

So, anyway, he has to go to summer school. Unfortunately, he can only make up one class in summer school, but it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Plus, it's algebra, so he should be able to handle that OK. He's capable of doing it, and there won't be any big projects to keep track of. That always seems to mess him up.

This morning, I woke him up to drive him to school. Unfortunately, it turned into our usual morning fight:

Me: Get up, it's time to get ready for school.

C: OK. (Remains in bed.)

Me: Get up, please.

C: OK. (Remains in bed.)

Five minutes pass.

Me: Get up, please.

C: OK. (Remains in bed.)

Five more minutes pass.

Me: HEY! PLEASE, will you get up?!

C: I AM!

Me: NO! You are awake, you are looking at me, but you are in bed. That is NOT UP! Get UP and get into the shower!

Five more minutes pass. No, I'm not kidding!

Me: C! Get up right this minute and get into the shower!!

He finally gets up. He gets in the shower, and stays there for 15-20 minutes. He gets out and goes into his room with a towel on.

Me: C, you have only five minutes to get dressed before we need to leave.

C: OK.

Three minutes pass.

Me: Are you dressed? Go brush your teeth, we have to leave in two minutes.

I open his bedroom door. He is still in his towel, but he does have a pair of boxers in his hand.

Me: What? Aren't you dressed yet? We don't have any time left? PLEASE hurry up and get dressed! We need to leave!

C, still in a towel with his underwear in hand: I AM getting dressed!

Finally, we leave, ten minutes later than I wanted to. He tells me I'm mean to him. He says he doesn't have any trouble getting out of bed at his dad's house. I ask why, and then he says I'm too nice when I ask him to get up.

My head explodes.

What?!? Am I too nice or too mean? You can't have it both ways.

It seems like C's always in trouble because of school work. So for summer school, we're going to try something different. Instead of punishing him for not getting his work done, I'm going to let him earn computer and/or video game time for homework. I think maybe a half an hour for every assignment completed. Maybe a carrot will work better than a stick, although generally I feel like we've tried everything already.

And lest you think the article above has nothing to do with my post, I will definitely be trying some of the techniques Sutherland mentions: completely ignoring it when he talks back to me, maybe? I'm afraid if I ignore his staying in bed, he just won't get up.

Sigh. We'll see.

Hold that phone, mister!

2006-07-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes... a reprieve.

We cancelled that nasty vet appointment. What a relief!

I got a phone call from my daughter Monday afternoon--after several days of refusing food and puking up whatever he did eat--Casanova was begging her for food! I told her to feed him whatever he wanted to eat. She gave him a slice of whole grain bread, a bit of sliced turkey, and half a can of prescription dog food. He ate it all and kept it down.

When I got home, Cass was playing with a dog toy in the kitchen! He did his little welcome home dance for me, and clearly was feeling really well.

Obviously, he's not cured of cancer, but he was doing so well, we just couldn't keep that vet appointment. I know we'll probably still have to put him to sleep soon, but we've gotten a temporary reprieve, and we are glad to have just a little extra time with our sweet little dog.

Hooray!

Casanova, you're a fine dog

2006-07-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is Casanova, our French Bulldog. He is 11 years old and suffering from intestinal cancer. He's been pretty OK since he was diagnosed this spring, but over the weekend he really took a turn for the worse. Hubby and I talked about having him put to sleep, but we wanted to have the rest of Sunday--our only day off together--with him.

Casanova (sometimes "Gas-anova" or "Kissy-nova") was a show dog in his younger days. He was a "finished champion," which meant he had won several shows, and his breeder was done showing him. She also decided not to breed him anymore, as his front legs were just slightly bowed and she didn't want to propagate that quality in her line anymore. Anyway, when he was about 3 years old, his breeder placed him with us. He was actually supposed to stud out one more time, but that never wound up happening. Too bad; we would have loved to have one of his puppies. But Frenchie's have very small litters and are very expensive, so maybe that wouldn't have worked out anyway.

When we met Casanova, he ran to us and jumped up on our laps, and started kissing Hubby and I all over our faces. He was so sweet! The breeder told us some stuff about him (that he gets excited and nips people sometimes; that he would eat anything we would give him, so be careful he doesn't get fat; that sort of thing). We took him on home, and I don't think he ever looked back.

After a week with Casanova, I would say to Hubby, "How did we ever live without one of these? I want a dozen just like him!" He is simply the most loving and joyful dog I have ever known. In eight years, I have never seen him angry. He loves everyone, but especially Hubby and I (in that order). He sits and just gazes at us sometimes. When he first came to live with us, he slept with us, and he loved it if we would both cuddle him in between us. If we started kissing and hugging, he would bark at us to let him in, too! He especially likes to cuddle up real close and gently nibble our earlobes, or the tips of our noses. He is very funny and charming.

It all seems like just yesterday, but of course it's been about 8 years.

We have an appointment to take him to the vet this evening. I will really miss him.

And I sincerely hope we're done dealing with death for a while. In one year's time, we've lost two cats, two dogs (yes, counting Cass), two friends (and one in the year prior), and a parent (Hubby's mother). At this moment, no one else we know is terminally ill or particularly aged, so maybe we can get on with LIFE for a while.

Scientists OK Gore's Movie for Accuracy

2006-06-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

ABC News: Scientists OK Gore's Movie for Accuracy: By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON Jun 27, 2006 (AP)— The nation's top climate scientists are giving 'An Inconvenient Truth,' Al Gore's documentary on global warming, five stars for accuracy.

The former vice president's movie replete with the prospect of a flooded New York City, an inundated Florida, more and nastier hurricanes, worsening droughts, retreating glaciers and disappearing ice sheets mostly got the science right, said all 19 climate scientists who had seen the movie or read the book and answered questions from The Associated Press.

The AP contacted more than 100 top climate researchers by e-mail and phone for their opinion. Among those contacted were vocal skeptics of climate change theory. Most scientists had not seen the movie, which is in limited release, or read the book.

But those who have seen it had the same general impression: Gore conveyed the science correctly; the world is getting hotter and it is a manmade catastrophe-in-the-making caused by the burning of fossil fuels."

Read the whole story...

What? Redesign time already?

2006-06-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Why sure, because as you can see on my 43 Things list (in the sidebar), one of my goals is to "keep improving the design of my blog and start blogging regularly."

So I got myself on over to Blogger Templates and picked up a little something nice for myself. Bright and cheery... I like it! I hope you do too. If you have suggestions for the blog's design, feel free to offer them.

The new template made my black heart art really big! I was going to try and make it smaller, but then I decided I liked it.

More coming soon... probably even after lunch!

Hot enough for ya?

2006-06-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Over the last weekend, I saw the film An Inconvenient Truth, featuring the U.S. President-in-Exile, Al Gore.

Damn, I wish he'd run again. I like him.

Anyway, whether you like Gore or not, this movie is really a must-see. We are heating the earth up, and we are the ones who will live with--or die from--the consequences.

One of the arguments skeptics of global warming often make is that the earth routinely heats up and cools down. Well, this is true. However, the planet is heating up more and more drastically, due to the massive amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide) we humans are putting into the atmosphere.

The amounts of CO2 now in the atmosphere, due to human activity, are dramatically higher than ever before (we learn this from analyzing the ice core, as well as other geologic science). The earth's temperature directly correlates with the amount of CO2 in the environment; the CO2 captures the radation from the sun, which heats the planet. Of course, we need some of that, but too much is not good for us!

I don't want to wreck the movie, and I'm not really that great at explaining scientific phenomena anyway... but this movie lays out the evidence, dispels the myths the oil companies and others try to feed us, and demonstrates that we really need to make some changes.

But allow me to show just one photo that helps demonstrate the effect of global warming:

This is Mount Kilimanjaro. The yellow lines are where the ice cap was in 1962. You can see how far it's receded. In case you're wondering, that's not normal behavior for this mountain.

So, uh, go see the movie already. Then make some changes in your life.

Knitwit

2006-06-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I saw the book Mason-Dixon Knitting at a big chain bookstore. I'm a big believer in independent bookstore, but you know, sometimes the big ones are just easier to find stuff at.

Anyway, I perused the book, and really liked it, but didn't want to spend the money on it that day. But I went back out and bought the book a few weeks ago, and now I CAN'T STOP KNITTING!

I'm knitting these "warshcloths" like crazy.

I also bought several skeins of Blue Sky cotton in tomato, stone, fern, and toffee. My idea was to make a log cabin blanket. I can't decide, though, whether I should knit the Moderne Log Cabin from the book (plan A); log cabin style covers for the throw pillows in our front room, as a test (plan B); or throw caution to the wind and just start log cabining with this lovely yarn (plan C). But that's OK, I can always knit more warshcloths while I'm making up my mind!

Anyway, love, love, love the Mason-Dixon knitting!

Has it really been since April?

2006-06-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

I knew it had been a while since I'd posted, but how time does fly!

Life has, as usual, been exceedingly busy. Death has been visiting us again; a friend, just 41 years old, finally lost her long battle with breast cancer. Hubby's mother died a week ago, leaving him a mess of unresolved emotion and legally cut out of the homesteaded land he grew up on, to boot. It's a fucked up deal at best.

My inititation journey moves along, slowly as ever. I'm told my progress is quite good, but I'm... not... quite... there... yet. Part of my journey has definitely been about PATIENCE.

I had a sinus surgery just a few weeks ago... what fun! OK, no it wasn't. It was similar to a surgery I had in 1994. That surgery was a nasal polypectomy... that means I had little nasal growths which needed to be surgically removed. Yuck! After that surgery, they packed my nose, which basically means they stick huge nose-tampons way up in your sinuses. Not very comfortable, I must say.

Still, for a couple of years before that surgery, I couldn't breathe out of my nose at all. In addition to removing the polyps, the surgeon cut away some additional tissue to clear my nasal passages. After the surgery, my breathing was clear as a bell.

I'd been having sinus problems for some time now, so I suspected I had polyps again. My ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist said it looked like one big polyp this time, but he also recommended a septoplasty, as my septum was leaning to one side, and a turbinate reduction, in which they burn these little swelly bits in your nose, so that they don't swell up quite so much anymore.

The polyp turned out to be a cyst, but the treatment was basically the same: get it out of there! No packing this time, but I got splints, which seemed equally nasty. These were flat, banana-shaped pieces of silicone, about the length of my index finger. Once the surgery pain settled down (about five days after surgery), the splints were the worst part. They came out one week after my surgery... what a relief that was!

Then, my daughter graduated from high school. She is so beautiful and grown up! I'm very proud of her. I got really weepy after the graduation. For one thing, my nose still hurt. But mostly, it was seeing my baby all grown up, and the knowledge that these days, when my children are still at home and close to me, are almost gone. It felt very bittersweet.

But I guess that's always true: These days are always almost gone.

Mick beats George to suite

2006-04-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

This story makes me really happy. It does my heart good to know that someone has the balls to tell W. he can't just have anything he wants!

The Sun Online - News: Mick beats George to suite
By THOMAS WHITAKER
Showbiz Reporter

PRESIDENT George Bush can’t get no satisfaction — after Mick Jagger grabbed his hotel room.

The Rolling Stone splashed out £3,600 a night for the suite days before the US leader tried to book it.

Now Mick, 62, who has been a fierce critic of the Bush-led war in Iraq, is refusing to give it up.

The veteran rocker hired the luxury Royal Suite at the five-star Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, for June when the Stones are due to play a gig in the city.

Bush’s aides then tried to book it to tie in with a summit meeting.

But Mick put his foot down and insisted he was keeping the booking.

A source close to the millionaire singer said last night: “White House officials had wanted to reserve the suite and all the other rooms on the first floor.

“But Mick and the Stones had already booked every one of them.”

“Bush’s people seemed to be under the impression that they would just hand over the suites but there was no way Mick was going to do that.”

The classically-designed suite is said to be among the top 100 hotel rooms in the world. It boasts a 7ft 4in bed, chandeliers and oil paintings.

Former presidents Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy and George Bush Snr all stayed there while they were in office.

The hotel last night admitted US secret service agents vetted the accommodation — and confirmed that Bush would no longer be staying there.

An American Embassy official refused to say where he was now staying for “security reasons”.

Mick takes a swipe at Bush, 59, on the latest Stones album A Bigger Bang, savaging his Iraq War policy.

Now for the Good News....

2006-04-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Someone commented here the other day that a death--as sad as it is--is also a chance to bring a new life into the home. That's true.

I started feeling ready for a new kitty perhaps a month after Chester died, but Hubby wasn't ready, and Jolson was clearly showing us that he didn't have much time remaining to him. I could hardly impose a new cat on Jolson or on Hubby.

So I waited. I mourned Chester, then I mourned Jolson. January was hard... we had no cats at all now, and I love the feeling of cat energy in my home. I love our dogs, don't get me wrong. But I love cats, too. It was depressing with no cats.

Finally, I told Hubby that I was ready and had my mind made up. He's seldom ready for anything new before I am. Change is hard for him. So sometimes, I just have to put my foot down. Before he could say "boo," I was out the door and on my way to the Humane Society, spurred on by this photo from the Humane Society website:

This is Louis. He was six months old when I adopted him in February. I'm an advocate of adopting from the Humane Society, and I believe in adopting adult cats. You can tell what they are like, unlike with small kittens, and they are less likely to be adopted. My cat Chester was three when I adopted him from the Humane Society, and he was one of the most wonderful cats I've ever known.

That said, this time, I wanted a kitten. Of course, February is really not kitten season, and I was a little nervous that I wouldn't really be as able to tell the personality in a kitten. But I haven't had a kitten since probably the early '90s, and it seemed like about time. I also wanted to make sure the new cat would adjust OK to the dogs, and a kitten seemed like a good bet for that.

So, I went and met this kitten. I played with and talked to him for some time; I wanted to be sure that this was a good fit. Finally, I decided I definitely wanted to bring him home. Our Humane Society charges a lot more for kittens than for adult cats, but that's good, because it helps subsidize the care of the hard-to-place cats.

When he came home, he was very quiet and willing to sit on my lap for a long, long time. He was not at all sure about the dogs. He seemed to be saying, "What are those things, anyway?"

But within 48 hours, the shoe was on the other foot! He decided those dogs didn't seem too bad or scary, and that maybe they might be good to play with. Then he was driving Remy (my Yorkie-Chihuahua mix) crazy! Usually Remy is the one driving other animals crazy with his insatiable play desires. But Remy is five years old, and Louis was six months old, and Louis can play all day long, if someone will engage with him.

Louis also like to leap around the living room, bouncing off the furniture and pretending to be an acrobat. He would jump on to the chair Casanova likes to sleep in, and bounce on Casanova's head. But Cass is old now, as I've mentioned, and usually isn't too playful. He is, however, extremely patient, and when Louis started dancing on his head, he just patiently waited until Louis finally settled down and napped with him.

Pretty freaking cute, huh?

I love having a kitten around the house, too. He jumps and plays all the time. He loves his toys, and you can basically just give him any old thing and he'll totally entertain himself with it: a bookmark with a piece of yarn tied around it, a bottle cap, a barrette, whatever! I really love him. Oh, and yeah... he grew on Hubby, too. And he gets along great with both dogs. He doesn't drive Remy crazy anymore, and they love to play together. Louis is a great addition to our family.

The other great news that has kept me very busy lately is that Hubby opened a new shop. He's in the pet business (told you he loved animals!), and was working in a small, cramped location, leasing space from someone loathsome. Now he's in a bigger, bright new shop, and while expanding is always a big risk, we're also both very excited about the new place. Wish us luck!

Let's put all the bad news in this post

2006-04-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Again, it's been just months since I posted last. Things have been quite crazy around here.

On New Year's Eve, we had to have our other cat put down, just six weeks after Chester's death.

Jolson was my Hubby's almost-17-year-old black-and-white Maine Coon cat. Back in his day, Jolie was the biggest cat I'd ever seen, weighing in at 25-30 pounds. He hated dogs, but he tolerated ours. He would spend all day on our porch, greeting visitors and attacking any strange dog foolish enough to enter our yard. He had been really slowing down and showing his age, but he went downhill quickly after Chester died.

Finally, on New Year's Eve, he refused to eat, and when he tried to walk, he staggered and stumbled. Hubby had that cat from when Jolie was a little kitten, and he was deeply heartbroken. Hubby says he can't stand to feel the life go out of one more animal, so I took Jolson to the emergency vet to be put to sleep. I just couldn't stand to post about one more animal's death; in fact, I didn't have the heart to tell many of my friends at first. I'm so tired of losing our precious pets!

Then one of our dogs started having diarrhea. He's got kind of a tender tummy, so it wasn't that worrisome at first. But I was having to clean up diarrhea--often obviously explosive diarrhea--from the kitchen floor every morning, so off to the vet went Casanova, our French bulldog.

As I've said, I'm getting really tired of telling these sad stories about our pets. So, I'll try to cut to the chase here. Casanova is alive, but he has cancer. We tried a few different meds to help the diarrhea, but when nothing worked, we did an x-ray. They thought they saw a lump in his belly, but it was hard to see. So they wanted a fasting x-ray (so his belly was empty), so we did that, and then an ultrasound. We found a four-centimeter mass in his intestines. It did not look operable, and the vet advised us to just enjoy what time we have remaining with Cass. So that's what we are doing.

I still clean up diarrhea some mornings (and afternoons, and evenings), but he's on a bland diet now, so it's not quite as nasty as it was. He's losing weight, perhaps from the diet, more likely from the cancer, or maybe both. The whole thing really sucks, and this one will really rip out Hubby's heart. I've never seen him so in love with an animal, and believe me, he is a true animal lover.

So as painful as all this is for me, I guess I at least have the distraction of needing to care for someone else. And Casanova still seems to feel good. He's happy and wants to cuddle and love us up still. Sometimes he still even wants to play, but he is 11 years old, which is getting old for a Frenchie.

Finally, since this is the "Bad News" post, my daughter did not get into her college of choice. It's a bummer, but now she'll go to a college in town. So maybe I don't mind her staying near home a little longer.... :-)

More sad news

2005-12-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

I hadn't had the heart to post about this yet, but I guess I'm ready now.

My cat, Chester, recently crossed over.

This is a (not very good) photo I took this summer, when Chester was sleeping in the dog bed with one of our dogs, Casanova.

He was 11 years old. I got him from the Humane Society when he was 4. My son, then 7, helped pick out Chester. He wasn't the first cat I considered, and we'd actually gone to the Humane Society planning to pick out a kitten. Then we got to visiting with the adult cats. When I took Chester out of his kennel, he was so relaxed and friendly. Then my little boy flung the cat over his shoulder. The cat couldn't have cared any less. He was completely mellow!

"Well," I thought, "this is obviously the cat for us." And home he came.

At first, he would wake me up each night, around 2 or 3 a.m., to pet him. If I wouldn't pet him, he would bite my hands. Not in a mean way, but just enough to say, "hey! shouldn't you be petting me?" If I hid my hands under the blankets or pillows, he would stop pestering me. Since I obviously had no hands, I suppose.

He stopped doing that after a month or two.

I have never met a sweeter cat. He was extremely affectionate and loving. Very mellow. The first time Hubby's Schnauzer (Mavis) met Chester, we weren't sure what would happen. Mavis was a cat-chaser, and would torture any cat who would run from her.

She spotted Chester, and ran headlong toward him. Chester just sat there and looked at her. Everything was fine after that.

When I got my little dog, Remy (a Yorkie-Chihuahua cross), he wanted to play with Chester, and Chester loved it! They would roll around and wrestle and have a great time. Very cute and fun to watch them together.

Chester was certainly slowing down a bit... I watched Remy try to get him to play over the last few months, and he just couldn't get Chester interested. But overall, Chester seemed fine, and 11's not that old for a cat.

Hubby always feeds the cats (we have another cat who is almost 17) in the evenings before he goes to bed. He fed the cats one Tuesday evening, and all seemed well.

Chester was walking back downstairs after eating... then I heard a noise. Chester was sitting kind of funny on the floor at the bottom of the steps. I went to pick him up, and saw that his whole back end was limp.

At first I couldn't believe it. I kept picking him back up to help him stand. I was confused... of course, my cat works! What's wrong with my cat? Why can't my cat stand? My cat can stand!

Within moments, Chester shuddered and laid down. He vomited. This was bad. Then he shit himself. Oh, fuck, this was very bad.

We wrapped him in a towel and I rushed him to the local emergency vet. They said he had saddle thrombosis, which is kind of like a stroke in humans. A blood clot breaks loose and blocks an artery somewhere. With cats, the clot likes to go to the femoral artery... all the blood to Chester's back legs and tail had been cut off. In the 15 minutes between him falling and me getting him to the vet, his legs and tail had gone cold from the lack of blood.

There was nothing to do but to put him to sleep right away. He was in pain, and worse, he was confused and frightened. In 7 years, I had NEVER seen Chester upset in the least. Now he was terrified. He couldn't understand why his legs wouldn't work either.

Chester died on November 15.

I really miss my cat.

It has been too long…

2005-12-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

… since my last post.

But I just have to tell you about these Tarot decks I found online. They. Are. Fabulous!

One is The Knitting Tarot. I can’t remember how I found out about it, but I love it and intend to buy one when they are finished with them. These are done by letterpress, so they will be spendy, but well worth it.

The other deck I found was created by the same folks. It's a concept deck, not a real, physical, available deck. If it were available, I'd buy one in a heartbeat, as I am also a child of the '80s. It's the Eighties Deck!

Cat Bite!

2005-10-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

So, Wednesday morning on the way to work, I saw this little gray kitten dash across the road, almost scooting on his belly, like maybe he was hurt. I knew I had to help him.

Kitty was of a differing opinion. He/she/it ran away from me, hiding under a little short seedling evergreen right next to the freeway. I circled around slowly, hoping to block him from running onto the busy freeway entrance. He was flat on the ground under the little tree, hiding under a branch, which I was able to use to pin him down for a moment so that I could (gently) grab him. And I did. Kitty did not like this, and communicated his feelings to me by biting my thumb, hard, several times. I held him so as to avoid further bites, got him to my car, wrapped him in a blanket and tried to decide what, in addition to bleeding from my thumb, I should do next.

He appeared to be about 12 to 16 weeks old, and did not seem to be injured, as I'd first feared. But he was definitely alone and afraid and in danger, out there by the freeway.

So, the next thing was to get him in a container. I drove home, found a cat carrier, and put Kitty in it. He was still not feeling very friendly. I got a can of cat food and a little dish of water and put those in the carrier, expecting Kitty to want both. He wanted neither.

I called a couple no-kill shelters in town, but they were full up. I called the local Humane Society, but it turns out they only take animals by appointment, and the next appointment was in two weeks. I couldn't really foster the kitten, as we have two adult cats who might not be amused. Also, I didn't want my cats to catch anything Kitty might have. At any rate, I took him to animal control, where they said he would be quarantined for 10 days because he'd bitten me. I really hope he'll be adopted out after that!

After finishing up at Animal Control, I hightailed it to the local Urgent Care. I had four or five small bites on my thumb. But even though they were small, if the skin is broken, cat bites can be very serious. Cats' mouths contain Pasteurella bacteria, which is likely to give a human a nasty infection. Staph and strep infections are also common with cat bites, and other bacteria can also be involved.

When they finally saw me in Urgent Care, the doctor told me, "Cat bites are a SERIOUS injury!" They put me on IV antibiotics and made a cast for my thumb! I can take the cast off to wash and to apply antibiotic ointment to the bites, but I'm supposed to wear it as much as possible over the next few days. They want my thumb immobilized so that if there's bacteria in there, it won't spread as much or as fast. Anyway, in addition to IV antibiotics, they gave me Augmentin to take for the next week. I hate taking antibiotics, because they almost always give me a yeast infection. Ugh! Oh, yeah, and I had to get a tetanus shot, too.

Yeah, well, next time I rescue a cat, I'll bring a towel or something. I would not have expected a little cat bite to be such an ordeal! I read on some pages on the Internet that 40-50% of cat bites become seriously infected, but the doctor at Urgent Care told me it's more like 85-90%! Of course, I'm thinking that he wouldn't hear much about cat bites that don't get infected, but still.

VA Says No Way To Wiccan Grave Marker

2005-10-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

VA Says No Way To Wiccan Grave Marker
POSTED: 1:13 pm EDT October 4, 2005

SEATTLE -- Christians get a cross. Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist veterans are allowed to have their religious symbols engraved on military headstones.

So a Seattle-area Navy veteran thinks he should be allowed to have the symbol of his Wiccan faith on his marker when he goes.

But the Defense Department doesn't allow the pentacle -- a five-pointed star in a circle -- on markers in national cemeteries.

The Defense Department recognized Wiccans in 1996, but the National Cemetery Association of the Veterans Affairs Department hasn't authorized the symbol.

A spokeswoman said the VA would add the words "Wiccan" or "pentacle" to a headstone but not the symbol. She said policies are being updated and Wiccans will be able to suggest changes.

Only Monotheists Need Apply

2005-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

This woman was told that only monotheistic, Judeo-Christian religions were welcome. The Supreme Court apparently views this as "freedom of religion." Ms. Simpson is a Reclaiming Tradition Witch

Wiccan Priestess Loses High Court Appeal
By GINA HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court rejected an appeal on Tuesday from a Wiccan priestess angry that local leaders would not let her open their sessions with a prayer.

Instead, clergy from more traditional religions were invited to pray at governmental meetings in Chesterfield County, Va., a suburb of Richmond.

Lawyers for Cynthia Simpson had told justices in a filing that most of the invocations are led by Christians. Simpson said she wanted to offer a generalized prayer to the "creator of the universe."

Wiccans consider themselves witches, pagans or neo-pagans, and say their religion is based on respect for the Earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons.

Simpson sued and initially won before a federal judge who said the county's policy was unconstitutional because it stated a preference for a set of religious beliefs.

Simpson lost at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which found that the county had changed its policy and directed clerics to avoid invoking the name of Jesus.

The Supreme Court is already hearing one religious case this fall. That cases raises the question of whether federal agents can stop a church from using hallucinogenic tea in its religious services. But this case would have provided a better opportunity for the court and new Chief Justice John Roberts to deal with government and religion.

Simpson is a member of a group known as the Broom Riders Association.

The county "issues invitations to deliver prayers to all Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders in the country. It refuses to issue invitations to Native Americans, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Wiccans, or members of any other religion," justices were told in her appeal by American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Rebecca Glenberg.

The county's attorney, Steven Micas, said that the county's practice was in line with the Supreme Court's endorsement of legislative prayer as long as it did not proselytize, advance or disparage a particular religion.

The case is Simpson v. Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, 05-195.

This story has been featured on Pagan podcast Lance and Graal, as well as in other Pagan media. A more extensive paper can be found at The Pluralism Project.

Bigots in my hometown

2005-09-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

News from the town I grew up in....

School Expels Girl for Having Gay Parents
By Associated Press

ONTARIO, Calif. - A 14-year-old student was expelled from a Christian school because her parents are lesbians, the school's superintendent said in a letter.

Shay Clark was expelled from Ontario Christian School on Thursday.

"Your family does not meet the policies of admission," Superintendent Leonard Stob wrote to Tina Clark, the girl's biological mother.

Stob wrote that school policy requires that at least one parent may not engage in practices "immoral or inconsistent with a positive Christian life style, such as cohabitating without marriage or in a homosexual relationship," The Los Angeles Times reported in Friday's edition.

Stob could not be reached for comment by the newspaper. Shay and her parents said they won't fight the ruling.

School administrators learned of the parents' relationship this week after Shay was reprimanded for talking to the crowd during a football game, Tina Clark said.

Clark and her partner have been together 22 years and have two other daughters, ages 9 and 19.

It's disheartening to see this kind of bigotry in the place where I grew up. I realize that many Xian faiths feel homosexuality is wrong. I don't blame them for not fighting the ruling, though. Who wants to stay where they're clearly not wanted? (That's why I don't understand gay Republicans, either.)

Clapotis progress

2005-09-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm to the decrease rows, finally! My camera isn't working, so I had to just scan a part of the Clapotis directly.

Truth in Media

2005-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Where's the Governator Now?

2005-09-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Editorial
Where's the Governator Now?
from The NY Times
Published: September 9, 2005

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a profile in timidity this week when he vowed to veto a pioneering bill authorizing gay marriage in California. The bill, which both houses of the Legislature passed by narrow margins, would expand the definition of marriage to include a civil contract between two people, not exclusively a man and woman. This was an enlightened and fair-minded stand that made California's Legislature the first in the nation to approve same-sex marriages.

Too bad Mr. Schwarzenegger could not find the courage to sign the bill into law. Instead, even before receiving the bill, he announced a tortured rationale for vetoing it. For years, social conservatives have accused judges of deciding social issues that should be left to legislators. Now Mr. Schwarzenegger wants to ignore his Legislature and leave gay marriage to the courts or the voters at large to decide.

He relies on a fig leaf: five years ago, Californians voted overwhelmingly for a ballot measure that recognized only heterosexual marriages as valid. A statement by the governor's press office declared, "We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote."

That ignores the fact that five years is an eternity in the fast-moving arena of gay rights. Even though 61 percent of the voters approved the ballot measure, recent polls show that the electorate is now evenly split, with Democrats and independents favoring same-sex marriage and Republicans strongly opposed. The Legislature is hardly a renegade body if it roughly mirrors popular opinion.

Mr. Schwarzenegger also seems to have forgotten that this nation was founded as a republic, in which the citizens elect legislators to govern on their behalf. Such representative democracy is especially important when it comes to protecting the fundamental rights of minorities, who may face bigoted hostility from some segments of the electorate.

It's easy to guess why Mr. Schwarzenegger was in such a hurry to announce his veto. Although he was initially hailed as a centrist Republican superhero who could appeal to a broad range of voters, his popularity has plummeted, and polls show that most Californians are inclined to oppose his re-election. Only his Republican base continues to back him.

Mr. Schwarzenegger's own views of gay marriage are hidden beneath vague, elusive, sometimes contradictory comments that add up to ducking the issue. The former Mr. Universe who has derided political opponents as "girlie men" is afraid to say what he really thinks. He falls back on a rationale that would leave the issue to the courts or another vote of the people. Anything to get him off the hook.

My letter to Ah-nold...

2005-09-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

September 8, 2005

Dear Gov. Schwarzenegger:

You should be ashamed of yourself for considering vetoing the same-sex
marriage bill passed by the California legislature.

This bill gives equal rights to a group that is often discriminated
against. I understand you are trying to show respect for "the will of the
people." But if the will of the people was to discriminate against
African-Americans, Jews, or some other group, would you want to respect
that wish?

When the majority wishes to discriminate against a minority group of our
population, that is the time to pass laws protecting them. I'm sorry to
hear you are considering protecting bigotry instead of equal rights. You
really should be ashamed of yourself.

Sincerely,

Another option for helping...

2005-09-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Avalon Cares is the charitable fund of Officers of Avalon, Inc. Previously incarnated to collect monies for tsunami relief, it has been resurected on behalf of victims of hurricane Katrina. The dream is to end with a standing fund to continue helping others in genuine need, by networking with various pagan and non-pagan communities. To that end, we have begun organizing Avalon Cares for victims of Hurricane Katrina now, and with the long range vision of a continuing effort for other charitable causes, both incidental and long-term.

Please spread the word about this effort. We want the world to know that Pagans care about our communities, too.

-- quoted from the Avalon Cares website.

Please help

2005-09-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

To help the Katrina Hurricane victims, please take just a moment of your time and donate.

The American Red Cross

Mercy Corps

Second Harvest

I also heartily recommend Charity Navigator for checking out the effectiveness and reputation of various charities. Charity Navigator considers The Red Cross and Mercy Corps both to be 4-star charities, while Second Harvest is a three-star charity (still a good rating). I personally plan to give money to Mercy Corps today. I can only give a little from my paycheck, as I earn a pathetically low wage, but I have some money that I was saving for Witchcamp next year, and I'll give that, too.

The Russians have noticed...

2005-09-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

George W. Bush abandons Americans

Shocking delay in aid contrasts with 200 billion wasted in Iraq

09/02/2005 15:55

President George W. Bush pays back the good Christian Americans who elected him despite his illegal act of slaughter in Iraq by sitting in his Texas ranch for two days after the most horrific suffering was visited on the area around New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.

After two hundred billion dollars were spent in destabilising Iraq, slaughtering up to one hundred thousand innocent civilians, blasting the legs and arms off defenceless children and leaving the country and region in utter chaos, the best he can do is a brief flyover of the region and a belated visit, hurriedly put together only because of the protests.

And the protests are many, and venomous and rightly so. How is it possible that in a country which is always blowing its horn about how advanced it is, that people are starving to death? Is this Somalia? No, it is George Bush's United States of America.

How is it possible that young children are dying of thirst. Is this Mali? No, it is George Bush's United States of America.

How is it possible that people are having to scavenge for food. Is this Burkina Faso? No, it is George Bush's United States of America.

So, this is how President George Bush treats the people who put their trust in him. After siphoning off 200 billion USD of their hard-earned cash to finance his illegal act of butchery overseas, he turns his back on them, leaves them to wallow in the sewage, to lie rotting in the streets and to starve to death.

Welcome to George Bush's United States of America. It appears the man is as inept at governing his own country as he is at conducting foreign policy. George W. Bush will go down in the annals of history as the worst president this country has ever had and the worst leader the international community is unfortunate enough to have been forced to rub shoulders with. -- Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Heartless

2005-09-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Some of them, it was their last night on Earth," Terry Ebbert, chief of homeland security for New Orleans, said of people who ignored orders to evacuate the city of 480,000 over the weekend. "That's a hard way to learn a lesson."

Yes, that will teach those damn people to be poor! Many of those stranded and dying in New Orleans now could NOT evacuate. The hurricane came at the end of the month, when the poor are usually completely broke and awaiting the first of the month for paychecks. They did not have enough money for transportation out of the area, and nobody could be bothered to help them out.

I was watching Jim Lerher interview Mike Brown, head of FEMA, last night. Here's a quote I found particularly disgusting:

MIKE BROWN: Well, let me answer the question two ways: First, with regard to the evacuation of the Superdome and the convention center, we have had an ongoing supply food and water to there. They've had meals every day that they've been there. They had meals this morning.

Really? He must have missed this story (from the Gwinnett, Georgia paper), and the dozens of stories just like it. Here's a short passage about those at the New Orleans Convention Center.

At one point the crowd began to chant, ‘‘We want help! We want help!’’ Later, a woman, screaming, went on the front steps of the convention center and led the crowd in reciting the 23rd Psalm, ‘‘The Lord is my shepherd...’’

‘‘We are out here like pure animals,’’ Issac Clark said.

‘‘We’ve got people dying out here — two babies have died, a woman died, a man died,’’ said Helen Cheek. ‘‘We haven’t had no food, we haven’t had no water, we haven’t had nothing. They just brought us here and dropped us.’’

Tourist Debbie Durso of Washington, Mich., said she asked a police officer for assistance, and his response was, ‘‘'Go to H--- — it’s every man for himself.’’’

‘‘This is just insanity,’’ she said. ‘‘We have no food, no water ... all these trucks and buses go by and they do nothing but wave.’’

FEMA director Michael Brown said the agency just learned about the situation at the convention center Thursday and quickly scrambled to provide food, water and medical care and remove the corpses.

If he only learned about it yesterday, how was he also asserting yesterday that they were given food and water?!?

In the meantime, Nero fiddles....

Daily Kos: Category 4 Hurricane Determined to Strike U.S. -- Cont.

2005-09-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

Daily Kos: Category 4 Hurricane Determined to Strike U.S. -- Cont.
by Hunter at Daily Kos

Thu Sep 1st, 2005 at 10:28:22 PDT

George W. Bush was once known as the C.E.O. President, a term his handlers eagerly coined in order to convey that the country would from now on be run like a business. That quickly evolved into the less flattering Enron President... then the War President... now it's looking like we can all finally settle on one. George W. Bush: the Disaster President.

'I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.'

He honestly said that. If that brings up more than a passing twinge of familiarity, being a more than remarkable restatement of Condi Rice's now-famous assertion to the Senate panel -- then I suppose we shouldn't be surprised.

But it does bring up something that we joke about often, but apparently have never taken quite seriously enough: our President is an idiot. I don't mean an average, run-of-the-mill idiot. I mean an idiot who apparently, for the entire duration of his presidency, literally was paying absolutely no attention to even the most life-threateningly critical tasks of government.

The administration specifically cut the funds to fix these specific levees, in order to specifically divert that Corps money to Iraq, despite urgent warnings and predictions of catastrophic disaster if the levees were breeched. The administration specifically cancelled the Clinton-backed flood control program to preserve and restore the wetlands between New Orleans and the gulf, instead specifically opening parts of that buffer zone for development.

Nobody anticipated this disaster? It was identified by FEMA as one of the top three likeliest major disasters to strike America. (That link, one of countless stories, was from 2001, by the way.) It has been a major disaster scenario for years. Everybody anticipated it, which makes this single statement by George W. Bush possibly the most dishonest, lying, craptacularly false thing he has ever said in his presidency -- even surpassing his now-infamous State of the Union Address. Truly, this is President Bush's blue-dress moment.

And yet, funneling the money into Iraq was more important. You better bet your crapulent, lying, one-track, drink-addled ass that's a political issue.

He also said today:

'I hope people don't play politics at this time of a natural disaster the likes of which this country has never seen.'

Oh, I'm touched. Utterly touched. After 9/11, the entire Republican Party went en masse to get Twin Towers ass tattoos. The Republican convention was a wholesale tribute to crass exploitation, the sets themselves designed to evoke the aftermath of the attack. Every domestic and international policy this administration -- no, this entire Republican government -- has produced has been heaved up before the public while waving the spectre of 9/11 as the catch-all vindication of every administration whim. Every tax cut, every civil rights issue, every budget cut, every budget expansion, no matter how tortured the logic must be, has some Republican senator standing on the Senate floor and proudly raping the corpses of that day as justification for their particular agenda item.

Oh, we've seen politicization of disaster. Every Republican campaign for the last four years has revolved around the politicization of disaster.

But Lord help us, George W. Bush is going to get the vapors if anyone asks him to explain his administration's active cuts of the very programs designed to keep New Orleans safe."

Open Letter to W. from Michael Moore

2005-09-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com

P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

More compassion from the Christian Coalition crowd...

2005-09-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

From Repent America:

HURRICANE KATRINA DESTROYS NEW ORLEANS
DAYS BEFORE "SOUTHERN DECADENCE"

PHILADELPHIA - Just days before "Southern Decadence", an annual homosexual celebration attracting tens of thousands of people to the French Quarters section of New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina destroys the city.

"Southern Decadence" has a history of filling the French Quarters section of the city with drunken homosexuals engaging in sex acts in the public streets and bars. Last year, a local pastor sent video footage of sex acts being performed in front of police to the mayor, city council, and the media. City officials simply ignored the footage and continued to welcome and praise the weeklong celebration as being an "exciting event". However, Hurricane Katrina has put an end to the annual celebration of sin.

On the official "Southern Decadence" website (www.SouthernDecadence.com), it states that the annual event brought in "125,000 revelers" to New Orleans last year, increasing by thousands each year, and up from "over 50,000 revelers" in 1997. This year’s 34th annual "Southern Decadence" was set for Wednesday, August 31, 2005 through Monday, September 5, 2005, but due to massive flooding and the damage left by the hurricane, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has ordered everyone to evacuate the city.

The past three mayors of New Orleans, including Sidney Barthelomew, Marc H. Morial, and C. Ray Nagin, issued official proclamations welcoming visitors to "Southern Decadence". Additionally, New Orleans City Council made other proclamations recognizing the annual homosexual celebration.

"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage. "From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,' New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. From the devastation may a city full of righteousness emerge," he continued.

New Orleans is also known for its Mardi Gras parties where thousands of drunken men revel in the streets to exchange plastic jewelry for drunken women to expose their breasts. This annual event sparked the creation of the "Girls Gone Wild" video series.

"We must help and pray for those ravaged by this disaster, but let us not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded.

"[God] sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)

OK, how is the ending scriptural quote supposed to support the idea that God sends hurricanes to punish queers? (Also see: complete lack of disasters at San Francisco gay pride parades.)

Xian Right wingnuts try their hand at scrying...

2005-09-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Is Katrina God's punishment for abortion?

from War Room, Salon.com
By Tim Grieve

We knew this was coming.

Two days after 9/11, Jerry Falwell took to the airwaves to proclaim that God had allowed the United States to be attacked because 'the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians' had tried to transform America into a secular society. Just this weekend, wingnuts from the Westboro Baptist Church turned out at the funerals of two fallen soldiers to say that God is punishing the United States in Iraq for its tolerance of homosexuality back home.

So when Hurricane Katrina hit land yesterday, we knew it was only a matter of time before we'd be hearing from the lunatic fringe again. And now, here it is. In an e-mail message we just received, a group calling itself Columbia Christians for Life alerts us to the fact that a satellite image of Hurricane Katrina as it hit the Gulf Coast Monday looks just like a six-week-old fetus.

'The image of the hurricane ... with its eye already ashore at 12:32 p.m. Monday, August 29, looks like a fetus (unborn human baby) facing to the left (west) in the womb, in the early weeks of gestation (approx. 6 weeks),' the e-mail message says. 'Even the orange color of the image is reminiscent of a commonly used pro-life picture of early prenatal development.'

And in case you're not getting the point, the e-mail message spells it out in black and white: 'Louisiana has 10 child-murder-by-abortion centers,' the groups says, and 'five are in New Orleans.'

But why would God single out Louisiana? Other states have many more abortion clinics, and Louisiana and the other states hit hardest by Katrina all voted for the pro-life president of the United States. It didn't add up for us at first, but the Columbia Christians for Life have an answer for everything. God has already punished California with earthquakes, forest fires and mudslides; New York with 9/11; and Florida with Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne and the early version of Katrina.

I like the theory that God (aka Yahweh, Jehovah) punishes us for--basically--being too liberal, but when He does, it's actually the red states He sends disasters to. Couldn't God smite the blue states directly, if He's that pissed off?

All hail Caffeina!

2005-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Science and Your Health
From Newsweek on MSNBC
Aug. 30, 2005

The main source of antioxidants in most American diets isn’t fruit or vegetables but coffee, according to new findings released at the annual convention of the American Chemical Society in Washington. For the study, which was partially funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute, Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, and his colleagues analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 of the country’s most popular beverages and foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts and teas. The antioxidant data was then compared to a U.S. Department of Agriculture database to measure the estimated U.S. per capita consumption of each food.

The researchers found that average adults consume 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants every day from coffee--far more than they get from any other item in their daily diet (and four times more than they get from black tea, which was second on the list). Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that help prevent oxidation, a process that may cause damage to cells. Antioxidants have been shown to help boost the body’s immune functions and lower risks of heart disease and cancer, among other health benefits.

Should you drink more coffee? Vinton stresses that coffee should not be a substitute for fruits and vegetables. Foods like cranberries, dates and red grapes actually contain more antioxidants than coffee, but are typically consumed in much smaller quantities by most Americans. Drinking too much coffee can also be bad for those with high blood pressure or heart problems. Ask your doctor or nutritionist for advice.

(links in the above story added by me)

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, She who of old was called among men Savarin, Nescafe, Folgers Crystals and so many other names...

Whenever ye have need of wakefulness, at least once in the day,and better it be when the sun is rising, then ye shall assemble in your kitchens and adore the essence of Me who am Queen of all Beverages. There ye shall assemble , ye who are fain to gain awakening, yet have not won open eyes, to these I will teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from coherence; and as a sign that ye be truly free, ye shall be yawning in your rites; and ye shall read the morning paper, make bacon and eggs, and drive to work, all in My praise. For Mine is the ecstacy of the awakened, and Mine also is joy on earth; for My law is sleeplessness unto all beings.

Keep clean your mug; let naught float upon its surface and so turn your stomach. For Mine is the secret door which opens upon the land of coherence, and Mine is the cup of the Elixir of Life, and the Cauldron of Caffeine, which is the Holy Grail of Insomnia. I am the Gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of wakefulness unto the mind of man. Upon awakening, I give the knowledge of the caffeine high eternal, and beyond morning, I give peace, and warmth, and tolerance of those with whom ye must interact. Nor do I demand aught of Saccharin; for Behold! I am the Mother of all Stimulants, and My love is poured out into your mug. -- from the link above, attributed to Amber Ravenstar

That bitch has my shoes!

2005-08-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

What a World, What a World
(news from tvguide.com)

A pair of ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and insured for $1 million were stolen from a Grand Rapids, Minn., museum this past weekend. Authorities say there was little evidence left at the scene other than traces of flying-monkey dung.

Pat Robertson's Screwtape Letters

2005-08-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is a bit long, but entertaining. Who in the hell does Pat Robertson think he is, anyway?

Pat Robertson's Screwtape Letters

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Friday, August 26, 2005
By Tony Norman

We have no intention of explaining how excerpts from letters between a loathsome hell-spawn known as Lord Stinkblossom the Eternal Karlrovian and Pat Robertson, a minor religious functionary doing everything he can to ascend to Hell's upper echelon with both his virtue and hypocrisy intact, fell into our hands. We must protect our sources.

Though there is no surefire way to authenticate these mysterious correspondences with a high degree of metaphysical certitude, it is our journalistic duty to bring these letters forward. They shed much needed light on a televangelist's bizarre statements and shameless behavior in the last 30 years or so of his public ministry.

But be warned, dear reader. These excerpts will cause agitation in gentle souls unaccustomed to divining the spiritual realities behind the headlines. Logical positivists are advised to skip to the funnies where they are less likely to encounter offensive notions. If you're a nebby sinner, you're invited to read on:

"Hail, Pat Robertson, First Talon of the Praying Hand; Grand Shepherd and founder of the 700 Deadly Assassins Club, Murderous Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Division, Inc.

"We, the hosts of Hell salute you. By our infernal reckoning, you've blithely ignored several major commandments within 72 hours of calling for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Good for you. The Morning Star applauds your transparent blasphemy.

"The first rule you tossed aside was 'Thou shalt not covet,' followed by the equally anachronistic and much misunderstood dictum 'Thou shalt not kill.' Being the wise old Pharisee that thou art, you understand that the prohibition against murder is hardly unequivocal and hasn't been for some time. If there weren't reasonable allowances for killing based on anger, personal profit, religious duty, politics and nationalistic zeal, how would mankind experience any progress?

"Putting a bullet in Hugo Chavez's brain would, indeed, save the United States billions of dollars while keeping the oil flowing, but at the cost of the assassin's soul and every scintilla of moral authority any administration authorizing the hit could claim for itself.

"You were wise not to raise any of these issues with your gullible viewers, Pat. Why muddy the ethical waters with anything as inconvenient as morality when you're speaking to an audience of Christians? They already know right from wrong, so what's the point in rubbing their pious noses in it?

"Fortunately for us, no one in Christendom takes Jesus' statements about murder seriously, anyway. Remember that part in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus says that anger at one's brother qualifies as murder in God's eyes, too? What a drama queen, eh? How are you going to fight a war on terrorism with bad advice like that floating around? Blessed be the sharpshooters, for they shall inherit the kingdom of oil!

"Nice touch with your initial denial-denial, too, Pat. In lying about whether you used the word 'assassination' in the original broadcast calling for Chavez's murder, you sidestepped the dictum 'Thou shalt not bear false witness.' As old Beelzebub says, 'If you're going to lie -- and we heartily recommend it -- then you might as well lie boldly.'

"Sure, they'll catch your duplicity on videotape, but no one cares about little fibs in a world full of abortion, gay sex and Islamic militancy. You covered up nicely by telling the media vultures your words were misinterpreted and that you were actually calling for Chavez to be kidnapped. You brought a lot of dishonor to the gospel by compounding your lie, Pat. Again, Lucifer salutes your ingenuity.

"You also get kudos for comparing your situation as an advocate for assassination to Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran nut who was arrested for trying to kill Hitler. Remember, whenever you find yourself in trouble, drag the Fuhrer's name into the mix. It will distort everything and bring that old rug chewer the notoriety he continues to crave even in hell.

"Meanwhile, keep up the good work, Pat. The eyes of His Infernal Majesty rest ever upon you. Sincerely, your affectionate mentor in the faith -- Stinkblossom Karlrovian, the Archduke of Pain."

What's On Your iGod?

2005-08-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

In which Mark Morford sings the praises of DIY religion...

What's On Your iGod?

Your answer to the religious homogeny now clogging the nation like cosmic oatmeal? DIY divinity

There is this upwelling. There is this delicious rebellion. It is not yet loud and it is not yet conventional and it is certainly not yet dominating the national political dialogue and it is not yet making the headlines and maybe it never will and this is probably a good thing.

But it's happening. I have seen it. Maybe you have, too. I am, in fact, a part of it. Maybe you are, too. And lo, it is righteous and delicious and good.

It is this: Whole happy unfettered slews of people, young and old and in between, both genders and all genders and those who have yet to figure out just what gender they are, they are dancing to their own cosmic tune and blaspheming against the quo of status and taking divine matters into their own tingling and luminous hands because, goddammit, it's the right thing to do.

This is what's happening: Millions are defying what many think is the religious norm, giggling in the general direction of all those silly apocalyptic 'Left Behind' books and rolling their eyes at the 'intelligent design' nontheory and ignoring the syrupy chants rising from all those creepy megachurches across the land -- and they are, instead, defining religion and spirituality for themselves, against all odds and against all baffled militant true believers and against the president's very own bewildered-monkey stare. Imagine.

As always, click on the title above to read the rest. Highly recommended.

Bush's Private Idaho

2005-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

More on why I can't stand W.

My Private Idaho

By Maureen Dowd

W. vacationed so hard in Texas he got bushed. He needed a vacation from his vacation.

The most rested president in American history headed West yesterday to get away from his Western getaway - and the mushrooming Crawford Woodstock - and spend a couple of days at the Tamarack Resort in the rural Idaho mountains.

'I'm kind of hangin' loose, as they say,' he told reporters.

As The Financial Times noted, Mr. Bush is acting positively French in his love of le loafing, with 339 days at his ranch since he took office - nearly a year out of his five. Most Americans, on the other hand, take fewer vacations than anyone else in the developed world (even the Japanese), averaging only 13 to 16 days off a year.

... to read the rest of Maureen's brilliance, click on the title above.

Best. Show. Ever.

2005-08-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

Six Feet Under is over. Hubby and I have been watching this show since it premiered five years ago and now it's over.

I'm really quite heartbroken over this, although I do respect Alan Ball for knowing how to leave us wanting more. Six Feet Under featured amazing character development and plot depth, and some of the finest writing on television today. Damn, I'll miss it.

Human beings are a storytelling animal. Lest you think me foolish for mourning a television show, remember that stories are a huge part of how humans communicate with each other. Story telling is how we both teach and learn. It's how we explore our human condition. And Six Feet Under explored the human condition like no other show before it, with incredible characters who were both lovable and flawed. Each one simultaneously a protagonist and antagonist. Just as are we all.

I looked forward to this show each and every week. I would find myself thinking about the show, especially over the weekend, leading up to the show. And again, on Mondays, part of my mind would just be occupied with these characters, wondering how they were going to deal with whatever just happened the night before, and forgetting a bit that these were not real people. That is the gift of great story telling: you forget that the characters aren't real.

Nate, David, Claire, Ruth... I'll miss them all. And to Alan Ball, thank you. What a beautiful story you told us.

Witches Weekly: Your Knowledge

2005-08-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Witches Weekly: Your Knowledge

Witches Weekly for the week of August 06, 2005

Do you keep a journal or some other archive to keep track of what you learn, rituals you attend, etc?

Sort of. Mainly, I write about all these things in my regular journal. Because the parts of my life are pieces of the whole, I keep ritual notes, class notes, budgets, personal writings, copies of personally important emails, to-do lists, and all such manner of things in my journal. My journal is the portrait of my whole life.

Would you ever want to share all the knowledge you've gained on your path? Or would you prefer to keep it personal, only to those close to you?

Some of it, I would like to share, but much of it I like to keep personal. Not that I'm trying to keep any of it from anyone, but just that if I run around telling everyone what I know, it seems so... cheap. So, I share my ideas and knowledge with those close to me, but would gladly teach what I know to others, if they were inclined to ask me.

How do you plan to pass down what you know to your children?

I tell my children what I know about different things as they come up, and as my children show interest.

My daughter (17) is an atheist, so a lot of what I do, I don't share with her, as she's not that interested. On the other hand, I don't hide anything from her. If I'm outside, greeting the sun, and she asks what I'm doing, I tell her. If something I know to be spiritually true for me is relevant to something she's going through, I do share it with her. Generally, this is along the lines of, "I know you're an athiest, but what I believe is..." or, "What works for me is..." or, "It may sound corny, but..."

My son (14) is more spiritually inclined, and I do try to share some of my knowledge more specifically with him, like talking to him about grounding when he is having a hard time in school and such.

Truthfully, I probably learn just as much from them as they do from me.

Let the Clapotis begin...

2005-08-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

Delicious and beautiful

2005-08-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful latte last night. Besides being delicious, it was also beautiful. So impressed was I by the foam art, that I actually photographed it.

What does it look like to you? Yup. That's pretty much what it looked like to me too.

Clapotis!

2005-08-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I chickened out on the Peacock Feathers shawl. Even though it's beautiful and I love it and I totally want to make it one of these days... I just got scared off by all that lace work. Someday, though....

Instead, I have chosen to embark on the increasingly famous and very lovely Clapotis from Knitty.com. I went shopping today for the yarn called for, Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb, but alas! Half a dozen yarn stores in this town, and not one--not one!--that carries this particular yarn. And with Clapotis sweeping the blogosphere, too. Tsk, tsk.

No matter... on we go! I picked up three skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd's Worsted. Very soft, and it's 100% superwash wool, so I can toss it in the washing machine, too. It won't have quite the silky drape that the Lion and Lamb would have; on the other hand, the Sheperd's Worsted was only half the cost of the L&L and I think it will still be perfectly lovely. I'm doing in in the Black Purl colorway.

Cannot... resist... buying... yarn...

2005-08-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, boy, do I want to make this!!!

Peacock Feathers Shawl

But in what color?!?

Peter Jennings, 1938-2005

2005-08-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I was sad this morning to read that Peter Jennings has crossed over. The 67-year-old, Canadian-born news veteran died in his New York home on Sunday. My education is in journalism, and while I don't generally think much of TV news, Jennings was, in many ways, a shining example of what journalism could be. In honor of Jennings' life, I'd like to offer a link to a Jennings tribute on the blog of my current favorite newsman, Keith Olbermann.

Peter Jennings: A Tribute

NEW YORK -- The calm, seasoned, assuring voice has been stilled.

We may remember him for his work on 9/11, or for any of a dozen other crises, from Vietnam to the Munich Olympics to the Challenger disaster. But the real story of Peter Jennings is not to be found in a kaleidoscope of unconnected moments of history.

It is, instead, contained in literally a half century of perseverance, growth; even redemption: He was the only enduring anchorman to return to the desk from which he had been fired. He was the only of America’s great newscasters, to have come from another nation. He was the anchorman who, having concurred with his early critics that he was “simply unqualified,” went out and did something about it. He was a man of whom a colleague would say in the early 1980s - with pride and affection - “He is now as good as he used to think he was.”

Read the rest on Keith's blog.

Open Letter to the Kansas School Board

2005-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Concerned citizen Bobby Henderson has written an Open Letter to the Kansas School Board, as they vote on whether to teach "Intelligent Design," aka Creationism in science classes.

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

Please read the rest of Mr. Henderson's heartfelt plea at the link above.

Good dog, Mavis. Good dog.

2005-08-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had to have our beautiful miniature Schnauzer, Mavis, put to sleep. She was 14 years old.

In this photo, Mavis is two or three years old. I'm not really sure, because I had not yet met her. My husband got Mavis when she was just 7 weeks old. I first met Mavis perhaps nine years ago, but I didn't live with her until Hubby and I first moved in together seven years ago.

Mavis was sweet and loving, an excellent ratter in her youth, and always loved to be held and cuddled by her people. She would bound across the yard like a deer, then fall down in the grass to roll around on her back in it. She really loved to snack on "Kitty Roca," so we had to keep her away from the cat box. Ugh, why do they like that?!?

Once, about five years ago, Mavis got into the compost pile and ate something that made her very ill indeed. She spent several days in the vet hospital, getting IV fluids and medicine, but she recovered well. We had to be more careful about what snacks we gave her after that.

When she was younger, she loved to run off and have adventures, if she got the chance. One time Hubby was searching for her and found that she had wandered on to the freeway! Thank the gods she was safe. She could find a way out of any fence, so we really had to watch that. In recent years, her most ambitious expedition became her daily "orbit" around the outside of the house.

We sometimes talked about breeding her, but in the end, Hubby couldn't stand the thought of his baby Mavis pregnant and giving birth.

It was hard to watch Mavis really start to age. She wanted to sleep most of the time. She lost most of her hearing. Her cataracts were getting worse and worse. She had to have fifteen teeth removed in March--bad teeth had already killed most of her siblings. She was getting pretty senile, and sometimes seemed very confused about normal routines, like going out to potty. Still, she was a happy enough dog, and didn't seem to be suffering.

This week, things went downhill for Mavis fast. She didn't want to eat. She would start to vomit, then fall on her side, shaking and vomiting. These seizures were really painful to watch, and Mavis was clearly confused and upset. I took her to the vet yesterday morning, and they confirmed what we already suspected: Mavis was critically ill. With aggressive treatment, we could have dragged her through another couple of years, maybe. That seemed cruel. So I went to the vet yesterday afternoon, and held her in my arms while the doctor gave her that final dose of medicine. She breathed a few last, heavy breaths, and then simply stopped, with her head cradled in the crook of my arm.

We will miss her deeply.

Guardsman in Iraq Punished Over Blog Post

2005-08-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

From the AP: Guardsman in Iraq Punished Over Blog Post
By AMANDA KEIM, Associated Press Writer

Mon Aug 1, 7:41 PM

PHOENIX - An Arizona National Guardsman serving in Iraq has been demoted for posting classified information on his Internet Web log, an Army official said Monday.

Leonard Clark, 40, was demoted from specialist to private first class and fined $1,640, said Col. Bill Buckner, a spokesman for the Multi-National Corps-Iraq.

Soldiers in Iraq are allowed to maintain blogs or Web sites but cannot post information about Army operations or movements. They also are barred from posting information about the death of a soldier whose family hasn't yet been notified.

'The intent of the policy is not to violate soldiers' rights, but to safeguard soldiers,' Buckner said. Blogs are 'a growing phenomenon, I guess. It's something a lot of people do and has some uses.'

Buckner said he didn't know what kind of classified information Clark had posted.

Clark's blog contained two posts Monday, one with links to articles on him and one stating Clark would comply with a gag order.

Calls to his home Monday by The Associated Press went unanswered and contact information for him in Iraq wasn't immediately available.

Clark is a Glendale, Ariz., kindergarten teacher who has run for the state Legislature four times. He could have appealed the ruling but declined to, Buckner said.

Clark's company was called to active duty in November and has been in Iraq since around January, said Capt. Paul Aguirre, a spokesman for the Arizona National Guard. The company is expected to be brought home next January.

Define Mainstream?

2005-08-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

I was listening to Episode 3 of Lance and Graal this morning (yes, I'm an episode behind), and heard an interview with Tom Johnson, a Wiccan parent who was recently prohibited from teaching his son about his religion. The whole situation is really quite shocking. Both parents are Wiccan, and their 10-year-old son has been raised Wiccan from birth. There is no disagreement between the parents about whether to raise their son in their religion, nor does the son disagree with this. Nevertheless, a commissioner and a judge have prohibited the couple from raising their son in the religion of their choice.

Tom Johnson has created a website about all this, which explains more: Define Mainstream?

In May of 2003, the Jones' separated and filed for divorce. A preliminary hearing gave the parents joint custody with physical custody being granted to the father.

In July of 2003, both parents and the child are interviewed by the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau.

In February 2004, the parents attended the final divorce hearing. During it, the commissioner of the Indianapolis Judicial court system had concerns, specifically, about how their religion was practiced and what implications they had on the child. The father answered her questions to the best of his ability. Her specific concern, however, was if they practiced Satanism. His response was, “I can’t worship something if I don’t believe in it.”

Several weeks after the final hearing, both parents were shocked to read in the final divorce decree, “(j) That the parents are directed to take such steps as are needed to shelter (child) from involvement and observation of these non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals.” As both parents were Wiccan, they could not understand why the courts felt this needed to be included.

In March of 2004, an attempt was made by both parents to have the amendment removed from the divorce decree. In a Verified Motion to Correct Errors, their lawyer, Alisa Cohen, outlined how Wicca was a recognized religion, citing several court cases as well as including an excerpt from the U.S. Army Chaplain’s Handbook.

In November of 2004, a hearing was conducted with the parents, their lawyer and Judge Cale Bradford. The lawyer spent most of her time trying to dispel many of the negative myths and stereotypes surrounding Wicca. He ruled to keep the decree the following day.

In March of 2005, the father, along with his Indiana Civil Liberties Union attorney, Ken Falk, filed the brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals.

A Lugh Myth for Lughnasad

2005-08-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

For Lughnasad, I would like to offer a link: A Lugh Myth, by Todd K. Herriott

In the early days of our ancestors, long before humans became separate from nature, the peoples of northern Europe lived in harmony with the land. Cultivation of the Great Mother for food was not yet know to these first peoples. They fed from the wild berries in the forests and ate from the roots of certain plants, but they had long relied upon the hunt to provide them with sustinence. Tribes hunted the wild stag to feed themselves and provide food for the winter. The hunt of the Stag was a very important aspect of these first peoples' lives. Before the men and women ventured into the woods, they would ask the Spirit of the Great Mother to allow them to be successful in their hunt. They would then ask the Spirit of the Stag to offer himself up to them, so that they might have food and survive. The Spirit of the Stag would appear unto them, and tell them how to hunt that they might be successful. The men and the women would then go off in search of the Stag. When he gave of himself, they would honor him with prays and thanks and to the Great Mother for her protection and guidance.

As time went on, and the first peoples prospered under the care of the Great Mother and the warmth of Her Sun, the tribes grew in number and spread out over the land. The hunt continued year after year to support them as the Stag offered himself up to them for food. Soon, though, there became too many of the first people to feed from the hunt alone, and they grew fearful. The Stag could only provide so much food for the people, and He knew that soon, He would not be enough. The peoples knew no other means of food except for the hunt and they cried out to the Great Mother and Her Sun to bring food to them. They begged Her to bring more Stag to them, or to show them other ways to provide for them. With each hunt, they sent out prayers and pleas, hoping that She might hear them and answer. Still, they feared what might come of them when the dark winter would come over the land.

... for the rest, please click A Lugh Myth by Todd K. Herriott.

Garden update

2005-08-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Lughnasad!

Here's my devotional garden, now that things are really in bloom. I know this isn't the greatest photo. That's because my digital camera needs a new memory card, so I had to take this with my Palm Zire 71. Love that nicotiana... so pretty. It does need some weeding again, so I'll try to get to that this week.

What I was really excited about, though, was some of the lilies blooming. My Casablanca lilies are blooming right now, and are very fragrant. Beautiful!

One Million Reasons

2005-07-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Reasons to end the occupation of Iraq... and more!

1. Military occupation is making things worse in Iraq, not better.
2. The death toll is mounting daily.
3. Most Iraqis want the occupation to end.
4. Six out of ten U.S. citizens want the troops to withdraw.
5. The war is draining resources from critical social programs in the U.S. and abroad.
6. As occupier, U.S. standing in the world is diminished.
7. The invasion was unjustified and illegal and so is the occupation.
8. The U.S. military is perpetrating war crimes against the Iraqi people.
9. The ongoing war is destabilizing the region.
10. U.S. military and political strategies are provoking civil war in Iraq.
11. The U.S. military presence is fostering terrorism & strengthening Al Qaeda.
12. Without foreign troops and contractors, Iraqis can begin rebuilding.
13. A planned exit is far better than a forced exit.
14. It is time for Iraqis to control their own sovereignty.

CODEPINK: onemillionreasons.org

May they all return home safely.

So, what's a podcast, anyway?

2005-07-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times: In One Stroke, Podcasting Hits Mainstream

...A podcast, as anyone under 25 can tell you, is an audio recording posted online, much like a short radio show. ('Podcasting' is a pun on 'broadcasting,' implying, of course, that you listen to it on your iPod or another music player.) The beauty of a podcast is that it's free and you listen to it whenever you like. And there are more than 7,000 podcasts 'on the air' right now, on every conceivable topic. Their quantity and variety already dwarf what you can find on regular radio.

What makes podcasting a national dinnertime conversation these days, though, is that anyone can make one. You just need a microphone, a sound-recording program, and the tutorials that have already appeared at many points on the Web, including apple.com/podcasting.

Yes, some are corporate broadcasts, repurposed shows from traditional radio shows. But the real fun is finding the homemade ones, the amateur attempts made in somebody's basement with a laptop and a microphone. These can be unpolished and quirky, with plenty of dead air and 'ums,' but that's their charm. Podcasts, in other words, are the audio version of blogs - the Web logs, or daily text postings, that made up last year's hot dinnertime conversation.

So, how about some of those Pagan podcasts?

I must admit, my favorite so far is Lance and Graal. Hosted by Jeva Singh-Anand, this is a quirky and engaging hour of Pagan talk and music.

There are a few production bits I don't care much for with Lance and Graal. For one, Jeva introduces music as a way to break up the talky bits. Good strategy (and good music!), but sometimes he's kind of abrupt, or breaks up the talk in odd places. Another thing that could be improved is that Jeva uses an echo effect in some places that makes it difficult to understand what is actually being said. I noticed it more in his early podcasts.

But those are my only real complaints. He keeps a schedule for one thing... love that! He's got a quirky, fun attitude and voice. He's not afraid to say what he thinks. Basically, I like him and what he has to say. News, interviews, music... Jeva promises that he plans to "...bring Paganism to the mainstream...kicking and screaming if necessary!" Give it a listen... you don't need an iPod. Just go to the site, and you can stream the cast right over your desktop.

Witches Weekly: Classes

2005-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Witches Weekly: Classes

Witches Weekly for the week of July 17, 2005

This weeks questions donated by: Lizz

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

I've taken bellydance in the past, to help me learn about being in my body and how to express worship through dance. I haven't taken any bellydance in a while, but will probably go back to it at some point. I've also considered taking voice lessons, to enhance my ability to use voice in ritual (leading trance, invocations, singing, chanting, and toning).

Right now what I'm really excited and passionate about studying is knitting. I'm a self-taught knitter, and have never taken any knitting classes. But after six years of knitting, I'm ready to hone my skills. So I joined The Knitters Guild Association, and am taking a correspondence course through them. I'm starting with the "Basics, Basics, Basics" course, to really work on my basic skills and to have my knitting evaluated for the first time. The Basics, Basics, Basics course is three lessons. I have the first lesson in hand, and have to work five swatches. I've finished one swatch, and have worked the second swatch a couple of times. Hopefully I'll be able to get the second swatch done--to my satisfaction--tonight or tomorrow. We'll see.

As far as how it helps me, that remains to be seen. I expect it will help me learn to push myself more, to really develop skills and be really good at something. I'm good at many things, but excellent at few. I want to excel at knitting.

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be? How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

I would teach an "Astrology Basics for Witches" course. I don't think all Witches need to be astrologers, per se, but I do think understanding the symbols and basic energies of astrology could be really valuable for Witches. It's a whole other language we can use to understand ourselves and the world around us.

I would want to teach the "alphabet" first: the planets and signs, and the symbols for them. What energies each carries. How the planets work in and through the signs. Basic aspects... the big ones like trines and squares. Let's not muck it up with semiquadrasextiles and the like. (That is a made-up aspect, btw).

This would be helpful in timing rituals, understanding what's going on energetically in the universe, and in drawing on planetary energies to give our work a boost.

Also, I would want everyone in the class to get to know more about their sun, moon, and rising signs. Those are, in my opinion, the big three everyone should know about themselves.

If you know that my sun--the core identity--is in Taurus, that tells you something about me. It might tell you that I don't miss many meals, or that it's tough to get me out of the house, or that I can be both slow in actions, and stubborn once I've chosen my direction.

If you know that I have Taurus rising--the face we show the outside world--as well, that might tell you that what you see with me is basically what you get. I'm not much for hiding my true self.

If you know that I have a Virgo moon--the moon representing the emotional life--that might tell you that I have a desire to help others. It helps me feel more emotionally fulfilled. I can also be a perfectionist (although I manifest that rather oddly sometimes.)

Silly knitting quizzes

2005-07-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

You are Mohair.
You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that's okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I happen to love knitting with Mohair, so this is a rather nice result for me. After looking at all the possible results, this one really does fit me the best. Merino wool, which I also love, would also have been reasonably accurate.

Also from Quizilla, I've moved from being a Knitting Novice (last year) to being a...

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer.
You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days. (http://marniemaclean.com)

What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Shifting direction

2005-07-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I recently mentioned that I thought this blog might need an overhaul. Well, here it comes.

When I started this blog, its purpose was to chronicle my path to initiation in the Reclaiming tradition. I wanted to keep the blog as anonymous as possible, so that I would feel free to write whatever I wanted to. The topics were to be strictly those that related to my tradition of Witchcraft. I've talked about politics some, but in Reclaiming tradition, that is related to Witchcraft!

But I think we should open this up some more.

As my personal and initiation work becomes increasingly integrated into my everyday life, and my life becomes more a part of my work, I find that I want to write about more. I want to talk about all my passions here.

So, now that the blog has a new design, it's time for a new name, some new links, and a new attitude.

Blessed be!

Discovering the Podcast

2005-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

For the winter holiday last year, my husband got me an iPod. It was the only thing I really wanted, and it was just as great as I thought it would be. I love it.

Recently, I've discovered podcasts. I'd heard about them before, but iTunes recently added podcast support to iTunes, so it's much easier now to subscribe and listen. My current favorite is KnitCast, but I also listen to World of Warcast and Morning Sedition. The Pagan podcasts I've found so far have been:

Lance and Graal: Pagan Talk Podcasting

Wicked Podcast

The Pagan Power Hour (not updated in the past six months)

I haven't listened to all of these yet, but will try to offer reviews of them as I do. If you know about other Pagan podcasts, please let me know!

Beauty and Truth

2005-07-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

I really love Free Will Astrology by Rob Breszny. Now there's a guy striving to live in beauty and delight.

Recently, Rob published his new book, Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia, and lately he's been including excerpts in his weekly newsletter. I like Rob's work and intend to buy this book, so I want to give him a little plug here. Here's the excerpt I received today, along with my always inspirational horoscopes.

WHAT IS THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LABORATORY?

The Beauty and Truth Laboratory is an ever-expanding web of think tanks and mystery schools devoted to exploring pronoia. Since I launched the prototype in October 2001, 12 other branches have sprung up in basements, barns, and bedrooms all over the world: eight in North America and others in Amsterdam, London, Florence, Italy, and Sydney, Australia.

All of these, including my own in Marin County, California, are similar in spirit to pirate radio stations. They're not registered, incorporated, or licensed, and Goddess forbid that they should ever become the canonical hubs of a franchise.

That doesn't mean I eschew power, authority, and wealth. My own branch of the Beauty and Truth Laboratory is stationed in a garage next to the house I rent on the seedy outskirts of suburbia, but I'd have no problem moving to a more expansive location, like say, a conference center on a 100-acre compound in an idyllic place that the original inhabitants of this continent regarded as a power spot. And I'd love it if this book sold a million copies, or if Beauty and Truth Laboratories were as common as 7- Elevens in 10 years.

On the other hand, I'm happy with whatever blessings life conspires to bring me. If it's to my and your ultimate benefit that this book reaches no more than 10,000 wise guys and riot grrrls, I will celebrate that outcome.
And my garage-based laboratory is fine just the way it is, with its sloping floor and row of tiny windows darkened by the exuberant persimmon tree outside. The modesty of its structure is a constant reminder that the most important aspect of my work is building the Beauty and Truth Laboratory within me. As I prod my imagination to nurture ever-more detailed visions of love, compassion, joy, freedom, beauty, and truth, I'm better able to spot and name all those good things in the world around me. I also become more skilled at creating them.

My humble headquarters brings another advantage. It encourages me to regard everywhere I go as a potential extension of the Beauty and Truth Laboratory. My experiments aren't confined to the hours I spend in the solitude of my ivory tower, but also spill out into the fertile chaos of daily life.

On one epiphanic occasion, an eight-lane highway at rush hour turned into a temporary Beauty and Truth Laboratory. It was just a few days after my return from the Burning Man festival, where the dream of the Laboratory had hatched. I was driving on 101, the artery that bisects Marin County just north of San Francisco.

As I cruised at 65 mph between Larkspur and Corte Madera, a blonde in a Jaguar convertible with the top down passed me on the right. Perhaps distracted by the chat she was enjoying on her cell phone, she suddenly zipped in front of me. After hitting my brakes to avoid rear-ending her, I honked my horn to express my annoyance.

In response, she careened back over to the lane she'd been in before cutting me off, then slowed down and waited for me to catch up. I avoided eye contact at first, but finally looked over. Quaking with agitation, she was flashing me a middle-finger salute and a mad face as fierce as a Tibetan demon. Her car was veering closer to mine. I wondered if she might she actually crash into me on purpose . . . .

To read the rest of "WHAT IS THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LABORATORY," excerpted from PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia, go here: Beauty and Truth Lab. You can't buy the book directly from Rob, but can purchase it from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or my favorite independent bookseller, Powells.com.

Witches Weekly: Pagan Clergy

2005-07-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Pagan Clergy

Witches Weekly for the week of July 03, 2005

Questiond donated by: Malory

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

This is a challenging question, because to me, paganism always seemed to promote a view that YOU are the clergy you seek. We don't have the same divide between clergy and laity. Yet we do also need advisors, teachers, mentors... that is the clergy role I find most relevant. I hope it's obvious to most pagans that unlike other religions, we don't need clergy to intercede with or interpret the Divine for you.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

I'm lucky in that there is a pagan temple in my community, although it is for women only. I used to spend a lot more time there than I do now, but men are now a more important part of my spiritual life than they used to be. What I mean by that is that I coven and study with men now, and am less comfortable in a space that does not welcome them. It would be nice to have a temple that welcomed all members of the local Pagan community.

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

Yes, and in fact, as I learn and experience more as a Witch, I find I would be most comfortable with a pagan counselor. In fact, I was recently challenged to seek counseling about some personal issues (ie, my relationship with my mother), and am planning to see a counselor of my own tradition. Lucky that I can find that in my community!

London

2005-07-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the statement from United for Peace and Justice regarding the tragic attacks in London last week:

United for Peace and Justice is horrified by the senseless death and destruction caused by the bombings in London on July 7, 2005. Our hearts go out to the people who have lost loved ones and those who have been wounded, as well as the countless people whose lives have been forever shaken by these events. UFPJ opposes terrorism - acts of violence against innocent civilians - in all its forms: bombs on public transportation in London, planes flying into buildings in New York City, or the armies of the United States and Great Britain waging war on the people of Iraq.

As we write this statement, there is no certainty as to who who is responsible for the London bombings. UFPJ hopes that as those who committed criminal acts are brought to justice there is no rush to judgment or assumption of guilt. It is in these moments that smear campaigns against individuals and whole communities can easily take hold, often shaped by and feeding racist stereotypes. We must counter those who will claim that the bombings reflect the supposedly violent nature of Muslims or the religion of Islam.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's comments that this was an attack on our values and way of life echoed much of the language George W. Bush used to justify his war on Iraq. We were told by the Bush Administration that our nation had to go to war in Iraq in order to fight terrorism, to make us and the world safer. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, none of us is more secure since the Bush Administration launched its so-called war on terror. The war on Iraq and the military occupation of that nation has certainly not made the Iraqi people any safer, nor has it lessened the risk of future terror attacks elsewhere around the world. Instead of feeding the cycle of killing it is time for a new direction in our policies. It is time for the U.S. to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, time to end U.S. support for Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, time to stop supporting repressive regimes in the Middle East and other places, and time to remove U.S. military bases from oil-rich countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Just as we mourn the loss of life in London, we mourn the daily loss of life in Iraq. We use this occasion to re-commit ourselves to doing all that we can to end the war in Iraq, including building a massive anti-war march in Washington, DC on Sept. 24th. We will also be vigilant in ensuring that this new round of violence is not used by the Blair and Bush administrations as an excuse either for new military attacks in foreign lands or for domestic policies that scapegoat Muslims, immigrants and people of color.

Service

2005-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Please consider a donation to Mercy Corps, CARE, Oxfam, or any of the other partners in The ONE Campaign: The Campaign to Make Poverty History .

The ONE Campaign Declaration:

“WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty. WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs – education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget. WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all.”

You can also offer your time. Find an opportunity to serve at VolunteerMatch.

Busted

2005-07-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

OK, here's the comment left at my last post.

Tania said...

I don't really see what all the fuss is about with Tom Cruise. It's my opinion that most people who are bagging him out are simply being sucked into the media hype.

The witch's creed is harm none and by taking in the crap the media put about that's a whole lot of negative energy you're buying into.

Fair enough. We could get into how it's not about the media for me, it's about Tom Cruise acting, well, nuts. Or we could get into just what the "creed" (Rede) really means and whether it's possible to harm none or whether I'm harming Tom Cruise with my little bit of judgement.

But, when it's all said and done, my post was really just about me making a petty little joke about something that really doesn't matter that much. Except Tom making nasty comments about antidepressants, which really help a lot of people, myself included. Yup, I take Paxil, 20mg per day, and have taken it since 1997. I did take a six-month break from it a few years ago, but that only proved to me how much the medicine was really helping me.

Anyway, maybe my TC post was out of place here. So my next post will be something helpful instead.

Pure, unadulterated dish

2005-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. It's true: Tom Cruise Is Nuts.

Oh but my religion's weird?!? Hehehe!

My Moonster

2005-07-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

I found this new project via a podcast website this morning: My Moonster. I've signed up for the email Moonletters, and look forward to receiving them beginning in September. Check it out, and I'll let you know what I think when the letters start coming.

Freedom and flowers

2005-07-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

So, I had an excellent 4th of July weekend. Except for the part where our neighbors, the Assclown Family, were hooting and hollering and shooting off what must have been thousands of dollars worth of legal and illegal fireworks all freaking night. The police finally came and shut them down about 3 this morning. I think that was after the fire in the street.

On the other hand, the weather was lovely all weekend, we had some of our favorite friends over, barbequed some steaks and had a great dinner on our front porch. I also had some time to plant a few more things in my devotional garden. I planted lilies last fall, and have now added heliotrope, ageratum, and nicotiana. The nicotiana is perennial, the ageratum is an annual, and the heliotrope is a perennial that is usually treated as an annual. Not at my house, though. I'm too lazy a gardener to mess much with annuals. I am fond of the ageratum, though.

ABC Drops Show After Complaints by Civil Rights Groups

2005-07-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

I heard that the new ABC reality show "Welcome to the Neighborhood" had been dropped for being completely offensive and breaking fair housing laws last week. One of the families featured on the show was Wiccan... I didn't learn that until this weekend. Very Fiona Horne, if you ask me.

It's offensive enough that we are expected to be a freak show for mainstream America, but I always wonder... who are these people anyway, willing and eager to be the freakshow?

Happy Blogiversary!

2005-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

I started my blog one year ago today. Hooray!

I'll be going through some updates and changes here. Some of them have already begun, with more to follow soon!

O'Connor retires

2005-07-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court, has announced her retirement. I fully expect Bush's appointment to be a mess. Get ready for a fight.

In the meantime, here are a few things The Interfaith Alliance thinks we should be asking about a nominee.

Does he or she:

· Acknowledge and abide by the constitutional provisions of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause that guarantee religious liberty and protect the rich religious pluralism that characterizes this nation;
· Demonstrate a commitment to vigorously defend the Constitution, even if a conflict arises between the dictates of their religious views;
· Abstain from points of view that would prove harmful to all religions in the nation;
· Refrain from using his/her position to establish or favor a particular religion or religious doctrine?

Going to the Chapel...

2005-07-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Spain legalizes gay marriage. I'm telling you, it's just a matter of time until gay marriage is legal everywhere. As it should be.

There are now four countries that recognize gay marriage. Five, if you count the U.S. because of Massachusetts. The L.A. Times offers us A Look at Gay Marriage Around the World.

Gay Marriage resources

Human Rights Coalition

Marriage Equality

ACLU

Freedom to Marry

Oh, and Mark Morford explains why the entire nations of Canada and Spain are goin' straight to hell!

Christians following Jesus' example

2005-06-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

I just read a really lovely excerpt from the Christian Alliance for Progress The Jacksonville Declaration.

We cannot imagine a Jesus who would say:

"You are strong and powerful; your ideals are noble. Make war to spread those ideals."
"The end is near - So it doesn't matter what you do to my Father's creation."
"Heal the sick - Provided they can pay."
"All are welcome at the table - As long as they are the same as we are."
"Follow me - And help me form a government to force others to follow."

Do you believe such statements truly reflect Christian or American values? Do these views follow what Jesus taught? Do you think it is genuinely American to steer our country toward a Christian theocracy? Is it Christian to foster intolerance? Is this the path to which Jesus leads us?

We say "No". Instead, we say "Yes" to values Jesus plainly and passionately practiced. Listen to his words:

"I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
-- John 13:34-35

For the entire Declaration, please click on Jacksonville Declaration.

Blog templates

2005-06-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

So, I've wasted altogether too much time at work today checking out blog templates, because mine is getting boring. To me, anyway.

Here are some of the sites I've been visiting:

Noipo
Beccary
Not (That) Ugly
Elementopia
The Realm of Possibility Templates
Ann-s-thesia
The Design Booth
Anti Ivy
Quixiotic Pixels

I wound up choosing the current template from The Realm of Possibility...

Female Orgasm

2005-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Another fine Mark Morford column, in which Mark explains that the female orgasm is, in fact, proof of God. I've always thought orgasm--whether male or female--is proof that God Herself loves us beyond all reason. More on God and orgasm in a future post.

Female Orgasm: Proof Of God

Science can't explain it, evolution can't understand it and men can only lie there in awe

By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist

Friday, May 27, 2005

Women have orgasms because they can. Women have orgasms because it's the right thing to do.

Women have orgasms because by and large they refuse to launch monstrous ultraviolent illegal soul-deadening wars over oilsucking phallocentric powermad landwhoring BS powergrabs and therefore they fully deserve all the inexplicable otherworldly cosmically infused clitorally energized pleasures they can get.

Did you catch that keyword? That note of strangeness? It was right there, in the word inexplicable. Because apparently, as far as science is concerned and despite the obvious reasons I assert above, no one really seems to know exactly why women have orgasms at all.

Observe, won't you, a new book by a soft-spoken scientist named Dr. Elisabeth Lloyd, from Indiana U, that basically claims there is no justifiable evolutionary need for the female orgasm whatsoever, that it really serves no known biological purpose and that it's becoming, therefore, increasingly obsolete and redundant and more or less unnecessary.

(to read the rest, click on the column title above)

What running has taught me about Witchcraft

2005-05-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

So far, here's what I've learned about Witchcraft from running.

Grounding is to Witchcraft as hydration is to running. It's a base, something you need to do to make sure you don't hurt yourself or knock yourself on your ass with your own activity. I drink water throughout the day to make sure my body stays hydrated. I ground throughout the day to make sure my energy stays centered and available to me.

Training is training. Some mornings, I don't feel like going out running. Sometimes I skip it, but more often, I just shove myself out the door. I always feel better about myself when I do it. I enjoy it, once I've got started. And I feel great afterward. It's the getting going that's tough. Same thing with my daily practice. Some mornings, I just don't feel like it. But if I go ahead anyway, it's always gratifying. Even when it's hard. Also, if I skip all my morning runs, I'll never get better at it, and I might hurt myself during an event. Likewise, if I skip my daily practice, I'll never get better at it, and would be completely unprepared for a what might happen in a big ritual.

Hmm, also, although you can buy books on both running and Witchcraft--and I do love books--you can't really get them from books. You have to run to know running, and you have to practice to know Witchcraft.

Pagan Republicans still confuse me...

2005-05-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

But what a great comment Eddie Coyote left with me the other day!

I like the points he makes. It's true, the Republicans of yesteryear did some great things for this country. And I respect the fact that not all Republicans today are of the Religious Right. That some of them may simply differ with me on issues that reasonable people may differ on.

Also, I can really get behind what Eddie says about libertarian ideas. I have libertarian leanings myself; I see freedom as one of the gods' great gifts to humans.

But freedom without compassion can be destructive and harmful. Freedom is a great human gift, but we are also challenged to hold freedom and compassion together. It's compassion where I feel many of todays Republicans--and certainly those running the party today--are sorely lacking. How is it compassionate to prohibit gay marriage (actually, I think a prohibition against gay marriage also violates libertarian principles)? How is it compassionate to give huge tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, while cutting services (medical and otherwise) to the poor? How is it compassionate to spend billions of dollars in Iraq and send more than 1000 young Americans to their death (not to mention the thousands of Iraqi civilians) while we almost completely ignore the genocide in Sudan?

All that aside, however, Eddie asks how Paganism and Republicanism conflict. I guess for me, the one really clear thing that jumps out is the environment. I belive Pagans should honor the inherent value of the Earth and care for it appropriately, while I see Republicans treating the Earth as something we can dominate and shred for our own purposes.

In all, I really appreciated the thoughtfulness of Eddie's comments. It helps me see the other side more clearly and helps me remember that not all Republicans are Ann Coulter! I shouldn't wonder that the Religious Right pisses Eddie off... I don't much like it when I see the cruel or the stupid trying to take over the things I believe in either.

Finally, I want to honor the service Eddie and his fellows performed in Iraq. While I don't believe we belong over there, soldiers have a job to do. I was in the Army Reserve when I was younger, and while I never had to serve overseas, I definitely respect the work our military does. May the Morrigan bless them all, that they serve with honor and honesty, and that they may do what they must do.

Plus, look... he totally inspired me to post here again.

Eddie Coyote said:

First... I love your site, it's color scheme is great... well done (I feel inspired to revisit my own).

I grew up in the South and I like to think that I took the best ideas and left the worst (kept "honor" and "gallantry" and left "prejudice" and "gender discrimination"). I joined the Marines, got out, went to college, moved to Oregon as a rabid environmentalist and anti-Bush, and in the process of learning about myself (that is what magick is right?) I eventually grew to accept the fact that I held deep libertarian beliefs and that the hated republican party was really the party closest to my political views.

The Religous Right piss me off on a regular basis, but I am not willing to give up my party, the party that worked to end slavery, that is for states rights, the party that is for less government and less taxation!

I lean pretty heavily toward the Celts in my practice. Were they fluff bunny hippies? Nope. I would regularly pray to The Morrigain and ask to kill my enemies and/or meet my death honorably before I went out on patrol in Baghdad.

I fail to see the discrepancy between paganism and being a republican.

Where Are The Good Christians?

2005-04-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Mark Morford. Today's column is particularly awesome: Where Are The Good Christians?: The fanatics and nutjobs now running the show sure give honest believers a bad name. I've been thinking the same thing for some time. In fact, I've been trying to persuade my husband for several years now that Christians are not all wingnuts. Anyway, to all the decent Christians out there, I just want to say that's a nice deity you've got. I'm sorry about the way the Religious Right abuses him.

"Journalism is a terminally lame gig...

2005-02-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

... but at least it's better than working." -- Hunter S. Thompson, 1937-2005

Initiation Reading

2004-11-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Initiation reading: What do I need to do to move toward my initiation?

I like this reading quite a bit.

1: Ace of Cups. Opening the heart, allowing emotions to flow freely. Let the cup of my heart overflow. Gratitude, love, emotional awareness and opening.

2: The Aeon. Being reborn. Using judgement and discernment to begin anew. Bringing elements together to give birth to a new way of being, a new age in my own life.

3: Knight of Wands. Spiritual mastery, skillful use of my own energy. Courage and fierceness, fearlessness. A willingness to leap forward into the fray of life.

I'm back

2004-11-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Frankly, I've just been too depressed over the election to write anything. I've been burying my head in Sims2 and books about poetry. But my blog's stagnation is starting to depress me, so I'm back to it. Not like I get that many hits here anyway...

I used to consider myself a writer, but I really gave up writing several years ago. Then I picked up Matthew Fox's new book, Creativity.

Among other things, Fox posits that creativity is a sort of revealing; I see it as the revealing of the Self, and I suspect this is why I gave up writing.

Because the truth is, I have not been very interested in really revealing myself. I fear rejection. I fear being different. Which makes me a little sad, because the truth is we are each different. Fearing this is akin to fearing my own true Self.

So I started thinking about why I gave up writing, and what writing means to me. I couldn't put my finger on why I started a blog, except that I felt it would be an interesting experience, and a place to process my work, ideas, whatever. Now I see it as where my writing saw a chance to sneak out of me.

I'm not making it sneak out anymore. I've even written some poetry lately... bad poetry to be sure, but it's just for me, and I haven't really worked out my poetry muscles in an awfully long time. But I can feel something moving inside me (not in a scary, "The Believers" way), and I'm feeling ready to discover it.

Until I said it was working...

2004-11-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

I was pleased and surprised to see my blogroll suddenly working yesterday, but as soon as I posted that it was working, it went away again. Ack! What the devil is wrong with it?!?

Hey...

2004-11-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

My blogroll's working again. Cool!

Denial and Anger

2004-11-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

The Rude Pundit

Brilliance from The Rude Pundit:

The Five Stages of Grieving For George Bush's Re-Election
Stage 1: Denial

Yeah, yeah, we know, we know, we know, we fucking know - Ohio was, in theory, still up in the air. We know that Kerry could have eked out a victory there if there were enough absentee and provisional ballots, and, frankly, every vote should be counted. And, yeah, yeah, we know, we know, we know, Christ, how we know that we'll never know if there was rampant fraud through the use of touch screen voting and voter roll purges and other irregularities throughout the country. But without a whistleblower, anyone who accuses Bush of winning because of fraud is going to be marked as an insane conspiracy theorist. And, besides, back in 2000, we were pushing so hard for Florida to go to Gore because, well, Gore won the popular vote and there was demonstrable voter fraud. But, you know, we're talking 3.5 million votes in Bush's favor. We're talking gains for Republicans in the Congress. We're talking 11 ballot measures that ban gay marriage. Which means even if there's a miracle of miracles and Kerry had "won," we've still lost. Which means we must move on to Stage 2: Anger.

A Nation of Savages:
We are a nation of savages. That is what we decided last night. We belong to the "most advanced" society in the history of the world, and we decided that we would rather be barbarians, hunched over fire pits, ripping meat off the bones of our enemies, raping our women, howling out at the gods for peace in the afterlife.

Click on The Rude Pundit to read the rest.

Fuck!

2004-11-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Another four years of the Fuckup-in-Chief.

New WitchVox election poll!

2004-10-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

Witchvox Poll

Who will you be voting for in the US Presidential Election?

John F. Kerry (D): 74.1%
George W. Bush (R): 17.4%
Michael Badnarik (L): 3.9%
Ralph Nader (I): 2.2%
Other: 1.5%
David Cobb (G): 0.8%
Michael Peroutka (C): 0.1%

Total Votes Cast: 4617

I just can't believe GW has 17% of the Pagan vote! So, if you are a Pagan Republican, or a Pagan who supports Bush (these two do not necessarily go together these days), I'd love to hear why... what is it you like about him?