Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Wicked Awesome Poem Wednesday


Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers ...
That perches in the soul ...
And sings the tune without the words ...
And never stops ... at all ...

And sweetest ... in the Gale ... is heard ...
And sore must be the storm ...
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm ...

I've heard it in the chillest land ...
And on the strangest Sea ...
Tey, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb ... of Me.

-Emily Dickinson

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Wicked Awesome Poem Wednesday


The Cure for Exhaustion

Sometimes, exhausted
with toil and endeavor,
I wish I could sleep
for ever and ever;
but then this reflection
my longing allays:
I shall be doing it
one of these days.

-Piet Hein

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Today I Am Actually Embarrassed by You


What a magnificent horse's ass you are these days, Mr. President:
  • Apparently you have forgotten, or never quite knew, the definition of "bipartisan". Look it up.
  • You have shown an almost complete lack of interest in British Petroleum's (as of today) 64 days of eradicating all life and livelihood in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, I joke that it's become the Tragic Kingdom ... but then again, it's no joke at all, is it?
  • You've actually sucked up to the leaders of nations that care little for our way of life and who consider such sucking up a coup for them, or loss of face for the U.S. (do you have anyone on staff with an historical knowledge of international politics?). 
  • You either have no interest in proofreading your speechwriters, or none in how said insults ... er, speeches ... will come across to me and people like me (you know, the "little people"). "Islam has always been a part of America's story" indeed. Idiot. How difficult would it have been to have said "Islam plays an important role in America's ongoing story" instead? Duh. 
Now ... NOW ... you have the incredible GALL to be insulted by any comments made by General Stanley McChrystal?!?!?!

What you should do is offer a heartfelt apology to the man for leaving him hanging in the wind for months. You know, awaiting your response to his work on the action item with which you tasked him. Months, Mr. President!

Instead all we're hearing is that you're unhappy with the General's comments and have ordered him to attend the Wednesday morning SitRep meeting in person. We're all anticipating a dressing down of some sort, with the General probably in line to be censored or fired.

Because poor little pwesident (that's you) can't take it when someone is fed up with your inaction.  I love that you want us to keep in mind the central focus ... oh, we are, Mr. President ... if that central focus is, once again, you and your hurt feelings. 

This man (who, by the way, is doing much better at his job than you are at yours) expressed his frustration publicly. You're probably expecting him to apologize to you, then offer his resignation.

Shame on you, Mr. President. Shame on you.

You not only owe him an apology, but also the men and women serving in ou military, and their families and loved ones.

Be a man Mr. President ... or at least act like one.

Monday, June 21, 2010

BP, You ARE Responsible ...


Photo of the Gulf from space, or orbit ... whatever, from VERY FAR AWAY (06/12/10).

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Pssst! Hey Dad ...


HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

I LOVE YOU!!

You are the absolute BEST. Ever. Bar none. Period.
And when I grow up, I want to meet a man just like you.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Since When is Disrespect a Positive Quality?



There are a couple youngsters who are no doubt thrilled with themselves lately, but my opinion is they need a swift kick in the ass. I’m talking about the youths who accosted Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-NC) on the streets of DC. Yes, I’ve seen the footage … but I must have seen something different than everyone else, because I have no problem with the Congressman’s behavior.

From my perspective it sure seems like this gentleman was accosted by a couple rotten little pukes in an “ambush interview” and treated quite disrespectfully. Let’s see, he’s walking down the street and a kid says, Hi Congressman.” To which he politely replied. Then the kid asks, Do you fully support the Obama agenda?”

Okay. So now the Congressman realizes this is not just a polite young man passing him by … oh no! It’s an “ambush interview”! With a camera stuck in his face, and now there are two young turks giving it to him. Nice.

So he asks, Who are you?” Which is never, not once, answered by these horse’s asses, and that’s my issue. Yes, they said I’m here for a project, sir (notice the honorific, which we all know is universal code for non-orific), We’re just here for a project, and I’m just a student, sir.

The Congressman specifically said, at various times, Tell me who you are,From?”, From who?”, and I have a right to know who you are.” Which, guess what? He does. If you’re positioning yourself as somehow allowed to behave in this manner because you’re on ‘official’ business (e.g., working for a company, newspaper, school, etc) then DAMN STRAIGHT you need to identify yourself. And if you won’t? That just tells me you’re full of shinola, pal, and are undeserving of respect FROM me when you won’t give any TO me.

There was no reason, other than to purposely tweak him, not to answer the man’s request for identification. And anyone who thinks the generic, meant-to-annoy, wiseass sound bites these two provided constitute answers is woefully uninformed in general, if that’s their idea of the answer to a question. Either that, or they are easily mislead by basic subterfuge and oh, look! A BUTTERFLY! (scampers off)

Okay … that said, the neck grab. Yeah, the Congressman let his annoyance get the best of him. You can tell he realized it almost immediately, while still being quite steamed. But you know what? Little shitheel deserved it. And he still owes the Congressman an apology.

Now, before you start getting all pissy with me and my 'agenda' ... no, I am not a Democrat; yes, I firmly believe basic common decency and manners will get you a long way, and; yes, you better damn well respect your elders, period. These people have forgotten more than you've ever imagined and experienced combined.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Knock-Knock. Who’s There? 2 + 2 = 4, Duh


So it’s been a week since the house has been sided (vinyl over insulation over moisture wrap) aaaaaand … a week of uninterrupted sleep! Methinks the two may be connected.


It’s been so long since I slept through the night that I’d almost forgotten what it was like. I actually had forgotten that before this house (which is wonderful) sleepless nights were few and far between. Since this house? Seven years of up-all-night. I’d convinced myself that I’m just one of those people who sleeps so lightly that I wake up in between sleep cycles; and I sleep better at Mom’s & Dad’s because it’s VACATION AIR!! SALT AIR!! NEW ENGLAND ISLAND AIR!! Seriously.

So, you wanna know what it’s like to sleep through the night?

GLORIOUS!!! That’s what!! I LOVE IT!

But then I had to think … why would siding the house make a difference? I mean, I knew it would cut down on the noise, because it’s adding to the barrier between inside and outside … but how big a difference can it be? Seriously. How much?

Turns out; a whole lot. Turns out; all the pictures aren’t supposed to rattle against the walls whenever a train goes through. Yeah, this from me, who lives within a mile of a railroad track that has ridiculously looong 150-car trains through every night, in … yeah, you guessed it … two hour intervals: 10pm, 12am, 2am, 4am, and 6am …

I never put it together.

So now, this past week, the house is sssssilent at night, with that crackling, hissing, eardrum-crushing silence only a complete lack of noise can make. Would drive me crazy if I didn’t have a SOUND OASIS, which I only have because I thought the reason I sleep so well at Mom’s & Dad’s is because I can hear the waves crashing on the beach from my bedroom there, so that’s the sound I play back here in Misery.

Didn’t work all that well, by the way … but I stuck with it; frequently changing the sound level, thinking all it would take to work was for me to get it just right.

And it did, after I changed the sound from waves to crickets, and moved it under the window … now, although the window is closed, it doesn’t take much to imagine the window open and the crickets chirping away through the night.

All week I’ve been going to bed and not waking up until the next morning … sometimes not until the alarm goes off!! Cool.

Wicked Awesome Poem Wednesday: Trees, Joyce Kilmer


I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Wicked Awesome Poem Wednesday - ish



Pied Beauty

Glory be to God for dappled things -
For skies of couple-colour as a brindled cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced - fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow, sweet, sour, adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change;
Praise Him.

-Gerard Manley Hopkins
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