Hey, ES, gotta get a cup of tea before the music. Good evening.

DEUCE!

Good evening, DWR… Just made a nice hot cup myself.

DUGG! just for you ES!

Hi ES!

These days I’m mostly drinking peace of mind chamomile. Love the scent and it does seem to do the job..

interesting perspective at BigOrange:

And now….the helpless despair sets in

by thereisnospoon

Dear Tea Party Participants,

Let me begin by saying this: I know how you feel. I’ve been there.

As easy as it is to mock your fringe besotted, astroturf corporate, woefully named protests–and the ease with which you are mocked has made doing so almost de rigeur–I will not mock you here. For many of you, these poorly attended, ill-considered events are your first foray into real citizen activism, and your first venture into the art of the street protest. Insofar as you have taken the opportunity to do in some small way the work that progressives have long done (and usually moved beyond in recent years), I applaud your efforts. It certainly beats slapping a useless yellow ribbon on your SUV and calling it an act of patriotism. For better or for worse, Americans will have a chance to see your ideas, such as they may be, on full display….

…what I want to address here is not what you did during your protests, but how you feel now. You’ve said your piece and waved your signs, marched in front of the taxpayer-funded buildings and heard the car honks voicing the approval of your compatriots speeding by on your taxpayer-funded roads. You took time off of work (if you haven’t found yourself laid off in the new Bush economy) to make yourself heard.

And now you’re back at home…

I want to address the sense of helplessness you feel right now. The knowledge that, in the long run, nothing you did today made the slightest difference.
…

caught up with some old friends today.. one unemployed friend’s son had to have emergency surgery uncovered. $125,000 to start with. Learned another mutual friend’s husband suffered a stroke uncovered. $850,000 and rising fast. These people are facing bankruptcy as part of the complete meltdown of the healthcare system. Oh… did I mention that both are former investment bankers? banksters…. people who 18 months ago had nannies and drivers. These are strange and frightening times.

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Eureka Springs and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Well, Sister ES, we survived all the teabaggery taday…what the hell, I slept right through it, what ever will I tell my grandkids??!!

Our world surely gets lookin’ curiouser and curiouser every day what with crypto-Nazi wackos runnin’ around with tea bags hangin from their ears and signs callin for the violent overthrow of this here fascist democracy…my God but Gampa Ole must be laughin’ his ass off…what a pathetic bunch of lunatics…they’d be funny if they weren’t armed to the teeth.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, FASCISTS ARE NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN AND OTHER LIVING THINGS!!

Good evening Sunny.. I bought a new glass teapot yesterday. Since I was in a DFH grocery store nobody said anything and I didn’t even think about the bagger – timing – irony until I got home.

I tell ya, my pistol may be the best end of days health insurance policy I could ever have. Holy cow… those are huge numbers.

if you feel yourself starting to get sick, move to MA. Or marry a Canadian. Gaze upon this clusterfrack and despair.

I was pretty surprised by some folks suggesting earlier this evening that progressives should team up with baggers, Norske. Most of the baggers I know can hardly explain (coherently) why they are involved.

How big is the pot?

Fun day to talk tea *g*

It’s really interesting(in a sick way) to visit a doctor as an uninsured person… all the things both patient and doctor don’t say.. or quickly change the subject as soon as they realize preexisting conditions at a later date or current resources make care impossible.

It’s like your doctor can also be your arresting officer/prosecuting atty.

Hey Neuro how goes it??

Is it wrong that I pick up most of my new musical artists from FDL?
First Jonathan Coulton, now Jessica Lea Mayfield.
If it wasn’t for FDL my MP3 player would be nothing but Indigo Girls, Nanci Griffith, and Pink.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

Dugg!

hey, nahant. been monitoring the Digg register?

Does marrying a canadian guarantee one residency/benefits?

what about “’cause Obama’s a commie illegal islamofascist alien taxoholic! Secede!” do you find incoherent?

Probably about a big 3 or small 4 cupper.

I’d imagine you’d have to actually be naturalized up there to qualify.

Who MOI??

What a nice thing to say.. We do lots of digging so you don’t have to.

You also need to learn about this guy. I’m no Christian and the guy knocks me out.

I would guess that those people don’t personally know any Tbaggers. There’s no “teaming up” there. But hope springs eternal. I’ve tried several/many times to have ” hey, we’re all in this together” conversations with our Tbaggers. No good can come of it.
On a good day you just storm off,silently. because of the kids.
On a bad day there’s seething hatred oozing from both sides. And the Tbaggers freak out and call the cops because you crossed over onto “their” side of the street. Yeah, some of the cops are their relatives.

not to mention Digging…

I am so sorry for the country of my birth….so very sorry to see/witness the demise. My now 91-year old dad chides me for wanting an Eisenhower presidency…. silly me. I just want some gosh darned truth and some honesty and some decency. If I knew where else to go, I’d already be there.

Hee hee… head meet spin. Yeah… Think I’ll pair up with those who think they want government to drown in a bathtub, in order to help me make government act right. I just don’t see it working out… even if they did borrow some progressive sounding slogans.

to be frank, I find it a little too scary (and angering) to think too much about this. Makes me want to teabag the nearest insurance exec. The nearest Republican will do as well.

How have you been, neuro? Missed ya the last week or so.

as I had promised (or threatened) to do, I called the two senators who represent my state (not my senators…) and the representative whose district I live in (not my representative…) today and told their staffs that since it is Tax Day, I want their bosses to raise my taxes to pay for a single payer national health care system.

no interesting reations, they handled it like professional automatons, no inquiries to be sure I wasn’t calling to protest my taxes…wonder what they thought.

I have been fine, just a bit obsessed and deranged under the spell of a Facebook-based game I got sucked into…I’m getting it out of my system…

If you’ve got a small strainer that might do ya.

I know so many.. they make good fishing buddies, good distant neighbors who can help each other out on very practical matters… some of them good occasional drinking buddies. But there is always one ear of caution on the conversation. it just can’t get into church or political related areas.

The new pot has a strainer built into the lid.. let me see if I can find it on teh google.

I haven’t checked the news tonight. Any word of teabaggers getting violent or otherwise out of hand? I thought about going to heckle them, but decided I really didn’t want to be around…

Here it is. Supposed to work well for loose or bagged teas.

after you got off the phone they probably went off to check to make sure Big Insurance donated their monthly quota toward their employers’ reelection funds.

It occurs to me that this might be the rethugs making some allowance for the concept of social equity: everyone, rich or poor, black or white, MBA or unlicensed plumber, is one freak accident or blood clot away from penury, destitution and misery. Well.. everyone who isn’t one of their reigning oligarchs that is….

no interesting reations, they handled it like professional automatons, no inquiries to be sure I wasn’t calling to protest my taxes…wonder what they thought.

Neuro I Am disappointed in you! Do you really think those critters have brains that can think???

Wait — Sister ES?

Confused now.

Blub, Did you catch any of Howies Cuba thread this evening? At one point someone mentioned the anti Cuban lobby meets every freshman congressman with 5 to 10k (and up) checks if they promise to support their cause. I thought to myself… so that’s how it works and works so quickly on some of our past wins which quickly turned to a loss.

He always does that… calls everybody Sister. *chuckle*

DITTO?????

Well, I believe in them. They are the next generation DC. I like to remind them that my despair and outrage isn’t really about me…I’m older,I’ve had my career. My despair is the bill their boss is supporting that’s going to fuck up their future big time. As it will all young Americans. Plant the seeds. I also make sure I end on a compassionate,nurturing note after being firm. With voice smiles and hugs,it’s not their fault.
I believe in the youngbloods, they’re all we’ve got.

Corruption sucks.

well, no…I just picture them getting a bit confused about which box to check on the phone call report form…”this guy wants higher taxes? uhhhh….”

perhaps this is what we need to start doing if we want to pass our agenda. Instead of supporting progressive candidates to get them elected, we should just use the money to buy newly elected candidates. Forget Blue America. It’s Bribe America. ;-P

But if they are working/volunteering for the Repukes they have already gone over to the dark side and unless they have a Eureka(sorry ES)ARE hurting the country/people I don’t have any hope for them. Now those working for progressive representatives are a whole different animal and must be helped along and nurtured so they learn that common folk DO matter!

Whew thats better!!

Citizen Teddy Partridge:

I truely didn’t know “she ” was a “he”…HEY THERE CITZEN EUREKA SPRINGS, SORRY ABOUT THAT…CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

Now if you would jest straighten out the Teabaggers and Nazi-wannabes who are confused about more than than their sexuality or gender.

Sorry dear…see my act of contrition above…now where were we??

I was just reading a dylan interview.. and all the Sistah talk made me think of this classic.

I lived on a farm when I discovered that whole album, desire. Used to wait til nobody was home… pull the klipsch speakers outside, turn them all the way up and run dance through the fields singing along with Bob and playing the harmonica.

Oh Sister.

The perpetual sisters came later.

I’m not willing to believe young people, and all the staffers I talk to are young,
have the experience in life to think outside the philosophies they’ve been raised with. That’s the maturing brain process. I think they are still in a developing, flexible state with a shitty day job.
It’s therefore my self appointed job to be the voice of the opposition with respect for them, the phone answerer with no power.

He doesn’t call me sister.

It’s interesting, really. My daughter is married to a VietNam vet, but she knows nothing of that time. She is forever amazed when I tell her about the young men I knew who never came home…. dead, dead, dead, dead.
How did we forget? What will become of the new vets who come home damaged? Where and how and why did this country get so braindead and so damned wrong?

Oh I don’t mean to disrespect them but if they ARE working for the enemies of the people and helping the rich get richer I don’t have the breath to waste on them as they are already indoctrinated into the world of greed at their fellow mans expense.
I have seen it too many times and there is nothing you can do or say to change them short of brainwashing them. And we all know that is just as bad as what they are doing and I wouldn’t stoop to that level…
I like you have had my career although I still have a few clients who call for my services.

How do you feel about that? /s

Now Now don’t be turning green on us now Teddy…

I was born in ‘65… so I blame you all… dammit./s Y’all wore out and dropped the ball post Nixon.

Nice pot. I’ve not been to PO yet, don’t despair. I’ll toss in some bags.

Here is a filter I’m using for individual cups. Looks hokey, but works fine.

Also have these in a size 1 – kinda hard to handle – fight to get the spoon in. Size 2 would be better. My tea guy uses 2. Have to leave them straight up in the cup or they wick tea onto table, etc.

I know it’s all hindsight, yadda yadda. But looking back, Carter was a golden opportunity.

Destroyed by Old Bush and the October Surprise1.0.

At least BO and the VA are now trying to reach out to them and they are providing more help than the Republicans/Bush/Cheney ever did. In fact they cut funding for the VA and instituted a means test that shout out deserving Vets if they made more than $29K. But now starting in June they can reapply and get the medical benefits they earned when they served!

Sounds right to me/s

Wait, what about Rocky Flats Nuclear Trigger Plant. Colorado…with Jackson Brown and Bonnie Raitt?!! What was that….Pissing in the Wind? /s

Mini mint looks great.. Melita – portable style extraordinaire.

Goodnight. Getting the chicken coop ready for new chicks early morn.

It was the beginning of the Iran contra affair and as we know illegal as hell and all was pardoned by elder George.

Citizen Eureka Springs:

“Y’all wore out and dropped the ball post Nixon.”

Well Brother ES, if ya look a little closer you’ll see that over 50,000 of us got left in rice paddies and jungle and hundreds of thousands of us got tossed into those uniquely American re-education camps on mostly non-violent drug charges while many of the rest were chased through the streets by armed pigs until we finally gave up and donned suits and ties and gave ourselves up to the Amerikan dream.

This country was taken over by the corporate fascists in the period from 1945-1948 and us poor baby boomers didn’t know it until they beat it into our heads in the 1960’s and ’70’s.

for eggs??

I come from the world of VietNam vets who managed to do just fine (those who lived to talk about it.) Used to work for the youngest living Medal of Honor winner. A fine service man who just did what needed to be done. I would wish that the folks who come out of the Bush Wars will have as much going for them. I also believe that we citizens owe a duty of care to our service men and women. I hope.

Can’t argue with that Norski! I didn’t have to go to Nam but I was in from 66-69 and many of my friends didn’t come home the same, if they did come home at all..

On a local blog this week during a pirate discussion… I had the chance to point out this is why Dems.. horrible as their defense policies may be, are much better at little police actions. As Carter was correct during the Iranian hostage crisis. To bad the media (ABC) and the chest thumpers dominated the critique and gave us Reagan and two Bushies largely because the country listened to them.

YES YES! they deserve all the love help and respect we can give them. It is a national shame that even one vet is homeless and on the streets! These kids need our help and support.

Citizen DWR1:

The kids comin’ home from these corporate wars are gunna need Webb’s GI Bill, Shinseki’s new VA and all the vet support systems we ken put tagether for ‘em…and all a that will never be enough.

My first school lunch box was an old ammo box brought back from Nam. I can still smell the added taste and aroma that box put into years worth of PBJ sandwiches. But I do remember watching all of what you mentioned from the wide open eyes of a youngster.. And i sure agree, that’s just how it happened.. as you say it.

Dam it is pumpkin time already Nite good Pups!! Gotta get my ZZZZZZZZZZ’s before I get THAT call!!

Norske, I’m just an old broad. Do you believe that what the soldiers are seeing in the mideast is worse or more harrowing than what my son-in-law, for one, saw in Nam? Or is it that as volunteers they have to go time and again and again? I had a client who came out of Iraq having had a psychotic break….he was then sent to Guam for a time, but eventually he was sent back to Iraq to drive his truck again. The BushWar seems relentless. I think Nam guys felt that if they could get through their year they would be relieved. Your thoughts?

Good night nahant.

Hope I didn’t bring down the buzz. Night all.

well, i sure hope that she holds to that course.

somehow, though, i don’t think so. all those banksters being zionist jews.

but, if she is dedicated to that investigation, i recommend that she advocate the tracing of all those funds in bernie madoff’s control. how much of that lucre was transferred to israeli banks? banks with a secrecy edict as strict as, if not stricter than, switzerland’s?

because the question about madoff really is, at its heart, wasn’t he running a money laundry? where many american jews were having their undeclared cash transferred to secret israeli bank accounts?

to be sure, it would appear that there were victims of madoff looting, but how much of that might be fiction?

and lastly, what were bernie’s ties to the mossad, shin bet?

Think I’ll turn in myself

Good night dawgs.

Not at all.. night.

Citizen DWR1:

War is war and the horror and pain can not be quantified or measured on any scale. Let’s remember that most of the kids comin’ back weren’t ever s’posed ta be there in the first place if they are from National Guard units and the rest of the “regulars” are from a whittled down “voluntary” force… so in both cases they keep bein’ recycled thru hell until they either leave the service that they entered because our society didn’t give ‘em any other options or they are discharged, discarded as broken and useless tools in the great war machine. Remember that Viet Nam vets were bound together by one common goal, survive for 12 months and get back to the World…the kids today are trapped into a constant cycle of war and personal terror until they crack or leave the service.

No, I learned from my Grampa Ole and my father that war is NOT a competetive sport or some rite of passage and that every vet shares one thing with every other vet: the pain and suffering.

nite pups.

Late driveby in Hawaii…

I like Pelosi’s idea for a Congressional Pecora Commission, reported by our own Teddy Partridge here today. Only… That was a *Senate* Committee.

Well, one of my Senators is on the Banking Committee with Dodd. Better drop him a hint.

Bob in HI

Citizen bobschact:

Pelosi’s idea could be carried out in the House and she could set it up as a “select” committee assuring that “the best and the brightest” and the most politically secure could serve. This would stick a sharp stick in the Senate and maybe get the prima donnas off their collective well paid asses.

Citizen DWR1:

You still out there Sister DWR?