That Giant Sucking Sound

.....is a trillion dollars immediately pulled from an economy which has fallen flat on its' face and cannot get up.

We are, I fear, in for a bumpy ride. Many of us will not survive the trip. I believe it would be in our own best interest if we stopped falling for the "how large do we want government to be" false argument and instead focus on the real question at hand: what type of society do we want to live in? Forget the misleading rhetoric and get down to brass tacks. Are we ready to enter into a system of government which is designed to support an oligarchy? Because this is where we are swiftly heading.

We should be discussing an infusion of a trillion dollars into our economy; funding infrastructure which is crumbling, updating an outdated rail system, funding clean energy development. We should be discussing tariffs and tax law changes which would bring manufacturing back. There is much we should be doing, but instead we are watching as the bandits prepare to take the last of what we have to give before they kick us over the precipice. 

To the Point

"Seems to me the GOP seeks a banana republic: a toxic blend of right-wing populism, anti-intellectualism, debt defaults, and an end to the ladder of economic opportunity. They would divide us into a few Haves and a lot of Have-Nots. And they would slowly crush the heart of progressive America—the rising middle class created by Democratic economic policies of education and empowerment. All while preserving, protecting, and defending a tiny oligarchy of millionaires and billionaires."
~ Paul Begala

When You Have a Minute

I know that the people who generally comment here know all or most of the information contained in this article, but it is worth the read and perhaps someone will read it who is not fully informed on the unjust tax policies of the US. It is pertinent, considering the constant refrain of "job creators". It is long, but if you have the time, worth reading, if only to reinforce what you already know to be true.

David Cay Johnston Article

A Bird on the Wire

My reasoned self says "You must not ask for so much." But my inner self from deep in the core says "Hey, why not ask for more?" You've gotta love Leonard Cohen. 

It has been a hot, wet summer. Minnesota has been like a rain forest jungle, something we of the northland are not suited to handle. We know parkas and Sorel boots. So I am like that bird on the wire. 

I still have nothing to offer. I am in hate of the direction we have taken in this once fair land. I am in sadness that violence has struck Norway. I wish the people of that good country a healing peace and I offer my deepest sympathy. 

Time has passed on the farm, summer is midway through and as it has so far played out, I will merrily kick it in the pants on its way out to fall. So, here are some images to affirm that I and mine are still alive and as well as is possible. The heat is on, the straits are dire, but the show goes on. I hope all is well out there.

Lost

Not in space, but rather in my little patch of earth called home. I have lost my voice, I have lost heart and I have lost drive. So I stay silent, as a person dwelling in the land of malaise is a person to be avoided, unless one is looking to become depressed and miserable.

Therefore, I have devoted my time and limited energy to my flowers, my dogs, horses and Mark; I think in this order. The iris are spent, the peonies pummeled into submission by unrelenting rain, the roses coming into their glory despite the weather. They have given me an excuse to stop in and say hello and sorry. Sorry I have not been more considerate, that I am not visiting and conversing with the few of you who are my friends. My reasoning is, my negative energy spills forth, whether intended or not, and I am unwilling to inflict it upon any of you.

The bright spot in my life is our former governor, Tim Pawlenty, falling flat on his miserable face as he attempts to play in the big leagues of presidential politics! Our other escapee from the asylum, Michelle Bachman, continues to make me shameful of the people in her district who endorse her with their vote. When did mean, vitriolic and uninformed become a virtue to be honored?

So, as the state of our Union makes my head ache and the state of Minnesota prepares for a government shutdown in two weeks, I will smell the roses and reach for the bottle of wine. And continue to resist the urge to whine to the universe.

Without further ado, the flowers of the gardens, which fill my house with heavenly scent and my heart with a much needed joy.

More, Forget the Please

Look at this closely. This is what insatiable greed looks like. Well-groomed, dressed in Seville Row suits and silk ties. They look human. But, if like me, you think limitless, unconscionable greed acting without regard for humankind defines evil, then these are also the faces of evil. This is how evil presents itself.  As an agreeable continence, but underneath is a psychosis which manifests itself in the form of an unquenchable need for more. 

    BP America Chairman Robert Malone, Shell Oil President John Hofmeister, Chevron Vice Chairman Peter Robertson; ConocoPhillips Executive Vice President John Lowe, and ExxonMobile Senior Vice President J. Stephen Simon are sworn in on Capitol Hill Wednesday prior to testifying before a Senate hearing on oil prices.

Dusted Off, But Damp

This is my view, which I have been looking at for one long month. Rain. More rain. And let's not forget, chilly. Except Tuesday, when it was 90 degrees F with a 72 dew point, and now it is 52 F. Just thought I would be my usual day brightener.

I have not been online for about a month, other than a little bit on Facebook. I needed a digital break and probably still do. I'm crabby. Ari just doesn't know what to make of it.

Bored geldings tired of standing in the mud.

Scamper checking out Bounce.

Oh, I'm tough!

I'm planning to put in a rose border along the sidewalk to the back door, which really acts as the front door. It is too wet, too cold and too depressing to get them in the ground.

Yep, smells wet.

Rhododendron finally decided to bloom. Brave. Very brave. We had snow about ten days ago.

Are we done complaining now? I want a nap.

Okay, I'll crawl back into my hole now. Maybe I'll come out when spring comes, probably sometime in July.

Rain, Rain.....Go Away

OK, after summarily offending and or making people uncomfortable yesterday, I will return to my weather whine.

I took this photo this morning, from the veranda because......you guessed it, it's RAINING! Still. I had a day where I was able to pull some weeds, but I have not been out to pick up the mess, because it won't stop raining.

This is the same flower bed at this time last year, from the opposite direction. *sigh*

And just because I feel their pain, Sophie and Iris trying to eat their hay in peace. Mud, rain, what is a horse to do?

Until it dries up and we see the sun once again, I am probably not much good for anything but a long, wailing whine. Or opinions. Of which I have many and am always eager to share. Maybe I should find something to do. Or not. See you when the sun shines.

I'm A Closet Queen

Fan. I was and still am a fan of Freddie Mercury. His voice was amazing and his audacity was audacious. At the beginning of his career, the unabashed, here I am, what I am, of him was bold indeed.

I worked at a city hospital while I was in college. It was my first exposure to openly gay men, as the male working population there was about 90% homosexual. I was accustomed to looking at life from the outside of the circle, so they and I became natural friends. It was one of life's learning moments. The flagrant queens fulfilled everyone's stereotypical bias (and were endlessly fun and interesting), but many defied definition. My best friend was a conservative. I did not understand it, but there you are. In very short order, I saw people of various types, personalities and likability. I saw human beings, living their lives, just like anyone else.

My state of birth, the place I returned to after a small wandering about, has a Democratic governor and a very radical rightwing legislature. Said legislature is putting on the ballot an amendment to the state constitution banning same sex marriage. It is not enough that we have a law banning this, they need to make the grand spectacle of a constitutional amendment. The governor cannot block it.

I wonder about people who want laissez-faire governance where business and guns are concerned (they are also putting together a 'shoot on sight' law for intruders of property), but are so dogged in their need to control individual actions. Of course, they all cite their religious beliefs, which are not supposed to be the basis of law in the US, but which are increasingly creeping in.

I do not believe in the omnipotent being, nor of the son, but if I did I would have to wonder why such a being would create individuals which then its' followers are expected to revile. It screamingly lacks logic. I know logic and religion rarely shake hands, but come on. From what I have gleaned over the years, Jesus was more about inclusion than exclusion. Was on the side of the underdog, the disenfranchised. How did his followers stray so far from his ways? How can they remove an entire class of people from humanhood in the name of Jesus?

May 21st is supposed to be 'The Rapture'. What if it really happened? Wouldn't there be a whole lot of very surprised righteous. I would be left behind, according to the pious, so I would get the very big thrill of observing their well-deserved horror. Oh, yes indeed.

You know, you don't have to agree with a thing to tolerate it. If it is not harming us or the society then we should have no say in whether it is done or not. It is not my nor your life, nor our business. One can still shield oneself with religion and proclaim "I am not a bigot."

Which leads me back to Freddie Mercury. I think I would have liked him. I know I like his talent and how he lived his life was his business, not mine.

Report From The Trenches

Hey all, I just wanted to report I am up to my ears in never ending work and have no time or energy to spend online. Spring & farm life make for a busy me. I really should be getting too old for this, but I find I neglected to plan an exit strategy, so there you go. Somewhere along the line I discovered horses are a lot of work!  Tax time ends today, so Mark will emerge from his den and join the living once more and perhaps give me a hand here and there. Hope does spring and all that.

See you when I emerge from my mountain of manure.