New Year's Poem

I wrote this in the wee hours of morning when a coughing spell shook me loose from delicious sleep.  LL

 

 New Year’s Eve 2013

 

The Moon pays time no mind,
Waxing her way to fullness
As we earthlings ready ourselves
For a new year.

Poised on the brink of fresh starts
Over a safety net of hope,
We vow to do better, live deeper,
Wishing unwanted habits would
shed easily as old snake skins.

We repeat familiar rituals
Or invent new ones, good
Juju for visions
Of transformation—
Unlikely to manifest.

Nevertheless, we raise a glass
To noble thoughts, being better,
Doing better, unaware the
Sweetness in a single moment
Can lead to higher ground the next.

We’re waxing in our own way,
As the Moon smiles with great
Tenderness, paying time no mind.

                     ~ Lucinda Shirley

                             

"A glimpse of the world as it was . . . ."

On the cusp of a new year,  a president's words remind me of our need to actively preserve, protect and defend the environment here on the home planet.  Let's focus more deeply and fight harder in 2014—to make the habitat sustainable.  The clock is ticking louder.

 

If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
                                                                    President Lyndon B. Johnson

Slow-Motion Lynching

Time to play catchup with what's gone on in the world since the holidays began.  I'm glad to share a post by former high-profile right-wing Christian who saw the light and changed his mind and political affiliation a long time ago.  Posted December 17, this piece is still relevant and, sadly, is likely to remain relevant for the remainder of President Obama's second term.  I can see you nodding your heads, dear Lefties, andyour hearts filling will brand new determination to speak the truth—even if your voice shakes!  Check out the patheos site- "hosting the conversation on faith".

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/2013/12/the-slow-motion-lynching-of-president-barack-obama/

 

Amen, Mr. Schaeffer.

'Tis Still the Season, Right?

(Marian Domansky Fisher/Facebook)

Think About It

(Quotable Liberals/Facebook)

I'm ransacking my memory to name the radical Republican (can no longer refer to them as"conservatives") who said he opposes raising the minimum wage because it would "deprive" minimum wage earners of experiencing "the bottom rung of the ladder" they need to climb to improve their lot.  I was incensed when I heard it. ( It might have been Rand Paul or Rick Santorem.  Just not sure.) 

 

No doubt you have your own examples of Teapublicans twisting stark realities— of poverty, voter suppression, and immigration reform, for starters— into unrecognizable scenarios to fit their fabricated justifications.   Facts, truth, reality—nowhere to be found in many of these "moral justification for selfishness."  

 

Let's keep our eyes open for instances of such "moral justification" and call out the people who invoke them in political discourse. We can't let such distortions go unchallenged.

Last Holiday Thought 2013

(Image from Americans Against the Republican Party/FB)

And I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas, without a single thought of Republicans to spoil the fun.  We'll be thinking of them soon enough,  as we work to turn some red and purple states blue in the coming year.   That's guaranteed to be a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

More Holiday Cleverness

(Posted on FB from Tara Brach's page)

Who?

This might be my favorite description of Jesus ever.  He's certainly not the same fellow most of the Righties claim to follow, is he?  

(From The Other 98%/Facebook)

More Ho Ho Ho

The late Norman Cousins said that laughter is like an internal jog.  So, get your exercise laughing out loud.  Lucy has a high daily laugh quota, so satisfying some of the lust for laughs with you, dear Lefties.

                                               (Posted by Backwoods Life on Facebook)

Moms Know Where to Shop

ARE YOU BUYING GIFTS THIS WEEKEND? Shop with gun sense this holiday. Use our list to find out which companies prohibit guns in their stores, and sign our petition telling retailers to put our families' safety first. LIKE and SHARE: http://nb.momsdemandaction.org/open_letter_please_prohibit_guns_at_your_stores ‪#‎NoMoreSilence‬

Ho Ho Ho

and LOL.  A little seasonal humor.

 

 (Posted by Snarky in the Suburbs/Facebook)

Letter from John Steinbeck

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/12/america-is-like-that-second-kind-of.html

Ahhhh real letters.  Written on paper, placed in an envelope, stamped,  and sent through the postal service.   I miss them.  Close friends and family would likely tell you my e-mails ARE letters, as I ignore the "acceptable, straight-to-the-point" point of e-messages.  When I finally surrendered and included a minimal amount of texting in my phone plan, they thought they'd be getting shorter messages from me.  Ha!  For this lover of words whose lifeblood is  communicating with people I love, texting is a sacrilege.   I simply cannot, will not, get in step with a drummer playing a tune I cannot recognize.  I refuse to "keep it brief."  If anyone is unwilling to spend time reading a paragraph or two (or three) from me, then I can't believe they value me or my presence in their lives very much. 

At any rate, the linked letter is from author John Steinbeck to his friend Adlai Stevenson, sharing, among other things,  his feelings about Americans' consumer gluttony at Christmas. He states his case far more eloquently than I just did!  Enjoy.

Ho Ho Ho

(Via Dan Boyle and E Montgomery on FB)

The Grinch Grown Wiser

(Thanks to Kay Lingle Koonce for posting this on Facebook.)

Namaste

Why is my serenity so easily lost to politicians and preachers who declare that this is a Christian nation? Maybe it's because, next to a lie, part-truths get my goat the most. Through the lens of my mind-heart-life, I see the USA as a work of art, painted in bright colors of religious freedom. Freedom to subscribe to the belief or spiritual path one chooses. And the same freedom to opt out altogether.

 

Hanukkah has ended, and as we approach Winter Solstice, with Christmas on the horizon, I'm thinking about the "Christian nation" thing.  And wondering why I torture myself.  After all, this should be a magical time—the coming of Light, the renewal of love.  Whether you consider Jesus an inspiring teacher of love and kindness, your personal savior, or an interesting mythological figure, the season of his birth is traditionally a time for hope and happy celebrations.  So, it’s especially disheartening to witness the manufactured hoopla over a heartfelt wish for Happy Holidays—a greeting/wish intended for people of all religions.  It’s not a “war on Christmas.”  Quite the opposite.  It's about extending good will and inclusion.  (Here's an example of how strong the negative reaction can be, especially among "Christians"—http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/12/17/happy-holidays-salvation-army-attack/)

 

As I understand it, Jesus was all about inclusion. He'd be the first to say, "Good for you" to anyone setting out to explore a different spiritual path, wherever it might lead. He wouldn't put that explorer out in the street or out of his heart.  He wasn't prone to judging. And he wouldn't be happy to see the judging we’re seeing today—or having his name used to further an agenda of separation and exclusion. 

 

This country was founded as a safe place to believe as one chooses, to practice or not practice one's faith without fear or intimidation. To me, any love-based spiritual path is a good thing. I can respect your beliefs even if they’re different from mine.  No problem. And I would ask that you respect mine, as well.

 

My Hindu friends clasp their hands together prayerfully, at heart level, and bow as they say, "Namaste." This greeting roughly means "I see the Divine in you." Wouldn't it be great if we all would say Namaste to one another and mean it? 
 

 

People sometimes ask, "Are you a Christian?" (Yes, it does get that personal sometimes, especially in my native South.) If I say "no," the questioner often feels compelled to "save" me. So, I usually answer: "Although I'm not enthusiastic about labels, I might call myself an elastic Christian." My life has been expanded by various spiritual traditions:  Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism, and Native American spirituality.   When I learn more about Islam, that path is likely to offer inspiration, as well.

 

So, my country is not a Christian nation; it's a free nation. A spiritual melting pot, bubbling sweetly in a welcome-home kind of way.  It can continue to work well, unless one faith insists on being the only "right" one, unless one individual or group thinks they know what's best for others. With freedom, tolerance—and, most of all, respect—for one another, our diversity of cultures and religions is a magnificent gift. Magnificent.

 

In parting, I offer this from Sufi poet Hafiz's "Would You Think It Odd?" as a gift to you.

 

Would you think it odd if Hafiz said,
"I am in love with every church
And mosque
And temple
And any kind of shrine
Because I know it is there
That people say the different names
Of the One God."

 

Ahhhh, yes. Namaste.

Greed and the Minimum Wage

". . . regarding the “trickle-down theories” which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and social inclusiveness in the world. The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefitting the poor. But what happens instead, is that when the glass is full, it magically gets bigger – nothing ever comes out for the poor. . . ."   That's my favorite point in Pope Francis's comment about the "Marxist" comments of Rush Limbaugh and criticism from Fox and other "conservative" media talkers.   This quote is from a piece at Forward Progressives:  http://www.forwardprogressives.com/pope-francis-responds-to-rush-limbaugh-and-ultraconservatives-saying-hes-a-marxist/   

 

 

(Posted by Americans Against the Republican Party/Facebook.)

 

Raising the minimum wage would be a good move in every way.   For starters, once a living wage is in place, maybe the glass wouldn't magically get bigger.  Most of all, the working poor will have a fighting chance to support themselves and their families.

See?  Thanks for posting this on FB, Living Blue in South Carolina.

Insurance Fear Mongering Continues

Just read an article written early last month and still relevant—"How Private Insurance Companies Are Using Obamacare Fears to Rip People Off."  Wisconsin Governor and possible 2016 Republican presidential contender Scott Walker was just promoting the same misinformation on "Meet the Press" so thought I'd share this link.  

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/11/05/insurance-companies-obamacare-scam/

Aussies Got It Done!

Take note, America!

(Posted by Being Liberal on Facebook)

A Sad Anniversary

Moms across the country are gathering at more than 70 events in nearly 40 states to honor the lives lost one year ago today, and all victims of gun violence in America. Our hearts are heavy, but our resolve is strong.   Join Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to take part in changing the sad reality of gun violence in our country.

 

 One year since the Sandy Hook massacre.  Who could have imagined that, instead of an increase in firearm regulations, far more guns laws have been "loosened" this year.  And the number of gun purchases has increased.  Don't you know NRA officials and gun manufacturers and sales outlets are making a killing?  Bad choice of words, but—sadly true.   You don't have to be a mom to JOIN MOMS!  No more silence!

One In Five

 

We can't afford to stop talking about wealth inequality in our country.  The divide grows wider all the time, and suffering deepens.  A gift we might give ourselves and others is to keep the issue alive and work to change what we can.  I will advocate for reversing Citizens United and work for more restrictive campaign finance laws.  That would be a start at getting to the underbelly of the beast.  Meanwhile, we can speak up and call people out when we hear hateful terms like "welfare queens" or statements that translate to "Poor people are lazy people." What else can we do?  Please leave your thoughts and ideas in a comment.  Solving this shameful problem will take a village—at least.

Sex Ed

 

This plan seems far more effective than "abstinence only." Too many  Right wingers don't realize that, while condoms aren't foolproof, they don't break as easily as a vow of abstinence.  Certainly the crying baby idea would be better than one recommended by a Republican operative on cable news:  Aspirin for birth control— women should hold one between their knees.  How sexist and disrespectful was THAT comment?  I swear these guys keep outdoing themselves on comments to piss women off. 

Anyway, I like this idea.  Carrying around an egg or a bag of flour or sugar to simulate having an infant isn't quite the same as listening to a baby cry for 5 hours straight...or the cartoons repeating.  The cartoon repetition might also get a suspect to confess a crime!

 

(Image posted on Facebook by My Husband Ate My Ice Cream.)

Missing Nelson Mandela

(Image from Media Matters for America/Facebook)

We need Nelson Mandela today more than ever.  His wisdom, his truth, his light.  My hope is that the world will honor him by reflecting on his life and embracing his teachings.  His Light will continue to shine for all who remember this brave and compassion man.

 

May these words from Nelson Mandela find their way into the hearts of those among us who seem not to understand the nature of poverty—who feel contempt for the poor rather than compassion.  May the understanding of this truth lead to a living wage.  And may our government truly be of the people, by the people (not the corporate lobbyists and elected officials who live in their pockets), and FOR the people.  We must combat the ever-growing economic divide.

 

The stars were shining a little brighter last night to welcome this great teacher home.  Who can say—maybe Nelson Mandela will be working on the world's behalf from the other dimension/spirit world.   Could happen.  After all, there's no order of difficulty in miracles.  And we could surely use some miracles here on Planet Earth.

Web Site Obstructionists?

Enough already about problems with the web site.   It's the main topic on some of the Sunday shows this morning. 

 

I still hope for an investigation into what went wrong with the site—not another witch hunt conducted by Darrell Issa and his Committee, but an investigation by the Administration.  I hope the FBI is already checking into possibilities of sabotage.  Again, my mind doesn't think in terms of "conspiracy" as a rule; however, there have been so many efforts, so much money, devoted to wrecking the Affordable Care Act that give me cause to wonder— including discouraging people from enrolling,  And don't forget the nearly 50 foolish Congressional efforts to repeal it.   Now Forward Progressives reports Georgia's Insurance Commissioner saying, ". . . [We're doing] everything in our power to be an obstructionist."  Can you imagine what's being  done that isn't admitted openly?  I hope someone in the Administration can imagine and explore the possibility that someone decided to play "obstructionist" with the ACA web site.

Here's the post at Forward Progressives: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/georgia-republican-brags-about-sabotaging-obamacare-as-governor-gets-paid-by-health-care-industry/