Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Hurricane Katrina

The Gulf Coasts of Mississippi, and Alabama and the city of New Orleans have been destroyed. There is no other word to describe it. My sister was born in New Orleans, I have a social security number that was issued in Louisiana. So I do have some loose ties to the area.

I have a close friend, Anita, who lives in Gulfport, (I hope she still lives in Gulfport). We were in Basic Training and AIT together. Over the last 13 years we have kept in touch, mainly through Christmas cards. She is married and has a daughter, and I just hope that they are o.k. I am sure she has more important things to worry about now. I just hope she knows that I am thinking about her and hope for the best for her family.

I am sure that we at least know someone or of someone who lives on the Gulf Coast who has been devasted. So here are some organizations that need your help in order to help those who need help the most.
The Salvation Army
United Jewish Communities
United Methodist Committe on Relief
Noah's Wish, because Anita loved cats.
America's Second Harvest, the Gulf Coast had some of poorest areas in the United States. An estimated ten food banks were affected by Hurricane Katrina, they need money to transport food to the devasted areas.
Habitat for Humanity, they will help those who lost their homes rebuild.

UPDATE:Planned Parenthood of Houston They are providing refugees from Louisiana and Mississippi with emergency contraception and a month's supply of birth control pills free. They are also giving refugees who need a depo-provera shot for half price.

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Sunday, August 28, 2005

Can you pass the US Citizenship test?

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 9 out of 10 correct!


It is really sad when most native born Americans do not understand the basics of how our government works. Ever watch Jaywalking on The Tonight Show where Americans cannot answer basic questions about the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence? It's one of those things that's funny but it really isn't.

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Annoy a radical cleric, buy a scooter

Recently a lot of talk has been about gas prices, global warming, terrorist fund-raising coming from the gas pump, and peak oil. It's enough to make anyone who drives a car depressed. Especially the discussion about gas prices. We are a typical family who has two cars, both Volvos. They're great cars, but my husband and I reappraised the situation over the weekend. My husband is a full time college student and I am the primary breadwinner in our family. But driving two cars that get about 21 MPG can get expensive. Did we really need two family cars? Getting a hybrid like a Prius would be nice, but they are expensive and there is a waiting list. So my husband asked me, "What would get the same kind of gas mileage as a hybrid and costs 75% less?" I had no idea what he was talking about, then he told me he wanted to get a motorcycle or a scooter. We debated the merits of the two.

He wanted a motorcycle because it's masculine.
I liked the scooter because it has storage space, a motorcycle doesn't.



And they make scooters that look a lot like motorcycles.

A real motorcycle.

So if you know anyone who wants a 1995 Volvo 850 GLT Sedan. Midnight Blue, Automatic transmission, multi-CD player, with about 95K miles. Please drop a line to nopt4lent_at_aol_dot_com or phinky_at_usa_dot_com. Please include your phone number in your e-mail so we can contact you.

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Saturday, August 27, 2005

New Links

I have added Screwing America aka Free the Goldberg 100 to my links. This is a blog started by Bernard Goldberg's Screwup #77, Linda Hirschman, to rebuke Goldberg's book, The 100 People who are Screwing Up America or something like that.

And no, I'm not providing a link to buy the book. If you want a book of smears and disinformation so badly you go find it and buy it. I am not an enabler of wingnuts.

I am also adding Elmo's blog: Blind in Texas. elmo is a former Airborne soldier from Texas. For some reason, I don't think the Mudville Gazette will be adding him to their blogroll of Airborne bloggers. So he is welcome to join mine.

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Friday, August 26, 2005

What kind of movie are you?



They also have "What world leader are you?" It turns out I am Saddam Hussein. I AM DEFINITELY RETAKING THAT ONE

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Thursday, August 25, 2005

Friday catblogging


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Ads

I am dissappointed with Target's google ad, apparently they think only Republicans shop at Tar-zhay. I thought that was Wal-Mart.

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Is the American Legion a Republican Front Organization?

Apparently the American Legion has issues with the First Amendment. They passed a resolution condemning war protestors at their recent convention. They also want to amend the Constitution to protect the .flag from being burned or desecrated. So say goodbye to these pants andthis shirt and this cute little dress and patriotic underwear, can't even sleep in the flag at home if the Legion has its way. Pretty amazing for an organization that claims
"To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism;" unless the Americans disagree with us, "to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and goodwill on earth;" especially if the President is a Democrat "to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness."
Of course the Legion did not have a problem with war protestors back in the 1990's, they opposed stopping genocide in Kosovo, they were the war protestors!!
I don't think the American Legion is as non-partisan as they say they are.
I think aWol would have gotten a better reception at the Legion convention, instead of the uppity Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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Sunday, August 21, 2005

What century are we living in?

According to this Crooks and Liars clip another reason why invaded Iraq has fallen to the wayside. Remember the reasons?

1. Saddam has weapons of mass destruction.
O.K. where are they?

2. Iraq was directly involved with 9/11.
Saddam and other corrupt Middle Eastern regimes are number one on al-Qaeda's hit list. In fact toppling these regimes and reinstating the Caliphate (whatever that means) is al-Qaeda's goal. Al-Qaeda hates the US because we are in the way of al-Qaeda achieving that goal.

3. Bring Western style democracy to the Middle East.
Well this asshole from the American Enterprise Institute and Director of the Middle East Initiative for the Project of the New American Century doesn't believe that women's rights are important for a democracy.

What the fuck?!?!?! I thought one of the reasons we fought this war was to get rid of the rape rooms and to end honor killings. To make Iraq a shining example for the Middle East. Now I find out that my government thinks the rights of women is open for negotiation? I thought America was the most powerful country in the world and could impost its will on anyone. I guess my rights are not that important.

So why did Casey Sheehan die in Iraq? His mother is waiting for an answer Mr. President. So am I.

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Saturday, August 20, 2005

Freep this POLL

This poll is asking whether or not intelligent design should be taught in public schools. You can vote more than once. Just change your name and e-mail address. Stand up to Christian extremists and tell them we want our country back!!

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Friday, August 19, 2005

And you thought he had problems with French Fries?

Judge Roberts apparently thought it wasn't in this country's best interest for housewives to go back to work or further their education. According to the Washington Post, Judge Roberts had issues with "whether encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good." Granted this was about 20 years ago, but people usually get more conservative as they get older, don't they?
Anne Coulter is not the only conservative woman with problems with Judge Roberts's nomination, now Phylis Schafly was surprised as well. Ms. Schafly called him "smart alecky", she was a little surprised by his ideas as well. You know you are a counterfeminist reactionary when Phyllis Schafly thinks your ideas on a woman's place in the world are extreme. Judge Roberts also had problems understanding why Reagan had a gender gap and why it first appeared in the 1980's. Well gee, women worked so hard to gain rights in the 1960's and 1970's and to have a president who was elected on a platform to roll back those rights and he couldn't understand why Reagan had a gender gap problem? I guess he belonged to the Donald Regan club, where sanctions against South Africa won't work because American women don't want to give up their diamonds.
In other words, conservatives believe women are shallow and incapable of independent thought and having ideas of their of own. Like this troll who left this comment about Hilary Rodham Clinton saying, "I feel sorry that this lady has been used so much as a pawn by her husband to protect him." Wait a minute!! But with Hilary, she is either the pawn or the queen. Well wingnuts, which one is it?
Apparently, Cindy Sheehan is not capable of forming her own opinion because she is being manipulated by the far left and members of her family disagree with her. Excuse me?! Did it ever occur to these idiots that maybe Cindy Sheehan is using them? Have you ever met a family where everyone thought alike? I haven't, and that would be one extremely boring family as well. As far as getting divorced, not many marriages survive the death of a child.
Conservatives don't think women are capable of thinking for themselves. They fear women who can think for themselves. And that is why I will never vote for a Republican, unless the GOP drops its positions on abortiion, birth control and women's rights from its platform.

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Katzen und Kinder blogging



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Thursday, August 18, 2005

When are we going to learn?

When is the left going to learn that the right does not play by the same set of rules? We need to learn how to smear the right like they smear us. Everytime I hear someone say, "but I don't want to stoop that low" I want to scream. That strategy has worked so effectively in 1980, 1988, 2000 and 2004 We need to fight back and hard, not just with facts, but twist the right's words and throw them back in their face.

A few days ago Senator George Allen (R-W. wannabe) was talking about the need to eliminate the "death" tax. This is a tax that the heirs of rich people pay upon receiving an inheritance. Because god forbid, people who inherit money should have to get a job! Besides, I didn't know that dead people cared so much about taxes. George Allen must be psychic like Michelle Malkin.

Isn't it amazing the right wing knows exactly what God wants us to do? It must be the communion wine, they're drinking too much of it. Like Rick Santorum (R-life in the 1950's) who believes that the world would be a much better place if women weren't so uppity. Of course women need to remain silent, the Bible says so. Homosexuals shouldn't get married, look at what happened to Sodom and Gamorrah - the Bible doesn't specifically say why S&G was so wicked. Lott was not a righteous man Bible thumpers think he was, he pimped his daughters and screwed them while he was drunk. I guess the Bible justifies child abuse as well.

As a liberal, do I want to take Bibles away from Christians? No, I have three of my own that I read.

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Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Yeah right!!







Which internet subculture do I belong to? [CLICK]
You are a Goth!
Oh Woe is you! Your LJ is full of angsty poetry and every breath is PAINFUL for you. Remember, when you are playing with razor blades, it's down, not across! Make it count! (kidding!)
More Quizzes at Go-Quiz.com


My husband got a good laugh out of this.
"You're a Goth?

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Family vacation

I haven't posted in the last couple of days because I went on vacation to Shanadoah National Park and Philadelphia.
Here we have a deer that looks like a goat-deer hybrid. Actually, she's really a deer with some unusual markings. The deer were not afraid of humans.

There were bugs everywhere.

Cute little critter!

A little side trip to Luray Caverns. The Fried Eggs are the result of an accident. Some workers broke stalagmites while building a walkway.

When dinosaurs attack!!!

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Sunday, August 07, 2005

Medical advances

D.K over at A Silent Cacophony has some interesting news about the possibility of a bird flu pandemic. The development of a vaccine is very good news. However, a vaccine is only effective if 90%of a population group gets immuninized. This protects the other 10% who cannot be immunized for whatever reasons such as allergic reactions to ingredients in the vaccine.
Becasue not enough children at my son's school were vaccinated against the flu, my son got the flu last year. I had him immunized against flu because I have asthma and I didn't want him missing school. However, some parents do not want to vaccinate their children, they are afraid the side effects of the vaccine are worse than the disease itself. There is no proof that the MMR vaccine causes autism. Autism existed before the MMR and will continue to do so. Possible explanations of the increase of autism cases is better diagnostic techniques and lower infant mortality.
And ignorance of science continues in America, with the Idiot-in-Chief saying that Intelligent Design should be taught as science in public schools.

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Changing traditions?

Recently the NCAA banned the appearance of Indian mascots and names from its tournaments. Now Florida State University, my alma mater, is going to sue the NCAA.
Florida State's student body selected the Seminole as its symbol in 1947. Some of the other choices were Rebels, Tarpons, and Crackers. Rebels was taken by a university in Mississippi. Tarpon is a big fish, usually when an alligator and a fish meet, the fish loses. Then there is the cracker, it's a horse, really!!! What, you thought I was talking about rednecks? But the possiblities boggle the mind if we had The Florida State Crackers. A pickup truck doing donuts on the football field before the game. But hey, it's better than celebrating a culture and history of an Indian Nation that fought three wars that cost the US Government 20 million dollars and resulted in a draw because the US Army did not know how to fight an insurgency.

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Friday, August 05, 2005

Welcome Skippy Readers

Thanks for stopping by my little place in the blogosphere and please check back regularly. I'm pretty busy, being a working Mom who is getting her Master's in International Relations. Please look around, click on one of my good causes. Or click on my blogads. We need the money, my husband is a full time college student!

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Friday Cat Blogging

... aaannnddd... wuuu... wuuu... oh screw the crunches!


... everyone needs a good foot rub.

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Wednesday, August 03, 2005

I found another quiz

Still a liberal. However, it's not as indepth as
Political compass.

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Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Critical National Issues Survey


Phinky got a campaign letter and survey in the mail today from "Friends of Hillary." If you haven't read her post about George Allen wanting $ and being scared, click here for her blog entry or here for her diary entry in Daily Kos. For those of us who would love to help the 42.5nd president stay in the Senate to keep the ultra conservatives in check, click here.

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