Kudos for ThinkPads...

You can watch the YouTube video of the "official" drop test for the IBM ThinkPad (now owned by China and called Lenovo) - or you can take my word that the thing DOES work after being dropped. By Quinn. We're sitting in the living room the other night, and all of a sudden, during the Olympics, I hear a holler. I figured it was something I missed on TV. Nope. It was a reaction to Quinn, who'd gotten spooked by something and had dashed out from under the dining room table - across the power cord I had on the floor - and in her dash, she snagged her foot on the power cord and WHAM!! Down came my laptop off the dining room table and right onto the laminate floor. Apparently, the grace of the dash was interrupted by the fact that she couldn't get any traction on the floor. Quinn took off and hid under my chair. I grabbed the computer and Hubby looked at it to see what was going to happen next. Of COURSE, it was booting up at the time she decided to take off. I have a ding in the floor. The battery on the laptop has a little dent in it. And last night, Hubby snapped the keyboard back into place. But it runs. Whew!! Now we know - it's puppy-proof.

Meet Quinn...

...the daughter of the little one we rescued in January. Suffice to say that she's adjusting nicely. She still needs a LOT of socialization. She loves to either sit under my chair or under my desk in the office.

She barks at the hubby and boys. But she's been out for walks and is good on a leash and knows where her crate is. The test will be tonight: will we get any sleep!!

The bottom picture is her under my desk. The other one is her under my chair. It'll be interesting to see if this continues as she grows - because she won't fit under my chair in a month!! Her other favorite spot is alongside and under my legs as I sit in my office chair. I almost feel as if I have to stay in the office more - she's so comfortable I hate to disturb her!

It Really IS a pretty scar...

WARNING: Scar picture at the bottom... But since it's several weeks (6 to be exact) post-op and since I have ELEVEN days till splint removal, I figured I'd show off what my youngest kid calls, "a scar that makes you look like you were in a really awesome knife fight." Yep. It's a boy... Nice to know you have "street cred" with your kids. The oldest boy kind of turns greenish and doesn't want to talk about it or see it. And the only reason I even emphasize it so much is that both boys are guitarists and practice a LOT. Not that they'll have a woman's susceptibility to basilar joint arthritis or the "zig-zag defect" that my doctor says I have on both thumbs, but still. It's too easy as a guitarist, particularly an avid one, to overwork your hand and then have more problems. My surgeon, out of University of Chicago Hospital, is a really top-notch doctor. He did the repair on my right hand (different injury) and he is known for his plastic-surgeon-like incisions. I don't expect a lot of obvious scarring, but I know it won't be easily hidden. I'm using a product called Bio-Oil on it, since I tried Mederma and it kept sticking to the cotton sleeve I wear under the splint. I guess it's time to call and cancel that hand-modeling contract. Drat. I knew I could've made it big... I think the biggest thing will be the scar therapy - at least that's what I'm being told. Right now, the thumb is still numb and for the most part, my left hand is still swollen. I'd love to wear my wedding ring, but the hand swells during the night and after a day spent at the computer (yep, gotta love my job), I get to a point where I can very uncomfortably "feel" the rings, and then I get panicked about being able to get them off! Anyway, both dogs have sniffed and approved; Hubby is willing to help nudge (read: NAG) me during therapy and both boys are marveling at what I can do while using my left index finger as a thumb! And my guitar teacher has already given me grief about the nail polish. I am reminded now of why I don't WEAR nail polish. The upkeep of the dratted fingernails has kept me occupied - seeing as I can't knit, I may as well be a "Foo-foo" girly-girl. Yes, that is my actual fingernail. I can grow them quite nicely, but choose for the most part not to do so. Too much trouble for a person who doesn't wear make-up and has instructed her stylist to give her "Ten Minute Hair."

Dogs on the Run...

So hum the song Band On the Run... and you'll catch the vibe of this picture. Hubby took the girls to the dog park. Seems like Tippi likes to run with River and River's not about to let the "youngster" upstage her! Here, Tippi's on River's blind side. She did that yesterday, too - kind of like she "knew" that being there was a good place. She keeps River from being whacked by stray branches or surprised by other dogs coming up where she can't see them. Hubby has one picture where Tippi's running and you can see the "40 mph" speed limit sign - but all you see of Tippi is a grey blur. I think she exceeded the limit! Of course, both dogs are sprawled in the living room now, having exhausted themselves. I can't wait to get out there with them this weekend to see them do what they do best: run like the wind and totally enjoy being a dog.

Lap of Luxury...

I think it's safe to say that Tippi is settling in.

We have been told it could be somewhere between 6 months and a year before she finally "gets" that this is her forever home. And we're prepared for that. This is truly a situation where, if we could have, we'd have taken the female puppy, too. Wish we didn't have "dog rationing" in our town. You can have 2 dogs or 2 cats, but not "four" of any one species.

Of COURSE there are people that flout that. However - it all kind of depends upon your neighbors and their tolerance level. Elkhounds bark. A lot. Long. Monotone. Frequently at "thin air." And if your neighbors aren't able to deal with that, it does become a problem. In spite of the ordinances against nuisances, it's REALLY aggravating to listen to a dog barking its head off. And I'm one who'd object, so I can't really blame another person for doing so.

And then what? The city comes in and says 'get rid of one.' So do you get rid of the half-blind dog that you've had for years? Or one of the ones you've just rescued, who may FINALLY be feeling that humans aren't so bad after all? Maybe I ought to lobby for "4 of species" so that we could legally take in another dog. Though the vet bills would be something to consider! After all, I can imagine someone having more than 4 cats - particularly if they keep them inside.

Anyway, for now, she's adjusting. If her expression in this picture is anything to go by, then I think she's going to be ok!

February is DONE!

Nope, that's not a typo. Since my hand surgery, I am unable to knit. Soooooooo.... I go back to my needlework "roots" and come back to counted cross stitch. I have this series of snowmen. I've done 3 of them now - and I've managed to start 2 more, but I can't find them. Wow - sounds like 2 or 3 knitting projects I have. But we won't go there.

Here's February. He's on a larger-count fabric - 28 count lugana which works out to be 14 sq/inch. Normally, they're on 32-count linen, which I prefer. But since I didn't have it, this guy will be a different size. He's on a soft peachy-colored fabric, which may or may not show up in this picture. I used antique glass beads for the heart on his chest and 3 of the tiny ones. And no, it's not your eyes. He's crooked, but that's because taking a picture one-handed is a little tricky. Particularly since Tippi and River were interested in what was on the couch (where I set this to photograph it).

I have fabric and batting, so he'll be treated like January's guy (who I can't find!!) - a little strip of pieced work around the outside edges and then a backer fabric. I have a dark-ish red patterend fabric that'll be good for that, as well as a lighter, "candy hearts" type design.

December's snowman is framed in plain red half-round. I may end up asking Hubby to do the same for Mr. March, since my local framers don't seem to carry that anymore, and I want to keep them rustic.

I've already tea-dyed the fabric for March - Mr. Shamrock!

I don't know if any of them will end up at the National Counted Cross Stitch Show, but Hubby says I ought to enter at least one in the "One-handed Stitcher" category!!

A Little Cheese with My "Whine"...

(insert heavy sigh here) OK, so here's what happened in the last 2 months of 2009. I was scheduled for surgery on my left hand for 12/22/09. About a month prior to that, I came down with a doozy of a sinus infection. Which some twinkie at a "minute clinic" (and that's about all she spent talking about MY symptoms - however, I learned in great detail about HER health...) tried to tell me was an "allergy." Well, not unless everyone in my house wears a Persian cat on their heads. And allergy attacks don't produce, in me at least, wracking coughs and post-nasal drip like Niagara Falls... I ended up at my regular clinic 2 days later (I missed Thanksgiving because I wasn't sure WHAT this was, but I did't want to infect my family) and yep - sinus infection. That cleared up. The surgery proceeded. Recovering nicely, thanks. And then my kid gives me a cold. A dripping, hacking, stuffy, blow-my-nose-constantly cold that has me sending my dear hubby out STAT for Puffs with lotion because my nose is a cross between W.C. Fields and Rudolph. No reindeer jokes, please. So I'm on Mucinex, which is a great OTC remedy except for that part where you kind of get wired and can't sleep. Which brings me to my question. WHY do all the antihistamines dry out everything BUT my nose?? I can't blink fast enough to keep my eyes from feeling sandpapery. My throat is a parched patch of land. My EARS even feel dry. My skin is even kind of "lizard-y" (not a good look, let me tell you!). But my nose is as plugged as it can get. (insert another sigh here, followed by a cough) Even "real" Sudafed isn't cutting this. I know - it's a cold. Give it a week or 10 days, stay hydrated (I'm sloshing, already), and rest. Except that the cold meds keep me awake. At least I'm not eating, since I've lost my sense of smell. My neti pot is my best friend lately. So are Halls Naturals, a specific candy called a G-shaft that keeps my tongue from sticking to the roof of my mouth, hot tea, and my 24-oz water bottle. I tried horehound drops. Ick. Spit. Wanted to lick sandpaper to get the taste out of my mouth. Here's another one. The kid that gave me the cold is 26 years old. Can I ground him for that?

Miscellaneous Pictures...

Hopefully, this will work. Top down(this program keeps shuffling the picture order!):

The cross-stitch snowman project I'm working on. Hey, I can't knit for a few more weeks, so I may as well do SOMETHING to keep me out of the Christmas cookies!! I've almost got his body done, and I will work on that tomorrow.

Tippi and River stretched out in the living room. We've since gotten Tippi her own bed, and she's learning some new tricks. River, however, remains ABOVE tricks, thank you. It's enough for her to "be" and enter a room with her personality and dignity intact.

And finally: "Speed Scarf" that I crocheted for my oldest son. He lost his - Heaven knows where - and asked me to do one for him - BEFORE my hand surgery. So here's a weekend scarf, in half-double crochet on a size P hook using chenille yarn. Beggars can't be choosers so he got the colors I had handy. I did it side-to-side, and it takes about 7 rows when you chain about 105 stitches and just go back and forth for a while.

This is what you do with...

...crappy yarn that isn't worth knitting. And when you don't want the knitting gods to smack you for wishing this garbage on an unsuspecting knitter...

I created this little "diorama" if you will in a corner of my office. I bought the yarn thinking it'd be good for chemo caps. It's from Hobby Lobby. It's nasty.

I'm having a knitting withdrawal attack. On December 22, I had an arthroplasty on the basilar joint of my left hand and a fusion on the joint just up from that. I'm in a splint for SIX WEEKS and I'm not allowed to do anything remotely resembling knitting. Or crocheting. But I can cross-stitch, so I set up a little project - monthly-themed snowmen, and I'm working on February. I am almost done with his body; just have to backstitch and then do the beading. The pattern doesn't call for it, but I don't care. It's done in Flower Thread, which is a pain in the butt to work with, but it's lovely when it's done.

As I talk to my knitting friends who are moving along on new projects, all I can do is sigh. Once therapy is done, I'll be all fixed - no pain and hopefully able to do all the things I was having trouble with before. In the meantime, I wound up the crappy yarn and made it LOOK like I was doing something!

Tippi is Home...

Yep. One look at where she was at, and I pretty much told my husband, "If the dog's not nuts, we're taking her out of here!" She and our husky did the "doggie data exchange" (i.e. sniffing personal parts) all night. There was a little bit of "I'm the top dog here" by our husky, and Tippi seems cool with that. I think she's happy. She ate a good dinner tonight and is sprawled out with the husky in the middle of the living room. Twin Tripping Hazards!! Here's a picture of her "guarding the door." Once she's able to consistently respond to "come" she will go with hubby to the dog park. She's getting better at being more responsive to commands, so we have hope that she'll come along just fine. She's a BEEFY little thing: 53 lbs!! She's solid, but still - the vet would like her to lose about 12 lbs or so, and she also thinks that some of it is related to the pups Tippi had about 9 weeks ago. She'll be spayed next month, after some of the swelling has gone down, but the vet said that she's basically healthy. She did well in the office and got herself a pedicure while she was there! It turned out that 01/02/2010 was a special day after all. We're calling it Tippi's New Birthday.

Meet Tippi...

Well. You always think that things happen for a reason. And maybe they do. After we lost our Elkhound, to cancer in early December, we knew we'd have to get another dog. Our husky has been in the doldrums, and we always thought dogs should be in pairs, even when they "own" their own humans!

I contacted a gal from the Norwegian Elkhound Rescue Association. Luckily, Elkhounds are kind of an unusual breed - not very popular, thanks, and rescues are sparse compared to, for example, huskies and mixed breeds.

I expected several weeks at least. We're going to Wisconsin tomorrow to meet Tippi... They say all things happen for a reason. Today is 01/02/2010 - a palindrome date. One maybe endowed with mystical powers, since it's the same forward as it is backwards. And maybe I was meant to contact the rescue coordinator. And maybe Tippi was supposed to be where she was.

And maybe we'll give a lovely dog a forever home.

Obama's Nobel Speech

Whether you agree that he deserves the prize or not, this speech is a great mix of ideals and pragmatic reality. We as a world are getting there, but we have oh-so-far to go. And in our own country, particularly, it seems like we are often pushing cooked spaghetti up a hill with our noses. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34360743/ns/politics-white_house/

An Open Letter to President Obama - from Michael Moore and Me!

Monday, November 30th, 2009 Dear President Obama, Do you really want to be the new “war president”? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do — destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they’ve always heard is true — that all politicians are alike. I simply can’t believe you’re about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn’t so. It is not your job to do what the generals tell you to do. We are a civilian-run government. WE tell the Joint Chiefs what to do, not the other way around. That’s the way General Washington insisted it must be. That’s what President Truman told General MacArthur when MacArthur wanted to invade China. “You’re fired!,” said Truman, and that was that. And you should have fired Gen. McChrystal when he went to the press to preempt you, telling the press what YOU had to do. Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we ****in’ hate these generals, from Westmoreland in Vietnam to, yes, even Colin Powell for lying to the UN with his made-up drawings of WMD (he has since sought redemption). So now you feel backed into a corner. 30 years ago this past Thursday (Thanksgiving) the Soviet generals had a cool idea — “Let’s invade Afghanistan!” Well, that turned out to be the final nail in the USSR coffin. There’s a reason they don’t call Afghanistan the “Garden State” (though they probably should, seeing how the corrupt President Karzai, whom we back, has his brother in the heroin trade raising poppies). Afghanistan’s nickname is the “Graveyard of Empires.” If you don’t believe it, give the British a call. I’d have you call Genghis Khan but I lost his number. I do have Gorbachev’s number though. It’s + 41 22 789 1662. I’m sure he could give you an earful about the historic blunder you’re about to commit. With our economic collapse still in full swing and our precious young men and women being sacrificed on the altar of arrogance and greed, the breakdown of this great civilization we call America will head, full throttle, into oblivion if you become the “war president.” Empires never think the end is near, until the end is here. Empires think that more evil will force the heathens to toe the line — and yet it never works. The heathens usually tear them to shreds. Choose carefully, President Obama. You of all people know that it doesn’t have to be this way. You still have a few hours to listen to your heart, and your own clear thinking. You know that nothing good can come from sending more troops halfway around the world to a place neither you nor they understand, to achieve an objective that neither you nor they understand, in a country that does not want us there. You can feel it in your bones. I know you know that there are LESS than a hundred al-Qaeda left in Afghanistan! A hundred thousand troops trying to crush a hundred guys living in caves? Are you serious? Have you drunk Bush’s Kool-Aid? I refuse to believe it. Your potential decision to expand the war (while saying that you’re doing it so you can “end the war”) will do more to set your legacy in stone than any of the great things you’ve said and done in your first year. One more throwing a bone from you to the Republicans and the coalition of the hopeful and the hopeless may be gone — and this nation will be back in the hands of the haters quicker than you can shout “tea bag!” Choose carefully, Mr. President. Your corporate backers are going to abandon you as soon as it is clear you are a one-term president and that the nation will be safely back in the hands of the usual idiots who do their bidding. That could be Wednesday morning. We the people still love you. We the people still have a sliver of hope. But we the people can’t take it anymore. We can’t take your caving in, over and over, when we elected you by a big, wide margin of millions to get in there and get the job done. What part of “landslide victory” don’t you understand? Don’t be deceived into thinking that sending a few more troops into Afghanistan will make a difference, or earn you the respect of the haters. They will not stop until this country is torn asunder and every last dollar is extracted from the poor and soon-to-be poor. You could send a million troops over there and the crazy Right still wouldn’t be happy. You would still be the victim of their incessant venom on hate radio and television because no matter what you do, you can’t change the one thing about yourself that sends them over the edge. The haters were not the ones who elected you, and they can’t be won over by abandoning the rest of us. President Obama, it’s time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, “No, we don’t need health care, we don’t need jobs, we don’t need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, ’cause we don’t need them, either.” What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that’s what they’d do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines. All of us that voted and prayed for you and cried the night of your victory have endured an Orwellian hell of eight years of crimes committed in our name: torture, rendition, suspension of the bill of rights, invading nations who had not attacked us, blowing up neighborhoods that Saddam “might” be in (but never was), slaughtering wedding parties in Afghanistan. We watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of our brave young men and women were killed, maimed, or endured mental anguish — the full terror of which we scarcely know. When we elected you we didn’t expect miracles. We didn’t even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn’t even function as a nation and never, ever has. Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God’s sake, stop. Tonight we still have hope. Tomorrow, we shall see. The ball is in your court. You DON’T have to do this. You can be a profile in courage. You can be your mother’s son. We’re counting on you. Yours, Michael Moore MMFlint@aol.com MichaelMoore.com and River in IL P.S. There’s still time to have your voice heard. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 or email the President.

Knitting Indulgence

So the Learning Sweater is progressing nicely IN SPITE of having to RIP OUT 6 1/2" last Friday. Counting is important in knitting. When it says "repeat 8 times" it doesn't mean FOUR KNITS AND FOUR PURLS. It means EIGHT OF EACH. Oy. Rookie mistake, but easily fixed! Sooooooooooo. While at the LYS, there's a sale. Yep, Danger Will Robinson territory. Pictured is the Jordana Paige bag I couldn't resist. I have to change it over to use for the holidays, and I can't wait to see how it all fits together. It's for smaller projects. Honestly, I looked at the larger ones, but all I'd do is stuff it with "other stuff" and I don't usually bring larger projects along when I'm waiting or the like. I love the bright green, not because I like the color, but because you can see the contents of your bag! A thinking knitter's bag to be sure. Check out http://www.jordanapaige.com/ for more of her designs. I've eyeballed them in magazines, but this is the first time I've been able to actually fiddle with one to see if I'd like it. Heck, it's going to be a great PURSE period. You can pull up the handles to make it more of a shoulder bag or keep it as a "hand" bag. And our Knitsters group is having a "notions" exchange in February. What a great idea - first of all, to wait till after the holidays and do something in February, which is usually the slow month for us all, and kind of grim weather-wise. And notions? Who doesn't need another tape measure, stitch markers, etc.? The bag is probably my biggest indulgence (well, except for that silk yarn in my stash...). Once in a while, you get to a point where knitting out of a recyclable grocery bag just doesn't cut it.

It's Old Enough to be Vintage...

OK, so I take a while to finish a project. This pillow was done in crewel work - by me - in the late 70s. I was never sure what I was going to do with it, so I stuck it in a box.

Needless to say, I used a metal hoop, and it's been through at least 4 moves. It's amazing I still have it!!

And I finally finished it into a pillow. It's not pretty, but I figure at this advanced age, I can claim "vintage."

It's sitting on my favorite chair, the one where I normally do my knitting, etc. I may end up putting it on the bed because even though that's "my" chair, Kid @2 and I share it! But he can't have my vintage pillow!

The Learning Sweater...

OK, so here's what I'm learning about sweater knitting: (a) I'm not a fast knitter; (b) there are a LOT of stitches!!; (c) circular needles make the process MUCH less painful and quite a bit faster, even if you're a slow knitter.

The yarn? Well, it's a cotton blend. Cascade Yarns Sierra, which is 80% pima cotton and 20% merino wool. Color # 22. It's one of those yarns that's basically a "3-season" yarn. The sweater is a simple pullover. I did a rice stitch band at the bottom instead of a K2P2 ribbing. I want it more "tunic" than "stuck to my hips." I love the blue color; it'll go with everything from khakis to jeans to tailored pants. There are 2 images: the overall front and then a close-up of the band. I want to do the collar and cuffs in the rice stitch as well, and I think I can do the cuffs by changing to a smaller needle - not sacrificing "stretch" for the overall pattern.

Every Knitter Knows...

That there are certain "stash-worthy" yarns that you MUST have. Particularly if they're on clearance or on sale. Pictured is my most recent find. On our KnitWits Unite thread at Weight Watchers, one of our posters has all of us hooked on a scarf that uses 4 skeins of Noro. Well. Anyone who knows fiber knows that Noro is certainly a premier hand-painted yarn. I wasn't going to go forward with this project. Seriously. Stop laughing. I have a Finance final to study for; I have my Learning Sweater I'm working on. I haven't finished my eyeglass case. I have the ribbed shell in a butter yellow that I've just got about 3" of the back done. I have 2 baby afghans in mid-stream (and 2 gals with grandbabies awaiting those afghans). I have S.A.B.L.E. (Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy)... But I fell into the Fiber Hole. It was on clearance at Jimmy Bean's (www.jimmybeanswool.com). Seven bucks a hank. I got Noro #2 and Noro #5. According to our poster, we're supposed to use "really different" tones or colors on this scarf, and they blend in typical Noro fashion to create something yummy. This scarf ought to be nice; as you can see, the yarns are a combination of bold jewel tones and subtle earth tones. They are in a similar color family, but I think the combo of bold and tame will be interesting. As it progresses (a/k/a "When I get to it") I'll show pictures. Gotta love stash. It's comfort food for knitters with no calories.

Moment of Inspiration

I had to give a "reflection" at a meeting today. Here's what I chose. And here's why I chose it. A number of years back, I met, at a networking event, a woman named Bea Young. She did show us her driver's license to prove that. She was a yogini (female yoga practitioner) and was in her 70s at the time. She had the posture and presence of a queen, and she attributed that to daily yoga and daily rollerblading... The poem is by Dawna Markova. I have no title for this. Here it is:

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open men,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible;

to loosen my heart until

it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which

came to me as blossom

goes on as fruit.

Unfortunately...

President Jimmy Carter is right. And that makes me sad. He's just been speaking about what most of us knew as a reality. The rage against Obama isn't just because he's a Democrat, or he's proposing something "out of the box" in the health care reform debacle. It's because there are more people who are racist. And they're becoming more open in that racism. And the reason I stated "more people who are racist" is because it's now pretty much "out of the closet" and almost (sadly) a badge of honor. You're a "patriot" if you oppose this president. And if you happen to not like the color of his skin, that's ok. It's even encouraged in a sub rosa way. "We won't mind...." This is so wrong on many levels. And it ties in to the whole "tote your rod" thing where the gun-happy crazies are bringing loaded weapons to Obama appearances. People. Here's a radical idea: Read about what it would ACTUALLY take for any president to overturn the 2nd Amendment. It's not like you wake up one day and say, "Hmmmmmm. It's Wednesday. I think I'll outlaw guns across the nation." Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. That can't happen. He's not a king. He's not a Czar. He's not a President-for-Life. We have considerable rights in this country, in spite of what the past president tried to take away. Along with those rights comes an enormous responsibility: the responsibility of educating ourselves about how our system was formed, how it works and how we can help make it better. Toting guns, acting and speaking in a racist manner, intimidating and shouting down those with whom you disagree - those are not things that will help make our country better. They show the ugly underbelly of this country. I was hoping for better.

Open Letter to Joe Wilson

I tried a couple of times to post this to Mr. Wilson's website, and it's crashed. And his chief of staff's e-mail isn't working. Hmmmmmmm. Conspiracy??? ******************************** I always thought that Southern gentlemen had better manners. I lived in Virginia for quite some time, and for the most part, found that that cultural stereotype held. However in this case, Mr. Wilson, you have blasted that concept into the stratosphere. Of all the rude, inconsiderate, boorish, dim-witted, inane, juvenile and despicable things! To insult a sitting President? Was it just because you figured you could "get away with it" because Obama is black? The white Southern gentleman yelling at an inconsiderate "nigra"??? You have not only gone beyond the pale, you’ve leaped over into an area of incivility which is sadly indicative of your entire party’s current agenda. If you want to foment hate and discontent, you’ve certainly whacked at this with a broad sword and have once again hit your target market of stupid lemmings willing to believe that THEY are the only “true” Americans because you’ve told them so, removing the thinking part of their brains in the process. I suppose that if a DEMOCRAT had done that, the entire body of Republicans would have been calling for his soft squishy parts. Because “insulting the President” is un-American… but not if he’s a first-term Democrat only 7 months into his job. And particularly not if he’s asking you to do something human and be REAL Americans. And ESPECIALLY if he’s biracial. Instead, you act as if you are a bunch of screeching harpies who want the man assassinated. Which certainly sounds like what you’re hoping. And then you’ll all stand back and say, “Wow. We didn’t intend for that to happen. That’s a shame.” Hypocritical sore losers. That’s exactly what you and your entire party are. You people need to get your severe rectal-cranial inversion fixed. And, Mr. Wilson, you need to have your mouth washed out with soap.