Comfort and Joy

'Tis the season for family, friends, lights, singing, gifts, and gratitude. Love each other.

Trying to be Pleasant... (repost from 2009)

Message in a Bottle

by Police

Just a castaway, an island lost at sea, oh
Another lonely day, with no one here but me, oh
More loneliness than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair, oh

I'll send an S.O.S. to the world
I'll send an S.O.S. to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle, yeah
Message in a bottle, yeah.....

....I'm listening to "Message in a Bottle" right now. Seems like an appropriate soundtrack for today's news.

Let's see what the news media and blogosphere have to tell us about climate change - gahhhh -apparently someone has hacked a British university studying climate change and uncovered some fraud. In the USA, the religious right is having a heyday discrediting decades of solid science and fundamental agreement on how humans impact the earth. This pimple on an otherwise umblemished record of research is supposed to convince the masses that they can continue to belch carbon into the atmosphere and gawd will bless them. Some anti scientists are again dredging up another heaping helping of "creationist" stew salted with opposing FSM propaganda. *sigh* Hey! The planet is getting hotter and humans have brains with which to cope with these changes. Let's adapt people! Please. I'm trying to remain pleasant and avoid discussing climate change and evolution with strangers, but sometimes I feel really mean and I want to chum the the conversational waters. Okay, okay... I'm under control until after the holidays.

Another newsworthy item is health care reform, passed by the House today and girding its loins to battle with the hoary headed monsters in the Senate. The big news is that Harry Reid gave the reform obstructionists a taste of their own bombastic rhetoric and guess what .... they are outraged. I'm trying to be fair and play nice, but when the Obama haters use the word slavery on a daily basis, why is a little payback from the democrats front page news. Right, right, this September, a republican lawmaker called the President a liar during his address to Congress and that was front page news, too. We'll see where this latest tempest in a teapot/teabag goes. It would be pleasant if both parties would stop the hate and debate issues not personalities.

And now for the saddest news, almost two hundred people were killed in Baghdad and Lahore, hundreds were almost killed but survived the bomb blasts. These once beautiful and productive places have become slaughter houses and examples that an invading force increases the violence. I do not understand Obama's strategy for the war in Afghanistan. It throws lives and money away and further weakens America's ability to regroup and survive our own tough times. The Lahore bloodshed is an example of the cost of escalation and the Baghdad slaughter is an example of the costs of de-escalation. Whether we stay or go, thousands will die. There is a reason why the world gave Obama a Nobel peace prize. Every nation but America sees the ultimate futility of continuing to wage these wars.

The Bush pre-emptive strike philosophy is an abject failure, one that Obama is supposed to mitigate not propagate. The USA pulverized two weakened, stone age countries in a quest to eliminate terrorists, but terrorists multiply with every American drone that destroys civilian houses and kill wedding guests. Unless we're sending 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan that speak the language and understand this tribal culture, more grunts add fuel to this fire.

So much hurt. So much despair and heartache. The world is what it is... a hard, often cruel, and beautiful place. It's my place and I am grateful that I am one of a small number of humans living in relative comfort and peace. I think I'll count my blessings today and look for hope in today's news. Hmmmm...

I am grateful that I am not alone in believing that all beings in this planet/place deserve a decent life. I am grateful that today, in Copenhagen, the world has come together to find a global solution to a global problem and that America is participating. I am grateful today that cancer deaths in the US continue to decline, I am grateful that the Obama administration is finally focusing on job creation and has extended unemployment benefits. I am grateful. The very least I can do is to express this gratitude and be pleasant and loving toward others. Be the joy that the world needs now. Be the compassion and balance that the world needs now. Do more to help others live well. Today is a good day. Life is good. I am blessed. (Say that three times, real fast.)

May all beings know love and peace.

A Strange Day

Shopping Escalation- Media Center Mall - Burbank, CA

Maneki Neko- Media Center Mall - Burbank, CA

Christmas is a Ball -Kitchy Needlepoint Display - Sherman Oaks, CA

Giacometti Santas - Bashas Grocery Store - Sedona, AZ

"Artistically I am still a child with a whole life ahead of me to discover and create. I want something, but I won't know what it is until I succeed in doing it." - Alberto Giacometti

"Would you wait in front of Wallmart at four in the morning to bargain shop?"

This was the question I asked my sales associates yesterday morning and three out of five said, "yes!"

Lea tried to help me understand that bargain shopping in a frenzied crowd of strangers is thrilling, especially if one has a goal and meets it. All three of the avid bargain shoppers felt that black friday is especially good for families with children because toys are marked way down and the most trendy toys are always in short supply weeks later.

"It's like a tailgate party," she said, and I realized how far outside of the mainstream I really am since I don't like TG parties either.

Later that evening, I happened to channel surf to the Fox Movie Network and became fascinated with the movie, "The Ice Storm." I watched it before but never finished it because it seemed bleak. It is bleak, yet attractive and familiar. The opening scene is of a teenage boy on a commuter train which stops and goes dark. The boy seems unfazed and rather cheerful about this alarming event. He is not scared, nor does he express anything but a mild curiosity while he day or night dreams about superheros. Finally, the train starts up again, grinding through sharp ice and snowdrifts while the conductor yells out the status of the train and it's destination. The boy, Paul, seems relieved and intrigued. When he arrives at New Caanan, Connecticut, his family is waiting on the the snowy train platform - anxious to see him and Paul is pleased. This scene expresses Thanksgiving weekend fantasies of family togetherness, triumph over adversity and gratitude - as sweet and familiar as a black friday shopping coup.

This scene also closes the movie and Ang Lee very cleverly superimposes a frigid world of hurt over this picture, creating a lasting and more truthful impression of lives going off the rails. Bleak.

The bleakness combined with the idealized sweetness is kept in remarkable balance throughout this tough story by the wondrous cast, pacing, and cinematography. No one is in a hurry to tell their story. No one is consumed by fear or horror. Although much is made about the 1970s setting, it could be any time or place that has ignored the Bush "terror" media circus and paparazzi anal retentiveness. There is terror and bleakness and sadness and confusion and unhappy endings, but there is a refreshing absence of magnified whining. Everyone is quiet and thoughtful and elegant - even the losers. There is an absence of judgment - no talking heads to clutter up the mindspace with crap psychology or moralizing. There are no morals in this movie, really. Just people.

Let Us Give Thanks

Going Desperado

Dance Sheep Dance - Sculpture - Sedona, Arizona



"Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? You been out ridin' fences for so long now.
Oh, you're a hard one. I know that you got your reasons.
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow..."

Yesterday, I rushed into Ralphs supermarket to pick up some refreshments for a meeting that would begin in an hour, and I really didn’t have much of an idea of what to serve the group this time.

“Drat,” I thought. The parking lot was almost full and I parked in the hinterlands reassuring myself that I needed the brisk walk to the entrance.

As I grabbed my cart, I noticed that every fearful swine flu junkie was ahead of me, wiping down their carts, then their hands, causing a line to form before I even got to the front door. Grrrr! I finally muscled my way past the wet wipers and got inside the doors. A blast of air from above blew the bejeebus out of my hair and frosted my eyeballs as I careened past other blown-from-above shoppers toward the sliced fruit aisle.

It didn’t take long to snag some treats and other grocery staples for the house and I raced toward the checkout area. Just when I thought I'd made good time and would be on my way, I ran into a wall of surly shoppers. Only two cashiers were working, so I waited in a line which snaked past what looked like a card table.

“What a stupid place to put that thing,” I thought. It was right in the middle of the aisle where people maneuver their carts into clogged check out lanes. "No wonder check out is so slow."

I could see that others were pretty cranky about it, too. Once I looked at what was on the blasted table, I just shook my head. It was the Palin book, and not one person was tempted to give this obstacle more than a passing glare. Was it because of the inconvenient location, or was it because people are tired of the hype. There is such a thing as overexposure not to mention the concept that some things (or people) do not look so good upon close examination.

The overexposure of Mrs. Palin reminds me of my bar band days when I’d observe the desperate machinations of drunk and horny women in the clubs. The “look at me” frenzy was particularly acute just before the lights went on and the clubs closed. As soon as those lights went on, every flaw on their tired faces, every streak of mascara, every broken blood vessel in their sad eyes sent a warning to the shy, or unattractive, or unskilled men debating whether or not a roll in the hay with this nightclub goddess would result in disaster. Nine times out of ten, the unlucky goddesses would wind up driving themselves home and they’d be back the next night ready to do it all over again.

Desperation, thy name is Sarah.

Veterans History Project

Feeling a Little Lost

Two Rosie the Riveters Reminisce

World War II Vets and Survivors

Veteran's History Project Luncheon - November 7, 2009 - Sedona, Arizona

"I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a method of settling international disputes." -General Douglas MacArthur

Many years ago, I sang in a rock and roll band. It was a "top 40" band formed by my husband who played bass and me. We travelled throughout the country and because of our strange schedule - sleeping during the day and working at night - we became used to isolation and loneliness. I should say that I became used to this twilight existence. As great as the band members were, I was the only woman and didn't quite fit in to the rock and roll lifestyle.

We had a six-week gig in Colorado Springs one fall. It was one of my better road memories because the club owner furnished fairly decent rooms and the city itself is spectacular. The club was closed on Sunday and everyone, except me, decided to go to Denver for some reason - another band was playing/partying... the drummer needed new sticks... someone needed something that we couldn't get in Colorado Springs... I was sick... don't really remember. Anyway, I stayed behind.

I went for a walk that morning and ran into the motel owner's daughter, Leslie. She gave me a ride into town and we had breakfast and shopped a little. I was grateful for her friendliness and we made plans to do more shopping in the future. As I was opening my motel room door, I noticed a man on an earth mover right behind the motel. He was scooping up debris next to a ditch and piling it up by the roadway. I went around the back and watched him work for a while. He was older, bundled up sporting a hat with ear flaps. Quite a sight, really. A chunky bit of determined man mastering a mechanized beast. I finished my cigarette and was just about to go back to my room, when he wheeled around and drove the beast to the vacant lot next to the motel.

He got down from the vehicle and stumbled a little. I noticed he was holding onto to the handrail as he walked toward me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, just got a little cold out there. How's the room?" he said.

I guessed that he must be the motel owner and said nice things about the room and his daughter.

"Leslie's not my daughter, though," he said. "She's my sister's girl. Nora and I took over this place after I got back from the war and Leslie's helped out ever since she could walk."

He was closer now, and sat down on the bench to rest. I guessed that he must have been wounded in the war.

"Which war were you in," I asked.

"World War II. I was one of the first soldiers to Dachau. That's where I really got to know how to use an earth mover, only it wasn't earth we were moving. What a gawd awful place and the stink, the stink of that place. I saw things there that still give me nightmares. Sorry. I just can't talk about it, not ever. Well I gotta go." He got up, looking down, not meeting my eyes and walked to the front of the motel and into the office.

I felt chilled and sad for him. I had become used to isolation and lonliness, but not because something inside me was damaged or frozen. This man was a walking wound - trying to isolate his heart from his memories. Later I talked to his sister, Nora, and she was surprised that Billy even talked to me, especially about his war experiences.

"Billy has never spoken one word about what happened to him over there," she said. "He used to be so much fun before the war, but it hurt him, it really, really hurt him. He's just getting by these days. At least that's what I thought, but maybe he's getting over it, finally. That'd be nice."

The movies, documentaries, television stories of the war show the one-dimensional view of the concentration camps and battlegrounds. These grainy, black and white images give me nightmares. I know that Billy and those like him who survived a world unhinged by savagery and insanity live the nightmare. They still live the nightmare. As General MacArthur stated above, creating these nightmares in response to territorial or political threats is useless.

There must be an alternative, a less disastrous way, to protect and preserve our countries and ourselves. Economic prosperity, productivity, and love of life makes it easier to mitigate the pervading cancers of dominance and intolerance. But, when times are tough and I stand next to a person who thinks, acts and believes differently than I believe, I lose perspective. I focus on the external and I become afraid. Every individual contributes to the love of life or destruction of it. I fear the destruction caused by an ignorant or misguided person and group. The fear is what works against my own best interests.

When the world makes no sense, it is time to focus on simple truths. The most powerful four words in the world are: "live and let live." This sentence expresses the simplicity of survival and urges us to focus on life. Actions follow thought, and if the focus is living, I begin to realize that one cannot live alone, rather we all need each other to survive. To thrive in this world, I think that we must love each other and by seeing our own spirit and human potential in every person, the outer shell of identity and distance will not dominate our perceptions and cause conflict. The inner life of each person is where the action, the living, the thriving begins and that is where my connection is most profound. Realizing that all people are connected makes me want to keep up my end of the connection and keep up the positive flow of life force. Keeping positive may be all we can do today, and it takes work. This is good work and the little ripples of happy laughter, quiet togetherness, listening, speaking, caring travel the life force network and make it strong.

May all beings know love and peace.

On the Boulevard

Stinkin Thinkin

"Doing the Footwork"

























"Making Strides"
ACS Discovery Shop - Sherman Oaks, CA

















"Boobies in the Spotlight"
Hudson Playhouse - Hollywood, California
























"Think Pink"
ACS Discovery Shop Sherman Oaks, CA

Three of my closest friends have survived breast cancer. Two of them chose to have double mastectomies and one had a lumpectomy. All three have been cancer free for over ten years. Early detection is critical. Another vital element of beating cancer is attitude. All of my friends value good mental health and prevention. A positive, victimless attitude seems to be the key to beating cancer and keeping it away.

Today, I met Tracy, a woman going through chemo for colon cancer. Three years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent aggressive treatment and seemed to have the disease on the run when her doctor discovered that she had colon cancer. She explained that it was rare for anyone to have two types of treatable cancer at the same time and she was finally completing chemo and radiation for both diseases. I met her while she was searching for sympathy cards, something beautiful to send a friend of hers. She had a surgical mask over her mouth to prevent others from contracting the bronchial infection she was struggling with.

"Oh boy," I thought. "This conversation is going to be a downer."

While we talked about her ordeal, I noticed that she was very matter-of-fact and informative about both diseases.

"I have enough drama in my life right now without manufacturing it. I appreciate your genuine interest and concern. It's lonely fighting cancer. Thank you for taking a minute and talking with me," she explained in response to my comments and questions. She was gracious.

I could tell she was getting tired and within minutes she bought some cards and colorful knick knacks and was out the door. I had anticipated a negative experience and received a needed lesson in hope. Faced with destruction, she was thoughtful enough to wear a face mask while sick, she was sensitive to my level of understanding of horror, and recognized that both of us would benefit from positive, hopeful and life affirming observations (i.e., lovely colors, the benefits of supporting programs that fight cancer, smiles). She was a ray of sunshine. I saw how she focused on the moment, how she cherished these seconds without pain and weakness, and I felt blessed to share them with her.

As desperate as it may seem to live moment to moment, I believe that this immediacy is what transcendence is all about. This moment is real and to go beyond our experiences, we need reality as a springboard. I realized that anticipating, second guessing, being defensive blocked my initial moments with Tracy. Because of Tracy's generous spirit, she found the words to connect with me and give me a real moment. Something to hold onto as I struggle beyond my limitations and obstacles. A real moment with a real person. What a gift!

May all beings know health and love!

Elephants in the Room...

Wooden Smile - Bench, Avila Beach, California

" Ooops I Did it Again" - Robbie Conal Poster, Los Angeles, California

It Can't Happen Here - ICU Gallery, Los Angeles, California

Terror in the Southland - Mural, Los Angeles, California

Negative Elephant - Textile, Crafts and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California

"A collective ego manifests the same characteristics as the personal ego, such as the need for conflict and enemies, the need for more, the need to be right against others who are wrong, and so on. Sooner or later the collective will come into conflict with other collectives, because it unconsciously seeks conflict and it needs opposition to define its boundary and thus its identity. Its members will then experience the suffering that inevitably comes in the wake of any ego-motivated action. At that point, they may wake up and realize that their collective has a strong element of insanity." - Eckhart Tolle, page 125, "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose"

There is a negative elephant sitting in my room right now. I closed my eyes the other night and wished it away. It's still here.

Of course it's still here. Where else would this giant mass of negativity go. I have fed it with my condemnation, watered it with my self pity, and cleaned up after it with my righteous judgments and blame. Like my jiggling backside, it's grown out of all proportion, dragging me down making me slow and unbearably self conscious. This is my comfort zone. I love it here with Ellie. She and I watch the news and bash those scheming blowhards on the political fringe.

"What is the deal with these loonies, E? They don't want universal health care or even better health care because they fear (fill in the blank). They hate and fear illegal immigrants because they steal our (fill in the blanks). They hate and fear me because I support Obama and (fill in the blank). They hate and fear (fill in the blanks) because (the Collective Ego Gone Wild)," I exhaust myself talking trash to Ellie - okay, okay, ranting to/with ME.

There are no loonies, unless I am a loonie. There is no collective ego gone wild unless I am that ego. There is no conflict unless I am that conflict. There is no (fill in the blanks with whatever we fear) unless I am that fear.

A while back, I worked as a department manager, supervising seven people. Two of the ladies hated each other. Both women were smart, skilled and classy. One was older and very loyal to me. The other was a young hottie and ambitious (i.e., she wanted my job). At least once a week, I'd referee a shouting match or pouting match and the negativity effected the entire department. Finally, I spoke to my boss about this situation.

"Two ladies in my department have a personality conflict and it's getting out of hand. What should I do to solve this problem, yadda, yadda, fumble, spew?" I was embarrassed to bring this problem to his attention because he tended to micro manage and criticize me whenever he had a spare moment.

"I wondered when you'd get a handle on this problem," he said. "What have you tried so far?" I was shocked at how reasonable he seemed and recounted several incidents and my attempts to diffuse the skirmishes.

"By the way, there is no such thing as a personality conflict. Personalities have nothing to do with this. This is an ego trip if ever I've seen it, and the biggest ego trip is yours. You tolerate this conflict and it's time to stop it. If you hadn't come to me today, I was going to step in and you will not like my solution, so I'll give you a week to turn this thing around. I'd suggest taking each lady to lunch or something non-threatening and lay down the law. I'll back you up, by the way, because one of them has already come to me complaining about you." He looked tired, and I left his office feeling as tired as he looked.

He was right. The conflict was all about ego. Both of us older ladies felt intimidated by the new, hottie on the block. I threw up protective barriers and roadblocks to counter her ambitions. She gave up direct approaches to breaking down the barriers and resorted to backstabbing and bad mouthing. Neither of us were able to focus on the work, the common good, and forge a connection. Once I took my ego (aka, fear) out of the picture, I was able to see past the conflict and recognize the talents of each of us. After some bumpy meetings, responsibilities and tasks were reassigned according to ability and willingness.

Truthfully, I was never able to enjoy my interactions with Ms. Hottie and she was barely able to pull in her claws around me, but we were able to do some good work together when we each focused on our purpose and recognized the necessity of cooperation.

My boss taught me a valuable lesson about ego and the harm it does to a team. The greatest harm was the "every woman for herself" disconnect. Now, after years of self-help and therapy, I see the value in namaste, recognizing and valuing the god in you and the god in me. In this example, had I looked past the facade and into the heart of both ladies, I'd have found the common bond of human need and spiritual connection.

My friend, the negative elephant, wants to obscure the importance of this bond. We feed my ego and our collective ego becomes filled with fear and confused conclusions based on impressions and opinions. We gather our "facts" and construct whatever facade or barrier we need to feel protected from chaos. I become more fragmented and disconnected from the source. I become embedded in a collective ego which is busy dredging up past disconnects and manufacturing future disasters. Because life is good, we realize a need to reconnect with "team humanity," strengthen connections, and clarify purpose. The universe keeps the source open, 24/7, so life just is and my ego dissolves in the flow.

Everything important is happening right now, and "right now" is fast moving. For some people, "right now" is surviving a tsunami. Right now, someone is writing a song. Someone else is ringing up a sales order. Another person is listening to the radio and hating Obama. That person's wife is watching Oprah and loving Dr. Oz. The wife's daughter is walking home from school, feeling lonely. That daughter's teacher is balancing his checkbook and rechecking his math. A person is sitting in a jail cell wondering if the sun is shining. I'm blogging, you're twittering, everyone feels the air moving inside them, everyone blinks, all beings absorb and emit energy. This energy is the connection. According to Tolle, ego unplugs us from this energy source and as we go backwards, we gravitate to other disconnected egos forming a collective whose purpose is to get bigger and more attractive to new disconnects. We all can read the quote above for a much more elegant description of this process.

So... how do I deal with negative Ellie? A wise person suggested that I recognize Ellie, or any negative thought, then let it go. Just let it go. Resistance is futile. Accept it. Do not embrace it, though. It is just a thought and here's the tricky part, judging a thought is ridiculous. Think about it. A thought is really just an impression, it is not reality, it is not good or bad. So, what is reality? For Tolle and many deep thinkers, reality is energy or life source and whatever keeps the source vibrant and flowing is real. Being conscious of life, expressing life, opening to life's lessons and joys is real.

Nothing Much to Say

Triple Exposure

Grey Rose

The Dressing Room

The Dive

Young Tree by the Ocean Little Birds

“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary” - Pablo Picasso

When the Sun Comes Out

Day Evening - Sculptures by Paul Manship, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

The Wind and the Sun
A fable by Aesop

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin."

So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give in despair.

Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.

Kindness affects more than severity.

I've been thinking about kindness today. I know it's a good quality and necessary for happiness, but I sometimes feel afraid of kindness. It is an open door to a room filled with light, a place of comfort and warmth. Am I good enough to be in this place? If I inhabit this space will I be able to tolerate the coldness and darkness outside that door? If I am kind, will I attract super needy people who will suck my soul dry? Is it possible to empty my soul? And... the questions never end.

I guess my ambivalence comes from my experiences with needy and sometimes greedy people. A close relative is a recovering drug addict and is living a drug free, happier life now. If I focus on this moment and forget the past, he is a real source of joy, but sometimes I remember trying to be kind to him in his drug days and getting screwed. I always felt stupid and resentful when I'd give him something to help and he'd blow it. Then I'd see the lovable person inside the addict and determined not to give up on him. Over the years, I learned the difference between being a doormat and being kind. I learned to forgive others and myself. I learned to give freely, no strings attached and only when the giving is joyful, not resentful.

I know that kindness gives comfort and support to the person not to the behavior, and this is what I need to remember. So, I blogged the fear right out of myself today. My ramblings may not make much sense overall but writing certainly clarifies issues and makes me feel good.

May all beings know kindness - no strings attached.

Vertical Variations

Windchimes - Napenthe, Big Sur, California

Ups and Downs - Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California

Sky Fence - Jerome, Arizona

Rusty Pilings - Avila Beach, California

Slice of Sea - Shell Beach, California

Little Black Dress

".., A poem, to my mind, creates visible or auditory forms for something which is invisible, which is the feeling, or the emotion, or the metaphysical content of the movement. Now it also may include action, but its attack is what I could call the "vertical" attack, and this may be a little bit clearer if you will contrast it to what I would call the "horizontal" attack of a drama, which is concerned with the development, let's say, within a very small situation from feeling to feeling." - Maya Deren, avante-garde filmaker, poet and choreographer

from the 1963 "Poetry and the Film: A Symposium"

At least three or four times a year, I try to take a spectacular photo of the full moon. I have a great camera with many megapixels worth of resolution, a good quality telephoto lens, and a tripod worthy of any pro photog. My efforts to express the inexpressible beauty of a glorious full moon are disappointing.

In my viewfinder, I see the silver gleam, the network of craters, those spidery impact lines, all of which are magnifed and breathtaking under the city lights. What shows up on my computer screen is often blurry, unfocused, overblown, missing the delicate aura and sharp clarity of this fascinating satellite. My vision of this rather ordinary and natural event is influenced by my feelings. How do I express the joyful sadness of a full moon?

Clown in the Moon
by Dylan Thomas

My tears are like the quiet drift
Of petals from some magic rose;
And all my grief flows from the rift
Of unremembered skies and snows.

I think, that if I touched the earth,
It would crumble;
It is so sad and beautiful,
So tremulously like a dream

Transparency

Time Shadows

Buddy's Vantage Point

Shine On

Window of Hope

Show Me the Money

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission (FEC). This is a case that re-examines two previously decided cases {Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 494 U.S. 652 (1990), and McConnell v. FEC, 540 U.S. 93 (2003)} which upheld the right of the government to ban corporate and union funding of election propaganda.

"This case will decide whether corporate wealth will be allowed to dominate our elections in years to come.” League of Women Voters, President, Mary G. Wilson

To be continued....