Awards! Killing Two Awards With One Post

Way, way back in September, Christopher very kindly awarded me the Brillante Weblog Award. While my thanks are late, they are highly sincere! Here are the rules of the award:

-Add the logo of the award to your blog
-Link to the blogger who awarded it to you
-Give it to at least 7 other blogs
-Link to those blogs
-Leave a comment for your nominees on their blogs

I happen to recall that many of my fellow bloggers have already received this award. So I'm not going to pass it on to seven other bloggers, as instructed. But I will pass it on to three and hope it isn't a duplicate! And here they are:

- Snave of Various Ecstacies
- Jess of I Was Just Wondering
- Sue J of Nailing Jello to the Wall

All three are brilliant bloggers and I'm honored to pass this award on to them!

And, in the meantime, Ruth of Ruth's Visions and Revisions has honored me with the Superior Scribbler Award! Thanks so much, Ruth!

So I'll use this opportunity to pass this award on to some deserving bloggers whom I don't think have received it yet. If it turns out that they have, well, the more the merrier! Here are the rules for this one:

*Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
*Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
* Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
* Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post (above) and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
*Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Without further ado, here are the five bloggers I am passing this award on to (or should I say, to whom I am passing this award on?):

-Deb of Drivin' 55
-Quaker Dave at The Quaker Agitator
-Kevin over at Comrade Kevin's Chrestomathy
-Libhom at Godless Liberal Homo
-Dave Dubya over at Dave Dubya's Freedom Rants.

I highly recommend all of these blogs - they are all staunch members of the progressive blogosphere and their posts are always thought-provoking!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. It's about Time I had the Opportunity to Post again. Of course, I can't complain Too Much. My Female Human is involved in the NaBloPoMo thing and has had to Blog every Day this Month and sometimes she isn't in the Mood to take the time to let Me type. I'm kind of Slow. I'm really better with the Mouse than the Keyboard, after all.

Be that as it May, I am Here Now.

We had some Excitement around here tonight. That Dog kept barking and barking. She was being Very Annoying. Finally my Female Human made her go Outdoors in case she had to Go. It was Very Cold so my Human didn't go outside with the Dog to watch and see what she was doing.

Well, That Dog was out there for awhile and my Human kept hearing her Collar jingle but she wasn't coming back. Finally my Human went Out to see what was the Matter.

Well, it turned out That Dog had managed to tunnel under the chain-link Fence into the Neighbor's Yard. That Neighbor also has a fenced-in Yard or That Dog might have been Long Gone. (Darn, that would have been Great!) The Neighbor also has lots of fellow Felines who are Outdoor Cats. My Human didn't hear any yowls or barking so apparently the Cats made themselves scarce while she was over there.

The thing about That Dog is: she knows how to tunnel Under the Fence to get into the Other Yard - but she can't figure out how to get Back! The Male Human had to go around to the Neighbor's gate and open it and bring home That Dog on her Leash. She was Severely Chastised and has been keeping a Low Profile for the rest of the Evening, much to My Delight. I love when That Dog gets in Trouble.

Moving on...so Today the Senate Democrats let that Lieberman Human stay in charge of his stupid Committee. What's it called? Homeland Security? They should change that Name. Sounds like something out of World War II Nazi Germany. (I watch a lot of the History Channel, that's why I know about it. No, I was NOT alive back in World War II. I am a YOUNG Cat.)

Lieberman gave credit to President-Elect Obama for saving his Hide, since the Obama Human had indicated he did not want to see Lieberman Punished for his Behavior during the Election Campaign. Lieberman said:

"'I know that my colleagues in the Senate Democratic caucus were moved not only [by what]...Sen. [Harry] Reid said about my longtime record, but by the appeal from President-elect Obama himself that the nation unite now to confront our very serious problems,' Lieberman said in the Capitol as those colleagues nodded in agreement behind him."

I know a lot of the Fans of the Obama Human thought that the Senate should have stripped the Lieberman Human of his position as leader of that Committee, or even kicked him off it completely.

But you know what? The Obama Human is crazy like a Fox, as the old saying goes. He now has the Lieberman Human right where he wants him! He owes Obama BIG TIME. So someday, President Obama will ask Sen. Lieberman for a favor. And he will have to grant it.

There's another old saying - "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

And that goes double for this idea of having the Hillary Human be Secretary of State. He gets her out of the Senate where she could be a roadblock to legislation he might support that she might not agree with. And he gets credit from her Supporters that he gave her an important Position. Plus she does have experience and Worldly Knowledge.

He will have to be Careful though. Sometimes these things don't Work Out. For one thing, there's her Husband Bill to worry about. He's always kind of a Loose Cannon. Plus the Obama Human will have to make sure the Hillary Human carries out his own Policies, not hers. Of course, the other Advantage to having her as Secretary of State is - he could Fire her if he didn't like what was going on. He can't Fire her if she's a Senator.

So, as a Cat, that's My Take on things This Week. We will see what Else happens as the Obama Administration starts to take Shape. So far the Obama Human is one Cool Cat. I haven't seen his Fur ruffled one bit yet. It will be Interesting to see what other Appointments he makes in the next few Weeks.

It's been good Talking to You All again. So until next time, have some Catnip, relax and Celebrate some more that this Country is finally going to go in the Right Direction. It might even call for a Bowl of Cream.

My Very Own LOLCAT!

moar funny pictures

I was in the mood for experimentation tonight, not deep thoughts. I meandered around the internets and took a bunch of quizzes they have out there (found out I am a libertarian liberal on one and a socialist on another!). Then I got on I Can Has Cheezburger and looked at the LOLCATS for awhile. Then I found I could make my own, which I'd never tried.

So here is Baxter, celebrating Obama's election, by looking to the future and seeing the hope ahead!

He'll be here for a real post shortly. He's getting Annoyed that I haven't invited him to Post lately.

Lazy Sunday Haiku Day

Weekends are for being lazy so I'm skipping the serious stuff. Like DCup, I'm having a non-political morning and doing laundry. Oh, did I say "morning"? Excuse me. It's 1:49 p.m. But since I just finished my third cup of coffee and am still in my sweats, I still count it as morning.

Last night we went down to the Ironbound section of Newark for dinner at a Portuguese restaurant we hadn't been to in awhile. We used to go down there every Saturday without fail back in the 80s and 90s, then somewhat less frequently in the past 8 years.

We even had a waiter we considered "ours." We followed him from one Portuguese restaurant to another when he changed jobs. He eventually stayed at one particular restaurant and we just kept going there.

But our favorite restaurant closed a couple of years ago, and our waiter retired, so we've been searching for a new favorite Portuguese restaurant. So last night we went back to another one that we used to go to occasionally, and realized we had forgotten how much we like the place.

It's called El Pastor (warning: turn sound down if you're at work and click on the link - it has music), and it attracts a lot of local folks with its good food and live music. People actually get dressed up and come here and dance! Lots of salsa music, tangos and various other exotic dance forms that I wouldn't have the least idea how to do. The couples who get out on that dance floor sure do though. It's fun just watching them.

Last night there was also a big birthday celebration for a gentleman who had just turned 94. He was out there on the dance floor all night with women of all ages.

Even though we didn't know a soul there, it was like being part of a big party full of friends we hadn't met yet! We'll definitely be back.

Finishing off with some Sunday Haiku:

The weather is gray
And a cold wind has come up
It is November.

Leaves have all fallen
They lie in heaps on the ground
It is time to rake.

The dog needs walking
The laundry needs laundering
But I sit and blog.

Sunday is lazy
Let's brew a batch of coffee
And just vegetate.

I'll read the paper
And not bother to get dressed
Until I have to.

The Real Terrorists

Yes, as cartoonist Walt Kelly famously said, "We have met the enemy and he is us." It isn't those scary "Arabs" or those much-maligned "Islamist terrorists" who are to be feared. It is the home-grown hate groups that exist right here in the United States, who have no connection to these other groups.

What am I referring to? This: Obama Has More Threats Than Other Presidents-Elect.

According to the AP,

"Threats against a new president historically spike right after an election, but from Maine to Idaho law enforcement officials are seeing more against Barack Obama than ever before."

According to the article, there have been more threatening writings (both on-line and off) and other activities than have been seen for any other president-elect. Strangely, the Secret Service is cautioning the public not to assume these threats are "due to racism." Hmmmm. So what else is it based on when there are signs in Idaho talking about a "free public hanging," in reference to President-Elect Obama, a rise in racially-motivated graffiti, and worst of all, a rise of +2,000 members in a white-supremacist group the day after the election?

Thankfully, the investigations into the Obama-related threats so far have turned up no truly credible plots. But we must keep a close eye on these groups that threaten the future of our country, and the benighted bigots out there who just can't deal with the idea of a President who is a different race from themselves.

Most people who opposed President-Elect Obama have accepted the outcome of the election and are moving on. They acknowledge that he won and support him. Many even cheered his election as a step forward for America, even if they voted for John McCain.

It is those who refuse to accept this step forward and threaten the new President who are bent on destroying this country. They must be stopped before they do any harm -- they are the real terrorists we have to watch out for.

Friday Meme - The Picture Meme

Thanks go to Deb at Drivin' 55 for inspiring me to do the same meme she did today.

It's the Picture Meme, and the object is to go to your 4th photo file, then to your 4th photo inside that file, and then post it.

Because it is Friday night, and I was just burned out from the week, I was really having trouble coming up with the energy to write anything lucid tonight. Everyone was already talking about President-Elect Obama possibly having asked Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State (which I think could work out very well - in reality, they do have very similar positions on most major issues and after all, her job would be to carry out his policies, not her own, anyway). Sue J had already written about Judith Warner's column in the NY Times talking about the feelings of those whose marriage rights had been ripped away by the passage of Proposition 8, which I thought really brought the human side of this tragedy to the forefront - how it made people feel, how it affects their children.

So that left me with nothing! Then I came upon this meme. So I am hijacking the meme and thereby saving my daily posting record for NaBloPoMo (and yes, I am going to cheat and turn back the clock on the post since it is actually after midnight and it would look as if I posted it tomorrow!).

Without further ado, here is the 4th picture in the 4th picture folder on my computer:

This is a mural in the interior of the beautifully restored Essex County Courthouse in Newark, NJ, which had a grand re-opening ceremony three years ago. DH attended the opening, along with some of our other friends, and took some pictures.

Below are some more of his pictures of the building, which was designed in 1902 by Cass Gilbert, the reknowned architect who designed the Supreme Court and the Woolworth Building, among others.

Sadly, when people think of Newark, New Jersey, they are more apt to think of urban blight rather than beautiful historic buildings. But Newark actually has a number of lovely buildings and some great architecture. It even has a Gothic cathedral, The Cathedral-Basilica of the Sacred Heart, that rivals Notre Dame (although of course it's not as old). If Newark were somewhere else, people would be coming for miles just to see this cathedral. Here is a view of it, overlooking Branch Brook Park during cherry blossom season:
Photo source: Jersey JJ

Haiku Thursday and some lighter fare

Hat tip to Sue J for reminding me that I'd been meaning to post some of the funny key word searches that managed to lead some unfortunate blog readers to my site. (Check hers out, she's got some good ones).

In looking at my recent key word searches, these are the more interesting ones I saw pop up:

-fake diseases
-messiness is a sign of genius (lots of people are looking for signs that messiness is a sign of genius - I guess we messy people are trying to justify our existence).
-obama boomer (Apparently I'm not the only one who noted that Obama IS a Baby Boomer)
-charmin lint commercial
-blogs on communication differences in males and females
-scary woodpecker poems (Scary woodpecker poems?! I know there's a scary bird poem by Edgar Allen Poe - but it's about ravens...)
-what does armistice mean?
-i fucked my mother-in-law (!!!)
-lebanese restaurant in potsdam
-palin wilderness nixonland (A scary location)
-obama bush cousin cape cod (Obama has a cousin who's related to Bush and lives on Cape Cod?)
-pot boys democracy lyrics (Are Pot Boys a singing group? I'm so old)
-messiness and the state of mind (there's that messy thing again)
-marry late or never (Not bad advice for many)
-crabtree texas tech blowjob
-use disillusioning in a sentence ("I often find politics disillusioning." How's that?)
-palin maverick hard haiku
-lieberman wildlife chairman palin
-cat's eye, explaining the art
-youtude video barick obama (With spelling like that I don't think they got much from that search)

OK, now what to do with these? I know, I'll write haiku based on some of them!

No fake diseases
Ever really bother me
The real ones do, though.

Never fear you slobs
Messiness is a virtue
And a sign of brains

He may not claim it
But Obama's a Boomer
There is no escape.

Charmin is squishy
Leaves no lint on your hiney
So lovely to squeeze.

I prefer haiku
To scary woodpecker poems;
Maybe a sonnet.

This I ask of you
What does armistice mean?
Peace: lay down your arms.

Unlike Oedipus
I fucked my mother-in-law
So it's all OK.

Shall we meet again
At that Lebanese restaurant
Over in Potsdam?
(yes, the middle line had too many syllables. Too bad.)

It's a fearful day
In the Palin wilderness
Here in Nixonland.

Messiness alone
Does not really indicate
True insanity.

Who really cares if
You marry late or never
It's your life to live.

Under the crabtree
At his college, Texas Tech
Bill had a blowjob.

It isn't that hard
"Palin's not a maverick"
There! It's a haiku.

Looking at my cat
The artfulness of his eyes
They shine green at night.

Thus ends Haiku Thursday.

Tomorrow is another day of NaBloPoMo. We're almost halfway through November...

Proposition 8's Passage Due to Older People

There has been speculation that the large African-American turnout that helped elect Barack Obama may have had something to do with the passage of Proposition 8 in California. I am sorry to say I thought that may have been a factor myself, perhaps due to religious reasons.

However, Nate Silver, creator of FiveThirtyEight.com, he who forecast Obama's election so accurately, says that this is not the case.

His assessment, based on exit polls, is:

"Certainly, the No on 8 folks might have done a better job of outreach to California's black and Latino communities. But the notion that Prop 8 passed because of the Obama turnout surge is silly. Exit polls suggest that first-time voters -- the vast majority of whom were driven to turn out by Obama (he won 83 percent [!] of their votes) -- voted against Prop 8 by a 62-38 margin. More experienced voters voted for the measure 56-44, however, providing for its passage.

...At the end of the day, Prop 8's passage was more a generational matter than a racial one. If nobody over the age of 65 had voted, Prop 8 would have failed by a point or two."

Silver expects that because it is the older voters who ensured the passage of Proposition 8, that eventually their influence will decline and same-sex marriage will be the law of the land.

"The good news for supporters of marriage equity is that -- and there's no polite way to put this -- the older voters aren't going to be around for all that much longer, and they'll gradually be cycled out and replaced by younger voters who grew up in a more tolerant era. Everyone knew going in that Prop 8 was going to be a photo finish -- California might be just progressive enough and 2008 might be just soon enough for the voters to affirm marriage equity. Or, it might fall just short, which is what happened. But two or four or six or eight years from now, it will get across the finish line."

Let's hope Proposition 8 is reversed a lot sooner than that, however. The lawsuits that have already been filed to invalidate the proposition may do the trick.

In the meantime, Connecticut began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples today, a month after the state Supreme Court had ruled that gay couples could marry.

We must work to ensure that everyone has an equal right to marry the person of their choice and make sure that this issue becomes a priority in the Obama administration.

And if anyone missed Keith Olbermann's excellent and moving "Special Comment" on this issue, here it is:

Armistice Day

World War I, or the Great War, as it was known in that more innocent time before we started numbering our world wars, was supposed to be the "war to end all wars." As we all know, World War II followed so soon afterward that we often forget all about that first war.

Today is celebrated as Veterans' Day to honor all of our veterans, as is appropriate. However, it is important to remember World War I and realize that Veterans' Day is commemorated on November 11 because it was on this date, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, that the Armistice was signed, ending this first, horrific world war.

The Times had an excellent editorial published yesterday, about World War I.

In it they reminded us that the best commemoration for the end of a war is to promote peace.

"What we are likely to have forgotten is the horror the Great War stirred in those who witnessed it. For many, the full horror dawned slowly, as they clung to a comfortable self-insulation. As Vera Brittain wrote in her memoir, “Testament of Youth,” we would “never be at the mercy of Providence if only we understood that we ourselves are Providence.” That is a hard truth to take in. She struggled with the things we still struggle with, especially ridding herself of the feeling that “what was going on outside our homes didn’t matter to us.”

To seek peace, to oppose war, to cherish memory is a way to honor veterans on this day of armistice, this Veterans Day."

In honor of all those who died in the Great War, I'd like to post some of the poetry of World War I:

In Flanders Fields
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Alan Seeger celebrated the heroism of the soldier:

Rendezvous

I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air--
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath--
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.

God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear . . .
But I've a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.

But not all World War I poets extolled taking up the "quarrel" with the foe or celebrated heroism. Wilfred Owen, another World War I poet, wrote this poem on the futility of war and the fact that it's always the young who die:

Anthem for Doomed Youth

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of silent maids,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

The language may be poetic or even archaic, but the meaning is as pertinent today as it was 90 years ago when the Great War ended.

To quote a more recent poet, Pete Seeger,

When will they ever learn?

Diva's Turn

Hi everybody! Mommy said it would be OK if I blogged today as she is busy, and Baxter isn't in the mood.

First, if you think this place looks kind of different, you're right, it isn't your imagination! Mommy said that since Obama's election, it is now a new day - so it's time for a new look for the blog! Hope you like it!

Mommy says she is having trouble getting used to the links lists being on the left instead of the right, but I'm sure she'll get used to it. I know how to get used to new things - I'm the queen of adjustment here! Get me to do something for a biscuit, just once, and I'll expect a biscuit every time I do that particular thing!

I don't have a lot to say about the election because we dogs don't think that much. But we're good at being happy about things, and I'm really happy about it! My tail has been wagging since last Tuesday! Baxter will have more to say when he gets his turn to blog, I'm sure.

One reason Mommy wanted me to post today is because she took pictures of me on Halloween and wanted me to share them with you. They put a witch's hat and a funny fluffy thing around my neck. I kept trying to get the fluffy thing off, because it tickled. They finally had to take off my outfit before I destroyed it but at least they got a couple of pictures! Do I look silly? If I do, I don't care, because I'm a dog, and we don't worry about that stuff the way cats do.



As for the political stuff, my biggest interest in what will happen during the next administration is, what kind of dog will President Obama get for his kids? This is a huge decision because it is very meaningful to so many people, and of course to us dogs. Whenever a President picks a First Dog, that breed becomes very popular.

Mr Obama says his daughter is allergic to dogs so that narrows down the choice a bit. But I wonder if this "Golden-Doodle" dog that they're thinking of is really all that hypoallergenic? Sure, Poodles are hypoallergenic, but I don't think Golden Retrievers are.

Heck, we Pit Bulls don't have much fur. I wonder if a Pit Bull would do the trick? I bet they haven't even though of one of MY breed. We are great with kids! Not only that, but picking one of us would be very symbolic. We Pit Bulls have to overcome lots of prejudice and myths about our temperaments in order to get back to being the "all-American dog" we once were considered to be before our reputation got dragged in the dirt. And Mr. Obama has had to overcome prejudice to get into the White House. Why not choose a Pit Bull and help repair our reputation as part of the Change he is making?

Speaking of which, for once there is good news story about a Pit Bull instead of the usual bad stories they always publish. Seems this stray Pit Bull saved a lady and her child from a mugger who threatened them with a knife! The dog might just be lost rather than a stray, but if they can't find the owner, the lady is going to adopt him! I love hearing good stories like that.

Well, whatever dog the Obamas choose I'm sure they are going to be great dog parents and the dog will be a very lucky one! I wish them all the best in their new life!