Fox News Channel - Argh, Gak and Oh My Gawd...

I don't watch much TV, but when I do, it's usually one of the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS), C-Span, Lou Dobbs on CNN, PBS, Discovery Channel, the local news, Keith Olbermann's Countdown on MSNBC for fun, etc., soooo when I finally decided to watch Fox News Channel after reading so many varied and interesting things about it, I can honestly and unambiguously state that the following occurred.

"Argh, Gak and Oh My Gawd!" I cried, pinching myself ...while visions of sugar-plums danced in my head...

Yes, in my opinion, it is that bad.

Apparently, there's someone out there who feels 'KindaSorta' as I do. No, I have no plans to purchase one, but I'm tempted. ;-)

Device Lets You Out-Fox Your TV

I found the following article this morning

...and my few drops of Choctaw and Cherokee demand that I post this link, especially in light of all the other insanity over the last few days.

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Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence

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Grandma Josey and me, 1958


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I know nothing of Native American ways for any connection with that world was severed when my great-grandmother passed away, and it simply wasn't discussed back then in The Deep South.

All I remember about Grandma Josey is that she smoked a pipe like a man.

My mother and grandmother thought it was gauche...

and that was the end of that.


Pretty much sums up a lot of things, doesn't it?

Shades of "Jurassic Park" - Fascinating!

CNN article - Soft tissue found in T-rex fossil

My country is having a nervous breakdown!

Okay, enough is enough!

Can we just all calm down now? I swear, this thing is getting ridiculous.

Whatever happened to the Separation of Church and State? ... Checks and Balances and the Separation of Powers? Do these people understand nothing about our Constitution?

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I know that this is a bad analogy, but why aren't all these nice Christian people who are protesting the removal of the feeding tube (for Terri)... why aren't all these nice Christian people also protesting the loss of American lives in Iraq? Our American soldiers (not to mention the innocent civilians killed in Afghanistan and Iraq) deserved to live, too, but that's just one American's opinion. (I love my country as much as anyone, but this Iraq thing is just beyond the pale!)

This would seem to be the appropriate time for a strong, moral American leader to step forward and calm the American people.

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I pray for a peaceful crossing for Terri and I pray for some sanity to be restored to my country.

Terri

I've been thinking a lot about Terri Schiavo. She's a woman I don't even know personally, but I cannot seem to get her out of my mind... I'm sure it's because of all the media coverage, but perhaps it is also because she's about the same age as I am.

Thinking back to 1990 (when she experienced the heart attack), I was a relatively young, divorced mother, and even though I was in a constant state of exhaustion from teaching unruly teenagers during the day-- and managing supper, homework, baths, housework, etc., at night, my life was still very rich and full because of my children... my two sons.

I cannot help but think about Terri Schiavo as I look in the mirror and compare my face to hers.

She was never able to have and hold a child of her own and watch him as he smiled the very first time with those bright little eyes. She never saw him take those awkward first few steps and she never had the opportunity to laugh excitedly as she heard "Ma-Ma" or "Da-Da" the first time ...all those little events that we parents recall as bittersweet memories after our children have grown.

I can still vividly see my boys as they were one day in the summer of 1985. They had gone outside after a heavy rain to "make mud-pies" and... after a few minutes I walked out to check on them. Both quickly turned around and all I could see were the great big eyes of two little boys covered head-to-toe with mud, and I mean they were really covered in it!

Well, at first I was irritated because they were so wet and dirty (an understatement), however I couldn't help but relent, because-- after all, I was the one who had allowed them to go out there in the first place.

Anyway, I will never forget those muddy little faces happily smiling up as they each exclaimed, "Mama, look at me!"

Getting all muddy had been a brand new adventure for each of them.

So, I did what any proper Southern mother would do... I got out the water hose and sprayed each of them down -- we all laughed and had so much fun that day.

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Strangely, this has brought me to the parents of Terri. God, how they must have suffered.

The Terri Schiavo Case

The Internet is buzzing with news and opinions about the Terri Schiavo case.

I found her site, or rather it's the site that her family has created.

The face of Terri that looked back at me caused me to catch my breath, for it is the face of an attractive young woman one might see at the movie theatre or at the beach, and it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the face we've seen in that video.

Personally I do not agree with the parents' position, but then, I am not in their shoes, so I'll refrain from saying, "Never."

One can only pray for the wisdom to know when to let go.

Terri Schiavo site

More upsetting to me is the manner in which Terri has been used... and 'used' is exactly the way I feel about it.

An excellent editorial by Anthony Wade, "Delay Hypocrisy: The GOP Using The Schiavo Case For Political Gain. Who Cries for Sun Hudson?"

Daily Kos is a must-read today - "Money Trail in the Schiavo Case: Bioethics for Sale?"

Washington Post piece

The Living Will

There are many things one learns during a lifetime, and if I've learned nothing else from the very public Terry Schiavo story, it is that we each should make a Living Will and give a copy of that Will to our spouse, partner, parent, child or whomever.

Johnny and I downloaded forms from several sites this morning. We'll look them over tonight and decide which to use, but we are definitely going to 'put into writing' that which we've always said to one another concerning the end of life.

I intend to send copies to my mother and my children as well even though I've already verbally told them my wishes many times.

Hmmmm.... Center for Public Integrity - Money Made in Iraq and Afghanistan

You'll have to scrooooooollllll down a lot for this one.

Interesting, eh?



© 2005 The Center for Public Integrity

Not Much to Say Except...

The opposition against the bankruptcy bill crosses party lines, among the grassroots...

Check out the blog Politology where Conservatives, Moderates and Liberals are joining forces to fight a bill which the banking and credit card industries want so badly.

The Senate has already passed it and it'll be going to the House next week.

This isn't about holding people accountable for their bills... I think most Americans want to pay their bills. I certainly do.

It's about credit card companies that are aggressively targeting our young people in college... they don't even have to have a job any longer to receive credit cards. Who pays the bills?

It's about Congress spending the U.S. into unprecedented debt at the same time they want to hit middle-class families who are fighting a losing battle with debt because of medical bills (which account for half of all bankruptcies) and job layoffs.

It's about loan sharking interest rates charged by credit card companies along with their outrageous penalties!!

It's obvious that our lawmakers have been compromised.

Top Finance and Credit Contributors to Federal Candidates and Parties

Yes, I've been in a slump! And I'm angry.

This new Bankruptcy Bill ironically named "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005" sounds like a good thing. Yeah, let's do something about those slackers and deadbeats!!

Well, I've been watching the going-on's about this for the last week, and it's really scary. Google "S 256 bill" or "Bankruptcy Bill" and read about it.

Here's one site I just googled: National Consumer Law Center and another one from National Consumer Law Center


Here's a .pdf you can download from Public Interest Research Groups

It's damned scary! Even if you've never owned a credit card, never gambled the paychecks away, you could find yourself in the poor house or homeless. Do the research and you'll have nightmares! What if you're laid off...what if you face a catastrophic illness even if you're insured?

No, we've never declared bankruptcy and have never even considered doing so, however, we've never had thousands of dollars of debt from an illness hanging over our heads either.

Who Wants This Bill?

Yep, the banks and credit card companies are really pulling for this one since they will be able to pull in even more money at exhorbitant rates! Oh, and lookie at the Top Contributors to Federal Candidates and Parties in the areas of Finance and Credit. This tells us a great deal about many of those who are supposed to be legislating for the people.

The American people don't deserve this and they have no idea of what they're getting (in my opinion, of course).

Sometimes I feel that we're just the darn suckers who work like dogs and pay our taxes so that our Representatives and Senators in Congress can legislate the Middle Class into the Class of the Poor... and the Poor into the Class of Abject Poverty.

Not to worry... the wealthy will be protected through loop holes, but then, aren't they always?