A blog about Kern County and News.
Gender: female Member Since: June 30, 2006 Last Signed In: August 20, 2008 Profile Views: 7596 Blog Views: 21498 The Silent War~ Women for Women International Amazing Grace~ the life of Wilbur Wilberforce Greater World Gifts Internet Flaw:Black Hat Conference Hiltons Political AD Criminal Minds~ the Case of Loeb and Leopold Into The Wild For RF~ Parakeets and the old Apple Tree Two Beowulfs and some thoughts about demons July 06 August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 "Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats." Diane Arbus My life seems to operate sideways~ backwards almost~ and I have come to see thats right for me. A rain of snakes,disruption that cause's growth ,the world split in two.Everyone has there own path,mine has been one of thought,mostly of things folks today seem to disregard. Truth, personal integrity,politeness,...not all eschew these things.For me its been the easiest way to be~ any other way leads me to more trouble..and a sense of humor,above all about myself. Laughter keeps a person sane,and I enjoy seeing the coyote in myself~ the eternal trickster 
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Conversations can heated sometimes around here, things get said ,some we wish we could take back ,amend a bit , others we let stand. I thought for a bit of perspective I would mention a couple of news items~ about events I would hope we can all agree on. The first is a charming tale http://abcnews.go.com/US/st...
of a certain Judith Leekin,62, who had adopted some nine individuals ~five of these handicapped~ who has made between 1.5 million to 2 million is state funds, that figure likely to go higher. The link describes in detail her activities~ why if I had only known I too could have become rich ~but darn it my conscious and heart would have stopped me. The second http://abcnews.go.com/US/st...
Is an unfolding tale of parenting and a system gone haywire. The third is a tale http://abcnews.go.com/US/st... also still unfolding ,that at the least speaks to desperate women ,at the worst a monster, and somewhere in between a human in need of serious mental health intervention. There are more splashed across our screens everyday ,we can turn on the T.V., open the paper ,sometimes just talk with our neighbors and families to hear more ,and unfortunately worse. I mention these in the hope that the next time one is tempted to think ill of another because of religious ,political or personal reasons, one would stop. Think on these and realize truly that anyone who posts here is not the one to worry about~ with a few notable exceptions.I know there are warriors here who brook no fools,I am not speaking to you.For the rest of us,who are passionate,I speak to you, If you are tempted to call names I have some suggestions. First go out and volunteer a few hours to say Casa ,or an Ombudsman program ,or a youth at risk program or something that speaks to you. Then come back and I believe the urge to call names will be gone. If we can try to stay positive in our approaches with each other we can build a diverse on -line community .One in which we can all feel free to express our ideas, debate and exchange viewpoints.
I as I read the paper, watch the news , read these boards the common thread of lies appears to run through much of our world. From our Attorney General ,to our Armed Forces covering up of the Tillman case, to the real estate story of (edit:)Crisp. The Dakota people’s have a wonderful moral sense ~here is their approach to liars. In the early days the importance of honor and a persons word was so highly valued that lying was a capitol offense. The deliberate liar is capable of committing any offense. That person who hides behind the screen of untruth and double dealing is the worst sort~ in short a coward. The liar ~the destroyer of mutual confidence ~was summarily put to death. When our ancestors swept across this country much was laid to waste. How much better would this land be today if we had adopted some of the native peoples ways? In short if we had shown compassion ,been honest and straight forward ourselves and practiced compromise? One can just scan today’s paper and ponder these questions. We have lost our moral compass,today it is said one must lie ,double deal to get ahead.I wonder where that ahead is located,for I have no wish to see that far country.Our moral center can be claimed by no one religion,nor is it any "ism's" domain.It resides in your heart and mine. This is the worst nightmare for parents who for whatever reason choose to place their child in a institutional care setting.It is why I choose a life of poverty.It is why a teacher tries to get his students to speak one or two words.The perpatrator has said that he had molested as many as 1/2 of the children he "cared" for in 10 years. The following is from an article by ALLISON HOFFMAN A.P.writer Sometimes Bleyle stared straight ahead during his sentencing hearing; sometimes he cast his eyes down at a table. Anywhere but at the victims' relatives, some weeping, others shaking with anger. "I just want you to know it doesn't matter what you say or how many years you spend in jail — it's not going to be enough," said Lillian Godfrey, whose daughter, now dead, was among those Bleyle abused. "I don't think you have a soul. You're just an empty human shell." "The acts Mr. Bleyle inflicted on my daughter ... disabled, mentally fragile, are a parent's worst nightmare," Janice Frost said. One of Frost's daughters was under Bleyle's care from the time she entered the long-term facility as a 10-day-old newborn suffering a brain condition. She was 10 years old when she died in June 2006, three months after federal investigators discovered her image in pornographic photos on Bleyle's computer. "During her dying moments, I told her I would see this through," Frost said outside the courtroom, as she clutched one of her three older daughters. Bleyle, 56, was arrested in March 2006 after federal agents traced child porn through Internet file-sharing networks to his home computer in suburban Santee. They found tens of thousands of pornographic images, including photographs he took of himself abusing his patients. Bleyle confessed to investigators who reached him by phone in New York state, where he was visiting relatives, that he had molested as many of his patients as there were snowflakes falling outside his window, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Under an agreement reached in June, Bleyle pleaded guilty to eight counts of forcible lewd acts involving five children. At a hearing in June, he also agreed to plead guilty to four counts of exhibiting minors in pornographic materials, far less than the initial 33 pornography counts. The plea was modified Wednesday, with prosecutors dropping one pornography count and Bleyle pleading guilty to a single count of posing a child for pornographic purposes. Bleyle was ordered by Superior Court Judge Kenneth K. So to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence — close to 39 years, by which time Bleyle would be in his mid-90s. He faced up to 165 years had he been convicted of all counts. Prosecutors said they made a deal in part to spare one of Bleyle's victims the strain of testifying. The teenage girl said Bleyle inappropriately touched her buttocks while she recovered from a stroke. "This provides closure for everybody," Deputy District Attorney Laura Gunn said outside the courtroom. Investigators identified four of the five children Bleyle pleaded guilty to abusing: three girls and a boy who were all younger than 14 when the molestations took place. Two of the children have since died. Investigators never learned the name of the fifth victim, a 2-year-old girl. Pandora Johnson's son was not identified in court documents as a victim, but she and three other parents who believe Bleyle abused their children were allowed to speak at the hearing. Pandora Johnson said she had asked her son, who cannot speak because of a breathing device in his throat, whether he had been abused. "He didn't give his usual yes or no sign. He just looked afraid," Johnson said. "And when I said, 'Wayne will never do this to you again,' he gave me a big smile. That smile broke my heart." Bleyle did not address the court except to murmur, "Guilty, your honor," when asked how he pleaded to the posing charge. His attorney, Casey Donovan, spoke on his behalf after the families were finished. "He wishes to apologize to all the victims and their families," said Donovan, who noted that Bleyle himself had been sexually abused as a boy. "He knows he can never make amends for what he has done." Donovan said Bleyle claimed that Johnson's son was not among those he molested. Bleyle worked at the well-regarded children's hospital for 25 years. A month after his arrest, a second hospital employee, tracked through peer-to-peer networks, was charged with molesting a comatose toddler patient. Christopher Alan Irvin, a 32-year-old nurse at the time, pleaded guilty in September to molesting the toddler and was later sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison. The arrests prompted the hospital to ban cell phones in patient treatment areas, including rooms, and require doors and curtains around patients be left open most of the time, said hospital spokesman Ben Metcalf.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/... It's not much but at least it is on record now.oppsie daisy~I got all excited That should read citation,not censure if you come from a dysfunctional family. Definitely not for the kiddies~or those with unresolved issues.Another fine film that came and went .I let the reviewer’s sway me on this one, it was a mistake not to go see this film.. Annette Bening gives a great performance as the self indulgent Mom who sees her child as an accessory at best, a bother the rest of the time. Her job is to channel hate,the fame she so richly deserves is withheld by a uncaring society~she believes that at any rate.The biological family of the child ,the family he is forced to become a part of will make anyone feel “normal” by comparison. The story here is one of transcendence, the resilience of some children and the cost those children pay for that resilience. The cast are all excellent actors.Joseph Cross is Augusten the child at the center of the madness.His parents are,the insane Deirdre~a spot on Annette Bening,Alec Baldwin,the drunk~soon to be recovering alcoholic father.His "adoptive "family consists of the great actor Brian Cox as the criminal Dr.Finch,a luminous Jill Clayburgh as the kibble eating wife Agnes,Gwyneth Paltrow as Hope ( a misnomer there) and Evan Rachel Wood as Agusten's only bright spot,Natalie.Joesph Fiennes plays Neil, an estranged "family" member and Agusten's love interest. From the sets to the action and words this world is certainly one you will never forget.The movie does have some sluggish moments,and if you have grown up loved and secure,I can not recommend this for you.For those of us who had one of "those kinds of mothers" the movie unfolds to it's own crazy rhythm,which is unfortunately all too familiar.4 out of 5 stars. The word "debate: is a misnomer~basically YouTube participants asked questions and the contenders answered them. It was the usual "this is what I did" responses from the candidates,not much stood out from the pack here.Gavel continues to be Cervantes,tilting at windmills.But one has to admire his call to follow the money,for all citizens to wake up. As I watched tonight I personally accomplished something.My friends use me as their "go to "person for all things political.I resist the urge to say "Just let me mark your ballet"~JOKE~ and try to represent all sides of a given issue,they make their own choices.But tonight something exciting happened,first one,then the other sat down ,listened and after wards we all talked about what we had seen.I am encouraged,both of my friends are not really politically involved~but tonight I saw that begin to change.I hope that continues to occur across our country.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/j... Again another eclectic evening with Bill Moyers,one that had me laughing while I cried.That is the most effective way to teach harsh subjects~the ones that would either crush our spirit or we turn away from in horror. First up is the Yes Men.These gentlemen take the insult,which is something I decry in the hands of amateurs,and raise it to the level of art.The link will take you to the whole segment,it is a terrifying yet hilarious insight on our god,money and those who make it. The immigration issue,it's racial overtones have been~I think discussed is a generous way to describe what has passed over these web pages the last few days.Here is a window into the life and soul of a second generation American,son of imagrants second segment is also found at the link,but there are those who do not click a link. What follows are two examples of poetry as a tool to fight the fear of the other. MARTÍN ESPADA: (reading poem) This is called "Return." 245 Whitman Avenue, east New York, Brooklyn. Forty years ago, I bled in this hallway. Half-light dimmed the brick like the angel of public housing. That night, I called and listened at every door: In 1966, there was a war on television. Blood leaked on the floor like oil from the engine of me. Blood rushed through a crack in my scalp; blood foamed in both hands; blood ruined my shoes. The boy who fired the can off my head in the street pumped what blood he could into his fleeing legs. I banged on every door for help, spreading a plague of bloody fingerprints all the way home to Apartment 14F. Forty years later, I stand in the hallway. The dim angel of public housing is too exhausted to welcome me. My hand presses against the door at Apartment 14F like an octopus stuck to aquarium glass; blood drums behind my ears. Listen to every door. There is a war on television. MARTÍN ESPADA: (reading poem) "Between the Rockets and the Songs" New Year's Eve 2003. The fireworks began at midnight, golden sparks and rockets hissing through the confusion of trees above our house. I would prove to my son, now twelve, that there was no war in the sky. Not here. so we walked down the road to find the place where the fireworks began. We swatted branches from our eyes, peering at a house where the golden blaze dissolved in smoke. There was silence, a world of ice, then voices rose up with the last of the sparks, singing, and when the song showered down on us through the leaves we leaned closer, like trees. Rockets and singing from the same house, said my son. We turned back down the road, at the end of the year, at the beginning of the year, somewhere between the rockets and the songs. BILL MOYERS: What inspired that? MARTÍN ESPADA: Again, this was an actual incident. It was New Year's Eve. There was this great noise outside. There was this brilliant light. My son became very nervous. BILL MOYERS: How old was he? MARTÍN ESPADA: At that time, he was 12 years old. He's now 15 and a half. And I knew that he was making these connections. He expressed this to me. He believed that we were being bombed. He believed that the war was happening on our street, the war he had been seeing on television, the war we had been protesting, the war we had all been talking about. And so I decided to show him that on one level, anyway, there was nothing to be afraid of. And we took a walk until we found the source of the light and the source of the noise. And remarkably, it stopped and then the singing began. And to me, that moment felt like the choice that we're now all confronted with as a society. Are we gonna choose rockets? Or are we gonna choose songs? Are we gonna choose war? Or are we gonna choose peace? Are we gonna choose violence or are we gonna choose poetry? And we are at that crossroads, not only my generation, but my son's generation and the generation that we saw at that school in the Bronx, where those teachers are showing those kids, taking them by the hand and saying, "Here are the rockets and here are the songs. Choose the songs." That's why I was there He is also working with students,giving them voices.One student says poetry is about ideas,"That's what poets do,they help spread ideas".The traveling troubadours,the bards,that great tradition in and of all cultures is continuing through her. She has a excellent short poem on the clip,and segments of a moving one about her father called "Poppy's shoes". Espada is certainly an interesting poet with a unique eye.His works will not solve great problems,perhaps not even move any hearts.But ,for me at least,being able to view life through someone else allows me greater vision~a viewpoint beyond my limited experience. Again Bill Moyers~who is my secret crush,with that voice,his laugh` delivers an excellent hour of American life.Friday nights PBS.I recommend a weekly date. I ran across these words they jumped off the proverbial page at me.An amazing culture the Mayan, one we in our hubris often misunderstand and discount.But the following statement shows much thought~~ "Wisdom does not belong to a single human being.We have to act wisely, but wisdom does not belong to anybody. It is the revelation of old proven ideas. We obtain it when generation after generation explore the laws of nature" There is much to ponder in those words~for each age one finds oneself in.It speaks to the organic process of gaining knowledge.To those who read between the lines,it speaks to humility,respect and decorum.To those with eyes and ears there's a novel in three sentences. I am re~posting this from Easter of this year.My inspiration is the continued name calling from all sides. When exactly one's wittiness or intelligence became judged by the insult,the cleverly turned phrase ,I do not know.I reject this.I understand letting off steam,but back in the day,that was kept to one fellows,for done in public it made one look silly. It demeaned your position,gave your foes fodder to claim your lack of "seriousness" concerning policy. If the likes of Coulter,Riley,Franken,Moore bother you,if you find yourself repulsed by them~look to your own actions.We must raise the level of dialog in this country or be destroyed.Really? Really! What follows is my repost~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was deleted from a recent blog,for what reason I have no idea. Perhaps I was to detailed,personal,maybe someone really does not care for me? But what was posted has value so I am stating it here. The feelings of some here of being attacked,vilified are regrettable.An opinion,in my view should not threaten anyone.We are not the same,and to expect anyone to act or believe as I,or you do is unreasonable.There are some,( well many )here whom I do not share the same values with.Sam Heath ~ a man who I admire,one I call friend on occasion has a diametrically opposed view of a situation.The posters Blognroll, Nancy, are often on the opposite "side" of issues.But all of these people I read with respect and try to listen first to their opinion~ then re-frame any arguments I may have~or gasp~ rethink my position.We should all practice the lost arts of listening and civil discourse.The chorus of but "they" won't falls lamely to the side~do it anyway We are one family here, surely so in America, and in my view also through out the world. We all bleed red blood,are humans with dimensions, emotions,desires.Words such as enemy in regards to anyone here I must question.A person who ,cloaked in religion,kills innocent people for a political gain is an enemy.There is no such person at TBC blogs.The claim that one side is being attacked,or somehow threatened does not appear to be born out.All my adult life the "right" and the "left",any of the religious groups, has existed and will continue to do so.Whatever one believes in, they should have FAITH in that thing, which should bring tolerance to anyone who is "lost",or anyone who does not adhere to what they do.If an opinion is expressed it is logical that others will respond~this gives all sides the opportunity to hone their positions or be enlightened. By chance or divine intervention Will Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" caught my eye last night.Al Pacino is Shylock, who gives this character much depth.He delivers a speech on bigotry, hate that still stands today.Both main characters are victims in this play,victims of the times,their respective religions .Love,greed,pride,vanity,despair~ human characteristics we all share~ drive each into the pivotal point.Will revenge drive Shylock to cut his "pound of flesh" from Antonio? Or will the divine,the human, be allowed to shine through? Will has ,yet again, given humanity a broad question and shows us an answer. This adaptation is more modern,more tolerant that his~ but the core truth remains.I recommend a viewing. It may be obvious but this is simply pixels on a screen.While words are powerful,the results of them are held in each of your hands.You control how they affect you,or how they do not. Many know the shortest verse in the bible , John 11:35 "He wept". How human and how divine that is.On this day many hold as Holy, I stand to ask that you adhere to the common great precepts of religion, ~Love. Do no judgment. Be of service.Be grateful. I hope the atheists,the agnostic,the hedonist among us find these valuable goals also. Personally as a mutt puppy of all religions and none,a worshiper of creation ,a reader and thinker I do. Peace to All. A recent comment on a post here got me to thinking. Another writer here eloquently laments the lack of love of words. Someone else comments despairingly about the liberal Arts. Does art matter? If not the recent hubbub about street names become a mute point. The written word, the ideal, the musical cord, the wood transformed into function, the cinematic moment, the wild shaped in to pleasing landscapes, the ethereal fluid brought forth into solid. From the first cave ceiling to the Sistine Chapel man has created. From my minds eye, from my heart and with my hands I see this ,in effect saying” I create therefore I am” to borrow a phrase. If Art does not matter we must bid adieu to recent public offerings as “The Transformers” and American Idol. Goodbye to the artist Kincaid ,book clubs, pop culture, intellectual culture, working man culture ~in short no Merle Haggard. No wonder , no imagination ,no invention, no growth as a society .If Art is not pertinent to a society~ and this would be the first to declare so~ that society is soulless and dead. So to those still reaching for their path and degree~ keep on. To those who hold metal and see machines, those who transform paper into word or fill it with color, those who see raw materials and shape our world ~our artists~ let not the short sighted dismay you. We need you now ,perhaps more than ever. Art does indeed matter. Tremendously. Well, this is interesting. Let's Talk has honored me with A Schmooze Award. What's interesting is that I grew up very shy, unable to talk to people until I discovered better living through chemistry (drugs and booze.) And now, sober, I seem to be able to talk to people and listen to people without being shy.
I just finished the article in todays Californian about the funeral services for Lady Bird Johnson.Many memories come flooding back at just the mention of her name.Flowers certainly,the devastating events in Texas surrounding Kennedy,her husbands politics,the beagles and their ears,the tumultuous times. But upon reading the article,seeing who was in attendance~Bill Moyers gave the eulogy~The Carters,Nancy Reagan,Laura Bush,The Clinton's,The Schlossberg's,Mrs Barbara Bush,Susan Ford Bales,Governor Perry and wife,Tricia Nixon Cox and husband, and Maria Shriver wonder and pride fell over me.What a club was my first thought.Then what a country was my second thought.Only in America do we see these kinds of things.Lefties,Righties,sons and daughters of the powerful,seekers of power and those who once held it, gathered together to pay their respects. We have much to be ashamed of in this country.But on days such as this we have much to be proud of In the words of Bill Moyers"Yes, she planted flowers.She also loved democracy and saw a beauty in it" Here here! May you rest in Peace Lady Bird. This must be how a small child feels when it's parents are unreliable.The thing that holds your world together,that you trust implicitly,is crazy, wrong, off kilter.One slowly realizes that you are the parent,must give care to those who would care for you.One does what is required. Does what one must,but slowly resentment, even hate builds up over time at lost childhood,lost joys the, loss of innocence. We the people have been betrayed.We have been betrayed by this administration.We have betrayed ourselves everytime we say"My vote doesn't count" or "I don't care" .This nation is only as great as it's people.We are tired, we feel hopeless,as if we are on a out of control roller coaster.Rather than assign blame on our leaders,our selves, we cry "Neo~con"or "liberal".Rather than do the hard work of compromise,negotiation,we vilify ,we lower our debate to personal defects. In our DNA runs the genetics of those brave enough to face a king,a despot, a mad man,the Great Depression,poverty,disease and hopelessness.We can call on those qualities again.We can again face the world in a spirit of co-operation ,not manifest destiny.We can be a beacon of hope,not a swampland of despair. There is much work ahead of us,we will reach out,try sometimes our efforts will fail,at other times we will succeed.A shining city on a hill was once a dream of our founding fathers.It remains a dream.But America can improve, move forward.We can look to each other as sisters,brothers divided by many things but bound together as one people. There is a new day coming,a change is in the air.The world is watching us,let us give then and ourselves reason to HOPE. Writing:Many here have a way with words ,be it poetry or prose.I submitted my first bit today over at sirenchronicles and got to wondering about this. For me most of what I consider "my best" seems to just flow out of my consciousness,then a few minor corrections and Done!Admittedly a whole lot of worry before hand,maybe a idea or two. But I know it must be otherwise for some.So,Please tell how it is for you? The creative process is one of many things all humans have in common.I am eternally interested in all things Human,especially in regards to creativity. An after thought:this could be expanded to all the arts~food,photography,painting what have you.How does the muse move through you out into the world?
This seemed like as good a time as any for these pictures.The heavy frost last year left these on my window,the last image I just solarized because its Live Earth day and because I could.Think Cold!!
I got to thinking about this because I notice it myself~my reaction to things is way off kilter still.Waking up screaming "no" from some nightmare does not make me feel like any resolution has occurred fro me personally.A comment about another poster here being a "pot stirrer", for lack of a better term,got me to wonder why? So thats my question for you ,for myself. Does grief,pain, hurt drive one into a state..is it a cause drives reaction? Or do some just love a war of words or otherwise?I do think for myself thats a tactic I use when it is all just to much~grief~..it keeps my mind off me ,on to you "others " out there.Keeps me away from the dark..or do people just enjoy any reaction? Why do I even care? because I hope if i can gain a inkling of understanding~if i can survive,maybe even surpass,my personal situation it is going to help someone else..bring them in from the cold so to speak,get us all to talk to each other like humans...find out it does not kill you to say "I am sorry" ,hurt you to recognize your personal deficits~even helps you overcome them... I think I need a nap.this is just a ramble, a rant and some serious questions..which from no sleep,a terrible nightmare,,and so much pain,I should not even be asking right now...but I have too I want to make a public apology to anyone who I have offended the past few days. A huge amount of anger is just under my skin, rather than deal with it I have been ignoring it. I especially want to single out Audrey, forgive my lack of diplomacy, please. Tonight I went to play canasta, suddenly I am sobbing uncontrollably~ never a good sign. So I had to face it~ my grief is still so strong, that’s been my unspoken excuse for “you people” making me mad. Now I know it is not actually you that’s doing it. The only thing I can control at all is me, though I’d love to advise you all! Wisely you turn a deaf ear to me, preferring to make your own choices. I am dismayed at my own grief, how long will this go on? Why am I such a wuss? Why can’t I “get over it”? I talked a lot about my Kelsey ,he was my wise one, the joy of my heart. Now Chris my eldest ripped my heart out of my chest, squeezed the juice out and stomped on it~ metaphorically speaking. The holiday was his favorite ,maybe because his father and I were married on the 4th of July. The first few years he would cry, bury his head into my shoulder but peek out with one eye Later every boyhood extravagance that there was he developed. For 8 years he’d collect the neighbors spent fireworks “in case” they were salvageable. After a week, tiring from the brimstone smell with much grumbling he’d toss them out. The last holiday we spent together I had spent way too much on fireworks ,about $80.00 but I’d planned on saving some for my Birthday and New Years. He took one look at that box ,regressed to 8 before my eyes and that was that. The ritual of taking each one out ,looking it over, preparing it for lighting, deciding on the order and value of each one. As he began his mad lighting Lorry and I discreetly gathered some for later, but it was fireworks fever. I was a tad peeved at him ,but as that was the last 4th we spent together before his death three years later ,I am glad in retrospect. It is a lame excuse but it is all I have. When I call myself on this type of behavior it is so I can speak from experience to young people about peace and violence. I want to ring true as I advocate for peace as a action verb ,not a passive one. If I can not control myself ,how can we expect our youth to do so. Being a peaceful person, both with inner and outer peace is a constant struggle .I fail miserably most times .I will use any excuse to “take the easy way”~ which is never really easy .So on this eve of the Peace blogs swarm, I publicly rededicate myself to Peace ,fostering understanding and celebrating what it is to be Human. |
The Obama campaign later pointed to a 2004 story in the Chicago Daily Herald in which Obama said he "does not support teaching explicit sex education to children in kindergarten." 
Actually, the highly publicized energy bill the president signed in 2005 raised taxes slightly on the oil industry as a whole, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service:
Gravel: And I want to take on Barack Obama for a minute, who said he doesn't take money from lobbyists. Well, he has 134 bundlers. Now, what does he think that is?
Dodd is the only candidate to 
