mousemusings...multimedia, music, progressive politics, video, web design and general rants
Human beings will be happier - not when they cure cancer or get to Mars or eliminate racial prejudice or flush Lake Erie but when they find ways to inhabit primitive communities again. That's my utopia.
~Kurt Vonnegut
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Reframes For Rural Issues

And, I would add, not so rural.
Shari at An Old Soul highlights comments by a rural dweller (badger) whose ideas for reframing should be considered and repeated.
Even though I don't live in a rural area, I very often hear these stumbling points that trip people on their way to becoming Dem voters.
Shari also asks for other ideas for reframing issues. Give her your ideas! I think she can run with this and help all of us better confront issues.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


List of Air America Feeds

If you can't get Air America streaming.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Arianna Huffington's Guest Piece at Daily Kos

What happens if Kerry wins?
A Kerry victory will be due not only to the blogosphere's funding efforts but to the bloggers holding Kerry's feet to the fire. It's bloggers who'll have to urge Kerry not to run away from his voting record, but to embrace his liberalism -- and define it as the foundation of the values that led to this country's great social breakthroughs.
Also see:Arianna's Blog
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


I really don't care what Condi Rice has to say.

"Because Rice isn't president of the United States. George W. Bush is. And so we must read his lips.

Here is what those lips said publicly about al-Qaida between Jan. 1, 2001, just before Bush was sworn in as president, and Sept. 10, 2001: Nothing."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Consider Yourself Warned

Jesus Returns and the Moon hasn't bit the dust yet.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Sisyphus Shrugged - Air America Schedule and Info!

Beginning today!
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Perceptions that need to be changed

"POCKET PARADIGM" found via Progressive Review

Three reasons liberals have a hard time winning elections:

1. NPR has a program called 'Marketplace' but it does not have one called 'Workplace.'

2. Liberals talk more about gay marriage and abortion than they do about healthcare, jobs, or social security.

3. Liberals give the impression that if you want to vote Democratic you have to give up your gun and your Bible.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Saturday, March 27, 2004

Helping Our Parents Understand Medicare Changes

QUESTION: What do I really need to know?
ANSWER: That starting this year, you may be able to get some help with prescription costs from Medicare, the federal program for the elderly and disabled. But it won't be automatic. You will have to become informed and make some choices.

One Big Headache
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


MITCH ALBOM: Fighting over the pledge is waste of time

Few people know its history. You ask the average American who wrote it, he'll tell you George Washington.
...the pledge itself was written in the 1890s, for a magazine, by a Baptist minister who saw no reason to insert anything about God.

Or that the words "under God" were added by Congress, at the behest of a Michigan senator and representative, only 50 years ago, as an attack on communism, which it perceived as godless. Those were the days, remember, when humiliating movie makers in front of Sen. Joe McCarthy made some Americans feel safer.

We're embarrassed by that era now, because we see it for what it was. We are not so clear on the pledge. We do not see the pledge for what it is. "we'll spend more time fighting over this than actually getting our kids educated."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, March 26, 2004

Turning the Tide

Noam Chomsky's blog hosted at zmag.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, March 25, 2004

Personal Observation

I've noticed an onslaught of media photos portraying Condi Rice as wicked, mean-spirited and especially evil lately. My guess is that she's on the way out soon.



Maybe the others won't be far behind especially after reading this:

FBI translator Sibel Edmonds was offered a substantial raise and a full time job to encourage her not to go public that she had been asked by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to retranslate and adjust the translations of [terrorist] subject intercepts that had been received before September 11, 2001 by the FBI and CIA.

via tomflocco.com - DOJ Asked FBI Translator To Change Pre 9-11 Intercepts
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, March 24, 2004

New! RubberSoul Newsletter 3/24/04

 
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Hallucinogenic Way of Dying

Unlike so many other experiments in radical cancer treatment, Grob's does not offer a cure; he merely hopes to find that psilocybin, the most potent of the many compounds in psychedelic mushrooms, ameliorates a dying person's fear of death. The study targets patients relegated to "palliative" treatment, people with metastatic cancer for whom there is no reasonable hope for remission
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Monday, March 22, 2004

In Defense of Liberalism

by Walter Cronkite

Dear Senator Kerry,
What are you ashamed of?
"Are you afflicted with the Dukakis syndrome -- that loss of nerve that has allowed conservatives both to define and to demonize liberalism for the past decade and more? You remember, of course, that it was during the 1988 presidential campaign that George Bush I attacked Democrat Michael Dukakis both for opposing the Vietnam War and for stating he was a card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union. Both proved, Bush said, that Dukakis was a liberal. Dukakis responded to that as an attack on his patriotism. He defended neither liberalism nor the ACLU."

... If 1988 taught us anything, it is that a candidate who lacks the courage of his convictions cannot hope to convince the nation that he should be given its leadership. So, Senator, some detailed explanations are in order if you hope to have any chance of defeating even a wounded George II in November. You cannot let the Bush league define you or the issues. You have to do that yourself. Take my advice and lay it all out, before it's too late.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


9/11: For The Record (washingtonpost.com)

by Condoleezza Rice
yawn, more of the same..
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Sunday, March 21, 2004

Ann Arbor Peace March Photos

UPDATE: More photos here.
Video of Dennis Kucinich in NYC March 20
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Riots Spread Across Kosovo, Serbia (washingtonpost.com)

The death toll from two days of marauding reached 31, U.N. officials said, but it was not clear how the numbers broke down between the two sides.
...NATO forces in Kosovo number 18,500, down from 50,000 at the end of the war. Among them are 2,000 U.S. soldiers, down from 5,000 at war's end. The Bush administration has considered further reducing the U.S. contingent, as U.S. forces have been stretched thin by war duty in Afghanistan and Iraq
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Saturday, March 20, 2004

A2IRV - Ann Arbor for Instant Runoff Voting

A group Ann Arbor voters, originally spurred by the Huron Valley Greens, have been planning an Instant Runoff Voting campaign in Ann Arbor for a long time. They are kicking off this exciting campaign at 7:00pm, Monday, March 22, at Leopold Bros on S. Main St. Our goal is to collect sufficient petition signatures from Ann Arbor registered voters to put the question of enacting Instant Runoff Voting for future city elections on the November 2004 ballot.

IRV has won approval for use in San Francisco and Berkeley, is currently in use in London, Ireland, Australia and various universities and political organizations and was once used in Ann Arbor!
IRV has been endorsed by Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich and John McCain. Ours is one of many communities working to implement IRV on the local level, working towards national electoral reform. People who've heard about IRV think it’s a good idea, but a lot of people still haven't heard of it. We need to spread the word!

We need your help! We need to collect thousands of signatures by August 1st to get IRV on the ballot. How are you willing to help? fill out the form
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, March 19, 2004

Random Reads

On behalf of Philip K. Dick's children, welcome to the The Official Philip K Dick website

From the Creem Online Archives the 78/79 interviews with William S. Burroughs

McCarthyism Watch: from the Progressive Online:
Army Apologizes for Spying on Law School Conference

For a great commentary on 'framing the issues', a'la Bush's messianic militarism, see Bush: I'm God's Delivery Boy

Iraq on the Record presented by Rep. Henry A. Waxman
A comprehensive examination of the statements made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public information and shaping public opinion on Iraq.

The Iraq on the Record database identifies 237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq made by these five officials in 125 public appearances in the time leading up to and after the commencement of hostilities in Iraq.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, March 18, 2004

Transitions

Transitions are essentially periods of accelerated learning and spiritual growth.
All transitions have similar key elements. Also, every person experiences a wide variety of transitions during the course of his/her lifetime. In that sense, there is nothing new in dying process. In fact, each of us develops our own, personal style for dealing with transitions. We tend to stick with that style, whatever it might be, when we face the transition we call death.
Crossing the Creek
Written by hospice nurse Michael Holmes: This guide is intended to provide dying people and their caregivers with a general description of what they can expect to encounter.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is a national nonprofit organization that partners individuals and organizations in a powerful collaboration to improve how people die in our society. Among other services, they provide state-specific living wills and medical powers of attorney.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Money Map

Red vs Blue
Where, What and Who
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Kitty Litter Cake (Complete with Turds)

Thanks to Pat who ate it!

KITTY LITTER CAKE
# 1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
# 1 white cake mix
# 1 large pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
# 1 pkg vanilla sandwich cookies
# Green food coloring
# 12 small Tootsie Rolls
# 1 new (and definitely unused) kitty litter pan
# 1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner
# 1 new Pooper Scooper

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.

To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix using a fork or shake in a jar.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. (Mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it soggy. Combine gently).

Line new, clean kitty litter box.

Put mixture into litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable.

Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and bury in mixture.

Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top.

Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. (This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.)

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted.

Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs.

Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs.

Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around.

Serve with a new pooper scooper.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Monday, March 01, 2004

100th Birthday Celebration of Dr. Seuss March 2nd

 
I couldn't let this slip by so I'm a day early. The verse below wasn't written by Dr. Seuss, but I'm quite sure he would have approved. I do not know the author unfortunately.



The Whos down in Whoville

The Whos down in Whoville liked people a lot,
But the Grinch in the White House certainly did not.
He didn't arrive there by the will of the Whos,
But stole the election that he really did lose.
Vowed to "rule from the middle," installed his regime.
(Did this really happen, or is it just a bad dream?)

He didn't listen to voters, his friends he was pleasin'
Now, please don't ask why, who knows what's the reason.
It could be his heart wasn't working just right.
It could be, perhaps, that he wasn't too bright.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
Is that both brain and heart were two sizes too small.
In times of great turmoil, this was bad news,
To have a government that ignores its Whos.

The Whos shrugged their shoulders, went on with work,
Their duties as citizens so casually did shirk.
They shopped at the mall and watched their T.V.
They drove a gas guzzling big S.U.V.,
Oblivious to what was going on in D.C.,
Ignoring the threats to democracy.
They read the same papers that ran the same leads,
Reporting what only served corporate needs.
(For the policies affecting the lives of all nations
Were made by the giant U.S. Corporations.)
Big business grew fatter, fed by its own greed,
And by people who shopped for things they didn't need.

But amidst all the apathy came signs of unrest,
The Whos came to see we were fouling our nest.
And the people who cared for the ideals of this nation
Began to discuss and exchange information:
Things they couldn't read, in the corporate-owned news,
Of FTAA meetings and CIA coups,
Of drilling for oil and restricting rights.
They published some books, created Websites,
Began to write letters, and use their e-mail
Though Homeland Security might send them to jail!)

What began as a whisper soon grew to a roar,
These things going on they could no longer ignore.
They started to rise up and reach out to all
Let their voices be heard, they rose to the call,
To vote, to petition, to gather, dissent,
To question the policies of the "President."

As greed gained in power and power knew no shame
The Whos came together, sang "Not in our name!"
One by one from their sleep and their slumber they woke
The old and the young, all kinds of folk,
The black, brown and white, the gay, bi- and straight,
All united to sing, "Feed our hope, not our hate!
Stop stockpiling weapons and aiming for war!
Stop feeding the rich, start feeding the poor!
Stop storming the deserts to fuel SUV's!
Stop telling us lies on the mainstream T.V.'s!
Stop treating our children as a market to sack!
Stop feeding them Barney, Barbie and Big Mac!
Stop trying to addict them to lifelong consuming,
In a time when severe global warming is looming!
Stop sanctions that are killing the kids in Iraq!
Start dealing with ours that are strung out on crack!"

A mighty sound started to rise and to grow,
"The old way of thinking simply must go!
Enough of God versus Allah, Muslim vs. Jew
With what lies ahead, it simply won't do.
No American dream that cares only for wealth
Ignoring the need for community health
The rivers and forests are demanding their pay,
If we're to survive, we must walk a new way.
No more excessive and mindless consumption
Let's sharpen our minds and garner our gumption.
For the ideas are simple, but the practice is hard,
And not to be won by a poem on a card.
It needs the ideas and the acts of each Who,
So let's get together and plan what to do!"

And so they all gathered from all 'round the Earth
And from it all came a miraculous birth.
The hearts and the minds of the Whos they did grow,
Three sizes to fit what they felt and they know.
While the Grinches shrank from their hate and greed,
Bearing the weight of their every foul deed.

From that day onward the standard of wealth,
Was whatever fed the Whos spiritual health.
They gathered together to revel and feast,
And thanked all who worked to conquer their beast.
For although our story pits Grinches 'gainst Whos,
The true battle lies in what we daily choose.
For inside each Grinch is a tiny small Who,
And inside each Who is a tiny Grinch too.
One thrives on love and one thrives on greed.
Who will win out? It depends who you feed!

Author: Unknown

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Credo of a Conservative

Found at Rhino's Blog
By a resident of Forest Grove, Oregon, The Oregonian, 02/26/04

- I am a conservative. I believe in staying solvent and out of debt.
- I am a conservative. I believe in keeping my nose out of other people's business, their nations and their bedrooms.
- I am a conservative. I believe in conserving our assets and our resources -- our air, our land, our water. Accordingly, I don't support or engage in wastefulness, inefficiency or lavish excesses.
- I am a conservative. I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Therefore I support appropriate government spending on such things as infrastructure, schools, social welfare and crime prevention, because in the long run it's cheaper and more effective.
- I am a conservative. I don't sign on to risky schemes. I think if you give Bob a dollar, it helps Bob, but it may not necessarily help Oscar, Fred or Maria.
- I am a conservative. If I am attacked, I respond appropriately and conservatively. I do not swat mosquitoes with dynamite.
- I am a conservative. I don't deal falsely or prematurely with facts.
- I am a conservative. I understand the purposes of various institutions. It is the job of government to govern, the job of religion to address spiritual needs, and the job of business to secure profits by producing needed goods and services. I do not confuse these institutions.
- I am a conservative. I understand my position in the world and that my opinions are not the only valid ones.
- I do not have an exclusive claim on what is right, good or patriotic, and those who disagree with me are not automatically evil traitors.

What's really weird, though, is that I've always thought these things, but now everyone calls me a "liberal"!
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


John Nichols reports on the CNN/LA Times Debate

"SOCIALISM VERSUS CAPITALISM: Toward the end of Thursday night's debate, Kucinich was explaining how a single-payer national health care system 'would provide all coverage for everyone, all medically necessary procedures, plus vision care, dental care, mental health care.' Moderator Larry King exclaimed, 'In other words, socialism?'

Kucinich shot back, 'Wait a minute. You know what? What we have now, Larry, what we have now, what we have now, Larry, is predatory capitalism which makes of the American people a cash crop for the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies.'

Over the sound of thunderous applause from the studio audience, King replied, 'Well, said.' " [read the recap]
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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