What do we do? I have a hard time imaging a scenario where it would be OK to unilaterally go into another country and usurp governmental power. There are so many historical examples of it being a really bad idea.
There are 2 million people whose lives are in peril. They have lost their homes and there is no potable water or food. The rest of the world has offered to help. Relief efforts have been made difficult by the junta’s need to control everything. Some supplies and food have gotten into the country, but the military is distributing these donated goods and hampering the efforts of on-the-ground relief workers. A coordinated crisis management team is waiting for a very limited number of visas. People need water and food and will need food going forward as farming yields could mean famine. Officially, the junta is saying there are 43,000 people dead. The UN and Red Cross say over 100,000. This is a type of genocide that is unconscionable. These are people that have the unfortunate reality of living in a fascist state that has been successfully isolated from the rest of the world. These are innocents that have no political value to the junta dead, but because they are evil, (its the only explanation I can come up with) they are willing to let them die.
What is the right thing to do? What is a justifiable use of military force?
Below is a video that Moveon.org I know was distributing. I have read in other places that the Monks and the Red Cross are probably your best bets for making donations. On the off chance you know of Thailand-based NGO, that is suppose to be an effective way to get relief into Burma as well. I am sure the monk is praying for a peaceful solution regarding the military’s soulless response to this disaster.
I guess I just fell off a turnip truck or something..Its is just hard for me to believe that there are still people that believe this way. It made me cry.
Up today is West Virginia. Hillary Clinton is supposed to win buy tons… Its not exactly his demographic. White, working class with limited education. So I guess that makes him an elitist..or Appalachian America is a bit racist??? Its a good thing no one reads this blog because I am sure it this decisive remark is not politically correct…but true. AND it does bother me that there are people that wont vote for him because he is African America. This Washington Post article was especially depressing to read.
I am so ready for this to be over.. I am so sick all the parsing and projecting and predicting. All that matters is how many people vote for who on November 4, 2008. I need a time travel machine, pronto.
But actually not here in Argentina. We get to celebrate it in October again. But as my husband likes to say, “Everyday is Mothers Day in Argentina….” How the fuck would he know? He is in Patagonia flying around on someones private jet and fishing at someones private fishing lodge as we speak.
This morning I was greeted by my five year old daughter Georgie and a plastic plate with a cup of juice (actually served in a baby bottle without the top) and a yogurt, in its original plastic container, without a spoon. Reminiscent of breakfast room service at the Four Seasons. Nothing says I love you like breakfast served in bed and I did get some cute heartfelt cards from the three youngest.
The oldest who is 12, presented me with nothing, zero, zilch. Just a handful of attitude which he doles out everyday of the year, not just holidays. I didn’t take it personally as he is suppose to hate me at this point in his life. It just makes me a little sad. Those days of cuddling and sweet talk are over. And what an ingrate..he was by far the most difficult birth, 5 hours of back labor and no drugs. Served him right that he came out with a cone head. This morning when I explained that he owed me at least a kiss or hug for all the pain and hard work on his behalf he balked and seemed disgusted by me and the suggestion. It just gets easier and easier to humiliate and shame him…Never knew being a mom could be so much sinister fun. Cant wait until he brings home a girlfriend!
I am ashamed to say that my lack of writing has little to do with my very complicated life of multiple children, a retail concern to be managed and grown, and big logistical issues to resolve concerning our living situation here in Argentina. My lack of blog entries has everything to do with my compulsive, obsessive, maniacal, entirely unhealthy myopic focus on the democratic primary elections in the US. Because we have only regular cable television that affords me only CNN international Asia edition (don’t have any idea why), all my information, news and opinion comes from the Internet and the 12 or so blogs/news portals I get 85% of my information from. While I am reading blogs, I am simultaneously streaming progressive talk shows and on occasion, a Yankees game. If I am just listening to the radio, I play spider solitaire. Keep reading →
Made it back to Buenos Aires yesterday and was welcomed by water damage and spotty electrical coverage in the house. Yea! But my enthusiasm for this day cant be squashed by our continuing and epic infrastructure issues.
Today is Super Tuesday and I voted as a Democrat Abroad. I voted online and I printed my ballot to prove it! I have to say it is not as satisfactory as going to the High School auditorium, check in with an ID, proudly indicate my party affiliation, have problems closing the curtains, flip the lever and receive a “I voted” sticker for my efforts. But it is done and now I can sit back and make myself nuts manically visiting blogs and news sites. I did consider taking Henry with me to a DemsAbroad get together and watch the returns from a bar tonight, but given the now 3-6 hour time difference (California polls wouldn’t close until 2:00 am my time) I am thinking not such a good idea given the responsible parent that I am. Tonight would be a good night to have more than local basic cable but will have to be happy with what my laptop offers.
Its been a month now..sad to say in two weeks I will be returning to Buenos Aires with two of the kids that want to go back and start school with their friends. Funny, that is not one of my childhood memories, wanting to cut vacation short and go back to school.Its been great. We have had a lot of guests, great weather and the kids are happy here. I have been doing a lot of cooking for the family. Kids suck to cook for. All my kids eat, but they eat entirely different things. So I am basically a short order cook. Its not very fun or satisfying being a short order cook. However, I do like cooking for grownups. They tend to be less picky, have better table manners and are always gracious with the chef..with kids I am a cook and with the adults I am a chef. Keep reading →
This was my first Presidential ticket. Actually it was probably McGovern/Shriver by the time I volunteered for the first of my many losing presidential campaigns. I can remember helping my sister Patty “canvas” the neighborhood. That had nothing to do with emails or telephones, it was walking around, knocking on doors and handing out flyers and answering any question the voter might have about George McGovern’s policy positions. Well, I wasn’t answering the questions, I was only ten years old. I do remember eating peanut butter/chocolate balls at an elderly woman’s house. After spending 20 minutes at her house being fed and shown photographs of grandchildren, she tells us that she will not be voting for McGovern, but for Richard Nixon who “will keep the communists out of America” and that “that Tricia Nixon is sure a pretty girl”. It was a lesson learned, not to judge people by their political sensibilities, those were good peanut butter/chocolate balls.
George McGovern wrote in the Washington Post today that impeaching Bush was imperative, he’s worse than Nixon.
Perhaps I should stop using this high school-like photo of Obama. It reminds me of this guy I went to school with, Terry Thomas. No, not the poor man’s David Niven but a nice kid that was my lab partner through most of 10th grade Biology. I kind of remember doing most of the work. He was very charming. He went on to a successful academic career at Cornell, why he cheated off me is a mystery.
After returning from 36 hours floating and camping on the Alumine River I was greeted by the happy news that Obama had won the Iowa Caucuses. I know that its Iowa with only 57 delegates, but it is the first contest and momentum and perceived sentiment is everything in this very long campaign season. The victory is important for the Obama campaign. He now goes to New Hampshire, which is more representative of the democratic demographic that will be electing the president, with the energy and momentum to get the voters that are young and those that don’t always show up on election day. His message of hope is working. People want solid policy thinking but they want something else after the last 8 very dark years. They want to believe in a fundamental change in our politics and government, and its not cynical. I know how he makes me feel and that is hopeful.
Read this speech he gave before the Caucuses and this postmortem by John Dickerson. Their words can articulate the beginning of this movement better than mine.
I have been happily ensconced in Patagonia now for a week. It has been lovely. We have had hot weather for so early in the season, but beautiful nonetheless, hot days and cool nights. Perfect for swimming and sleeping. There has been the usual chaos around the holidays in combination with setting up the house after an absence of nine months. But it has been really quiet nice and relaxing and couldn’t be more different than our life in Buenos Aires. Keep reading →
We are headed down South for the holidays and then some. Our interconnectivity is not a sure thing, so I don’t know if I will be able to post much. Anyway, my priority will be the kid’s blog which if I can get online and download photos I will be doing that. I will be playing it all by ear.
My gift to you is a suggestion. Buy this book on tape. Its very funny in a weird twisted way.
The immigration problem that isn’t really one, but the republican presidential candidates will make it an hysterical witch hunt - Bob Herbert NYTimes Column
Blog Specialists - Santa Claus and North Pole related
http://www.northpole.com - can send emails to Santa and play games with annoying music, perfect for the younger believers
http://www.noradsanta.org - Very cool website with pre-Christmas activites and awesome Christmas Eve tracking of Santa around the world, its part of our Christmas Eve tradition
http://www.santaclaus-officialblog.com/ - This Santa is desperate for more site hits and there are lots of links to commerical sites, he must of hired an interactive consultant
http://www.santaspeaking.com/santasblog.aspx - This a blog from Santa updated daily with goofy entries about the going -ons at the North Pole. It also doubles a commercial site where for only $21.95 you can call Santa and have an “interactive” conversation.
Full disclosure here, I dont know how to have an unadulterated Merry Christmas. I think the last time I had a totally Merry Christmas I was 5. After that, Christmas got complicated . Expectations began to exceed the reality. For many years to come, whether that disappointment came in the form of not getting what I wanted, or familial stresses or with the pressure to create that Christmas when I was 5 for my kids, Christmas took on the quality of an event to be endured, survived, even to a point, dreaded. Well with now 40 or so Christmases, that I remember under my belt, I believe I have some Christmas wisdom to share. Some of it is practical. Some of it is a philosophy of keeping it simple that if you buy into, while no guarantees, I do feel you can eek out a few more moments of Peace and Joy. Because that is what it is all about. Peace and Joy.
Do your Christmas shopping early, I am not talking about being one of those insane people who do all their shopping in July. Do it in November. Dedicate a few days to it and wrap it up right away. You are done. So now when Thanksgiving is over you can enjoy the parties (dont host them, be a guest), baking opportunities and Christmas related books and videos with the kids. Keep reading →
It looks as if my fantasy of Al Gore running for president has died a slow, lonely death. He has officially missed key ballot deadlines, so I have now officially (along with the DraftGore movement) given up on the dream of President Gore.
Who am I going to vote for? I am going to vote for Barack Obama in the primaries in February. We concur on those issues that are the most important to me. But what really appeals to me is his ability to communicate with inspiration about his vision of the future of this country. He is a leader. I want follow him to a better world where we are leading other nations through understanding and respect and helping through partnership and charity. I also think we need to pay attention to our collective mental health. We need a president that will straighten us out, give us some clarity and lead us out of this shitstorm. That is not very concrete I know, but like I said, its not all about tackling of list of to dos, we need first to feel like we can fix all these problems. We need a change. Keep reading →
Last week my husband and I took my 12 year old son and his friend to the Police concert. I like the Police and listening to their music certainly congers up happy memories of college and my young adulthood. My son loves music, itunes and his ipod. Like a lot of kids, he has a tendency to listen over and over again to what is fashionable to his peers at the time. (he is going through a big Weird Al jag right now). But to his credit, he is always willing to try out some “old” music and certainly eager to go to a live concert. He is a very enthusiastic concert goer, he claps and jumps around, tries to sing the songs and is becoming a proficient people watcher. Together, Henry and I have enjoyed a Bob Marley Birthday tribute (with whats left of the Wailers and Peter Tosh’s band) and a summer music festival featuring Black Eye Peas. This time Dad joined us, reluctantly. (Punk not Pop is his genre) While I think he enjoyed the concert through Henry, that wasn’t the point, he was providing transportation. Keep reading →
Like now. Breaking laws about laws. Seems pretty concrete and not too complicated. Emptywheel does a good run down of this latest round of egregious sins and the video is below. Right on Senator Whitehouse.
Here is a link for the second part of his speech http://youtube.com/watch?v=lPT9JxTBxok
If that’s not enough for you, there were two more revelations this week. Its had been the contention of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) that there have been over 5 million emails missing from the White House that were written and sent during the period of 2003-2005 (Iraq War, Valerie Plame, Abu Ghraib, 2004 election). CREW revised that number this week by doubling it to now 10 million. These are technically missing (convenient!?), not deleted, unlike the video of some CIA interrogations that also made news this week.
