During the day, do you read a story and you feel it is worth sharing?  Where to place it? I don’t like to disrupt someone’s thread or thoughtful post and it is not worthy of posting a lengthy article, do you?  Let’s try to leave this up in speakers corner and we can share some news!

From the Afghan  Women’s Writing Project

Colorful Days after Black Nights”

I remember the Taliban were searching houses ten times a day with different groups to find a book, cassette, picture, TV, or video game. If they found any of these, they shot the whole family. After we returned home, my mom burned books that my older sister and brother had collected over many years. She burned most of the books in our mud-brick oven, then threw the rest away in sacks very far from the house so the Taliban would not know they were ours. My heart was broken and I was at a loss……

I wove carpets for four years and forgot everything about studying or getting an education. We were stuck at home, and never allowed to go outside. When the Taliban were removed from power in Afghanistan after almost five years, most of the schools eventually reopened. My siblings returned to school, but I did not, because I was so afraid of everyone, still thinking that Taliban were close.

Read More…..

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PatsyT
Member

Hey Pepe how is the book thing going?

Pepe Lepew
Member

Which book thing?

I have multiple book things going on.

PatsyT
Member

The one for your daughter.

Pepe Lepew
Member

Oh, the 2,000-page opus? We found out it’s just part of a bigger 12,000-page opus. Sigh.

Emerald1943
Member

Hey all you beautiful PlanetPeople! It’s 1am here and I’m going to sign off too. Kalima, it was great to chat with you tonight! I hope we can do this more often.

Everyone, have a restful night! I’ll see you in the morning! Love to all!

PatsyT
Member

Hey Em,
I am just signing on ….. nighty night.

Kalima
Admin

It was great catching up with you too. I’m usually here, have my computer on from morning until late afternoon, in and out. More out than in these days until I slay the dragon that has taken over our Junk Room. By the time I come back down to warm my frozen fingers and toes, everyone is dreaming already. Bloody silly time zones, who the hell thought of that bright idea?

Good night, sweet dreams and be safe.

kesmarn
Admin

Dear Friends, it’s time for kes to make a serious scientific study of the insides of her own eyelids…in other words, to hit the Memory Foam pillow in the hope that it will improve her memory.
Good night all. Hope to see you all tomorrow (or rather, later today, since it’s almost 1 a.m.)! Sleep well.

Chernynkaya
Member

Good night, Kesmarn. I shall join you from my memory foam mattress! Night, all!

Kalima
Admin

Good night to you Cher and please try to forget about the Huff poster, don’t waste another minute of your time on it. If this person starts to stalk you, I would say quite politely, “Would you be kind enough to please bugger off.”

Sleep well and be safe.

Emerald1943
Member

Sleep well, my friend! Sweet dreams! See ya’ tomorrow! 🙂

Kalima
Admin

Good night kesmarn and I hope that you find something interesting inside your eyelids. If it’s something earth shattering, please pass it on.

Sleep well. Take care and be safe.

Emerald1943
Member

Nite, Kes! Sleep tight! Hope to see you here tomorrow!

Emerald1943
Member

Hi Kes! I’ve been trying to reply to your comment earlier about my friend’s mom on the OT thread, but for some reason, your comment won’t come up. Thanks for asking, but I don’t think there was much hope from the outset. The fact that she hung on for this long was a miracle. But I guess the brain damage was just too much. She only made it for a few minutes after the ventilator was turned off.

The worst part is the impact on my friend, Ann. She has really agonized over having to make this decision. She feels guilty about it and I hope I will be able to help her through this difficult period.

Thanks again for your kind thoughts. BTW, what ever happened to your patient who was the radio operator in WWII? Did he and his wife ever get to be in the same hospital? I have thought about him and hope he is doing better.

Chernynkaya
Member

That must have been a wrenching decision! Again, my best wishes to your friend.

Emerald1943
Member

Thanks, Cher! You PlanetPeople are the best! I just love it here!!!!!!!!!!!

kesmarn
Admin

It would be just like me, Em, to forget to hit the “submit comment” button or something. I am getting tired.

But, yes, I mentioned in the other post that making that decision must have been terribly hard for your friend. What an awful situation: first to have such a dreadful thing happen to a parent and then to be expected to make that ultimate choice. Lord help her.

As far as my WWII radio operator goes: I never did have the chance to take care of him again! I know he’s no longer in the hospital, but was unable to get the rest of the story. I know this sounds like an odd thing to do, but, I’ve been checking the obits in the daily paper and have not seen his nor his wife’s name. So I can only conclude that they most likely did make it back to the assisted living center together. If I hear anything further, I’ll let you know.

That’s the frustrating thing about acute care nursing; you don’t always get to find out how it all turned out!

Emerald1943
Member

Kes, I know what you mean. I used to have to run all over the hospital to follow up on patients that I saw in the ER.

I check the obits every single morning! As long as my name is not there, things are great!! 🙂 At least, I’m still looking at the right side of the grass!! LOL

Kalima
Admin

I’m so very sorry to hear about your friend’s mother Emerald. This story is so heartbreaking, did they ever catch the animal who did this?

Emerald1943
Member

Kalima, I’m not sure whether they have him or not. I have not been able to get in touch with her in a few days. She has been at the hospital quite a bit. I got the news from my daughter today who had been able to get her on the phone. I’m going to keep trying and will post an update when I get some information.

Kalima
Admin

Thank you Emerald. I hope they catch him soon. For the surviving members of the family, it is sometimes so stressful not knowing the whole story. I wish your friend my very best.

Chernynkaya
Member

I just made the mistake of reading a reply to my comments over there. Actually, I had just “quadruple fanned” a poster who was valiantly defending Obama. I want to share with my friends here the reply I got because I have never gotten such a reply before and am at a loss as to what or if to respond. I also want to point out that, although critical, it is an illustration of how politeness and even flattery works better than vitriol:

nice2blucky replied on Jan 14, 2010 at 16:20:55

Emerald1943
Member

You gotta’ be kidding!! Cher, what does all that gibberish mean? I take exception to the comment and hope, with all my heart, that this troll never finds the URL for the Planet! If he/she does, we’ll make mince meat out of him/her! Don’t give it another thought!

Addendum: I would not give this idiot the satisfaction of a reply. The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off that he would be so critical without knowing you in the least!

Chernynkaya
Member

But you see, he claimed to have read my other posts. So in a sense, he/she does know me somewhat. The thing is, I feel the need to try to explain why I am accepting of Obama’s centrism, even though I am at heart a leftie. I guess i just took this person more seriously than I usually do because s/he was sincere.

Emerald1943
Member

I would have to agree with Kesmarn on this one. I don’t understand what people get out of insulting someone they don’t know. Just because he read your previous posts does not qualify for “knowing you”. You don’t owe this creep any explanation for anything! It’s creepy people like this that become stalkers. They try to engage you by saying outlandish things.

Chernynkaya
Member

Thanks Em. I’m going to take your advice.

Emerald1943
Member

Good girl! I went back and read it again…and it’s even more weird the 2nd time around. Really creepy! I guess I had forgotten just how nasty some people are over at HP.

Chernynkaya
Member

After reading your responses– Kes and Kalima’s too, I re-read it with new eyes. And it IS creepy! What was i thinking?

Chernynkaya
Member

And you know what REALLY makes it creepy? All I did was fan someone and got this response! That should have quivered my antennae!

escribacat
Member

Cher, I thought the person’s sincerely was far outweighed by his/her condescending and dismissive message. One hundred percent jerk, in my humble estimation.

Chernynkaya
Member

That makes the consensus of awesome women practically unanimous, e’cat! And I only say “practically unanimous” because a few are absent. Thank you for your input, my friend!

kesmarn
Admin

Cher, I would be at a loss as to how to respond to this, too.

My initial, intuitive reaction is one of strong distaste and a little wariness. I think I would avoid engaging this person because he/she comes across as a sort of bipolar sadist. It goes kind of like: insult-compliment-insult-insult-compliment-insult-compliment-compliment…ad nauseum.

The tell-tale quality that pervades this disjointed response is that there’s not one suggestion of a better option. Apparently to this person, Obama and optimism are ‘naive.’ Okay—so what’s his/her grand program for fixing this mess? To echo Sergeant Schultz: “I see nothing.”

Lord, HP can be a depressing place, no?

PS You are both a better person and a better thinker than this person will ever be.

Chernynkaya
Member

Kes– that was really insightful– the bi-polar part especially.I didn’t catch that. Thanks to both you and Emerald. I won’t reply. but what fascinates me is how much more effective this person’s approach was to me. I didn’t immediately dismiss him/her.

Kalima
Admin

I would beg you to ignore this person, in their dismissal of your opinions and the sweetness of the delivery, I see this poster as looking down their nose at you. They are insulting without making it obvious, the need to control you, what you think sounds almost sadistic and on the edge. I really don’t think for a second that they have your best interests in mind, it sounds as if they are quite unstable. How extremely rude and obnoxious of them.

Chernynkaya
Member

Well, that seals it. Thanks, Kalima. My boundaries must need some structural repairs. I have never gotten a response like this, but now that you point it out, there is definitely something sinister here. Thank you!

Emerald1943
Member

Hey Cher, I don’t think there’s a thing wrong with your boundaries! This person, for whatever the reason, tried to cloak the insults in some pretty stilted language, building you up and then cutting you down. I would have been as puzzled as you were if it were me. The fact that you brought it over to the Planet to discuss proves that your boundaries are just fine! 🙂

Addendum: The language used by this person reminded me a little bit of ol’ Flossy who used to drive me to the brink over there. He loved to use big words and lots of “isms” to impress everybody. What a twit!

Chernynkaya
Member

Floosy was/is a lightweight. I used to pay him a little bit of attention once in a while. But at some point he wrote about how smart Palin was, and that was it for me. I never even read his posts after that– just scrolled. He’s not a bad guy, just utterly unimpressive.-ISM!That’s gonna be my new scoff word– ism!

Emerald1943
Member

Hey Cher, yes Flossy was a light-weight, but he used to get on these rants about socialism, communism, Marxism, etc. ad nauseum. I don’t think he really knew much about any of it, but he liked to throw out the terms to impress. I just hate someone who is just a pompous ass! He lit into me a few times.

Pepe Lepew
Member

Emerald and Cher, I have some really strong suspicions about “Flossy.” First of all, I think he has many, many, many sockpuppets at HP … some of which might really surprise people … and that he spends 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week on HP with his various socks.
Secondly, I’ve reached the conclusion that he doesn’t really believe his own codswallop. I think he just likes to engage in sophistry to infuriate and exasperate people. He will make ridiculous sweeping pronouncements of fact, and when people ask him for substantiation for his facts, he will not provide any. It’s all a game to frustrate. And he does it in a coy, cutesy way in which he’s getting other people to call him names and attack him and melt down. That’s the whole point of his posts. I think of all the manipulative trolls on HP, he’s the most manipulative.

Kalima
Admin

Huff has all sorts of posters, but this response to you, made my spine tingle and that is rare for me. I’ve lived the best part of my life through my own intuition, it has served me well. No need for thanks, I think that we are all here to look out for one another, that’s a beautiful part of the Planet. 🙂

Chernynkaya
Member

The Planet population is awesome– there is no other way to say it!

Kalima
Admin

That sums it up perfectly. 🙂

Emerald1943
Member

I totally agree with you, Kalima! The longer I live, the more I trust my gut! There was definitely something weird about this one.

kesmarn
Admin

Yes, Cher, there’s a sort of semi-intelligent slyness there that, frankly, worries me. I may be over reacting here, but the word that comes to mind is halfway-charming sociopath. This person knows how to pull people in before slipping the ol’ stiletto between the ribs so deftly you hardly even feel it.

Run, girl!

Hopeington
Member
Hopeington

Cher, this was interesting and I want to weigh in.
I went there are checked luckys profile and comments…since 2006, less than 500 comments, mostly to the right and negative (don’t worry, I only skimmed and didn’t hurt myself)
not too many replies but noticed a few did tell lucky to seek help, only recently started posting every day, which leads me to believe they recently came upon more free time or they had another profile they used more. It all seems to stay the same over the 3 years. The positive then negative theme is strange,
but what I found intriguing about this particular comment was the ring or bit of truth that was actually good to hear The reminder to check our selves and our intentions. Not because we are doing something incorrect but more just like a political reality check, and I do like to look for the positive in situations…..
The personally directed insults and negativity should just be disregarded and this only serves as an excellent example of what we all are moving away from.
There is something different about this one though, best to leave it alone!!
I guess they didn’t get the memo to read your latest master piece about the House and Senate, then they’d really blucky and know what a great thinker as well as a kind and compassionate person, you really are!!
I just came in from work, I hope this makes sense?!

Emerald1943
Member

OMG!! Jon Stewart’s take on Beck’s interview with Ms. Mooseburger! Priceless!!!!

escribacat
Member

Maybe I’m the only one who sees this as possibly significant, but Keith Olbermann just introduced Lawrence O’Donnell — for the first time that I’ve noticed — as a FORMER contributor to the Huffington Post.

Emerald1943
Member

I caught that! Wow! Maybe there is trouble in paradise!

escribacat
Member

Hehe. I hope so!!

Chernynkaya
Member

Hmm, I missed that– good catch. Why do they introduce him as that, I wonder? I mean, he seems more accomplished than someone who’s only claim to fame is a “former contributor to Huffington Post!”

escribacat
Member

I know. I think that HP has enjoyed a reputation as a progressive force when in fact it was only a really popular blog for no other reason that it was NEW (with the comments technology that Drudge didn’t offer).

Remember when Obama called on Sam Stein in that early news conference? That made waves. Now, I don’t think that sort of thing happens any more.

Emerald1943
Member

Just a thought…I watched the President’s statement about our aid to Haiti. Perhaps it was the lighting over his podium, but his hair is turning grey/white in front of our eyes!! No doubt, the job is taking its toll on him!

javaz
Member

I have to share this story that happened today.
We were on our way to the vet for the dog’s annual physical, and we spotted a pickup in front of us with a huge sign in the right-hand part of his back window.
As we got closer, we could make out the first words at the top, and it was “Obama It’s Time”.

My husband sped up so we could read the rest, and it was “Obama It’s Time To Show Us Your Birth Certificate”

My husband and I burst out laughing, and then he changed lanes to pass the moron, and we looked over at the guy, and he was fairly young, and he stared back at us and gave us the middle finger salute!
LMAO
I guess he caught us laughing at him in his rear view mirror.
Rednecks don’t like folks laughing at them, I guess.

Questinia
Member

I’ve put Obama stickers on these yahoo’s trucks. Guess that makes me a Progressive terrorist.

Damn proud of it!

Cause I was born an American,
And I am an American,
In A-mer-i-ca!!

escribacat
Member

What a great idea!!

Questinia
Member

Thanks, escribacat. I do it under stealth in shopping center parking lots. Might have gotten a couple of soccer moms in the crossfire.

kesmarn
Admin

Q, that is brilliant!

I saw one smart (?) guy today with a bumper sticker that said “Buck Fama.” (Or maybe he was a sports fan and was referring to ‘Bama? Just thought of that. Good thing I didn’t “salute” him as I passed.)

nellie
Member

At least he’s consistent in his classy mindset! 😆

Hopeington
Member
Hopeington

I’ve got to get to work, but before I go I want to share a web site that has some very positive reporting on veterans issues. I find myself spending a bit of time there everyday and it’s always informative!
Here’s a little something from today that seemed like a step in the right direction, Special Report: Schakowsky Prepares Legislation to Ban Blackwater
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=10145
Wish I didn’t have to leave, but I am grateful I’ve got somewhere to go!!!