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.
Related articles
This is just a test.
Pepe messed up my avatar by trying to start a WordPress blog.
OK, let’s see if this works.
One way to deal with a problem?
That will teach them–Or not! 🙂
Profs Leave Unruly Classes?
So many toys to provide distraction, and so little time to teach.
One of my friends, who teaches film history classes, says that texting is a huge problem in her classes. Heads are down and thumbs are busily flying as she delivers a lecture that she’s worked hours on. The kids insist that they can multi-task. But she said that their exam essays say otherwise.
I can understand the prof’s frustration and willingness to walk out on a class that seems to be sending the “who cares?” message, but I do feel sorry for the kids who are there to learn.
It would be nice of the prof to invite them to an empty classroom and start over with an attentive group. And the texters/tweeters/chatters/movie watchers might not even notice that the prof and half the students had left the room! 😀
The comments from the professors were all pretty much against it. I didn’t think it was a problem in college, after all they are there by choice AND paying for the class. I did walk out on a class once, the prof was high as a kite.
Heard later he “asked to leave the school.” Seems he was making a habit of his habit.
Thus is a progressive plan to reducing the debt without raising taxes on the middle class nor reducing Social Security as opposed to the regressive Bowles-Simpson “plan,” which should be DOA, but won’t. I wonder if this plan will even get any publicity?
http://www.ourfiscalsecurity.org/
http://www.ourfiscalsecurity.org/fiscal-blueprint/
I’m afraid the conversation in Marion’s latest thread about the 7 mountain goats – ummmmm, that wasn’t right – the 7 whatevers 😆 has left me feeling very depressed. But then a friend sent me this – if you’re up for one more flash mob doing their thing (and you love Handel’s Halleluja Chorus from the Messiah) then listen to this
From a food court somewhere in Welland, Ontario
Way Cool, Woof!!
Woof, you just saved my Christmas spirit.
You little Dickens.
I’ve been feeling very Bah Humbuggy recently and this really lifted my spirits, Kes, so I’m glad it did the same for you!! If I hear one more Jingle Bells I may just lose it 😆
Thanks, MW. Makes me want to be a Canadian MORE – and to go to the Church of Arbys.
-AB
I may be biased AB but I think everybody should be Canadian – we are delightfully boring people 🙂
You may worship where you wish – me, I’m off to the Temple of Wok!!
Canadians? Where? Lemme at ’em!
Hey Pepe! Congrats on your new citizenship. I’m just pea green with envy. I used to think – “hell, I’ll just go to Mexico” (I love to snorkel). Now? Not so much. Given I’d rather face a Talib than an airplane (that fear came loooonnnnggg before 9/11), I’m limited to refugee status at bordering countries. Damn! Why oh why are the countries bordering the US so damn BIG?
Very cool.
Great acoustics.
Would some one buy this man a clue? A dump truck load of clues. This is ignorance at it’s best.
Mike Barnacle was speechless.
Rep. Shadegg Scoffs At The Fact That Jobless Benefits Are A Benefit To The Economy: ‘No, They’re Not!’
The only good words spoken by Shadegg in this interview were “I’ll be unemployed in 32 days.” At the risk of being a Grinch, my Christmas wish for him is: long may that unemployment last.
The reason he didn’t run for reelection was he was/is under investigation for doing some funny things with money transactions. I don’t remember the whole story.
Amazing how people get on TV and prove their complete ignorance–and think nothing of it.
“The masses” are supposed to work hard for their money and extending unemployment benefits would be damaging to their character.
But delicate souls like Shadegg apparently are too frail to work and must resort to funny things to keep themselves housed and fed? 🙄
O/T on O/T But did you catch the last part of Keith Olbermann tonight and the discussion on the revision of the history of secession in the south? Clarence Page was the guest — good comments on the importance of teaching real history, not some special interest’s agenda.
k’es, I need to see the replay, just as it came on my brother HAD to start asking me something unimportant. He has a knack for that! (someone should do a post on that 😉 )
😆 😆 😆
Have I ever been there!
Not lately (my son is very cool about such things and I do try to give him plenty of space), but in the past.
I have to laugh out loud, though. That frustration is so familiar. If Boehner were on TV blubbering away, no one would ever interrupt!!
But let it be something interesting…!
Why does the phone always ring during Vox Pop, too? Does anyone ever want to reach out and touch me during the rest of the week? Nooooooooo.
It’s Tuesday, what does that mean? A new issue of Remapping Debate, right?
🙁
Dear People of Kentucky,
We just had an election. Why, why, why did you elect Rand Paul when this is going on?
http://www.wlky.com/r/25948793/detail.html
Dear, Buffy,
You know during these times we all have to make some sacrifices.
Oh, Wait! I don’t!
Biff
Quick! Quick!
Biff! My Benadryl! That word…that horrible word…it makes me break out in an itchy rash!!
The “s” word! Too horrible.
Biff, promise me that will never happen to us.
Tell me we’ll never have to s—-fice anything, ever.
My smelling salts, please… Where is that %$&*@$ Sri Lankan maid I bought last week?
Nothing incredibly surprising here:
The Wikileaks U.S. Embassy Cables: A State-by-State Regional View on Iran
http://www.thenewestdeal.org/2010/11/wikileaks-us-embassy-cables-state-by.html
Despite de Posada voicing support, perhaps a good idea?! – with or without the politics!
Latino leaders swirl around idea of Tequila Party
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/28/leaders-swirl-around-idea-tequila-party/
I skipped to my favorite page, although it’s worth noting that Obama was #3:
The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/11/29/the_fp_top_100_global_thinkers?page=0,32
Oh, and the local news is doing their newscast from the Pioneer Courthouse Square, not their studio. Portland isn’t a tiny town, but this is about as big as it gets for a local news story minus the Rose Festival – and since most of you are probably unfamiliar with Portland, it is the heart of downtown (both geographically and culturally) and any local – or native, like me – likely has many memories associated with it.
But, to a positive story to come out of this:
Corvallis mosque hit by arson fire receives outpouring of community support
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2010/11/corvallis_mosque_hit_by_arson_fire_receives_outpouring_of_community_support.html
Was reading this in the waiting room today:
Can Obama fight the GOP’s blame game?
By E.J. Dionne Jr.
Monday, November 29, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/28/AR2010112802911.html
A terrific article, Khirad. Paul Krugman wrote along similar lines recently. He observed that this consistently mindless, knee-jerk obstructionism on the part of the Republicans was rapidly making the country completely ungovernable.
Krugman, I believe, is not a pessimist by nature, but I sense he feels that things are seriously unraveling on several major fronts and the time remaining to come to grips with it is dwindling.
b’ito, I think it was you who asked, earlier, why Assange didn’t target the big, fraudulent banking system in his campaign of leakage.
Apparently, he was reading the Planet.
From a Forbes magazine interview.
And will it be received by the press with same banner headlines and brouhaha or buried n page 12? Hmmmmm.
Everyone reads The Planet, if they know better. Wees gots some peeples with dem thoze smarts, ya betcha, fer shure!
YGM, I think. 🙂
Branes ‘R’ Us
k’es, Fooled me, I thought you had a link to Fred Barnes of the Weakly Slanted.. 😆
I’ve been debating the wisdom of the stuff he’s leaked so far… although, the redacting is a nice touch. A tad late, but eased my qualms considerably.
But, please, this would make so much more sense. This is who really needs to be leaked. We can’t request even an FOI Act for these guys.
From KO: Fux reports story as fact!! It was from the Onion. 😆 I need to find a link.
Bwahahaha!
😆 Once again proving the RWers have no sense of humor and wouldn’t recognize irony if someone dropped an anvil on their heads!
The only thing they find funny is denying people health care and unemployment benefits. To them I say, through my spokesperson, the highly tactful Rahmbo:
[img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1b5iROOm5GiwPZA6IcZjjaV0MI0kNOeW7EzTjpzFrgpnqk-v10g[/img]
Oh my goodness and here I thought it was Friday!
Dear me, I went off on a Facebook Tangent (my daughter will be sooo embarrassed), yet…I couldn’t help myself.
They just want to see President Obama fail. Go figure, but it isn’t rocket science either.
Now wouldn’t one think the “majority” party would want to make all things fair and square? Don’t bet on it; it has never been a priority or on their agenda.
The GOP/TP/Flannel-Shirt/Pick-Up Truck/Gun Rack/Bigoted SOBS have been getting off on the prospect of bringing the first African American POTUS to his knees since November 2008.
No time to take a breath or analyze. PRODUCE SPEAKER BOEHNER! PRODUCE!
WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
What are you going to do for the unemployed Tea Partiers you seduced into voting for you. WHAT?
Why are you holding the unemployed hostage to prove the point of your bigotry and to get this administration to cave to your “demands.” Sorry John Boy, but you really don’t like the fact that an African American is living in the White House…now do you? BTW…JB…I live in OH-IO. And, don’t become complacent…many of us see you for what y’all are; bigots and racists. John Boy, you remind me of a long deceased Uncle. You JB, are as much of an asshole as he was when I was 11 and that was 50 years ago.
None of these “white guys” (okay I realize John Boy has issues) could give a rat’s ass about anyone other than themselves and the corporations padding their wallets; oh, and some lobbyist MUST be paying for John Boy’s trips to the tanning bed, his Jergen’s Bronzer or, at the very least his propensity to enjoy Happy Hour on a daily basis.
Very disconcerting that there are Ohioans who can not even put food on the table much less have a Jack Daniels on the rocks, a straight up Martini, or freaking Bud Light because THEY CAN’T AFFORD IT!!! Yet, John seems to be able to…what’s wrong with this picture?
And…none of these Republican White Guys are happy. Why? Think about it. An African American family is living in “their White House.” Give me a freaking break and get a clue folks.
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=111073562295535&id=138529979532186&ref=notif¬if_t=like
What can I say? Way beyond annoying (and as I stated before, the daughter will be totally embarrassed). So be it. I refuse to have my tax dollars pay for a freaking faux tan and the health care benefits of a BIGOT and someone who wants to deny the same for any other Ohioan or American Citizen.
John and his “compatriots” need to be called to task, not given any breathing room, and should be able to produce ON DEMAND by God, ON DEMAND!! Fix it John Boy, fix it!!
Yet, today? He admitted he/they probably wouldn’t be able to. Jeeze, what a fucking surprise!
Great comment,boomer. Ohio is a microcosm of the macrocosm of what is so wrong with the plight of the working family. There have been so many of what was known as the middle class hurt in your state than many others. They have been hit by loss of manufacturing, the housing industry and have been bamboozled by the finance sheisters. And then to get saddled by the designate speaker, who has no recognition of his own states plight, is unfair.
Thanks bito,
I think what bothers me most is “they” think we’re all stoopid; it’s infuriating, absolutely infuriating.
It makes my head spin!
Boehner is a bigot, an opportunist, and only interested in advancing his sorry white ass (obviously never been to the tanning bed) political career; never mind he’s been in DC for 20+ years. Ex squeeze me?
It’s not like he is one of the “newbies” on the block. He’s obviously been around said block enough times to know how to manipulate it and the system; truth be known, he has contributed to the current state of affairs, the current economy and, more important, our image. Boehner is a piss-poor-representative for what we’re supposed to be about.
He is selfish, opportunistic, and as I said somewhere earlier, reminds me of two people in my life…my alcoholic father and an Uncle who was a bigot, who stole from every company he ever worked for, who everyone in the family despised, yet when he died, everyone (‘cept me) acted like he was a Saint.
I refused to go his funeral, and was admonished for the decision; my father HATED the man, yet because I refused to be a hypocrite, I wound up the black sheep. Pretty disgusting. Can we spell dysfunctional?
Nevertheless, Boehner, Cantor, & McConnell haven’t fooled me. Some of us have been around the block just as many times and can spot a fake faster than they can blink.
Now, please tell me how we can explain it to those more easily seduced?
boomer, your daughter should be — and I’m sure is — very proud of having a mom who feels passionately about what’s happening in the world and about fighting bigotry and injustice when she sees it.
After all, you are the mom who raised a daughter who cares a lot about little kids and making sure they get the best possible start in their educational careers. That would have to make you a pretty good mom…and citizen.
😀
Thank you kes, thank you. It just seems so simple, but “they” make it so darn complicated. Why are some humans so selfish?
And…somehow I just can’t picture Boehner, Cantor, or McConnell purchasing clothing for a family whose home burned to the ground a couple of weeks ago. Yet, this is what my “overpaid, teacher daughter” did last weekend. And, not because I’m looking for kudos, I did the same. Did I have the extra 50 bucks to spare? No, but I could not stand by and see little kids without warm clothes, food, or Christmas gifts.
I also wonder how these selfish assholes are able to sleep at night.
We really should refuse to pay for their HC insurance. They should be required to sacrifice the same as what they expect from everyone else. Selfish bastards…are you sure this isn’t Friday? 😆
boomer…I’m at a loss for words. (Unusual for me.)
You and your daughter! What generosity. And I know that you’ve mentioned that your son-in-law is still looking for work…so obviously, they are not rolling in cash.
You are doing the Lord’s work.
Our church is having a benefit dinner on December 10 for our (rockin’) music director, who needs to have an MRI to find out the cause of her hand tremors (always a problem in a musician). She must have $750 with her when she goes for the test, or they will not do it. (A charitable group is picking up the rest of the fee, beyond the $750.)
THANK YOU, REPUBLICANS AND T-BAGS!! For making life so hard for so many good people.
👿
Sacrifice, sacrifice? That’s just for the little people, boomer.
( I have to put a rose and thorn into a locally owned grocery store, Bashas’. A family down the street lost heir house to fire. I asked for many donations in the the community businesses and they quickly wrote a check. I went to Wal-Mart and they gave me the corporate address and told me to wait 6-8 weeks.)
Thank You, boomer.
That’s especially generous, as they’ve had to shut down a few – like ours.
Khirad!! My thoughts have been with you, guy. I do hope all is well.
Aw, boomer! What gals! That warms my heart, and I’m sure it warms their hearts, hands, toes, etc. How sweet.
there is a saying in the Qur’an – which I will paraphrase here, although I know it’s a no-no to do so with Muslims (but hey! I’m a Christian) – that goes something like:
If God had wanted, He would have made us all the same. But He didn’t, so that we could compete with each other for good works.
You won.
k’es, My mail sever is down. The European hackers at work! 🙂 The last time this happen was during the street demonstrations in France. This time Ireland??
(fun, I am getting mail, but I can’t read them or send replies. LOL)
Thanks for letting me know, b’ito. Mine has been a little glitchy too, and I humbly apologize to anyone who emailed me over Thanksgiving, because I’m not sure all of them came through. Please know that I’m not ignoring you, and you just need to “email thump” me in the noggin to let me know if you sent me something and I haven’t responded.
I blame Ireland.
kes,
You’re too funny! Are you sure you’re not appearing at the Funny Bone disguised as an R.N.? 😆
I only work the Funny Bones when I float over to the orthopedic unit, boomer. Which, fortunately for them, is not too often.
Oh, and I meant to tell you above that when it comes to embarrassing our daughters with facebook posts, I think I have you beat. You may remember a few weeks ago I posted here when my cat attacked and bit my foot? Well, he struck again today. And, knowing how hard he can bite, I turned tail and ran, screaming in terror, from his 12 pounds of fury.
So guess which target he was facing when he went on the toothy attack…? Yup, he bit my shapely (?) left gluteus max. That was worth a facebook post, I thought.
Apparently I was wrong.
😆 😆
Kes – that should have been posted on “foot book” or the most recent episode on – yep, you guessed it – “butt book”. Silly girl!
I’ve worked in vet clinics for years. Sometimes the behavior can signal epileptic attacks. I once had a friend with a LARGE MEAN black cat named “Ebony”, called “Ebon”. When I would go visit, Ebon would sometimes stalk me and bite the crap out of me (hey! I’m a cat person. This should NOT happen)
Once I noticed Ebon nowhere to be found. When I asked, they told me he had been sent to “appreciation school”. Seems when he acted out, he was banished to the garage for a few days. My friends were devout Christian Scientists. I always suspected Ebon had epilepsy, but they were not the sort to acknowledge it if so. I have used appreciation school for others – errant husbands and stubborn students (but only in a figurative or threatening sense, never actually). Perhaps this bad boy should get a little degree from the school?????
AB, thanks for the tip on the epilepsy possibility. I’ll keep that in mind, but I suspect this Bad Boy actually has some “cat-logic” behind his attacks. This has happened twice and both times were when I wouldn’t let him go outside to fight with the locals. It’s retaliation for my refusal to let him have his way.
This morning I made sure he was locked in the bedroom before I went out to get the paper. Worked pretty well! I had to do something.
After all, I’m running out of bandaids!
This guy on the “debt/deficit commission” from Honeywell is pissing me off. Governments are not a bottom line- profit driven entity. What’s his plan, layoff (cut all social services) so the Government can show a “profit?”
That is wise enough to be nailed upon a cathedral door. 😉
YGM
Oh, Your good!!!
In a bad kinda way…. 😉