Spiro WHO?

Something to think about from my friend, Jerry:

I just sent this to MoveOn. It's important.

Listen, y'all: This is important to winning this year's prezelection:

1. I've been active in Democratic politics since 1968. I have my education in PoliSci and History. I know what I'm talking about here.

2. 1968: Nixon chose Agnew as his running-mate. Democrats ran TV ads with guys asking, "Spiro WHO?" They laughed at the name, and we all harped on how unqualified Agnew was. By the time is was all over, we had spent the whole fall season running for vice-president. Meanwhile, the Get-Old-People party was running for president. Remember who won?

3. 1988: Bush the Elder actually stepped up to the microphone and said he had called Richard Nixon for advice on choosing a running-mate, and then announced it was J Danforth Quayle. Democrats ran a reprise of the Spiro WHO ads. We all spent the fall season laughing as we talked about how unqualified Quayle was. We ran for vice-president again. Bush ran for president. Remember who won?

4. Fool me once, shame on Nixon. Fool me twice, shame on me.

5. Now it's obvious to me that McCain must have the number to Nixon's phone in hell, and got his advice: pick a running mate who is unknown, has no significant track record, is unqualified, and the Democrats will waste the whole campaign running for vice president. And guess who will win: John, the Son of Cain.

6. SO: Stop with the "she's not qualified" crap already! Concentrate on talking up the obvious differences between Obama's and McCain's actual records in public service. No one really votes for vice president. If we run for it, we will lose again. Fool me three times ... shame on whom?

AND, please check McCain's voting record on Veterans' issues. I believe you will find that he has voted consistently against us. Play that up!

Thanks for reading. Remember, I have more experience than most folks in this campaign.

Jerry Stopher

Gustav

I think Houston is in the clear as far as Gustav hitting us directly. Almost all of the computer projections have the storm coming ashore just to the west of New Orleans. New Orleans is under mandatory evacuation and the city is clearing out.

That does not mean we are in the clear as the storm will be coming ashore so close and it is so big that Texas could take a big hit after Gustav comes ashore. All we can do is wait and watch.

Houston Metro Forecast
THE WEEKEND: Sunday will shape up much like Saturday did, temperatures in the mid 90s and a slight chance for a few isolated showers. We are of course keeping our eyes on Hurricane Gustav. Gustav entered the Gulf of Mexico late Saturday night with decreased strength, but still as a powerful category 3 storm. Current models forecast landfall somewhere between the upper Texas coast and the Mississippi coast. The computer models are in better agreement today that Gustav will hit the Louisiana coastline sometime on Monday afternoon. However, with the possibility that it could veer west or east a little over the next couple of days, the National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning from Cameron LA, eastward to the Alabama-Florida Border. This means hurricane conditons are expected within the next 24 hours. A Hurricane watch remains in effect from just east of Cameron Louisana to just east of High Island, TX. A Watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the next 36 hours. Also, Tropical Storm Hanna is moving toward the Bahamas with winds of 50 mph. We will keep you posted right here on Local 2. Be safe,
Frank

People I'd Like To Meet

SPIRITUAL LEADERS:
The Dalai Lama. I admire his courage and his wisdom and, most of all, the inner peace he seems to exude as he walks through this world. It would be nice to sit with him for an hour and just feel his presence and learn what wisdom he might have to impart to me.

Jesus. I believe he was a teacher and maybe a prophet. I do not believe he was a savior of all mankind. I would ask him, what do you think of what has become of your followers and the things they have done? What wisdom would you, as a teacher, pass along to me?

POLITICAL LEADERS:
Barack Obama I want to feel his energy for myself to know if this man who has inspired so many, can be trusted and believed. He seems too good to be true and I learned long ago not to trust that. I want him to be what he says he is, and he seems to be. I would encourage him, no more wars of any kind on any front. Bring the troops home and spend the money that would be spent on wars in a better way, helping the poor, improving our schools and putting our country back together. We cannot win a war of any kind in the Middle East and, the reason they are angry, because we are there. Get out. Now.

Michael Moore. Just because he seems like the kind of guy I could sit down and have a beer with and spend a pleasant evening in discussion about all sorts of things. Mike helped this Mom loosen her tears and see some truth when he made Fahrenheit 9/11 and he has given me a voice from time to time on his website. I admire him for kicking over rocks and exposing the truth when others would have it remain hidden. I admire the way he finds the absurd in our country and has us, as a people, examine ourselves in a way we have not done before whether we like it or not.
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That's probably just about it. I've met a lot of famous people and infamous people and found them to be just like you and me. Some I've been impressed with and some I have not. I have learned, they put their clothes on just like you and me. They are people, just people.

Peace,
Amy

Gustav Now a Category 3 Hurricane

And the computer generated storm tracks keep moving it more and more to the west, towards the upper Texas coast. We don't have orders for evacuation, but plans are being put in place in Texas and here, locally, just in case. I don't know what we're going to do. Just sit and wait and watch, I guess.

It figures. Maxx finally gets a weekend off to relax and we have to worry about a hurricane. I don't think the Gods like us much right now! LOL

Seriously, though, this is a scary thing. I don't worry much about tropical storms, but I keep an eye on them. I don't worry a whole lot about a low level hurricane, though it is stressful. But Gustav is a Cat 3 already and it hasn't even hit the Gulf of Mexico, and that water is warm!

There really aren't any evacuation plans set in place for where we live because we are not on the coast. A storm that strong will not lose much strength at all by the time it rolls into us.

So we wait and we worry. We dont' worry so much just for ourselves but also for the other people of the Gulf coast who are in the path. We worry for the people of New Orleans. And I wonder why in the hell we keep rebuilding and living in places of such possible destruction.

This morning I went outside, as I always do in the mornings with my hot cup of coffee, and really looked around. I love my house. I love my yard. I love the neighborhood we live in. I do not want to lose this. But they are only things -- they cannot be replaced, but they are things and not the most important in my life.

Last week I was watching the DNC and interested in hearing what they had to say. I felt inspired -- if somewhat ambivalent -- by Obama and his message of hope and change. Maybe I'm just getting too cynical and feeling too burned out by politicians who are only in it all for themselves. I WANT to believe, I WANT to hope again. I'll wait and watch and listen to them and see what they do. But, in the coming days, life may just get down to survival for a lot of people. forget the politics, forget all that other stuff.

So, we wait and we watch and see what is going to happen early next week. Maybe nothing at all. Maybe something big. This is darn right stressful.

Here is a link to a good blog you might be interesed in: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080829_mh_wal-mart_blog.253cf40c.html

Peace,
Amy

Gustav Update

It just chills me to the bone and scares me.

From www.click2houston.com:

At 7 a.m. CDT Friday, the center of Tropical Storm Gustav was located at 18.3 north, 78.3 west or about 100 miles west of Kingston, Jamaica. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph and was moving west-northwest at about 8 mph.

"Gustav has actually gotten bigger overnight," KPRC Local 2 meteorologist Anthony Yanez said. "We have a well-organized tropical storm. The reason it has not strengthened is because it spent 24 hours basically right on top of Jamaica."

The tropical storm hit Jamaica on Thursday after leaving 67 people dead in Hispaniola. At least 59 people died in Haiti from floods, mudslides and falling trees, including 25 around the city of Jacmel, where Gustav first struck land Tuesday. Eight more people were buried when a cliff gave way in the Dominican Republic.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in Jamaica, but many people lost power Thursday and the streets of Kingston were deserted as heavy winds and rain lashed the capital.

The storm is expected to regain strength and it could become a hurricane again by Friday.

"It is going to move into the Gulf of Mexico it looks like early Sunday morning as a category 3," Yanez said. "It might be a little bit stronger or a little bit weaker depending on how much land it goes over."

Governors in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas pre-declared states of emergency in an attempt to build a foundation for federal assistance. Federal officials said resources and personnel to provide post-storm aid were pouring into the Gulf Coast states from other parts of the country Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center predicted Gustav will make landfall in Louisiana early Tuesday as a category 3.

"The intensity forecasts can sometimes be a little off," Yanez said. "It could be a little stronger or a little bit weaker, but you still have a powerful hurricane making landfall anywhere from that far tip of the Florida panhandle all the way out into southeast Texas, right around Port O'Connor. The really good hurricane models have this either near Mobile, Ala., or New Orleans, three of them do. Two others have it closer to southeast Texas. What the hurricane center is doing on their forecast is kind of splitting the difference."

An evacuation order for New Orleans was likely, Mayor Ray Nagin said, but not before Saturday Meanwhile, residents of areas further south could be told to leave starting Friday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said.

The city planned to use city buses to pick up people unable to leave on their own and ferry them to a staging area where they would be moved to shelters in northern Louisiana.

Mississippi and Louisiana also were beginning preparations to switch interstate lanes so that all traffic would flow north, in the direction an evacuation would follow.

Harris County and Houston officials are preparing in case the models that predict the storm will come into southeast Texas are correct.

The Harris County Office of Emergency Management will be open 24 hours beginning Friday morning. The Houston Fire Department has pulled out its boats in case anyone needs to be rescued.

For continued weather updates, keep an eye on KPRC Local 2 and www.Click2Houston.com.

IVAW Leads the Way

I got this from the IVAW page (Iraq Veterans Against the War)

IVAW members in Denver on Wednesday where they led a march of ten thousand to the Democratic National Convention to deliver a message to Barack Obama calling on the Democratic nominee to endorse the three main goals of IVAW: Immediate withdrawal, full veterans benefits, and reparations for the Iraqi people.

Following a packed show at the Denver Coliseum where Rage Against the Machine and the Flobots encouraged the crowd to join IVAW's march, two squads of 25 IVAW members each formed up outside the venue and began marching to the Pepsi center. The squads were led by members in dress uniforms and combat uniforms, with thousands of supporters marching behind them in support.

When they arrived at the DNC, representatives of IVAW asked to meet with Barack Obama to present their message. After negotiations with the

Former Texas Lt Governor Ben Barnes came out of the convention to accept a letter from the IVAW members. Jeff Key, a former Marine said the IVAW members intended to stay in place until a representative from Obama's campaign came out to talk with them.

"I'm a patient man. I'm not going anywhere,'' Key said.

Key, a former Marine from Salt Lake City, and Liam Madden, a former marine from Boston, were then escorted into the convention where they met with Phil Carter, head of veterans affairs for the Obama campaign. IVAW is now waiting for a formal response to their request address the delegates from the podium.

Lt. Vince Porter of the Denver Police Department said the department coordinated the meeting with the secret service and Obama’s office.

“The police in Denver have been exceptional and very, very supportive,” Key said. “This cannot be an easy job for them either, and they’ve just been incredible.”

Support IVAW
IVAW members are now on their way to Minneapolis for the annual IVAW convention. Many will stay on in Minneapolis for the Republican National Convention. We need your support to help keep the momentum from this event going. Please make a donation to IVAW today.

News Coverage
Police, Protestors In Tense Standoff Denver Post
Thousands Stage Anti-War Protest March AP

Gustav Update

Looks like it'll probably hit anywhere from Texas to Florida, but the paths seem to have it headed to Louisiana early next week. At any rate, we'll do our best to prepare.

In the meantime, gas is going up and all the other things we need to prepare will go up as well, like water and canned goods.

It hasn't escaped the media that Gustav could hit New Orleans as a Category 3 three years after Katrina, and just in time for the RNC.

DNC thoughts

I have to admit it, I have been watching the DNC in Denver on C-SPAN. This year I will be voting for a Democrat and vote for Obama, but this is not news to anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time.

There have been some great speakers and great motivators speaking from that podium in Denver. Some have made me laugh, some have made me cry and some have made me bored.

While I don't trust politicians as a general rule, and as I listen to these politicians say the right things to motivate their delegates to go home and work for them, I have learned something.

I have learned that the during the last four or five years, the message from the podium has changed. That change began at the grassroots level with people from the "fringe" left (like me) who said the war in Iraq was wrong. It began with "crazy leftists" and "tree huggers" warning of global warming and it began with every day Americans slowly waking up to find their paychecks didn't go as far as they used to.

The change began with us, and the politicians are only mimicking, for better or for worse, what we have told them is important to us. They have heard us, the People, and they know what is important to us, what the right things to say are that pull on our hearts and our emotions. The question is, will they follow through and walk the walk instead of just talking the talk?

This week I have heard these men and women saying all the right things about ending the war in Iraq, taking care of our soldiers when they come home, to end our dependence on oil, and about our poor economy and the stress on the average American citizen. What I have not heard, what I want to hear, is what are these politicians going to do to restore our rights that have been quietly taken from us? What are they going to do to restore our Constitution? What are they going to do to keep another President from doing all that Bush and Cheney have done?

We are witnessing a truly extraordinary and historical moment in our country and in our lives. I am very grateful to have had some small part locally to see this happen -- Barack Obama the nominee for the party of the democrats to be President of the United States of America. I think that he really is a success story of the American Dream.

I hope my own children and grandchildren will have the chance and opportunity he has had -- to live the American dream. I hope Barack will have the strength, the courage and the fortitude to right the wrongs.

Peace,
Amy

Gustav

New Orleans could possibly be in the storm's path. Plans are being made for possible evacuation of the city as early as Friday (day after tomorrow).

Let's hope and pray it won't be as bad as Katrina.

Peace,
Amy

Dennis Kucinich at the DNC

My favorite speech of the night!

Tracking Gustav

Keeping an eye on it. This could be a nasty one...

Thoughts about the DNC

Maxx and I watched the speeches from the DNC last night on C-SPAN -- which was wonderful because there were no commercial interruptions and we didn't have to listen to the endless hours of mind-numbing, nonstop talking of the talking heads from the various networks inserting their own spin on things. Hey, what a concept! I got to make up my own mind what I thought as I listened! Refreshing.

Anyway, I found myself really agreeing and saying, yeah, that's what I want, that's what I'm for. The speakers hit on all the topics I care about like healthcare, ending the war, social security, taxes, HOPE.

They said all the right things out there in Denver last night. And they will continue to say all the right things. But what will they actually DO?

I do not trust Nancy Pelosi. I did not listen to her speech because she seems so hypocritical -- as do many of the other politicians.

I was inspired by Senator Kennnedy and Michelle Obama. They made me believe in what is possible, what we, as a nation, once were and what we can be again -- IF (and that's a big IF) we can get the politicians to listen to us and do what is right.

They made me believe, if only for a moment, that HOPE is in the air and the American Dream is possible.

But we have worked hard and are making less money, not more, than we used to.

Our bills have not gone down, it is harder to pay them.

I have health insurance, but I still can't go to the doctor sometimes or get the testing I need because of copays and deductibles.

My daughters and my husband have no health insurance.

End the war in Iraq and prevent future wars that are unnecessary. Take care of our troops both abroad and when they return home. My grandson is three years old now. Our country has been at war his whole life. Now that's a sobering thought. He lost his uncle to the war before he was born and now his step dad is going to war. My grandson's Mom lost her only brother to the war and is now sending her husband in a few very short weeks, as well as her brother-in-law.

Bring our jobs back from overseas. Did it never occur to anyone that if you took away our jobs, eventually we, as a middle class, would break and quit spending money?

Give me more than words, please. Give me more than just hope. Show me what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. Prove to me that you deserve my trust and my vote. I have been disappointed too many times when I put my trust in someone I thought would do the will of the People but did not.

SHOW me, DNC.

The In-Between Time

It happened right when Maxx left for work this morning. It was that in-between time when it's neither night or day, when the light starts to reach my part of the world, but the sun has shown above the horizon...

I stepped outside with my coffee to greet the morning, and in that light, the growing things in my yard seemed so much more green than usual, giving off a luminescent glow, almost.

It was that magickal time, where we stand at a doorway between the worlds, between time. And I gave quiet thanks with a grateful heart that I was allowed, on this morning, to see the beauty around me before my neighborhood fully awakened.

A wise teacher once told me: "All things are perfect in their own time." I'll try to remember that.

Peace,
Amy

Phones In the Fridge From CFC in Denver, Co

In my inbox this morning from Cindy Sheehan, who is in Denver:

Cindy for Congress adamantly believes that the problems in this country (and world) go way deeper than the Republican Party. We believed this before our campaign, and unfortunately, we have been proven correct repeatedly with Dem leadership sanctioning the occupations, torture, destroying our 4th amendment and not upholding the rule of law and Constitution especially since regaining majorities of both Houses of Congress---off the backs of the grass roots movement, that the Party has virtually ignored for the last year and a half, plus.

With the Democratic Party moving farther to the right each day, we believe it is even more imperative to have our voices heard for peace, accountability, fossil fuel independence, environmental stability and economic equality. If We the People don't drag our leaders towards the people and positive change, it won't happen, no matter who is the president, or which party controls Congress. I know I was approached by many activists wearing Obama '08 paraphernalia that are very distressed with the direction their Party is going in, too.

Today, CFC participated in the Recreate '68 rally on the steps of the State Capitol here in Denver---there were awesome speeches, especially by Cynthia McKinney (Green Party Presidential Candidate) and Ron Kovic (disabled Vietnam Vet and subject of Born on the 4th of July). World Can't Wait, ANSWER and other groups participated in the coalition and there were a reported 500-1500 people from all over the country in attendance. I myself am distressed that most organizations in the so-called peace movement refuse to protest here in Denver because they believe that the Democratic leadership is any better than the Repugs.

Something that really bothered me at the rally, also, was when a group of activists surrounded the correspondent from Fox News. Now, mind you, I abhor Fox News, however, I think Fox News is just a little worse than CNN (brought to us by Lockheed Martin and Boeing) and NBC (owned and operated by General Electric). Fox, (like CNN and NBC) is a propaganda ministry of the US imperial-military regime and deserves nothing but contempt and ridicule---that's why I refuse to do national Fox (except when Sean Hannity called my bluff once) and I DON'T WATCH the network. So, we were there protesting our government's suppression of our 1st amendment rights to peaceably gather and express our freedom of speech, and some elements of our side were denying 1st amendment protection to Fox News because they don't agree with their speech---as far as I am concerned that's as bad as what BushCo have been doing for the last 8 years.

The most troubling thing happened, though, when I arrived back to my hotel. We got back early because the altitude and sleeplessness were starting to take a toll on us. We did not march after the rally, so we decided to rest before the next event at 7pm. As I walked toward my room, I noticed that the door was opened with the security bolt blocking the complete closing of the door. I knew immediately that I had not left the door open, and I double checked to make sure it was the right room because, as a frequent traveler, I have been known to forget my room number, but it was the right room.

I was upset at first thinking that housekeeping had made a mistake and left my room open and I was worried that something might be missing. So I walked into my room and bigger than life, there was a man standing by my desk holding the room phone with a screwdriver in his hand!

I immediately said; "What the hell are you doing? Are you putting a bug on my phone?" He looked like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and stammered out: "N--no, we are having problems with the phone." I told him to get out of my room because my phone was fine and I called the front desk and the person at the front desk stammered something out about "problems" with some of the phones.

This room was reserved soon after we got to Denver last night because the room we had was inadequate for 3 people. The room was reserved under my campaign manager's name with a CFC debit card. By the time we left for the march, it could have very well been ascertained that I was the one in this room, and the room we did reserve could be bugged, also. I am confident that that's what was happening when I walked in on the "maintenance" man and I am becoming more shocked every day with what the ruling class are capable of....that's why...

My phones are in the room fridge. Let them listen to refridgerator noise.

CFC is feeling a little shaky on the security front, because there is no way to reasonably expect privacy from a Party and a government that has discarded our 4th amendment rights to be secure in our persons and papers...in other words, our safety and our campaign can be compromised by a government that exists to protect our rights, not abuse them at will.

OUTRAGEOUS!!!

Fear

How much do we let our lives and the decisions we make be guided and/or influenced by fear? What do we fear? How can we get a good, strong grasp on that fear and learn to not let it control us?

When I was much younger than I am today, in my teenage years, I really feared driving a car. I took the driver's ed classes and everything at school and passed -- though not with as high marks as my father would have liked. And because I didn't make good enough grades in school I was not allowed to get my drivers licence and drive (I really wasn't a bad student, just not quite good enough).

For years my friends made fun of me because I couldn't drive. It really didn't bother me much at first because I could walk most places I wanted to go and I lived in places where there was bus transportion to get me where I needed to be.

After high school I got married and a year after had my first child, another the year after that and four years later, my third child. I really needed to be able to drive. But by this time, my fear of driving had grown into an irrational entity of its own. Every time I felt like I was ready to get behind the wheel, I would have a dream that I would kill my kids in an accident while I was driving. During those nights, I would wake in a sweat and have to check on my sleeping children to calm my racing heart.

Then, one day, I faced my fear head on. The company I worked for had built a new building across from the DMV in Seattle. One day, just on impulse, I walked over to that building on my lunch hour and took the written test, just for the heck of it. And I passed with flying colors. I walked back into work that afternoon with my first ever driver's permit! I was 25 years old.

The next hurdle was a little bit harder to do, but I had to get behind that wheel and start "practicing". In a big city like Seattle, that was an overwhelming task. Even though we lived in the suburbs north of Seattle, in a little town called Lynnwood, there was still a lot of traffic all the time. But, my husband climbed into the passenger seat after loading the kids in their seats in the back seat, and we went driving in the local parking lots and side streets until I could get a handle on my driving. My hands shook and I was near hysteria, my fear level was so high. But I did it. Eventually, i was able to move out into traffic and on to the freeways (which I found I liked very much).

Well, I conquered my fear of driving and killing my children. They all survived intact -- though I seriously doubt they remember any of it.

How does one go about conquering a fear that incapacitates them? For me, I have learned that I just have to face it head on. Rarely has what I feared been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I am, by nature, a very shy and quiet, contemplate creature who would rather sit on the back row in the shadows and watch than to participate. For most of my life I have tried to be "invisible". Contact with other people outside my family that I do not know well scares me half to death sometimes. So, who would have thought the person I just described was also the person who spoke at an event hosted by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee in Houston a couple of years down and brought the house down with her speech? (I actually got a standing ovation)

I never could have dreamed I would able to march on the frontlines of a protest against the war and have my face plastered all over the cable news shows with Cindy Sheehan three years ago, but I did it.

My point in all of this today is that all of us are controlled by our fears, rational or irrational, in some way. As we decide who our favorite candidate for whatever seat he/she is running for, our fears play into that decision and, sometimes, these candidates will take our fear and mutate it, distort it, make it into a bigger monster than it is, and use it against us to win.

Take John McCain. He knows we fear two things: 1. Terrorists and; 2. Black men.

If you don't think John McCain isn't going to use those fears to his greatest advantage, think again. He is a politician and he has lots of people on his payroll who are paid to distort the truth and prey on you mentally and emotionally. He has told us, if not directly, then through his swiftboating buddies, that because Obama is a black man, he must be Muslim and, therefore, he must be a terrorist and unpatriotic. Okay, maybe that's a big simplistic. But you get the picture. I have received more emails than I can count attacking Obama because he doesn't wear his flag pin on his lapel, because he didn't put his hand over his heart, because he took the flag off his plane when having it refurbished. Never mind that McCain doesn't have the flag displayed any more proudly than Obama does.

Our politicians use our base fears for safety, security and the lack thereof to manipulate us. The media is their companion in this. It is up to us to face our fears head on and learn the truth about everything for ourselves from various sources, because truth is out there, and it is the truth that will unlock your fear and set you free.

It's uncomfortable, sometimes, But a whole lot better than living with that fear that just keeps getting bigger and bigger and eats you alive. When you move away from that fear, whatever it is,it cannot control you.

Just think about it.

Peace,
Amy

Who'll Stop the Rain?

It's mid August in Houston, which is usually the time we experience a whole lot of nothing but heat. But, it's raining and the temperatures have been relatively mild. If you don't mind getting a little bit wet, it's not too bad outside!

The rainy, overcast skies make me sleepy most of the time. I am a creature of light, I need the sunshine on a regular basis. In the summer I keep my curtains closed to keep the heat out of my house, which drives me crazy, but I can at least step outside and get some sunshine when I need it.

I'm not complaining! We needed the rain around here.

Yesterday I took a walk around my yard in the knee-high grass (it's been to wet and rainy to mow the yard for a week or so) and found the ground to be completely saturated, even after a few hours of no rain. One of my bushes had upended itself and had to be staked back in place. On the upside, my gardens are loving all the rain and the plants are blooming like crazy! The hummingbirds have returned on their annual migration and are visiting my feeder all day long, which is fun to watch. The bees are visiting the feeder as well, and the hummingbirds seemingly spend all day chasing the bees away so they can feed.

I find a simple joy in these things as I take my morning ritual outside to drink my first cup of coffee and just sit back, watch and listen to the morning sounds and sights. The birds singing and the squirrels chasing each other, neighbors coming and going, the traffic down the street, the sound of the garbage truck (I missed taking my trash out this morning), a dog barking somewhere. These are the sounds of my morning.

Where does one find peace and joy in this crazy world? Is it something that comes from outside or from the inside? I think both contribute to how we feel overall.

Yesterday I had an unexpected, rare treat -- a day off with Maxx. Due to Tropical Storm Fay, the facility I work for in Florida was closed for a day and a half (but reopened this morning). Maxx had the day off, too. So we just kinda bundled up on the couch and spent the day together watching a couple of boring movies we picked up at the video store. It was a good day.

May you find your peace,
Amy

PCOS

After having to dole out my diabetes meds for over a week because I didn't have the money for a visit to the doctor, I was finally able to go this morning. My refills ran out and the doctor wouldn't renew it until I went in for a check up. Okay, I understand this. The bad part was, because I had to wait for a pay day, I couldn't go to the doctor, even though I DO have insurance.

I'll be picking up my new prescription later today. Woo hoo!

While reading through an online forum a couple of weeks ago, I heard about something called polycystic ovarian syndrome (or disease). The person who was talking about it described her symptoms, which are nearly exactly the same as mine. So I talked to the doctor about that today. She says it's likely that I do have PCOS. But there are no definitive tests to say that I do or I don't. It takes a thorough medical examination and history to make a diagnosis. There are no medications to treat PCOS, you can only treat the symptoms as they arise, exercise, diet and all that other good stuff.

Symptoms:infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes—a condition called hirsutism (HER-suh-tiz-um)
ovarian cysts
acne, oily skin, or dandruff
weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
high cholesterol
high blood pressure
male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
pelvic pain
anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
sleep apnea—excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep
(source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm)

It seems I cannot loose weight no matter what I try. A few pounds will come off, then they all come back on almost overnight even though I have not changed a thing. I can diet and starve myself, but I keep gaining weight. This truly is frustrating. Now I am on a mission to figure out how to unlock this problem I have, I know that losing weight will be good for me in the long run, eating healthier and exercising will also help. This is only the beginning.

If you have any suggestions or have experience with this, please drop me a note and let me know!

Peace,
Amy

What you WON'T see on MSM news

Hey, folks. Do you still have faith in our election system? Many of us across the country believe that the last two elections were stolen and there are several groups trying to get Diebold (the company that makes our electronic voting booths) to come clean and let election officials look at their code. But they won't do it. Anyway, take a look at Velvet Revolution's series about stolen elections at http://www.velvetrevolution.us/. Of special interest is this: "GOP Cyber Sleuth Accuses GOP Of Stealing Elections"

From the Los Angeles Times: " Arab World Sees Bush's Response to Georgia-Russia Crisis as Hypocritical" http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-fg-react17-2008aug17,0,2570812.story?track=ntothtml. Well, duh! I seriously doubt our little frat boy George had a real clue as to what he was saying when he made the statement: "bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century." What a frigging dumbass!

When the various political parties converge in the next few weeks for their party conventions and to validate their Presidential candidates, there will also be hundreds of thousands of protesters on hand. Denver will play host to the DNC and has plans for these protesters, as you can see for yourself at http://cbs4denver.com/denver2008/denver.protesters.arrested.2.793930.html. Be sure to watch the video clip, which I personally found chilling.

Okay, okay, I understand that there are fanatics in every group that screw things up for the rest of the group, but seriously, folks. This is insane. For years the Bush administration has allowed local police and other law enforcement to create "free speech zones" (and I've been in a few of them) that are placed far away from the place where the intended "targets" of our protests would be. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? And, if dissent is part of democracy, shouldn't the people who NEED to hear us, hear us?

So, I've given you some food for thought this Sunday morning. Please, take the time to explore what I have posted here and learn for yourself. For the most part, our media cannot be trusted to tell you the truth anymore. We are not the America we used to be...

In peace,
Amy

In Memory of Al Zappala

Al Zappala died today after a long illness. I didn't know him well at all. But I met him once, in Crawford three years ago. He had this "quiet giant" kind of energy to me. Al didn't talk much when I met him, but when he did, I wanted to hear what he had to say. We sat together, side by side, in a crowd of people under the hot August Texas sun and didn't say much. His presence was a comfort to me.

Al was part of Gold Star Families Speak Out, the father of a soldier who died in Iraq and who thought the war was wrong. He was one of the first of us to speak out against the war and continued to do so for as long as he could.

To the Zappala family who has already lost so much, I send my love and my sympathy.

And to Al, Godspeed my friend and brother... may you find peace...

Amy

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please think to donate to one of the causes Al worked so hard for.

Military Families Speak Out
PO Box 300549
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
http://mfso.org/article.php?list=type&type=3


Veteran's for Peace
216 S. Meramec Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/join_donate.vp.html

The Pickens Plan

Well, folks, I bought into it, too. Don't feel alone, you are not the only one. But I DID have this nagging doubt in the back of my head -- wondering where, all of a sudden and out of no where, this incredibly rich oil barron, got his sense of philanthropy all of a sudden. Really, there had to be something in it for him. However, I am just naïve enough to give him the benefit of the doubt... Until now. Don't ever trust a rich man to do something good for you or the world -- he's looking for another way to get richer.
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Pelosi, Pickens plan to pick your pocket
House Speaker, billionaire behind 'going green' racket

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=72225

TV commercials touting a new clean energy strategy and an environmental ballot measure in California have one thing in common: If they succeed, they'll make investors – from "big oil" to the U.S. Capitol – a lot of money.

The ads champion Texas oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens' "Pickens Plan" to move the U.S. from foreign oil dependence to domestically produced wind power and natural gas fuel for automobiles. The plan is touted as a cleaner, more eco-friendly alternative to our current reliance on coal power and gasoline.

The ballot initiative is California's Proposition 10, known as the California Renewable Energy and Clean Alternative Fuel Act, which would spend $5 billion in California bond money – $10 billion by the time the interest is paid, according to the L.A. Times – to promote natural gas as an cleaner alternative for automobile and truck fuel.

Not surprisingly, the nation's largest provider of natural gas for transportation, Clean Energy Fuels Corporation, or CLNE, has a great deal to gain from the adoption of Pickens' fuel strategy and the passage of Proposition 10. In fact, according to the California Secretary of State website, CLNE has contributed $3,247,250 to supporting Proposition 10's passage.

CLNE, however, was formerly known as Pickens Fuel after its primary investor, T. Boone Pickens.

While Pickens touts a plan in the name of environmentalism that will also line his company's pockets, a #dontgo investigation has revealed that another environmental champion and backer of Proposition 10 has also invested in CLNE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

According to the investigation, Pelosi purchased $50,000-$100,000 in CLNE stock on May 25, 2007, apparently on its initial public offering.

Now the House speaker stands to make a large profit on her reported 22,000 shares of CLNE if she and other public figures can persuade the people of California to vote for Proposition 10 in the name of renewable energy and clean, alternative fuels.

In an L.A. Times editorial, Anthony Rubenstein was highly critical of Proposition 10, calling the measure billed as environmental altruism a "raid on California's general fund" to support "Pickens' self-serving national gas agenda."

"The initiative deceptively reads like it's supporting all alternative-fuel vehicles and renewable energy sources," Rubenstein wrote. "But a closer read finds a laundry list of cash grabs. … Much of the measure's billions could benefit Pickens' company to the exclusion of almost all other clean-vehicle fuels and technology."

Rubenstein also noted that Proposition 10 charges environmentally conscious Californians with the bill for an initiative that may not benefit California at all.

"Even worse, private trucking and delivery companies could buy 5,000 natural gas trucks, collect California taxpayer-funded rebates of $200 million or more and immediately send those fleets out of state," he wrote. "It's like asking California voters to finance a new bridge with taxpayer dollars, without mentioning that the bridge could be in Ohio."

As WND reported, Pickens touting of wind power is also tainted by his opportunity to profit. The Economist reports Pickens' oil company, Mesa Oil, has invested $2 billion to build the world's largest wind farm in Pampa, Texas.

If the "Pickens Plan" calling for more wind power and natural gas fuel is implemented, it will further the billionaire's other ventures as well, including a major land and water investment in the Texas panhandle that would essentially enable Pickens' companies to control a water pipeline the way petroleum companies control oil supplies.

The venture, according to the Terrell Tribune, includes forming a fresh water district in Texas' western panhandle and spending over $100 million to acquire rights-of-way through as many as 12 counties to ship the water to water-needy Texas cities. Part of selling the plan to investors and thirsty municipalites, some of whom have balked at the idea of private water control, is coupling the water pipeline with power lines from Mesa Oil's massive wind farm.

"It is hard to tell if the water scheme is the device being used to seize the land or if the wind turbine scheme is the means by which he will fund the water scheme," wrote William R. Collier Jr. in the #dontgo investigation that uncovered the link between Pickens and Pelosi.

Collier further speculated Pelosi's investment partnership with Pickens will profit them both.

"No matter what the case may be, Nancy Pelosi will personally profit from whatever [Pickens] does as an investor."

Collier points out Pelosi is one of the richest members of Congress and that her wealth comes primarily from investments, real estate and "now, of course, stocks in CLNE."

Likewise, Collier pointed to potential benefits for Pickens to have Pelosi's support, not only for the legislation CLNE wants passed, but also for her help with touting his "Pickens Plan."

"While the stock was initially offered at $14 and is now valued below that amount, the low of $10 in early July of this year is bouncing back," wrote Collier, "especially in light of ads by Pickens and growing consensus that the Pickens plan will gain support, especially if Pelosi is firmly behind it."

Negativity begets? Negativity?

Boy, it's been a day. It started out this morning bright and early with nature calling me urgently from my bed before the sun even came up. My dear husband had to be at work bright and early once again this morning, so I stayed up with him and even got to enjoy a little bit of coffee with him before he left.

He's been depressed of late, and who wouldn't be with the turn of events his life has taken him? But, I told him, maybe you need to look at where you are and learn to be grateful for the things you do have instead of so angry and depressed about what you don't have!

Later, I had a conversation with a friend. We talked about the turmoil in my own life and how frustrated I get sometimes and she gave me essentially the same advice I gave my sweetheart this morning. Try to be grateful for what you have, the good things you have in your life. The conversation turned to kids and we talked about our kids who keep going through great turmoil in their lives, much of it self-made, and how we, as mothers feel guilty because we stayed in bad marriages for way too long. It's that age-old Mama Guilt thing. We want to be there for our kids and feel we should be because we are, somehow, responsible in some way for them being messed up. Yet, we are torn because we raised our kids the best we could and now that they are adults, want to explore our own lives and discover who we are.

I have been very depressed lately and haven't been able to see much to be happy about. We are living on 50% less than we used to, but expenses have not gone down. I am overweight and cannot seem to get it off no matter how hard I try. I'll be running out of my meds in a couple of days, but can't get to the doctor for a refill because I won't have the money until Friday. My husband doesn't have insurance because it costs too much.

Maxx is in a constant state of crisis and depression. There are days when the smallest things send him into a tailspin. My daughters are living on the edge even more so than we are and one has pending felony charges against her for a stupid, thoughtless act that was completely out of character for her. The other is struggling every day as well.

Some days I feel like the sky is falling and I am breaking...

But, there are good things in my life.

Like my house. I love my home and its paid for. I have some nice gardens that I love to work in and they attract all kinds of wild life. Just sitting outside on the patio is my "happy place" where I can watch the butterflies, birds, dragonflies, squirrels and other various and sundry critters makes me feel pretty grounded most of the time.

I do have a good marriage, despite its ups and downs. Maxx is good to me and treats me very well. yeah, I get irritated with him, as he does with me. But that's the way of relationships sometimes.

I have two amazing daughters who work hard and try hard and even take my advice. My grandson is the light of my life.

I have two cats who provide endless hours of entertainment, especially Puck, the younger one. He got to wander out in the backyard for the first time today and Raven acted like a mother hen with him. It was pretty cool.

We have friends we get together with from time to time, but not often enough because money is so tight.

I have a job that seems to be steady and Maxx has a job. Neither is paying what we would like them to, but a job is better than no job these days!

These days I am rediscovering my spirituality and following the path my heart leads me on. I am reminded on a near daily basis, of the holy and divine in and around me. I wonder, what is God, really? I'm not sure he/she is a being but, maybe, the essence of our own selves. Definitely worth looking into and exploring further.

I love history and archeology. I've decided I want to be an archeologist when I grow up, but more likely it will have to wait until my next life!

I'm not giving up on my quest for making a difference, somehow, in this world. I know I have in some small way already, but I will continue to work to hold our leaders accountable for their actions. I feel this is my "calling" and will later share that publically.

In peace,
Amy

China and the Olympics

Okay, I admit it, I have watched some of the Olympic games going on in China.

However, I did not watch the opening ceremonies, mostly out of a sense of protest. I think the athletes of the world deserve their moment in the spotlight. But I did not watch the opening ceremonies Friday night because I was protesting China, the country and its government and the way it treats human beings.

As I have watched the games and listened to the commentary about the progress China is making, how the people are growing more prosperous, I have felt sick to my stomach. Don't get me wrong, I think the Chinese people deserve to live a better life. But, I have watched my own country suffer because of the growing prosperity in China. Our manufacturing jobs have gone overseas -- much of it to China. You can't go to the store anymore and find something that was not made in China. Almost everything we buy these days comes from that country.

But very little is made in the USA anymore. We are a consumer-driven society and do not make our own products. Our jobs are going away. Did anyone ever stop to think that if our manufacturing jobs went away, our incomes went down, we would not be able to buy anything?

We are borrowing tons and tons of money from China to fund our country. What happens when the bill comes due and we can't pay?

Then there's little Georgy-Boy, out watching all the sporting events and telling Bob Costas in an interview Sunday night: "I don't see America having problems"... Just what cave has this man been living in for the past seven years? It's seriously annoying to see this man go to China to watch the Olympics while there are people dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and, in our own country, more and more people starve every day. If we could have taken the money it cost to send the Bush family to China (I doubt they paid for a penny of it themselves -- who did?) and spent it to help feed the hungry or fund healthcare, it would have been money better spent.

Meanwhile, Little Georgy-Boy is cavorting around China acting like the ignorant frat boy he is. How embarassing was it to watch him patting that scantily clothed volleyball player on the back while she bent over and gave him a nice view of her ass?

Some days, well most days lately, I am angry and bitter. I don't like that feeling at all. However, my own husband can't get a job in his profession despite being one of the top artists in the city. After six months of unemployment, he finally got a job making less than half what he used to make and he still does not have health insurance. I'm making about half what I made six months ago as well. Our income went down drastically but our expenses did not. How much more can we cut back? We don't go anywhere much anymore, rarely get a day off together and haven't had a vacation of any kind for two years. I have had to put off going to a doctor to get a refill on my meds because, while I have health insurance I do not have the money for the copay or the meds at the moment. If I put my husband on my insurance it will cost $600 a month!!

In any event, I hope the world will forgive me for feeling a bit down on my luck, for not watching the Olympics anymore because, quite honestly, there are more important things going on in the world. I'm doing the best I can in my corner of earth, but can't quite find it within myself to cheer for false heros. Give me a REAL hero that will help bring about the change we need in this country, and then I will cheer.

Peace,
Amy

John Edwards Had an Affair

OMG! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

Seriously, why do we really care about this? John Edwards is a human being and being human, caved in to what so many millions of human beings have done. What's the big deal?

The ONLY people who should be concerned about this are the people his indiscrimination affects: his wife and possibly his children. John Edwards affair does not have anything whatsoever to do with anything happening in my life or, most likely, in yours. John Edwards actions are hers to forgive, not ours.

John Edwards is not the nominee for President. So he lied about his affair while campaigning for President. How many other politicians have lied about their indiscretions and later been caught?

Let's get back to the important things that really do matter and that make a difference to all of us... namely, healthcare (or lack of), ending the war, poverty in America (yes, it does exist. Ask my daughters), taxes, impeaching the President, etc. This is most definitely NOT news...

Peace,
Amy

Sunday news

Mark and Jaime got married Thursday afternoon at the Justice of the Peace. They're still planning to have their ceremony in September as well. The two of them were so cute and looked so happy! Mark really looked like a happy man and Jaime was glowing. I'm really happy for the two of them, I think they are a good match. Mark is headed back to the base today and I know it's hard for the two of them.

Jaime's Grandma fell and broke her hip the other day. She wanted to come to Jaime's wedding in September, but apparently was told she wasn't healthy enough. So she decided to go for a walk and get in shape, and that's when she fell. At least that's the very short version I got Thursday after the wedding. Lillian was my mother-in-law for 20 years, and even though I am divorced from her son, I never stopped caring about her or her family. So I was saddened to hear her health has declined so much.

But, this incident got me to thinking about something... Is there a way we can telecast the wedding ceremony in September so Lillian can see and hear it in real time, along with other family members who cannot come for the wedding? There's got to be a way, something like a teleconference or something... Ken, Renee, if you're reading this, any ideas?

Maxx and I took Aiden for the night Thursday. I had a blast with him. He sure was cute! Puck, the cat, took to Aiden right away and they played like best buddies, which is highly unusual for a cat! Maxx aired up the wading pool so Aiden could play in it Thursday night, and we hung around outside until the mosquitos started getting to us.

I finished the quilts I've been working on this week and have plans for more with even more patterns and designs. I'm really enjoying work with the fabric and figuring out what I can do with it. Will post pictures soon, but not until after the quilts are given as gifts. Maxx has his Flame quilt and Aiden will be getting his in a couple of weeks.

PEACE MOM PUTS PEACE ON THE BALLOT, OFFICIALLY.

Cindy Sheehan qualifies as an Independent Congressional Candidate for the November 2008 Elections.

(San Francisco) --A year to the date exactly after formally announcing her intention to challenge Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi for her seat in California's 8th district, Cindy Sheehan is officially on the ballot as a "Decline to State" candidate.

In order to qualify as an "Decline to State" candidate Sheehan was required to submit 10,198 signatures from registered voters in the district by August 8th, 2008; Sheehan's campaign collected close the double the amount of signatures needed and qualified before the deadline.

"Getting on the ballot is just the first victory for our campaign," says Sheehan

"I am even more convinced now than I was a year ago that the people of San Francisco are ready to lead the way to step outside of the dated two-party system and elect someone who truly represents San Francisco values, not party loyalties and criminal activities."

"In a recent interview Nancy Pelosi admitted she couldn't even name a crime that the Bush administration has committed, by the end of this campaign she'll be well versed in all of them, even the ones she's complicit in."

Cindy Sheehan is the sixth person in the state history of California to qualify as a "Decline to State" candidate.

More information about Sheehan's campaign is available at www.cindyforcongress.org.


Cindy Sheehan lives in San Francisco and is running for Congress in California's 8th District. Her oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq in April of 2004. She rose to international fame as a peace activist in August of 2005 after camping out in front of President Bush's vacation home asking him to meet with her and explain what noble cause her son died for.

New Stuff in My Yard

Mushrooms and crystal


Reminds me of something???


In the pot.


Crepe myrtle web. The spiders have completely encased this old crepe myrtle wood that we dug out of the ground earlier this year. Amazing!


Closer up of the crepe myrtle web.

I found this cool stuff in my yard this week while I was going walk about, checking on my plants after the storms. Nature is pretty amazing!

Peace,
Amy

Peasants on the March to King George

I wrote this in August, 2005 right after coming home from Crawford on my first trip... That was three years ago today!
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This morning I sit at my keyboard in awe of the events of this past weekend. Cindy Sheehan's trip to Crawford to talk to President Bush started out as just a small idea Wednesday evening. None of us thought for even a minute that it would snowball into the media and historic event that it has now become. Cindy, Dede and I thought the journey would be made by the three of us and maybe some veterans from the Veterans for Peace convention we were attending.

Saturday morning we boarded the VFP Impeach Bush bus, along with a platoon of vets sent by VFP to go with us. A caravan of cars followed behind, filled with vets and others who had come to support us. The vets on that bus are some of the most inspiring, honorable and heroic men I have ever met. They inspired me and helped to heal my broken heart. These are people I had to explain nothing to because they know how I feel. They've been there. They've buried their buddies and seen the worst of humanity. I will forever have a warm spot in my heart for them.

When we arrived at the Peace House in Crawford we were so happy to see even more supporters waiting for us! People from Code Pink came out in droves, people who had heard about what we were about to do on the radio came to support us. The media, the mainstream media that hardly reports on these things, came to see us, to see Cindy. When I stepped off that bus, I was in tears, so grateful for the support from so many strangers.

I want to extend a special thanks to Crawford House and the wonderful people who run it. They are amazing people who give freely of their time and their lives. They are supporting Cindy's vigil and giving her a safe place to be if and when she needs it.

The local Sheriff of Crawford escorted us to the location for our demonstration. The events have been reported throughout the world, so all of you know what happened. They made us walk in the bar ditch in knee high weeds full of bugs, fire ants (really nasty little things) and possibly snakes. The walking was hard. The sun beat down on us in the 100 degree Texas heat in the middle of the day. Conditions were miserable. But we pushed on. Cindy, Dede and I were in the front, leading our supporters. I don't know for sure how far we walked, and I've heard various reports from a half a mile to a mile.

I couldn't help but feel we were the peasants going to the castle to ask for an audience with King George, only to be stopped and told the King wouldn't see us.

So, we protested. We shouted. I met a mother who had come to support us whose son is in Iraq. We hugged and I told her I hope he comes home safe and whole. We cried together. While I was sitting on the ground with ants biting my legs giving an interview, sweat rolling down my face, loving hands rolled the sleeves of my T-shirt up, telling me I'd be more comfortable that way. I do not know who this angel was, but bless her!!

After the protests, the interviews, the threats of arrest because we dared to step foot on the road (where the media was en masse, I might add), people headed back down that road for water, for comfort. Cindy, Dede and several others settled in, sitting on the side of the road in the bar ditch, determined to hold vigil where they were. I headed back to my car (a friend drove it there for me) for chairs, umbrellas for shade and water to take back. After walking all that time, after being out in the heat all that time, the Sheriff would not let us cross back over their imaginary line in the road to take water to our friends. They waited until we crossed their line before we were informed of this. Many of us were outraged. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of Dede and tell her what was going on via cell phone.

Eventually Cindy, Dede and the rest of the bunch with them pulled back to the position they are in now. At least they have some shade where they are, but it is not a comfortable place to be. We set up camp with the help of some very determined volunteers who are passionate about peace and ending the war. Many of them are nameless to me, but I remember their faces and I love them for what they did.

We could not be on the road that no one travels. In the time I was there, over 24 hours, only one vehicle drove down that little strip of road, and I think only to harass us. But he didn't stop. We had to set up camp in the bar ditch (again). There is a strip of land, triangular shaped, that would be a good place to hold vigil right in front of the camp, owned by the county I believe, but we could not use it. Someone set a tent up for Cindy's use in the bar ditch, but the Secret Service told her they could not guarantee her safety if she slept there. The tent was moved to another location.

I was with Cindy when the “high level aides” came out to speak with her. I remember sitting in a chair in the ditch and seeing the SUV's drive up and park. I watched the Secret Service men get out of the vehicles and form a perimeter around us. Then Stephen Hadley and Joe Hagin walked up to us. I didn't recognize them at first, but once we shook hands and they introduced themselves, I knew who they were. The men were very cordial and respectful. They listened to Cindy. They listened to me and they listened to Dede. They said they would convey Cindy's message to the President. Again, this has been reported on extensively and mostly accurately. I would say the meeting didn't last 45 minutes, but rather 25-30 minutes.

Saturday night we camped out in our cars, in tents, in chairs, on the ground. Wherever we could fall asleep, we slept. I think that when I went to bed there were about 5-6 people with us. We watched as Secret Service vehicles drove by going 50 mph all night long. Some other traffic came by, locals probably. We always knew the locals from the Secret Service because the locals slowed down when they went past us.

We heard, via our cell phones, reports of bloggers keeping the pressure on the media and politicians. They blogged for us and about us all night long. We heard reports of candle light vigils, people lighting candles in their windows and on their front porches across the country. We felt the love, the energy and the prayers sent our way. It was comforting out there under the big star-filled Texas night, in the middle of nowhere, knowing that people around the world cared about us, watched us the best they could. None of us felt alone.

Sunday morning around 6:00 a.m. I was awakened by the sound of a siren set off by a police officer driving by. I think it was meant to intimidate us or scare us, done by an officer being a smart ass or something.

Around 7:00 a couple of angels arrived from Dallas with coffee and food for us. While I was there during the day, the media kept coming and going, taping everything we did, interviewing Cindy and doing what reporters do. We heard from people from all over the world, telling us to keep up the good work, they support our cause, they support Cindy. All morning long people came to say hello, to sit a spell and talk because they heard about us on TV and on the radio. They wanted to be a part of what we were doing, to support Cindy in her quest.

Unfortunately, I had to leave Sunday afternoon and I didn't want to. I'm going back to Crawford to sit vigil with Cindy, Diane, and the rest of the members of Gold Star Families for Peace who plan to make the trek as soon as I can.

Thank you America and the world for your support. We want to end this war. We want to bring our soldiers home. We do not want even one more soldier to die or one more family to mourn their loss. Our soldiers are honorable and good people who deserve our support. Now, let's bring them home!

And, thank you my fellow Texans who came out to support Cindy in her journey. Let's keep the pressure going so Cindy can get her meeting with King George.

Tropical Storm Update -- and other stuff

Well, we "survived" the storm and its gone now. It just rained most of the day and we had some wind, but nothing worse than a summer rain storm. The best part was that the temperatures in Houston were in the 80's for the day and it was quite comfortable!

I think quite a lot of people used the day just to take a free day off, stay home and relax. There weren't many cars on the road. One friend said she had the local news on all day long, hour after hour, and finally shut it off when a reporter held up a palm frond and started to talk about "tree damage". What tree damage? The already dead limbs that came down out of the trees because they were too heavy with the water? That's about all we had around here.

Around here people get pretty worked up about tropical storms and hurricanes headed our way. We just missed Katrina that devastated New Orleans. We survived Rita, even with all the horrific traffic jams and then she came ashore East of Houston and most of us saw nothing more than a moderate/mild summer storm. People freak out, though, when they hear than one of these storms are coming our way. Rightfully so, I guess, because they can be terrifying and cause terrible damage to people and property.

Seriously, though, we are becoming a culture that lives with fear and is driven by our fears.

We watch scary movies in droves. We listen to the news and let the media and government scare the bejezuz out of us.

We are afraid of terrorists -- so much so that we have become irrational. I saw an email the other day that is circulating the internet talking about how Obama took the American Flag off his airplane. The email went on to say we should distrust this guy because he does have not have a flag on his plane. Does this make him a terrorist? Some people accused Obama and his wife of being some kind of terrorist because they did a fist bump! The senders of the email did not bother to find out the truth about the flag being removed from the plane, which is that the plane was not his. The flag on the plane was a corporate logo. When the plane was being refurbished by the Obama campaign, the logo had to go. But there is a flag on the fuselage next to the identifying numbers for the plane, if anyone would care to look.

And, for the record, John McCain does not display the American flag loud and proud on his plane, either! But that's okay, I guess, because he is white and therefore cannot be a terrorist.

Every day in America we live in fear of the worst possible scenario happening to us, but we disregard the very real dangers we live with. We buy insurance for our homes and our cars, but we cannot afford insurance for our health. We worry about the cost of gas but do nothing to find alternative sources of energy and fuel. We worry about global warming and its effects, which are clearly dire to humankind, but collectively, we are not doing anything to change our daily habits. Let's try recycling, cutting down on our driving, turn your AC up and heat down.

We are not proactive. Rather, we are reactive. It's a shame, really. As our nation is tumbling into the pits of who knows what and where, we are crying in our beer and doing nothing. What happened to us? We used to be the most innovative nation in the world and we could solve problems with our creativity. Where did that go?

I've rambled long enough. Time to get some work done!

Peace,
Amy

Chiropractic Services for Vets

Do you happen to know any veterans who were injured while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan? If so, the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) would like you to help get a message to them: They can receive chiropractic services free of charge.

This past June, the ICA asked its members to provide free treatments for injured Iraq/Afghanistan vets. As of the end of July, more than 70 U.S. chiropractors had volunteered.

In some cases, the treatments offered go beyond chiropractic services. One Texas chiropractor has teamed up with an acupuncturist who specializes in treating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as sleeplessness and anxiety.

But many chiropractors have been frustrated in getting the word out about their veteran program. When they've tried to contact vets through military healthcare channels, they've run into plenty of red tape, encountering barriers where they'd hoped to find open doors.

So this is where you can help. If you know an injured vet, tell them they can find a participating chiropractor by going to the ICA website (chiropractic.org). The site has a special search feature they can use to access a pair of generous helping hands, trained to help them overcome post-battle challenges.

Storm Update

It was a quiet night at our house. We were able to get a full night's sleep. No rain, no wind. I woke up early this morning to see Maxx off to work, he got called in early to help deal with the customers at the store who tend to get quite frantic and panicked when they hear a tropical storm or hurricane is on its way. It's 6:45 a.m. now and still quiet.

I turned on the local news to get the latest updates on the storm. Yesterday it was expected that Edouard could become a Category I hurricane, but it didn't. It looks as though the center is coming ashore about now near the Texas/Louisiana border. The projected inland path has the storm passing to the north of us a few miles, but we should be okay.

A couple of big bands of the storm are headed in our direction. I live in far NW Harris County, almost in Montgomery County, where they are predicting 2.5-3 inches of rain today and possibly gusty high winds but that's probably the worst of it for us. Further to the north will be more rain. We really need the rain, especially to the north of us where wells are running dry.

Anyway, I'm a happy camper. While not quite panicked, I was feeling a big stressed at the thought of a hurricane. I remember all too well Hurricane Rita and, in the end even though we got little more than a summer storm from her, all the hype beforehand, all the preparation, and then having to decide to stay home because of the horrendous traffic jams was very stressful. Then there was Tropical Storm Allison way back in 2001 or 2002 that dumped so much rain on Houston that we the worst flooding I had ever seen in my life up to that point.

Tropical Storm Eduoardo

Well, it's most likely headed toward Houston, possibly coming ashore around Galveston and, the computer projections say, most likely swing south of Houston and to the West once it comes ashore. Of course, there's always that "cone of uncertainty" that shows the storm possibly making landfall south of Galveston or to the east.

Either way, Eduoardo will be coming ashore sometime early tomorrow morning. It could become a Category I hurricane just before coming ashore, which would not be good!

We're prepared, or at least as prepared as you can be. Not expecting a whole lot from it other than plenty of rain, possibly some wind since we're inland about 70 miles or so. Still, it could get ugly.

I'll get blogging as I can and uptake from time to time. If you are family and read this, if the electricity goes out and/or the internet, I'll let my stepdad know how we're doing and you can contact him.

We had a really nasty storm come through late yesterday afternoon. It dumped quite a bit of rain (we needed it) that was coming down sideways. The thunder and lightening were coming at the same time. It was pretty scary there for a little while and even my cats were running for cover! Unfortunately, I'm too big to hide under the bed with them, but it would have been nice! LOL

CRAWFORD, TEXAS, AUGUST 2005

from left to right: Dede Miller, Cindy Sheehan, Amy Branham in front of VFP Impeach Bush bus, August 2005

By Amy Branham

For me, it began with a phone call from Cindy. We had planned to meet at the annual Veterans For Peace Convention to be held in Dallas, Texas where Cindy was to be one of the keynote speakers.

“I heard today that George Bush said our kids died for a noble cause. Why don’t we just go down to Crawford and ask him, What Noble Cause?” Cindy said when I answered the phone.

I thought she was crazy, at first. Texas is a big place, and you don’t just decide to get in your car and drive 120 miles in August! But I didn’t hesitate and said “I’ll be there!”

Cindy and I had been online friends for a few months. We had met through Gold Star Families for Peace online and had corresponded a few times, talked on the phone a couple of times. I had joined this group about a year after my only son, Jeremy, died just before he was to leave to go to Iraq in 2004. The members of this group helped me to deal with my pain, anger and mourning in a way I had not been able to before. I was particularly anxious to meet Cindy and her sister, Dede.

Well, the day finally arrived for us to go to Crawford. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought we’d just load up on a couple of cars and head down there. I was asked to ride on the VFP Impeach Bush bus with Cindy and some of the vets who also wanted to make the trip. When we headed out of Dallas early that hot August morning, there was a long caravan of cars following behind us. It was a hot, noisy trip in that old bus. We stopped along the way to refresh ourselves and refuel, then hit the road again.

We were to stop at the Crawford Peace House, who was helping to organize our visit. When we drove up, there were cars every where, people milling around in the yard and in the house, and a host of media waiting for us to get off the bus. I was pleasantly surprised.

I had been living in Texas for a number of years and had learned that the people of Texas, for the most part, supported the war and supported their President wholeheartedly. One thing you did not do was go against the grain and protest the war and, heaven forbid, you did not say anything bad about George Bush or the Bush Family! Until that moment, I had felt so alone and alienated living in Texas, being against the war, seeing so clearly what was going on while my friends and neighbors could not – or would not.

Cindy and I waited for the others to get off the bus, and then we got off together. The media immediately encircled her for interviews. I wandered around, checking out the Peace House and meeting people.

After awhile, we all met inside and got the scoop on what had been planned for us. Then we got back on the bus (with a few extra people along for the ride!) and, with an escort from the local law enforcement, headed out to Prairie Chapel Road.

We were met, again, by massive amounts of media who marched with Cindy, Dede and I in the lead followed by members of MFSO, VFP, CodePink and others, down the side of that road under the hot August sun. We did not get very close to the President’s ranch because when the long line of protesters started to walk on the black top of the road (as opposed to the weedy bar ditch on the side of the road); the local law enforcement stopped our march. So we set up on the side of the road. It was a quiet, lonely place with only the sun and a farmer for company. But the media was there and they were getting the story out of a mother whose son had died in Iraq. She wanted to confront the President and ask him, “What Noble Cause?”

By midafternoon almost everyone had gone back to either Dallas or wherever they had come from. Cindy and I went back to the Peace House to cool off. We both had heatstroke, I think. By sunset we were back on the side of the road, the place that became the original Camp Casey, and we spent the night. There were only a handful of us there that first night. Some of us slept in our cars, others slept in small popup tents.

By morning, the media was back and people starting pouring in from across the state. They wanted to take a stand with us; they wanted to make their voices heard.

I couldn’t stay, as responsibilities at home called me back to Houston. But Cindy stayed. She was joined by thousands upon thousands of people from across the nation who also wanted their voices heard. Other Gold Star families joined Cindy in Crawford to lend their voices to hers. Military moms and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives went to Crawford to have their voices heard. Veterans from WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan and Iraq joined Cindy to have their voices heard.

We did not want even one more life to be lost, either civilian or military, to this misguided war. We did not want another family to experience the heartache and grief we had and we did not want our vets to come home only to find they would not be cared for in the way they should be.

Since that time, Cindy’s life and my life have taken very different courses. She has been in the public limelight, traveled, and made a huge difference with her message that has never changed, but become stronger and more knowledgable. We have remained friends and I am very proud of her and the work she has done to promote not only peace, but to hold the leaders of our country accountable for their actions. Cindy has worked tirelessly in her efforts.

My life has been quiet as I have worked to not let myself and the rest of my life fall victim to the war and the hideous governing practices of our elected leaders who have, time after time, let the megalomaniacs in the executive office take away our freedoms and rights one by one.

Cindy is now running against Nancy Pelosi for Congress in San Francisco. Some say it is THE most important election in the country right now. I think Cindy stands a good chance at winning.

My family will soon become a military family again. One of my daughters is marrying her sweetheart who is in the Army and will be going to Iraq (orders subject to change to Afghanistan, we’re told).

I wish we could have stopped this war long before now. I wish the leaders of our country would listen to the people who elected them and stop this war. Our nation is in shambles. Our Constitution is crumbling. We are in a state of crisis. The one thing that would help our economy the very most is to end the war. Quit spending the trillions of dollars it has cost to continue this war that cannot and will not ever be won in a place where we should never have gone.

I will always look back in my life with pride at the moment I first stepped foot off the Impeach Bush bus in Crawford and took a stand against what I believed was an egregious wrong. What we all did in Crawford that hot August in 2005, together, made a difference. It has helped to influence and change the way people in this country view the war/occupation of Iraq and helped to shed light on the atrocities our government has committed in our name and on our behalf. We’ve come a long way from that day, all of us.

The last day I was at Camp Casey in August of 2005, a hot wind blew in late in the day. It blew over tents and chairs and sent us scrambling to grab everything that wasn’t tied down. We were about a mile from the President’s ranch. I looked in the direction the wind was coming from and thought to myself: “the winds of change are blowing.” Those winds were from Hurricane Katrina that was plowing through New Orleans at that very moment. The winds of change, indeed!

Peace,
Amy Branham
Gold Star Mom of Sgt. Jeremy R. Smith
Houston, TX

Want To Lower Gas Prices? Lift AIPAC's Sanctions on Iran

by Robert Naiman

Senator McCain, President Bush, and some of their oil industry friends are urging Americans to support overturning a 26-year ban on offshore drilling as a way to bring down gas prices. Of course, it's snake oil designed for what the Joe Lieberman campaign affectionately called "low information voters."

As Dean Baker and Nichole Szembrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research noted in a June 2008 paper, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) projects that Senator McCain's proposal would have no impact in the near-term since it will be close to a decade before the first oil can be extracted from the currently protected offshore areas. The EIA projects that production will reach 200,000 barrels a day (0.2 percent of projected world production) at peak production in close to twenty years. It describes this amount as too small to have any significant effect on oil prices.

In contrast, if the United States had continued raising auto fuel efficiency standards annually between 1985-2005 by a quarter of the amount it raised them annually from 1980-1985 -- instead of leaving them virtually unchanged -- the result would have roughly been the equivalent of 3.3 million barrels of oil per day in new production in 2008 -- 16 times the impact of McCain's Offshore Drilling [MOD], CEPR reports.

What about the impact of lifting sanctions on Iran?

"Sanctions are pushing up the cost of oil," notes Juan Cole in a recent piece on Salon. I asked Cole what his estimate of the scale of this effect was. If Iran could have expanded production of oil from 4 million barrels a day in the late 1990s to 6 million barrels a day today, that would be an extra 2 million barrels a day, i.e. 88 million barrels a day globally instead of 86, Cole says.

I asked Dean Baker of CEPR what could be the impact of lifting sanctions on Iran, and he wrote:

"Suppose they open up to foreign investment and production goes up 1-2 million barrels a day after a few years...It's 5 to 10 times McCain's offshore drilling."
So, summarizing in a table, using MOD ["McCain's Offshore Drilling"] as our "numeraire," as the economists say, we have the following:

Modest Conservation: 16 MOD
Lift Sanctions on Iran: 5-10 MOD
McCain's Offshore Drilling: 1 MOD

Now, some would surely argue that simply lifting sanctions on Iran is not politically feasible, because there is currently a "Washington Consensus" for sanctions on Iran supported by groups like AIPAC, linked to its nuclear program, relations with Iraq, Hamas, Hizbollah, etc.

Let's concede for the sake of discussion that that is true. What about the lifting of sanctions in the context of a real, negotiated deal with Iran? Would such a deal be more likely if Americans realized that the likely effect of such a deal would include an increase in world oil production roughly equivalent to 5-10 MODs?

Consider the following.

First, insofar as the sanctions were aimed at stopping Iran from having a nuclear program, or having relations with Iraq, Hamas, or Hizbollah that the US doesn't like, they have obviously not achieved their goals. If sanctions are expanded, (for example, by trying to ban Iran's gas imports, through what effectively amounts to an international blockade, as AIPAC has proposed) then they will drive up the price of oil still further, and it seems unlikely that the U.S. will be able to get Russia and China and Germany to agree to expand the sanctions to the degree necessary to achieve any of those goals.

Second, a key reason that the U.S. can't win support for the effective expansion of sanctions is that current U.S. policies are based on goals that are not widely seen internationally as legitimate. It's one thing to say you don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons. For that goal there is widespread international support (including -- according to their repeated public statements -- all the leaders of Iran, and the majority of Iranian public opinion.) But the current U.S. goal is to prevent Iran from having any nuclear program at all that involves the enrichment of uranium, and that goal has weak international support.

Suppose the U.S. changed its goals with respect to Iran to make them more realistic. Suppose, for example, that instead of trying to ban enrichment of uranium in Iran entirely -- a nonstarter for the overwhelming majority of Iranian public opinion -- the US were to seek to put Iran's uranium enrichment program under full international control, as Ambassador Pickering has proposed.

Suppose that instead of the unrealistic goals of demanding that Iran not "support" allies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, the US sought Iran's agreement to support its allies only politically and financially, and for Iran to use its influence with its allies to diminish violence and promote national reconciliation in these countries, as Iran has offered to do in the past and indeed has already done in Iraq and Lebanon. Suppose that, as seems quite plausible, as a result of this shift in U.S. policy the U.S. was able to get a deal with Iran, and lift the sanctions.

Should not the fact that such a policy could bring the benefit of 5-10 MODs be part of our debate over policy towards Iran? Would Americans tolerate that AIPAC dictate US policy towards Iran if they realized that it was costing them every time they went to the pump?

Here's a first step: don't let AIPAC drive up gas prices even more. Ask Congress to reject AIPAC's resolution seeking to ban Iran's gas imports.