a wonderful story

This one got me a little verclempt. And I don't gravitate to flat out happy stories or easily choke up anymore. Unless I've just had a baby ... [that was a postpartum joke. Haha. ok. not really funny. so, ... um ... moving on]

Amid the bluster of nasty news, a reminder that a world of possibilities still exists--and those possibilities often start in the mind of one wonderful person.




epilogue

Maybe I appreciated this because it wasn't about luck or super-sunny pollyanna-ish positive thinking.

As an aside, I hate those "life-is-beautiful-if-you-only-open-your-eyes" chain emails that clutter our inboxes day after day. I mean, maybe some of it's worth considering, but I can't even get to that place. Plus, I just can't take being bludgeoned by any idea; positive or not. Rouses my inner attorney. Like, one email about sunsets and puppies is really gonna make me say, "oh, wow. I'm so grateful now ... thanks for changing my worldview." It's beyond presumptuous [and frequently includes a not-so-subtle religious conclusion, or two]--and I HATE that.

Um, ya ... I digress ... a lot. I must have gotten one of those annoying msgs today ... although I can't really remember. But, this wasn't supposed to be about my email annoyances or my doubts about a deity. I'll get to that another time.

So, back to why I liked this story--it's about work for the sake of something absolutely pure: the preservation of hope in innocence, rising above the insensate randomness of birth and unearthing beauty [in music, dedication and discipline]. Would I want my own girls armed with any greater lessons? Maybe, but not many.

homemade jamz blues

dang! these kids are tight!


All Things Considered, July 10, 2008 - When you picture someone playing the blues, you imagine someone who's been through the school of hard knocks. The lead singer for the Homemade Jamz Blues Band has been to school, all right — high school.

Frontman Ryan Perry is 16 years old. He sings like a man and manhandles his [homemade, muffler] guitar, but when he and his bandmates break into giggles, it's clear they're all kids.

The three Perry siblings are 9, 14, and 16 years old; together, they're the Homemade Jamz Blues Band. Ryan took up the guitar at age 7. His brother, Kyle, followed with an electric bass, and their baby sister, Taya, rounded out the trio when she picked up drumsticks. The three are now regulars on the blues-festival circuit.

listen, and check 'em out!

or here!

more proof ...

that our current leader ["Shrub" and co.] is more fearless than ... well ... name it: deft, a constitutional scholar, an historian, conceptually aware of checks and balances ... and let's see ... let's not exclude "virtuous," "moral" and "dignified" ... just stick with the despicable descriptor(s) and you're on target ... like completely embarrassing, appalling, smug, corrupt and has shit-for-brains. See link below ... just one more in a line of this administration's five bazillion unprecedented, unconstitutional tactics that conjur my not-so-inner bitch. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! And for those who immediately dismiss anything that "left-wing rag," the NYTs, has to say, this article cites a report prepared by the Justice Department's own inspector general.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/washington/24cnd-justice.html

So, how is it possible that we EVER elected such a neo-monarchist-imperial-fascist-friggin'-fratboy-blockhead ... TWICE [sort-of]! America, could you not see what you were doing?! Were you all so blinded by puritanical indignation just cause Bill Clinton couldn't keep it in his pants? Get over the sex hang-up, people! Americans should be more indignant about Death, War, eight years of increased climate change [cause neo-cons denied it even existed, till this year ... a phenomena all relevant, peer-reviewed science screamed 10 years ago! None of the naysayers were peer-reviewed and only showed up on Fox-faux-news as part of their thinly-veiled, "fair and balanced," bullshit].

So, where was I ... oh, yes ... more of my tantrum:
... a war that will likely have a price tag closer to 3 TRILLION DOLLARS** [and the first war ever paid for by DEBT... to China of all places]. Consequently, China owns our asses ... in other words, our childrens' and our children's childrens' futures. And lest we think otherwise, this scenario is, in no small part, significantly contributing to the decline of the almighty Dollar.

For all you mini Karl Roves out there, hope you're happy. Well, of course you are. Shrub "believes" in the power of prayer. Of course! What an all-important qualification for becoming president!

Guess you can't even see the irony--that y'all handed the Prince of Darkness the keys to the kingdom ... or rather, handed them to his butthead of a frat brother!

All hail our frat-boy-in-chief.

**See The Three Trillion Dollar War by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economist, and Kennedy School of Government professor, Linda J. Bilmes. But of course, in-line neo-cons have pledged their souls to the Devil ... I mean, to this administration. So they'll just do the same ol'-same ol' and cry, "wa-wa-wa ... more liberal ax-grinding, more liberal hate speech [standard battlecry when the Right can't come up with a reasonable rebuttal] --um ... we mean ... liberal hate numbers!"

Well, the truth ain't always easy to swallow, now is it, Darlin's?

and the beat-down goes on ...

as does my obsession. it's like watching mike tyson in the ring with ... say ... alfalfa ... from the dark-side, of course. [strangely, i think i just read that tyson and k.o. are some sort of cousin through marriage]

oh yes, on imdb. anyhoo, view on ...

if i weren't already married to a super-fabulous guy i think i'd be proposing to k.o. right about now.

nail--meet billo's proverbial coffin

i know i'm way late on this story, but i haven't paid attention to billo, that blustery windbag, in eons. he made me want to go out and start bar fights. so, for safety reasons, i did my best to ignore all things "orally" [and fox noise] for the last six or so years -- until i heard k.o. reference falafels and loofahs over-and-over.

so, being a curious kitty, i said, "hmmmmm" and did a google search. and, oh-my-lord! i can't stand it. this makes me totally giddy! complete nuclear annihilation! can you hear me jumping up and down?!

if you're a johnny-come-lately, like me, and, of course despise the man ... or, if you love him it's probably more important you see this ... cause i'm pretty sure the details haven't aired on "the spin zone," i mean, "the factor."

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html

and for fun, let's rub it in a little ...

link to the complete cartoon (although hard to read onscreen)

god bless the smoking gun, the village voice and those snarky "liberal, elitists," keith olbermann and tom tomorrow.

so, how does keith's favorite punching bag still have a job? ... oh ya, roger aisles and an oxygen-deprived viewership.

all hail k.o. ... billo slayer

"the Sisyphus of Morons" ... now, that's absolutely sublime! i'm sure billo and fan club thought "who the hell is this Sisyphus?" [well, they would've if they watched]

bow to the superhero of liberal elitism [i.e. he's obtained a classical education; is capable of logical argument, research and full-spectrum thought. as in, he's not a redneck or moron].

k.o.--you're a rock star ... and my fav!