Tom Wolf wants to liberate LGBTQ folks in PA. We can help.

I love my new Governor. I am so glad I cast my vote for Tom Wolf. First, he starts to work on the death penalty and now he is working on civil rights for sexual minorities.

I feel like singing Dayenu and I am not Jewish. If Tom Wolf only rid us of the death penalty and created peace for LGBT, it would be enough.

As we sit around our feast day tables, we give thanks and we remember that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, TransGender and Queer folks are our Family, Friends and Colleagues and we love them.

Everything else Wolf might do is lagniappe. Way to go, Governor. What an excellent gift to all of us in Pennsylvania for Passover and Easter.

Now claim the gift, fellow Pennsylvanians, and sign the Governor's petition HERE.

PA-Gov: Wolf Denounces Indiana Bill, Calls for New Legislation

Governor Wolf is pushing for Pennsylvania to become a more inclusive place.In the wake of the controversy over Indiana’s anti-LGBT legislation, Wolf is asking the legislature to adopt a non-discrimination law in PA.

“I simply don’t understand what the Governor of Indiana was thinking when he signed a bill that allows discrimination against people based on who they love,” Wolf wrote in an email to his campaign subscribers. “It’s not only wrong on a human level, but also ill-advised for attracting businesses and creating jobs in today’s global economy.”

“But we have some work to do here in Pennsylvania as well,” the Governor continued. “Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast that doesn’t prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression — and that needs to end.”

Listen to the Philadelphia Biblical University Institute of Jewish Studies class of 2000 music team beautifully perform the popular Passover song Dayenu. Happy Pesach! Happy Easter! 

Rain and Gardens

Spring is here. I am ordering Herb Seeds and plotting Flowers. I am planting Milkweed for the Monarch Butterflies this year. I am getting that Happy Green Feeling in spite of the cold outside.

I have learned you can make that boggy place in your yard a thing of beauty and help clean and conserve water by planting a Rain Garden. 

Once planted, such a garden is maintained with little to no effort. And that is good news. Gardening can be hard work.

The woman in the photograph is teaching a class in Rain Gardens and you can see the perfect sort of location. Find out all the particulars at the link.

"To select a location for a rain garden, begin by observing your yard during a good rainfall. Notice where water is flowing. Rain gardens should ideally be located between the source of runoff (roofs and driveways) and the runoff destination (drains, streams, low spots, etc.)."

The photograph on the right is a rain garden in Philadelphia, designed by Edgar David.

"Rainwater that flows from the house roof to the stone cistern is used to irrigate an intimate collection of woodland plants."

You can read more about this interesting garden HERE. 

The Philadelphia Water Department has some excellent information about making Rain Gardens. The PWD also has a rain barrel program for those of us who do not have a boggy spot and still want to utilize and help manage rain water runoff. And now it is time for a Spring song by The Velvet Fog.

I am coming out of my closet. I have a role in this video.

This video is one of the funniest things my friend Beefy has done. Our scene is extemporaneous. We created it on the spot in my back yard and my parlor.

Beefy is a comedy genius and it was an honor to work with him. This is what a genius can do with no money. Imagine what he could do if he had some bucks.

This underground video sold like condoms in Philly. I thought I hated rap. I did not understand it. Some superior poetry in these raps.

I have viciously funny friends.

Re: Snowmageddon in Philadelphia - 
Coming Soon! 8-13 inches!

Nick Vanocur

On the bright side, it will be harder for police to shoot people in a blizzard.

MagnaDave

White people.

Yo, Pope Frankie, Happy Birthday!

Pope Francis was leaving the Vatican in the dead of night to "administer anonymously to the homeless of Rome." He got caught.

This Christmas he purchased sleeping bags and gave them to the homeless of Rome on his 78th birthday - upfront.

Good move, Frankie. Now they will not suspect you and you can boogie out the back door when the Spirit moves you.  

Frankie, you seem like a good guy. So I hope you will take my remarks in the Spirit they are offered. 

You are doing good. You make me want to come back to church. I look forward to seeing you in Philly next year.  

Philly used to be a city of neighborhood churches and bars. One of each, church and bar, on every fourth corner. Nine of the Catholic Churches in my neighborhood have closed their doors. The bars are still open and turned into Delis with beer cases. Not a bar stool or a pew in sight. So sad. Where are the places for fellowship? But I digress

First thing, and this is important, nothing is anonymous if you get caught. So stop that. Not the going out, the getting caught hanging with bums. Pray to St. Nicholas, patron saint of runaways, thieves and children for assistance. I must say, you are right on time in the Myth and Public Relations departments.

Second, maybe you can fool others, PaPa, but you cannot fool me. You are not ministering to the wretched of Rome. They, each and every one, are ministering to you.

It is a hard job being a Pope. You often have to deal with an anus like Cardinal Dolan. You got to have some fun. For sure you need a real good hug or two. Ten good hugs a day will keep you sane. Dio ti benedica, caro Papà. I know S/He does. Feliz cumpleaños! Feliz Navidad!

TALK BACK by VOTE! - November 2014 Sign of the Month

I learned how to do a write-in vote this morning. It was easy. The election judge never did a write-in vote before. So we both did something new.

And now I am teaching my kids all about the write-in vote. I do not have to settle for a substandard candidate. Democracy - it is a wonderful thing. Writing in the guy you really want is the way to go. I voted for myself. Nobody better.

I voted YES! for Tom Wolfe and Jason Dawkins. 

NO on Brendan Boyle. I will not vote for an anti choice Democrat. And time for a change from the Tartagliones. Past time. 

That said, the little sign is the party machine sign.  

The big sign is the TALK BACK SIGN. Hat tip to scribeboy. 

ZOMG. I am in LOVE.

This is what funding abortion looks like. Handsome man of the Cowboy Nerd persuasion and Banana his Cat. I want them both with a purple passion. I have always wanted to do twins. Take the Drink a Beer and Eat a Taco and Fund Abortion Challenge.

In Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, send a contribution to Women's Medical Fund. 

Hold Up, So How Does This Work?

You find yourself a fucking taco, or a fucking beer, or a fucking taco and a beer, then you eat the fucking taco or drink the fucking beer or eat and drink both the fucking taco and the beer, and then you donate some money to an abortion fund. You fucking film yourself doing this shit and then you send us the fucking video and we put it on the fucking internet.

"BUT BUT BUT WAAAAHHHHH I DON’T KNOW ANY ABORTION FUNDS"

Welp you fucking do now.

"BUT BUT BUT WAAAAAAH I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO SEND MY VIDEO"

Welp you fucking do now.

Smoke House Sausage and Sauerkraut

I was fond of Smokies sausages when I was a child. It was the lunch treat my Polish Mother, the Polka Queen, brought home every Saturday from the supermarket. They disappeared for a bit but Oscar Mayer recently started making them again.

If you are fond of traditional smokehouse flavor and are food additive conscious, I recommend Czerw's Kielbasy and Polish Provisions. Their home made products contain no by-products, artificial color, fillers, or added water.

Shop early in the week, especially on Easter. You will find that lines of people go around the block on Easter. Poles take Easter seriously. 

I buy barrel Sauerkraut, smoked Cajun Kielbasa which my children love, and Kabanosy, a sort of hot Polish Slim Jim. We have lots of assimilation in Foody Nation Philadelphia. You can get directions, history of the shop, and a list of their products at their website.

 Jan Czerw, Grandfather of the current owners, immigrated from Mislsi, Poland. In 1938, Jan Czerw converted a horse stable into a shop. He built the brick ovens meat is smoked in himself. Czerw's Kielbasa still stands in that original spot, using the same brick ovens built almost 70 years ago. For the Czerws, traditon and quality are standard.

Wesolych Swiat i dobre jedzenie!

Note: There are about 600,000 Folks in Philadelphia who think of themselves as Polish. All those good Folks like to eat good Polish Food. I am going to tell you where I find it. There many excellent Polish shops and food purveyors in Philadelphia. I do not pretend this is a thorough list of every single Polish shop in Philadelphia or nearby. It is where I shop. Maybe you know a good place? Leave a comment and I will go there and give it a try. And write about it. - Plum

I Live in Philadelphia Pennsylvania United States of America in the Northern Hemisphere on Earth

Twenty-one priests from the Philadelphia Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church have been named and/or suspended because of credible charges of child sexual abuse. Cardinal Justin Rigali has requested prayer for these priests.

A Prayer for Justin Rigali and his Merry Men:

I pray that their carnal members rot and fall to the ground.

I pray that they develop suppurating stinking boils on every square inch of their body.

I pray that they die soon in writhing pulsating prolonged agony.

I pray that Jesus really is waiting to see them and keep his promise:

"And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." - Mark 9:42

I am a good Catholic. I know rote. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

I quote from the Grand Jury Report 0f 2011 Summary:

"The present grand jury, however, is frustrated to report that much has not changed. The rapist priests we accuse were well known to the Secretary of Clergy, but he cloaked their conduct and put them in place to do it again. The procedures implemented by the Archdiocese to help victims are in fact designed to help the abusers, and the Archdiocese itself. Worst of all, apparent abusers – dozens of them, we believe  remain on duty in the Archdiocese, today, with open access to new young prey."

A poster named Sfer (BabyBoomer) on a message board made this apt comment:

"Gee, it's usually defense lawyers who try to paint their clients as co-victims. It sounds odd coming from an Archbishop. They're usually the ones accusing others of "relative morality" and "objectively disordered". The shoe is on the other foot now."

Update 1:
After I wrote this blog entry, I had a moment in which I repented and considered that the entry might be blasphemous and a little too coarse. See, I really am a Catholic; always second guessing my feelings and thoughts because I have been taught that my instincts are sinful by the RCC.

And then I read that the Jesuits (the fucking Jesuits) are paying now for making themselves ignorant of and aiding and abetting the child abusers in their midst for decades. Words fail me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8408229/Jesuits-pay-166m-compensation-to-sexual-abuse-victims.html

Update 2:
Rolling Stone has published one of the most readable and comprehensive articles on the Philadelphia Roman Catholic Church's coverup of the sexual abuse of children and the effort by two District Attorney's to bring light and justice to Philadelphia. This case is remarkable because it is the first time a member of the RCC administration has been charged with child abuse:

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-catholic-churchs-secret-sex-crime-files-20110906

Update 3:
Monsignor Lynn has been found guilty. Of course, I have an opinion.
http://plumstchili.blogspot.com/2012/06/billy-lynn-takes-one-for-team.html