Frosting the Turd with UPDATE

The Republicans are making no plans to change their ignorant sexually repressive platform. They are aware that Tod Akin might as well have entered the national parlor and left a turd on the rug. So they are going to deodorize it as outlined in the Roll Call article I excerpt below. If you missed the event, I provide the video in question. 

Inside the NRSC's Comeback Strategy

• By Kyle Trygstad

• Roll Call Staff

• March 4, 2013, 6:53 p.m.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee plans to expand its press operation to train campaigns earlier in the cycle on how to better handle the kind of candidate missteps that have plagued its party’s nominees. The goal? To avoid what’s become known in GOP circles as “Todd Akin moments.”

“The campaigns that jumped off message not only infected themselves, they infected all the rest of the campaigns,” said Rob Collins, the new NRSC executive director, in his first extensive interview on the job. “So in this age of fractured but continuous, three-dimensional communication, we have to constantly plan for that and train for that and build for that.”

UPDATE:   The Growth and Opportunity Project  Report has been released. The Report evaluates what the GOP must do if they want to win elections. The report suggests that Republicans communicate their values to minorities more effectively. I excerpt part of the Report's recommendations for Women. 

5. Republicans should develop a more aggressive response to Democrat rhetoric regarding a so-called “war on women.” In 2012, the Republican response to this attack was muddled, and too often the attack went undefended altogether. We need to actively combat this, better prepare our surrogates, and not stand idly by while the Democrats pigeonhole us using false attacks. There are plenty of liberal policies that negatively impact women, and it is incumbent upon the party to expose those and relentlessly attack Democrats using that framework. 

There is not one mention of "legitimate rape" bills. No mention of attempts to relegislate Roe v. Wade and defund Planned Parenthood. We all saw that with our own eyes. They plan to language it all away. I find Republicans "scary" too: 

Now that we know their play (Frost the turd with yummy chocolate before they try to make us eat it again.), we must never never never give them credence or power again. Why? This is their playbook: 

“It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise.” 
― Joseph Goebbels

Political Sign of the Month - March 2013

Bless this Woman just standing there in her blue hat. Bless all the women and the photographer too. A special shout out to the guys way in the left and right corners of the photograph. Way to go, Dudes. God love prochoice men just standing there in their socks. I know S/He does.

Protesters opposed to legislation requiring women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound demonstrated outside the Idaho Capitol in Boise on March 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessie L. Bonner)

Rabid Racism and the Voting Rights Act

Eclectablog, the premier Michigan events and politics blog, brings us the story of two Black Nurses suing for racial discrimination in the workplace. 

2nd nurse sues Hurley Hospital for complying with racist’s demands; original lawsuit goes to federal court

A second nurse has joined Tonya Battle in filing a lawsuit against Flint hospital Hurley Medical Center. Carlotta Armstrong claims that ... she was subjected to racial discrimination when administrators complied with a blatantly racist father’s demand that no African American nurses care of his baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

What a fricking mess. In my opinion, this racist man presented a serious security risk for the whole hospital. White supremacist racists cannot be regarded as rational and must be thought of as dangerous given the bomb found at a MLK Day parade. 

The hospital had a big problem that was really scary. And by law hospitals cannot decline to treat someone for having an unfortunate or frightening political opinion. And the hospital is responsible for safety of everyone in the hospital. 

Unfortunately, the hospital chose a top-down solution. They put up a sign instructing Black nurses not to handle the racist's baby. All the nurses went ballistic. Professional dignity alone would demand nurses object, never mind respect for colleagues whatever their race, religion or politics. 

The smart way to deal with it would have been to call a meeting of the whole nursing and security staff and give them input into the decision making. And honor that input. The whole staff might all very well have decided to humor the scary man. No doubt in my mind that is the best course of action. That group decision would not have been imposed upon black staff. Democracy works. Maybe we should all give it a try. 

The Voting Rights Act of 1964 is up for renewal. I was in High School in the early Sixties. I had a friend who was a great artist. He also happened to be black. Nobody is pinker than me and I had red hair. One day I exuberantly took his hand while we were walking down the street. Traffic stopped. Catcalls began. We were engaged in shocking unacceptable behavior. Just ambling along. 

Two coffee houses, the Trivia and the Capri, were shut down because students from the High School went there to hear Beat poetry and play chess. No alcoholic beverages. Black and white folks together. Unacceptable. It was a "friend" of mine who reported the fraternization to high school authorities. And the Trenton Suits shut that whole thing down. 

Alabama, did you say? It was Trenton New Jersey in 1960. Race relations in this country were bad news for everyone. I do not want to go back to that. Once was enough. We cannot do without the Voting Rights Act. Especially in light of the voter suppression billboards that mysteriously appeared in minority neighborhoods this last election. 

I love you, America

Fuck the Koch brothers with Sheldon Adelson's dick. I was so afraid of Citizens United. All that corporate and foreign money pouring in to influence our election seemed unbeatable. And then we WON.

Here is what you rich Dumb Asses accomplished. You energized the American people. I used to read articles decrying how few people vote. Now you Authoritarians are reduced to using dirty tricks to stop Americans from voting. 

You also showed us that all the money in the world cannot buy or bamboozle real Americans. Folks waited in lines for hours to give you the finger of doom. Patriots every single one of them. 

God bless you my fellow Americans. You make this nasty Old Lady very happy. 

O lands! all so dear to me--what you are, (whatever it is), I become a part of that, whatever it is; . . .  - Walt Whitman

Just goes to show that all the money in the world will do you no good if you choose to live in Dumbfuckistan. 

Note: I did not make any Cock jokes. It would have been too easy. 

Asshats on Parade - Humiliation Version or Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar

Narcissus by Caravaggio

Narcissus was the beautiful youth in Greek myth doomed to gaze enraptured at his own reflection forever.

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. Those with narcissistic personality disorder believe that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings.

This, from his blog, is the Testimony of Cardinal Mahoney regarding his sin and crime of aiding and abetting the secret rape of hundreds of children in his diocese.

"Given all of the storms that have surrounded me and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles recently, God's grace finally helped me to understand:  I am not being called to serve Jesus in humility.  Rather, I am being called to something deeper--to be humiliated, disgraced, and rebuffed by many.

I was not ready for this challenge.  Ash Wednesday changed all of that, and I see Lent 2013 as a special time to reflect deeply upon this special call by Jesus.

To be honest with you, I have not reached the point where I can actually pray for more humiliation.  I'm only at the stage of asking for the grace to endure the level of humiliation at the moment.

In the past several days, I have experienced many examples of being humiliated.  In recent days, I have been confronted in various places by very unhappy people.  I could understand the depth of their anger and outrage--at me, at the Church, about injustices that swirl around us.

Thanks to God's special grace, I simply stood there, asking God to bless and forgive them."  

The rape of children in Mahoney's diocese is all about his suffering. The anger of their parents is Mahoney's apotheosis, a special sign from Jesus. 

Mahoney is the victim. But, like Christ, he will forgive us. I do not know whether to laugh, cry or vomit. God save us from the mad priest. 

Egg Money in the Sustainable Farming Universe

Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post

It is not so easy being a Chicken farmer. This young woman is doing it. Shelby Grebenc has been raising chickens for both eggs and meat at her family's Adams County farm. In this 2011 photo, she holds Chipmunk, one of her Americana hens.

You may be tired of reading about Chickens and sustainable agriculture but I am probably not going to stop writing about it. Hey, it is my Blog.  

My Babcha helped raise a family of six with her chicken and egg money in the early 1900s. All they had was an acre in the country. I think I really may get some Hens. Ever had a fresh country Egg? Delicious. 

Ms. Shelby has plenty of peppery and wise things to say about Life, Salesmanship and Chickens like this quote below. Go to the article at the Denver Post if you want to know more:

"If you want sustainable, wholesome, pasture-raised organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free food, you have to support it. You can not get these things by talking about it and not paying for it. The next time you shop at a farmers market, think about what it cost me to grow it. Don't ask me to take less and then tell me you can get it cheaper at a big-box store. I know you can — but it will not be as fresh or as good as what I have, and you won't make me cry."

Asshats on Parade - Rape Edition - Cathrynn N. Brown

Several political professionals are trying to teach Republicans how and how-not to talk about Rape according to Media-ite:

“This is actually pretty simple,” said Republican strategist Kevin Madden. “If you’re about to talk about rape as anything other than a brutal and horrible crime, stop.”

 Marina Ein, a crisis communications specialist, said Republicans need “sensitivity training” to succeed in the next elections. "It all boils down to whether or not the Republican Party thinks this is a problem,” she said. “If they want to make inroads with women, then they need to subject every one of their candidates to sensitivity training — not to mention reality training.”

Cathrynn N. Brown

I submit House Bill 206 as an example of how intelligently and seriously Republicans have taken excellent and expensive advice. Yes, it is a real bill. Read it and laugh. Or weep. 

That old Republican magic = Poof! You are now an evidence locker. Hard to believe that a lady this cute could be so pea picking corn snorting dumb and inhumane is it not? And Ms. Brown is an attorney. Let that sink in for awhile. 

HOUSE BILL 206

51ST LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Cathrynn N. Brown

AN ACT

RELATING TO CRIMINAL LAW; SPECIFYING PROCURING OF AN ABORTION

AS TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE IN CASES OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL

PENETRATION OR INCEST.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1.  Section 30-22-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1963,

Chapter 303, Section 22-5, as amended) is amended to read:

"30-22-5.  TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE.--

A.  Tampering with evidence consists of destroying,

changing, hiding, placing or fabricating any physical evidence

with intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or

conviction of any person or to throw suspicion of the

commission of a crime upon another.

B.  Tampering with evidence shall include procuring

or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another

to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of

criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to

destroy evidence of the crime.  

C.  Whoever commits tampering with evidence

shall be punished as follows:

(1)  if the highest crime for which tampering

with evidence is committed is a capital or first degree felony 

or a second degree felony, the person committing tampering with

evidence is guilty of a third degree felony;

(2)  if the highest crime for which tampering

with evidence is committed is a third degree felony or a fourth

degree felony, the person committing tampering with evidence is

guilty of a fourth degree felony;

(3)  if the highest crime for which tampering

with evidence is committed is a misdemeanor or a petty

misdemeanor, the person committing tampering with evidence is

guilty of a petty misdemeanor; and

(4)  if the highest crime for which tampering

with evidence is committed is indeterminate, the person

committing tampering with evidence is guilty of a fourth degree

felony."

SECTION 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the

provisions of this act is July 1, 2013.

- 2 -

.190749.3

"Rice is the best, the most nutritive and the most widespread staple in the world." - Escoffier

 There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.    Benjamin Franklin

I wonder about the world food supply and the effect of global climate change on agriculture. Our corn harvest in the USA is seriously affected by sustained drought.  About 80 percent of our agricultural land is experiencing drought. I wonder what this will do to the price of milk and eggs. Global climate change is a bread and butter issue. 

I found this press release from the United Nations comforting.

19 November 2012, Rome - Global rice production for 2012 is forecast to outpace consumption in 2012/13, resulting in an upward revision of 5 million tonnes in 2013 closing inventories, according to a new forecast by FAO's  Rice Market Monitor issued today. 

"Compared to last year, world rice carryover stocks are expected to rise by 7 percent, or 10 million tonnes, to a new high of almost 170 tonnes, marking the eighth consecutive year of stock accumulation," says the RMM. "As a result, the world rice stock-to-use ratio is forecast to rise from 33.6 percent in 2012 to 35.5 percent in 2013.

I wonder how many rice farmers in Africa are beautiful women.  I love Rice. So this is good news to me. There certainly is lots to think about. So I am going to keep thinking "aloud" about it and relaying what I find. I am particularly interested in urban farming.

Learn how to cook rice and get rice recipes with pictures and directions for the beginning cook at this this wonderful blog: