My Warmies, My Dog and Me

There is a way to stay warm in Winter, indoors and out. That way is wearing layers of clothing. And never forget your hat.

Nevertheless, layers are a good thing because they trap air in between them, which acts as an insulator for heat. And they can be put on and taken off depending on the varying situations  - Alok Jha, How to Dress for Antarctica

I am not dressing for polar regions. I am a Holiday Inn kind of girl. I do not camp out. A dog showed up at my house one day, fully grown, and now she is my Baby. I like to go outside and walk the dog in the snow. And I consider the weekday one mile walk to the post office part of my plan to stay healthy and active.

Layering your clothing is a tried-and-true way to maximize your comfort in the outdoors. The beauty of this simple concept is that it allows you to make quick adjustments based on your activity level and changes in the weather.

Each layer has a function. The base layer (against your skin) manages moisture; the insulating layer protects you from the cold; the shell layer(outer layer) shields you from wind and rain. You simply add or subtract layers as needed.

For a deeper understanding, read on.

I write this for all the Folks like me who walk their dog in the snow. Now you know how to keep from shivering. I write this to introduce CuddlDuds warmies. I wear them. I write this because I love my dog. Dogs are good people. They need lots of exercise. This post was created in partnership with eAccountable. All opinions are my own. Let it SNOW!

Political Signs - December 2013

Tis the season to be political. Happy Holidays!

Christmas should be about politics and not presents, according to a new study into the meaning of Christmas.

The author of a new report, The Politics of Christmas, Dr Stephen Holmes said “Our modern view of Christmas is largely a Victorian invention, thanks to the imagery within Charles Dickens’ tale A Christmas Carol, and bears little resemblance to the story as told in the gospels. The Christmas story is intensely political, with St Matthew and St Luke focusing their sights on firm questions of economic exploitation, imperial oppression, social stigma, and petty tyranny..”

Click Me!

If you think this is rude, just google "naked Santa images" or "naked Sarah Palin" and you will see I have been relatively polite and restrained. 

"Woman is the nigger of the world." - Ono/Lennon with UPDATE

Update: The Roman Catholic Bishops idea of social justice is nowhere to be found where women and their children are concerned. How many women will die or be tortured in Roman Catholic hospitals? This kiddy-raping woman-killing stuff they do is thought to be moral? God bless the ACLU.

A Michigan mother-of-two has claimed a Catholic hospital could have killed her after it forced her to suffer through a painful miscarriage at 18 weeks because it doesn't believe in abortion. Tamesha Means, 30, of Muskegon, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Friday against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding treatment she allegedly received at Mercy Health Partners hospital in December 2010. Then 27, the suit claims Means visited the hospital - the only one in her county - three times after her water broke some five months early. Mercy Health Partners is part of Trinity Health, a Catholic-run medical group that prohibits abortion in its hospitals. - By HELEN POW

Update: A Catholic hospital has argued in a wrongful death lawsuit that a fetus is not a person. Just let that sink in for a moment.

A beautiful woman has died in agony in the service of a Catholic dogma. A dogma that the Roman Catholic Church itself was willing to repudiate . . . for money. She was not a Catholic. She miscarried and made the mistake of going to a Catholic hospital.

My indignation response has been triggered so often of late that I cannot feel indignation anymore. This scares me. I am beyond wanting to hurt Forced Birthers. I am likely to stomp somebody. The State of Ohio is working on passing an abortion law just like the Irish law that killed this beautiful woman.

I need to go and find a nice safe place to decompress. Someplace where I will not be hurt for being a female. I just do not know where that place might be.

It’s time to abort the Catholic Church

Bloody butchers and pious toads who mask their medieval ignorance with a pretense of charity and care; it’s long past time to end the illusion and recognize the barbarism of the church. Shut ‘em down.

The latest victim in over a millennium of Catholic abuse is Savita Halappanavar, a young woman who was 17 weeks pregnant when her condition began to deteriorate. She went to a Catholic hospital, a fatal mistake.

Rest in Peace, Ms. Savita. I pray that you are the last woman who dies because of the depraved indifference of a nation (Ireland), the Roman Catholic Church and the Morals Police simply because you are a woman.

The Eyes of Texas - Political Signs - November 2013

The eyes of Texas are upon you
All the live long days
The eyes of Texas are upon you
And you cannot get away.
- Roy Orbison

I almost let November slip by without selecting the Signs of the Month. This month it is all about Wendy Davis. Seems her run for Governor in Texas has captured the public imagination.

Suits making a list, they checking it twice, NOW they know who is naughty or nice. Black Helicopters coming to town. - UPDATE

I wrote about lack of sexual privacy and cheerful voyeurism in America before. The situation has degenerated. The Gummint is listening and watching and reading and recording everything you do. And storing it all for future viewing pleasure.

Just let that sink in fully. They know about my Black Leather Dildo and the Large Mammaries. What do they know about YOU? 

Not to worry. Them Suits and Nerds knowing about my Dildo keeps us all FREE. The Patriot Act makes us free! It keeps us safe. Right? 

I have lingering doubts. My question is: 
Why should the Government get to peek for free? I think we need Revolution a la Groucho. Even Hippies understood the rules. "Gas, grass or ass. Nobody rides for free." Reciprocity makes the world go round. 

I have a plan. We must include the Government in our conversations. Include the Government in our public and private intercourse. Give our Government a place in our family. And think real American values: Every man a profit center. 

Write manifestos. Create scenarios. Get a webcam. Shit, get a video camera and a spotlight. Picture this: 

Scene 1: Somewhere on a rooftop in New York City with spotlight and speakers. 

"I am going to do you tonight, Baby. So hard and so loud. And I am going to leave the cell phone ON.

Oh Suits, it turns us on you listening. Do you feel me. Can you hear the Santorum dripping down my leg? Can you see the slap, slap, tickle? Does it feel good for you too?

Tiffany scream! Scream loud. Rock me, Baby.  They flying over us now!

Screams: I want to go to Miami! 

Send the Satellite by, we are on the roof with champagne, a bullwhip and Vivaldi."

Once they come tuning in or flying by, we send them a bill for the experience. Or we shoot them with paint balls and silly string and film them when they send Swat back at us. Bet we could sell that video to Al Jazeera. Be one big diverse madcap Universe of Hubris, KY, Videotape and Bullets. Oh fuck me now!

UPDATE: Curiouser and curiouser. 

NSA About Attorney-Client Privilege Concerns: We'll Probably Grab Your Communications But We'll Try Not To 'Listen In'
A couple of weeks back we covered the American Bar Association asking for assurance from the NSA that attorney-client communications, even those involving foreign clients, would remain out of the agency's reach. This was prompted by a leak that showed the NSA had given an Australian intelligence agency the go-ahead to intercept communications between a US law firm and its Indonesian clients.

UPDATE: 

 "WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A secretive U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unit is funneling information from intelligence intercepts, wiretaps, informants and a massive database of telephone records to authorities across the nation to help them launch criminal investigations of Americans".

A defense attorney is suing the National Security Agency for phone records in a criminal case, US vs. Terrance Brown. It had to happen.  Fricking Karma. Thank you, Snowden. All by yourself you neutered the Spyboys and the Suits.

Do I think this will make the Spyboys stop haunting us? Hell no. Humans perseverate. 

Now the Suits and NSA may have to produce all these facts for the defense in criminal cases? If so, thank you doG. It is the 21st century jobs program -  finally here - and the lawyers did it. 

The battle over this is going to be a hoot. Think of the clerks involved alone. Did I say clerks? Think Scribes. Back to the past. Hand written letters and Secret Couriers are back. 

Fallen Fruit Park with Update: Neighborhood Infusions

UPDATE: I did more research about Fallen Fruit artists cooperative. I think the ongoing INFUSIONS project is fascinating. It is a new frontier for this Community Artist.

An ongoing project by Fallen Fruit, in collaboration with Greenbar collective organic distillery in which we pick the fruit we find on a certain street or locale, infuse it in vodka, and name it for the neighborhood.  We’re interested in the essence of that place, to think about its unique qualities but also look at it as a template for creating more livable and individualized neighborhoods. The question Neighborhood Infusions asks is tinged with irony: can you capture the essence of a place in a bottle?  The work is served off the wall by docents (rather than bartenders), who take time to interpret its implications for those interested in consuming it.

I found the City Farmer News website. It seems to be The Blog about urban farming. Those with an interest must go there. I found this new work of art there - a Fruit Park. I have been envisioning turning the many pocket parks in Philadelphia into mini fruit farms. I cheered when I saw that I am not alone in my thinking, planning, plotting ...

Grand Opening On Saturday, January 5, 2013 At Del Aire Park

Press Release
Dec 26, 2012

The trees were planted with the support of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission Civic Art Program and the guidance of Fallen Fruit, an artists’ collaborative founded by David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young, whose mission is to unite communities through the creation of sustainable public art projects. Del Aire residents planted 27 fruit trees, eight grape vines, more than 60 trees were given away to neighbors. Once the trees bear fruit, all park visitors will be encouraged to pick from the new edible landscape at harvest time. Within three years, the trees are expected to be completely sustainable and drought tolerant.

The Fruit Park, which was funded through a creative use of county civic art dollars, is part of a larger plan by Chairman Ridley-Thomas to see community gardens planted in every unincorporated area in the Second District. So far, new gardens have been established in Florence-Firestone and Lennox, and locations and funding have been identified for gardens planned for Willowbrook, Athens and Baldwin Hills.

Asshats on Parade - Would you let this guy date your daughter? With Music.

Are you dateable? Take a test and find out. I failed miserably. I do not know how to shut up. Or be mysterious. And I never follow the rules. What fun is that? This guy is a "Christian motivational speaker." I kind of cringe inside when I contemplate that. 

"Richardson High Schoolers Learned Today That "Dateable Girls Know How to Shut Up"

 By Lauren Smart

Around 1 p.m. today, the hashtag #lookadouche showed up on the Twittersphere. A group of students at Richardson High School were skipping regularly scheduled math or science classes to attend an optional PTA-sponsored assembly.

The day's guest speaker was a motivational speaker who has co-authored faith-based dating books, Dateable: are you? are they? and The Dateable Rules. His name: Justin Lookadoo."

Asshats on Parade - Out of My Cold Dead Hand Edition

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." - Matthew 6:5

I am at a loss for words. So I will just show you the campaign ad. Jesus please save us from your followers.

It seems South Dakota is giving Texas and Kansas a run for first place in the Craziest State in the Union Race. I do not care what this woman has to say. You wave a gun in my face and any conversation we might be having is over.

And if you think I am being unreasonable in rejecting this woman outright, I ask you: how crazy is this event below? Pretty fricking crazy. It is enough to make you want to stay home altogether.

After intimidating four women and all the restaurant patrons and employees for two hours, the gunNuts adjourned to the local Hooters. Family values anyone? What would Jesus do? 

40 Armed Gun Advocates Intimidate Mothers Against Gun Violence In A Restaurant Parking Lot ...click here for more

"Probably about 20 to 25 percent of the adult American population is so right-wing authoritarian, so scared, so self-righteous, so ill-informed, and so dogmatic that nothing you can say or do will change their minds. They would march America into a dictatorship and probably feel that things had improved as a result. … And they are so submissive to their leaders that they will believe and do virtually anything they are told. They are not going to let up and they are not going away." - Robert Altemeyer, The Authoritarians