Freaky Friday Fun

My answer for everything.  (Works in place of "Because I said so" for children)

Today's song is That psychotic Disturbed favorite "Down with the Sickness"

Gooooood Morning Vietnam!

Oh. Wait. We're in Amurika. I forgot for a sec. So today is about bits and pieces of freaky and otherwise interesting (to me, at least) stuff, interspersed with my usual anti war bits and links. I'll start with a great new website See My Face, brought to my attention my beautiful Betmo at Life's Journey. See my face is an online visual representation of people who are against this war and want it over now!

"Support Our Troops: Bring Them Home Now. Be a part of an online antiwar protest by showing your face: be a part of www.seemyface.org"

Go. Upload your pic. Make a statement. We're gonna stop this war, and people using the internet in creative ways like this to help do it are gonna be making history. Be a part of this.

Oh, Shit!!! BTW, everybody, yesterday I updated my blogrolls. Originally my intent was to give a big shout out to everybloggy I added, but then I ditzed out and deleted them from my sticky as I went. So check out the rolls, I know I told alot of you I was adding you. I'm still working on getting them all organized. (Or, well, what passes for organized to me; anyway.) I've got more to add, and any comments/feedback from folks who use Google Reader would be appreciated. I'm finding myself a bit overloaded keeping up with everybloggy I want to read, and Dez suggests that it's a good way. Let me know what you think, if you use it!

Also, RickB at Ten Percent and Doug (at balls and Walnuts, above), have brought it to my attention that not everyone knows to what "Their turn 'in the barrel'" ([re: yesterday's Thursday 13]which was very poorly punctuated, now that I reconsider), refers .

So I will tell it here as best as my memory allows.

It's a paraphrased punchline from this joke that I believe I heard told my an armed forces member, so my retelling is in those terms, but I have no idea as to correct military-ese, so bear with me. (your version may differ) I use it as a metaphor.

A new recruit fresh out of boot camp was sent to a distant and lonely post. When he arrived, an "Old Timer" took him around the camp, filling him in on everything he needed to know. At the end of the tour, out past the latrines, the two soldiers approached a large wooden barrel, sitting in the shade. The new recruit was puzzled and the "OT" explained, "Well kid, there are no women anywhere on this post, so we worked out a special sort of relief. When you need to get your rocks off, come on out here and stick your dick in the knothole. It's usually better than beatin' it yourself, if ya know what I mean". The recruit wasn't really sure what he meant, so came back later to try the barrel out. He slept sated that night, and in the am reported for his duty roster. In the slot for 0800 to 1100 hours was neatly typed "Your Turn in the Barrel".

In this case it refers metaphorically to the many white males who bitch about affirmative action, et al.

Came across this bit: Via States-A-Mind

clipped from www.signs-of-the-times.org

Fluoride, added to the water supply of many cities and counties and sold by WalMart in its nursery water, has a tendency to accumulate not only in developing teeth causing discoloration, and in bones making them brittle. The mineral is associated with cancer and it also accumulates in the pineal gland, an important hormone control center, where it wreaks considerable havoc. Paul Connett of Fluoride Action Network comments on Jennifer Luke's research which was part of her PhD thesis and had just been published in Caries Research under the title: Fluoride Deposition in the Aged Human Pineal Gland.

Fluoride is a poison, yet we add it to our water and toothpaste and even call it a supplement, although it has no nutritional value. Its medicinal value - the prevention of tooth decay - is the official explanation for adding the toxic mineral to the water supply. But that value is far outweighed by its toxic side effects - amply documented by Paul Connett in his Statement of Concern.

What a load of crap!!! And we wonder why so many of us have chemical imbalances. Sheesh!@!

Here's our Little Pharoah One lb and 2 oz later.

Something fun for Bettie page fans, (or just for paper doll fans.  Too much fun!!! (And yes, I like to undress her as much as I like to dress her up!)

And in closing, I'm open to discussion of the merits of the electric fly swatter over the traditional style.  Personally I find that the number of flies killed per zap outweighs the stink of frying fly, (but just barely).  I also like being able to swat them in the air, and my African Grey Parrot kinda gets into it, bobbing her head and letting out loud "crack" noises.

Free Association Sunday (and "Open Thread"?)

What a beautiful day it's been here in our awesome High Desert! Sunshine and our beloved dry heat (Only about 85 or so). Did a lil grocery shopping at our little local IGA market and came home and made egg salad sammies. Yummmmm! My GirlyBoi is making dinner now, and it smells la-la-liscious! (It's a kind of "Goulash" dish made with ground beef and zuccini with italian tomatoes and seasoning. We eat it hot with a generous dollop of sour cream.)

We've had a great time rewatching (re-viewing?) the Debate and the MSNBC post debate analysis, and really picking apart each answer (or non answer), as well as the media interviewers and their various biases.

I'm still in love with Mike Gravel. I find him refreshingly honest, charming, pointed and funny. He makes an even bigger impression during the post debate show where he attempts to answer where he's been for the last 35 years. His reply was "Under a Rock for the last 10". Forgive my paraphrase, but basically he said that when he left congress he was discouraged by his feeling of total failure to make a difference after being sucked into the political posturing and corruption. It took him some time to realize that he was part of alot of good things, and that it's important to put the power back in the hands of the american people. He actually called out Chris (somebody-or-other MSNBC guy) and said that Chris should be better making the decisions than out so-called representatives!!! Ha!!! I loved him!

Okay, I'm gonna do the Holllaaaah thing now for: The Existentialist Cowboy for his eloquent Op/Ed entitled How Bush lost the war, encouraged terrorists, and weakened the American military. He's already on my blogroll, if you haven't checked him out, do. If you have, go back and read this article!!!! Killer!!

Also I want to say a big, giant thank you to Dez for adding me to her blogroll! Wow. I'm blown away by the super excellent people who have been linking and rolling me. I want to thank her also for her very explicit (and very necessary for me) instructions on how to add The Fallen
.gif she has up at her blog.

My new favorite Priest is a Mad one over at Of course, I could be wrong... (Don't you just love that title?? I mean... really- have you ever heard a preacher say that before??) Welcome, MadPriest, as my token Clergy! (Be careful of this godsfull heathen lesbian... I might just bite yer butt!)

Oh!! PJ!! (That's capital "P", capital "J") This gal wandered over from OCICBW (above) and not only does she LOVE NIN, I found this:

Abortions are nasty. But forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy to term—if she can't afford to, if it threatens her health, if the pregnancy occurred through rape or incest, or if she just flat-out doesn't want to go through with it—is a violation of human rights. No individual, no church, no state, has the right to use a woman's body as a vessel without regard for the woman who already inhabits it.

at her blog, pointless
Pointless?
I don't think so.

And thanks to BlueGal, I have discovered this bright spirit of Improvisations: Arab Woman Progressive Voice
News and Commentary on Arab Women, Palestine, Cultural Politics, and Everything in Between. This woman describes herself and her blog thusly:

These are improvisations: neither a manifesto nor a treatise because life is too complicated for either. Yet, I'm improvising as an Arab--Palestinian-- woman with a progressive point of view always under construction. Since I often find myself caught between anti-Arab racism and arab reactionary politics, both of which threaten to gag me, I'm raising my voice against both, hoping in the process to contribute an improvised note to a progressive Arab blogosphere.

The first sitting of my blackwork sleeve. (Sorry for the crazy pic. I took it myself and didn't edit it upright. Just turn your laptop sideways... or your head)In homage to my Syrian ancestry. The central image is the word "Peace" in stylized Arabic. The theme for this sleeve is multi cultural graphic symbology which represents my ideals of wholeness and untiy and love and magick. (Stay tuned. I'll post more pics as I have the work done. Also, let me give credit where credit is due. The ink is my daughter's (and apprentice's) first attempt at tattooing living flesh. Kudos, Fawn!!!)

I'm sure I haven't mentioned this, previously, but I am of Syrian ancestry. I think I haven't mentioned it only because it's only mildly relevant to/part of - my self image. I'm pretty much an american "mutt"; Syrian, French, Welsh and Irish. (Dad Syrian and Welsh-Mom French and Irish). I consider my ethnicity only within the context of surveys, applications and bigotry. I'm not "white" or even "Caucasian", but I don't really fall into any of the other ethnic classifications, either. If I do have to check a box, it's "other". When we all decided that "Blacks" were no longer "blacks", but "African Americans", (Or in the case of my son in law, "Egyptian American" ?? Go fucking figure!!) I played with the thought that I'm still a mix. Somewhere between a "Middle East and European American"! It's fucking insane. I'm a global citizen! I'm a woman!!! A human-fucking-bean!!
Anyway, I'm likin' this Arab woman.


I checked in on Ro's blog for a few lil blurbs (so nice... no long winded soliloquies, just short, sweet comments and questions) and found this lil Ode to Ro. I love it.

Gary writes:

truth teller
wild woman
mama girl
unafraid
standin up
4 those that cant
speakin up
4 those who r silenced
hopin we all
learn a little better
to see the world
thru rosie-colored
glasses

Another thought provoking question from "Wanda"

Ro
Ro
Ro
Ro
Do u know another name for first responders? Witnesses.

Yup. This has been a pretty damned "free" association. Time for some mindless TV, or maybe a movie. G'nite all! Everybody please comment! Talk, write, cite, opine, link, joke, flame, bait... whatever. It's a Free for ALL!!

What the Fuck???

...is "Open Thread Friday"??

So I'm really tryin' to get into the swing of the blogosphere. I've been cruising around trying to figure out what all the "Open Thread" posts designate. They have nothing in common from a content perspective, except of course, as it's relevant to the site. They don't appear to be a free for all most places, but at some they are. I've found some "Open Threads" that are maybe places you can pimp your blog or a post, I think. A couple that may be general commentary, several that seem to have a guest blogger submission, and at least one that has pretty much the usual.

Wha Fu...?

I do wanna give a big thank you

THANK YOU!!!!!

To a few of the folks that have been kind enough to help me learn a little and figure out how to navigate my foolish ass around.

Blue Gal, has been patient, supportive and informative, as have TenGrain at MPS and betmo

And a super big thank you

THANK YOU!!!!!

to everyone who has taken the time to stop and read and comment.

I've updated my blogrolls, today. I think I got most everyone I'm reading, but please let me know if you think you should be there and you're not.

And PLEASE someone thell me what "Open Thread" is!!!