tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84855042011-04-21T13:33:01.073-07:00"Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the Horns of the Unicorns." (Psalm 22:21) Commentary, complaints, woes, and wonders about Life, the human condition, grubberment, 'popped' culture, and the Planet Girth.LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1124038329851418352005-08-14T09:52:00.000-07:002005-08-14T09:52:09.883-07:00

The population of a Community called, 'Cindy' is real and growing rapidly. It's way more than just the One Lady who wandered into Crawford, Texas to shake the cobwebs out of a country's collective consciouness. The 'Village of Cindy' has surely drawn strength and inspiration from the gumption of one woman to stand up and say, "Stop it. Bring them home. Talk to me Mr. President, Please." And

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1121114833088331402005-07-11T13:47:00.000-07:002005-07-11T13:58:36.416-07:00

It may be big, but even Texas isn't big enough for the narcissum of Karl Rove. Pack his bags, haul his arse back there and you will find that even Nacogdoches doesn't have office space for that egocentric wannabe 'strategist.' Come on, be fair -- he's been a political hack, a Tactician; he's not Plato already! He was a damn lucky fellow in the right place at the right time and got 'adopted' into

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1116824089565840442005-05-22T21:54:00.000-07:002005-05-22T22:11:05.690-07:00

It's a bad time out there. You know, the so-called American 'hero' companies of 5-years ago suddenly take their profits and run and aren't fit to scrub out our recycle cans anymore.We've got the United Airline CEO bleeding corporate pension funds while in terminal bankruptcy, taking multi-million dollar bonuses while trying to screw flight attendants and reservation agents who aren't looking the

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1111292419025850782005-03-19T20:20:00.000-08:002005-03-19T20:20:19.026-08:00

We the people haven't seen the cost for last week's congressional hearings on baseball. It's Spring fever though and thoughts of pitching a few and not striking out appeal to the senses of a number of men 'suited up' in pin-stripes and horn-rims on Capitol Hill. Maybe there was a congresswoman in that bunch but she wasn't very visible. Nah, have to lay this blame on the fellows -- show them a

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1105561295851941372005-01-18T13:15:00.000-08:002005-01-19T12:00:16.810-08:00

Not so long ago it was enough that our civic mindedness and political awareness were adequately framed around affairs of our own neighborhoods and our nation. But that was then; this is now. Now (2005) we are consumed with elections in far away places. We have constructed a pseudo reality and broadcast the logical contention that elections outside our borders are tantamount in importance to our

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1105647836584299822005-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:002005-01-17T19:57:32.303-08:00

DISCLAIMER: The following is not a travelogue, nor is it paid for by Bangor's Chamber of Commerce or Tourism Bureau. It is blogservation about a place in U.S. history that is becoming more prominent in contemporary times for reasons perhaps unwanted by the community in question. This Blog does not question the rationale of Bangor's selection for prominence in contemporary history; it simply

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1105345728844963482005-01-10T01:28:00.000-08:002005-01-14T11:24:04.360-08:00

Imagine the headlines tomorrow: "The White House is talking to the senior leadership of each party as candidates' names are vetted for the last remaining cabinet post. The White House Press Corps released a draft of the qualifications still under revision. However, the President is eager to settle on a short list of three candidates within the next two weeks. The new Secretary will have full

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1105345655043634262005-01-10T01:19:00.000-08:002005-01-14T20:26:07.610-08:00

"U.N. workers systematically rape and sexually exploit women and children in war-torn countries they are sent to protect. . ." It's a hard time to find a bright spot in the newspaper lately. Natural disasters, also known as 'Acts of God,' are topping our collective imagination as a species in 2005. Somehow, some way, I think we will mourn, yet work our way through those nightmares. It's the '

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1103652830982650652004-12-21T09:27:00.000-08:002004-12-24T21:05:40.846-08:00

When did the Language of War become so insensitive and pop-'culturized'? You hear it with everyone from Wolf Blitzer to Peter Jennings. It used to be that the use of 'trendy' Language in the context of war topics was left to, well, Bloggers and bloggerheads. But now, with mainstream media crossing the gap to pick up the nasty habit too, there's an atrocious banter going on around some horrific

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1103267613044327902004-12-16T23:13:00.000-08:002004-12-16T23:34:25.400-08:00

After another season of the Donald's, The Apprentice, it occurs to me that the White House could learn a lot about vetting their appointments to all sorts of positions including the cabinet, supreme court, and lesser crowns like ambassadorships. They could simply create a 'reality' tv show and let the country help weed out the candidates. The recent embarrassment over NY's Bernard Kerik to

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1102901964931849072004-12-12T17:38:00.000-08:002004-12-12T18:34:22.300-08:00

No matter your politics, there are U.S. troops around the world who are feeling the pangs of prolonged separation from their families and friends, many of whom are located in harm's way. Their conditions of daily living and survival at 'work' are not great; we all wish it could be better. Separating the causes and the finger-pointing for a moment, let us remember that there is something that we

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1102825273207148882004-12-11T19:39:00.000-08:002004-12-11T20:31:28.940-08:00

Across the country, scores of World War II servicemen, their wives, and the nurses who tended the troops are dwindling daily. Any newspaper in Any Town, U.S.A. lists the obituaries of the men and women whose commitment to duty made all the difference in a grueling era of deprivation and fear. Yet there are still precious souls among us who, upon casual conversation, can be persuaded to take us

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1102567747187900792004-12-08T20:49:00.000-08:002004-12-08T21:43:43.370-08:00

Some news days are almost too surreal to believe. Today was one of them. Chronicling both Pres. Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's flights of fury to Camp Pendleton, CA and Camp Buehring, Kuwait respectively allowed them to acknowledge the time-honored Pearl Harbor Day occasion with real troops, not just veterans. And of course, it was to buck up the morale of the troops, the ones already

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1102351395128998132004-12-06T08:43:00.000-08:002004-12-06T09:00:01.203-08:00

There will be many more analyses, investigative hours, and possible charges over the recent report that NFL player turned-soldier Corporal (Army Ranger) Pat Tilman was killed last April by ‘friendly fire’ in Afghanistan. The tragedy of his death stands alongside the collective tragedies of more than 1,400 coalition troops as of this writing. When you step one hour, one day, one week or one year

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1102312312810082992004-12-05T21:51:00.000-08:002004-12-07T23:53:59.023-08:00

[The following letter was sent to a Northeast newspaper to set the record straight on their reporting.] Dear newspaper editor, Thanks to the Internet, we're reading your newspaper in Baghdad as well as in Arizona. Your November 21, 2004 article ("Dispatches from the front") warrants some serious clarification for readers. You see, as it is, the reporter might have left you with the impression

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1102310207024903622004-12-05T21:16:00.000-08:002004-12-05T21:38:08.090-08:00

Doesn't seem fair on top of everything else to be picking on Santa, does it? But out there, in shopping malls and department stores around the U.S., thousands of children line up to sit on Santa's lap and tell their innermost secrets and wishes for the Christmas season. Turns out, this is good for business too. You see, Santa Claus helps bring in numbers of shoppers who spend extra time and

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1100818441236312262004-11-18T13:55:00.000-08:002004-11-20T05:31:46.233-08:00

Until 1947 the U.S. had a peculiar succession plan should disaster strike both the president and the vice-president. The reins of power in those days were to be turned over to the senior cabinet official -- the Secretary of State. For many ponderous reasons, Congress debated this situation for years and finally enacted a law in '47 which placed 2 additional persons between the the White House

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1100248322469502662004-11-12T01:32:00.000-08:002004-11-12T06:59:22.953-08:00

November 11, Veteran's Day, is already an emotional day for many of us. It's a day of remembering, of honoring those whose contributions in service of their county is brought full center once a year, once again. Veterans come in all shape and sizes. Some are hospitalized; some don't remember much due to dementia type diseases or brain injuries in combat. Yes, some towns still put on remarkable

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099600888811431612004-11-04T13:41:00.000-08:002004-11-05T11:02:25.180-08:00

Third-term President Bush (oops, that's 2nd for W and 3rd for their dynasty) implores all Americans including the 55 million people who voted to oust him from office to get behind him. [Note: that was on Nov. 3; by the 4th the tone had chilled considerably.] I think they will. No matter who sits in that oval office, Americans are watching closely, now more than ever. With particular attention

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099527600112232062004-11-03T16:20:00.000-08:002004-11-03T16:35:44.216-08:00

A parade is best enjoyed by two or more. Thank God, the election is over and no matter how we voted, individually, we voted and it's over -- for four more years. Turn off any channel that's already talking 2008 -- too soon! We need national recovery, national healing, unity of purpose, and getting back to the business of the country's business. While the media commentators kept a lively

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099463687535367292004-11-02T22:34:00.000-08:002004-11-05T20:14:23.463-08:00

Sometimes a tune gets stuck in your brain like: "People say I'm the life of the party 'cause I tell a joke or two; Although I might be laughing loud and hearty, Deep inside I'm blue; So take a good look at my face -- You'll see my smile looks out of place; If you look closer it's easy to trace the tracks of my tears." and then I just wait until it takes me where it's apparently supposed to. In

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099451336222729452004-11-02T19:08:00.000-08:002004-11-02T19:47:07.170-08:00

You've heard it, someone saying, "I got out of jury duty by telling them. . ." Of course, there are a few valid excuses for not serving a civic role like jury duty. Mostly, though, people are just escaping personal inconvenience and putting their burden on someone else. Shame on you. Shame on me. But the country needs more than jury duty volunteers; they needed us during this election as poll

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099365140727366222004-11-01T19:12:00.000-08:002004-11-01T23:14:26.310-08:00

Early in Geo. H. W. Bush's presidency (the father), he pined for a "kinder, gentler nation," wishing that we-the-People were more like the Waltons (remember the depression-era barefoot clan in the hills who never had health insurance?) and less like the Simpsons. The power of TV, pop culture, even made it into the consciousness of the elite heads of state. Nobody's recently suggested that we

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099083147494048312004-10-29T13:52:00.000-07:002004-11-01T16:44:08.696-08:00

While this post will become dated shortly after the national election, the spirit of the message should linger with a portion of the nation for a long time afterward. Notice how the long-standing "red" and "blue" states have now been joined by "Purple" states? Scared pollsters, reluctant-to-commit electorate, and hourly-breaking wacky news items all combined to take some states that were thought

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099019314569195132004-10-28T20:08:00.000-07:002004-10-28T20:30:25.100-07:00

Most of us like a good party, but few of us get to bill the federal government for it while awarding ourselves for our clever ingenuity. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) did just this in November 2003 but somehow like so many things it only came to the public's attention in recent weeks. Why is that? See, a half-million dollar party ($461,745) would often catch our attention if

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1099009806940558652004-10-28T17:30:00.000-07:002004-10-28T20:32:42.543-07:00

The long line backed up leading to the security stations at one of the Detroit Metro terminals. It creeped ever so slowly as the layers of TSA staff performed their specific tasks. I knew that when I reached the first stop, I would be sent to the 'Outer Banks' -- that distant, but much shorter line -- due to the "SSSS" branded on the bottom of my boarding pass. This was their clue that I needed

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1098821535317414892004-10-26T13:12:00.000-07:002004-10-28T01:44:07.960-07:00

More than 2 weeks ago the Iraqi government's representative to the Ministry of Science and Technology's Planning and Following Up Directorate, Mohammed J. Abbas, informed the United Nations that tons of high explosives were missing in Iraq. Notifying the UN watchdog monitoring group,The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was relevant in that this group had last inventoried the facility

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1098685325081171612004-10-24T22:31:00.000-07:002004-10-25T03:59:52.753-07:00

Like those interminable drips of the faucet, each tree keeps dropping another basket of leaves hourly keeping the rakes flying in the neighborhood. But the busiest rakings going on are occurring the last days before the presidential election. Who knew that raking the national 'yard' could be so uncomfortably felt on so many levels? No candidate can hardly endure the marathon of adrenalin rush.

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1098587983334885182004-10-23T20:19:00.000-07:002004-10-23T20:34:00.626-07:00

Sometimes it takes that random sidetrack trip around the U.S. to help calibrate the nation. These travels, particularly when confined in a town like Detroit, to pick on one, suffering with an upper respiratory infection and unable to fly as I am now, means that you will end up reading newspapers that are not your normal reads. That is, if you're a reader, didn't bring adequate reading materials

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1098391955106822422004-10-21T13:52:00.000-07:002004-10-21T14:02:49.650-07:00

We can all make a big difference upon international trade and keeping jobs in the U.S. by starting with our littlest consumers. It's our responsibility, really; just like teaching kids to look both ways before crossing the street. Take a look at the label on that plastic pumpkin, that cute t-shirt, the bicycle attachment, the pinwheel he or she wants to carry in the town parade. Get into the

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1098161837499741862004-10-18T21:57:00.000-07:002004-10-19T21:20:59.710-07:00

It comes on very good authority that there is a loosely structured movement afoot and it's brought on by nothing less than a complaint heard in many parts of this country this year and four years ago, "I'm sick and tired of my vote not counting because I'm in a state where the Electoral College is already 'figured out' so it really doesn't matter if I knock myself out to vote in a downpour on

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1098148779347333402004-10-18T18:19:00.000-07:002004-10-18T21:41:42.690-07:00

Few walk alone, especially those men at the top who live in that big white house. Did we really think Jackie didn't know that Jack was a rabid cheater? That Lady Bird didn't need to plant all those pretty roses as all those handsome soldiers fell dead in Vietnam. Or that Pat didn't endure being an abused spouse, physically and emotionally? Was it so peculiar that Betty turned to drink for the

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1097988122298477962004-10-16T21:10:00.000-07:002004-10-16T21:50:21.006-07:00

No point in calling or getting up early to drive to the clinic on the east side or the Costco on the other side of town. You're just not gonna get that flu shot this year. Sure, you need it. Yes, you qualify in that urgent category. Sorry, when you're a country like the U.S., national health care is just not a priority. Can't predict if Canada will bail us out of our mess either. Hey, how easy

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1097969726721509322004-10-16T16:35:00.000-07:002004-11-02T18:21:09.173-08:00

Since 1980 the mention of this particular word, 'draft,' conjures up much more than a rough version of a letter or a waft of air on the neck causing a chill. It implies, in the worst case, images of somebody else's sons (because so far, they're the only ones who are required under federal penalties of $250,000) registering at local post offices upon attaining 18 years of age. So why are we all

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1097900056121999942004-10-15T21:14:00.000-07:002004-10-16T16:37:52.770-07:00

Just visiting NYC during a meeting this week and thought I'd take the camera out for some interesting 'views' since last here. If my $200 per night "3 star" [Har!] hotel room was big enough to take a picture in I'd include it on the Blog but the room is so darn pathetic it's preferable to walk in the rain among crooked umbrellas universally aiming for my retina. Thank goodness the 'wayward' folks

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1097692538051537532004-10-13T11:35:00.000-07:002004-10-13T11:35:38.050-07:00

Such a big measure of success in Afghanistan and Iraq is our claim to have 'liberated' women from being forced to wear the traditional veil. But I contend, metaphorically, that the U.S. is doing nothing to remove our own women's 'veils' in the political arena as witnessed this election cycle. Where are the women's voices in 2004? Most commentators are men; some pundits are women but their

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1097690025859474452004-10-13T10:53:00.000-07:002004-10-13T10:53:45.860-07:00

I'm ready to see an air marshall plow down one of these self-absorbed travelers who doesn't think that the repeated announcements about staying in their seats during the 30-minutes prior to landing (or take-off) at DCA -- Washington National/Reagan Airport -- pertain to them. Again and again, somebody's bladder apparently just can't wait. Two or three laptop computers from people sitting in

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1096559472255479352004-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:002004-09-30T09:47:02.166-07:00

Anyone else MAD as hell with convoluted company voicemail systems? Anyone else have a friend or relative out of work? Anyone else 'taken it on the chin' too many times from being disconnected after 20 minutes of wading through endless questions and telephone button pushing? Why are we such patsies of corporate greed? 'Cause that's what it's about, you know -- how they can save a buck and we

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1096452088314725222004-09-29T03:01:00.000-07:002004-09-29T20:24:00.036-07:00

A long time ago Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that people will judge how wise a leader ('prince' in the text) is by his choice of close advisors or 'ministers.' The main criterion for a good and trusted advisor is one who puts the prince's concerns over those of his own. We can think of 'ministers' as heads of cabinet departments to our modern day version of the 'prince,' or the President. A

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1096269915004916462004-09-27T01:25:00.000-07:002004-09-27T00:55:40.430-07:00

While I first wrote this several months ago, I wrote it for myself and friends. Some of them suggested sharing it and I think it is as relevant now as it was then so I'm sharing it with my Blog. The article was published in the Fort Campbell Courier on Christmas Eve 2003. Poignantly the U.S. death toll as of today's publication now exceeds 1,000, unlike when this piece was written. -- Lucy After

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485504.post-1096235497057692472004-09-26T14:22:00.000-07:002004-10-26T19:30:50.416-07:00

This is my 1st post to a Brand New (baby) Blog. Hey, until I researched several sites, I wasn't sure what a Blog really is. Now I realize it's not just one thing but a Blog can be a Forum for expressing sentiments about topical issues or journal style day-in-the-life experiences. Sgtlizzie.blogspot.com is the gal who motivated me to get going and I wouldn't have known about hers unless I read an

LifeWriternoreply@blogger.com