Blog Directory ID: 1681
Blog URL: http://michaelannland.blogspot.com/
Google Pagerank: 4
Blog Description: Michaelann Land is the political and personal blog of a longtime community activist in Springfield Massachusetts. It tracks homelessness, poverty and environmental news in Western Mass and elsewhere, with random bursts of poetry and humor.
Blog Category: Activism Blogs
Blog Owner: michaelann bewsee
Blog Added: February 18, 2008 12:24:38 AM
Audience Rating: General Audience
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Wednesday at the Wellfleet Library
A few days before leaving for the Cape I was in Goodwill browsing the books and I came upon a copy of That Quail, Robert-- a 1962 edition. I'd never heard of the book before, but the title caught my eye-- turns out it was written by a woman who lived in Orleans, MA all her life; one of her good friends lived in Wellfleet...in other words, a Cape Cod book. Very charming.The rental cottage:
twenty cups and dinner platesbut only four forks.
I haven't forgotten
Yes, I still care about my blog and my readers, but since I've gotten out of the hospital I've been so far behind in everything else-- my job, Arise, and my personal responsibilities-- that I haven't been able to build up the momentum to post. Now I am off on vacation, and what with arranging house sitting, cat care, etc., I'll be lucky to leave the house on time.Looks like one of my cats will be coming with me. Right this second he's at the vet's, where he's been since Wednesday with a blocked ureter. Assuming he is well enough to leave (which he probably is, but I'll find out within the hour), he will have to come with me because I can't expect my housesitter to recognize if he is getting sick again.
Ah, Wellfleet. Some people go on vacation for adventure, but I go to relax, and once I'm at the Atlantic Ocean, I feel like I've been there forever.
My sister and I are splitting the cost of a laptop, and the Wellfleet Library has wireless, so I hope to post while I'm away.
I still care about: homeless people, poverty, the fate of our environment, food and hunger, and the wellbeing of my home community, Springfield, MA-- and, of course, my children, granddaughter, friends, animals and poetry!
Talk to you soon.
Moss
Check out this site, Fed by Birds, for some pictures of moss:
No War in Iran
It's pouring now but the rain held off this afternoon long enough for 200 people to surround Springfield's Federal Building. We had speeches, signs, all the usual props that go with an anti-war demonstration...and determination to speak out against the possibility of war.I won't say that anti-war activists aren't tired....we are. But still we rise.
Half an hour or so into our demonstration, three guys with two sign each stood across the street from us, protesting our protest. Unfortunately for them, that meant they couldn't wave at the passing cars and get honks of confirmation. I don't remember all of what their signs said...some reference to the "Loony Left"...but the one that stuck in my mind said, "Peace is achieved when our enemies are defeated." I guess it can seem that way sometimes.....but I'm more inclined to believe peace is achieved when we can turn our enemies into friends.
Our permit to protest was from 4 - 5 pm. About 4:45, two cruisers arrived and four officers got out. One of them told us that at 5 pm, we would have to leave. Ellen from Arise, one of the planners, negotiated an extension so that the monks and nuns from the Peace Pagoda could finish their prayers. A few minutes after 5 o'clock, we were finished...for the moment.
Tonight CNN's Jack Cafferty reported that U.S. troops serving abroad have donated to Obama at six times the rate they've donated to McCain! Hmm...wonder what that could mean.
Some comments emailed to Cafferty about why:
Michael from Greenfield, Wisconsin writes:
As a Vietnam era ex-Marine veteran with a son who is in the Army and was wounded in Iraq in 2003, I would never give a penny to John McCain. I personally do not know any other veterans who are donating to McCain either. Jack, veterans hate war, wrong wars, and the people who talk so cavalierly about waging them. Usually those who never served during war, or never served at all, are the ones who talk so loosely about war. The veterans who I knew that liked war were either stupid, crazy, homicidal, or all of the above. Where does that leave McCain?
Ronald writes:
As a resident of Arizona and a combat veteran, I have had occasion to contact ?our? senator on a matter of interest to veterans. Not only did his staff do nothing, they didn?t even have the courtesy to acknowledge they received my emails (2). McCain can say he is ?always there? for veterans, but that is just hot air. Contrary to what George Bush said, both he and McCain opposed the new GI bill.
Shana writes:
As an active duty sailor who has been in the Navy for the entire Bush administration, I am tired - sick and tired of fighting in a war I opposed from the beginning. I did donate to Obama?s campaign because the U.S. needs change and not more of McBush. Who wants to spend 100 years in Iraq if need be? Not me. If McSame is elected, I would have spent my whole 20 years in the military in Iraq.
David from Tampa, Florida writes:
Jack, The reason is the lower ranks, guys with their butts on the line doing the dirty work, want to return home quickly. They will support that candidate who will extract them from harm?s ways, they hope. Higher-ranking officers, who spend most of their time brown-nosing for their next promotion and are in the rear areas and pretty much out of harm?s way, support those they believe will increase their lot in life. Respectfully a Vietnam era vet.
Alphabet riddle
A, B, D, G, O, P, Q, R, U-- what do these letters have in common?
Picture Walgreen's and K-Mart-- these are the huge (and often lit and therefore heated) letters where little birds choose to nest. Look for yourself the next time you are there.
Stumbling around on the web, I found a Found Poem someone had written which perfectly describes an experience I love to have-- I'll stop thinking about writing a poem about it, because this one is perfect!
Mervyn Peake
Liberals: two views
(A bit dated, but not by much.)
Love Me, I'm a Liberal
By Phil Ochs
(Born 1940, died 1976)
I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every coloured boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the AFL-CIO board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I read New Republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I vote for the Democratic Party.
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
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