Snowbound!

For the second time in a week we are snowbound - homebound!  This time the snow is very wet and heavy - the kind that is perfect for building snow people, forts, and bringing down power lines.  We wait and hope that the power stays on.  We are spoiled.  The drifts are too high for a very short "lady of age" to traverse, so getting to the mailbox is tricky.  Plucky me - I press forward only to discover the mail was not delivered!!!  Very funny!

Irony abounds.  I had been traveling and just returned to Kansas from California just exactly in time for the first blizzard.  In fact I was one of the last flights to make it in to KCI before KCI was closed for the first storm. Being stranded in air terminals does not suit me - thus my motto holds: "Lucky Is Me!"  (My CA. relatives make frequent calls to check up on my situation - appalled that I left their perfect surroundings.) "There's No Place Like Home."  REALLY?

The farmers are happy.  Any moisture is welcome during our great drought. You all will be happy to know that means less money that our KS. legislators will be requesting from the rest of you for farm aid.  Now, you recall our fine legislators - each and every one - voted AGAINST helping those in desperate need after a storm named "Sandy."  Check the list, my darlings. They are also the same champion team that treated Bob Dole like dirt, and tripped over each other racing off to their houses of worship to prove their "holier than thou" credentials before they returned to state houses and Washington to cut funds for children, the elderly, education, and health care.  But ------- DO NOT FORGET THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DROUGHT AND "THE FARMLAND'S" VERY REAL NEEDS - it TRULY is a DISASTER!  It just happens to be "OUR" disaster.  LET IT SNOW!

How About Those Boy Scouts?

In the last blog we were talking about maturity, or the lack thereof.  Enter stage right, The Boy Scouts Of America and today's "charming" decision that underscores their bigotry. If you have to put off making an obvious decision to do the right thing, you are then fully entertaining the thought of NOT doing the right thing.  You are not invested in getting rid of discrimination, and you want to give the bigots more time to organize.  It is that simple.  Bigotry almost slipped away when the polling numbers showed more people were in favor of stopping the discrimination.  I guess more people actually said yes to those "scouting values," and that scared the stuffing out of the haters.  "We need more time to organize," screamed those same haters - lacking in maturity, and fearful that they may actually be held to The Boy Scout Oath.  Well, the bigots won their delay, and The Boy Scouts do not seem very brave!

Attending The State Of the Union?

Just today the news reported that several congressmen were proudly announcing that they were not going to attend The State Of the Union Address.  Here we go again!  The great challenge to our nation's  maturity. Do you have to get to be my age to understand the magnitude of these "fine" decisions not to attend a State Of The Union Address? I'm assuming that there is no one to advise such congress people as to how this "grand gesture" comes across to a great portion of the electorate.  But returning  to the word "maturity" ----- somewhere along about the 15th or 16th year of life I'm guessing that the process of maturing for these people stopped dead!  Even though they now have the bodies of full grown adults, they state that they plan to sit in their offices and tweet!  By golly, that will surely show our President!  WELL DONE!

Do these fine leaders advise their own children to act in such a manner?  How would that go?  "Do not show good sportsmanship, youngster.  Sulk at home and do nothing to help your school or team. Better yet, make a show of staying at home."  Ahhh perfect!

Seeing how you can show disrespect to the President ------ it never gets old.

The Heart Assoc. Tried To Guilt Me!!

Has this ever happened to you? I swear, The Heart Assoc. just tried to "guilt" me into accepting their neighborhood canvasing packet. You know the one.  It holds all the materials needed to cover your neighborhood - mail envelopes to neighbors asking for their contributions,  use of money is explained, a list of the amount of donations is made, receipts and stickers are given, and you are required to tally and return everything to The Heart Assoc. etc., etc..

One year I agreed to do my part. I gladly did what was asked to represent my neighborhood.  Since that time, I have received an annual call asking me to "work the neighborhood" again. I usually reply that it is the turn of another neighbor, and I go on to explain that I work with other groups, which is quite true.  THIS YEAR I DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL.  So what happened?  They just went ahead and sent the packet without my consent.  The front of that packet was covered with print remarking on my thoughtfulness for "agreeing  to help The Heart Assoc."  HOLD ON THERE!  JUST A DAMN MINUTE!  I DID NOT AGREE TO ANYTHING!  I DIDN'T EVEN GET A CALL!

I asked around and found out that others had had the same experience. Yes, I do feel "guilty" to say that I returned the packet unopened.  I noted on the front the following: Return to sender - I did not agree to receive this!"  I suppose some of the other victims went ahead and answered the call. I didn't ask them how they handled it because I didn't want to know just how terrible I was!  A few, though, offered the information that they had returned their packets and made a mental note to no longer donate to The Heart Assoc.!

 No one said they put the packet in the trash. So that is a good thing, but my final thought is  ---- who is this person that thinks this is a proper way to reach someones's heart while attempting to save people's hearts?

You MUST Meet The Newest Kansas Star!

Meet Tim Huelskamp!  Kansas, First District - Dodge City!  Calling card:  Against decency on the most basic levels.
1.) He thought people politicized the tragedy "so quickly."  That would be his thinking about 20 children being gunned down..  Tim says, "It is not a gun problem."
2.) Tim attempted to head up that coup against Speaker Boehner.  (Just so you see how far to the right he is.)
3.)  Ah, now we get to the core of Mr. Tim Huelskamp.  He accepted lots and lots of federal aid for Kansas tornado disaster needs while saying NO to Hurricane Sandy victims.  You got it!  This guy is one of the ring leaders of that crowd.
4.) Tim's family has accepted millions in farm subsidies, even though our Tim himself is not actually a farmer.  He has scammed the system for federal money to the tune of hundreds of millions.  In fact, if you research this professional scammer in the world of farm lobbying and pay offs ---- not to mention where all his campaign finances come from, you will see this guy actually "wrote the proverbial book!"  You have to know how to put things in your parent's names as well as other family members so it doesn't look quite so filthy.  Then, you can stand in judgement, and make other people's lives hell!
5.)This man, along with all the other Representatives from Kansas voted NO on the Sandy relief package.  (They  did like an "off-sets package" that oddly wasn't a condition to all that aid that came to tornado damaged Kansas.)
6.)  We may look like rural rubes 'just a settin out here on the farm,' but you city folk should be aware, and be afraid.  Be very afraid! Even though Speaker Boehner  stripped our ambitious little Tim of a committee leadership position, the "Timster" is a vengeful man.  He and his family have amassed a fortune, and they are deep into the Kansas political culture.  He will count on your taking him for just another right winger from a red state, while he further enriches himself and hopes you don't notice that  ---- the hawk is circling in that clear cloudless Kansas sky..... just above you!

"What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?"

Aw, I'm just borrowing the name of an old Blake Edwards film circa 1966.  A WWII comedy of bumbling and mishaps. One of the best parts for today's purposes is the title.  I am "lifting" the title and changing it to, "What Did You Do During The 112th Congress Daddy or Mommy?"

Just imagine the conversations "The 112th" folks can have with their children or grandchildren.  The kiddos might ask, "Just exactly what did you do while serving in Congress?  What did you accomplish?"  The proud members of The 112th can now proudly answer, "Well we blocked the first African - American President at every turn.  Yep, we did our best to keep him from being successful at attaching his name to any legislation that would end well for this country.  Darned if he didn't get health care through - after a fashion, and despite us, and boy howdy, did he shock the hell out of us by getting re-elected!  We did our level best to make his presidency a failure --- but ----"  "NO, NO  NO," says the the inquisitive child.  "What did you do for the country?" "The 112th" answers, "NOTHING, my child. We did nothing for the country."  Working  for the country was not one of our dedicated goals, and there is no guarantee that that it is a goal of "The 113th."

"We" fulfilled our goal right up until the very end when it all went so very wrong, and President Obama soundly won re-election.  "The 113th" has only barely started their journey into history.  Will they be able to understand that "What They Do During The War," is only a matter of honor if their goal is to build and strengthen --- not destroy our country?  Can "The 113th"make that distinction?  Do they want to  make that distinction?  I hope they don't ultimately decide to bumble their way through mishap after mishap.  Real life is not a Blake Edwards' comedy.

What's In A Name? "The Tea Party!"

Forgive the prairie expression - but I'm sure "this is ground that has already been plowed!"  And yet, the Tea Party??  Why are we still taking these people so seriously?  Why are they so powerful?  My God, they are certainly not statesmen.  They do not know what it is to be statesmen, and if they were enlightened on the subject, their first and only response would be a "no" much as a child says "no" - foot stomping and all.

Actually, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the term "tea party" is a juvenile gathering.  I think of this as a group who plays at being grown up ---- a group, that much as children often do - will refuse to continue to play if you don't play their way.

It boarders on tragic that adults chose to dress up in tri-cornered hats or hats decorated with tea bags, and thus adorned proudly dictated terms for governing.  Equally horrific was the fact that people who knew better, (after the "dress up ceased,") elected these goofs to go off to Washington, and thus put an end to "statesmanship."

Again, my imagination will not rest whenever I hear that damnable term "Tea Party."  I not only think of guests in the nursery, but I always think of the guests at the tea party in Alice In Wonderland. You remember.  The "Unbirthday Party."  My what fine  attendees there were.  High on the list was The Mad Hatter and The March Hare.  I can't get them out of my mind.  The fact that the Tea Party is taken seriously absolutely makes one feel that we have truly fallen down the rabbit hole. It is all madness.

I'm waiting through the next few hours to see how "the fiscal cliff/ rabbit hole" is or is not resolved.  Why is any part of the negotiations being done with those who demand that we consider the dictates of the "child - like politicians" of a Tea Party?   As for the cliff - "No time to say, hello, goodbye, we're late, we're late, we're late!"