The Progressive Blog Alliance HQ

By PaulEdward Snyder
2004 C.E.

A garbage pail
Black on a street of pastel
Brimming with trash
And the leavings of trees
Alone on a curb of shaven green grass

A sad lonely bucket
Reminding the dusk
That others will come
Clatter and clank
Then silent and surly
Sprouting like mushrooms
Silhouettes in the night

Just before dawn
Clashing and clanging
First far away
Grows louder
Crescendo
Descends into distance

Silhouettes no longer
They’ve whisked out of sight
Furtive
Ashamed
Exposed by the light

Leaving the trash basket
Unlidded and emptied
To again stand alone
And blemish perfection
Inspiring this poem

Meanwhile in Heaven a long way away
The One Who Creates
Opens the gates
Allowing to enter one single sinner
Reminding the rest
That He is God
And they the blest

What a lovely juxtaposition: One Mexican and one American: Two unyielding women poets. Paintsgalore our American muse from Florida sings with the same sweetness and vigor as Sor Juana Ines did. And both understand men, no doubt. While Sor Juana (the first feminist of the Americas) rebelled against the machismo of her times, Ashlee (Paintsgalore) does, too. But her message is cryptic and yet firm. But, let me not spoil the delight--let me not hold you back from the ecstasy of fine poetry:

From Kristendom in the Big Apple: Rockefeller Center

When I am asked if I believe in God, I feel defensive. I feel as if I have been cornered and there is no escape. I feel that if I answer yes I am not being truthful and if I answer no the person to whom I am answering will assume something about me that is not true. It is a quandary with which I have struggled most of my life. I have resolved it by answering no and accepting the stigma of being an atheist which technically I probably am, though in fact I am not.

I’ll try to explain. I have a relationship with God even though I see no evidence that there is a God. This relationship is partly one I have come to recognize and partly a decision I have made. There is deep within me a realization that I am not alone. There is me and there is not me. This not me is an all encompassing not me but not in a kind of inside outside relationship. It is more an ego alter ego relationship extended to what is outside of me and way beyond. In answering the resulting question of where did this extended alter ego come from, I am forced to make a decision. Is it real or is it imagined?

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中新网3月9日电 《瞭望》周刊刊载中央民族大学法学院教授熊文钊的文章指出，为了规范编制行为，保障规划的科学性翻译公司，国务院责成有关部门研究起草了《规划编制条例》，对规划编制的前期准备工作及其酝酿、起草、衔接、论证、批准、公布和修订等各个环节的程序作出明确规定，目前杭州网站建设，编制条例已列入国务院立法计划。礼品|礼品公司租车|上海租车汽车租赁|上海汽车租赁电动机。

God

God created

God created big time

God created so much big time

There was little time left

More than 2000 families in the United States will celebrate this Holiday Season with an empty seat at their dinner table. That number represents the number of United States Servicemen that were killed in Iraq, fighting Dubyas "Private War'. 2000 Parents who lost their sons, possibly 2000 children who lost their fathers. For What?Cindy Sheehan has campained non-stop for the war to end, for the troops to be brought home. Her table will be one of those with an empty seat, the seat that should be occupied by her son Casey. But, Casey is dead thanks to Dubya and company.We must all raise our voices with Ms. Sheehan and demand an end to that war NOW. At a meeting recently held in Brooklyn, New York, sponsored by the Brooklyn Parents for Peace, Cindy Sheehan read a poem that was written by her younger daughter. I present it here in memory of her son, and all those that died in vain for no just cause.~ A Nation Rocked To Sleep/For CaseyBy Carly Sheehan (Casey Sheehan's younger sister)Have you ever heard the sound of a mother screaming for her son?The torrential rains of a mother's weeping will never be done.They call him a hero, you should be glad he's one, but,Have you ever heard the sound of a mother screaming for her son?Have you ever heard the sound of a father holding back his cries?They say he must be brave because his boy died for another mans lies.The only thing he allows himself are long, deep sighs.Have you ever heard the sound of a father holding back his cries?Have you ever heard the sound of taps played at your brother's grave?They say he died so the flag will continue to wave,But I believe he died because they had oil to save.Have you ever heard the sound of taps played at your brother's grave?Have you ever heard the sound of a Nation Rocked to Sleep?The leaders want to keep you numb so the pain won't be so deep,But if we the people let them continue, another mother will weep.Have you ever heard the sound of a Nation Rocked to Sleep? ~ A Nation Rocked To Sleep/For CaseyBy Carly Sheehan Copyrighted 2004

Rachel says this better than I can, and she has the moral force that
comes from being one of the survivors from the Piccadilly line bombing.
So if you are British, British born or plan to visit London in the near future then please take the time to read her posts and sign the petition if you feel you can support us.

HONEST, RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT & A FAIR SHARE ECONOMY

Recently (Wednesday, August 24), the Dianne Rehm show featured a number of national-level progressive luminaries. At one point they were asked to give a snapshot of what the Democratic party stands for.....Much to my amazement and dismay, they proceeded to spew a laundry list of specific issues, instead of voicing a coherent set of 'frames'. As a result, listeners were left with the same old fuzzy, contrarian picture of the un-GOP, I mean the Democratic party. Unbelievable.

As a songwriter (and progressive activist and teacher and dabbler in communications and advertising), I have a fascination with this question and, I humbly submit, at least something of a way with words. So here's what I've been kicking around for the past few months. Hopefully, parts of this construct will spread to where it'll count:

WAKING UP IN CRAWFORD, TEXAS

By Buddy Spell

 

 

LOUISIANA ACTIVIST NETWORKwww.newdemocracyrising.com

www.Upbeatdefiance.com August 22, 2005

The guy at Sears said the tent would sleep four comfortably. He was lying. But here we are; Alex, the beautiful five year old Ella, Annie and I all jammed together in a cloth box in a Texas ditch on a hot August morning. I wake up sweating and hear the sound of whispering a few feet away from the tent. I ponder the last few hours: did I sleep? For how long? Why do I feel this way even though I didn’t drink last night? And so dirty...

 

Last night I heard that Joan Baez was scheduled to sing at Camp Casey. They weren't sure exactly when, and there was some confusion seeing as Cindy had to fly back to be with her mom. But I am sure that Cindy would love for everyone to protest in her place. So don't hesitate to go to Crawford. Bring some food and helpful attitude and check your ego at the door please. Thanks! Brendan http://politicalswitchboard.com

Blues
Fest in the Morning

Early
in the morning

tension
rains,

just
can’t

blame.

Singing
a song,

relishing
repair

for
all those wrongs.

To everyone out there who supports Cindy Sheehan and her efforts...send her flowers!! (preferably yellow ones!) Show her you mourn her loss and you support her tremendous courage to try and get answers from this president who believes he shouldn't be held accountable for his actions. Let the media know, and anyone who questions Cindy, that there is massive support for her and her goal. Let her receive thousands of flowers!!! Call: Irene's Flowers & Gifts at(254) 840-3772- they deliver to Crawford ditches!!!

Thank you and let's hope that peace is on the horizon!

Felicia

Olney, MD

***Please pass this idea along to your friends!****

To everyone out there who supports Cindy Sheehan and her efforts...send her flowers!! (preferably yellow ones!) Show her you mourn her loss and you support her tremendous courage to try and get answers from this president who believes he shouldn't be held accountable for his actions. Let the media know, and anyone who questions Cindy, that there is massive support for her and her goal. Let her receive thousands of flowers!!! Call: Irene's Flowers & Gifts at(254) 840-3772- they deliver to Crawford ditches!!!

Thank you and let's hope that peace is on the horizon!

Felicia

Olney, MD

***Please pass this idea along to your friends!****

Ok - check out this free online movie site, it's purpose is to provoke the viewer into launching an investigation into the meaning of their life.

A new movie up every Monday morning, only 2-5 minutes long ... uses interviews with celebrities and extraordinary ordinary people.

http://www.monday9am.tv

Love to hear the views/debate from each movie.

NIC - (in London)

Philosoraptor (to whom I was led by Lindsay at Majikthise) predicts a new wave of flag-protection hysteria, prompted by reports of flag desecration by Islamic militants. Years ago, during an earlier iteration of the recurring moral panic over flag "desecration", I started a series of artworks consisting of U.S. flags with pertinent quotations printed on them. Each time the issue flares up, I make some more, and by now I've got enough for a small gallery installation. I offer them here in the hope that readers will find them edifying, amusing, or discomforting, as their tastes may be.

Frist just got BURIED on the Senate Floor - From ThinkProgress.org:

This morning on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer asked Majority Leader Bill Frist a simple question:

SEN. SCHUMER: Isn’t it correct that on March 8, 2000, my colleague voted to uphold the filibuster of Judge Richard Paez?

Here was Frist’s response:

The president, the um, in response, uh, the Paez nomination - we’ll come [...] [We the People Blog - by William Rivers Pitt]

The evolution of a Blog Story - I posted this story based of a tip I got from Pelosi's office:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3654428
Thank you Tom for the scoop!

It was reposted on Kos by Saralee:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/13/22223/5986
Thank you Claudia!

It made the 2nd most recommended diary for Kos tonight! HUGE plus!

Bloggers then began cross-posting... now the media is picking it up!http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=3342839

Schulz: Speak - it is our only hope.

The Jewish Barber (Charlie Chaplin's character): Hope... I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor - that's not my business - I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.

We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.

The way of life can be free and beautiful.

But we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men's souls - has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.

Perhaps someone has already said this. My apologies if that's the case... The ANWR Senate vote got me thinking yesterday about the meaning of sin, and how I would address a letter to a supernatural power, if there is one.

I think a letter would go something like this:

Dear G-d*,Forgive us, for we have sinned. We have just taken what little remains of your green Earth, what little we have not selfishly touched and spoiled for our own devices, and opened it up to oil exploration.

Forgive us, for we have sinned. We have built a society that worships the almighty dollar instead of your goodness. We pray in suburban corporate office parks instead of holy places. We follow the teachings of MBAs instead of our elders and spiritual leaders. Our moral barometer is based not on right and wrong, but upon profit and loss on the bottom line.