count bleep

My friend Bryan posted this on facebook. It's funny enough to share here. Watch it!

repeal day

I never understood how crazed fanaticism overtook an entire nation enough to ban alcohol. It's the same hysterical frenzy that caused marijuana to be labeled as some kind of death trap - which it's not....at all. Lo and behold, they legalized alcohol again and put a tax on it to make some needed cash - smart idea, that! But we're still too stupid to do that with pot. No, we'd rather fill the jails with people who don't belong there; make a little money in court fees - very little by comparison to taxation; get people killed over a little weed; and deny sick folks some relief. For all the good things this country has come up with, we've done some pretty stupid stuff, too. Banning marijuana is but one of those stupid things. 

So, let's all toast to repealing one stupid move! Then,  let's hope the idiots among us piss off so marijuana can be legalized before more people are incarcerated or die for nothing.

Oh, and NPR has a great bit on the 75th anniversary of the repeal.

rainy sundays

She's had a streak of good days lately but that doesn't prevent the inevitable nor does it diminish the fact that she's simply not ok. She's whiter than she used to be; she's got what I call "Old Dog Nose" (it's really a fungus that attacks, well, old dogs on their noses); and in almost every picture from the last two years her cataracts show up better than almost everything else in the picture.

Still, when I go outside with her, she runs like she's 5. In fact, one day last week, she spotted a roaming cat and chased it into the neighbor's driveway. I'm sure she would have chased it further if she could have seen it. The next day, that same cat lay in wait behind a tree, then did some kind of bizarre faux attack before taking off across the yard as if the dog was in hot pursuit, which she wasn't. She was so surprised she just stood there as if to say, "What do you think you're doing, you stupid cat? Can't you see I have absolutely no interest in you? And yet you choose to blindside me. Chicken! Coward! Moron! Now, go away or I shall taunt you a second time." OK, the last bit is my voice, clearly. I love that old dog.

I can only think of one other thing that could possibly be more gut wrenching than putting her down and I can't even entertain the thought so, I won't. One horrible decision is bad enough.

Dog is God spelled backward

this is outstanding

I can't tell you how excited I am about this. Above are the three regional winners for the MET competition in Kentucky. The woman at the rear I don't know but the other two, I do. I have the great honor to hear Chris Conley sing at First Pres Church nearly every Sunday. He's so sweet and sings just as sweetly.

The bigger deal, though, is Andrea Trusty. Andrea and I are from the same small town, West Liberty. I've known her dad for years. About two years ago I got an email from Andrea who found me online via my website. She confessed that I had been a big influence to her as a child when I came to her elementary school one day and gave a clinic on music. I thought it was so sweet of her to find me all those years later and tell me what a difference I had made in her life. Sometimes, when you're no longer doing what you love, it's hard to remember how many lives you can touch with music.

So it is with great, great pride that I saw her announced as a regional winner via Rich Copely's fantastic blog Copious Notes. Not that she will ever see this post but just let me say it out loud for both of you other readers - Way to go, Andrea. you are MY hero!

saturday musings

I've got a few thoughts quickly before I dash off for the day. Of course, it has to do with the election.

1. When I heard Brian Williams announce Barck Obama president, I turned all Pentacostal; threw my hands in the air, thanked Jesus, God, and the Holy Ghost, and cried my eyes out. I can't remember a time I was so overcome with that much joy. It's a wonderful feeling to be on the right side of history.

2. John McCain, though I did not vote for him, is a stand-up guy and if he had run as a younger man, against another oponent, he might have won. Even though I'm not a Republican, I always said I liked John McCain and it would be tough for me if he ever ran. Of course, that's before I knew who Obama was - so, when the time came, the decision wasn't hard at all.

3. Shame, shame, shame on McCain top aides for raking Sarah Palin over the coals. I didn't think she was qualified but I did not dislike her as a person. How dare they be nasty to her. Campbell Brown said it best and I urge you to watch what she had to say about these nasty people. If the GOP had any sense at all, they would never hire these people again - for anything, not even gophers.

44

Hats off to John McCain who gave a helluva speech. If he had been so eloquent and chosen a different running mate, this election might have been different. Thankfully, he did not. And, so, a change has come. No more excuses.

worrisome

After I voted, I went to the grocery (Kroger). I was in the veg aisle where workers were restocking shelves. That's when I heard one worker say to a customer, "There's no way I'd vote for him (Obama). He's not a patriot." She went on to drag Obama through the mud and I couldn't help but think, "Are you the woman NBC polled in Kentucky after the primary who said you didn't vote for Obama because he's Muslim?"

No wonder people away from here always look at my feet to see if I have shoes.