Good Monday!

It's been awhile due to a biceps tendon causing lots of pain. I had a biceps tenodesis performed on March 6th so I am on the road to recovery.

It's been fun (and frightening) to watch the economy these days. Could the Republicans and Conservadems (thanks Rachel Maddow for that great word) possibly be more obstructionist? The seem so intent on being the contrarians that they are forgetting their slowing down what the administration wants to do is slowing down the recovery for their constituents. I'm not sure they are know the meaning of the word constituent, but it means the people who vote them in (and OUT) every so often. These people are losing their jobs, their homes, their medical care, and you are playing politics?

Here a hint: start playing nice with others and solve this economic mess that was caused years of deregulation and people being downright greedy.

Things I read in the paper, 02/18/09

New Tolkien book is due

It's about time! I mean, how often can a person reread the Trilogy? The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun predates Rings. My guess is , judging by the names, there's a little Norse influence here. Tolkien wrote it in the 1920's and '30. Now the hard part: we have to wait until May. It's just like waiting for the Star Wars opening, but I don't know if people will wear costumes for this.

Health Care: My Hotbutton Issue

Here's the link to the Obama/Biden health care plan, so you can learn more.

Sneaky aren't I. Yes I will make you go to the sources yourself. Why? Because you should always research things on your own and decide for yourself. People keep telling you things about Obama, but have you taken time to find out the real deal for yourself?

Back to (un)reality.

It's been hard to keep up this blog. Why? I can sum it up in one word: lupus. It does things to you that you never really expect. There's that pesky "mind fog", which people with fibromyalgia will know very well. For those who don't, imagine trying to function mentally when you've had two too many drinks. Then there's the fatigue, which is indescribable, so I won't even try.

I've go a great rheumatologist, and I'm on a great new combination of meds. I actually think I can function at about 80% of normal, which is better than the 40% I've been averaging for the past couple of years. Which is very good, considering this is time we all should be be busy making sure our country gets headed in the right direction again!

Lupus (bad), John Coltrane (good, and very cool)

It sucks. I've had no energy to post, but with the help of the wonder drugs plaquinil and prednisone, I now have about an hour or two of energy a day, with which I am going to waste an hour blogging. I'll also cut-and-paste the same boring entries to Bovina Sancta and my Facebook pages, so for the next month or so there really won't be really topical stuff posted anywhere, just ramblings.

It's forced my to reschedule my trip to Idaho until late September. This is one time I won't argue back to the Big Guy. It's in the low hundreds there now, and while I used to love that temperature range, right now, I'll admire it from afar.

I have come across something that is very intriguing and has made for some good listening and spirit warming. It's Saint John Coltrane Church in San Francisco. I highly recommend going there on Tuesday afternoons for the Uplift Radio Broadcast. If you can pick up locally, tune in from Noon to 4. If not, you can listen online: KPOO 89.5.

When I was living in Philadelphia I used to go to Jazz Vespers at Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, which, I learned today have ended due to lack of funding. I'm hope the tradition will continue somewhere in the area; it's a joyous noise too precious to lose.

I don't like Obama's vote on FISA either

I don't think the issue is going away just because he (and others) voted yes. We still can fight for our Fourth Amendment rights. It's ain't over yet. I got no answers.

For all you who feel let down by Obama, and there are lots of you out there: don't let this one issue (granted it's a biggie) keep your eyes on the greater prize. Getting our country and our Constitution back. I still think it's possible, and I haven't been the most optimistic person as of late.

Keep those donations going; we'll need it against the Swiftboaters. And please, remember to help Senator Clinton pay off her debt. She's a great role model for our daughters, as is Michelle.

On an unrelated note, I so want a dress like Michelle wore on The View. I can't carry off sleeveless dresses anymore. Maybe there's a matching shrug...

Blue Cat's claws are out about Obama smear!

I really don't want the Lair to become a home for fighting Obama smears; that's what Fight the Smears is for. But this is are Fred Hobbs and Lincoln Davis, Tennessee Dems repeating discredited internet rumors, as reported in todays City Paper!

Fred Hobbs, a state Democratic Party Executive Committee member representing part of Davis’ district, said he understands why Davis is not endorsing Obama and is “skeptical” of the Illinois senator himself.“Maybe [it’s] the same reason I don’t want to — I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him,” Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. “He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be.”

Here's the link to the Nashville City Paper so you can read the same whole article.

The Tennessee Democratic Party deserves props for reacting so swifty to this badness done by their own members.

“The Tennessee Democratic Party is united behind our party’s nominee, Senator Barack Obama. Mr. Hobbs is obviously misinformed, and his statement highlights the perpetual efforts of the Republican Party, especially here in Tennessee, to turn internet smears and highly offensive gossip into their party’s message against Senator Barack Obama as we head into the General Election. Instead of debating the issues, the Tennessee Republican Party continues to rely upon slanderous and salacious tall tales. They are borrowing from the playbook first written by Richard Nixon and employed in the race against Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Tennesseans of every political persuasion are tired of these tactics.”