91 years ago today The Great War, the War to End All Wars, official ended.

Twenty one years later, the second World War started, and horrors even greater were seen and experienced by soldiers and civilians alike.

On May 26, 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed Armistice Day–a day to honor those who fought in WWI–to Veterans Day, to honor all veterans.

Five years later, the Vietnam War would begin, and the American view of military service would change profoundly.

Of all the war memorials in the US (not including Arlington Memorial Cemetery) I believe that the Vietnam War Memorial is the most profoundly affecting.

The men and women who served during Vietnam were, for the most part, not the brave volunteers of the Greatest Generation, going off to defend our country from an unprovoked attack. Instead, many were drafted, often against their will, and sent to fight a war that was not supported by the American people.

Those who returned home were treated shamefully. Although I was only five when the war ended, I do not remember a time when I was unaware of this embarrassment (lest you think me a prodigal, wise beyond my years, my mother comes from a military family, and her father, who joined to fight in WWII, retired towards the end of the Vietnam War.)

It is because the war was so controversial, and because so many veterans were treated shamefully upon their return home, that I find The Wall so affecting.

It is if, as a country, we suddenly woke up to the wrongness of our actions. To me, the Wall, and the listing of the names of those who died, is in part an apology to each soldier listed there, it makes them individuals remembered for their service that was so unappreciated at the time.

Of course for the current wars, we have digital memorials that are updated daily, remembering those who have died with more than just names. And these memorials are deeply affecting. But nothing compares to standing at the wall and seeing name after name listed. The sheer magnitude of the loss is almost overwhelming.

So on Veterans’ Day, we should remember the individuals who have served, but in remembering the individual losses, we should not lose sight of the vast number who have given their lives in their service. We should remember not just those individuals who served and the sacrifices they made, but also the loss to the country of so many of our sons and daughters.

American Military Service from the Civil War to the First Gulf War
U.S. Military Service During War 41,891,368
Battle Deaths 651,030
Other Deaths (In Theater) 308,800
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater) 230,279
Non-mortal Woundings 1,431,290

To those who serve, past and present, thank you for your sacrifices so that we may remain free.

Inter Arma Silent Leges
-Cicero

If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war.
- Pentagon official, on why US military censored graphic footage from the Gulf War

It is well that war is so terrible; else we would grow too fond of it
– Robert E. Lee

A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.
– George William Curtis

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
- Thomas Jefferson

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.
-Abraham Lincoln

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Benjamin Franklin

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.
- William Faulkner

Lack of Paid Sick Days May Worsen Flu Pandemic

Public health experts worried about the spread of the H1N1 flu are raising concerns that workers who deal with the public, like waiters and child care employees, are jeopardizing others by reporting to work sick because they do not get paid for days they miss for illness.

You mean there are people who don’t realize those cooking and serving your food always come to work as long as their able to remain upright and stumble forward?

All I can think is, “no shit!” Where the hell have y’all been?

It’s banned books week again, the time when we recognize that individuals throughout the country attempt to stifle free thought and intellectual freedom by keeping books out of the hands of children.

Here are the top 10 most challenged books of 2008:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
8. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper

(more…)

When I was listening to the news Sunday night, they played an interview with Ron Paul. I know people who think Ron Paul is the best thing since buttered bread, but after this interview I have even less of a clue as to why.

What stopped me in my tracks was Paul’s instance that “health care is not a right.”

Additionally, he said that insurance companies have every right to deny people on the basis of pre-existing conditions.

Over at Eric‘s place, we once jokingly referred to the conservative Republican policy as, “Fuck you, I’ve got mine,” after a conservative made the comment that he was perfectly happy with his health care and didn’t want the government to screw things up for him.

I cannot even wrap my mind around this mindset, because it is wrong on so many levels.

First and foremost, it boggles my mind that conservatives–most of whom claim to be Christians–believe so strongly in karma. According to conservatives, if someone doesn’t have health care (or a job, or whatever) it’s because they are lazy, or they don’t work hard enough, or they did something bad to cause their current state.

Second, that attitude–fuck you, I’ve got mine–pretty much goes against the New Testament. I don’t think the take of the Good Samaritan implied that if someone can’t afford health insurance they don’t deserve medical care. My understanding is that we are expected to help others, regardless of who we are, who they are, and what they have done.

Third, such a policy is narrow-minded in the extreme. No just on a financial level, but on a public health level. The fact this attitude is concurrent with a possible flu pandemic shows just how incapable some of these people are of seeing beyond their own noses.

The fact these individuals can hold such mutually exclusive ideas in mind (Christianity and refusal to accept the need to universal health care) leads me to wonder about the mental strain that is required to keep such mutually exclusive ideas in the same brain.

Labor Day in the United States exists to celebrate the rights that workers in the United States have achieved in the past century, and to give us time to allow those who keep the power on and the trains running and all those other jobs that require you to get your hands dirty, a day to be recognized for their work.

We should remember the past, and some of the incidents that made labor unions so critical:

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Child Labor in the United States

And we should also consider the state of Unions in the US and the status of laborers. By this I don’t mean lawyers and CEOs, but the people who do the work in the service and manufacturing industries: slaughterhouses, commercial farms, coal mines.

We must remember that for those at the bottom, wages have remained stagnant or decreased with inflation, rates of health insurance coverage are falling (while health costs rise), and workplace safety is again becoming an issue, as owners place profits over the safety of their employees.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Agricultural Workers Survey
US Department of Labor

Today is a good day to remember those who have lost their lives and their health doing nothing more than trying to make living.

There have been a huge number of lies thrown about recently regarding end-of-life care and the health system in the United States. I’d like to take some time to address this issue.

Most people would like to spend their final days and hours in their homes, perhaps lying in bed, surrounded by their family and friends and the sounds of the voices of their loved ones one.

That, however, is not the reality for many people. What often happens instead is the dying individual is in a hospital, hooked up to machines, and the sounds of beeping and whirring medical machines–or even the sounds of arguing over what the patient truly would have wanted to happen at the end of their live.

But who knew what they really wanted? If the subject was never brought up, this burden is placed upon loved ones who must guess what it is their mother or grandfather or sister of lover wanted. Did they want to be allowed to drift off quietly? Or did they wish instead to “not go gentle into that good night,” utilizing all that medical science has available?

If a discussion is not had, then loved ones must make the agonizing decisions regarding what they hope and believe the dying would have wanted.

And it can be worse than that. One sibling may believe a parent would want to be allowed to die peacefully, while another may just as strongly believe that all measures should be taken to keep the parent alive.

These are discussions that can tear a family asunder and create irreconcilable rifts and animosity.

When your doctor wants to discuss end-of-life care with you, it is these issues she wants to discuss. She does not want to force you to end your life against your will, she instead wants you to make your wishes known to her and to your family, so that these decisions can be made in accordance with your will, instead of in a panic of grief.

Take a moment and think. How do you envision the end of your life? What do you want? What do you want to have happen to your body? Would you like your organs to be donated? Would you prefer to be cremated or buried? Do your loved ones have any idea what your wishes would be at the end of your life? Ask them. You may be surprised at their answers–as well as at their own wishes.

When your doctor asks about end-of-life planning, it is to facilitate such discussions. It is to keep your loved ones from having to make such decisions for you, through their grief, with only vague ideas from long ago discussions to guide them.

It is to be compensated for such discussions that end-of-life discussions were entered into the Health Reform Bill. Currently, many insurers do not pay doctors for such discussions. Add to that the fact that many doctors never learned how to discuss such matters with their patients, and you have a situation where doctors do not initiate these discussions with their patients, and where decisions are left unmade until it is too late for the patient to have any input.

Please discuss your wishes with your family and physician, and please, when you hear someone ignorantly spout nonsense about death panels, gently educate them as to what end-of-life care truly is, and how much of a difference it can make in the lives of the dying and their families.

Our deaths are inevitable. How our last days and hours are spent is not.

The West Virginia Center for End-of-Life Care

There was an interesting interview on NPR last night with John Waters. An article he wrote for the Huffington Post on Leslie Van Houten.

Yes, the Manson Girl.

I know the La Bianca kids don’t have a mother around anymore partly because of my friend Leslie. No matter how patient Leslie or her supporters are, we know this terrible fact will never change. But when, if ever, will there have been enough punishment?

Listening to John Waters discuss the case of Leslie Van Houten set of two similar trains of thought.

First, which was brought up by John Waters, is: would she have been released on parole years ago if she had not been a Manson Girl? The crimes committed by the Mason Family were horrific, no one is debating that, but should she be judged as an equal of Charles Manson, or instead as a young woman who was completely under the sway of a charismatic and evil mad man?

That brings us to the other question, which is what type of society are we? Are a society that seeks retribution from criminals? Or a society that seeks to rehabilitate criminals? I have always been struck by that fact that the very people who claim they want to live in a Christian society are the same people who clamor for the death of murders, and seek a return to the chain gang and corporal punishment.

Would Leslie Van Houton still be in prison if she had not been a Manson Girl, and if the Manson case were not seared in the minds of Americans?

Regarding the “carry your guns across the country” bill that was defeated today, I have to say that as much as I believe in a liberal reading of the second amendment, I think that being able to conceal carry anywhere in the US because you have a permit in one state is a poor idea.

Mostly I’m posting this because I’m curious what other people think. (Especially you Andy.)

I got company on Sunday! Specifically, neurondoc, her spouse and offspring!

I made pizza, and received assistance in decorating the pizza; then we had oreos for dessert. Mmmm! (Yes, you should be jealous.)

Also, neurondoc’s daughter is apparently part bumblebee, and is very fond of pollen.

My assistant and I made pizza.

Me and neurondoc.

AND I even got LOOT! Yummy chocolate LOOT!

And just for Nathan…

Yup. She got me bacon chocolate! Now I shan’t be eating this as bacon isn’t in my dietary repertoire, but I am very tempted to save it just for Nathan!

President Obama Extends Federal Benefits
Executive memo gives partners, including same-sex partners, of federal employees access to some benefits.

Brent Benjamin should have stepped down from the Massey case.

…(T)he $3 million Blankenship spent to unseat the incumbent justice who was seeking re-election and replace him with Benjamin “had a significant and disproportionate influence in placing Justice Benjamin on the case.”

Something to note here:

“It is an old cliche, but sometimes the cure is worse than the disease,” Roberts said. He wrote that it is not clear that Blankenship’s money even affected the outcome of the election.

“I would give the voters of West Virginia more credit than that,” he said.

In fact, once WV voters realized what Blankenship was up to, we did soundly reject the candidates he supported. Unfortunately, when Benjamin was elected, it wasn’t clear what was happening. The next election, however, it was clear what Blankenship was doing, and his efforts to buy WV politicians was soundly rejected.

Lets hope that state law remains so that when Blankenship and his ilk attempt to buy WV politicians, we can see where the money is coming from, instead of hiding that money behind fake groups such as, “For the Sake of the Kids.”

Place the countries in the middle east on the map.

No time, no score. Just see how long it takes you and how many mistakes you make.

I did terrible in Western Africa, and I mixed up the location of several of the -stans. For most I got the general area correct, but specific placement was occasionally off.

Considering I’ve never taken a geography class–ever–I didn’t feel too bad about how I did.

Apparently McCoy 6 wants to SUE the city for condemning one of their apartment buildings.

This is AFTER the city tore down and cleared the decrepit buildings in the old stadium loop and then charge the Warners only $1 (one single dollar) a year lease.

Let me share the experience Michael had in college.

TO clarify, many “apartments” in Morgantown are old houses divided into multiple living spaces, with kitchens and bathrooms added in somewhat randomly.

Michael and his roommate were shown an apartment, signed a lease, and then told that the apartment they were renting not only was not the apartment they were shown, it wasn’t even in the same house.

When they moved in the place was filthy. Disgusting. The stove looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years, the kitchen floor was sticky, the carpet and furniture were horrific (dirty and stained and unhealthy looking), and the bathroom was a disaster. Many things didn’t work, including the drain in the tub (by the time you were done showering the tub was full of water. Disgusting water.) When they moved in they complained about all these things, and were told that something would be done.

No one ever came to repair anything. Ever.

When Michael moved out after a few months, McCoy 6 refused to return his security deposit, listing all the “damage” done to the apartment, which was the list of the problems Michael and his roommate had complained about when they moved in.

Needless to say, Michael is not the only person they did this to.

Friends who moved into Mountaineer Court soon after it was built had complaints about the foundation, structure, and construction of the apartment. Time has not been kind to the building, and if they maintained Mountaineer Court in the same manner as they maintained the apartment Michael rented, it’s a small wonder the building was condemned.

Did I mention that the Warners are some of the better known Republicans in the state? One brother ran for governor, another was chair of the state Republican party. And now you know why I have such disdain for Republicans in West Virginia.

As I was listening to the radio Friday morning while getting ready for work, they played a segment on the plans Obama has for changes to the tax system, and I was struck by one idea mentioned several times by the Republicans: if we change the tax breaks for charitable giving, then people will give less to charity, which would be terrible at this time, while more and more people are relying upon charity.

I immediately thought, are you kidding me?!

Do the Republicans really believe that the only reason people make charitable donations is for the tax breaks?

If that’s true, it explains an awful lot about what’s wrong with the Republican party.

Let me make this clear, I make charitable donations–in fact Michael and I donated two cars to Good News Mountaineer Garage (last when we bought our new car in 2003).

I make donations every paycheck to local United Way groups (I always give money to the RDVIC, Christian Help, and one other group that often changes from year to year.

We make regular donations of clothing and items to either Christian Help or Goodwill (if I can’t make the hours for Christian Help), and I’m always amazed by the people who insist on getting a receipt for their single measly bag of used clothing (they set the dollar amount of the donation).

And we have never once claimed a charitable donation on our taxes.

I don’t do these things because I expect to be rewarded for my actions or donations.

I do these things because it is the right thing to do.

Apparently some Republicans don’t quite get that idea.

Nathan took me to task for not bringing up an important issue in front of the WV Legislature: Delegate Jeff Eldridge has proposed a ban on Barbie dolls.

I’d like to point out that Eldridge is from Lincoln county. I live in Monongalia, so this guy is Not My Fault.

Now, to address this mess.

First, thank the gods this Legislator is male and not female. Can you imagine how this would be spun if it was a woman who proposed this bill? Wackos like Rush Limbaugh would be denouncing the lesbian feminist agenda in our legislatures, blah blah blah. So at least we missed that bullet. Not that what we left with is much better.

Second, I don’t like Barbie dolls, and never had one as a child or pre-teen. (Most of the dolls I had were rag dolls, and they were beat out by the stuffed animals.) I also agree somewhat with the premise that Jeff Eldridge is putting forth: I don’t think that Barbies (being humanly impossible and all) are necessarily a good role model for girls and pre-teens.

Elementary aged girls are now dieting, because they don’t look like the TV stars and models. We are creating a culture where more and more young women are getting eating disorders, and this is a terrible problem, and a problem that needs to be addressed.

However.

Banning Barbie is not a solution. I mean, shall the state police arrest people coming across the border with desired Christmas presents for their daughters and granddaughters? This is an incredibly stupid idea.

Even more importantly, however, this bill is a phenomenal waste of time. I recognize that Jeff Eldridge doesn’t really believe his bill will pass. Which means he has put up a bill solely to garner attention.

Sir? In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of an economic recession/depression. West Virginia is losing tens of thousands of jobs as manufacturing companies close down and consolidate.

So why in the holy hell would anyone waste time with something like this?

I can’t answer it, but I hope the voters of Lincoln county demand an answer from Jeff Eldridge. Because we have issues of greater importance to address, and although female self image is important, calling for a ban on Barbie dolls isn’t going to do a damned thing to solve the problem.

Saw this car in the grocery store parking lot and thought of Jim.

Now that’s a convincing message.

…and it makes me happy every time I read it.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

I would like to point out that eight years ago, the depths and horror of the Bush administration were predicted in “Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’“.

But today we can begin the reversal of the losses of our civil liberties.

Today we are taking the first step in the right direction to turn the country from the darkness of the Bush administration, an administration that allowed banks to run a muck by placing profit in front of the security of investors and investments. An administration that violated civil liberties after Bush declared that the terrorists hated us for our freedoms (obviously the solution was to curtail those freedoms, so the terrorists would no longer hate us). An administration that believed the environment existed solely for the extraction of natural resource. An administration that fought advances is medical research.

Today we turn the page on that dark past and start the hard work of moving forward. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to be pretty, but we can do it.

Yes we can.

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.
–Abraham Lincoln

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
— Benjamin Franklin

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.
— William Faulkner

…
Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus, and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters of life. At points he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew and throw him off base….
(more…)

Last night, Michael (who may be the most wonderful man in the entire world) spent more than two hours on the phone helping Grandmom get a new Medicare Part D prescription plan.

Over the course of the evening he spoke to at least four people (if not more), and had to give them all the information on my grandmother’s medication including drug names (spelling them of course), dosages, and the number of pills taken a day.

Every single person he talked to last night was nice, patient, and unfailingly polite.

This is despite the fact that he was trying to spell drug names over the phone (names that in some cases were written down for him in correctly), trying to get information from my grandmother as he spoke to them, and in general sharing a lot of information over the phone, when we could he how loud it was on their end. (They are definitely in cubicles and not offices!)

I was delighted with how easy they tried to make the process, even when it was complicated and they had to repeat things multiple times.

Kudos to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Thank you for making a long and complex process as painless as possible.

Governor Underwood’s memorial service was yesterday. I was around for his second term, and to be honest, despite voting for him, was very unhappy with his term.

But this isn’t supposed to be negative, I was pleased to learn that both he and his wife donated their bodies to science–his donation will help the medical education of students at Marshall.

I leave you with these two articles on his memorial service:

Charleston Gazette

Huntington Herald Dispatch

(S, I’ll have you know that these things make me think of you now, as I was looking for weird euphemisms.)

You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 78.0%
Average score: 78.0%

I can’t keep my speeches straight, I can’t keep my amendments straight, and I don’t know what the public good is. :) Other than that, I’m golden.

Take the Civic Literacy Quiz yourself.

I’m going to print out the quiz so my grandmother can take it. We’ll see how she does. Probably better than the rest of us.

(via Stereo Describes My Scenario)

ADDENDUM the First:
Grandmom didn’t do as well as she wanted, but part of the problem was she kept changing her answer or knew the answer was wrong but left the wrong answer. Regardless of her score, she really enjoyed the quiz.

I found the results of the current poll to be very interesting.

Though I have to admit that I think it’s wishful thinking about Bill O’Reilly’s head.

I’ve been commenting here and there, and in doing so trying to formulate my thoughts about last night’s election results.

First of all, from an historic standpoint, last night was incredibly amazing. However, I’m not what sure I, a white woman from one of the whitest states in the nation, can say to address that subject. Other are doing if far better, so go read what they’re saying, if you haven’t already.

No, what I’ve been thinking about was broached this morning by John Scalzi, but is more than that.

I’ve become something of a pragmatist in recent years. As much as I cannot stand W and his policies, I was not so foolish as to think, like others I know, that he was evil. Misguided? Yes. Foolish? Yes. Evil? No.

In that same light, I do not believe that Barack Obama is going to usher in a new liberal paradise.

Last night, listening to John McCain’s concession speech, I was reminded why I liked him so much in 2000. And I wondered where that Senator was during the election. But more than that, I saw in McCain’s speech the things I like so much about Obama.

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

To find the necessary compromises. To bridge our differences.

This is what I hope that President-elect Barack Obama will be able to do.

I have strong beliefs about the way the world should be. I also recognize that what I want is not necessarily what others want, and that compromise is an integral part of creating a functioning society.

No one is going to get everything they want. That’s something everyone has to realize. It is something I believe that most effective politicians understand. Because even if you have what you think is the best idea in the world, there may be multiple reasons why it’s unworkable. Or someone may have a way to make the result better, by changing the process slightly.

It’s give and take.

This is something that W. seemed incapable of comprehending, but is something that I deeply hope Obama knows already.

To paraphrase a modern troubadour, you can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.

What erin said.