Archive for September 4, 2009
It’s Been a Rough Week
And next week will likely be even rougher so let’s slow down for a sec.
Found this slide show about the human digestive tract. No, seriously, hey, it’s a break from politics, which we could all use, right?
Look at the graphic about the tongue. Eee. But what an amazing thing it is in and of itself.
Why is Ana Marie Cox Subbing for Rachel Maddow?
I mean, will someone please explain to me how this woman got to where she is today?
Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) – Obama’s September 8 Speech to Kids
I’m appalled that the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has allowed itself to be influenced by right wing nuts. That’s right, nuts. Crazies. Brainwashed, ignorant, delusional nuts.
Those who claim to be afraid of President Obama’s speech to school kids on September 8 are people who, 15, 20 years ago would have been shunned as absolute loons, as they should be now.
Shame on BVSD.
Need Some Facebook Friends? Twitter Followers?
So sad. Lots of lonely people out there.
At the Food Bank
Today was the busiest day I’ve experienced at the food bank since I started volunteering there in January. (Even the long time volunteers don’t know why it has suddenly picked up in the last three or four days. The end of the month is usually the busiest time.)
The food bank administrator told me a story about trying to get local grocery stores to donate those rolls of plastic bags you find everywhere — especially in the produce and bulk food isle. Apparently they’re very expensive (forgot to ask how much), at least from a food bank’s perspective, but we use the heck out of them. We get big bags of potatoes and zucchini, and boxes of laundry detergent — today we had huge bags of dried red chilis — and we break them down into individual (or family-size) portions using those plastic bags. When we can’t get them, we use the bags newspapers are delivered in, which I hate to do. I think it’s kind of degrading — maybe because I can’t get away from thinking of those bags as dog poop bags — but there are times when we don’t have a choice.
Anyway, she called two stores and couldn’t get either of them to give her a freakin’ roll of plastic bags. They’re really stingy when it comes to those damn rolls. Some won’t even talk about donating them and some will commit to one every month or one every three months. We need one a week.
It’s really surprising to me — and sad and disappointing — that (1) a food bank has to practically beg for something like a roll of plastic bags, and (2) that the for-profit grocery stores aren’t a bit more generous.
Can’t wait for the time when the Pentagon has to hold a bake sale.
Nixon’s Health Care Plan
It sounds pretty darn good.
Despair
The number of Americans on food stamps in June was 22 percent higher than in June 2008. The number of Americans receiving food stamps rose by more than 700,000 people compared to May. The total number of Americans receiving food stamps in June was 35,122,123.
“Republican Gomorrah”
Max Blumenthal, the author of the new book, Republican Gomorrah, was on DemocracyNow! this morning and he gave a fascinating account of the evolution devolution of the Republican party. Here’s a taste of what he had to say.
