Timothy Leary is DEAD * A TOM TIDBIT!

Timothy Leary’s dead
by Thomas Brennan



Last night, I received an email from one of my favorite relatives about a company that has offered to implant your cremated ashes in coral reefs that extend from Massachusetts all the way down to Florida. The link to the information about the company, and the location of the reefs, is attached below:

Eternal Reefs

ETERNAL REEFS THE VIDEO

Being a “child of the ‘60’s”, the first thought that came into my head was
“reefers”.



When I was in college, a “reefer” was another name for a marijuana cigarette. They also were called “joints”, which is why marijuana itself was sometimes simply called “j”.

For those of us who are familiar with the trucking industry, a “reefer” is also the name for a refrigerated trailer unit. In other words, it’s a container whose contents are cold and stiff.

What I discovered this evening, much to my surprise, was that “reefer madness” occurred a WHOLE LOT earlier than the psychedelic ‘60’s.

As a matter of fact, a film called “Reefer Madness” was produced way back in 1936!!

Naturally, it discussed the evils of marijuana.

Reefer Madness

Although Chicago is home to a basketball player (Michael Jordan) who “floated through the air”, the player who actually introduced the style of play that involved leaping and playing above the rim was a man named Julius Erving. Although he played for several professional basketball teams, he is best known for his exploits with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Julius Erving

His nickname?

Dr. J


The article about coral reefs highlights the fact that “traditional” burial plots aren’t for everyone.

The most extreme example of “alternative burial sites” was the method used by the late Timothy Leary. His story is described in more detail below:


In January of 1968, (28 years before he passed to his eternal reward) the British rock band Moody Blues released a song about Timothy Leary, a former California gubernatorial candidate and college professor (he taught at both Berkley and Harvard). The song was titled “Legend of a Mind”.

Legend of a Mind

It’s a GREAT song, and you can watch it below:



As you read through Mr. Leary’s life story (see below), you’ll quickly come to the realization that he led a very wild life style, although there ARE some people who would say that he was just a NORML guy.

Although the opening lines of the song are “Timothy Leary’s dead”,
he actually didn’t die until 1996. Upon his death, some of his cremated remains were shot into space in 1997, along with the remains of 24 other people, including Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek.

Timothy Leary

My initial thought, on reading about the coral reefs, was “why would any one want to do that?”

Actually, there are a NUMBER of reasons why you might consider it.

Apart from the fact that there ARE people (like Timothy Leary) who shudder in horror at the thought of a “traditional” funeral service for themselves, having your body planted in a coral reef can also be significantly cheaper than the cost of a “normal” funeral. At least one website estimates the average cost of a funeral today is $7100, but they can easily cost much more that than.

Caskets Today




I am currently working my way through a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The author, Ada Louise Huxtable, mentions that Wright was heavily influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote a book called “Nature” in 1836, In that book, Emerson describes “ .. a transfiguring experience of finding oneness with the universe through nature .. “

Although no one had thought of “reef planting” in the 1800’s, Mr. Emerson would likely approve of them.

Even “traditional” burials can be anything but.

Alphonse Capone, and his entire family, is buried in Mt Carmel Cemetery, in Hillside, Illinois, roughly 100 feet from the crypt that contains the remains of most of the Archbishops of the Diocese of Chicago.

Talk about mixing saints with sinners!

Since I’ve seriously given thought to having at least some of my ashes scattered in Ireland, (home of my ancestors) as well as in the various states that I’ve lived in, it may actually make sense to have the remains of Tom Brennan imbedded in a coral reef off the coast of Florida.

However, I’d still like to have a traditional (Irish) wake.

Would you prefer Bushmills or Jameson?






Tom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks TOM!!

I am a Jameson fan myself, bottoms up!

~ House

"A Beautiful Mess Inside"

Earlier this month, our friend K.R. so observantly shared that Houseonahill.org, "Healthier, Happier, You!!!!" has been up and running for over a year now, sharing her work and sunshine and meeting so many others as well!

I am such an airhead about things like that, but now that it has been put out there, and I have been reading other blogs regarding giving thanks, I have been moved to share my thanks with you!

I have shared with those who have been with me reading, sharing, growing here before that this experience has so incredibly far outweighed my expectation that I am awed constantly.

Meeting all of you and sharing this global experience is so spectacular!

SO A GREAT BIG THANK YOU, you are so appreciated and loved here at this HOUSE!

Measuring the Murders in Mumbai

House would like to send condolences and wishes of peace to everyone affected by the massacre in Mumbai, India.

Mumbai, I am sure, needs all of our positive thoughts and efforts for recovery.

Young, un-educated Muslim extremists, like gangs in the U.S., must be given an appreciation for life and must be given hope and direction.

It must be our first priority, it must make our agendas today. These 16-25 year olds, from every walk of life, are the most powerful. They can cripple neighborhoods, and economies with their murderous intentions.

While we, the unassuming, hard-working go about trying to make the world a better place, we forget to pay attention to these desperate, destitute, mislead, manipulated youth. Many are victims of poverty and adults who are manipulating them to do their deeds of corruption.

If these youth receive attention by the world at large, we would all be that much safer.

Our babies are the keys to the world ~ we must protect young minds.

Happy Thanksgiving from House to You!!!

Heureux événement!!

Félicitations, Desiree Rogers!

The connection between Chicago and New Orleans is a mere train ride, as I have disclosed before, but it still amazes me when I read about another Chicagoan with NOLA roots.

Especially this one! I read NOLA.com more frequently than I do my own news venues which may explain how I somehow missed that beloved Chicagoan Desiree Glapion Rogers is moving to WASHINGTON DC!

Desiree Rogers survived breast cancer, and quickly became vocal, helping others survive.




Many years ago, I remember seeing and hearing about her as a young woman. Watching the lotto numbers being drawn at night by this beautiful, brainy, black woman always made me pause. I knew nothing about her Harvard education, she just presented so warmly and firm, as if she could rule the world. Look out for her Hillary, in 2016.

I wish I could offer you guys more accurate with time-frames, but since the President's appointment, Googling her now is a bit too extensive, so we are completely relying on "House" memory here (not a good thing, but the emotion and genuine excitement and appreciation will make its way across). She has always fascinated me. By the time my little guy was playing basketball, (he was 4, he is a gross overachiever), the only league that would accept him so young was Marty Nesbitt and "Hoops". I had no idea that the Hyde Parkers were so high-powered and charged. I quickly learned that she was married to John Rogers of Ariel Capital and that they were the premier couple.




She unassumingly rose above being someone's high-powered spouse to head Illinois' Peoples Gas, and other positions, running programs as a seasoned executive, she was an enigmatic figure with a powerful name.


photo of Desiree Rogers
Jennifer Zdon, The Times-Picayune

When I learned how bravely she handled cancer, divorce, single-parenting ( her daughter Victoria, is now attending Yale), and then to find that she was formerly a ZULU Queen, wow, this person has really just continuously inspired me.



Congratulations to Ms. Desiree Rogers. New Orleans' age old saying of "laissez les bon temps rouler" will now have new global meaning as Ms. Rogers is the incoming White House social secretary. Parties in the White House with a New Orleanian's flair!!

In the black community we have been quietly joking, (not seriously readers...okay, maybe just a tad bit serious!) that there will be barbecues and chitterlings in the White House(no longer just a big house to colored people, at long last)!! Well, now we can assuredly say there will be gumbo too!

New Soul

I keep telling my son that there is a whole world out there...we must stay new souls...learning and sharing and inspiring...

Yael Naim was born in Paris 1978 to Tunisian Sephardi-Jewish parents.

Her family moved to Ramat HaSharon, Israel when she was four and Yael spent the remainder of her youth there.

She returned to France and once her song was picked up by Apple/MacBook and featured in a commercial, she and her percussionist David Donatien, became famous.

Yael sings in French, Hebrew, and English. This is exciting and gives way to this sacred connection we can all embrace through the love of feeling in music.

You can check out more about Yael Naim here and listen to this wonderful interview on NPR HERE, REALLY good stuff!!!

I hope you enjoy!

Green Snail Mail?

Here's a great green idea to free up some space in your cramped mailbox. I don't know about you, but my mail box is always crammed with catalogs that I did not request. Despite my insistence, once I give my email address after purchasing something, I inevitably end up receiving an entire forest in my box at least twice a month!




I prefer those trees remain in their homes. So when I was informed about this new service, I just had to share!

Catalog Choice, in agreement with many retail shops, has established a site where we can log in and check the catalogs we're receiving and eliminate them from our mailboxes. With the accessibility online, these periodicals should be obsolete. According to information I found, stores spend $.83 per catalog.

Imagine the savings. Many of these venues contact us weekly via email. It is time they go green. So, if this is an issue for you, and I am sure that it is, sign up today and save a tree, save your sanity, and save your energy (you won't be trudging out emptying garbage that weighs two tons due to unwanted catalogs)!

That sounds good to me!

WELLSPHERE

Our friend Tamera Daun over at Pentads has become a supporter and advocate over at Wellsphere.

She does not know that I am promoting her here, but this is such a great concept. Much like WebMd, but it also incorporates all areas of health, including mental, targeting our outlooks in a happy and easy-to-navigate forum.

I noticed the widget on her sidebar and promptly went over and then joined. I was lost for hours just looking up things, gaining validation and knowledge.

Your health can be fun. Listening to yourself, and garnering tips to keep yourself alert and in a positive state of mind are so instrumental, especially in these times.

Having support from your friends, family, fellow bloggers and your body itself, are essential in maintaining each and everyday.

So, check out this tool and see what it can do for you! Let me know what tips you find work for you. Sharing may save someone from a horrible episode!

Here's to our health!!!

Chuckle, chuckle

I honestly hope Sarah Palin stays far, far away from the mainland...REALLY.

I caught myself speaking like her when I was conversing with my mom yesterday.

I said "and also" infelicitously. I caught myself exclaiming "WHAT was that???"

I purposely limited my watching of any of her interviews, comments, and rallys during the entire election season. Mainly I felt she was completely benign. Secondly, I found her to be so pointless and unbecoming that watching anything to do with her was a waste of time.

How is it then that I was somehow Palinized???

I hope she goes away soon! Maybe the turkey fiasco will ( I mean REALLY, who gives an interview with a bloodbath in the background! A turkey massacre, nice one Sarah) seal her fate...gosh darn it! Thanks to our friend Elaine Vigneault for running the footage.

REALLY enjoyed David Letterman roasting her with Katie Couric!




You betcha! (wink)

Friends On Friday NIGHT ~ Featuring Fantastical K.R.

Need a bit to do on a cold,dark, dank, winter's night??

Indulge yourself with our friend K.R.'s latest! I have giggled and ahhh'd over her latest publications. I have been tickled pink and taken to the dark crevices of the mind ~

CHECK IT ALL OUT BY CLICKING HERE!





K.R., you know I'm an airhead!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU TOO MY DARLING!!!

CHICAGO is mean...

Remember this? This was Chicago November 4, 2008. It was 75 degrees downtown. The President-elect and his family look HAPPY and WARM and PLEASANT in NICE weather!

What in the world happened? Chicago happened. So typical. We have 3 seasons is what we always say: Winter, summer and construction. And it is so true.

Photo by Jae C. Hong / AP

Here is what they would look like today!!


Photo by M. Spencer Green / AP

URGH! COLD! It is 27 degrees. Check my little Weather Pixie on the sidebar today. SHE's bundled. The Hawk has arrived. What is "The Hawk", you ask? No, I am not referring to nature's wondrous creatures that we see here.


www.grahamowengallery.com

If you have never visited Chicago, where the blustery winds do blow, (I believe I wrote about this before), the best description I can give at this moment, while attempting to stop the tingling sensation I am having right now in the tips of my toes, is this: imagine the coldest wind blowing from an industrial A/C unit times 1000 swooping from the highest point of heaven at an alarming velocity. Then imagine that wind enveloping you, squeezing you until your face is tight, and your teeth want to break. That is "The Hawk" as it hugs you and welcomes you to a nice, long, miserable winter's stay.

Gearing up for this part of the season, that I absolutely hate, is difficult. I'm already counting for Opening Day which falls on April 6, 2009! Hey, whatever it takes for me to get through the long, long, winter months.

If you live in a challenging climate and do not enjoy it, what do you do to get through it?

Don't say MOVE, and don't say pray! They are both on my list of things to do...but I need something substantial here!!!

Friends On Friday: Tom's Tidbit

Today we have a "Friends On Friday" submission from our friend Tom Brennan!

We both thought it would be a good way to start our weekend. Though he wrote this a few years back, its significance remains. Many of us are struggling, nervous about losing our jobs, our homes; life as we know it. And though CHANGE is in the White House, it may take years for us to reinvent America and get things back to the way they were when life was comfortable and we were safe (fiscally and otherwise). So Tom, thanks for your perspective, I hope this helps a soul today!

**********

Me and Jim:

I first met Jim in March of 2003. At the time, the financial services business was really a struggle, and I found myself unable to pay many of the bills that we received on a monthly basis. The St. Vincent De Paul Society came to our home, and gave us $600 to help out on some of our expenses, but they couldn't’t help with our utilities. For that, we had to go to the Salvation Army. Needing to go to the Salvation Army in the first place gave me pause (how the hell did I get to this point in my life?) but I did meet with Jim, and he was able to give me $150 to pay towards the electric bill.

Jim was a great guy, and he shared his story with me. After hearing what happened to him, I was reminded (once again) about how blessed that I have been.

A few years ago, Jim was the pastor of a large and successful parish in Naperville, Illinois. He and his wife owned a fairly new four bedroom home, and he was able to buy a new car every 4 or 5 years.

Then, as he described it, the World Trade Center fell on his head.

At the time, he was in his early 40’s, and was in reasonably good health.

Out of nowhere, he suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly killed him.

Due to the length of time that he was unable to work, he lost his parish.

Without an income, he was unable to continue to pay his regular expenses, and he eventually was forced into bankruptcy. He lost the new four bedroom home in a foreclosure sale, and his car was repossessed.

His wife left him for a boyfriend in St. Louis.

And, yes, he contemplated suicide ………….

Deep down, though, he still had enough faith that he decided to keep on going.

He answered a blind ad in the Chicago Tribune, and eventually was hired by the company that placed the ad. The company was the Salvation Army. In Jim’s words, if you’re in the business of helping people, the Salvation Army is the Cadillac.

He eventually met, and fell I love with, a local school teacher. When I met him, they had become engaged, and have since married.

He was renting a modest, but decent, home on the west side of Aurora, and was driving a 1990 Chevy Lumina that was fully paid for.

In spite of the all the setbacks that he has had, Jim was happy and enthusiastic when I talked with him. In spite of the stress I was living with on a fairly constant basis at that point in my life, meeting Jim was definitely a message that there are LOTS of folks who were much worse off than me.

The message that I get monthly at the CBMC lunches that I attend (Christian Business Men’s Conference) is that our problems will cease to be problems if we allow God to handle them for us.

Sales jobs aren’t easy, and selling cars can be (at times) enormously discouraging. One of my co-workers taped up a Scripture reading on his computer, to help him cope. I made a copy of it, and carry it with me in my briefcase.

The passage is from Psalm 55:22:

Cast your burden upon the lord, and he will sustain you, he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

The message in Jim’s story is that there really is very little separating us from him. There’s an old saying that says something like, “there but for the grace of God go I”.

It’s a frightening thought, but it’s also a comforting thought.

We really can’t control what happens to us, but we CAN control how we respond to our circumstances.

We can (and should) plan for the future (I’ve made LOTS of five year plans that turned out a lot different than I thought they would), but we SHOULD let our future be guided by our creator, and our lives will be a lot simpler.

The next time you’re feeling discouraged, think of the Thin Red Line.

Somewhere, and somehow, Jim and I will be pulling for you.

~ Tom

The Black State of the Union ~ Tavis Smiley and you!

The State of the Black Union 2009 is fast approaching. I eagerly anticipate it each year because I know that without it, there is no agenda to vocally address issues affecting the black community.

As I have stated here before, Tavis Smiley has manifested, in his desire to better our community, a forum whereupon leaders, scholars and think-tanks convene. The issues are intelligent and so essential to our moving forward as a people.

I am submitting this blog in the hopes that it will be chosen as a participant. This will be the State of the Black Union's 10th year!!!

There is so much to contribute.

What does this election really mean for our young men's self-esteem. Will we have an agenda in this administration.

What are the think-tanks evaluation of how things have panned out. What are the implications for the world.

What is the black community's agenda for the 21st century. Will this election even impact our community.

The panels should be phenomenal. The issues of our health and employment and our education must be reviewed. Our international goals must also be discussed.

I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall absorbing the energy flowing from the top black minds.

Wish me luck!!!

If you or anyone you know are interested in learning more or participating as well, check out TAVIS!

Today Bloggers Unite For Refugees!

I am not proficient in international affairs. I know very little about the world and all its pieces. My general feeling tends to minimize world conflicts. I have a very hard time grasping ideological and religious wars. Thankfully the internet is at our fingertips and the in depth views of the world are just a few clicks away.

I am so happy to be sharing with everyone on "Refugees Unite".

Our recent election made me so curious as to what is really the state of our global relations.

I know that America is bound to Israel due to some sort of pact, but the human side distresses me.

My limited research finds me with, yet again, something simplistic in my view. I suppose that is what makes this country so great. Yes, we have our issues, but I can be one religion, my son another, my mother another and we could conceivably live in the same house, city, county, state, country with many others of different beliefs.

In our fellow neighboring worlds, they find that they must war, many times over the same piece of land, because it houses a religious or cultural significance.

I think back to the warring in Ireland, the Bosnian war, the Kurds, Shiites, Sunni and in the Palestinian/Israeli conflicts, all within my life-time, many stemming from long before any of us were born. WOW.

For the Jews and Palestinians, from what I can surmise, is a fight to preserve access to the same lands due to Abraham and Muhammad having walked the same streets and worshipped, descended, ascended or potentially slain their offspring in similar sites.

That is all valid and beautiful but killing and maiming, displacing, and massacring your neighbor for things that happened centuries ago seems so inflamed.

Some of the proposals I read about promote a bi-national state. Would it be so horrific to just allow everyone access and co-existence while establishing that there are differences and all should be able to worship and reside as they see fit?

I just don't understand how some of the Palestinians have been displaced for decades. Still living in camps that are tents. It just seems archaic in today's sophisticated society.




The second part to my idea today is that I am still bothered by Gayle Quinnell's statement at that McCain rally where she referred to President Obama as an Arab.

My search uncovered that the Arab nations are highlighted. Neither Kenya, Iran, or Afghanistan are members of the Arab League. I found that very interesting. Where does our bias come from??

According to some of my sources, such as Israeli-Palestinian ProCon.org there are many complicated pieces that surround this delicate issue.

Some of the Palestinians of the region are Christians. Some Palestinians are Muslim.

Some Israelis are also Oriental/Arab Jews. From most accounts I read, the region is just too multi-ethnic-racial-religious to be attempting such defined living arrangements.Which brings us to the refugee.

Here are the countries listed in the Arab League alongside the year they joined per ProCon.org




1. Egypt (1945) 9. Sudan (1956) 16. Oman (1971)
2. Iraq (1945) 10. Morocco (1958) 17. Qatar (1971)
3. Jordan (1945) 11. Tunisia (1958) 18. Mauritania (1973)
4. Lebanon (1945) 12. Kuwait (1961) 19. Somalia (1974)
5. Saudi Arabia (1945) 13. Algeria (1962) 20. Palestine (1976)
6. Syria (1945) 14. Bahrain (1971) 21. Djibouti (1977)
7. Yemen (1945) 15. U.A.E. (1971) 22. Comoros (1993)
8. Libya (1953)



United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is vastly effective and has been for decades in feeding, educating and providing medical assistance for the Palestinian refugee.

UNRWA

The Palestinian Refugee has been in transition since the conflict of 1948. That is a long time to be without country or without home.

There is an amazing site called "The Road To Refuge" where you can trace the tracks of many of today's refugees.

Palestinians are the world's largest refugee population according to this BBC NEWS World service.

Many of those who fled Palestine in 1948 once Israel was created, continue living in the squalid camps of Jordan, Gaza, and the West Bank. This is so mindboggling to me that these people are now second or third generation refugees. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their homes in 1948 once the Israel conflict ended and again in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

These unfortunate souls have spread all over the world, but are concentrated in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the West Bank. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) remain responsible for providing assistance to these people.

Check out these staggering statistics provided by the UNRWA:

Number of Palestinian refugees: 3.7m

1.6m in Jordan
824,622 in Gaza
583,009 in West Bank
383,199 in Syria
376,472 in Lebanon

Source: UNRWA 2000

This made me wonder, as questioned in an earlier piece by our friend Tom Brennan, how I can we be so afraid of people who are so destitute and desperate?

Any acts of violence are such that they are merely reaching out to the world for assistance and a swift end to inhumanity.

I learned all of this in less than an hour. My thoughts are what if we began teaching truth in our schools. Educated societies are better societies.

I pledge to spread my knowledge today and ask you to spread as well by educating me as to what you know. I so enjoy it, and as you know, would love to post what you have to say.

Send what you know to me and everyone who will listen. No one should have to raise their entire family, from generation to generation, in a tent. OR if you have other views, they are also welcome here. We should all be open to learning.




This has nothing to do with who is right or wrong or whether rights to this or that are maintained. This has everything to do with basic human rights and doing what we can for the refugees of the world. Especially the children.



Whose God would allow a child to hurt in his name?

No one's, so lets eliminate children's pain beginning with today ~

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more

"Naming The Obama Dog" ~ by Tom Brennan



Dorothy – you can’t go back to Kansas anymore.



“Dorothy” was born in Kansas in October of 1922, a scant 4 months after the birth of Frances Ethel Gumm, who later became known as Judy Garland.

Ms. Gumm, a native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, died on June 22, 1969, not long after I graduated from the University of Minnesota.

Madelyn Lee Payne (aka Dorothy) married Stanley Dunham on May 5, 1940.

They had one child, a girl, whom they named Stanley Ann.

Through her parents, Stanley Ann had Cherokee, English, and Irish ancestry.

She was also a distant relative of a gentleman named Dick Cheney, the current Vice President of the United States.

In 1960, the Dunhams moved to the new state of Hawaii in order to pursue further business opportunities.

Stanley Ann moved to “the rainbow state” with her parents, and ultimately enrolled at the University of Hawaii, where she met a dashing young foreign student named Barack Hussein Obama, a native of Kenya.

The two quickly fell in love, much to the disapproval of both sets of parents, and got married on February 2, 1961. At the time of the marriage, Stanley Ann was 3 months pregnant. Her first child, also named Barack Obama, was born on August 4, 1961.

Just getting married turned out to be a courageous act.

As late as 1967, 16 states still banned “interracial marriage”.

At the time of the birth, she was 18 years old.

Sadly, the marriage was short-lived, and Stanley Ann filed for divorce in January of 1964. Barack Obama Sr. returned to his native Kenya. At the time of his death in 1982, in an automobile accident, he had only seen his young son one more time.

She subsequently married another University of Hawaii student named Lola Soetero in 1967, and the pair (along with her young son Barack) moved to his native Indonesia. While living there, she gave birth to a daughter named Maya Cassandra Soetera, in 1970.

A year after his sister was born, the young man returned to Hawaii, where he lived with his maternal grandparents until his high school graduation in 1979. In an odd sort of way, this part of his life was reminiscent of the life of ANOTHER Dorothy, who lived with her Uncle Harry and Aunt Em – in Kansas.

Although his mother eventually followed him to Hawaii, her stay was short, and she moved back to Indonesia. In 1994, she returned to Hawaii, where she died of ovarian cancer in 1995 at the age of 53.

After his high school graduation, the young Obama attended college at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then moved to New York, and graduated from Columbia College in 1983. Two years later, he moved to “the Windy City”.

Although he was influenced by MANY people on his rise to stardom, he was heavily influenced by “the man behind the curtain” on the south side of Chicago, who gave him the audacity to hope. In later years, the “man behind the curtain” no longer had the Wright things to say, forcing the young man to distance himself from his former mentor.

In short order, he was elected to the Illinois legislature, and then to the U.S. Senate. His real jump to stardom, though, came in July of 2004, when he presented the keynote speech at the Democratic National convention.

THAT was the moment when he BECAME the “wizard of Oz”.

On a cold February day, less than three years later, he announced his intention to run for the highest office in the land in Springfield, Illinois.

Although he had some formidable competition for the job, none was more daunting than “the wicked witch of the East”, a Yankees fan who happened to be a Chicago native, as well as a former First Lady.

After a series of bruising battles, he eventually prevailed, and she pledged to support HIM in the contest with the GOP.

The “Grand Old Party” knew that it had an uphill battle to retain the “keys to the kingdom”. Eventually, a grizzled old war hero named John emerged victorious in the quest for the “gold ring”.

Years earlier, his Navy jet had been shot down over unfriendly territory in Munchkinland.

Hanoi Hannah and her regimen of Winkie soldiers captured the young pilot, and “detained” him in the “Hanoi Hilton” for 5 ½ LONG years.

While in captivity, the “cowardly lion” grew ever stronger, and he served as a role model to his fellow prisoners, among them the “tin man” and “the scare crow”.

Upon their release, the tin man acquired an interest in a Cassiterate mine in the former Belgian colony of Congo, and the scarecrow became a colleague of Bill Ayers at the University of Chicago. The lion parted ways with his first wife, and married a Budweiser heiress from Phoenix, Arizona, whom he met at a cocktail party in Hawaii in April of 1979, roughly a month prior to the time that “the wizard” graduated from Panahou High School in the same state.

Since the old war veteran fancied himself a “maverick” he knew that he had to choose an unconventional running mate, so he chose Glinda, the good witch of the north.

He had not wanted her. He was an old man who had thought for a long time and still he had not wanted her. He had wanted Joe. But he knew that they would not like Joe, who came from a different place, or Tom, who did not think like they thought. And so he picked her.

She was strong and brave and young. She had a sturdy frame and a solid jaw and a sharp tongue. She would fight a hard fight and a fine fight and a good fight.

She handled the guns well. She was a fine shot and her aim was true. She would shoot to kill. Her instincts were good. And he remembered the many hunts and the blood on the knife and the look in the eye of the downed prey and the fine smell of the gut pile. He thought about riding through the small towns with the moose head high on the hood as people cheered. He knew she would soak the large liver in a bucket on the back step, and that later there would be drinking and moose pate and it made him glad.

In the end, he was sorry about Joe, and about Tom, but he was not sorry about the others whom he had not liked at all. He liked her.

After a series of debates, and a grueling campaign schedule, the wizard emerged victorious, and will soon be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

On a cold January day, he’ll travel down the “yellow brick road” (sometimes called Pennsylvania Avenue) with Michelle and Sasha and Malia to give another glorious speech, after which the family will move in to their new home at The Great White House (just down the street from Foggy Bottom).

Once they are settled in, he’ll buy his girls the new puppy that he has promised them.




And they will name him Toto.


Dorothy’s ruby slippers were donated to the Smithsonian Institute a long time ago, but no matter how many times she says ‘there’s no place like home”, she can never return to Kansas.

She got called home to the “Emerald City” on November 3, a day before “the wizard” got elected, and there’s no finer place than that.


Tom


*******

Thanks Tom!!

What it's like at the MOUNTAINTOP

As we look down and head into the Promisedland...

Was reading our friend, Los Angelista today, who was talking about how she keeps crying. I shared with her that I've been spontaneously crying as well, and that it was okay.

I was being cavalier because I hadn't yet cried today ~ UNTIL I READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeeze, are we going to be emotional until January!

I HOPE so!

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Be sure to click here and Re-read Dr. King's prophetic prose.

JUST SAY NO! to election withdrawals

That's what I tell offenders who are addicted to illicit substances, and re-offend.

"Just SAY no!" There is compassion in my diatribe, but it is typically laced with a lot of calls to action and self introspection and demands to end self-loathing.

THEN, when I woke up this morning, I had a headache. Almost as if I had withdrawals myself.

I attributed it to lack of caffeine, but now I've just finished my coffee, and it is still there ~ nagging!

THEN I checked my emails, and it occurred to me ~ I HAVE ELECTION WITHDRAWAL ~ ALREADY! There were no calls to action. No schedules to attend to. There were no calls to make. No emails to send. Just ~ Quiet.

I miss the headquarters. I miss urgently, feverishly working toward a common goal!

I know there is still much more work to do. I know there is still the cause. BUT, I am still in high gear. I am still on that roll!

So, I decided to post today to see what you guys all have to say.

I am putting this all out to you. How do you think we should all stay on this roll?

My thought is that we should stay connected to our local governments. Keep networking with all the people you have encountered to make this happen because we made this happen for ourselves! We are so powerful and strong. OUR voices are being heard, so let's make sure we continue to say something.

We care deeply enough about common decency and goodness. We care about our fellow man/woman and child.

Lets keep on the rise. I am calling my alderman today to see how we can all liaison.

There's a new sheriff in town and he needs his army...his army of love and compassionate souls...lets stay at work!

Let me know what you guys think!

~Dr. King Your Dream Came True~

Dr. Nina Simone, this is for you~

(Thanks, K.R.)

Emmet Till, this is for you~



Dr.Maya Angelou~this is for you~

Still I Rise Dr.Maya Angelou August 12, 1978


You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
~Maya Angelou



Boys & Girls of the WORLD ~ THIS ONE IS FOR YOU (wink, wink)

WHOOPIE, from the Second City!!!

YES WE CAN!

Gonna be UP all night Barackin The House!!


WHAT a NIGHT~Now All is right with the world

I Got By With A Little Help From My Friends ~

As you all well know, I am a wreck. I paced the floors until I just had to get out and share! I embraced my Chi!

WOW, I am so glad I did! Today, we are subjects in an Enchanted Kingdom.

Its like Christmas here in The City of Big Shoulders, but its at 75 degrees.

If you too are pacing the floors, sit for a moment and take in the sights...

The City By The Lake waiting for the Prince to be Crowned King, or at the very least, to grace us with his RockStar status as he embraces us with a great big hug. Either way, what a ride!!!! We owe Senator Obama a crown of thanks.

I never saw my son beeming with such pride, proclaiming that he was "staying up ALL night" tonight to watch the results.

I suppose glee is contagious because just last night I exclaimed to him, "See, because of Senator Barack Obama, as resistant as I was, you can really be ANYTHING YOU WANT ~ whether he WINS OR LOSES."

It is my hope that America will now think twice before they grab their purses in the presence of color. Now, that is a pretty hefty hope, however, with the rigors of this election process now behind us, it can, thankfully, now be within reach ~ attainable!!!

If you notice in the pics, there are people here from ALL OVER THESE BEAUTIFUL, AND FINALLY, UNITED STATES!

LIVE From Grant Park ITS Election Night!!!!!
























Wish You Were HERE sharing the love in Grant Park!

It would be great to see what is going on where YOU are ~ If POSSIBLE, SHARE it with us, because either way, its gonna be a great night for us all...enjoying the process and enjoying the ride ~