Lady Anne de Bivalve

I just got an email from an old friend who has been battling a malignant cancer for quite a while. She has discontinued treatment in favor of the most peaceful end possible. This decision took great courage and I only hope that she will find peace with family and friends. We met in 1950, and have been in contact off and on since. We had laughs together and some interesting times, but went our own ways in 1958.
A year or so ago I wrote an essay about doing the “hardest thing I ever did”, and I will add this to the list. I hate that she didn’t get the therapy needed to reverse the disease. I hate that medicine can’t get to all cancers in time. I just hate all of it.
She is a good woman with core religious beliefs, and will go to her heaven when the time comes. She won’t go kicking and screaming either. She will go with dignity and with a smile. She will be an example for us all.
Damn you Cancer. Damn you.
Image: http://www.nature.org/idc/groups/webcontent/@photopublic/documents/media/prd_023218.jpg

Steve Irwin: CRIKY!!

If you ever enjoyed Steve Irwin, take a few minutes to watch this video of end the memorial service, filmed at his home base crock farm. And listen to the song of John Williamson, a balladeer of great power.
I was writing a story about Uluru and the rain and wanted to link to John Williamson’s song “It’s Raining on the Rock”. Why? Because it’s raining here, now, and that brought me to Uluru. So I went to YouTube and whilst there rediscovered the Steve Irwin video. I couldn’t help myself. I opened it, listened and watched, and had a tear as well.
At some level thus guy was a real nutter, playing with crocks, dangerous snakes, spiders and sting rays. At another he was a consummate entertainer, and at another he was a master of showing us another world. And he died the way he probably wanted to. But probably too soon, if you could ask him.
So I watched the video and thought about all the people I know who have never heard John Williamson or his songs and though “Hell, why not?” Why not indeed. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rdyVP95XiE&feature=related
Look into my eyes. Watch it. And whatever you do, DON”T MISS THE END!!!
Image: http://www.funnyheck.com/funnypicture/steve6.jpg
Image: http://www.johnnyleeclary.com/images/irwin_steve_snake_cp_10666737.jpg

There is Something Rotten in the State of Alabama: Tomatoes.

(Before you read further, notice that the sign says “my body my choice” etc.? Yeah? Try to “choose” woman’s health services in Kanas and see who owns your body, lady.)
You gotta love some state legislators. Alabama passes a terribly strict “immigration” policy and as a result on September 28th, thousands of migrant workers stream out of the state. Then the farmers find out that local people won’t work for the wages or the back-breaking labor, so crops all over the state are rotting in the fields or on the trees. Brilliant.
Watch Florida next. A massive use of migrant labor for a multi-billion dollar agribusiness, and the assholes in the legislature want to pass a “tough” immigration bill like Arizona and Alabama. If they do, they demonstrate once again how far out of touch they really are, and what morons they are. In fact, if they pass a bill like that and it gets signed into law, Morons would be embarrassed to have them join the club. We shall see. They are now busy trying to kill the “Obamacare” program, climbing into the uteri of the women of the state, and getting divorced because gay marriage is a danger to us all. Oh yeah, and breaking up the public school system with universal vouchers, privatizing prisons and killing state workers with more job cuts and security cuts (abolition of tenure for colleges and universities) which will take our already not-world-class-anymore universities down another notch or two.
At least we got a bunch of good workers from Alabama for the moment.
Image: http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSASvnkcElJhgFRGCoL9muN_6ylWae9CLamSc9rUSLVfUfyXBGTyj_st7dW