Denver's Columbus Day Parade - No Problem (Updated from 10/08)

Ground Zero for Denver's Columbus Day Parade--the earliest established (historically oldest) Columbus Day parade in the country--was 15th and Wazee Streets in lower downtown Denver, right outside the main gate to Coors Field. The revelers came in numbers, as did the protesters, as did the Denver Police Department.

David and hiked from our Northwest Denver home to lower downtown Denver specifically to see the parade and, of course, the antics of the protestors who, over the past decade or more, have attempted to shut this parade down by utilizing intimidation and civil disobedience which usually manifested itself in blocking the parade route with their bodies.

Denver's City Council, however, passed this year a more stringent ordinance that makes it more difficult to avoid successful prosecution pursuant to a charge of blocking or disrupting a legally permitted parade. In past years, charges against the protesters who have disrupted or blocked the parade have never, to my knowledge, resulted in any convictions.

Be that as it may, as soon as David walked into lower downtown, into those steel and stone canyons, we heard the tom-toms and the chants of the protesters who, apparently, had decided to peacefully--if not quietly--walk through lower downtown to Ground Zero. Their gripe, of course, and what their chants reflected is their belief that Columbus initiated genocide against indigenous populations (native Americans) on whatever "new world" soil he happened to trod.

The protestors (on cue and I do believe in consultation with the Denver Police brass who were on the scene and clearly communicating with the protests leaders) breached the street barricades and about twenty folks who wore whiteface masks ran to the middle of the intersection. They screamed bloody murder and moaned and groaned as they writhed in the middle of the street. They then dropped down and quietly lay prone on the asphalt. It was great street theater symbolizing, of course, the claimed acts of genocide by Columbus.

As the catcalls from the protesters on one side of the street were answered by mostly elderly white-haired Italian women on the other side of the street, the Denver Police Department continued to shift their significant presence around the immediate area, giving all spectators and observers, protestors and parade participants alike a pretty good understanding that if the shit was going to hit the fan, they were their with significant strength to handle it. They even brought the SWAT Team into the intersection, but without helmets or riot sticks.

During all this time, the police brass seemed to be in continual communication with the leaders of the protest. Good move on both of their parts.

When the parade participants were nearing Ground Zero, the Denver Police Department gave more than ample notice through a bullhorn three times that the folks writhing on the asphalt in the middle of the intersection were in violation of the law and if they didn't move they would be arrested. At that point, the street theater continued, as a contingent of protestors brought backboards (the emergency type boards that accident victims are placed on) into the middle of the intersection and began carrying the moaning, screaming bodies out of the middle of the intersection. The protestors then dumped what appeared to be watered down red paint across the middle of the intersection where the Italians would be marching.

Once everyone was out of the middle of the intersection, a Denver Fire Pumper pulled into the intersection and hosed down the fake blood that had been spread over the street. Once again, there seemed to be a very obvious coordination of all of the protestor's actions with the police; that is to say, the cops knew in advance what was going to happen. Or, maybe better said, the cops knew in advance what the protests leaders had told them was going to happen.

So, the Italians reach Ground Zero, the protesters hoot and holler, the cops stand ready, I take pictures and, well... All's well that ends well.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. And, I do believe all sides of this annual event: the cops, the protestors, the Italians, the observers acted wisely and carefully. Yes, it is a very, very costly event given all the barricade rental, police and fire overtime. But, what is the price of assuring First Amendment rights to everyone. Mayor Hickenlooper seemed to think he could dicker a bit with the First Amendment rights of both sides of this annual event. He quickly found out he was wrong.

Maybe the Hick will butt-out next time.

p.s. Also marching with the Italians, were contingents from the Libertarian Party, Cowboys of Color and (this might have struck some protestors as a little ironic) an Inca or Aztec dance troop.

Denver's Columbus Day Parade - More Pictures - See Narrative in Prior Post

More pictures from the Columbus Day Parade:

Scary and Stupid Stuff - A Couple Things

This from the Associated Press and reprinted in this morning's Rocky Mountain News, provides that Dubya is proposing that the armed forces be used to "quarantine" folks where the bird flu may appear. The article reads, in part:

Citing concern that state and local authorities might be unable to contain and deal with such an outbreak, Bush asked Congress to give him the authority to call in the military.

The president has already indicated he wants to give the armed forces the lead responsibility for conducting search-and-rescue operations and sending in supplies after massive natural disasters and terrorist attacks - a notion that could require a change in law and that even some in the Pentagon have reacted to skeptically. The idea raised the startling-to-some image of soldiers cordoning off communities hit by disease.

Um... Haven't I seen pretty scary movies about the military moving in on communities where disease or aliens or whatever happen to land/infest?

Please note the following: Dr. Irwin Redlener, associate dean of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and director of its National Center for Disaster Preparedness, called the president's suggestion an "extraordinarily draconian measure" that would be unnecessary if the nation had built the capability for rapid vaccine production, ensured a large supply of anti-virals like Tamiflu, and not allowed the degradation of the public health system.

"The translation of this is martial law in the United States," Redlener said.

Scary stuff, ya'll. Sounds kind of like John Ashcroft still has the President's ear.

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This fro Stephen Pizzo (News for Real) via AlterNet, provides that we are in for one hell of a recession. Pizzo writes:

Recessions begin when consumers suddenly discover they can no longer keep pace with their bills. And this one has already begun.

Of course George W. Bush will blame it all on the war and two hurricanes. In fact, it's a direct result of his own flawed economic policies and the "borrow and spend" lifestyle he sparked, not only within government, but consumers as well.

I am referring to the looming recession. It's going to be a doozie. And it has begun, as it always does, when consumers suddenly discover they can no longer keep pace with their bills.

This is a particularly bad time for consumers to be tapped out. It comes at the beginning of the holiday spending season which can account for nearly half of many retailers income for the year. It comes just as gasoline prices reach European levels, hitting low-wage workers hardest, especially if they have to commute to work. It comes just as the first chills of winter begin spreading south from Canada and as heating oil and natural gas prices spiral to unheard-of highs.

**

Finally, although 99.9% of the time I disagree with Denver Post editorialist, Al Knight, his thoughts on Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper's can't we all just get along bullshit with regard to the Columbus Day Parade is right on. Please read if you have the time.

Locked Your Keys In Your Car??

My friend Connie sent this to me and IT WORKS!

Locked your keys in your car???? If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys (with fob) are at home, call someone on your mobile phone. Hold your mobile phone about a foot from your car door and have the other person at your home press the unlock button of your key fob (clicker), holding it very near the phone on their end. Your car doors will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object you could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other “remote” for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk!).

Sweet Melissa

Sweet Melissa, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

A smile for your Monday!

Dubya as a Speechifier

Thanks to the Drunken Lagomorph for reminding us of this video that emerged during the last election. Ol' Dubya "dissasembles" before our very eyes.

Wicked - Riding High on Hype

David and I and three of the folks David works with saw the Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical Wicked last night. Not that I thought it stunk. It didn't. But, I don't understand the hysterical hype this mediocre at best musical is receiving.

I know, I know... How do my credentials stack up against all those professional critics who just get really giddy writing about this play that, some have said, will change the face of the American musical theater forever? Well, I really don't have any credentials. I just know what I like.

I don't know if it was more the inadequacies of the traveling production that caused my disappointment or just the play itself which capialized on so many trite, overused themes that have been there, done that many, many, many times before through the voice of more talented writers and composers.

I couldn't understand a word that was sung by either of the female leads. The orchestra consisted of about five or six musicians: three brass, maybe a clarinet?, percussion and electronics. No strings. The sets were cheap, amateurish even. The choreography was unimaginative. And, the story line was, well--how do I say this so it won't offend that many people? The story line was goofy.

Yes, I know. At the conclusion of the too long play, the Buell Theater at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts erupted in a standing, screaming ovation. Except for me and a couple others, the crowd loved the damned thing.

I guess there's something wrong with me. (But, then, we all know that already. :-] )

As they say, go figure!

By the way, you really ought to check out the above link. You can even buy Wicked karaoke, for Christ's sake.

Hickenlooper - Just Stupid?

This from the Rocky Mountain News this morning, reports that Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper is "...sick and tired..." of the conflict and controversy that traditionally--since, at least, 1991-- surrounds Denver's Columbus Day parade. The Great Hick, in a letter to both the Italian folk and the protester folk, wonders why we all can't just get along; he urges both groups to seek alternative celebrations of their heritage.

What has occurred, however, is that the LEGALLY SANCTIONED parade through the streets of Denver has seen an attempt by the protester folk to deny the First Amendment rights of the Italians by blocking their path, hurling obscenities and other matters of substance at the marchers.

Okay. Fact: The Italian folk traditionally apply for a permit to have their little parade through the streets of downtown Denver on Columbus day. Their parade is legal. Their parade celebrates the First Amendment rights of all Americans.

Fact: Russell Means and Glenn Morris and Ward Churchill and other "ethnic" folk (although I do believe Ward Churchill is full of crap with his assertion that he is part Native American) traditionally attempt to deny the Italian folk's First Amendment right to express their pride in their heritage which, incidentally, isn't so much about Columbus as it is about their ancestor's trek from the Old Country to the fabulous promise of America.

I read recently in our neighborhood newspaper (I live in an old Denver neighborhood that was originally occupied by LEGAL Italian immigrants) that when the Italian kids would--amongst themselves as they played in the front yards of their modest homes--start conversing in Italian, a parent would inevitably burst through the front door of the house and admonish the children to speak English. "We're American, now," the parent would scold. "Speak English."

Well, Hickenlooper believes that the Italians are equally to blame for the conflict which surrounds the Columbus day parade imbroglio caused by the likes of Ward Churchill and Russell Means and Glenn Morris and other gosh, I really need to get my face on t.v., ethnic folk who traditionally attempt to subvert the right of the Italian folk to celebrate the holiday.

Vincent Carroll, an editorial writer for the News, provided this response to Hickenlooper's ridiculous assertions which reads, in part:

With the exception of a few lines, however, the letter promotes the grotesque fiction that the "volatile situations" of the past few years are equally the fault of the parade organizers and those who try to shut it down. In fact, those "volatile situations" are solely the fault of protesters who do not believe in free speech, do not respect the Constitution, and who elevate their political agenda above the rights of everyone else.

However much Hickenlooper deplores the parade, he should at least be able to acknowledge that much.

Congressman David Dreier - Closeted Gay Neocon Rises in the Ranks

This from AlterNet this morning is a good read on the ascension of closeted gay Congressman David Dreier within the leadership of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.

Wonder how James Dobson of Focus on the Family views this curious game of musical chairs engendered by the indictment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay for campaign sleaze?

I, like many of my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, generally respect any person's decision to remain in the closet. But, quoting from the AlterNet piece:

Is it right to out a closeted gay politician? Doug Ireland follows the openly gay Democratic Congressman Barney Frank's (D-Mass.) rule: "Outing is only acceptable when a person uses their power or notoriety to hurt gay people."

And David Dreier's record fully qualifies him for public exposure. Ireland writes:

He opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would have banned discrimination against gay people in hiring; voted for the gay-bashing Defense of Marriage Act; voted for banning adoption by gay and lesbian couples in the District of Columbia (3,000 miles away from Dreier's district); voted to allow federally funded charities to discriminate against gays in employment, even where local laws prohibit such bias; and voted against the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

The AlterNet piece also reports:

It is widely assumed that Dreier's partner is none other than his chief of staff, Brad Smith. Janice Nelson, Dreier's Democratic opponent in 1998 and 2000, was aware that Dreier and Smith were living together at the time, saying, "Brad was like an invisible presence. They really have the routine down slick." As Byrne of Raw Story discovered, Smith makes $156,000 a year -- only $400 less than Andrew Card, who runs George Bush's shop in the White House. It's also been reported that Dreier and Smith traveled to 25 countries together using taxpayer funds. Doug Ireland provided a corollary to this kind of arrangement: "New Jersey Democratic Governor Jim McGreevey was recently forced to resign when it was about to become public that he had put his boyfriend on the public payroll at a salary slightly less than the one which Dreier pays Smith."

No, just become someone shares my sexuality, it is not okeydokey for them to celebrate their hypocrisy, their sleaze, their Roy Cohn mentality, their demagoguery within the safe clutch of the Republican party.

Dumbyer and Dumbyer

Dubya has asked us all to start conserving gas by driving less. This from the NY Times provides the details.

Um, let me see now... I do believe Dubya--after having learned the lessons of Katrina--is making his seventh trip to the Gulf...the in-charge President, the visible President, the goofball fratboy who demands bedtime stories from Karl Rove and a little shot of, oh, say Jim Beam before he nods off; yes, Dubya is heading down to the Gulf again in Air Force One which, I heard today, costs about $6,000 an hour to operate (all that fuel, personnel, etc.).

Let's conserve folks. Yeah. Right!

Coors Field - Just Before Dusk

Coors Field - Just Before Dusk, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

This was Saturday. Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants. (WE WON!!!)

Sorry, my San Francisco Friends. WE WON!!!

Sorry, my San Francisco Friends. WE WON!!!, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Sweet Melisa Smiles

Sweet Melisa Smiles, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

For your Monday... A Sweet Melissa smile. Note the maple leaves on the grass. I think we're actually going to have a real fall this year.

Aspens changing

Aspens changing, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

David and I took his parents to Central City today to do a little gambling. On the way back, we stopped and took some shots of the Aspens turning color. In about a week, they'll be even more beautiful, giving us reds and oranges and yellows.

Phil Donahue vs. Bill O'Reilly

This via AlterNet is a must read. Watch the video.

The Shame of Pork (As in Barrel)

Paul Campos, in the Rocky Mountain News this morning, provides a good read on the "business as usual" mentality of the U.S. Congress.

Paul provides, in part, that:

This is the story of two pieces of pork. The first is a sausage that Merlene Maten, a 73-year- old grandmother and church deaconess, is accused of stealing from a deli in a New Orleans suburb the day after Katrina struck.

The second piece of pork is in the process of being looted from the U.S. treasury. It's a $231 million slice of taxpayer money, which is going to be used to build Ketchikan, Alaska's infamous Bridge to Nowhere - a structure that will be nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge, and several hundred times less busy.

Ketchikan is a small town (pop. 8,000), with a tiny airport that handles seven commercial flights per day. The airport is on an island that's now reached by a seven-minute ferry ride. Ketchikan is also in the district of U.S. Rep. Don Young, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, which this summer spit out a $285 billion highway bill, packed with more than 6,000 "earmarked projects," some of which are just as outrageous as building a $300 million suspension bridge that will be used by a couple of hundred people daily (if users of the bridge were charged fees that covered its cost, they would have to pay more than $100 per trip. The ferry ride costs $6).

Monsignor Clark - Hetero Highjinks From A Prince of the Catholic Church!

William F. Buckley, Jr., whose writing skills and power of logic I respect immenseley, provides this from his National Review magazine on the indiscretion of Monsignor Eugene Clark, lately prelate of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.

National Debt

I've added the "U.S. National Debt Clock," site to my links sections.

Does it bother you that the US is now a debtor nation, owing roughly $7.9Trillion dollars to the People's Republic of China, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia?

It bothers me. It bothers me a whole lot.

And, dare I ask, where is Dubya going to get the $200Million to rebuild New Orleans?

Um, I believe that $200Million will put us over the $8Trillion mark.

Democrats, where are you? Do you realize Dubya's spending has not been equaled even by Lyndon Baines Johnson who gave us Guns and Butter--neither of which succeeded?

Is Dubya Evil? From Bill Maher

Via Crooks and Liars, the video of Bill Maher's last HBO program is probably one of his best. If you've got the time, you should really, really take a look at the "New Rules," by Bill Maher video.

Our Canadian Friend

Our Canadian Friend, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

This guy became just a little perturbed when I got too close to him.

Such a Noble Nose!

Such a Noble Nose!, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

This handsome guy was in the Berkeley Park Off-Leash Dog enclosure this morning.

This Morning on the Lake

This Morning on the Lake, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

David and I hiked about six miles through our neighborhood this morning, hitting both Rocky Mountain Park (Lake) and Berkeley Park (Lake). This is a shot of Berkeley Lake.

Presidential I.Q.

Mr. President: "What are your feelings about Roe vs. Wade?"

The President: "Well, I really don't care how people get out of New Orleans!"

Couple "Gay" Things

One of my recent posts ended with the question: "Do ya'll remember Senator Joseph McCarthy?" The question was in the context of a post about Pat Robertson, the essence of which was:

He said employees at the Christian Broadcasting Network had put together a list of 283 nominees, presenters, and invited guests at the Emmys known to be of sexually deviant persuasions.

If you don't remember Joseph McCarthy and what came to beknown as McCarthyism, please take a look.

This story from the New York Times reminded me, once again, of that very dark and dangerous period of American history when the drunken, disturbed Senator from Wisconsin destroyed so many good and decent lives. The Times story reads, in part:

Investigators appointed by the Vatican have been instructed to review each of the 229 Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States for "evidence of homosexuality" and for faculty members who dissent from church teaching, according to a document prepared to guide the process.

Experts in human sexuality have cautioned that homosexuality and attraction to children are different, and that a disproportionate percentage of boys may have been abused because priests were more likely to have access to male targets - like altar boys or junior seminarians - than to girls.

But some church officials in the United States and in Rome, including some bishops and many conservatives, attributed the abuse to gay priests and called for an overhaul of the seminaries. Expectation for such a move rose this year with the election of Pope Benedict XVI, who has spoken of the need to "purify" the church.

Two points: Pedophiles are sick human beings who steal the innocence of the young. It doesn't matter if they're priests or t-ball coaches. To suggest that all gay men are pedophiles is as absurd as suggesting that all straight men are pedophiles.

If the Catholic Church wishes to purify itself, a McCarthyistic witch hunt , in my humble opinion, ain't the way to do it.

Another question: Ya'll ever hear of the Inquisition?

**
Massachusetts uber alles!

Couple Things - John Roberts -Dubya

From the Advocate comes the full text of Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts', response to the fact that he provided pro bono assistance in Romer vs. Evans, a Colorado case that ended up in the Supreme Court.

Romer vs. Evans involved a statewide referendum that was passed by the electorate in 1992, with the result that several anti-discrimination ordinances which included sexual orientation in their verbiage were, via the referendum, ordered to be modified. Several Colorado cities-- including Boulder, Aspen and Denver-- had established these ordinances and the referendum, Amendment 2, wiped out the verbiage in these ordinances relating to sexual orientation.

Amendment 2 read: "No Protected Status Based on Homosexual, Lesbian or Bisexual Orientation. Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination. This Section of the Constitution shall be in all respects self-executing."

Amendment 2 was overturned in the Denver District Court and the Colorado Supreme Court. It was taken up by the US Supreme Court with the conclusion of the majority, written by Justice Kennedy: We must conclude that Amendment 2 classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A State cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws. Amendment 2 violates the Equal Protection Clause, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Colorado is affirmed.

The dissent from the Supreme court was led by Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas. The dissent begins: "The Court had mistaken a Kulturkampf for a fit of spite." Lawd give me strength. (Kulturkampf)

You can make your own judgment about John Roberts' really non-committal response to Senator Arlen Specter's question with regard to Roberts' pro bono work on behalf of the queers in the Romer vs. Evans case. For me--even though I believe Roberts to be a superb Supreme Court scholar and very, very smart judge--he scares the bejesus out of me. I mean, look who he, as Chief, would be working with on the Court. Scalia and Thomas aren't going anywhere. And, besides that, Roberts is only fifty. His influence could be exerted on our lives for the next thirty or more years.

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AlterNet this morning provides a good read by Robert Scheer entitled, "Finally Fooling Most of the People None of the Time." Just a couple paragraphs:

Unfortunately, what the Bush White House is good at when it comes to national security is providing flash over substance, as Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana found out the hard way. After riding in a helicopter with the president and seeing machinery apparently working on the breached 17th Street levee, she was shocked the next day to find the work mysteriously stopped. "Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment," said the senator in a press release.

For far too long, this kind of shenanigan worked well for Bush, allowing him to narrowly win a second term. His administration was asleep at the switch on 9/11 even though "the system was blinking red," according to the then-CIA chief. Bush grabbed a bullhorn at ground zero and remade himself as a "war president" -- and suffered no real political damage from the failure to either capture Osama bin Laden or find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Scheer is right on. But, then, a whole lot of us have known Dubya's game for years. Funny how a war that has no end and a hurricane named Katrina can--as the polls are showing--open a whole lot of folk's eyes to the incompetency extant in the White House.

But, what the hell, the damage is done. The Rocky Mountain News printed an article this morning warning pretty much of the inevitability of a recession...SOON. Hundreds of billions of dollars (which the government DOES NOT HAVE) are, once again, enriching the rich in the rebuilding of the Gulf. One of Haliburton's subsidiaries was the first to pop up down there, foaming at the mouth and ready and willing to loot to an extent no poor, desperate, hungry black folk in the Big Easy ever imagined.

"...and I am waiting
for the American Eagle
to really spread its wings
and straighten up and fly right..."

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, I Am Waiting

Sweet Melissa

Sweet Melissa, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Since Sweet Melissa just had her 12th birthday, I thought I'd post this "baby" picture that never ceases to crack me up. She's asking, "What the hell do you expect me to do with this?" She never really did get into playing with stuffed toys.

Oh My... Pat Robertson At It Again. Alzheimer's or Just Another Good Christian Act?

I'm sure this is old news by now, but Pat Robertson has blamed the destruction of Katrina on the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for choosing Ellen Degeneres to host the Emmys.

Dateline Hollywood provides this story that reads, in part:

In order to avoid further tragedy, Robertson called not only for the Television Academy to find a new heterosexual host, but to bar all homosexuals and bisexuals from taking part in the ceremony.

He said employees at the Christian Broadcasting Network had put together a list of 283 nominees, presenters, and invited guests at the Emmys known to be of sexually deviant persuasions.
“God already allows one awards show to promote the homosexual agenda,” Robertson declared. “But clearly He will not tolerate such sinful behavior to spread beyond the Tonys.”

Hmmmm... Do ya'll remember Senator Joseph McCarthy?

Sweet Melissa - Birthday Girl

Sweet Melissa - Birthday Girl, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Sweet Melissa turned twelve this past Friday. She was a little disturbed (as you can tell from this photo) that I took her to have her teeth cleaned the day before.

Fair and Balanced - Brownie's Resume from Time Magazine - Neocon Read on the Blame Game

Let me be a little fair and balanced on this one.

First, take a look at Time Magazine's investigation into FEMA Director Michael "Brownie" Brown's resume, which reads, in part:

Brown's FindLaw profile lists a wide range of areas of legal practice, from estate planning to family law to sports. However, one former colleague does not remember Brown's work as sterling. Stephen Jones, a prominent Oklahoma lawyer who was lead defense attorney on the Timothy McVeigh case, was Brown's boss for two-and-a-half years in the early '80s. "He did mainly transactional work, not litigation," says Jones. "There was a feeling that he was not serious and somewhat shallow." Jones says when his law firm split, Brown was one of two staffers who was let go.

Okay. Now, something from the other side.

My friend Charley (GOPer, conservative extraordinaire) directed me to this interesting site where we can all play the Katrina blame game. Take a look!

Dubya's Buttboy, Scott McClellan, Provides the Katrina Spin

If you've got the time, you really ought to watch the video or read the transcript of the press conference provided by Scott McClellan with regard to Katrina. Part of the press conference included this exchange:

Q Well, let's talk about it. Are you saying the President is -- are you saying that the President is confident that his administration is prepared to adequately, confidently secure the American people in the event of a terrorist attack of a level that we have not seen? And based on what does he have that confidence?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and that's what he made clear earlier today, that obviously we want to look and learn lessons from a major catastrophe of this nature.

Q Yes, but you're telling us today there will be time for that somewhere down the road. Well, what if it happens tomorrow?

MR. McCLELLAN: We can engage in this blame-gaming going on and I think that's what you're getting --

Q No, no. That's a talking point, Scott, and I think most people who are watching this --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, that's a fact. I mean, some are wanting to engage in that, and we're going to remain focused --

Q I'm asking a direct question. Is he confident --

MR. McCLELLAN: We're going to remain focused on the people.

Q -- that he can secure the American people in the event of a major terrorist attack?

MR. McCLELLAN: We are securing the American people by staying on the offensive abroad and working to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East.

Well, I for one, have become weary watching Dubya and his minions spin like whirling Dervishes the notion that we--the American people--are protected from terrorists attacks because Dubya is "...working to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East." This incompetent, corrupt, elitist administration can't even prepare adequately for a hurricane, much less address another 9/11 threat. I mean, for God's sake, the Director of FEMA's credentials for the job he currently holds go pretty much no further than that he's a drinking buddy of Dubya's (when he was governor of Texas) Chief of Staff and that he ran an Arabian Horse organization here in Colorado and, in fact, was asked to leave that position because he was incompetent and--some reports indicate--was strong-arming members of the organization for money.

Maybe My Last Post on Katrina (I doubt it, though...)

Anyone who has taken a taxi from the Louis Armstrong Airport to the French Quarter (Vieux Carre - Old Quarter) in New Orleans, has seen the immense and somewhat startling stark raving presence of abject poverty that surrounds the happy, unending party that is the essence of the French Quarter ... not to mention the quiet gentility of the Garden District.

I love New Orleans. Or, to be more precise, I love the French Quarter and the Garden District. I've never been outside those zones of exuberant debauchery and gorgeous fortune. And--it's probably important to note--I've never gone to New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras or Southern Decadence. No, I've experienced New Orleans in the off-season; the season when the pretensions of excess are not necessary.

Now, through all the rhetoric and editorials and comments and verbiage devoted to the Katrina horror, I found one comment particularly instructive, particularly to-the-point. Unfortunately, I can't recall and cannot find who made the comment but, to paraphrase, it suggested that in any crisis, a true democracy's first responsibility is to protect those who are least able to protect themselves. Yes, yes, yes. The poor, the sick, the elderly: these are the folks that a true democracy, during a time of crisis, must envelop within the clutch of the most potent resources of that democracy. Katrina. Dubya's shame--probably more shameful than the absurd adventure in Iraq--will be Katrina.

Another editorialist--once again, I don't remember who (God, I've read so much over that past week) suggested that one of the fundamental precepts of the GOP is that the federal government must NOT be considered the inevitable resource of last resort; the individual and state governments must be considered the first line of defense in all matters which affect our daily lives, our existence, our well-being on this earth, within the world's greatest democracy. The editorialist went on to suggest that this is where Dubya failed the people of New Orleans. The fundamental precepts of the neocon GOP failed the people of New Orleans precisely because they believe in a world where the responsibility for preserving and protecting the well-being of a country's citizens rests primarily with state and local authorities. Even given a force five (later downgraded to a force four, but what the fuck does that matter!) hurricane, the state and local authorities carry the ball.

Now, given that we've devoted hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuilding the hell that is Iraq and, indeed, that almost two-thousand good and decent young men and women have given their lives to Dubya's senseless adventure in Iraq, why, I wonder, is Dubya relying on private donations to significantly supplement the rescue and rehab efforts in New Orleans? Why has Dubya called out Clinton and George I to solicit private funding to address the Katrina disaster IN OUR OWN COUNTRY, when hundreds of billions of American taxpayer dollars are being spent to "rebuild" Iraq? Why? I don't get it. Can someone explain this to me?

You know, Katrina is a hard one for Dubya. There are no WMD's involved. It wasn't Osama or Sadam who sent Katrina our way. There's no worthless piece of shit country (albeit chock full of oil) that Dubya can attack in response to the devastation of Katrina. Dubya can't strut his strut and with good (and skewed) conscience say again, "Bring 'em on!" Yeah, Katrina is a tough one for Dubya.

I suppose it is coincidental that my first published novel became available on or about the same day the Canal Street levee broke in New Orleans and the Ponchetrain rushed into the city with such horrible destructive force. Much of the novel takes place in the French Quarter of New Orleans and Baton Rouge where magic and voodoo and the secrets of the underworld or the otherworld reveal themselves as a Circle of Magic. I suppose it is coincidental that, in spite of Dubya's sound bites and the embracing of black folk (did Karl Rove suggest this quaint tactic? "Hug 'em George, hug 'em!), the special magic, the special mysteries, the exuberant mystic energy of New Orleans will survive the horror of Katrina; will survive the fumbling of Dubya's government and will rise again, with a new and more compassionate understanding and aggressive interjection into erasing or, at least, addressing the shame of poverty and neglect that Katrina exposed.

How sad it is that it took a force four hurricane to wake-up Dubya and his minions to the fact that, no sir, we ain't all that equal yet, Massah. (It was Dubya's mommy, Barbara Bush who said with regard to the folks gathered in the Superdome: "And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (she chuckled)--this is working very well for them."

Lordy, lordy. Are you looking at next year's congressional and gubanatorial races folks? I really, really hope so.

Last Rose of Summer

Last Rose of Summer, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Just taking a moment away from the Katrina disaster to simply smell the roses ... the last of the summer.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann on Dubya's Response to Katrina

From the blog, "Crooks and Liars," comes MSNBC's Keith Olbermann's video comments on the Fed's response to Katrina.

Fox News - Shepard Smith and Geraldo Reporting from New Orleans

This video of Shep Smith and Geraldo in New Orleans is as dramatic as it gets. I don't understand why Fox let this air. I mean, the report from Shep and Geraldo is, indeed, "fair and balanced." I haven't seen "fair and balanced" on Fox in, well, what? nine, ten years.

If the above link takes you to "Crooks and Liars" (which is where this video originated) blog you will have to drill down until you get to this particular video.

And Dubya Played a Round of Golf

This from the New York Times:

Col. Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans, concurred and he was particularly pungent in his criticism. Asserting that the whole recovery operation had been "carried on the backs of the little guys for four goddamn days," he said "the rest of the goddamn nation can't get us any resources for security."

"We are like little birds with our mouths open and you don't have to be very smart to know where to drop the worm," Colonel Ebbert said. "It's criminal within the confines of the United States that within one hour of the hurricane they weren't force-feeding us. It's like FEMA has never been to a hurricane." FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A Blogger in New Orleans - "Lord of the Flies"

AlterNet provides this from Michael Barnett's (who is posting from New Orleans) blog, the Interdictor which reads, in part:

They broke into Winn Dixie Monday night. Do they steal food? No. Cigarettes and liquor. Store was a mess. All the meats were going to waste so the districts went over there to salvage food for officers. Many cops have been eating MREs.

The Iberville Housing Projects got pissed off because the police started to "shop" after they kicked out looters. Then they started shooting at cops. When the cops left, the looters looted everything. There's probably not a grocery left in this city.

Over 30 officers have quit over the last three days. Out of 160 officers in his district maybe 55 or 60 are working. He hasn't seen several since Sunday. HQ is closed, evacuated. No phones to contact them.

In case anyone in national security is reading this, get the word to President Bush that we need the military in here NOW. The Active Duty Armed Forces. Mr. President, we are losing this city. I don't care what you're hearing on the news. The city is being lost. It is the law of the jungle down here. The command and control structure here is barely functioning. I'm not sure it's anyone's fault -- I'm not sure it could be any other way at this point. We need the kind of logistical support and infrastructure only the Active Duty military can provide. The hospitals are in dire straights. The police barely have any capabilities at this point. The National Guard is doing their best, but the situation is not being contained. I'm here to help in anyway I can, but my capabilities are limited and dropping. Please get the military here to maintain order before this city is lost.

Can you imagine the horror of this?

Can you definitely say that you would not kill or find yourself in a position to be killed if push came to shove in a situation like this in say, oh, Des Moines or Salt Lake City or Denver? I can't. I'd protect my loved ones and my property. That I know. And, I'd do my best to feed and clothe them. That I know, also.

The Rude Pundit Always Seems to Do it Best

Oh PLEASE! Dubya's Desperate Grasp for Legitimacy (Give us a fucking break! We are not idiots!)

Be Prepared

This from Knight Rider reads, in part:

Federal flood control spending for southeastern Louisiana has been chopped from $69 million in 2001 to $36.5 million in 2005, according to budget documents. Federal hurricane protection for the Lake Pontchartrain vicinity in the Army Corps of Engineers' budget dropped from $14.25 million in 2002 to $5.7 million this year. Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu requested $27 million this year.

Both the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper and a local business magazine reported that the effects of the budget cuts at the Army Corps of Engineers were severe.

In 2004, the Corps essentially stopped major work on the now-breached levee system that had protected New Orleans from flooding. It was the first such stoppage in 37 years, the Times-Picayune reported.

"It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay," Jefferson Parish emergency management chief Walter Maestri told the newspaper. "Nobody locally is happy that the levees can't be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us."

The Army Corps' New Orleans office, facing a $71 million cut, also eliminated funds to pay for a study on how to protect the Crescent City from a Category 5 storm, New Orleans City Business reported in June.

Being prepared for a disaster is basic emergency management, disaster experts say.

For example, in the 1990s, in planning for a New Orleans nightmare scenario, the federal government figured it would pre-deploy nearby ships with pumps to remove water from the below-sea-level city and have hospital ships nearby, said James Lee Witt, who was FEMA director under President Clinton.

Federal officials said a hospital ship would leave from Baltimore on Friday.

"These things need to be planned and prepared for; it just doesn't look like it was," said Witt, a former Arkansas disaster chief who won bipartisan praise on Capitol Hill during his tenure.

So, just wondering here, what in hell has Dubya provided to us all with the immense concentration and federal spending on Homeland Security? Sure, airports are taking aside eighty-year-old grandmas and making them take their shoes off and confiscating nail clippers and bic lighters and all that crap which, I'm so terribly sure, is protecting us all from Al Quida's evil designs. But, isn't part of the Homeland Security mission to protect/serve the American people prior to and following a natural disaster? But, since FEMA (Federal Emergency management Agency) was brought into the Homeland Security bureaucracy, it appears the only potential threats that these myopic bureaucrats are able to focus on are Dubya's "evildoers." Category 5 (later reclassified a Category 4, but, please, what's the fucking difference) hurricanes are not a threat to our homeland security?

Why weren't the remaining (so many have been deployed to Iraq) National Guard and Reserve units of our armed forces standing-by in safe haven--Houston for example--PRIOR TO Katrina's landfall? Why weren't food, water, clothing, exit strategies, boats, planes, helicopters, anti-looting troops gathered, or at least beginning to be gathered, prior to Katrina's hit on the Gulf Coast?

Why was Duba playing golf in San Diego and speechifying in Houston while Katrina was shaping up to be pretty much the most potent evildoer of the first decade of the 21st century?

Yup, just wondering about a lot of things these days.

Couple Things

"...Day after day another Momma's crying
She's lost her precious child
To a war that has no end..."

From John Fogerty's, "Deja Vu (All Over Again)."

Pat Buchanan, conservative extraordinaire, is calling for some Republican (with balls) in Congress to "...drop in the hopper a bill of impeachment, charging George W. Bush with a conscious refusal to uphold his oath and defend the states of the Union against 'invasion.'"

This is Pat Buchanan! Has the world been turned upside down?

Buchanan says, "The question of whether America is going to remain one nation, or whether our Southwest will wind up as a giant Kosovo separated by language and loyalty from the rest of America is on the table.

"Where is Bush? All wrapped up in the issue of whether women in Najaf will have the same rights in divorce and custody cases as women in Nebraska. His legislative agenda for the fall includes a blanket amnesty for illegals, so they can be exploited by businesses who want to hold wages down as they dump the social costs for their employees health care, schools, courts, cops, prisons onto taxpayers.

"Not only have Richardson and Napolitano awakened they are on the front lines so, too, has Hillary Clinton, who has spoken out against illegal immigration with a forthrightness that makes Bush sound like a talking head for La Raza."

Okay. Buchanan is writing about the absolute dereliction of duty by Dubya with regard to protecting America's borders. It's a good read. It's a good indication of a coming home to roost by those very people who touted Dubya through two stolen elections.

Go figure!

**

Senator John Warner, Republican Chairman of the Armed Forces Committee has announced that he will call Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to respond to his, Warner's, observation that we (America) "...has given so much to the Iraqi people and what are they giving us in return?"

Dubya's poll numbers continued to plummet as he continued to chop wood in Crawford and ignore Cindy Sheehan.

Whoopee! Dubya cut his five week vacation short by two days because--supposedly--of the horrible destruction in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi from Katrina. 'Course he didn't head down to New Orleans or Biloxi, he headed for D.C. where he is "coordinating" the relief effort. Yeah. Right.

And, AND, when Dubya knew there was a Category 5 hurrican heading for the gulf coast, did he immediately head for, oh, say Houston, from where he could--if even symbolically--appear to be concerned about the imminent disaster? Nope. Not this guy. He stopped off to play a round of golf in San Diego.

So much for homeland security.

**
Should we just pity Rush Limbaugh?

Two men, who had just returned from tours of duty in Iraq, were out partying in Seattle when their girlfriends were groped by some other guys. One of the women threw a hot dog at one of the offending idiots and, boys being boys, the battle began and the two returning soldiers were beat pretty much senseless (broken jaws, etc.) by the group of idiots. Rush Limbaugh--great communicator and intellect that he is--blamed the attack on the "anti-war left."

There is video of both Limbaugh's absurd contention and the attack on the two men. Judge for yourself. After watching the video of the attack, I'm really convinced it was an "anti-war liberal" event. Once again: Yeah. Right.

**

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." -- George Bush, "President Participates in Social Security Conversation in New York," May 24, 2005.

Good read from AlterNet on Dubya's jingoistic rhetoric.

**
"Did you hear 'em talkin' 'bout it on the radio
Could your eyes believe the writing on the wall
Did that voice inside you say I've heard it all before
It's like Deja Vu all over again"

From John Fogerty's, "Deja Vu (All Over Again)."

When the President Talks to God - Bright Eyes

BRIGHT EYES LYRICS
"When The President Talks To God"

When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s' rightsAnd send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends
When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God
When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?
I doubt it
I doubt it

Thanks to Amanda for these lyrics
Thanks to tealstar@comcast.net, Brad BuzzKill (Screamcyco@aol.com), Lauren for correcting these lyrics

Just a Little Smile from Sweet Melissa for your Wednesday

Just a Little Smile from Sweet Melissa for your Wednesday, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Pat Robertson - Ummm... This Guy is Scary

Pat Robertson (700 Club) - Christian Extraordinaire

This from MediaMatters provides video of our friend Pat Robertson (Christian Broadcasting Network) advocating for the assasination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

This reminded me of a prior post of mine from almost a year ago.

As I've said so often, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Oh, what a tangled web...

Oh, what a tangled web..., originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Actually, this kind of looks like Star Fighters hovering around the Mothership.

Got the shot this past Sunday as David and I hiked the Clear Creek Trail through Wheat Ridge and Lakewood.

Bill Maher - Gotta Watch This One - From Brad Blog

Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area, Colorado - Early Morning Steam off the Piney Lake

Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area, Colorado - Early Morning Steam off the Piney Lake, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

George In Denver Goes Camping - Part II

My normal daily routine is a run in the morning, usually about two miles. I did the same during our camping trip to the Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area.

This guy/gal, this beautiful fox, followed me, ran in front of me, paced me on both days of my run to the entrance of the Piney Lake Lodge, which was about a mile from our campsite. I suspect he/she was expecting a handout, a bit of bread or meat from me that most campers probably--innocently, but wrongly--provide to him/her.

I had nothing. Just my camera. But, I remain honored, privileged to have been so close--close enough to have touched--this magnificent creature.

On the Imperial Bush Daddy and Son - Good Read from the NY Times

Looking Back - Dubya's Lies - Red and Blue - Spontaneous Fictions

Slightly less than a year ago, I wrote the following post.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Now, Let's Just Take a Few Steps Back

An guest editorial in the Denver Post the day after the election provided the essential advice that I know I've been seeking; some definitive, rock-hard, common sense conclusions that will, undoubtedly steer me in the right direction . I didn't save the hardcopy and I can't seem to locate the piece on the Post's website but, what the young lady -- I believe her name was Linda Chavez -- advised, in essence, was for all of us pointy-headed liberals to get our heads out of the Sunday New York Times review of Books and into the Bible which, incidentally, is located within a church everywhere in America on Sunday morning where, some of us, might prefer to -- or, indeed, ought to -- spend some quality time rather than with the Sunday New York Times.Anti-intellectualism, fear and religious fundamentalism -- now that I think about it; now that I've taken a few steps back -- are the stuff of Dubya's real and acknowledged victory on November 2nd. And, I have no problem in observing that Dubya's victory was real, was genuine, was conclusive.But, to concede that it was the religious right who handed this victory to Dubya is a little misleading; a little too comfortable for my taste.

Take, for example, Colorado. While Colorado remained in the Red column for Dubya, Colorado elected a Hispanic Democrat, Ken Salazar, over a beer mogul, right-wing Republican Dubya clone, Pete Coors, to represent Colorado in the United States Senate. And, AND, Democrats captured both the Colorado State Senate and the Colorado State House of Representatives IN SPITE of Dubya's victory in the national race.In Denver -- I kid you not -- Kerry/Edwards led Bush/Cheney by 69.51% to 29.41%; and the U.S. Senate race between Ken Salazar, the Democrat, and Pete Coors, the Republican, ended up as 72.50% for the Democrat and 25.91% for the Republican.

My prior post was about "spontaneous fictions." We all know the definitions of "spontaneous" and "fiction."What is significant to me is that I would classify issues such as Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq as sublime "spontaneous fictions," as well as all the other bullshit Dubya utilized to justify the invasion of Iraq. I would classify as "spontaneous fictions" the fear -- Oh, the enormous Fear -- that "gay marriage" will destroy the institution of marriage in America -- as if marriage in America has not already been sorely compromised by a fifty-percent divorce rate amongst heterosexuals.

Yes, I'm taking a few steps back and looking closely at November 2nd.It's interesting to note that our Governor, Bill Owens -- sweetheart of the Bush administration -- suffered significant defeats in Colorado on November 2nd: His candidate, Pete Coors, was soundly defeated by Ken Salazar for the United States Senate; In the 3rd congressional District in Colorado, Owens' support of Greg Walcher for the US House of Representatives fell flat; Owens' opposition to what is called "FasTracks" -- a significant expansion of our light-rail system throughout the Front Range -- was passed overwhelming by the electorate; and, Owens' support of a significant change to the civil service system in Colorado was defeated, also significantly.

So, I'm taking a few steps back and really looking at what occurred on November 2nd. And, I'm happy to say, I am heartened; I am energized; I am optimistic.And, with that conclusion, let me repeat part of an earlier post that included a bit of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's,

I am waiting.......
and I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder
and I am waiting for someone to really discover America
for the discovery of a new symbolic western frontier
and I am waiting for the American Eagle to really spread its wings
and strainghten up and fly right...

No, I reject Garrison Kiellor's suggestion that we -- in reflecting on Dubya's victory -- simply enjoy our morning coffee and the feel of the dog next to our legs and the ten mile hike to relieve the angst of another four years of Bush.We can do better than that. And, we must start now. We must push, and push and push and never relent in pushing for what we believe in; for what we believe is America's promise.

Dubya is, today--August 18, 2005--running about a 44% approval rating with the American people. That's the lowest approval rating of any president during this time in a second term since, I believe, Harry Truman. So, goodness--in spite of Rush Limbaugh's belief that the fledgling anti-war movement is peopled with "maggot-filled" something or others--do you suppose that Dubya and Rove, Condi, Donny and Dickie might be getting just a wee bit nervous about the 2006 elections?

Looking over what I wrote almost a year ago, it is interesting that the more things change the more they stay the same, except, of course, for a good portion of that 51% who, apparently, today are beginning to understand what a whole lot of us understood way back in '03 and '04: Dubya is a lier and a cheat, as are his inner circle of sycophants.

And, by the way, why have gasoline prices gone up almost 19% over the past month?

Sunrise - Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area

Sunrise - Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

The Eagles-Nest Wilderness Area is 133,688 acres of the Colorado Gore Range administered by the White River and Arapahoe National Forests.

Bush - Untreated Recovering Alcoholic - Hmmm...

This, from the blog Capitol Hill Blue, is a hmmmmm.... for me. And, a hmmmmm... for me is just something to think about, not necessarily something that I believe.

Jersey Shore - Part III

You might assume that the boys (that's Andrew facing us and my Great Nephew, Michael, with his back to us) are saying a little prayer...their heads bowed. But, I'm sure you've already figured out that their attention is not captured by the Almighty but, rather, by their GameBoys: a block from the beach, and the boys--not unlike children everywhere in America--manipulated electronic characters jumping, hopping, killing, fighting and God knows what else.

To be fair, the boys put their GameBoys away shortly after breakfast on the veranda of the hotel and headed to the beach. But--remembering my own youth--I can't help but note that today's children are so imbued with such wonderful technological advances, it is difficult to simply just be a kid.

But, then, I guess that's what Andrew and Michael were doing on the veranda that day and later at the beach: just being kids.

The Daily Show Video on Cindy Sheehan via AlterNet Peek

Vigil for Cindy Sheehan (From MoveOn.org)

Dear MoveOn member,

Late last night, a pick-up truck dragging chains ran over the rows of white crosses on the side of the road near Cindy Sheehan's vigil. Each cross commemorated a dead soldier; this morning, many of them were broken or gone.1 But Cindy and the other moms in Crawford have vowed to stay, and now a neighboring rancher, who is a veteran, has offered them some of his nearby land if they have to move from the roadside.

The spirit of that rancher standing up in his own pro-Bush community is the sort of public support for Cindy Sheehan and her cause that is growing across America. Tomorrow's vigils for Cindy Sheehan will be the most visible measure of the size and strength of public concern about the war in a long time. It is critical to have as many vigils as possible and as many attendees as possible to demonstrate the wave of public support for Cindy.

Can you join us? You can find a vigil near you by clicking this link:
Vigils for Cindy Sheehan 7:30 PM :: Wednesday, August 17, 2005

http://political.moveon.org/event/events/?action_id=24&search_distance=30& =&search_zip=80211&submit=1&id=5899-5543148-I0ioAFH_KEvtOy53wM4onw&t=4

You can find the vigil closest to you by typing your zip code and clicking search. There are more than 900 vigils already planned across America. From Anchorage to Miami, and hundreds of towns in between, people are gathering tomorrow. There is a vigil in Cindy's hometown of Vacaville, California and more than a dozen in New York City.

Most of them are organized by single individuals. Some are organized by groups of people working together. Just like the folks in Crawford, Texas we can all do our part.

Attending a vigil is really easy. All you have to do is grab some candles and show up. If you're an Iraq veteran, or a family member of a soldier, it'd be especially meaningful for you to join us. Bring a photo of your loved one to remind all of us what is at stake. We've also made some downloadable placards you can use. Click below to download them.

http://political.moveon.org/cindyvigils/attendmaterials.htm?id=5899-5543148-I0ioAFH_KEvtOy53wM4onw&t=6

These vigils aren't rallies or places to give long-winded speeches. They are moments to solemnly come together and mark the sacrifice of Cindy and other families.
Please find the vigil nearest you today and RSVP.

Thanks for all you do.

–Tom, Nita and MoveOn moms Carrie, Marika and Joan Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Sources:

1. "A Bad Week for Protesting Mom" CBS News/AP. August 16, 2005http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/16/politics/main780687.shtml

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTIONNot authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Sunrise on the Gore Range - White River National Forest

Sunrise on the Gore Range - White River National Forest, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Lifeguard at Ocean Grove II

Lifeguard at Ocean Grove II, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Lifeguard at Ocean Grove

Lifeguard at Ocean Grove, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

George In Denver Goes Camping - Part I

Yes, George In Denver went camping over the weekend at the White River National Forest about nine miles northwest of Vail. That's me (in the white hat, of course) on Saber, a beautiful-- albeit headstrong--five-year-old gelding; that's Clayton on a three-year-old gelding. The Gore Range is directly behind us, with Mount Powell jutting up at the far left of the picture.

There were three others in our party who didn't want to have anything to do with horseback riding. So, it was just me and Clayton. It was a great ride.

Jersey Shore - Part II

This is my niece Katharine Linda who, during our Ocean Grove visit, attacked her fourteenth month on this earth with--and this is really an understatement--extraordinary enthusiasm.

She is a beautiful baby, with gray eyes and a personality that includes constant jabbering and a physical predilection for perpetual motion. We taught her in one day to do "high fives." Every stranger who comes into her view, she greets with a loud clearly articulated, "Hi!"

Her name, Katharine Linda, reflects my little sister's--Michelle--respect and admiration for Katharine Hepburn and the memory of Michelle's mother, Linda Gail.

"Weird Science on the Religious Right" - Good Read from Alternet

p.s. I think it's weird that the word "weird" doesn't fit the "i before e..." thing. Maybe the religious right's fascination with phonics rather than "whole language" learning can explain this little discrepancy. Then again, maybe not.

Ugliest Convention Center Hotel

Ugliest Convention Center Hotel, originally uploaded by George In Denver.

Jersey Shore - Part One

My nephew, Jack--who lives in Rutherford, New Jersey--was seven this July 30th and, as always, his birthday was celebrated on the Jersey Shore at Ocean Grove.

Ocean Grove is a "Mecca of Methodism." Indeed,

"In 1869 Osborn founded Ocean Grove on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean as a holiness camp meeting and Christian resort. That same year he and other leaders formed the "Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association," and secured a charter from the New Jersey State Legislature. The members elected Elwood H. Stokes as the first president of the new association. There is a sense in which the story of Ocean Grove is the story of Elwood Stokes, and the story of Elwood Stokes is the story of Ocean Grove. He gave his heart and soul to the place. He more than loved it; it was as if he instinctively knew that it was God's will for him to be there. And the years proved him right. Under his leadership Ocean Grove grew until it became what Delbert Rose has called the 'Mecca of Methodism,' or as others have put it, Ocean Grove was 'God's Square Mile.'

"The main reason for that was Dr. Elwood H. Stokes.

"The Reverend Doctor Elwood Haines Stokes served as a New Jersey Methodist minister for over fifty years, a time frame that covered almost the entire last half of the nineteenth century. Stokes rose to national prominence as a religious leader due to his twenty-seven year presidency of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. His aggressive leadership enabled that encampment to achieve meteoric growth, and it became the premier Methodist holiness camp meeting resort in the world."

If you're interested, more history of Stokes and Ocean Grove is available here.

Now, being the recovering Catholic that I am--(Jews think they've cornered the market on guilt!)--I'm not even really sure what Methodists believe ... Godwise. Ol' Elwood looks pretty stern, though, and I'm thinking his God is probably just as stern.

Every time we enter the Ocean Grove community, I actually get a little concerned that somebody--perhaps an elder in the church hierarchy or some young thing (in service to the Lawd)--will want to check my suitcase for, um, well gadgets or gizmos, substances or stashes of, oh, say, a bottle of Wild Turkey wrapped in underwear. (That's just an example. I would never actually do such a thing.)

Anyway, more to come. It was a good trip. Missed my blog. Missed David and Melissa.

Jersey Gull

Jersey Gull, originally uploaded by George In Denver.