What they Aren't reporting to bring us stories of Ellen's doggie

This disturbing article from blackagendareport.com - details how the middle class is slipping closer and closer to poverty. Meanwhile, the title of the article, "Numbers Tricks Mask Declining Wages and Rising Inequality" says it all.

Disgusting that more people can't wake up and smell the coffee.

21st Century South American Literature

The VQR � Fall 2007 edition features works from South America. I was disappointed with the number of fiction offerings, but I'm hoping the quality will make up for it.

Mario Vargas Llosa

At the New York Times, there's an interesting interview withMario Vargas Llosa , a Peruvian novelist. I was interested to see his view of Reagan (knowing that he's a conservative too). Although he's not my favorite writer, I have to say that I respect his unwillingness to talk about García Márquez. Obviously the two have had some kind of difficulty that's between the two of them. Let's keep it there and not get into a he-said, he-said bit.

Saying goodbye to the Southern Kitchen

This slide show chronicles Byrd's saying goodbye to a Charleston institution, the Southern Kitchen. This was also one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston. it's not often that you find good home cooking from a family restaurant in that area since so much has been taken over by the chains.

i also see a glimpse of my favorite waitress, Nina, in there. We only discovered the place a couple of years back. Wish we had tried it earlier!

Brains are Weird

This image supposedly indicates whether you are right-brained or left-brained.Brains are Weird, or maybe it's just me. I can see it both ways, and it's not because I tried to as one commenter indicated. I'm also thinking that it might be because of my very weird eyes. I wear contacts, and my right eye is much worse than my left eye.I have practically no depth perception, so I'm thinking that perhaps my eyes aren't working in tandem as they should.

Did anyone else have the same experience?

Can they sink no lower?

This article in the NY Times details how the right-wing nutjobs like Michelle Malkin are Sliming Graeme Frost, the Maryland child that served as an example of the kinds of people the SCHIP is supposed to help. Instead of feeling sympathy for the poor kid who has gone (and is going) through a terrible ordeal, instead Michelle Malkin publishes his home address so that people can drive by and take a look at their house for themselves. There's an excellent analysis in the WV Blue. This is unconscionable. These Republican chickies, both Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter. Exactly how nuts do these people have to show they are before they are taken somewhere to get treatment? I hope they're nuts and not just eaten up with hate. Nuts you can treat. I'm not so sure about hate.

Again, I'll add to what Kanye West said about Bush. He also hates hurt children. And anyone else who opposes him.

Reading the Mind in the Eyes

According to this test (Revised, Adult), I have high-functioning Asperger's. While I may not be the most socially adept person on the planet, I generally do OK, so I'm wondering if anyone else is having a hard time with this test?

Bizarro World

I normally dislike the Seinfeld show, though I'm quite familiar with it because I was a young adult in the 90s. Nuff said. However, a government official says that "It's just sad to hear a former president speak like that" to refer to a former president TELLING THE TRUTH, we have officially entered Bizarro World. Carter says U.S. tortures prisoners

Stop the Hate Rally

What with the recent events in Logan County, this year's Stop the Hate Rally in Charleston is even more important than ever. If anyone's able to go, I'd love to hear about it.

(Cross posted in Appalachian Greens.)

Steps to a More Satisfying LIfe

Fortunately, according to this article, I am so satisfied that I can hardly stand myself. Well, except for the sleep bit.

Finally, a Cool Nerd

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The Tomato Mystery

My honey and I planted tomatoes this summer. They're nice tomatoes, but many of them had some weird thing going on with them. They seemed to have chunks taken out of the bottom of them. they didn't look like worms or bugs, so the mystery remained. Until last week when he saw this.
Yep, we had a turtle. A box turtle that we call Bobby. we hope to see him again soon. And we hope he lays off the tomatoes.

Words I love to hear

"We just could not beat them." --Doug Flutie, re: Every game he played against WVU.

Aaaah, that sounded great!

The Corner on National Review Online

The Corner on National Review Online

Parody State Quarters, Etc

These Parody State Quarters, Etc made me laugh. I'm going to have to get the East Virginia one! :-)

A dark day, or maybe a light one

this morning I heard that my favorite author,Madeleine L’Engle, Writer of Children’s Classics, Is Dead at 88. I can't believe she is gone, but a spirit like hers doesn't leave...it just goes on in a different way. And we still have her books. I'm currently in the middle of A Ring of Endless Light but I can't seem to get through it. Perhaps with her death, the book will help me see the light. and maybe she will continue to speak to me through her pages, as she always has done. You see, I was Meg too. And so were my best friends.

four things meme

Here's my first meme:

four first names of crushes:
1. Chris
2. John
3. Todd (turned out to be gay)
4. Jack

four pieces of clothing i wish i still owned/or fit into:
1. those old Levi's cutoffs
2. the dress I wore to my brother's wedding. I was told I looked better than the bride!
3. Hard Rock London sweatshirt
4. that great sweater of Dad's that I stole in college and kept several months before he stole it back.

four names i’ve been called at one time or another:
1. Cloud
2. Lisa
3. blue eyes
4. Cleopatra (yes, the queen of denial)

four professions i secretly want to try:
1. foreign correspondent
2. travel celebrity (a la Samantha Brown...she annoys me but I'd love her job)
3. WVU color commentator for football games
4. community activist

four musicians i’d most want to go on a date with:
1. Jim Morrison
2. Michael Hutchence
3. Robert Plant
4. Lou Reed (not from attraction, but interest)

four foods i’d rather throw than eat:
1. tomatoes
2. mushrooms
3. more tomatoes
4. nuts

four things i like to sniff:
1. lavender
2. Laurels
3. basil
4. pad thai cooking

Semi-tagged by Ianqui

Now tagging:
Banewood
Kayak
Anne
Dean Dad

Mountainlair: Coal Bowl Week

This writer is as sick of hearing about Mountainlair: Coal Bowl Week as I am. Love the Mountaineers, root for Marshall every time they're not playing WVU, but HATE this whole "Friends of Coal" bullshit. They're friends of coal? Well, I'm friends of coal families. The ones who risk their lives every day several miles underground. The ones who are having their lives ruined by poor environmental forces. The ones who are dying of black lung. The one who are losing their houses to flooding and slippage. all of which is caused by irresponsible mining practices.