2012...

Veteran's Day 2012

"Regardless of feelings on conflicts past or present or military action in general, it is best to understand that the men and women who are or have been in the Armed Forces do not choose their wars, but they do their work no matter what the cost."

While we wait...

...and bite our nails, here is a bit of good news to keep us going until we get election results.

Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay Senator in the history of the United States, has WON!

The marvelous Elizabeth Warren has WON! HuffPo notes that "Warren was the intellectual godmother of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and was its first head. She was denied a permanent appointment due to objections from congressional
Republicans and from within the Treasury Department." Go get 'em Senator Warren!

Powerful truth-teller Alan Grayson has won back his seat in the House.
Welcome back, Rep. Grayson, we missed you!

And openly gay House member Jared Polis has won his third term.

Glad to have you stay with us, Rep. Polis!

Images via Joe Jervis' ever-informative and valuable site Joe.My.God.

Things To Come

"This week, our nation has anxiously watched as Hurricane Sandy lashed the East Coast and caused widespread damage--affecting millions. Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help. Please consider donating or volunteering for your local aid organizations. The images of Sandy’s flooding brought back memories of a similar--albeit smaller scale-- event in Nashville just two years ago. There, unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding, wreaking havoc and submerging sections of my hometown. For me, the Nashville flood was a milestone. For many, Hurricane Sandy may prove to be a similar event: a time when the climate crisis—which is often sequestered to the far reaches of our everyday awareness became a reality. Sandy was also affected by other symptoms of the climate crisis. As the hurricane approached the East Coast, it gathered strength from abnormally warm coastal waters. At the same time, Sandy's storm surge was worsened by a century of sea level rise. Scientists tell us that if we do not reduce our emissions, these problems will only grow worse. Hurricane Sandy is a disturbing sign of things to come. We must heed this warning and act quickly to solve the climate crisis. Dirty energy makes dirty weather."
--Al Gore, writing on his personal blog.

Is "the jury still out" now? How much more proof do we need?