cans of soup

As a child of the Great Depression, my mother retained many habits from her parents during that turbulent time regarding a certain quality of life, especially as it concerned itself with food staples in the house. The day my dad received his paycheck, the very first hour of the paycheck in hand, my mother and father would drive to the Star Market, and shop for that weeks groceries. Money for anything else could be found, my mother used to say, but no food in the house brings hunger and hunger does not have the patience to be taken care of it is immediate not like the power or water company.

And when my parents would shop for the six of us, they purchased three times the amount of anything they needed; for fear that the depression might pounce upon America again, denying us of the potential for three meals a day. More was better, having it just in case the remedy, and never take anything for granted the motto.

My mother would say if you have six cans of soup, and have to give up half of them to family or friends at least you still have three cans of soup for yourself. But if you only had one can of soup and had to give that up, no one in our family would eat. It's not that I am a glutton she would add, but at least having one of something is better than having nothing, it is part of survival. If you have more then you can provide for others and isn’t better to be able to help not only yourself but in cases of emergency, help others!

My mother would bake and cook for not only the six of us but for our myriad of friends, and the dozens of relatives who always seemed to be hungry. She felt strongly if you have more you can share, and wasn’t that a part of the American dream.

The Republican/Bagger politicians backed by Koch Brothers, Big Oil and a slew of billionaires, seem to think that the dream for America, their America of 2011, is if you have more, you must retain more, and sharing any burden has no place in their list morals and values.

In the land of the Republican/Bagger the population finding themselves poor is a sin, middle class an outrage, and old, disabled Un-American. In the land of the Republican/Bagger, consensus is agreeing to one side of the argument, and sharing the weight of existence in this country ridiculous. In the land of the Republican/Bagger having six cans of soup is a good thing and if someone else goes hungry because they have none, it was their fault in the first place for being poor.

What has happened to this nation when compromise means do it my way. What has happened to this nation when people needing jobs, people wanting to save their homes, people hoping for health care are usurped by people with power who just want to buy more cans of soup without inviting anyone to their banquet? What happened to equalizing life, liberty and the pursuit for all of us? What happened to compassion, caring and charity?

If my mother were alive, she would have given away 5 of her cans of soup, and made sure no one went to bed hungry.

doncha' know

The first 10 minutes of the documentary "The Undefeated," a film about Sarah Palin, features a spate of celebrities saying disparaging things about the former Alaska governor.

Palin told THR that it would be nearly impossible for her to defend herself against the barbs. "There's never really a venue that absolutely lets somebody set the record straight," she said. "I mean, there are so many false narratives about me, about Todd, about our kids, about my record, about my team that has worked so hard together, that there's never gonna be a way to absolutely set the record straight."

Doncha’ just love when the bully gets all emotional and victim oriented when he or she is called out for all the same shit he or she tosses about to everyone and anyone he/she scapegoats, picks on abuses. Doncha’ just get full of sympathy when the bully laments how so many others are treating them badly, how so many others are unfair, how so many others provide false narratives based on fiction and exaggeration making it almost impossible to defend yourself and even find the truth. And doncha’ just love it when the bully pretends to have no idea how guilty they really are of making life so miserable for others as they boohoo about being caught as the fraud and fraudulent person they really are!

Once again Sister Sarah is so immature, so inane, so inaccurate in accepting her own actions to others, upon others, toward others and so smugly behaves as if she is innocent of hate, bias, and bogus. Once again, Sister Sarah blames the immediate world for her bad habits, her inability to face the truth, her lack of discretion in seeking out fact and hiding behind fiction.

And sadly all the self loathing lemmings who need to point fingers outward to solve their self made problems are lining up behind Sister Sarah, all with their whoa is me towels ready for their Palin pity party. And sadly, the blame game goes on and once again Sister Sarah weasels her way out of the truth and digs deeper into falsehoods and lies. And sadly Sister Sarah once more demonstrates her ability to take hypocrisy to heights never imagined.

Sarah wants to find a venue to set the record straight. Here is an idea Sarah. Stand in front of a microphone for about 2 hours, let real people, not the usual suspects on FOX ask you questions. Look the average American in the face, with one hand on the Bible and the other hand attached to a lie detector test. Speak all you want and set ALL records straight.

Poor, poor Palin.

Oh yeah, as a post script to the poor, poor Palin’s: It seems daughter Bristol has inherited the point the finger away from me it is some else’s problem not my syndrome from her Mom. In a soon to be released book by Bristol, the younger poor, poor Plain explains it was all Levi Johnston’s fault that she drank all those wine coolers, took off her ‘undies’ and forgot her abstinence pledge. It seems the matter of schtooping was done because Levi is a bully, threatened to date other women, might go out and find another wine cooler floozie to schtoop that same night. Bristol had nothing to with this pre-marital sex, out of wed lock pregnancy; it was more of an out of body experience that she just had to try, doncha’ know. The poor, poor Palin’s never at fault, so frail, and and so freaking phony, doncha’ know!

the comfort of opinion

Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. John F. Kennedy

There is an article on the Internet stating that a new generation of drugs, fighting prostate cancer (when it has spread beyond the prostate itself), permitting many of the men suffering from the disease to live as long as two years has been developed. The drug’s intention is to permit longer life, hoping that in the course of the extension of life perhaps newer drugs might be brought to the fore extending life even longer. Hurray, sort of!

It seems that the monthly cost for these new classes of drugs could be as high as $5000 a month. Who pays for this and who can afford to pay for them?

Many on the Republican/Bagger side of the aisle believe that the free market should and could dictate the prices we pay for anything manufactured. They insist that the welfare and needs of humans are always taken into consideration by the free markets, and if prices are too high the ‘old’ supply and demand will take hold and pricing, if too high will come down. If too many advanced cancer patients do not want to pay the $5000 monthly fee then they (according to the free market brigade) could withhold their money and eventually the price of these drugs will go down. Simple on theory, but if the people suffering from an advanced state of prostate cancer withhold taking the medicine; many of them may die way before the free markets take into consideration their pricing scheme.

Health care in this country is a matter of free markets also. Seems demanding that universal health care for all Americans is un-American and chisels away at the Capitalism upon which this nation thrives. Many of the Republican/Baggers and the cowardly Dems, were appalled that the government would insist that affordable health care be available for the poor, the minority, the frail and the elderly. This is America they insisted, and if prices are too high, conditions to steep, then the free market will adjust because the consumer will not buy the product. No one should set conditions on the health insurance industry telling them what they can and can not do. If pre-existing conditions are a matter of business then let the person with a pre-existing condition find health insurance elsewhere and if they can’t then go without. If a life saving procedure is deemed too costly then find another procedure that may or may not save a life, and ya’ never know till it doesn’t work anyway.

This is America the argument goes and you can’t insist that all people have medical insurance (but you certainly can tell all women not have an abortion or have control on their reproductive rights and you can tall all Gay Americans they can’t wed, serve in the armed forces or adopt children). The free market will heal the wounds we are told, except in the matter of health, health care too many people may die of those wounds until the free market comes around to heal thyself, if ever!

I am not sure how life liberty and the pursuit of happiness can always abide by the principles of a free market philosophy. I am not sure why share holders, CEO’s stock dividends play a more superior role in the role of survival of human life in America visa vie health care and prescription drugs in America. I am not sure how in a country which recently seems so preoccupied with God, religion, spirituality can still talk about the sanctity of life yet let the free market decide who shall live, who shall die, who shall suffer.

As President Kennedy was quoted we do enjoy the comfort of opinion, but I wonder how much thought all of us actually provide before we decide what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong?

dem bones

Dem Bones, by James Weldin Johnson

Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.

With the leg bone connected
to the knee bone,
and the knee bone connected
to the thigh bone,
and the thigh bone connected
to the hip bone.
Oh mercy how they scare!

Dem Bones, a popular spiritual poem/song sung originally to tell those that God will strengthen, resurrect the dead and make Dem Bones strong again. It was also a song used to teach children in Bible School and pre school basic anatomy. A song also to make the statement our body relies on all parts of its anatomy to help make us complete.

Seems in the 2011’s there are a whole bunch of people who follow the example of the sum of the parts make us complete, except along the way they seem to miss some of Dem Bones and instead of complete create convex, concave or misconstrued.

Dem bones, dem bones…

“It’s for the Children”, their version of the circle of life so it seems as those who shout loud and proud, that what they do is for the futures of children. When those who oppose freedom for women regarding their reproductive rights, or abortion rights providers, it makes you wonder for whom just whose children they are igniting the wrath of God. When the terrorists using Jesus’ name to humanly murder doctors, maim nurses, hurt the women seeking help, do the terrorists doing God’s work for the kids, not realize these people also have kids? For those so adamant to save the life of a fetus, even if it means killing the mother who may have some more kids at home; do they not realize that those kids will suffer? For the politicians who want to close down Planned Parenthood in the name of saving the kids, are they blind to the fact that parents and children living a life without basic health checkups will live a sour and sad life. Whose kids receive the advantage when they live their lives unhealthy and ill?

Dem bones, dem bones…

“This is not a socialist country; free market is more God like”. When we have protests coming from the Christian Conservative Coalition, insisting that America will lose its stars and stripes if we pass Obama Care or any bill that promotes that ALL Americans, rich poor, white black, gay straight receive adequate and affordable healthcare one wonders why that is so bad? When the welfare of all of God’s children is trying to be remedied in a country obsessed with I have and you don’t, I deserve and you don’t, it is hard to imagine that those who think God discovered America would not want that same God to keep all of us living in America equal. Why is it more God like to out price health care for some, limit it for others, deny it to many and think that in doing so seems to only comfort the CEO’s and shareholders and not those who want to live another day?

Dem bones, dem bones…

“It’s about spending. If you want to retire at 65 because the manual labor all your life has robbed your energy, if you need Medicare or Medicaid because the free market has allowed your health premiums to rise to unaffordable levels, if you want a retirement benefit so you can almost live a middle class life, if you want to earn a decent enough wage so each month you don’t have to decide which one is the priority, rent/mortgage/food/health care, you are being un-American, lazy, and selfish according to the Republican/Baggers If you want America to survive into the future, you will have to give up the present go poor, go broke and stay unhealthy.

If all you have is nothing you must sacrifice all of that nothing because those who have everything we are told will be able to help you out, eventually that is, once they have a little more. We hear about sacrifices, yet the only ones who seem to be asked to make those sacrifices are those who have little to nothing to give. Somehow giving up half of nothing seems a lot to ask when those with a whole lot more give up nothing.

Dem bones, dem bones, it seems more and more in this nation the sum of the whole is harder and harder to find. We got the arm bones which do not relate to the leg bones which do not connect with the hip bones. More and more it seems we are scattered, not whole. We have become a bunch of bones somehow not related to a whole body. Dem bones, dem bones, we are becoming a skeleton with no backbone.

i don't get it!

When my mother finally recognized she was indeed a senior adult at the age of 83, she decided that maybe participating in senior adult activities at the Pittsburgh JCC would not be so bad after all. Her kids had begged her to meet other people, take classes, eat lunch and spend time out of the house, knowing that any activity would be helpful and healthful for her. A few weeks into attending classes and activities at the JCC, when asked how things were going, my mother would say, "...Kids, there are three groups of seniors at the JCC, the Go-go's, the Go slows, and the No goes." The Go-go's are the cool ones the Go slows kind of invisible, and the No go's ignored. Somehow, she added even as we get old and are a minority within our own group there are some who continue to hate.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, the major Jewish community of Squirrel Hill had within its boarders certain locations of streets where once you proclaimed your address you were considered well to do, not so well to do or poor. The better the zip code somehow the better person you were supposed to be. The Pittsburgh Jewish community also had two country clubs which were predominately Jewish by membership ( there had been restrictions for membership denying Jews, Blacks, some Catholics and animals prior to this), and one in particular which when joining an annual membership of $10,000 was your fee. Membership to this country club meant you were rich, better, bigger, and anyone else was poor. The Jews in Pittsburgh were plenty, but in the scheme of things we were still a minority. And yet within that minority a pecking order based on nothing more than how much money your father earned or inherited, permitted some to discriminate against people just like them.

Black ministers from across the nation are banding together to rally against same sex marriage. Many of them get livid when they are accused of being homophobic, (not them, not that), and many of them seem to forget they and their Congregations were victims of a phobia against race. Many of these black ministers and pastors get very riled by the implication that homophobia has anything to do with racism. Many of them say same sex marriage, Gay adoptions, anything Gay is not guaranteed in the Constitution, and denial of those rights do not at all compare with the denial of blacks being able to drink from the same water fountain, enter the in the same doorway, have the same opportunities for housing and employment. Those restrictions of American's rights was different. For the black ministers in America, the struggles of black people is real and God like, for the Gays it is nothing more then sinners demanding more than they deserve.

Some Black ministers have gone as far as saying if the KKK would ride the rails against same sex marriage they would ride that same train. Agreeing with same sex marriage is like ignoring the differences in gender. There is nowhere in the Constitution that says all Americans can marry. Those same Black ministers somehow seem to differentiate hate for one minority from hate for another minority. Those who want to ride the same train as the KKK better watch out for what they wish, cause when the train driven by the KKK finds it has black passengers no one in a white robe will be well too pleased and may ask them to ride in separate cars. Those who shout we must not ignore differences in gender because to do so means men and women are equal, might want to worry that many a white person would love not to ignore the difference in skin color and keep those with darker skin separate. And reading into the Constitution about who really has rights, might be read by some whites as there is no room in the Constitution for the rights of people of color.

I remember taking my first sociology course and the Professor talking about scapegoating. He said groups of people never satisfied with their own life, or fearful that the good they have accomplished may fade, or insecure and unable to feel pleasure from who they are will want to find someone to put down to be lesser than to hate. The louder they shout, the more they decry the more they seem to think they can maintain that higher wrung on the ladder. Many of them will blame their hate on God's words.

At the JCC some seniors must have felt that old was a disease, so by not admitting they were old made others older which then would keep the focus from their own frailties. In the Pittsburgh Jewish community, many Jews knew they might not be accepted by their white Protestant counterparts the power brokers, so instead they needed to keep some kind of authority, keeping others from finding any success. In the black community, it seems some are afraid that the equality they have so far achieved will be weakened if more people become as equal as they, placing them lower on he wrung of life.

I don't get it, why we are so uncomfortable in sharing the wealth, health and happiness we have. I don't understand why the only way we feel better is to make someone else feel worse. And why we seem to hate in the name of God.

stupid game

Once again, we wait those of us who live in New York, wait. We listen to the Church leadership explain how they love the sinner but not the sin. We hear how Republican law-makers are so afraid of denying equality that they must meet behind closed doors to decide the fate of Americans. And we are told that some virulent emails have been crossing the desks of the legislators who have stalled the vote on marriage equality which must mean same sex marriage approval is undeserved.

One again a charade is being performed, sides being drawn, lives being tortured, and freedoms delayed. Once again, debate about equality has become political, not ethical, not moral, not Constitutional, but based on the fears, bigotry, and ill fitted facts that when added up make some Americans less than.

We have a President who says his views on same sex marriage are evolving. Will they evolve after the 2012 election will they evolve if enough wealthy LGBT donors withhold their donations to his campaign, will it evolve if New York denies same sex marriage and gets him off the hook? We have Republican lawmakers from New York State who have the audacity to say same sex marriage will eventually become law, but not with my vote. We have the Church speaking louder than the Constitution and being heard. And we have loving, committed LGBT couples who just want to marry, legally be treated as equals, and move on with their lives.

Once again, a group of citizens in this nation want the separation between church and state to be the law. Once again a group of citizens in this nation must fight the phobias, lies, fabrications, dogma’s introduced by others in this society to maintain a we/they division. Once again, the smaller selfish picture out shines the larger photo of an inclusive America. And once again a group of citizens must wait, must beg, and must hope that those who were sworn into office decide to represent all Americans and not their own bigoted band of hooligans.

Once again, the LGBT community can only stand by while those who have no idea what makes the Institution of Marriage strong chisel away at it. Once again as the homosexual community awaits an opportunity to marry legally in New York we watch while divorces, adultery, infidelity, cheating, lying, abuse runs rampant in the heterosexual communities. Once again, the questions of liberty for all Americans stand in the balance.

Imagine Mr. President if America’s leadership kept on saying their thoughts about blacks was still evolving. Imagine where you might be working now and imagine if that same evolution in equality was in process just where your daughters would be attending school. Female Republican/Bagger legislators in New York State imagine what kind of power base you would have if others before you said, women’s rights will eventually happen, but not with my vote. And for your Republican/Bagger male counterparts, imagine what lack of opportunities your daughters or grand daughters would be missing while no one voted for Women’s Suffrage. Imagine if we had all listened to the concerns of the Church when they quoted scripture telling us blacks were not as human as whites, women’s rights would cause the destruction of family.

This is a tiresome and unfair game. This is a game that loves to scapegoat, that loves to divide and conquer, that loves to fill itself with pontifications and pure fluff. This is a game so Un-American. This is a game I as a man who happens to be Gay have had enough of. I do not want to play a game whose rules are recreated at the whims of religious dogma, hypocritical hosts, and self loathing men and women. I want to take back my piece of America. I am as equal as you.

i wonder why?

And so we wait. And so all my friends who happen to be gay men or women post information on their pages about call your legislators, come to Albany, pressure the politicians. And so we wait.

And so it goes. Debate is denounced, facts fictionalized, religion regaled, bigotry broad and big and freedoms for some Americans still denied. And so it goes, once more we beg the man or woman who defiles the Constitution, we plead with the hypocrite who lives his her life with less of a conscience and more selfishness and we cajole and caudal people who have cheated on their spouses, have had their share of infidelity, and who have added nothing at all to the stabilization of the Institute of Marriage. And so it goes.

And so we wait. No matter that some loving couples have been in love with their partner for 20, 30, 40 years, never once permitted to say I do and then have the government approve. No matter that those who really love one another want to make that love legal. No matter that marriage for some really means forever and for others 2, 3 4 times. And so we wait.

And so what. And if marriage equality passes in NY, I still can't get married in California. And if marriage equality does not pass in NY then those who have no reason to disallow same sex marriage except for stupidity, homophobia or ill fitted religious bigotry, will claim victory and praise God for providing this miracle. And so what, the heterosexuals will still cheat, commit infidelity, perform adultery, and chip away each and every day at the holy Institution of Marriage whether marriage equality passes or not.

And so it goes. One more day when all Americans are not equal. One more day when a small group of bigots control the lives of Americans. One more day when separate but equal predicated on words from hateful Pastors, spiteful Priests or self loathing Rabbi's resonate louder then life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And then I wonder, what if we had taken all that time to allow interracial marriage, blacks to drink from the same fountains, go to the same schools as whites, and women the right to vote. And then I wonder how much uglier would this nation of ours be? And then I wonder why?

why else come to america?

The few times my grandmother actually shared stories of her arrival to America, she would usually talk about how all the cousins, aunts and uncles, how the Mishpucha, would gather round together and fend for one another. She also, made it very clear that no one received favor and that anyone from the youngest child to the cousin who was old enough to vote, had to pull their own weight with no excuses permitted for anyone!

When a relative born in America would show concern and demonstrate such concern with ‘I know it must have been difficult’, or ‘I bet it was hard’, my grandmother would puff her lips together like a fish, take her index finger find the nearest body part of the person talking and gritting her teeth whisper in a deep moan, ‘you don’t know what you are talking about because you were not there, and you did not experience it. So what is difficult or hard means nothing at all’! Usually the conversation ended with that and then an almost 15 minute rumble of silence.

My grandmother was not the warmest or mushiest grandma around, and unless you knew her, you might think she was the person the witch in Hansel and Gretel was based upon. She was a survivor and in every detail of her life she was going to make sure whatever happened before in her life would not attempt to find her again and for that matter anyone in her immediate family. She knew her story and unless you lived her life or came close to living it, my grandmother had little tolerance for ‘I can only imagine’. She would often times say, throwing some Yiddish along with her English, if you have to imagine it then it is not real, so don’t talk about something you create that was not created for you to endure.

In politics of America 2011, we now have people who have no idea how poor women in particular thrive. We have people in politics in America 2011, who manage to see their Primary Physician whenever needed and people who get their medication prescribed, and who exercise, and maintain as healthy a life style as possible. In America 2011 we have politicians who think because they can afford visits to doctor, because they can call their physician when anything hurts and schedule and appointment, because that is how they live their life everyone else in this land of opportunity does the same. The poor women whose last outpost was Planned Parenthood to even live a semi healthy life, the women who now are being denied coverage for even the sanest of treatment must look at those politicians and cry ‘you don’t know what you are talking about because you are not here, and you don’t experience it. And if you have to imagine it, it is not real.’

In politics of America, we have those who no matter how many times they practice adultery, infidelity, cruelty to their heterosexual partner, insist that only straight opposite sex couples have the privilege and can enjoy the power and benefits of marriage. In politics of America 2011 we have politicians who would rather not look at what makes their marriages fall apart, what distaste or distrust they have with their partners but insist that marriage is one man one woman. In the politics of America 2011 we have politicians who say to the Gays and Lesbians unions/ domestic partnerships are good enough for you or you wouldn’t know how to be married, or marriage is sacred, scared, but not when they are cheating. You are better off not marrying, it is un-natural they say for a man to love a man, not un-natural for a married man to fool around with another woman.And the LGBT community wants to tell the hypocrites, the uninformed, you don’t know what you are talking about because you are not me, and you haven’t experienced the denials, and you can’t even imagine my life’.

In my grandmother’s latter years, she did break down and discuss her life coming to America as a young girl. Her reason for being more open to her immediate family consisted of two parts. First, she spoke of her trials and tribulations to set the record straight. That record was the recording of the facts, the details, the honesty of what she went through, and her fight to succeed. She wanted no one to think she hadn’t earned everything good she received, and wanted no one to think she took any of it for granted. If she worked for it, achieved it, it was hers.The second bit of reason she shared, was simple. I am human she said, like anyone else. I don’t expect more but do expect the same. Those who deny have no right to do so, and never ever give any of them permission to do so.’ Remember me if only to remember no one deserves more or less then you do.’ After all she would say why else come to America?

once again

Once again, a group of Americans must wait wonder and wish as their rights are being debated by politicians. Once again, equal, or equal but separate, or just inequality is being bandied about as if time is not of the essence and rights and freedoms are not being denied. Once again it is down to the whims, bigotry, religious dogma or hate of those who seem to forget the tenants of the Constitution of this nation.

We, as a nation have been through this ‘horse and pony’ show before. We heard from individuals that God made it clear that women were chattel, blacks were subhuman and Gays were disciples of the devil. We as a nation have been told that although no one really was sitting with the Founding Fathers in Philadelphia, somehow they knew that the intention of the Preamble to the Constitution, “…We the People…”, never really meant all of the people of America, just the white male heterosexual Protestant fraternity of people. We as a nation have been reminded that states rights usurp Federal rights, but somehow the Civil War, the Civil Rights Acts were flukes which did indeed out govern the individual states from oppression, slavery and injustice invalidating the hate from the states.

Once again, the LGBT community is urged to thank Republican law makers for doing the right thing, or at least thinking of doing the right thing, prompted to kiss ass of the few Republican law makers who might actually vote as a true Americans would insisting on basic human rights as listed in the Constitution, or sending Tweets or Likes to their social network accounts, idolizing them for even considering a law that would make all Americans equal. Once again the LGBT community is held hostage by a group of people who have stolen from the LGBT community their basic rights. It’s like thanking the thief for returning all the items he/she stole from your home.

Somehow those who swear by the power of God, love to abuse that power and speak with words that permit God to be a bigot, racist, homophobe, and Un-American. The ministers who preached to their congregations quoting chapter and verse from their Bible, stating that women given any rights would destroy the family and God’s plan for his creation, the pastors who insisted after reading a sermon from their Bible that the colored should never mingle with the white as it would destroy Gods plan for purity the whites, the Rabbi’s whose rhetoric from the pulpit stating that Gays are sinners, shameful… somehow all of those people have played a more prominent part in building this nation than the black and white words written in our Constitution stating life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Once again, I as a man who happens to be Jewish, White, a Dad, a Tax payer, a follower of the laws of this nation and oh yeah Gay, must wait as my fate is being debated. Once again, I must hear from the stupid, the angry, the fearful, the uneducated, the dumb, and the hypocrites if people like me who happen to also be Gay can marry. Once again, I must hope that at least some of my fellow Americans in New York State may have the opportunity to legally call the love of their life husband or wife.

And then what… If marriage equality passes in New York and I live in California I still can’t marry. If marriage equality does not pass in New York where will be the next state battleground that I will be urged to brown nose a bunch of legislators to maybe, hopefully, please give me my freedoms as an American. And those of us in the LGBT community who have loved their partners for decades, those who have come upon a new love of their life, those who have begun to raise a family, how much longer do we have to wait for something so basic to American values as equality?

How small we seem to be in this big country of ours when we deny fair, equal freedom and rights to anyone of our citizens. When will the true American be tall, brave enough to intervene and end this hate? Once again, I have to wait for someone else to give me back my rights.

purity

• Purity, is the absence of impurity or containments in a substance or abstinence from vices and/or abundance of virtue, a measure of correlation between a system and its environment, a measure of correlation between a system and its environment

In Nazi Germany, there was a test to keep things pure. Anything Jewish was a sure fire way to fail the test, and anyone wanting to think on their own, creatively, be outspoken against the Fuehrer, did not muster up to being pure.

In the hay days of “are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party”, Senator McCarthy had a whole slew of purity tests. He prodded politicians, threatened writers, directors, actors, intimidated average Americans and if you failed his test you made his list and suddenly you were blackballed from EVERYTHING.

Purity Tests for girls have been invented. It started with girls because we all know it was Eve who ate that damn apple and had she been more like a man none of the devilish original sin would have ever happened. Purity rings were invented so girls could demonstrate publicly that they were not sleeping around and it was a whole lot easier than finding the keys for their chastity belt. Purity of woman is of the absolute concern for American’s preaching values, in 2011. And it seems women never ever seem to know how to maintain purity, remain pure, or even understand why others insist they are pure.

The GOP has yet one more purity test to appease those who hate difference, seem to know God better than anyone else, and love to wallow in do as I say not as I do. They started with Grover Norquist’s no taxes purity pledge, say no to the Socialist Obama Care, Paul Ryan’s boon for America and now have added the Susan B. Anthony Purity test for anyone considering a run in politics and especially the attempt to be President.

Like the Nazi’s and like Senator McCarthy’s party line, party dogma, fear and foible, ask no questions, follow like a lemming, no gray areas ever, the GOP self appointed Christian Conservative, Values Are Us militia wants to set the rules based on bias, bigotry and bogus. And the people we would hope to elect into office because, say, they have their own intelligence, can reason and ration, find the facts to find truth, need not apply. The GOP wants us to elect a person for President, who kowtows to threats, and is treated like a dog on a short leash.

The Susan B. Anthony List is a political action group whose main objective is to end ALL abortions no matter the health of the woman, the cause, be rape, incest, or the determination by the woman. It is a group founded by women who seem to think other women should have little to no say on their reproductive rights. And the Susan B. Anthony List is insistent that anyone running for President, male or female must give up their right to think, assess but to acquiesce to one and only one belief that ALL abortions no matter what or why are illegal.

And with this purity test those unable to think clearly, be presidential set the lead instead of following it like Bachman, Santorum, Pawlenty, have agreed to sign this pledge. All three, if President, must first meet with Grover Norquist, Paul Ryan, Pat Robertson, the Koch Brothers, and now the folks at the Susan B. Anthony List before they enact their elected duties as Commander-In-Chief. All three and any other of the gang of GOP/Baggers wanting to be President must realize the higher power they turn to is not God, but those who play God.

Purity is never pure when you seek to dilute anything human from its form. Purity is an excuse for not admitting that the beauty of being human is to learn, understand, try, experiment and think. Purity lulls you into feeling safe, but then like a hidden trap it grabs you and suddenly you look, act and become a puppet. And there is always someone pulling your strings. When or where will it stop?

Father's Day

On October 21, '1949' I met Howard Buncher. Since it was 1949 I had to wait a few hours before meeting my Dad, but eventually he was permitted to visit his wife and see his new son. I am not sure exactly when I realized who this man was, but for Howard's part, it was unconditional love immediately.

For the first 4 years of my life, my Mother managed to buy a tie or two, after shave cologne, and yes, Tipperillo's. I actually remember being 5 and going shopping in Downtown Pittsburgh, Gimbel's Department Store to be exact, and buying my Dad a box of handkerchiefs with the initial H stitched in the center.

Howard became a Dad when he was in his late 40's. I was his first child, and it was a learning experience for my Dad, and each day was a new moment in his momentum to be a good Dad. There were many days when I know how hard it was to do the right thing and many more moments when all it took was love to allow my Dad to move forward and not fail. In the 50's and early 60's parenting had few Mavens, fewer books with instructions, and less role models to lead the way.

Television offered Ward Cleaver, Father Knows Best, and Dwight David Eisenhower was the Father of our country. Things were mostly black and white in the 50's and the early 60's and choice, chance and coincidence very difficult to rely on. So being a Dad was a one on one game, and you had to use all of your skill and talent to make it right.

In May 1978, at the age of 28, I met my son Adam. After arduous Lamaze Classes, learning how to be the Coach for my wife, after running through endless hours of just in case, we went into labor and once I saw the crown of his head with all that beautiful brown hair I fell in love. Again, in December 1980 feeling a little more cocky because this was my second child, I met my daughter Dani and as her tiny head was shown that feeling of instant love took immediate control and I knew I could never ever live life without her. Unconditional love for both of my kids swept over me and from that moment forward and it was hard to believe I had lived on this earth without them.

My Dad was alive to meet his grandson, Adam, and in remembrance of my Dad, we named my daughter Dani in his honor. I was proud of my kids and prouder when my Dad kissed my son, and very proud at the naming ceremony when the Rabbi announced that Dani's name was to honor my Dad.

I am blessed to have been born to a Father who knew how to love and could demonstrate his love to his children. I am blessed twice more for being able to carry on the legacy of love and being called Dad, understanding the responsibility and reasoning behind it. I am blessed to know love from a Father and to provide love to my children.

It is another Father's Day, and I have so much to be grateful for so much greatness to gain and so much goodness to give and receive. I remember my Dad always, and I am remembering the wonders of being a Dad. Here is to Howard, Adam and Dani!

un-god like

So once again, those who say they know God better than anyone else have decided to play God. Those who profess to recite scripture and verse as it must have been meant, who say only they know the true meaning of God’s word, who swear on a stack of Bibles that it is THEIR and only THEIR interpretation of God’s word are acting as if God has anointed them his cadre of soldiers on Earth.

And the same people who shout and scream about too much Government, who fear that the red, white and blue of this nations flag is being drained because Government is being turned into a socialist, immoral secular Big Brother dictatorship, that group of people have decided that only they have the true key to the Constitution and only they can interpret the true meaning the Founding Fathers meant when they wrote the Constitution based on the preaching of their God.

For that group of religious zealots there is no hypocrisy, just Gods word and their meaning of his word.

Killing a provider for abortions is okay. Even though this group of Born Again Evangelicals is drowning in depression for the loss of an unborn life, they feel empowered to murder anyone who at the request of a women who has been raped or is ill, who shouldn’t deliver the baby to term or does not want a baby from an horrendous act of violence, anyone assisting with the health or welfare of the mother should be put to death. God it seems will gladly turn his head forgo the life of some, and permit legions of angry men and women to dispose of human life all in his name, they say.

Most recently in the state of Louisiana and in many states with a majority of Republican/Bagger legislators, bans on all abortions are being made into law. Once again, this group of God fearing Born Again Evangelicals has decided to play God. In the state of Louisiana there is a law being proposed that even if the woman is raped by her father or brother she can not seek an abortion. Even if the mother’s life is at stake, knowing if she carries the baby to term she will die, even if she has children already living, she can not seek an abortion. Those who profess the love of life care less for the current living and profess that the future life is more important. Somehow the quality of life, somehow, the reason for life, somehow all of that makes no sense. And somehow it is okay to have a socialistic philosophy as long as it is a Christian based socialism.

From Bachman to Santorum to Pawlenty, the hopeful Republican/Bagger candidates for President boast about the first thing they will do is rid the US of Obama Care. They all shout and scream about their Conservative Christian Family Values, but somehow see no correlation between the need for all humans to have access to affordable health care and being Christ like. These three candidates and a whole slew of other Republican/Bagger potential presidential aspirants mention God at least five times in every speech they make, yet seem to have no idea that living a healthy life; making health care affordable and attainable to all humans is VERY God like. Somehow God can not be a socialist when it comes to saving life, but he certainly is a Socialist when it comes to invading your personal life and killing you.

I grow so weary of false prophets who pick and choose passages from a Bible who are hypocritical heretics, who preach Gods words but never ever listen to what he/she has said. I grow so tired of journalists permitting the lies to be told without pushing for the truth. And I get so damn angry when a human being plays God.

In 2010 we permitted this band of hooligans to run free. We were fooled by their fiction; we must stop this ungodly behavior before it is too late to turn back.

Dave Stone, ticket agent

This is an open letter to Dave Stone, ticket agent manager for United Airlines in Buffalo New York. This is an open letter to let Mr Dave Stone, ticket agent manager for United Airlines in Buffalo New York that you have no conscience, no concept, no care what so ever about the customers who fly United Airlines from Buffalo New York or any city anywhere that United Airlines flies planes. This is an open letter to Dave Stone, ticket agent manager for United Airlines in Buffalo, New York to let you know, you know nothing about the needs and concerns of the customers of United Airlines, and instead of trying to service the customers of United Airlines you would rather wallow in the belief that customer service is second and profits are first.

Here is the deal Dave Stone, my partner Joe, flew to Buffalo because his Dad had open heart surgery and needed to get home ASAP. He used my United Airlines frequent flyer miles because for the past 10 years I have owned a United Airlines frequent flyer credit card, earning those miles. Here is the deal Dave Stone, United Airlines doesn't like to have anyone use their miles and makes any kind of decent travel time to use those miles almost next to impossible. So for Joe's return trip, Dave Stone, United decided to change some schedules and allotted 40 minutes to make a connection from Washington DC to the next plane out to LA. And in the illogical machinations United went through, if that last connection to LA is missed then Joe will have to spend the night in DC hopping to get on the next plane out. And Dave Stone, ticket agent manager for United Airlines in Buffalo, all Joe requested was to get a seat on a flight which was to leave earlier and had at least 5 empty seats. And Dave Stone, ticket agent manager all you could do was say NO, say NO and two of the following things: Sorry, but you are on the wrong tier for seating, (meaning you used frequent flyer miles and they are useless), and that you couldn't do anything because United Airlines was in it to make a profit (meaning God forbid anyone using their frequent flyer miles for anything but the few flights allotted stands no chance in flying any other flight.

Now, Dave Stone, you were the man who Joe could speak with in person to try and make a decent connection with five empty seats available, you the second person he contacted. As you must know Dave Stone, ticket agent manager for United Airlines in Buffalo, Joe contacted customer service and got both Kyle and Michael working in India (Doncha just love how United Airlines gives their Indian employees American names) When they could not assist the change request, Joe asked to speak to their superiors and both times, surprise, surprise, the calls were dropped. It is so nice that United Airlines out sources its customer services to India. I wonder, Dave Stone, you think Kyle and Michael might be able to do your job via the phone. I mean how hard is it to say NO and I am sure they can master a Buffalo accent.

Shame on you Dave Stone, company man, shame on you for not demonstrating an inkling of reason but a whole flood of bull shit and hate. Shame on you Dave Stone, ticket agent manager for United Airlines in Buffalo you have all that power to actually help the customer and all you could think about was the fact that united Airlines makes a profit and one ticket already paid for on a plane with 5 empty seats would somehow cause United Airlines to go bust.

My oh my Dave Stone, United is merging with Continental Airlines and will become even more of a monopoly of an airline, and your denying an earlier flight home on a plane with 5 empty seats might make that merger sour. What a company man Dave Stone, a company man with little heart, soul and empathy.

Not much we as passengers can do with the airlines and not much we can do when they hire people like you Dave Stone who are just robots, just following orders. Remember the Nazi soldiers who were just following orders? Good job Dave Stone, I am sure you ended up saving about 5 cents of United's money and managed to fuck up one more travel plan.

I wonder how people like you sleep at night, or does that cost too much money for United if you do.

easy as pie

I remember in the late 50's when my grandmother would take my little sister and myself downtown to meet my aunt. We rode the streetcar from Forbes Avenue and Denniston, paid the fare and for the next half hour would ride the rails traveling from Squirrel Hill to Downtown Pittsburgh. My grandmother was not a fan of mass transit and more so not a fan of anyone looking at my sister, me or my grandmother as we made our way to town. Once we got past the boundaries of Squirrel Hill and entered another neighborhood, my grandmother would whisper to us that we are no longer among our 'luntzmen' (brothers and sisters, comrades), but with the Goyum and the Goyum don't like Jews, so be careful.

I was about 9 and my little sister about 7 and we had no idea what my grandmother meant, but we sort of knew that it was okay to be Jewish in Squirrel Hill, but not so cool anywhere else. We, many times had this idea that riding the street car would take us to a great place, but the passengers with whom we shared the ride did not like us, just because we were Jewish.

When I was very young I remember my parents not understanding why someone Jewish would want to move to suburbs of Pittsburgh called Upper Saint Claire and Mt Lebanon. I remember at the Saturday night family poker games the relatives would all pooh, pooh and complain about how those neighborhoods still had deed restrictions not permitting Jews, Colored and Catholics from living on certain streets. I remember how my relatives wondered why any Jew would even consider moving anywhere he/she was not welcome.

I remember being in college, my Freshman year, sitting in a large auditorium waiting to start my Psyche 101 course when two kids I had just met that semester were all angry and pissed off. They had just come from the used book shop and purchased their Psychology Book. One said can you believe that guy, Mr. Goldberg, what a schmuck, he knew that the book was not worth $25, but he continued to "Jew me down" anyway. I was puzzled, "Jew you down what is that, you mean he was a Jewish guy with his last name being Goldberg." "I mean Jew me down as a cheap Jew, like all Jews are!"

I remember never understanding why anyone would hate me just because I was Jewish. I remember wondering where all that vitriol and venom had erupted or formed. All the talk about hate, or dislike or lies about who I was supposed to be because I was Jewish resonated without any reason for me. I remember being pissed that people thought they could deny me any rights, in this country just because I was Jewish. I remember when some of that bias and bigotry did cause me some second guessing and some self doubting. And then I remember saying fuck you, you don't know me and if you think that way you never will get the chance to know the truth.

Today, Saturday, June 11, is the official kickoff of Gay Pride in Los Angeles. Today and tomorrow there will be many festivities in which the LGBT community, their families and friends can say I am who I am and I like it. Today and tomorrow are two days in which the rainbow flag will fly high, drag queens to leather men, athletes to actors, average to sexy and hot men and women can share the limelight and no ones follow spot will be greater than anyone else's.

But even as LA celebrates Pride, there are religious leaders who still preach gay men and women are an abomination of the Lord, politicians who still believe equal but separate is a fine way to interpret the Constitution, television and radio entertainers who think using Fag, Queer, Sissy is funny and not harmful at all, moms and dads who would rather kick their children out of their homes than embrace the beauty of their children, and people who don't want the Gays to live in their neighborhoods, attend their schools or churches, are carriers of disease, are nothing but pure evil.

I remember when I discovered I was Jewish and then learned how many people hated me for being something so simple as a Jew. I remember when I was finally brave enough to come out as a Gay man and learned how many people hated me for something as simple as being Gay. I remember how easy it was to love myself or whom I happen to be and how hard it seems for others to hate anyone who isn't them.

I just wonder when we no longer need to hold Gay Pride, Black History Month, Puerto Rican Parades, Jewish Day Parades and just realize how special we all can be because we all have so much in common and what we don't have in common the rest of us can learn from and experience.

For those of us who actually believe in God or a higher power or an energy bigger than us this should be as easy as pie.

from under a rock

I sit here and watch as the rock is lifted and crawling from beneath it, candidates are coming forward to proclaim their interest in running for President of the United States hoping to represent the Republican/Bagger Political Party. Some arise from the dark recesses of the earth to announce their noble intentions, some preach from the holy mount of some higher holier than thou moral values church their intentions, and some continue to tease the public hoping to hear a ground swell of please be our candidate.

And so it seems, the many men and women calling them selves potential presidential candidates of the Republican/Bagger Party, seem to not want to represent all Americans, and would prefer to govern some with more equality and some with fewer freedoms. It seems this slew of potential candidates of the Republican/Bagger ilk have decided that their Presidency need not be inclusive, rather selective and divisive.

Mitt Romney chatted with Peirs Morgan and proudly said he believes in equal rights for Gays. But somehow equal rights for Gays does not mean that the LGBT community should be permitted access to a legal marriage in the country Mitt Romney would become President. In Mr Romney's America equal has it stipulations, none of it he claims based on his Mormonism, but just based on what he deems right and wrong. In Mitt Romney's America, there has to be limits on the kind of equality the Gays receive. And those pesky Gays who want a government sanctioned marriage, not a religious approval just won't make the cut.

And speaking of cuts, Tim Pawlenty has decided that the rich in this country need even more tax cuts. The last 8 years of the Bush Tax cuts and now the Obama cuts which have produced no new jobs needs to be expanded in the eyes of Mr. Pawlenty.

Pawlenty proposed a reduction in the top corporate tax rate to 15 percent from 35 percent, as well as just two tax rates for individuals. He has accused the President saying he “spent three years dividing our nation and fanning the flames of class envy and resentment." All this because the President has insisted that the deficit must be met with both the wealthy and the poor finding compromise.

Mr. Pawlenty's budget proposal would decrease revenue from the wealthy but insist that the poor, elderly, disabled and middle class do the right thing and give up any desire to live a healthy and full life. The America Mr Pawlenty wishes to preside over as 'Commander-In-Chief' is a place where the wealthy make little sacrifice, but everyone else should tighten their belts, live less large and stop asking for things like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Rick Santorum, the man who defined gay relationships as "man on dog" relationships, has decided to take on women and their rights. Rick Santorum has been expressing a truly extreme position on abortion rights. Discussing his role in bringing about the federal late-term abortion ban, Santorum dismissed exceptions meant to protect the health of the mother as “phony” and claimed that such exceptions would render the ban “ineffective". Santorum has slammed the Griswold decision, in which the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to privacy and overturned a state ban on contraception, as a "constitutional wrecking ball."

In Mr Santorums America, when he becomes President rape, incest will be just mere moaning of malcontent and unfulfilled women who only want to emasculate the dominate gender, men. During his tenure in office, a pregnant woman will be revered whether pregnant by choice, rape or incest. Privacy for women is not in the Constitution Mr Santorum abides by and women will be treated like any possession separate but equal.

The parade of potential Presidential Republican/Bagger candidates grows and grows. As each man or woman announce his/her intentions to lead this nation they also announce their intentions to limit the freedoms, choices and rights of some Americans. They are emboldened by the viewers at FOX, religious leaders, bigots, and some Americans who think, because I am not a woman, or a woman who will get raped or need reproductive services, not poor or elderly or disabled, certainly not a member of the LGBT community the denial of rights does not concern me.

The rock has been lifted and the creatures crawling from under are more concerned with appeasing the fringe and straying far from the middle. They are defining who a true American should be, and the kind of equality and freedom he/she should expect. And they are running for office trying to divide and conquer rather than unite.

Kind of a sad statement for a nation which prides itself on saying "...We the People..."

send in the clowns

“Send in the Clowns”

Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here. (Send in the Clowns, by Stephen Sondheim).

The ‘lame street press’ is attacked for a ‘gotcha’ question by Sarah Palin as she botched, butchered and bull shitted her way regarding American history. The ‘lame street press’ never asked her about Paul Reveres ride, but did ask what sights she saw while traveling the East Coast trying to save America from Americans. So Sarah answered that ‘gotcha question’ without ever being asked. One to never admit wrong, or I don’t know, or I made a mistake, ex half term Governor Palin insists that her version of Paul Reveres ride either made more sense than the facts or her facts make Paul Revere more of the kind of American Palin would like him to be. And then her clone of goons tried to rewrite the truth by editing Wikipedia as if Wikipedia is the scholarly account of anything. “Don’t you love farce”?

Rick Santorum is the latest of the far right candidates officially throwing his hat into the ring as he attempts a run for President via the Republican/Bagger Party. He is a champion of God and if he is elected as President, this nation has room for only those who want a closer relationship with his God. Tim Pawlenty, running for President believes that the wealthy are paying way too many taxes and wants to lower their burden of responsibility. He also has no tolerance for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, so one of his first acts will be to repeal that law. Newt Gingrich believes that above all else the Defense of Marriage Act is the cornerstone of the Constitution and if that law is repealed the crack in the Liberty Bell will break the bell and the minions of the Devils will take hold of his America. He is in love with his third wife and is saving the Institution of Marriage this time around. So Non-Christians, Poor, Gays it is your fault that this nation sucks. “My fault I fear”.

One by one the voters that threw out the bums in the 2010 election and voted in the newer bums and managed to elect a majority of Republican/Baggers into the both houses of their state are suddenly feeling buyer’s remorse. The outcry of the public for jobs and the insistence that jobs and the deficit were job one by the Republican/Baggers blended like a pure melody. Do what we ask for and we will reward you plentifully was the melody and we will do exactly that, but don’t read our fine print was the lyrics. But instead in such freedom loving states as Wisconsin, busting the unions, Indiana cutting funds for Planned Parenthood, Maine abolish child labor laws, Minnesota ban gay-marriage, the tune was more like less big government where it counts and more intrusive government where we believe it should count. The budget comes second restriction on equality, freedoms and rights is job one. “I thought that you’d want what I want”

We wanted a larger than life action figure to run a larger than life state, like California, so we elected Arnold. If he could stop cyborgs from wreaking ravage and mayhem to future generations, certainly he could move mountains destroy molehills and make any ‘girly politician’ run and hide and cow tow to his demands as Governor. He was the man to do the job that so many other mere mortals could not. There was even talk about changing the Constitution so this Austrian born of red white and Gold’s Gym bodybuilding, this phenomenal man could take his Conan like leadership skills and make this country lift some heavy weight and build our bodies so no one in the world would ever think about kicking sand in our faces again. He was all man but didn’t man up to his affair with his housekeeper. Nope, while doing the people’s business, he wanted to keep his personal business, well, personal. Somehow someone was not happy with a bribe so the truth came pouring out and Mrs. Schwarzenegger found out she was not the only one to get fucked. “Sorry, my dear”.

We now have one more Congressman (Anthony Weiner) assuming he has Krypton keeping his identity from being discovered as his pictures floated around the Internet. He thought that only Republicans were crazy enough and hypocritical enough to be caught with their pants, down, shirts off, penis’s hard, so by blatantly demonstrating his masculinity to any woman other than his wife or girlfriend/boyfriend, no one would notice. He figured it was not done on government equipment so by using his equipment to prove his sexual prowess all could and should be forgiven. “But where are the clowns”.

We have the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Pribus, demanding that Congressman Weiner resign his position for sending pictures depicting his Jewish anatomy, but somehow the same Chairperson doesn’t care that two Republican Senators, Vitter, and Ensign had been and is in office serving their Constituents, after one planned a few visits with a prostitute Vitter, one had an affair with his assistant’s wife, Ensign. No voices of resignation were heard from any Republicans about that behavior and only one of the Senators, Ensign resigned only after being caught breaking some real laws but not for breaking into the bedroom of his married assistant. “Quick, send in the clowns

American politics, in 2010/2011, how wondrous, onerous, ridiculous they have become. Do as I say, not as I do, facts are not necessary just my personal feeling. My wife didn’t know so I am okay being an adulterer. Big Government is too big, but not too big if it doesn’t set standards for your reproductive rights, sets your religious preferences, discriminates on who you can love and marry, cares less about your health, prefers you stay poor or in poverty. So amazing to me the amount of clowns we have elected into office who time after time act as if they were performing in a three ring circus under a big top. Send in the clowns, oops, “Don’t bother they’re here”.

grandma braff

When I was young, my Grandma Braff was alive and spent a whole lot of time at our home. She lived with my one unmarried aunt, but during the day and for dinner my Grandma would spend time with my mother and her family. When I was young, it seemed that my Grandma, unlike other Grandma’s did not have a first name and to even call her Grandma Eva somehow seemed rude and disrespectful. So to us we referred to her using her last name only. It is what we knew and thought was normal.

My Grandma was born in Breylia Romania, and came to this country as a teen age girl. And by the time I was old enough to interact with my Grandma, she, had become very much Americanized, but somehow remained very Romanian when certain circumstances prompted a Romanian reaction. Her grandchildren knew something was uncomfortable, something seeming disingenuous, something was plain wrong when my Grandma would either speak in Yiddish, revert to Romanian, or start reciting some proverbs or curses when addressing situations she did not like or people she did not trust.

My father, whose Dad came from the Ukraine, would say that most Romanians were a bunch of Gypsies and whenever his mother-in-law, my Grandma would start her verbal whirling dervish, would say beware she doesn’t land that curse on you. He of course was kidding; we of course thought my Grandma had some very supernatural powers.

My Grandma was not one who took her time in deciding who she thought was fair, kind, real or honest. She was immediate in her summation and many times it was scary how correct she was in describing the positives and negatives of people’s personalities. Many times we all would just ignore my Grandmas dire predictions of someone being flat or phony or a manipulator and often times we would have to recant our own words finding out that indeed Mr. or Mrs. X was not what they presented themselves to be.

My mother had a first cousin, my Grandma’s niece named Bernice. Bernice was the oldest child of the 12 kids my Grandma’s younger sister had born in this Earth. Bernice was brash, bold and many times bigger than life. She could walk into a room crack a joke, make a wise ass remark and even the men of this machismo male Romanian family would sometimes cower in the distance. She was a presence to reckon with and someone you would have rather been on her good side or just remain invisible.

Bernice would walk into the middle of someone else’s story try to take it over and provide an ending. She would start an argument, talking fast, repeating words over and over again as if saying them over and over again made her fact real, and she would always challenge anyone who challenged her fact as being fable by disarming them completely and accusing them of bias against her. She hated being called a bully and like most bullies, blamed everyone else for making her say and act as she did.

Bernice was a popular lady at the Saturday night Family Poker Games, and no one who cared an ounce about their happy lives would ever send regrets to a dinner or a party created by Bernice. Bernice seemed to be the person who was right, just based on bogus, bull shit and a bag full of excuses and insults.

My Grandma would speak of my cousin Bernice and then spout out sayings like… the devil loves to hold your tongue so he can permit his voice to be heard through a louder mouth… the more someone rattles on the less truth they tell…more than one excuse only means truth was never the intention…the more you describe the bad things other people do, the most likely you have done nothing better. And she would say the most empty of people are the first to try and fill up your life, it is you who keep them from just floating away, just let go! Eventually Bernice had a fall from grace. She collected the dues from the Family Club for the once a year party, and somehow said she lost every last dollar. The next day she was driving a brand new Cadillac.

My Grandma was a bright lady. She had some kind of sense to smell out dishonest, disruptive and debilitating behavior. I just wonder how my Grandma would describe the self-serving, greedy, careless word and deed that Sarah Palin as brought to this nation? I wonder what advice my Grandma would use to describe the lemmings that need nothing more than show and tell to appease their intellect, choosing Sarah as their ring master. I wonder what kind of a Romania curse would be necessary to stop the madness made by Sarah as she advances her life at the cost of those who think she even cares about their lives. I wonder if cousin Bernice was reincarnated as Sarah Palin?

My Grandma would always give a hearty pooh-pooh before ever mentioning the name of those who lie, steal and cheat. A pooh-pooh to those who always spoke a bigger game then ever played and a pooh-pooh to those who had little substance but whole lot of blow hard.

Here is a pooh-pooh to both cousin Bernice and her newly appointed clone Sarah!