Mr. President,

Is is “Give’em Hell, Harry, ” time. It is time to barnstorm the country, making a public case
that you made a good faith effort to work with Republicans but they were just completely
intransigent. Attack them mercilessly and turn the public against the obstinate, obstructionist,
reactionary GOP. They, the GOP, have made it clear that they will do everything and anything to
stop you and stop health care reform. Stop trying for bipartisianship with this bunch of liars.
Start moving with your supporters. The American people want health care reform and your
Liberal supporters, including me, want single-payer health care reform. The “public option” is
a compromise on single-payer reform. Do not compromise any further. The market place is
full of pirates and market-driven health care will not serve the needs of all people. Stop trying
to “reach across the aisle to Republicans.” They are liars, liars, liars. All they want to do is
stall and throw out obstacles. Now is the time—-health care for all American citizens.

Watching…..for the last time…..the beginning of final rites for a Kennedy brother.
So very glad this one died a natural death and lived into the fullness of age.

I was glued to the TV for days for the rites for President John Kennedy and for
Senator Robert Kennedy. For the President: Robert, Jackie and Teddy leading
the march of distinguished mourners, the riderless horse with boots reversed,
the beat of the drum as the procession passed along, the silent crowds lining
the streets, John and Caroline standing with their mother, John saluting his
father, the scene at the burial with Jackie lost and confused.

Then Robert and the wild scene in the hotel kitchen where he was gunned down.
The funeral in St. Patrick’s and Teddy’s moving eulogy, the funeral train and the
crowds lining the tracks.

The Kennedys and their ideals and escapades have been a huge part of my life
from age 16. Wild and reckless though they were, I find them and their ideals
more powerful than Regan, McCain, Bush, and the conservatives.

Max drove my mother and me out to almost the end of Cape Cod, on a lovely
sunny day like today, along the route the Kennedy cortege is taking. Then,
we drove back to Boston in storms and tornadoes—we could not see the road
in the pouring rain; the wind almost blew us off the road.

Today I say—- I am glad I was able to follow the Kennedys and their lives. Hooray
for Liberals!! Hooray for humans who reach out to help the weak, the poor, the
uneducated, the young, the powerless!!! One can be conservative without being
mean, petty, hateful, spiteful, or cruel. I reject with my whole heart the mean-spirited
and hateful right-wingers of today. I am proud to be a liberal.

From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

Liberal

adj.

1.
1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
4. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
2.
1. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
2. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
5.
1. Archaic. Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
2. Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious.

n.

1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
2. Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.

[Middle English, generous, from Old French, from Latin līberālis, from līber, free.]
liberally lib’er·al·ly adv.
liberalness lib’er·al·ness n.

SYNONYMS liberal, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, generous, handsome, munificent, openhanded. These adjectives mean willing or marked by a willingness to give unstintingly: a liberal backer of the arts; a bounteous feast; bountiful compliments; a freehanded host; a generous donation; a handsome offer; a munificent gift; fond and openhanded grandparents. See also synonyms at broad-minded.
ANTONYM stingy

From Informed Comment: http://www.juancole.com/

But the Palestinian children wounded and charred by Israeli bombings are still screaming, their physicians unable to get hold of enough pain killers to still their yelps of pain. Some 5300 Palestinians, most of them children, women and noncombatants, were wounded in Israel’s savage war on the Gaza population.

Please consider donating to UNICEF UK’s Gaza children’s fund (US UNICEF for Palestinian Children here). In fact, I challenge other bloggers to carry the same appeal for UNICEF, among the best aid groups for this purpose, so that we can see if we can create a cyberspace aid convoy for them.

My husband—he was such a great principal and tonight I had another reminder of why. Our church has been having soup suppers each week and inviting anyone in the community who wants to come. We have enjoyed this activity no end and have several people who join us regularly, to eat and to visit. Tonight, someone who really needed help came, along with others. This person asked for Max, who had been there earlier to set up the tables and had gone on an errand. The person was nervous—who wouldn’t be to come into an unfamiliar place and ask for help?! We, meaning me and some of the other workers, greeted the new person, trying to be helpful and calming.  Just then, Max came back. He got a bowl of soup and sat down next to our guest, chatting in a kind and friendly manner.  The guest began to relax and enjoy the meal. Max asked about how we could  help and a conversation developed. Soon, we were all chatting and joking.  After our guest left, Max had several ideas about how we could help this person.

When I encounter very needy people, my heart is full of compassion. But, I am afraid–I am so frightened that I do not know what to do or say. I think I will be too condescending or too bossy—or too friendly or too helpful. I am not sure what to say or do or how to show proper respect. Max knows exactly what to say and to do.  He talks in a friendly and conversational manner, making the person feel reassured and comfortable. And then Max thinks up things to do, to help–useful and practical things. Max experienced hardship and poverty in his youth, growing up on their family farm in Sullivan County, Indiana, late in the Depression.  They weren’t destitute, but his father drank up money that should have been used to help raise his family. Max went to college on a dream and a prayer, working his way though Indiana State. Hard as this early start was, instead of making him bitter, Max’s struggles made him compassionate and caring. He began his career as a teacher and coach, and later was the principal of Salem High School for twenty-seven years. In his long years at SHS, he helped many students; it gave him particular satisfaction to help poor students to attend college on a scholarship or to help them get a job.  Later, when he worked in real estate, he often gave up part of his commission to help needy clients—and he gave mountains of free advice and help to clients and people in need.

Max has a new project. He and his long-time friend and fellow coach Verne Ratliff gardened last summer and are planning another garden this year. They want to sell some vegetables, but they also plan to give vegetables to their friends and to the Washington County Food Bank. Nothing gives Max more pleasure than helping other people; he has a big heart.

One of the new thrills in my life [sigh...there are so few as one ages....] is reading the books my students have written. I also get a kick out of buying these books on Amazon.com. So, it was a great pleasure to purchase and read, The Blank Book, by Magdalena Scott [which is a pseudonym], published in paperback January 2009. This book was first published as an e-book and is available on Kindle . Below is the review I wrote for Amazon.com. I’m not too skilled at writing reviews, but hope to improve as more of my students produce books.

The plot of The Blank Book poses an interesting question: can we create our own future and if so, how do we do it? The characters are so satisfying: Robert is dreamily handsome and romantic, while Alice is slightly tart, at least in self dialogue, yet sweetly romantic, too. Old friends add drama,
but it’s Alice’s mother who twists the plot. With its cozy small town atmosphere, crisp dialogue, snappy plot, and likable characters, The Blank Book, is pleasing and entertaining. In fact, one can get lost in the enthralling romance and blissful detail. Introverts who enjoy a lively inner dialogue will appreciate Alice, while romantics who like a real hunk of man will sigh over Robert. Flecks of irony add reading pleasure to a story with an intriguing twist. All in all, it’s a delightful book; one wishes for many more from the same author.

http://www.amazon.com/Blank-Book-Magdalena-Scott/dp/1934992739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234225515&sr=1-2