War Protest Part Deux

In my rebuttle I wrote the following. Please forgive me for not including the other person's argument, I don't know if I can republish it without that person's approval. I just thought you could get the gist of it from my rebuttle remarks.
This is what I wrote:
"Thanks Ted, for your reply. I admit my post was pretty negative and you said it well, we totally disagree. I don't mean to debate but we are funneling money out of our military, out of our economy, and out of programs which could help people at home and elsewhere in the world with better results. Some examples are our schools, our poor, our old folks and our Veterans, Hurricane Katrina victims, Rwanda, Kosovo, Darfur, Tibet, people who have called out for our help. A lot of what I said was misunderstood. I do worry about that Marine Private, and his Sailor counterpart, etc. I don't believe that we need to be in Iraq but the mess we've made can only be righted by a careful timeline for turning over the government to its people. In many ways I think that I agree with you. I honestly wonder what is best for Our Troops and our relations in the world as public opinion turns against us. I just thought that I would voice a different opinion in hopes of a better outcome in the future. Thanks again for letting me have my say. No need to feel sorry for being harsh. I can take it--with a grain of salt.
Peace"
Claire

War Protest

I'm writing this in a friend's blog but I don't expect them to agree or even allow me to post, once they read this. That is why I'm posting the same thing in my blog. This is what I wrote,
"I know you're not going to like this but this is what I struggle with on the homefront... I want to support the troops but I can't embrace the present U.S. policies. Your blog is Wonderfully heart-warming. Well said. Hints at so much suffering through one man's plight. The Iraqi people don't want to be invaded or occupied, no one does. And what about the future safety and well-being of the American-sympathizers like Hadi when the U.S. troops withdraw? War, whether for a good cause or a foolish, misguided one, is always messy and despite the cultural exchanges always leaves behind casualties of war. I see our "Wounded Warriors" (official term) fitted with legs of titanium, hobbling away as a chorus sings much too loudly over microphones too shrill to be pleasant in the hospital courtyard. Stateside, many of us don't have Lazy-Boy recliners or haven't you heard what this war has done to our economy? We now have familiar terms such as PTSD and TBI meaning Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. And we're now the wiser, there were no weapons of mass destruction!
I'm watching "John Adams" on TV, very inspiring and just what America should be. How did we get here from there (the War of Independence)?Peace Claire

Actor, Heath Ledger dead at 28

It weighs heavy on my heart to find out that (Sigh) the fine actor, Heath Ledger passed away today in NYC from what is indeed an untimely death. It is such a great loss for us all as he was taken from this plane. My prayers go out to his friends, family, and loved ones. May he find peace and happiness. He will be missed.

Season's Greetings to all!

'Tis the season for guilty pleasures, soon we'll be re-gifting or standing in line (again) to return presents that just recently peaked our curiosity. We'll be saying our good-byes to relatives and house guests and revisiting why we moved away from the folks back home in the first place, though our love for them is even deeper now that we feel a little bit older, or is that the weather and the hangover?

We'll ring in the New Year with kisses and horns blasting, but our resolutions will be broken perhaps before the night is through. All that is left is to clean up the mess, send our thank-yous, get those pictures developed, and assess the damage, I mean past year.



Do you hate that as much as I do when the newscasters and gossip shows endlessly recount where we've been? There are the most embarrassing moments for celebrities, the best dressed and worst dressed, oh, and the fortune teller predictions for 2008! Now that we have extra time at home we tend to turn on the television even more and try to watch programs that are meant to please everyone but please no one or just the most determined voice in the house. If we're lucky those sports enthusiasts among us will catch a good game, or season of games. For others it will be a soap opera, or movie at the local movie theater. We may even venture farther to catch a really good flick. There's more shopping with our Christmas money and gift cards and there are leftovers, turkey sandwiches, a good turkey soup. Maybe we'll stop for a hamburger for a change.



Occasionally a pang of guilt may creep over our fat shadow reminding us that many go to bed hungry while we throw platefuls down the disposal. Some outgoing souls collect clothes for the poor or volunteer at soup kitchens and hospitals but you need fortitude for that and must not cry easily. Or if you do, you must cry well with others and give hugs freely. I'm much too timid, though I do clean out my closet this time of year and donate clothes and clutter to a better place. I feel extremely full and outstandingly generous, unless I'm traveling, packed in like a sardine.

They say if you want to break up do it after the holidays so that you have a date for all those important occasions. I'm usually so stressed that I catch a really bad cold and then I look terrible in photographs. Why do we do it? Social pressure, conscience, the need for nearness... Dearness, what a season! There's nothing for it, Happy Holidays!

In Praise of Unavailable Men

Unavailable men are a chance for a relationship with clearly defined boundaries and in a way offer women who are afraid of commitment or intimacy a chance for love and friendship that gives them reason to rejoice and get jazzed about life in general while keeping them 'safe.'
Right now I have some friends and acquaintances on the Internet whom I find interesting but the only problem is that they are far, far away and some are in a committed relationship. Also, it is verboten to fall in love with someone at work. So, it is easy to be friends while putting up screens or setting limits with others and with our own feelings. I wish I could write a song to unavailable men. Maybe I could come up with a poem. Unavailable men are so much more attractive. They are so much more exciting and interesting. But what if an unavailable man were to become available, would that spoil it for me? Would the attraction go away? It's kind of along the lines of 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.'

I'm suffering from a lack of verbal self-defense

Today I had a doctor's appointment to get the results of some tests on my heart and lungs. We first had a BBQ at work and I was preoccupied waiting for time to leave for my appointment. A girl said from across the gazebo, "What's the matter, you sleeping over there or you just scared?"
I realized she was talking to me and I just didn't feel up to coming up with a comeback. But, I thought, I defended this b--ch when another girl was saying they should fire her ass because she's lazy, doesn't do her job, and had milked the student aide program for 10 years while she went to school and "worked" part time, taking long lunches to go to the mall, and leaving early every day. I had answered compassionately, "but she has twins, she needs the job."
I thought to myself, could she be jealous that I got a promotion recently? At least because of my promo I felt in a good place though i was feeling weak, tired, and worried about my test results. When I got to my doctor's she and the attending physician, both really nice and concerned young women who put me at ease told me that my CT scan was not normal so they had referred me to a lung specialist just to rule out anything serious developing in the future like cancer or tuberculosis. I was asked if I had been exposed to TB or smoked or where did I grow up or did I work in an asbestos environment. I don't smoke but I do work in a hospital. At any rate I have faith in my doctors and their proceeding cautiously and caringly. It makes me sad that I may be seriously ill just when I finally have become a "career woman" with a respectable promotion.

Chapter 10 in which someone gets a promotione

My boss is the greatest! Pay attention World, he's a great human being who takes care of the people under him. I've been waiting for a promo for a long time. When I started off in the work world I didn't like the jobs that I went through and I just lived for the weekend, vacations, and sick days off. I honestly didn't take work seriously. But for a long time now I have been working hard without adequate compensation or recognition. Finally, I got a boss who understands me and although it took a long time for him to get to my case, he finally succeeded in pulling for me. And I was so dumb in entering my data in the computer I almost didn't get it, then, I went back and erased some of the descriptive words and it clicked. You really have to speak the right language. I have shown that I'm smart enough and capable enough just lacking in how to aggressively present myself as a woman to be taken seriously. Also, I'm smart enough not to fall head over heels in love with my boss. In addition, thank you to God and my mother. While I am not my mother's favorite she has done the best she can. Now, reason to celebrate! Woo-hoo!