Rammin' Crammin' Jammin'

I've been listening to the health care summit and its aftermath.

I've always admired the way republicans use language to create powerful and lasting negative images as they go about demonizing whichever group or issue they need to destroy or control. Reagan's use of "welfare queens" convinced Americans that all welfare recipients were unworthy and that the cost of welfare was sinking the country. This distracted the average American from noticing that their wages were stagnant and that corporations were growing much too powerful to sustain a healthy economy and democracy. "Partial birth abortion", "terrorist", "death tax". "Washington bureaucrat" and "government takeover" repeated over and over have scared people witless about healthcare reform. This language control is so masterful that people forget that medicare is an efficiently-run government program. "Nancy Pelosi", "Harry Reid" repeated over and over with a disdainful sneer, as though those 2 people have just driven to your house and shot your dog and taken your lunch.

Speaking of violent acts, I'm intrigued by the repeated use of ram, jam, cram to describe how the health care bills have proceeded over this long, long year. Republicans warn that Democrats are trying to ram, jam and cram government takeover of health care (1/6th of our economy!!).

Tell me something: if you were actually ramming something, wouldn't it take a lot less than a year? And wouldn't you make sure it was the legislation you really wanted, not some watered-down version? And then wouldn't you move on to some other issue, say financial reform, and start rammin' there? That's what I would do if I were Harry or Nancy.

I'd like to keep writing but it's time for the animals to eat. They can tell time. They get right testy if the food doesn't appear in the bowl. Just like welfare queens.

Oh, remember this: Jesus was a socialist.

James McMurtry "We can't make it here"

Makes me sad. Sometimes you need a dirty f***ing hippie to say what needs to be said. But we have to be careful not to make the rich people mad.

Where'd the Money Go?

Did you hear? It'a a national movement ...

My Funny Domain Name

Happy valentine's day everyone. I hope you get an extra helping of love today.

I got flowers and cards from my sweetie. And a domain name. I bet you never got one of those for a gift.

So, some day soon, if the good lord's willing and the creek don't rise, you will be able to surf your net right into janetwoody.com

I hope I can be worthy of my own domain name, and that I don't clutter it up with pet pics and wisecracks. Hey wait, that's all I know. I'll have to learn new stuff.

The pressure is on. I'll have to quit my job to have enough time to ... oh, I already did that.

No excuses then. Here we go. Stay tuned....

Hey, Vancouver, we have your snow

Please come and get it now.

I've been thinking about weather a lot lately. How about you? Actually, I've been thinking about extreme weather. Unusual weather. I need to go outside soon and shovel some unusual weather.

Now why would Vancouver have no snow, or very little, and little old Richmond have so much? Picture me leaning on my snow shovel while I ponder this. Hmmm.

Mudslides in California, drought in the west and south, floods in the midwest. Lots of hurricanes. Why, it's almost like the earth is out of balance. And if you look outside of the US, you'd find more extremes all over the globe. It's like some wacky climate change is going on.

Scientists really ought to be looking into this. Someone should alert them.

The Hangover

Last night we watched the movie The Hangover. Then we slept like babies all night and woke up refreshed and ready to leap tall buildings and shovel snow. Both of us have had sleep problems lately so we were thrilled with this development.

So there you have it, The Hangover is a sleep aid, with no side effects or morning grogginess. We have no desire to watch it again, so clearly it is not addictive.

I do wonder about the chicken. When the men wake up in their Caesar's Palace villa, there is a chicken wandering around and a tiger in the bathroom. You do find out where the tiger came from, but not the chicken. Anybody know about the chicken?