13: What’s Bugging You?
1. Seen on Facebook: One day you’ll just be a memory to someone. Do your best to be a good one.
2. “You can’t win all the contests and then lose at one contest and say, ‘Why am I not winning this contest as well?’ It’s random. So truthfully, again, do I wish it weren’t me? Absolutely. I still can’t make that logistic jump to thinking there’s a reason why it shouldn’t be me.” Writer David Rakoff on having cancer. Rakoff recently passed away.
3. I recently got a visit from a graduate student who is doing a thesis on the back-to-the-land movement in Floyd. She borrowed some of the earliest Museletters, our community’s monthly newsletter that began in 1984 and was, at one time, the primary forum for communication in the alter-native community. After she scanned some of the early newsletters and returned them to me, I started re-reading them myself and discovered an absolute treasure trove of poetry and columns I had written from the late 1980’s to the late 1990’s (pre-computer, so they’ll need to be retyped).
4. I have more control over the technical skill of writing now, but I don’t think I’ll ever be that prolific and inspired again. I’m calling that period my “Bob Dylan years.”
5. Joe’s been out of town. When he called last week and asked how I was, I answered “kind of like Mark Twain,” which meant I was philosophical and with good humor, but also depressed (about the state of the world and all the loss in it).
6. Looks can be deceiving. Even though THIS post about former Governor Tim Kaine coming to Floyd and playing harmonica at the Friday Night Jamboree got no comments, it got more hits than any other post this month, probably because Kaine posted the link on his Facebook page.
6. Four days after Kaine visited The Floyd Country Store, Vice President Joe Biden also came. I guess he had heard from Kaine and Senators Webb and Warner what a cool town Floyd is. I missed seeing him, having learned about his visit just after the fact. The photo here is posted compliments of The Floyd Country Store.
7. I thought it was a kind of desperate move for Romney to choose Paul Ryan for his running mate, not so unlike when McCain picked Sarah Palin. I think his choice will undoubtedly energize the squeaky wheels of the far-right members of the party but will also drive others away.
8. “In college Paul Ryan drove the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. So he and Romney have something in common. Both have the experience of driving a car with a dog on the roof.” –David Letterman
9. “If you go to Romney’s campaign website, which lists positions on issues from “Afghanistan” to “Values”, there’s not even a mention of the biggest crisis facing the planet. July was the hottest month on record in the United States — and that followed June, when we broke over 3,100 temperature records. Last week there was a new paper from James Hansen, NASA’s top climatologist, that solidly identifies climate change as the cause for recent drought, heat waves, and wildfires. The stakes are too high to leave climate change out of the national conversation So we’re turning up the volume, and we’re starting by issuing a climate challenge to Mr. Romney. ~ Bill McKibben. Read more HERE.
10. “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” Mark Twain
11. “For a long time, words like compromise have been like dirty words. I always believed that the art of being a legislator is finding common ground,” said Republican Congressman Steve LaTourette as he resigned from Congress due to partisan politics. LaTourette, the latest moderate Republican causality on Capital Hill, who was in support of looking to repeal Bush’s tax cuts on the rich as part of a deficit reduction package, also said, “We are a hiccup away from being Europe. We’re a hiccup away from being Greece. Now is the time when politicians should stand up and say, ‘I may lose this next election, but we gotta get this right.”‘
12. As far as blogging goes, I’d rather have a few real people comments than a lot of anonymous hits.
13. “There is no great work in the world that will not break your heart.” Poet, David Whyte.
August 15th, 2012 11:41 pm
Climate change must be the ONLY thing Romney is not claiming he’ll miraculously fix on “day one!”
August 16th, 2012 3:25 am
How can people so TOTALLY miss the boat? I find myself shaking my head and wondering how I am able to remain even cordially friendly with the few Republicans I do call “friends.” We are millions of miles apart in our feelings about almost every aspect of life. And during important political election cycles I can’t remember even ONE of the areas in which we are similar.
August 16th, 2012 5:13 am
I really like #1 about being a good memory.
August 16th, 2012 5:30 am
I did comment on the Kaine post…but maybe it got spun off into the next galaxy. Oh well. I speak out so much more on politics than I used to now that I am retired. It is safe for me and a responsibility for me to share my ethic and moral beliefs with friends.
August 16th, 2012 10:16 am
Paul Ryan is backed by the Koch brothers. That in and of itself should tell people a lot.
And…
I love that you found some old poems. It’s great to go back to see what was important to you then. Probably the boys and all that revolves around motherhood.
August 16th, 2012 10:30 am
The poems were mostly on word play, earthy esoterics and my hot romance with Joe! It was during the height of the Floyd community of the alter-natives and so reflected much of that learning.
August 16th, 2012 10:30 am
#1 is thought provoking……and #10 says it all!
August 16th, 2012 11:16 am
I hadn’t heard that David Letterman joke. It will be repeated. 🙂
August 16th, 2012 11:19 am
Thoughtful post. Reminds how much I hate election years and like Mark Twain. 😉
August 16th, 2012 2:21 pm
Love that you found old poems. Nothing like finding old work and realizing that it is good, or still speaking to you.
I agree with everything in your post. Fantastic.
August 16th, 2012 3:45 pm
Okay, now I know why I decided to follow your blog. Political sisters from another mother, apparently. I wish, however, that I had Bob Dylan years in my past. I think mine were more the white version of Donna Summer. I can’t wait to see what you write tomorrow!
August 16th, 2012 3:58 pm
Funny! I hope you come back, Jennie.
August 16th, 2012 8:55 pm
Wow. Strong list! I agree with you; Romney’s off his rocker. He’s got his head in his own wallet and isn’t paying attention to the environment. Plus, his choice of Paul Ryan leaves no grey area where they stand on women’s issues.
Happy TT!
August 16th, 2012 9:20 pm
I am sure I commented on the Post about Kaine….Hmmm. Maybe “Mercury Reyrograde” ate them up. Weird…..
AS always–a very provocative T13, my dear.
Our country is in such trouble on so many levels….It is so damn depressing!
August 18th, 2012 11:30 am
As always, you’ve given me food for thought. Thank you! Happy Belated T13!
August 19th, 2012 11:17 am
5, me too.
4. I wonder about that. these things used to go in cycles but maybe there’s a phase of life gone now. when 30-years seem like teens and 20 years olds seem 12, it’s a sign other things are adjusting in perception too. on the other hand slower better wrought slower-made things have a beauty that raw whoosh doesn’t.
August 21st, 2012 9:12 pm
Re: #7 & #9 – it’s playing out just how Wall Street had planned it – scare the population into voting for Obama, who will then enact the agenda of Romney. You read it here first.
Vote for Jill Stein.
August 22nd, 2012 8:10 pm
Anonymous hit just left a comment. Nice blog.
August 22nd, 2012 9:15 pm
I thought you were going to say something about the American carrion beetle, pictured at the top of this post. Somehow seem to relate to fact #1…that one day you will be dead. Is that why you selected it?
August 22nd, 2012 10:23 pm
I didn’t know what the beetle was. It would really be related if it was endangered. I’ve been doing these list on Thursday since 2005, so it’s intuitive and random at this point. Sometimes things relate, loosely or not, kind of like composing a poem. I don’t always know what it means. The beetle was a current photo I took and wanted to use. It more relates to the title.
Thanks for the comment/compliment anonymous. I do appreciate it.
January 6th, 2013 9:59 pm
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