The Berry Vest

We went to the Vest Farm yesterday with Laiyee and Bob and picked strawberries and peas. It was really fun, and a beautiful time to go, around 7 in the evening. The supertitle on the roadsign is "the berry vest" ... i'm not nearly that creative. Laiyee took some great photos! Comments are welcome on my man boobs. Aren't they coming along nicely?

Newsclipping of the Day :: LOTS of Democrats Cave on FISA

Last Friday, 105 spineless, ennabling, idiot Democrats voted with nearly the entire Republican Party on the FISA "compromise," HR 6304. Including the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Including Charlie Wilson, my Representative from Ohio. None of these Democrats deserve to keep their seats. Granting these corporate telecom giants retroactive immunity for breaking the law has always been a bad idea. They know they are guilty and they know they've ennabled a lawless fool of a president. These Democrats are so dependent upon contributions from big business that they have no idea what is right or wrong anymore, like the entire Republican Party (except for Johnson, from Illinois apparently).

Click HERE to see how your Representative in Washington voted. Please check it out and please be sure to contact your Senators to make sure this does not make it through that body.

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By the way, if any of you need phone numbers for your Senators, I just came across this comprehensive listing:

Direct Phone Numbers to Senators (Listed by State)

Alabama
Sen. Richard Shelby (R) (202) 224-5744; 224-3416
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) (202) 224-4124; 224-3149

Alaska
Sen. Ted Stevens (R) (202) 224-3004; 224-2354
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) (202) 224-6665; 224-5301

Arizona
Sen. Jon Kyl (R) (202) 224-4521; 224-2207
Sen. John McCain (R) (202) 224-2235; 228-2862

Arkansas
Sen. Blanch Lincoln (D) (202) 224-4843; 228-1371
Sen. Mark Pryor (D) (202) 224-2353; 228-0908

California
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) (202) 224-3553; (202)228-2382
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) (202) 224-3841; 228-3954

Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard (R) (202) 224-5941; 224-6471
Sen. Ken Salazar (D) (202) 224-5852; 228-5036

Connecticut
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D) (202) 224-2823; 224-1083
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I) (202) 224-4041; 224-9750

Delaware
Sen. Joseph Biden (D) (202) 224-5042; 224-0139
Sen. Thomas Carper (R) (202) 224-2441; 228-2190

Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson (D) (202) 224-5274; 228-2183
Sen. Mel Martinez (R) (202) 224-3041; 228-5171

Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) (202) 224-3521; 224-0103
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) (202) 224-3643; 228-0724

Hawaii
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) (202) 224-6361; 224-2126
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) (202) 224-3934; 224-6747

Idaho
Sen. Larry Craig (R) (202) 224-2752; 228-1067
Sen. Michael Crapo (R) (202) 224-6142; 228-1375

Illinois
Sen. Dick Durbin (D) (202) 224-2152; 228-0400
Sen. Barack Obama (D) (202) 224-2854; 228-5417

Indiana
Sen. Evan Bayh (D) (202) 224-5623; 228-1377
Sen. Richard Lugar (R) (202) 224-4814; 228-0360

Iowa
Sen. Charles Grassley (R) (202) 224-3744; 224-6020
Sen. Tom Harkin (D) (202) 224-3254; 224-9369

Kansas
Sen. Sam Brownback (R) (202) 224-6521; 228-1265
Sen. Pat Roberts (R) (202) 224-4774; 224-3514

Kentucky
Sen. Jim Bunning (R) (202) 224-4343; 228-1373
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) (202) 224-2541; 224-2499

Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) (202) 224-5824; 224-9735
Sen. David Vitter (R) (202) 224-4623; 228-5061

Maine
Sen. Susan Collins (R) (202) 224-2523; 224-2693
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) (202) 224-5344; 224-1946

Maryland
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) (202) 224-4654; 224-8858
Sen. Ben Cardin (D) (202) 224-4524: 224-1651

Massachusetts
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D) (202) 224-4543; 224-2417
Sen. John Kerry (D) (202) 224-2742; 224-8525

Michigan
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) (202) 224-4822; 228-0325
Sen. Carl Levin (D) (202) 224-6221; 224-1388

Minnesota
Sen. Norm Coleman (R) (202) 224-5641; 224-1152
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) (202) 224-3244; 228-2186

Mississippi
Sen. Thad Cochran (R) (202) 224-5054; 224-9450
Sen. Roger Wicker (R) (202) 224-6253; 224-2262

Missouri
Sen. Christopher Bond (R) (202) 224-5721; 224-8149
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) (202) 224-6154; 228-6326

Montana
Sen. Max Baucus (D) (202) 224-2651; 224-4700
Sen. John Tester (D) (202) 224-2644; 224-8594

Nebraska
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) (202) 224-4224; 224-5213
Sen. Ben Nelson (D) (202) 224-6551; 228-0012

Nevada
Sen. John Ensign (R) (202) 224-6244; 228-2193
Sen. Harry Reid (D) (202) 224-3542; 224-7327

New Hampshire
Sen. Judd Gregg (R) (202) 224-3324; 224-4952
Sen. John Sununu (R) (202) 224-2841; 228-4131

New Jersey
Sen. Robert Menendez (D) (202) 224-4744; 228-2197
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) (202) 224-3224; 228-4054

New Mexico
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) (202) 224-5521; 224-2852
Sen. Pete Domenici (R) (202) 224-6621; 228-3261

New York
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) (202) 224-4451; 228-0282
Sen. Charles Schumer (D) (202) 224-6542; 228-3027

North Carolina
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) (202) 224-6342-; 224-1100
Sen. Richard Burr (R) (202) 224-3154; 228-2981

North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad (D) (202) 224-2043; 224-7776
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) (202) 224-2551; 224-1193

Ohio
Sen. George Voinovich (R) (202) 224-3353; 228-1382
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) (202) 224-2315; 228-6321

Oklahoma
Sen. James Inhofe (R) (202) 224-224-4721; 228-0380
Sen. Tom Coburn (R) (202) 224-5754; 224-6008

Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden (D) (202) 224-5244; 228-2717
Sen. Gordon Smith (R) (202) 224-3753; 228-3997

Pennsylvania
Sen. Arlen Specter (R) (202) 224-4254; 228-1229
Sen. Robert Casey (D) (202) 224- 6324; 228-0604

Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed (D) (202) 224-4642; 224-4680
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse(D) (202) 224-2921; 228-6362

South Carolina
Sen. Jim DeMint (R) (202) 224-6121; 228-5143
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) (202) 224-5972; 224-3808

South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson (D) (202) 224-5842; 228-5765
Sen. John Thune (R) (202) 224-2321; 228-5429

Tennessee
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R) (202) 224-4944; 228-3398
Sen. Bob Corker (R) (202) 224-3344; 228-0566

Texas
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) (202) 224-5922: 224-0776
Sen. John Cornyn (R) (202) 224-2934; 228-2856

Utah
Sen. Robert Bennett (R) (202) 224-5444; 228-1168
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) (202) 224-5251; 224-6331

Vermont
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) (202) 224-4242; 224-3479
Sen. Bernard Sanders (I) (202) 224-5141; 228-0776

Virginia
Sen. John Warner (R) (202) 224-2023; 224-6295
Sen. James Webb (D) (202) 224-4024; 228-6363

Washington
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) (202) 224-3441; 224-0514
Sen. Patty Murray (D) (202) 224-2621; 224-0238

West Virginia
Sen. Robert Byrd (D) (202) 224-3954; 228-0002
Sen. John Rockefeller IV (D) (202) 224-6472; 224-7665

Wisconsin
Sen. Russ Feingold (D) (202) 224-5323; 224-2725
Sen. Herbert Kohl (D) (202) 224-5653; 224-9787

Wyoming
Sen. Michael Enzi (R) (202) 224-3424; 228-0359
Sen. John Barrasso (R) (202) 224-6441

Newsclipping of the Day :: I'm Voting Republican!

Thanks to KELLY for posting this. Please send it around the world as many times as you can!!

Newsclipping of the Day :: Kucinich's Articles of Impeachments Advances

HERE , from Elizabeth Holtzman writing at the Huffington Post, is cogent analysis on the Articles of Impeachment that the House voted on yesterday, agreeing to send it on to the Judiciary Committee. I applaud the 20 or so Republicans who joined with all Democrats in making this happen. Even with only 200 days left in office, i agree with Holtzman that these crimes are too big and this is too important to NOT move forward. We should all be pressuring our elected officials to persue this like their lives depend on it. Our Constitution is more important than any President, Vice President, political party, or any individual. Unless we want the door open to future dictators performing Coup d'Etats and taking over the government of the United States of America, we'd better all pursue this like our lives depend on it. Because they do.

Thrift Score

I have a china problem. I love to collect it. My sister Gay, before we moved away from Georgia, was fond of stopping by with scores from thrift stores or garage sales of kitsch china and other items she thought i'd like. I've been feeding my problem of collecting china for years; but it is mostly china from 3 big eras that interests me: the Aesthetic Movement which was at once a part of and a reaction to all things Victorian (see Oscar Wilde), the Nouveau and all things Arts & Crafts (think Roseville Jardinieres), and Forties through Seventies mod, kitsch, and otherwise exuberant, crazy, geometric, abstract, or space-age china (all by Iroquois are many of my favorites).

Well, the other day, our great friend Laiyee gave me 3 fabulous plates with butterflies and flowers that look like they came directly from the prop master of the Doris Day Show. I mean fabulous! Have a look. I had to think about Gay and how much we miss her showing up with a piece of Royal Sealey or Forum International, or some unknown or new find.

Tonight, we are having our thirded Sticky Date Cake from the Village Bakery down the street on these fabu plates. On the front porch. It was an absolutely gorgeous perfect day here today. 80 degrees, coolish later, and blue skies. Long bike ride. Left work EARLY. Ahhhhhh.

Gee, I Planned This Height Just Reight

Happy Birthday Mister!

We had a GREAT time this weekend with a bunch of new friends on the New River in West Virginia. After rafting all day, Steven got to play volleyball until dark too! He's limping a bit now, and my ankles and knees are a bit crispy... and we are happy to be back in air conditioning and on a springed allergen magnet after 3 days of camping, heat and humidity. Thanks RONALD for inviting us to go, and for being such a great friend!

In other news, i think my scanner is on the way out. Witnesseth:

A New Book?!

A New Book! I can't wait. Sedaris is the best writer of our time.



I can't stop laughing. Thanks Stadium Pal!