Truth Surfer

While I have no problem with including abstinence in sex education, only the flat-earth society and Katherine Kersten could continue to support 'abstinence only' in place of a comprehensive sexual education program for Minnesota's schools. Also the citing of an Heritage Foundation report shows that Katherine seriously lacks the mentality of a gnat...Duh?! using a social conservative think tank from WA, DC to determine policy is much better than...facts? Get real girl, your outdated values regarding sex is deadly in the age of AIDS. I love being a women, having sex, being in a committed relationship for over 30 years...and I want the same for my daughters... but I'm realistic enough that they need to know all the facts not just the stylized pretty-pink promises of romance. Teach your Harlequin romance 'fluff' but don't forget to include reality .

I see Jessica Lynch as a true hero... It would have been easier for her to go along with the spins and pretend the hype being fed to the media by the military was true...but she's her own person with honest values and had to sing out the truth, setting the record straight... "The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideals of heroes and they don't need to be told elaborate lies" "...I had to get the truth out there..."

Darn, I knew I should have let my damn dog blog ...oh well, congrats and bark, bark to 'the best local blog' in Minnesota: the clucking stool. Rudy is warning you : Vote Democrat and the terrorists will kill you... Ya right, are they taking names? And just when do they include RG in their planning? Don't get me wrong, the terrorist will attack us again, but rethug or demo won't be the deciding factor. Besides - his rhetoric is terroristic of nature...the old 'do as I say or else' threat. Works great on two years old, but we've grown up...or hasn't he noticed. Kucinich has introduced H.Res 333 articles of impeachment against Cheney . You go guy! 3333 Tell me, why are we in Iraq again?

I see that Ciresi is running for office again. Well thats good because he'll be looking for support, so maybe this year he'll actually show up at his own caucus! No seriously, I don't run with the millionaire attorney club and Ciresi is too busy to mingle with the 'potluck and hotdish ' crowd so our paths don't cross very often. The only time I've seen him is when there's something in it for him (never a positive to a grassroots activist with a memory) or...when the DFL is handing awards for his generous support ( I'll let you decide what that means). There are people that I respect supporting Ciresi but when I ask them why they are never very specific just the usually 'He's a good guy' or 'You would like him, he's really fun and has done alot for Democrats'. In fact if your one of my regular two visitors, and you know more about him...post it up. I'm interested in finding out more but really this guy has already p...

I wanted to address the painful moment at the State DFL Central Meeting on Saturday that really brought home to all of us, War is not funny. I am strongly opposed to the Iraq war and committed to peace. I share a lot of frustration and emotions regarding how the media and our representatives haven't dealt with the Iraq war. There have been plenty of times when I want to stand up and scream (and maybe I should have). So what happened is more than understandable. The longer this war drags on, expect to see more outburst because it's insane to do otherwise. I want peace. Most Democrats want peace as do many, many others. So the goal is the same...but the road each of us may travel to reach peace will vary. Unfortunately, as this war drags on, as the death toll mounts, many in the peace movement are losing patience and hope. The outburst during Ellison's speech was a result of the shear frustration of knowing the war continues and wanting it to end. Should MN Rep. Keith Ellison...

In a major ruling dealing with abortion rights in America, the US Supreme Court has upheld a federal law banning certain late-term abortions. Our 'free' society just took away the liberty and rights of women to make a health decision with their doctor and gave it to the government. Apparently congress can make medical decisions better than the doctors. Now the Federal Government has a right to dictate that women must face additional medical risks or even death if it avoids a medical procedure that they think is too messy... Justice Kennedy and his other colleagues responsible for the atrocious decision are not doctors. Yet these five male justices felt free to override the weight of medical evidence presented during the several trials that preceded the Supreme Court showdown. They ratified the politically based and dangerously dubious Congressional claim that criminalizing the intact dilation and extraction method of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy — the so-cal...

Before Bush spoke about the mass murders at Virginia Tech this week, I heard his spokesperson make a comment about how Bush still supports the right to own a gun (even before a statement regarding the lost of life!)...Then numerous blogs and Wisconsin state Rep. Frank Lasee and the NRA come out and say that if only everyone (especially the teachers) had guns, then this could have been prevented... Duh, you don't think this kid is the only mentally off-balanced person on the planet, do you? Isn't it possible there are people barely functioning that could be just a 'gun away' from flipping out and also shooting up the place? And that some of those folks might be teachers? Arming everyone would turn our society into the wild west (or maybe closer to Iraq). Personally I don't want my kid going to a school where ANYONE has a gun and I seriously wonder about a parent that would advocate all the adults at his kid's school carry guns. Do you really trust all those s...

Congressman John Kline, Second Congressional District Republican't, must be nervous and worrying about his re-election. How else do you explain that with 19 months before another election- his campaign signs are already going up...say isn't that illegal? This one was on McAndrews- can't miss it- it's the only election sign up! And say, doesn't it have to be on the other side of the sidewalk. Ah well, I didn't expect better of from Kline, Kline's staff or his supporters. Typically they don't see the laws applying to them. And truth be told, they have reason to be worried. Kline has become the poster child for the Bush Administration and the failed Iraq War. The 'stay the course' with a sinking ship really isn't reasonating with the voters. There have been too many lies ("failures of intellegence' as Kline calls them) and too many mis-steps. Leadership is either successful, or it needs to be replaced. So far this year John Kline has b...

So I went to the Burnsville Center this afternoon around 4:30 pm to do a little walking and a little shopping. Guess what, I wasn't the only one there interested in shopping... I know the pictures aren't the greatest, but yes it's two army recruiters. I first noticed them talking with one teen who was all by himself, then I decided to just follow the two recruiters around the mall as they approached various teens. a close up The two recruiters got into a little trouble prior to talking with the teen pictured. One of the kiosk's owners contacted security when he saw the recruiters bugging one teen on the lower level. The security guard caught up with the two on the upper level right off of the escalators. I call this photo "the Uniformed". Latter they decided to try their luck on the lower level again... that's where they met the teen pictured above (after their little discussion with security). As they talked to the teen pictured another security guard ca...

If at first you don't succeed...time to try, and try again. Bush Almost Blows Himself Up

Ah yes the ship is sinking and even some of the former GOP shipmates like Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca are jumping for the life boats. In his new book, Iacocca seems to be saying that like the majority of Americans, he's had it with the Bu$h Administration. Only he says it some much more clearly: Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out! You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocke...

Wonder why the administration didn't want photos taken of our fallen heroes and their homecomings? It was because they were being treated like luggage. Loaded onto commercial flights where the luggage is stored. Handled by baggage handlers and forklifts. Enough to make your blood boil? Thank God for a father and the Congress. Read what happened after a father's campaign and the Congress passing a law: Respecting Their Ultimate Sacrifice A Special Comment: Dear Commander in Chief, aka: the President, How DARE YOU! Have you no decency. YOU send our brave men and women into war. YOU are quick to use them as YOUR OWN PERSONAL political pawns. YOU do not make sure they have the proper training, nor armor, nor equipment. YOU are "in charge". How DARE YOU!! One has to ask: When you go and visit the troops, do you look into their eyes? Do you see the hell you've sent them to? Do you see the love these sons and daughters have for life and family? Do you see human beings th...

I attended the Kline townhall -like meeting Tuesday night at Lakeville High School. My overall thoughts were, "this must be what it's like in other congressional district where their representative actually meets with constituents in open venues several times a year." It was great even if Kline and his staff have control issues...here's some initial thoughts: The Format (AKA:Kline’s staff lack of information and helpfulness) : Could they have been more arrogant or rude about keeping both the format and denying information to people...in a word...NO! Kline and his staff tried to control everything with the often quoted phase “It’s our meeting and if you don’t like it - tough”. That phase was used often regarding where and what media could do, what could be handed out and where, even regarding the tightly held secret of what the format was to be for the evening…Funny…I thought Kline was elected to office and not ‘crowned’. Kline and his staff should have been responsiv...

A nice question from the audience in last night's [forced] public appearance by the US House Representative [/sure not acting like one when he did not want to even have this meeting, and his staff tried to stop all media coverage] John Kline. Well, at least now we know why he did not want to talk with anyone. Can we say unprepared [let alone out of touch]?

Six weeks and 700+ signatures later, Rep. John Kline finally held his much awaited town meeting. While very tightly controlled by the Kline camp down to not allowing anyone in advance outside the 'Kline secret cabal' to know or have input into the forum's format or the tight hampering of media coverage(media on a short chain!), it was at the very least a start in opening dialog between Kline and his constituents. Sure it would be easy to compare Kline's ONE town meeting to his peers...like Rep. Jim Ramstad who routinely holds them several times a year (three this week alone!) or newly elected Rep. Keith Ellison or Tim Walz , hosting a dozen or more between them within the next two weeks...but hey you have to start somewhere...and ONE, while a baby step, is a start. As an FYI to Kline and his staff the ' Tele -Town Meetings' aren't really Town Meetings and don't count...(Just what is this thing you have with trying to control everything?!). We want you i...

Music has a profound power to stir emotion. It has the power to bring people together. Help you remember a loved one lost. Fill your heart with joy and peace. Or thrust you into action. During wartime, music can cut through the fog of war and hit the point, the collective feeling. Just wars bring patriotic songs. Music to rally the troops and those on the home front as it did in WWI and WWII. When a war isn’t just and goes badly, music can become one of the only outlets to get the public’s voice heard… So that brings us today. I want your help in making the GREATEST Anti-War Album, EVER!! It’s simple; there are 15 spots open. To nominate a song, just create a comment on this post and include the following information: 1. Song Title 2. Name of album that the song is on 3. Name of artist 4. And why it should be included in the GREATEST Anti-War Album, EVER!! Please only do one song per comment. In a week I’ll post the entire list and then voting will begin. By the end of two weeks we’l...