September 10, 2014

National Audubon Society on global warming

http://www.audubonaction.org/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=57105&pgwrap=n&printer_friendly=1&em_id=45466.3


Most DUers know how Marta and I feel about birds.



Dear Friend,

I hope you will forgive me for being the bearer of bad news.

America’s birds are headed for serious trouble — more serious than you might imagine.

But this is not a call to worry. It’s a call to act.

Just today, we released the results of a seven-year scientific study of the potential impact of global warming on North American birds. Based on four decades of bird census data, here is what we found:

314 species of North American birds — nearly half of all species — could be severely affected by global warming in the coming years at the current pace of warming. The science shows that these birds could lose half or more of their livable ranges by the year 2080 if nothing is done to stop global warming.

Many of those severely threatened are birds like the Rufous Hummingbird or the Baltimore Oriole that we see every day, or love and cherish.

Some, like the Trumpeter Swan, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and American Avocet, could lose more than 99 percent of their livable range — which puts them at extreme risk for extinction.

The science also pinpoints potential “climate strongholds,” key places that will continue to support bird life in the coming decades and which merit urgent protection.

FULL info at link.

September 4, 2014

Fast food strikes hit 150 US cities

Source: MSNBC

By Ned Resnikoff

Thousands of fast food workers across the United States were walking off the job Thursday morning, affecting restaurants in about 150 cities nationwide.

It was just the latest in a series of coordinated strikes that have taken place since November 2012, although Thursday’s strike may be the first such action to include large-scale civil disobedience.

Organizers would not confirm on the record whether civil disobedience and arrests would take place in any of the cities affected by the strikes, but fast food workers have repeatedly vowed to take whatever measures are necessary in order to win a $15 hourly wage and union rights.

Thursday’s strike is the first to take place since the fast food workers held their national convention in July in the suburbs of Chicago. At the convention, some 1,300 fast food workers agreed to a resolution vowing that they would do “whatever it takes” to achieve their goals. Workers who had been arrested in May at a protest in front of the McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois – the movement’s first major act of civil disobedience – spoke to the audience about the experience of getting arrested, and encouraged other workers to take part in civil disobedience if necessary.

FULL story at link.



Protesters demanding higher wages for fast food workers chant during a massive rally on May 15, 2014 in New York City. Andrew Burton/Getty


Read more: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/fast-food-strikes-hit-150-us-cities

---

“At McDonald’s we respect everyone’s rights to peacefully protest. See picture below.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025487186



Scott Olson / Getty Images

Police guard the entrance of McDonald's corporate campus as about 2,000 fast-food workers and activists seeking higher wages march toward the Oak Brook, Ill., complex in May.

What is McDonald's afraid of?

September 3, 2014

About Robin Williams....

I haven't talked much about what we all lost since his passing. Very hard to do until I got some time to grieve. I don't know how his friends that got a camera stuck in their face that night did it.

We bought "The Bird Cage" on Blu-ray a couple weeks before he decided to exit stage left. I know it was stage left because his politics leaned way left. We watched it about a week before the kind of day you always remember where you were when you got "the news". I am so glad we did. Anything of his we watch now will feel a little different than before.

Marta and I got the shock headline as I was reading the DU. Kudos to LBN. There was a quick reply it was another net death hoax. Whew. Then coverage of his passing became convincing. It was another 10 minutes before it started to get TV coverage. We went with MSNBC.

Very few stars touch us in the way the characters Mork, Mrs Doubtfire, Genie, etc., all did. Marta and I took the kids to see "POPEYE" more than once. Like many fans, for us it would become a multi-decades long quest see his latest film, guest appearance, or E.T. special.

He wasn't just funny. He was fun. He often pushed the limits and expanded one to perhaps a new point of view. Seeing someone we identify with so closely play a gay character in "Bird Cage" certainly opened doors in minds that had always before been closed to LGBT individuals.

Deep down I think my favorite role was one that is little known and the critics hated. But what do they know. I took my mom to see "Jakob the Liar" in first run. Concentration camps are a dark subject. Showing the audience the condemned were real people can be tricky. His statement on waterboarding is undeniable. Again he was giving us his view without preaching from a pulpit. It was more like one friend to another offering us his simple point of view. I've watched Jacob 3-4 times since he passed away.

More on Jakob and waterboarding below.

We have learned so much about his off screen generosity in the last few weeks. Causes that concerned people like being homeless and or hungry. Making sure the crew behind the camera around him were treated well. An all around good egg. Didn't Mork land here in an egg?

Most agree he left us way too soon. Be thankful he left so much behind to remember him. Drama is easy, comedy is hard. So is getting over the fact he didn't reach out to someone close to him for help before his final moments. I hope he found what he was looking for.

OS


The waterboarding scene:


The trailer:


Jakob the Liar review: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jakob-the-liar-1999

September 1, 2014

This man with Dementia's best friend Rose was someone else's best friend first

http://alzheimers.greatergood.com/clickToGive/alz/story/sweet-rose505





A few years ago my husband was diagnosed with Dementia. As he entered the late stages, it became difficult for me to keep up with him while he was working outside. I felt that we needed a dog to watch over him. During my daily prayer, I asked for a dog to be sent to him, one that would love him enough to become his guardian when I was not able to be there.

In about 2 weeks this stray dog entered our yard. I managed to contact her owner. He came and took her home but she was back the next morning. This became an everyday occurrence. But while here, she never left my husband’s side, staying close to him but never in his way. One day I found my husband on the road, the dog walking beside him. I watched in amazement as she led him safely home.

The owner noticed how she was getting attached to my husband. He said some dogs’ sense disabilities like this and he asked me to keep her so she could continue watching over him. He had named her Rose. I did keep her and was so proud to have her. I thought back to our granddaughter Haley Rose, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 17.

I believe my prayer was answered at the time this man, about 2 years prior, got this puppy at the shelter and named her Rose. This sweet loving dog had been sent here to watch over my husband and she did her job well. Even though my husband is now in a healthcare center, our precious Rose is still here; now watching over me. She was sent on a mission to rescue me and I will be forever grateful. She has captured the hearts of all our family members and she will be well cared for and loved the rest of her life.

Shirley D
Lebanon, MO

August 31, 2014

Marta's stained glass "Two Red Roses" went up today

Original post Two red roses across the moon (no daisy a day dear): http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025433174

This is our front facing west view bay window. Her glass will catch the sun light in the afternoon filtered all summer by leaves. It just figures it had to be a rain day for the photo.

OS

August 31, 2014

So the checker at the store asked "what kind of fruit is this?" ;-)

Today's story below.

Original post: How A Seed Saver (DU's own NRaleighLiberal) Discovered One Of Our Favorite Tomatoes : http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025319364


Remember the Amazon boycott! Powell's has NRaleighLiberal's upcoming "Epic Tomato" book available here: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781612122083-0

Use this link first: http://ilwulocal5.com/ At no extra charge the union employees get paid FMLA, sick time, additional training like new automation, family emergency funds, college scholarships, etc.




Marta and I were at the store yesterday when he asked the question. I have a voice that carries. Several people got to hear the story on NPR about the Cherokee tomato. I went on about how the high acid level gives it more of the tomato taste everybody loves tomatoes for. I went on to mention I have a small connection to the guy in the story that is responsible for making this variety available to the world. And his book will be coming out in a couple months.

Several people went to the vegetable area and bought out what was left in stock of the Cherokees. There were not many of them in the heirloom section to begin with.

We can't have a garden here because all the animals that pass through our yard to graze. So I can't thank NRaleighLiberal enough for this wonderful favor he did for ALL tomato lovers as the Cherokee legend grows. His page: http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/nctomato-and-garden-blog

OS

August 29, 2014

Bear Cub Burned in Wildfire Limps to Human for Help (see web cam too)

http://www.care2.com/causes/bear-cub-burned-in-wildfire-limps-to-human-for-help.html



by Megan DrakeAugust 26, 20147:00 pm

From the worst wildfire in the history of Washington State comes a heartwrenching tale of a bear cub surviving severe burns to her paws, muzzle, chest and ears. About two weeks after the wildfire started, Steve Love noticed a bear cub hobbling up his driveway as his dog barked.

The cub has been named Cinder by her rescuers and is currently receiving caring treatment at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Center (LTWC) in California, a wildlife rescue center. Black bears are naturally fearful of humans and do not ordinarily seek help from them but this bear must have been desperate.

Cinder’s Story

“It was moving fairly slow, and looked odd. Later I noticed it couldn’t put weight on its paws,” Love said in Methow Valley News. The cub eventually laid down on her back in some grass on the property and raised her paws in the air. Love realized the youngster was seriously injured and tried to offer help. He brought her water to drink and picked apricots from a tree which he tossed to her.

Leary at first of human contact, the bear accepted the offerings. Love reported he at one point was able to get within eight feet of the bear cub and offered encouragement in a quiet and soothing voice. This is when he noticed the severity of Cinder’s burns. “They [paws] were pretty raw,” said Love.



Rich Beausoleil gently places Cinder in a crate. Credit: Facebook

Video cams are available to see Cinder in her new place. Webcam 4 shows the ramp and Webcam 7 shows her sleeping loft. Once Cinder heals sufficiently she will be transported back to the area near where she was found to be released back into the wild. She is still demonstrating some aggression towards humans, which is a healthy sign for her successful release.


Photo of Cinder by Steve Love used with permission


FULL story at link: http://www.care2.com/causes/bear-cub-burned-in-wildfire-limps-to-human-for-help.html

August 25, 2014

Mom had Dementia and this is what she said about President Obama

"Why do so many people say he is black"? "He is Hawaiian, period"!

Two years. I still miss her.

OS

August 23, 2014

Two red roses across the moon (no daisy a day dear)

Marta and I met in Mrs Brown's (a good democrat) history class in Sept 1973. I had a past. I was a rebel rouser before we became a couple. She had never been kissed. I would have probably spent a life of in and out of jail or be dead long ago if not for her. She knows. Through good and bad, we have been us for over 40 years now. We turned out to be two red roses across the moon.

She has an eye for beauty. I still have an eye for her. When I call home on my cell phone, the photo is Marta with our 3 dogs around her.

We have always thought our golden years would be spent on the deck watching the birds and nature in our back yard, Margarita in hand. Winters in front of a fire watching the snow fall, or just enjoying watching TV together.

It ain't going to happen that way. I was diagnosed last December, just before Christmas. That is why I'm retiring early near the end of the year. Some days it is a very hard struggle just getting through the work day. I owe progressives that passed the FMLA more than most could understand.

I'll be leaving the DU in the future, not by choice. I'll tell more when I actually leave.

Now I know why people put their names on things before they go. I've intentionally cut back on posts in the Labor Group to see how it will do in the future. It will go on. Omaha Steve's Labor Group has a nice ring to it.

In the last month we have bought a few things at estate sales I consider my swan song for her. A month ago it was King Tut visits the US commemorative panels: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rRlT88dfklA/TyCs3hJSHAI/AAAAAAAAB1A/qrFpGJKN0FA/s1600/king+tut+9.jpg

Over, but not out yet,

OS

P.S. please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard." - Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon


And this stained glass yesterday:




The original art: http://www.artnet.com/artists/ernest-archibald-taylor/two-red-roses-across-the-moon-iZigzCbiN55eeWiP0Ee9tA2


Two red roses poem: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/morris/redroses.html


We also bought these yesterday:


Disney's UP comes very close to our story.

















This was a top 40 tune just before we met.





He remembers the first time he met 'er
He remembers the first thing she said
He remembers the first time he held her
And the night that she came to his bed

He remembers her sweet way of sayin'
Honey has somethin' gone wrong
He remembers the fun and the teasin'
And the reason he wrote 'er this song

I'll give you a daisy a day, dear
I'll give you a daisy a day
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away

They would walk down the street in the evenin'
And for years I would see them go by
And their love that was more than the clothes that they wore
Could be seen in the gleam of their eyes

As a kid they would take me for candy
And I loved to go taggin' along
We'd hold hands while we walked to the corner
And the old man would sing 'er his song

I'll give you a daisy a day, dear
I'll give you a daisy a day
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away

Now he walks down the street in the evenin'
And he stops by the old candy store
And I somehow believe he's believin'
He's holdin' 'er hand like before

For he feels all her love walkin' with him
And he smiles at the things she might say
Then the old man walks up to the hilltop
And gives her a daisy a day

I'll give you a daisy a day, dear
I'll give you a daisy a day
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away

Read more: http://artists.letssingit.com/jud-strunk-lyrics-a-daisy-a-day-p4fpk25#ixzz3BDu20n1F
LetsSingIt - Your favorite Music Community

August 1, 2014

How A Seed Saver (DU's own NRaleighLiberal) Discovered One Of Our Favorite Tomatoes

Marta and I had our first Cherokee Purple Tomato tonight. Organically grown and delicious! It came from here: http://www.iowanafarm.com/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/12/211372152/how-a-seed-saver-discovered-one-of-our-favorite-tomatoes




A Cherokee purple tomato grown in Alaska in 2011.

by ELIZA BARCLAY August 14, 201312:31 PM ET

Sherry Shiesl Tatiana's TOMATObase

Fortunately for those of us who are suckers for novelty, every year fruits and vegetables seem to come in more bewitching colors, shapes and flavors. Lately, we've been tickled by the cotton candy grape and the vibrant orange Turkish eggplant. (Egg yolks can be ghostly white, too, but that's another story.)

If you go to the farmers market this time of year, tomatoes are strutting their stuff in all sorts of glorious and quirky hues: green striped, white, pink, even purplish-brown. They boast intriguing names, like Mortgage Lifter, Arkansas Traveler and Pink Berkeley Tie Dye. Some are true heirlooms, passed down over decades or centuries. Others are brand new to the world, the progeny of the latest cross-breeding experiments.

We got to wondering just who, besides farmers, is to thank for this expanding panoply. And we learned that while there are many professional breeders tinkering with the desirable traits that show up in the new varieties, amateur breeders — passionate seed savers and collectors — also play a vital role in discovering fruit and vegetable varieties guarded and nurtured by families over generations. Every now and then, these amateurs convince seed companies that the rest of the world will want to enjoy something they've discovered.

Craig LeHoullier, a retired chemist from Raleigh, N.C., can take credit for introducing us to the Cherokee Purple tomato, one of the most popular heirlooms grown and sold today. You'd be forgiven if your first impression of this fruit, with its ungainly bulges and tones of brown, green and purple, was dismissive. But its flavor consistently knocks socks off, with its balance of sweet, acid and savory — even a hint of smoke.

FULL story at link.

Be sure and say thanks to NRaleighLiberal for doing this.

OS