Author: BrendaStewart

This is gonna be very short and to the point for you folks (and I consider you all friends of mine).  I need all your faith or prayers for me.  In mid Oct. I was diag. with stage 3 overian cancer.  The doc’s are giving me the big guns so they think they can get me into recession with chemo, surg, then more chem.  I can tell you it is a horrible 3-5 days  after the chemo.  Anyhow, I am managing to read your words and enjoy this site as I have always.  

Happy holidays to each and everyone.  hugs

Brenda

I have to tell you, I slept so good last night!  It was the first time I can honestly say that in close to 9+ years or so that I actually had a carefree mind when I hit the hay last night.  I worked yesterday and was extremely tired from this and was not really anxious to get to the bed for, if I did, I would surely go immediately to slumber land.  
I sat up watching all the news and was just so overwhelmed as to what the American people did yesterday and all those who did the early voting and absentee voting.  I want to commend you all for your bravery.  We had to stick together no matter where in the country you hail from we all stood tall and never let intimidation overcome us, to loose, ever again!

I want to send out the very much needed good ridding of the worst administration ever in my lifetime.  I watched gw this morning clinch his jaw and parse his lips and say all the good things that had to be said.  He did not mean a word of them. ( I promise you)

Even though I have not come in here and spent time writing words lately, my heart has always been here and your spirit has kept me from going nuts.  You all will never know just how frustrated and completely unhinged I have become in the privacy of my own home.  If I had let loose, you all would have called the dr’s and had me committed asap!

I have been so angry since 1999 that I could hardly see straight.  Actually, since the newt/grinch took congress, is when I got angry.

As you all know (at least those who know me), I am an independent and I let people/politicians say what they want and then make up my mind on those words spoken. I never had to hold my breath and close my eyes to vote this time around!  I knew exactly what I was doing and wanted to do it with all my heart and soul.  

I actually after working all day and sometimes anywhere from 13 to almost 15 hours a day, all I feel like doing is just reading what you all were saying. After about 2 more years, I plan on retiring.  I am almost 64 years of age and I have seen and done all I care to do in my career.  It is time for this old lady to give in and let the younger ones do that hard work for a change.  I may volunteer some place, but it is  over for me.  So this is where I am at in my life and I almost could see it slipping away from me with this Republican administration.  I could see the younger ones of my family get set up for a life time of horror, if we did not change things and asap!

A lot of things have happened in the past 8 years…so many, that it is really hard to sit down and name them all without getting angry all over again.

What the world saw last night is what I think John Lennon would sing about in IMAGINE.  Do we dare to let our hearts and minds go free enough to think about peace and harmony?  Can we really see the world working together with each other to make it a wonderful place to live for everyone?  Can we of the world laugh instead of cry?  It is the simple things I want.  I do not expect miracles; however, I do expect a change that will make life a lot easier for everyone not only here, but in the world.

I will not go into my credentials of my career and who I am, but I think I am wise enough to say, we must not ever be foolish enough to ever let this happen to us again…and I really mean ever again.  So, dearest Friends of BMT, you have me back and I am in much better mental health than I was a few days ago.  (wink, wink)

God bless you all, each and every one of you for helping me though this hard time in my life.  You are a life saver …a million hugs from here in a red state of TN.  I think things will change a lot more from here on out.

Oh, BTW, my oldest GD turned 18 this year and she registered to vote and her Nana saw that she went and voted.  I told her of the hard times women had in securing the  right to vote and never let up on her.   I think it is one thing in my life that I actually did the right way.  I honestly think she will never forget this year and how her Nana kept telling her that she has a voice and to never let it slip away from her.

I watched the people of the world and especially us in America last night and we were so thrill and happy….It was something like I had never seen ever in my life.  It was just everywhere!!!!!!
We must not let go of this feeling.  Let us hold onto it with all our might and build from it something  that will never cease to amaze any country that might want to be like us.  Live by being a shining example of democracy and we will reap the world.  A million hugs go out to you all……

I want to say this one thing before we go further into the abyss of the American politics of today.  This is why I just can’t and won’t sit by silently to watch Mrs. Clinton take the helm of our national politics.  They swing from the calm to the ridiculous of our national politics.  

At the end of this next presentation, there are some very important questions we all have to face if we have to think clearly into the political world of which we are to guarantee our votes as being important and our right as Americans.

(follow below the fold)
Read what Robert Perry has to say and tell me that he is not the best to give us a run down on the old story and/or the rest of the story, as it my very well be.

I truly enjoyed the review. Ask yourselves if you can answer the questions here and enjoy the debate before we do vote for a new president of our country.

Thank you all here for giving me food for thought and for a place to exercise my 1st amendment rights.  

Also, I have wondered for a very long time why the Clinton’s and the Bush’s can socialize and still not have any bitterness towards each other.

I, for the life of me, can not understand why the Clinton’s allowed the reputation of their name be scrawled to this degree and still can political get along with the republicans who some are still sitting senators and congressmen/women to destroy our nation!

After the first initial evidence that the republicans were out after blood in ’92-94, and to allow Newt the Grinch destroy our republic the way he did and not allow our voice for other sides of the pendulum come forth is such a travesty.  I can see the hypocrisy that now has invaded our national capital and such rhetoric has fallen on/over it.  With such a history as we have had, and the investigation of the Iran-Contra affair and things before this, that we must clears up the missing history for us to become very clear of what has happened to ur nation as a whole, as it stands today.  This is such a same that we can not get the right answers to the questions of why we can not impeach today or investigations that really matter by the democrats, for that matter.  They are bogged down in their own history that will tell the tales of hypocrisy.  Such a shame!

I am in constant search of things that make my mind wrap around common sense, as to the fact that I am my own person with a brain that can think and rationalize in the most ruptured world of today’s rhetoric of today’s political capitulation.  I am blown away with this interview of James Carroll by Tom Dispatch.  It is what I have been thinking for a very long time!

It has been a topic, not only here, but on may websites I have been to and read.  This is absolutely the most ridiculous of all nonsense ever IMHO to think that we have dominion of others of the world in religion.  Give it a read and feedback to me on your opinions of such a description.  BTW, I really enjoyed this display of words that made me really think back to my raising and how I see the world today in a different sight as to the years of old.  I truly have change in my own skin, thanks to this government we have today.
  I have taken Zolbys poll taking and have to constantly answer questions as what my religious preference is and am I a born again Christian or how often do I attend church.  What difference does it matter!? to anyone other than to myself and my own beliefs of things.  I do not ask them for theirs!  I am sincerely offended as to this what they assume of me.  They ask me what my gross income is and it never fails that I always say to them, it is not their business by saying, I decline to answer.  There should never be a question such as the above described on any survey for anyone to answer.  I am not going to take any more of these silly surveys.  They have done me in for the very last time.  Also they ask me who I voted for in the last presidential election, is if this really should matter.  We are at a crossroad for saving our beloved America and they ask ridiculous questions to make it look like I am truly interested in their opinion of things…I suppose I am just angered at the whole mess we have let ourselves get into.  I do not care if you are whatever religion you claim to be.  I just ask that you be true to yourself and not let the religions of America or the world make decisions for me on that basis.
here is the interview of which I want to pass on to you all.  Let us declare our independence from all and let us become the most thoughtful generation ever in our history.  Let us think with our own minds and make serious decisions that will help America/the World a better place to live.

This is an email I got ref: the demise of a great woman.  RIP Annie Cunningham….til we meet again…

Just in case one of you vets here have a reason to know of this a great woman…

(cont)

Ann Cunningham, September 2, 2007  

I know we are all shocked and saddened to learn that Annie has left this world too soon.  She leaves us with our memories of her warmth, kindness and enduring legacy of what she gave to our country as a nurse and veteran advocate.   I just can’t believe I won’t see her this Veteran’s Day.

Annie was one of the most loved and dedicated women veterans of the Vietnam era.   She died unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage on September 2nd  while attending the Wolfhound, 25th Infantry, Reunion in Lexington, Kentucky.    I cannot think of a better place for Ann to leave this world than in the midst of the men and women she loved and who loved her so dearly.  Ann was on duty at the 12th Evac Hospital in Cu Chi,  when she received word that her fiancé, Gary Jones, 25th Infantry Division,  was killed.  She lost Gary, but gained a huge family of hundreds of brother veterans who admired and loved her.    In l968, after finishing her first tour of duty in Vietnam, Ann and I were roommates at Ft. Lee, Virginia — until I left for Vietnam. Annie was beautiful, inside and out.  We became fast and close friends.   I called Ann in the early 80’s to ask her if she would help with the Vietnam Women’s Memorial effort.   Annie said, “No, I don’t do Vietnam.”   She wanted no part of it.   Soon we started talking about things, and the woman who wouldn’t speak of Vietnam became one of the most vocal proponents for her sister and brother vets.   She leaves a trail of friendships from the many hospitals she served in during two tours in Vietnam, stateside, and the hundreds, if not thousands of people she touched.  

Most recently, Annie has served as the Treasurer, and member of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation.

Peace to Annie, peace to us.
Diane Carlson Evans

                    In Memory of Annie………….Your love radiates within us until we join you.

Diane Carlson Evans
(406) 457-8440 (office)
President and Founder
Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation, Inc.
1735 Connecticut Avenue NW
3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009
www.vietnamwomensmemorial.org

****************************
From: Diane Carlson Evans

******************************
If you know of a woman Vietnam veteran who has passed in the last 5 years, please notify the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation via this email address. On Nov 11th 2008, during the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the dedication of the Memorial, we will read the names of all those who have passed away during and since the Vietnam War.

Cindy Gurney
Executive Director
Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation, Inc
1735 Connecticut Ave. NW 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009

866-822-8963

a diary from teacherken

I know, hit me on the head and drag me off to the dungeon!  How dare/should I drag a diary over here from the orange community…..well, I do tend to read over there, even tho I do not comment or even have an account to do such.  You see, I left that place a long time ago and I wish not to ever go back for anything, other than reading.   [They still can not stop me from reading there, however.]  

This to me has a lot of conversation in it and it needs to be addressed….

So here we go, just how long will it take to leave Iraq?  Will we all leave in a hurry, if we invade Iran?  Will we use nukes to do such a thing?  Can or is there any will to leave either in a hurry or in our own good time?  I suppose the real question is will we ever leave, considering this.  written by our own Susan Hu

I am in such a heart struck opinion that we have to leave at sometime or the other, even if we do have a huge house to live in over there bound by huge walls that the common Iraqi feels it is a sign that they are non-consequential to the essential running of their country.
OK, now back to the regular diary,  Give me your ideas on how we should leave..  I think we all have ideas on how this should be done.  After all this is our army and marine corps and navy and air force.  We own them…we pay for them and they are ours…What you say???!!  Is this our government or the bushies government?  I personally feel it is time we all stood up and defined that this is our govenment!!!not the other way around…we pay for it and it should do as we say not the other way around…or am I the fool here????!!!

another good article from tom dispatch

I have found that reading this link is so good for my soul.  Maybe we can find something for all of us to refresh our souls about in this.

There is something I have been missing in our history of all that is happening and I can feel is so worthy of discussion/debate and thought.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

again from tom dispatch

I know these figures have been discussed on one level or the other; however, I found it quite informative to just sit and read them all at one setting.  It is really getting disgusting to have to read such data on this topic.  I am a “short but sweet” type of gal, like greyhawk said..

I just thought you all would enjoy this info as much as I did.  

Cont…..
open for discussion..if you want.

from tom dispatch.

I can tell you that we have never heard this from our mainline press.

I am simply taken by this reading.  As I can see this is our demise and we are becoming a third word nation and in a hurry.

I do not for the life of me, see how this administration can threaten and flim-flam the rest of this world and think they are doing the world a favor!
I would love to hear your opinions on this.  I personally do not see how we can sit by and allow this to happen even for another day.  We, as Americans, have to do something and soon.

If they think invading Iran will be the next big thing next to cookies and milk, then what next for us, even as we look forward to a Clinton presidency.  I can not conceive this as a joy in my heart.

if we are to believe this from today’s news from fran townsend

After reading this article, I found it hard to really believe that this administration is really this stupid to do what they were saying on today’s news reports that invasion is on the table.

Now, do we believe this reporting or is it just yet another threat to install fear on peoples of another country?  I think it is just rhetoric from this administration for saying we are going after Bin Laden.  After all bush has shut down that department a loooooong time ago.  I think he is just becoming embarrassed now for not doing the right thing in the first place.  Are the governments of this world that advocate going into this area to find the lawlessness of the 911 crew?  They should have thought of this ahead of stand-downing Tora Bora!

Like who will be doing this invasion?  What army? Do we really have enough personnel in our army/marine corps to do this sort of thing?  God, how much do we and the world have to endure of this administration?  Please have mercy on our souls!
After all that they have done to the world, can they not just sit back and not do one more damn thing and just let us breath for one minute and gather our thoughts!!??

I really do think they have lost their ever loving mind altogether!

I am meltdown on the invasions this administrations about to do either here in Pakistan or in Iran or Syria or where ever it wishes.  It is just staggering to even think of.

It is like they cant walk and chew gum at the same time!…they are mentally challenged!