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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Google's Beautiful Christmas Gift

Happy Holidays!!

I just received the most beautiful Christmas/December Holidays card from Google. It included a picture of the Earth rotating on a stellar background--an image I would love to own or at least use. It also included a comment about Google's gift to the world: its charitable donations to a list of charities. Folks, we all owe Google a thank-you for its generosity and its internet freebies. I have long been a Google affiliate and services user. Today I am a PROUD Google affiliate and user.

Google, 20,000,000 hugs and kisses in gratitude.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Music of Twilight


Music has the value of memes in the emotion it evokes. For a discussion of the emotions of the music of Twilight, read these 2 articles from my History of Music in Movies series:
image:Georgian Oak at Sunset by Sue Lannen modified by Valerie Coskrey © 2006; available as part of a Template Design Set


Enjoy clips from the album using the mp3 widget in side bar and get the sheet music for Burrell's compositions while there.

Read more about memes.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Barney Frank gets Heckled: Town Hall Meeting Totally Disrupted


Now we know why Bush refused to allow any dissenters into his public appearances. He only wanted one viewpoint heard. Unfortunately, he allowed this undemocratic attitude to infect those who see this divisive technique as proper in a town hall forum.

This image is a flame called Turmoil by V. Coskrey (c)2008

Barney Frank's experience with public forum censors...ah, dissenters...show that disruptive individuals have the power to stop discussion when they are unruly. The groups that are disrupting the health care debates are not democratic, but dogmatic, tyrannical despots who insist that only they can control our society. They would lead by tyranny and destroy our constitutional democracy. Given a chance, they would employ thought police and force to gain the upper hand. This is how the Taliban took power. This is how Hitler took power. This is how...there are numerous other examples. This is how it appears to me, anyway.

The town halls led by today's politics aim to foster democratic discussion of the issues of health care. Sure, there will be passionate opposition of all sides as the issues are discussed. But DISCUSSION and compromise is the democratic way. Dissenters should be attending the town hall meetings, asking questions, displaying placards, marching in protest, making speeches, stating criticisms, and writing editorial letters, pamphlets, and blogs. They should not disrupt the freedom of others to do the same.

T-shirts should not be banned from meetings. Placards can be held up high on narrow handles so that the view of the members of a meeting are not blocked. Small signs held against the chest can be used peacefully. No group should be allowed to prevent the free speech of another except to limit comments to the peaceful administration of the the meetings such as in the use of the Robert's Rules of Order. Anyone not heard within the meeting itself can make their views known through other channels.

This country is the premier example of how a democracy works. We are held up as an example to the fledgling democracies forming worldwide. Why must these rude groups showcase their opposition in such disruptive ways? What message does this send to other nations? Is this issue of health care such a threat to human rights that violence and total disruption of debate is the only recourse of a minority to be heard? No.

Obama is doing what he can to reunite our country. This win/lose mentality being promoted by some, INCLUDING THE PRESS, is not the essence of democracy. It is not what has made our nation strong. Our Constitution fosters reasoned discussion and compromise, a blending of viewpoints with a protection of human rights for all. Thought police and political censorship have no place in our country.

Bottom line, we can all have a voice. We do not have to block the voice of others to be heard.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Pardon, but it's Time

Here's hoping President will pardon the soldiers like Lynndie England that were convicted for torture when they were actually only following orders and/or reacting with dark humor to the prevailing attitudes of the policy in place! Here's hoping that the murky line of who gives the orders--DOD government employees, CIA, or ranking military--is quickly cleared up so no more of our patriotic enlisted get in trouble for carrying through with poor policies from higher up.