Civil Rights Digital Library

The University of Georgia has published its online Civil Rights Digital Library. This library offers videos, photographs, time-lines and over 30 hours of unedited historical news film chronicling events including unaired footage of the Atlanta sit-ins, Freedom Rides and the 1968 Poor People's Campaign.

I was born in 1955, so when I went to the Events page of the digital library I was impressed that the chronicling there started in 1954. I grew up in the midst of most of this history, and I doubt that there are many in my age group that are not affected by the fact that all of this real-life drama was percolating in the background of our formative years. 1954 was Brown vs. the Board of Education. 1955 was the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Emmett Till murder. 1956 the Montgomery Bus Boycott. And so on. Up through 1968 - Dr. King's assassination. I was thirteen by then, and the Civil Rights movement, along with the paralleled social development of the 60s movement and the Vietnam War........well this is the brew that I grew in.

I encourage anyone, but especially my younger friends to immerse themselves in this for a while. We sometimes feel that each struggle is new and that there is an end in sight. I believe the process is eternal, but necessary, and that there will always be a need for people to push for justice.

* Montgomery Bus Boycott
* Emmett Till murder

The image at the left is a mug shot of Eretta F. Adair taken after her arrest on February 21, 1956 for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Adair's arrest number is 7070. The photo is from the Smoking Gun Website.

The muted colors outside right now are
singing a soft humming song.

Raging Granny Songs

I'm having fun adding raging granny songs to the Hoosier Raging Granny website.

Here is one of the songs in support of gay marriage:

Gay Marriage

(Tune: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”)

Let’s sing out for our citizens

Hip hip, hurray

For every sexuality

Both straight, and gay

Isn’t it fine for us to see

A little more diversity

And we’ll ALL feel gay when

Gay marriage is allowed.

Get ready for that happy day,

We’ll sing and shout

When wedding bells will ring out loud

Then we’ll sing out!

WON’T it be fine when all of us

Have EQUAL rights without a fuss,

And we’ll ALL feel gay when

Gay marriage is allowed.

That WOULD be a cause to celebrate,

A time to cheer,

When everyone’s thinking isn’t straight

For once, my dear!

Sexuality isn’t straight

There’s SOME things you can’t legislate;

And we’ll ALL feel gay when

Gay marriage is allowed!

Thanks to Granny Vicki in San Franscisco!

"Exposed": The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life and What's at Stake for American Power, by Mark Schapiro, Chelsea Green

Mark Schapiro's book, "Exposed," describes how US corporatist ideology trumps common sense, providing US citizens with second-class, third-world protections against toxins, while slashing America's competitive edge in the global marketplace. Check out this review by Leslie Thatcher at Truthout.

I'm a Raging Granny and......

I am sorry that I have been so slack about posting lately.....BUT.......I have been very busy!
Besides operating two kitchens for Food Works for Midddle Way House I am proud to be a founding member of the Hoosier Raging Grannies and have finally gotten their web page/blog page up. Visit the Hoosier Raging Grannies About Page to learn what Raging Grannies are all about.

My youngest complains that I'm not a Granny and shouldn't be part of the group. I tell her I'm old enough to be a granny and besides, I'm a Grand-Aunt eight times!!!

I simply cannot be passive about what our government has done to our constitution and to the common citizen. So dressing up as a crazy old lady, singing fruity but to-the-point songs and demonstrating seems like a logical course of action for me.


This Bail-out stuff is driving me nuts. The Bush administration has decided to raid and rob the American public before they have to high-tail it out of town. It is plain robbery. And the democratic party let them foist it on us with their hard-won majority. Ugh!!!!!!!!

I better stop while I am still in a good mood.
Donna

FEMA's Latest excuse

Update from Oxfam America

FEMA's Latest Excuse
Today at 12:04pm


FEMA's Latest Excuse
Today at 12:04pm
"No one asked us for the supplies."

That was the response of a FEMA official when asked why tens of millions of dollars in critical supplies were not distributed to survivors of Hurricane Katrina. With poor people still living in trailers three years after the worst natural disaster in US history, that is FEMA’s excuse?

Were those supplies needed?

"Of course they were," said Glenda Perryman, director of Mississippi-based, and Oxfam America partner organization, United Hearts Community Action Agency.

Recently, CNN did a report on how millions of dollars' worth of supplies were given away, rather than sent to help people in need. The reason? FEMA said no one asked for them. Can you believe that?

Help Oxfam America do something to change the situation. Please tell FEMA today that you want the supplies delivered to people who need them most-those affected by Hurricane Katrina. http://act.oxfamamerica.org/campaign/fema_2008?source=08fy_ac_facebook

Even before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, Louisiana and Mississippi were the two poorest states in the nation. Nearly one in five residents lived below the national poverty line of about $20,000 in annual income for a family of four. Good schools, job opportunities, and decent housing were scarce. Now the region is in crisis.

Nearly three years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita carved their destructive paths across the Gulf Coast, life is still far from normal for many thousands of people displaced by the storms. Many have not been able to rebuild their houses, and so they continue to live in trailers or even in buses or on boats.

Oxfam America, working through its partner organizations in the region, continues to support efforts to ensure that all survivors-including people most direly affected by the storms, such as African-Americans, the elderly, immigrants, and poor people-have a voice in decisions about the recovery process.

Unfortunately, FEMA is still not doing its part. Join Oxfam America and our partners in calling on FEMA to do everything it can to get the supplies to Katrina survivors. http://act.oxfamamerica.org/campaign/fema_2008?source=08fy_ac_facebook

Thanks!

Tim Fullerton
Oxfam America

A bee on our Giant Purple Hyssop

Hi there

Sorry to say it has been so long since I have posted. I will try to make amends!



This album is titled Skinks and Copperhead. I really do believe skinks are cute. All of these photos were taken at my front door. I'm hoping the copperhead hasn't eaten the skink. I was very sad to kill the copperhead but it was right where we step outside each day and I couldn't figure out a way to simply carry it away.

Dessert Tray from Food Works

Lilacs

Just a quick post to state how happy I am that the lilacs are blooming! This lilac bush was planted last year (it was a mother's day gift) and I'm surprised at how well it is doing. We built this plant its own small stone wall container.

Earthquake and Mask

I used to make masks. This is one of them with the stones and miscellaneous junk that keeps it company. The phone camera isn't the best but worked alright here, I guess.

The earthquake that hit this morning was sort of an exciting way to start the day. I'm working at home today because I didn't get back from the kitchen and Bloomington Expo stuff till ten last night. The Food Works booth was a fun thing to do, but it was a rather labor intensive day complicated by the FW van breaking down, etc. I have blisters on the top of my feet, of all places. Just from all the standing and walking, I guess. Had two great volunteers, Jessica (who works with CDD) and Jenna.

Anyway, I've rambled again. At 10:13 stuff fell out of one of my cabinets....I guess we had an aftershock. Then at 11:15 there was another very mild tremor.

Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice 'authorised waterboarding torture of Al Qaeda prisoners' | the Daily Mail

Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice 'authorised waterboarding torture of Al Qaeda prisoners' | the Daily Mail

This link leads you to an ACLU page to send a message to congress.

The White House was directly implicated for the first time last Friday night in the decision to torture Al Qaeda prisoners.

In addition to what the Aprill 11th article linked here explains about Cheney and Condoleezza's involvement in torture decisions, people need to be aware that on Friday night, in a national television interview, President Bush directly admitted that the White House was deeply and intimately involved in decisions about the CIA’s use of torture.

For the first time, George W. Bush acknowledged that he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details of the CIA’s use of torture. “I’m aware that our national security team met on this issue and I approved,” he said. He also defended the use of waterboarding -- simulated drowning where the victim feels like they are about to die.

How do we explain to future generations that we allowed these "family value" people to establish top-down torture policies and subvert the constitution?

Knots

Anthropomorphic figures.
These are stripped knots of an ash tree. Mark has been collecting knots from the deadwood he cuts for firewood. He said the ash knots stripped their bark easily. These knots demanded to be photographed, so I did.

The Underdcover Economist

I have been reading The Undercover Economist off and on for a while now, and have found it to be an enjoyable way to learn more about how the economy works. Tim Harford's book has whetted my appetite for more. Freakonomics is probably next.

Peas n' a Pot

Burpee's has introduced a pea perfect for container gardening. According to this article the new variety "Peas n’-a-Pot" grows to only ten inches tall and can be planted in an 8" pot. I will be tempted to try it. We don't have that many sunny spots and it would be fun to put these right outside our door.

My friend Charlene

Charlene is a cow skull that lives at the side of my house. I like to take different pictures of her.

Back again.

I'm back. Big deal, I know.

I have finally decided to put some time in on this page. As it says at the top, this page will reflect my garden and book interests with a lot of stuff in between. I'm rather scattered in my interests. My job takes so much of my time, that I feel stretched. I want to be fair to my family and give them time also.

I'm still managing Food Works for Middle Way House. Middle Way House is a domestic violence shelter and Food Works is a catering business they own. This page is in some ways a vacation from that reality, but Middle Way is a wonderful organization and this page will reflect some of my concerns in the areas of feminism, politics, domestic violence, etc. often times through the links I provide at the side of the page. Check out the domestic violence news links and the Feminist daily news.

I've been writing haiku a bit lately....when I'm brave enough I may post some. Enjoy the contributions from others.

Peace and Love to all.