The Inquisitive Skink

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...

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

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!

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 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 ...

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...