a little red hen

And so it begins, once again

UPDATE:  7:45 a.m. (PST), Monday, October 1, 2013

Reading email...live blogging by The Guardian Washington correspondents:

Part of the difficulty this morning for 2m federal workers is that many did not find out until they showed up for work as usual whether they were part of the "essential" core that would be kept on the job. Some were told to stay. Others were sent home. 

Paul Lewis  and Dan Roberts watching the shutdown unfold: 

Some federal workers were reportedly instructed to switch off their BlackBerry smartphones to prevent them from working remotely, a disciplinary offence.

From 7am, forlorn-looking commuters could be seen heading to government buildings and agencies across Washington DC, where they would learn their fate. The city, where the government is a huge employer, will feel the impact of the federal shutdown more acutely than anywhere else in the US. The White House said it estimates a one-week shutdown would cost the wider US economy $10bn.

September 28, 2013...Global Day of Access to Safe & Legal Abortion

Though my plan had been to simply post this image, I learned that Zemanta needs text to collect for their related links.  Here's to you, Z: safe abortion, legal abortion, Global Day, women worldwide.  Let's see if latelife learning works.

My grandkids' future?

The almost-good news today from The Guardian:

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says scientists are 95% certain that humans are the 'dominant cause' of global warming, adding that a pause in warming over the past 15 years is too short to reflect long-term trends."

It was possible to calculate how hot it has become over my lifetime and where's the future global warming.  If you were born around 1933, yours will be the same.  Earlier vintage readers click HERE.  

Do other grandparents wonder how much bad news to share with the kids? Thought about this today as I watched 11 year old Zach walk down the hall.  He's almost as tall as his Grandma!

Five years ago, we took him to see his first movies, "Ratatouille."  Water-logged rats in peril, clamoring "Mother," frightened him.  Me too; we left early.  Would not bother him at all now.  

School was closed today.  He and Ron had an adventure in checking out Portland bagels. These have become very prominent here the last couple of years. Along the way Zach talked about inflation/deflation and what has happened under various past U.S. presidents.   My guess is that he already knows about global warming and genetically modified food.  Along with a great deal about lego building--a mystery to his grandparents.    

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August 2013: surprising, modest win for gun control in Oregon

"This October Americans are going to learn the truth about Obamacare...and the right knows it."

Live in a neighborhood where people talk to one another?  Have friends with health insurance concerns like yours?  Or, think it would be good to have a better idea about how Obamacare actually works?

StellaRay at Daily Kos posts how she did it-- 

"... got together with three other neighbors who do not have health care through work, and are paying through the nose for it, and looked up everyone's options. They will all save at least what my family will, some more due to their ages.."

Refreshing when the internet itself connects us to problem-solving in living rooms or backyards (granddaughter's recent 8th birthday bash) with the electronics turned off.

Stella Ray concludes:  "...it will be the American people who educate congress and Chuck Todd, when they begin to understand how much better Obamacare is going to work for them then what they had."

Like her, I know single-payer would have been far better. But we may get there state-by-state in Zoe's lifetime.

 

 

 

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Clouds above, lovely distraction

Walmart workers flash dance for justice NOW!

 

 It would be wonderful to see these North Carolina flash dancers going on tour to all those Walmarts all around the country.  The message needs to be taken up by everyone who wants democracy to thrive because unions and better wages are crucial to equal justice for all.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense could work with them.  Develop some routines--for the moms, dads, kids--as follow-up for their summer lemonade stands. Imagine the sight of flash dances ringing around Congress!

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Workers plan major nationwide protest against Walmart for September 5th

"Syrian refugee numbers pass 2 million" The Guardian today

This is what I believe the U.S. needs to address.  This is the red line. Humanitarian aid is where our focus should be, not anything military. 

"The tide of children, women and men crossing borders has risen almost tenfold in the last 12 months to more than 2 million, according to figures released on Tuesday by the UN refugee agency UNHCR. That's about the same as the population of the British city of Norwich".