Real America

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. - e. e. cummings

[Memory is] a man's real possession...In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor.
- Alexander Smith

Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.
- Clare Ansberry

"De-escalate! Make that your motto. De-escalate so reason, or heart, or any passing distraction can intervene." - Zen Cat

In Biblical times we were visited by plagues: boils, frogs, locusts, drought. . .

Today we are farmers of ideas, and so we are visited by a plague of experts. They argue convincingly for selling bottled water to the drowning, up is down, black is white, right is - plausibly - arguably - WRONG. All for a price. . . The expert business is doing great and "facts" are up for grabs; everything is in play. Religious fanaticism & Faux News ( "We Indoctrinate - You Decide") are the voices of the day. Plead for common sense and they call you naive. But I'm not talking the common sense of the mob! Doesn't Mrs. Palin know that EVERY American city (Even New York or San Francisco) is really just a collection of small towns called 'neighborhoods?' We all live with neighbors: some miles away as in Alaska, some of us crammed into blocks of buildings. We ALL care about our community and our neighbors. . . We are not responsible for each other, but in a democracy facing major challenges we are responsible TO each other and to the kids. . . The Hawaiians had it right all along; We live on an island, and if we don't stop demonizing each other, well, soon we'll live among only demons and "good folks." We are better than that! Please Vote.

A L O H A! Cloudia