It's been a terrible week...I find few bright spots. If anyone knows of a

[KoKo]

"silver lining" to the clouds of gloom please post. I know it's always "one step forward and two steps back." But, with the BFEE it seems sometimes like 1/2 Step forward and Five Steps back.

The "progressive bloggers" are out there still trying to keep our heads "on straight" and our DU'ers are remembering another "Angel" who has fallen in the line of battle...ANDY...and some of us are scouring the internet looking for "Dem Support" for what we are dealing with. With the exception of Howard Dean's appearance on Ed Schultz....I find little to sustain me from the gloom.

What's good out there. It's SUMMER! FGS....and every Summer since that Chimp/Emperor Pretendor has been in power has been filled with dread because he offers no hope...no uplifting message about who we are as Americans...he's a Skid Row Drunk who has "rich relatives" who keep him and his family in "nice clothes" but in the end he's someone who is a "street person" who shouldn't be in charge of our country in these perilous times..(the "perilous times" of his own F**ing Making, btw.)

Any GOOD NEWS OUT THERE? with links would be appreciated for all of us who might be kind of "down in the dumps" over this weekend.

"GodSpeed," to all our departed O8)'s of DU...the ones who early on Fought the GOOD FIGHT and died in BATTLE! And a :toast: to the New Troops who are filling in their postiions..May the "Spirit, Force and Whatever...be with you always!"

[Rick Myers]

1. That was a bright spot, right there...

"GodSpeed," to all our departed 's of DU...the ones who early on Fought the GOOD FIGHT and died in BATTLE! And a to the New Troops who are filling in their postiions..May the "Spirit, Force and Whatever...be with you always!"

A lovely sentiment to end a REALLY trying week. :hi:

[Cleita]

2. Time to roll up our sleeves and make sure we never get

a drunken frat boy as a President again. It really is up to us to think up the changes we need and then get out there and fight for reform. This is our wake-up call and maybe it still isn't to late yet but we'd better get started soon.

[crispini]

3. Well, here are some bright spots in my life.

We (DFA) are doing activist and precinct chair training in our city. We had our first training last night. We were hoping to have 10 people. We had 35. We have two more trainings planned this month.

We had a WHOLE bunch of new activists at our meetup group on Tuesday. We figured out how to get a PSA on our new Air America station and we were able to get a bunch of new people through that. Yay!

We may very well have every Democrats running in *every* race in our county in 2006. This is an IMMENSE improvement over "mostly uncontested" in years past.

Takin' it back, one neighborhood at a time.

:hug::grouphug::hug::grouphug::hug::grouphug:

[KoKo]

4. Thanks, Crispini for the report. Some of us here in NC are working hard

to get Verified Paper Ballots into our Voting and we thought we would have great NC Dem Support on this issue. ...Sadly our Dem Legislators are fighting us on this. So...that contributes to my feeling of a "down week." And many of us spent our own money getting "handouts and brocures about the need for VVPB to our State Legislators. We tried to get a presence at our District Convention...attended all kinds of meetings and were there when the Legislators "CANCELED" meetings that we had taken off work to attend.

So...that's part of my discouragement. Even though..I know we are up against the extremists of both our parties who have somehow joined forces..it's still so hard to keep "bucking the system" and maintain credibility.

:shrug:

[crispini]

5. Well that sucks.

We had a great VVPB bill in our state lege sponsored by one of our new Dem rising stars and we were THISCLOSE to getting it out of committee when a Republican meanie from some wide spot in the road (who happens to be the head of the committee) killed it with a sneaky maneuver. :mad:

Sorry to hear about your discouragement. :hug: Keep up the good fight, friend! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! :hug:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. That must be discouraging indeed, Koko01

Maybe those lame-ass Dems will sing a different tune when they lose their "safe" seats due to a "sudden surge" by a totally unqualified Republican candidate.

But I've heard of other people (or was that you, too?) having problems with NC Dems who seemed to have a death wish.

[KoKo]

7. So much time...so many hours and DU posters other than myself have

devoted 24/7 to this with websites and having a Computer Extpert (Chuck Herren/Repug) come in and DEMONSTRATE how corrupt our own NC voting system is with these DRE Machines and we got two great Bills before our State Dem House and Senate (and we have a Democratic/DINO Govenor) and STILL the "paid Repug Ops came in and corrupted our two bills we worked so hard on and paid to get the message out with our OWN MONEY!) Our, Dems could care less if it comes to getting he $$$$$$$'s in their pockets or even if they are not "on the dole" they defer to the Repugs with the bills.

So...yeah...I'm really down. If you don't take my word for it ...just go to the NC Forum here on DU for the scoop.

But, it's Andy and all of it that has me crashing right now... Where is our SUPPORT? :shrug: I keep asking why our established Dems aren't helping us.

That's why I mourn our "Oldie DU'ers" who gave their lives...it seems, and I want their place in heaven or whatever afterlife to be blessed because we fought on in their place.

I wonder sometimes if that's too much to ask. :shrug:

[amazona]

8. good news in my area

The hummingbird migration has begun, with the birds putting on a show of fighting and squabbling over the feeders as they get plumped up for their flight to the Yucatan.

The first post-breeding dispersal of Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Storks have been reported.

Lots of dragonflies = lots of Mississippi Kites and even a few Swallow-tails.

You get the idea. I find to keep me upbeat, it is good to know the change of seasons in my area and to look for what is real and constant, the cycle of life. I have my computer turned to allow me to look out the window as I surf the internet or do my computer work, and I'm on a hobby mailing list that comes every day with a summary of what is going on in my state in my hobby (which is birds obviously).

Find out what puts the magic back in the world for YOU. Now find a way to put a little bit of that hobby or interest into your life EVERY day.

On one of the worst days of the last couple years for me, when a tree crushed my house, I looked up and saw Mississippi Kites. A little bit of magic keeps the light on in your heart.

Courage!

[KoKo]

10. A lovely post...and I understand what you say.

We all could use a real look in our back yards, a walk in the park (if one is a city dweller) and a hope that life goes on out there even if it's endangered there's always a way to survive.

It's hard balancing it. The urge to feel the sky is falling and the weight of holding it up competes with the urge to escape into nature and find who we are for a time. Without that, we are subject to becoming the "single track minds" the Repugs are where we fight at everything and strike back even at shadows.

Thanks for your reminding me of perspective. :-)'s :hug:

[Samantha]

9. I felt the same way until I became buoyed by some info on a thread

I started last night. The thread relates to a question is Judith Miller Mockingbird affiliated? During the course of the discussion and information which came out on this thread, I became so excited I had to walk away from the thread.

I believe Judith Miller got her info from the Office of Special Plans. I believe the "source" she is protecting is one of an impeachable stature. I believe when Norah O'Donnell made her remark just prior to the attacks in London that there is a scandal brewing connected to the Bush* administration which is huge (words to that effect) she was referencing information which will surface regarding the Plame matter and Judith Miller. I believe when the political excrement hits the fan, as it inevitably will, and the legal opinions are formed, we will see indictments, a resignation from a very high office, and another potential resignation in face of impeachment (could go either way). Please take a look at that thread. This is my good news. I hope it lifts you up.

[KoKo]

11. Samantha, I hope so...we've had so many disappointments...I was combing

every site hoping that I would find a scrap of info that would mean just ONE person in this corrupt Administration would finally be caught and brought to justice. But, given the London bombings and the "G-8" which just wiped everything off the front page...I've almost given up hope.

I just read a thread posted here that Mark Shields on PBS said an "indictment" might be coming down. I hope that what he says is true and that the "indictment" is meaningful and high enough up that it will begin the "Fall of the House of Bush." Fingers crossed...

[Sapphire Blue]

12. For inspiration... discomfort, anger, tears, and foolishness...

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, superficial relationships, so that you will live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you will work for justice, equality and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.

- Author Unknown

http://www.inspirationpeak.com/prayers.html

[KoKo]

13. a Kick..

:kick: