We Need Pristine Tropical Lands

What will be the admission fee?

Two weeks ago, on a near party line vote, a huge Democratic majority in the House agreed to spend $50 million to buy the former cotton plantation on the island of St. Croix.

"This is a beautiful and important natural and cultural resource that is in danger of being lost forever," Virgin Island delegate, Donna Christiansen, told House colleagues in January.

...

But a majority on St. Croix, where the economy depends on tourism, support the purchase.

"It allows us to maintain the natural beauty of St. Croix and also at the same time it allows for the historic nature of the property," Virgin Islands Governor, John de Jongh Jr., told Fox News.

I love this. The average airfare to St. Croix is in the range of $500-$800 per ticket. As part of the U.S. National Park Program, this area should be accessible to all Americans - we paid for it after all. Yet I don't know many people who can afford this kind of trip to see a pristine cotton plantation.

Or should I say - cattle ranch:

The land is currently used as a cattle ranch. It includes an estate house and two row houses where the owners kept slaves that worked on the plantation. Most of the land is owned by the Gasperi family, who bought the land in the 1950's and approached the U.S. Government about four years ago about buying it.

"It's beautiful, it's lush, it's green," Mauro Gasperi said. "It contains a beautiful reef in front that we want to maintain as clean and as pristine as when we first bought it."

If the Gasperi's want to maintain the property - then they should keep it. Rep. Rob Bishop agrees:

"Sometimes you have to say, enough is enough," Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah told the House in January. "We heard it is (the Gasperi's) desire that this land not be developed, but preserved in its current condition. It seems to me they are in the perfect position to accomplish that goal as landowners." 

The next thing we'll see will be political junkets to exotic locations - like St. Croix. 

Going Public

Therapy will be required.

Mrs Obama has already admitted putting her daughters on diets after she was warned by the family doctor Sasha, eight, and Malia, 11, were becoming overweight.

They were given new ground rules – such as less burgers, low-fat milk and fruits and water instead of sugary drinks.

I'm sure that these 2 pre-teen girls really appreciated their mother trumpeting their potential weight issues all over the world.

Somewhere out there is a wealthy-to-be psychologist.

Politics, Pop Culture and Freedom

This is pure awesomeness. At the intersection of music, pop culture and a tribute to the principles upon which this country was founded - we find this:

A riff on the actions of our Founding Fathers as they wrote our Declaration of Independence, it is brilliant. Using a popular medium that our Founding Fathers could never have conceived of, this team of patriots reminds us of these words:

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Of all the words in our Declaration of Independence, these resonate with me deeply, personally and profoundly.

For context, here is the original song by the original artists - One Republic doing Too Late to Apologize.

with a very generous h/t to my friend Kate at Blatherings Blog

Saturday Symphony

Maybe it's because I've been sick for a week or that my mind is in a different place these days in general.  I am not usually a fan of music that is technically classified as "the Blues". I usually find it ... annoying.

Not this.

This is such an eclectic mix of musical styles I'm not sure what it really is - there is bluegrass, blues, a little touch of jazz.  It's soulful, moving and it just - gets to me.  I originally heard it on a jazz station on my Sirius Satellite radio and made a mental note to download it when I got home.  I am so glad I did as it introduced me to 2 great artists in one song.

The musician is Otis Taylor, with vocals provided by Keb' Mo'.  The Wikipedia pages of both men classify them as blues musicians.  Whoever it is, it's brilliant. From the recording Recapturing the Banjo. 

As is this piece, most definitely done by Keb' Mo' - in the last episode of the television series The West Wing.

One of my favorite songs about this country - done sparingly, hauntingly and perfectly.

Child of a Child

Is there something missing here?

An 11-year-old girl in the Northeast recently gave birth to a baby boy, the girl’s family told Fox News.

...

According to Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor of FoxNews.com, the girl’s age places her in significant danger.

"A very comprehensive approach to her care needs to be instituted early in her pregnancy," Alvarez said.

...

"Her body is clearly not defined for pregnancy with its short stature," Al-Khan said. "Her chest is not extensively developed for breast tissue, her bones aren't quite fused, and once you expose a child this young to high amounts of progesterone and especially estrogen, there is (a possibility) that it could halt her growth."

Because yeah, my first thought upon reading this story was about an 11 year old's physical ability to bear a child.

Sweet jesus.

Day 5

Today is day 5 of this f*&^ing cold. It has kicked my ass all over the place and back again. Today is also day 3 out of work - which is so rare for me I can't remember the last time I called in sick 3 days in a row.

It's all about fluids, vitamin C, echinacea, cough medicine and Advil.  I live such a wild and crazy lilfe these days.

Ugh.

Although being that it's day 5 and I sound worse than I feel - means the worst is nearly over. Woo Hoo!

Thank god for technology; at least I can keep up with my work e-mail. If I didn't, I'd be buried by the time I got back.

Soon we'll be back to the regularly scheduled programing.

Oh yeah - and I still want to kick the ass of the person who felt compelled to share this f*&^ing cold.

Someone Over-shared

This is me today. Someone in the past week or so shared a little too much of themselves and gave me their cold.

And it's kicking my ass.  I'd like to find the person who felt compelled to share this with me - and kick theirs.

I am home, getting plenty of rest, drinking fluids and taking care of myself.

And yes I am looking for sympathy...

Pwned

It’s nice to know that there are kids out there willing to stand up for what is wrong.

Two Nova Scotia students are being praised across North America for the way they turned the tide against the bullies who picked on a fellow student for wearing pink.  The victim — a Grade 9 boy at Central Kings Rural High School in the small community of Cambridge — wore a pink polo shirt on his first day of school.

Bullies harassed the boy, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up, students said.

Two Grade 12 students — David Shepherd and Travis Price — heard the news and decided to take action.  "I just figured enough was enough," said Shepherd.  They went to a nearby discount store and bought 50 pink shirts, including tank tops, to wear to school the next day.

These 2 boys men encouraged their friends to wear the discount shirts as a sign of solidarity with the 9th grader.  Word got out quickly – as it does with teenagers – and soon nearly the entire school was wearing pink.  The story says “hundreds of students” created the “sea of pink” that Mssr. Shepard and Price envisioned – albeit a vision clearly now on steroids.  Many wore their own clothes, which further showed how ridiculous it was to bully someone for wearing a color that so many students – male & female – are wearing.

The 9th grader and the bullies remain unnamed.  The bullies have been shut down completely.  And the students who participated have provided a valuable lesson to all of us, to stand up for what is right even when it may be the unpopular view.

The certainly could serve as a model for all student behavior, so that bullying could eventually become a thing of the past.

Still Life

As we sit in a deep freeze of sub-zero temps, frosty winds and limp sunshine, I bask in the warmth of the humble tulip - one of my favorites, provided by The Oracle...just because.

More here - scroll down.

Saturday Symphony

Our trips to Boston always have a soundtrack.  A rhythm.  Back when we were dating and early in our marriage (circa 1982 to 1986 or so) The Oracle and I loved Spyro Gyra.

Morning Dance always put us in the mood for the 2 hour drive to Boston. And because we were never in too much of a hurry, we'd take Storrow Drive to get to wherever in Boston we wanted to be. 2 tight lanes, winding along the Charles River - it's scenic, leisurely and it's what heading to Boston means to us.

Depending upon our destination I'm sure there are easier ways to get there - but Storrow Drive is our private tradition. And the music is a key part of it of course.  Back then we had to commit to a particular soundtrack - variation wasn't really available with cassette tapes.  So Spyro Gyra was always it.

Today - we have satellite radio and the choices are limitless.  Yet...we don't break with tradition. It's still all about the jaunty, bouncy jazz.

This is the great pianist David Benoit. His interpretations of Vince Guaraldi work are, in many ways, superior to the original as is the case with Cast Your Fate to the Wind. 

Benoit is a magician on the piano. We had the privilege of seeing him - twice - back in the early 90s. An amazing performer he's also got a terrific stage presence and makes his concerts so much fun.  He doesn't just focus on his piano and the music - he reaches out to the audience with great charm and a wonderful sense of play.

Especially when he comes out to open the show with this incredible gem - wearing a jacket embroidered on the back with the whole Peanuts Gang!

Linus and Lucy - another Guaraldi tune that benefits immensely from the Benoit treatment.

Now I ask you - how can this music not get you in the mood for a swift drive to a gorgeous city.