How Can I Explain?

God is so good to me. He knows the secret desires of my heart and gives me, not only what I need, but also what I want.

My neighbors asked my daughter if she'd be interested in reading to their 2 little boys for an hour or so, twice a week. Today is their first session. They just finished reading "The Very Bouncy Bear" and now they are using markers to draw pictures of animals. My sister-in-law's dog, Gizmo, is hanging out with us while she runs some errands, so the boys are also taking breaks to pet the dog and squeal with delight every time he nuzzles them.

Watching the fun that they are having fills me with joy. Though I can't have any more kids, look at how God has still made it possible for me to have plenty of children in my life. I am so blessed that some days it feels like my heart will burst from all of the love I've been shown.

Gimme That Ol' Time Revolution!

Please forgive me for not being OMG EXCITED about the idea that lesbians/bi-/gay people may now be added to the list of those who can go to third world nations, kill their inhabitants, and then aid the US in appropriating all of the natural resources. Removing "Don't Ask. Don't Tell" isn't progress. It's simply propping up the legitimacy of a war-mongering nation. I want revolution, not repeals.

Love Over the Telephone

VanGoghGirl was on the phone with my mom tonight. When I walked into the room, I overheard her telling my mom

"Mémé, if you were a cactus, I'd just be covered with prickles because I'd still hug you and hug you all of the time."

I really appreciate the relationship that the two of them share and I thought that was just the sweetest and most heartfelt words of affection that I've heard in a very long time.

The Dangers of an Afro? Really?

Sooo, apparently, some folks believe that wearing afros is dangerous. Do we really have to get melodramatic with this? Why are we making these blanket statements without regard to what sort of hair one has? My daughter has extremely-fine hair. Pulling, twisting, and/or braiding it often causes more damage and breakage than when we simply leave it loose. Since we started leaving it alone, it has grown faster and healthier than at any other point in her life.

Like thousands upon thousands of African-American women, I have lupus. Because of this, I have an extreme sensitivity to the sun. The afro works best for me, because it provides coverage for my scalp when I go outside. Otherwise, I'd have to wear a hat all of the time and we all know what sort of moisture-stealing materials most of those are made of.

Instead of making generalizations, let's base information on facts: different types of hair need to be treated differently and what's good for one hair type may not be good for someone else. We just need to know our hair as well as we know the other parts of our body.

I use an afro pick and it still hasn’t damaged my hair one bit. I rarely see more than a few hairs in my comb. I’m not sure why the assumption is being made that those who use a pick aren’t also using moisturizers. Even in the 70′s afro-wearers often used pomades and oils, so this is not a new practice.

It’s just irrational to say that a particular practice or style is dangerous for all kinds of hair. It’s like saying that peanuts are all dangerous, just because some people are allergic to them. No, it’s simply ill-advised for those who experience problems with it. Likewise, when you make generalizations without regard to who is included in the group you’re talking about, then you’re bound to give out inaccurate information and that’s the only thing that we KNOW can be dangerous.

Pat Robertson's latest Islamophobic Scare Tactic

So, Pat Robertson thinks that the "Islamization"of Paris is a warning to the West.

This is fear-mongering of the worst type and completely bogus. I just shook my head when reading how it separates Muslims from "native" French people, as if those who are Muslim are necessarily foreigners. Like Islam, Christianity didn't originate in France, but no one claims that being a Christian means one can not possibly be a real Frenchman. What CBN is doing is "othering" French Muslims and creating a hostile environment for people seeking to practice their religion in peace. When you have situations where random Muslims are being attacked on the streets and on their jobs, I don't blame them for hiring private security to keep a look out while they pray.

And can anything be more ignorant than staging pork parties as a sign of French patriotism? I laughed my head off when I saw the guy waving a giant sausage above his head. I mean, what is that supposed to do? Scare the Muslims away like a vampire who sees a cross? This idea that French Muslims are doing something all that different from other groups is just ridiculous. Do the French disallow Christmas displays? Do they tell Christians that they can not walk around in public in priests' robes or nuns' habits? Do they prevent the playing of Christmas music outside of church or private homes?

If the Muslims had a mosque the size of the Notre Dame Cathedral, they wouldn't have to pray out on the streets when they go to their religious services on Fridays. Of all the Muslims I know and have known in my lifetime, I have yet to meet a single one who would prefer to pray outside on the nasty public streets next to gutters instead of having a nice indoors place to worship. However, it's pretty clear that if Muslims did try to build a mosque of that size, these islamophobes wouldn't approve of that either.

Their issue isn't really with the fact that religious people are praying outside. Robertson is constantly using his propaganda station to threaten people with the wrath of God for trying to enforce our own separation of church and state principle. No, what Robertson's really complaining about is that French Muslims exist at all. Notice how his reporter goes on this tangent about French Muslims who have been accused of polygamy. Predictably, he doesn't mention how many French Christians also practice it, in one form or another, nor does he point out how the majority of people collecting welfare checks in France are not Muslims. French men having children with more than one woman is only worth mentioning if those men are Muslims and those children might one day grow up to be Muslims, too.

I understand that if Pat Robertson wants to keep fleecing his sheeple flock for every dime they have, he's going to have to resort to scaring them into thinking they'd better fight back against this supposed "Islamization coming-to-a-nation-near-you". And what better way to fight back than to send money to Robertson and his completely non-political religious organization, right? Anyone who falls for this, deserves to lose every dime in their pocket.

Here's a real warning for "the West": A fool and his money are soon parted.

RaHoWa? Hardly!

With all of the hoopla about mosques being built in the USA, I've seen more talk on the internet from Ku Klux Klan types talking about how they believe that RaHoWa (racial holy war) is imminent. Personally, I don't think there will ever be any nationwide race riots. I think it's going to eventually come down to something a lot more basic, like food riots. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening while the percentage of the population that's non-white is quickly evening out with the percentage who are whites. I think that eventually, people will care a lot less about what color their neighbor is and a lot more about the fact that everyone around them is finding it harder and harder to eke out a living while the rich b**tards behave as if the world truly belongs to them.”

Withdrawal of Troops in 2011 is not Good Enough

Pelosi and Gates Differ on Expectations for July 2011 Troop Withdrawal

As a matter of fact, even 2010 is too late for some of us. As long as we're in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, our troops are going to die--there and once they come back with the PTSD that caused my veteran uncle to blow his brains out three years ago. When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter what role our troops are playing over there (advisory or combat) because our presence is still unwanted by the majority of the Iraqi population. As long as we're unwanted but still around, our troops will die because they will remain a target.

I have a lot of respect for Obama, but that doesn't change the fact that the blood of all those slain--Iraqi, Afghans, and Americans--are on the hands of those who are responsible for our continued presence.