suz's muses

look at my brother keith from back in his hairband days!
( agent zero )
he's the one on the far right.
:) khairete
suz

thanks to daleth93 i was able to offer this culinary masterpiece at samhain.....
( behold the meat hand )
the men were so squicked out they couldn't eat the fingers, and abstained until i revamped it as meatloaf sammiches.
success!
:) khairete
suz

please go sign if you are not a friend of monsanto

Dear Friends,
Speak up to stop Big Ag.
President Obama has found himself with some strange bedfellows lately.
While on the campaign trail in Iowa, Barack Obama boasted, “We’ll tell ConAgra that it’s not the Department of Agribusiness. We’re going to put the people’s interests ahead of the special interests.”1 Despite that promise, it seems that ConAgra’s friends at Monsanto and CropLife are still finding their way into the USDA.

Last month, President Obama nominated two “Big Ag” power brokers--Roger Beachy and Islam Siddiqui--to key agency positions, putting agribusiness executives in charge of our country's agricultural research and trade policy. Please join us in telling the President that this isn't the change we voted for. We don't want Big Ag running the show any more.
Siddiqui's confirmation hearing is set for next week. Please help us reach our goal of 50,000 signatures to make a real impact.
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/65?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
Obama’s first agribusiness selection is Roger Beachy, to be head of the USDA’s newly created National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Beachy is the founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. It may sound innocuous, but the Danforth Center is essentially the non-profit arm of GMO seed giant Monsanto; Monsanto’s CEO sits on its board, and the company provides considerable funding for the Center’s operations.2

As the head of the USDA’s new research arm, formerly known as the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CREES), Beachy is responsible for deciding how U.S. research dollars will be spent in agriculture.3 Translation: more research on biotech, less research on how to scale sustainable and organic agriculture.

Unfortunately, Beachy has already started work at the USDA, but the next nominee—Islam Siddiqui—still must be confirmed by the U.S.Senate. Siddiqui, the Vice President of Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America, was recently nominated to be the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the US Trade Representative.4 Amazingly, when Michele Obama planted her “organic” garden on the White House lawn, Siddiqui’s CropLife MidAmerica sent the First Lady a letter saying that it made them “shudder”.5

During his career, Siddiqui spent over 3 years as a pesticide lobbyist, an Undersecretary at the USDA and a VP at CropLife. In defending Siddiqui, the White House has stated that he played a key role in helping establish the country’s first organic standards.6 What they neglect to mention, though, is that those original organic standards would have allowed irradiation, sewage sludge and GMOs to undermine organic integrity! The standards were so watered down that 230,000 people signed a petition for them to be changed, which they eventually were.7

Fortunately, the organic community stopped Siddiqui and his cronies then, and we need your help now to do it again. If Siddiqui’s nomination is allowed to go through, then agribusiness will continue to control the seeds, the science, and the distribution of global food and agriculture.

Please join Food Democracy Now! and a broad coalition of other groups, in calling on President Obama to keep his campaign promise of closing the revolving door between agribusiness and his administration.
Please click here to add your voice.
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/65?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
Thanks for standing with us and our coalition partners from across the country, including: The Pesticide Action Network (PAN), National Family Farm Coalition, Food & Water Watch, Farmworker's Association of Florida, Institute of Agriculture & Trade Policy, Greenpeace and the Center for Food Safety in calling for President Obama to live up to his promises to put people's interests ahead of special interests
Sustainably Yours,
Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! Team.
If you'd like to see Food Democracy Now!'s grassroots work continue, please consider donating. Your donation of $5 or more will help us continue our work. We appreciate your support! http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/25?akid=26.68892.bFCOSY&t=1&akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
Sources:
1. Obama slams corporate agriculture, two Illinois firms, The Chicago Tribune, November 10, 2007
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/58?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
2. Another Monsanto man in a key USDA post?, Grist, September 24, 2009
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/59?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
3. A New Direction on Research at the USDA? The Experts Weigh In, The Huffington Post, October 15, 2009
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/60?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
4. Obama’s attempt to tap an agrichemical-industry flack runs into trouble, Grist, October 10, 2009
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/61?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
5. Michelle’s green garden upsets pesticide makers, The First Post, April 23, 2009
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/62?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
6. Agriculture nomination steams greens, Politico, October 10, 2009
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/63?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1
7. USDA Enters Debate on Organic Label Law, The New York Times, February 23, 2003 http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/72?akid=35.10384.ZTlj2b&t=1

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khairete
suz

edward has been striking gold with me a lot lately, and since he recently gave me permission to post his stuff...er....without asking his permission, i've got to pass this one along.
may be something all of you polytheists have always just assumed, but for me it's something that for some reason i've felt but never really been able to work through. then when it's put so clearly like this i want to thump my forehead and quaff a V-8.
this was in response to a question about whether an egyptian god (i think it's horus but i get lost in the egyptian pantheon very quickly) with two similar titles is two distinct gods or the same one.
'My encyclopedia is called a "theological" encyclopedia for just this reason; I don't distinguish between traits deities displayed earlier and later in Egyptian history, because I assume at the outset that the Gods revealed different aspects of themselves as historical circumstances provided the opportunity for different aspects to be experienced.'
i don't know how to change fonts for emphasis, but this part 'I assume at the outset that the Gods revealed different aspects of themselves as historical circumstances provided the opportunity for different aspects to be experienced' is what i lurve.
i've been inundated lately with folks who get angry because i don't share their belief that the gods are flawed and evolve like humans, and point to differing mythologies and interpretations to prove their point. my belief is more than edward's explanation, but that gives me a firm footing from which not only to explain, but explore.
khairete
suz

or halloween or whatever you celebrate.
we've been invited to a few delightful parties, but i think i'll end up staying home. david and brian will both be here, and dylan wants to go to a party when he gets off work and may need a DD so i should be here for that. and it's the proto-demos ritual on sunday.
the last time i stayed home on samhain i got horribly lonesome, something so rare for me as to be almost never, but this time i'll have guys. i'm busy enough right now that a day at home, both for my own devotions and to hang out with the menfolk sounds utterly divine. i've got a huge pork shoulder marinating, and at some point will do an ancestor ritual and some divination, maybe carve a pumpkin, and get a lot of couch time with movies and/or boston legal (my latest addiction, i'm finally over house.)
bo had a bad week, but has been WAY better the last two days, enough to be naughty, sassy and obnoxious. it's awesome to see, even if he caused me to get up in his grill last night and holler 'goddamn it, i'm busting my ass trying to fix your friggin' feet, you can stand IN THE BUCKET FOR FIFTEEN GODDAMN MINUTES you lousy piece o' shit pony!' he put his foot in the bucket and stood tensely with his body strained away from me, one wide eye and one nervous ear trained on the crazy woman with the pitchfork cleaning his stall and muttering.
hee!
i started macbeth with 9-12s today. one of them informed me solemnly that there is no such thing as a good witch. i smiled benevolently while several of the other kids protested indignantly. one of them even informed him that there are still witches today, and i added gently that they might even look just like me. it is good to have small people fighting the good fight whilst i sip a caramel latte. even if their perspective is based on harry potter and glinda. i'm loving my 9-12s this semester. my teenagers are inexorably silent, but my 9-12s are dynamic and excited and loving me back.
off to see what trouble mr pony's going to give me tonight!
:) khairete
suz (thrilled to finally get to use this awesome icon yoinked from brigidsblest. frank langella!!!!!)

even with my ancient greek theater class getting cancelled, i'm still runnin' with my tail straight out!
bo had several good days in a row, so yesterday i turned him out for half an hour with his kewl new boots on. nik went after him and he fell getting away from her, the vile heinous bitch. today he is really sore again. gah!
came home from utah to find a new closet organizer in our bedroom closet, all the doors weather-stripped, and the pony beautifully cared for. my men rock.
yesterday i got some of the garden cleared out. not put to bed yet, but some of the jungle weeds that (as always) overtook me during summer got yoinked.
tomorrow i start at the retirement home, which lindy is quick to inform me is an 'assisted living center' and not an old folks' home as i carelessly referred to it. my bad.
once the holidays are over i'll get back to my bermuda saga. i might even remember a thing or two by then.
i R pathetic!
here's the announcement i've sent out to several lists in case there's anyone who's here but not there......

dears, the hellenion proto-demos of potomac valley palladium will be
> holding a ritual at 1pm on sunday november 1st in lovely shepherdstown
> WV. we'll be meeting around 12:30 at the blue moon cafe
> http://www.bluemoonshepherdstown.com/
> and then proceeding to a lovely little park a block or two away.
> the ritual will be very short and simple, a Pompaia in honor of Zeus
> Meilikhios. the focus will be on petitioning Zeus and Hermes for
> protection as the days grow short and cold, and purification for any
> who feel they may need it. please bring any offerings you feel
> appropriate, which can occur as hymns, prayers or petitions offered in
> ritual, or food, flowers, incense or written materials which will be
> taken back to my home and consigned appropriately to the flames.
> after the ritual we'll probably bop into the blue moon for a drink.
> the lost dog coffee house in shep'town has amazing coffee treats but
> is too small to accommodate more than a couple of people. if the
> weather is uncooperative the ritual itself will be simplified even
> further into a gathering in the cafe where we will offer prayers,
> praise and libations into a communal vessel.
> parking can be a challenge in shepherdstown. if there's nothing by the
> restaurant, go back about two blocks behind it to the train station
> where there is always plenty of parking. and unless the weather farks
> us, the walk is lovely. shepherdstown is utterly charming.
> please email me at ridetbredatgmail.com if you have
> any questions.

:) khairete
suz

i was not so happy yesterday. bo was lamelamelame, had been hobbling miserably for the last few days, barely able to touch his left forefoot to the ground let alone put weight on it. the vet is pushing hard to put shoes on him, my gut (and the advice of several friends who've dealt with founder) says not to, although i would as a last resort. my feeling was that i HAD to unwrap his feet and then walk the nail-biting line between that friggin' coffin bone needing support and his feet softening and decaying inside the wraps. i knew that he would be sore without the wraps but he was SO miserable. the bute and the thickly-bedded stall seemed to give him no relief at all. then this morning i went out to a different pony. still lame but bearing weight, walking on his own initiative, and feeling good enough to be impatient with the meds-and-fussing routine. i had dylan prepare and administer his meds this morning, david did it this evening, and both are ready to take over while i go collapse in linda's utah haven for a week. tonight he was better yet, able to bear enough weight on the bad foot to pick up the other, so i could soak both of 'em in hot water, epsom salts and apple cider vinegar. as a bonus he got a mane and tail trim and all over groom to keep us both occupied while his feet soaked.
thanks and love to Hekate, helpful to horsemen, and Hermes Nomios.
off to make offerings.
khairete
suz

i asked this over on neokoroi but there are lots of faboo brains here who ain't there, so i'm asking again with apologies to those who are seeing it twice.
while working on class stuff, these questions come floating up. i don't think i'm going to include this in the lessons (i have to keep whacking myself over the head with reminders that these folks are here for classical mythology, not for theological minutiae) but the questions are insistent enough that for my ownself i'd like a little help.

i'm working to unpack a few different myths these days, and as usual my cumbersome brain doesn't seem agile enough for the task. i'd love to hear what others have to say on some of these.
the conflict between hera and artemis during the trojan war. they have quite a blowup over apollon declining to fight poseidon. what are some of the deeper resonances to this, beyond who's on troy's side and who on greece's?
next, in hero mythology we often find that the overtones to the tales are psychological. many heroes like herakles have big adventures and sorrows but grand apotheoses at the end, or theseus who dies old and respected even if he's not always an exemplary human. but how about the guys who end up dying terrible lonely sad deaths, bellerophon and jason? what is it that we can learn and glean from their sordid ends?
thanks in advance!
khairete
suz

the full moon of october was spectacular last night, as i offered milk and *truly amazing* chocolate chip cookies to the nymphoi. it was a welcome break from teh intrawebz dramatiques.
bo is not improving much. i tried unwrapping his feet for a night and by morning, even with 2 grams of bute and a well-padded stall, he was dead lame. he can't keep healthy feet if they're duct-taped 24/7, but it looks as if going barefoot or any time turned out are just not viable options yet. nik would probably just bite and chase him anyway. she's such a twat.
i'm not licked yet. i have other things to try and there's still time for him to rally. but being perpetually stall-bound, doped up and with wrapped feet and a severely restricted diet is no life. i have to face the possibility of letting him go.
the men are prepped to stand and deliver the ultra-care while i'm in utah, which is good because he's not going to be out of the woods as i'd hoped. it's a lot for them to do as they're all super-busy right now too, but they're good guys, my men. there has been zero heavy sighing or pouty lips as i outline to them the degree of oversight mr pony will require.
gorgeous day here. i should probably post something about the ugliness currently polluting the lists, but at the risk of being labelled apathetic or complicit or whatever the latest outrage is, i'm not going to think about today. scarlett and i shall just do some pony care, a little gardening, and some much-needed lesson plan work and let the nose-bashing go on without us.
khairete
suz

the vet has been here, given him many pain-relieving shots, packed his feet and left me with more meds and instructions. she took radiographs of his feet which do indicate moderate rotation of his coffin bone, which is not reversible so we'll be micro-managing him for the rest of his life. this means very strict diet with NO sugar, not even apples or carrots, a grazing muzzle when he's turned out, and probably staying in a cushy stall whenever the ground is hard. the good news is that we can probably slow the progression to a crawl and keep him comfy and happy (or as happy as you can be on a restricted diet *G*) for a long time yet, and maybe even ride him gently when the ground is soft. i'm a little unclear on how long i need to keep his feet packed, but the vet and i are playing phone tag so i should have that figured out pretty soon.
i'm glad i got that goofy little jumping session in a few weeks ago, it'll likely be the last time i can do that with him.
but i'm cautiously optimistic that i've got some years yet with that sweet face nosing at me for treats when i come out in the morning. must go get some sugar-free mints for him.





i cannot express to you all how much your thoughts and prayers have meant to us. i have truly honestly felt it and i truly honestly believe it has helped immeasurably.
you guys are wonderful.
khairete
suz

bo is foundering (a condition in which the connective tissue in his feet become agonizingly inflamed) and it seems to be pretty bad. vet is coming this afternoon, but there's not much he can do beyond what i'm doing other than give me a prognosis. it's not the death sentence it used to be. i can think of several horses i know who recovered reasonably well from founder, the main one being our beloved april. but not all do, and most who do aren't ever really sound again.
i'll be sad if i can never ride him again, but i'll gladly nurse him and be grateful to have his adorable face nickering at me in the mornings when i go out there if he can just not be in pain.



all prayers and mojo gratefully accepted.
khairete
suz

what's the most exciting, dynamic, riveting roman myth? leave out ovid (i'm looking for myths that are identifiably roman not greek derivatives) and virgil, as the aeneid needs its own entire course. i'm going to push to do an 'epics' class down the road as i simply cannot bear to try and dispense with homer in a single lesson.
thanks as always for your INVALUABLE help, dears. you have no idea how much i rely on you to create my syllabuses (syllabi?)
khairete
suz

the faboo new grammateus at hellenion is creating something called a 'blog roll', which is packed full of awesome blogs in various venues by hellenic folks. here's hers....
http://helleneste.wordpress.com/
i dunno from blog rolls, but it's always nice to have kewl blogs to read. even if i have too many of 'em these days!
khairete
suz

sorry to be so not-here, dears, and i'm just sick that my bermuda updates have halted. by the time i get back to 'em the vividness will have faded somewhat and it won't be the same. but something is better than nothing, and i've HAD to get to work on classes, hellenion has been incredibly time-consuming of late, i owe the exegete program of the neokoroi several essay if i'm going to proceed, and....yes, i always have excuses.
but i'm scribbling tonight because this is day 2 of this year's 9-day celebration of the Greater Eleusinian Mysteries. normally i just do a single day, but this year it feels imperative to spend the same amount of time that the mystai spent steeped in the rituals, even though my meager daily devotions don't approach their experience. and since real life doesn't stop, i only spend a brief amount of time each day in ritual, although i try to hold an awareness of the sacredness of the event throughout the day.
yesterday, day 1, i created the kiste mystika, the basket of mysteries (and i always have rolph's wonderful poem in my mind while i'm working on this, it's printed out and taped above my computer). a couple of days before i had cleared the path from the grove paddock through the woods to my telesterion area, a difficult task as the faint path is always being blocked by fallen limbs and the incredibly prolific multiflora rose thorns. yesterday i took the basket, some frankincense, water for libations and lykeia's hymn to demeter to the sacred place in the woods, and began the festival. after making the offerings and prayers i processed with the kiste back to 'athens', my hearth, the center of my community, and placed the kiste on my mantel.
today is for lustrations and offerings on behalf of the community. i did the lustration ritual in jennifer reif's 'mysteries of demeter' and later tonight i'll do a full ritual bath with sea salt to commemorate the mystai bathing in bay of eleusis with their piggies. (i have a pork shoulder from a locally-raised piggy marinating in the fridge, i'll cook it tomorrow. can't help thinking of pelops!)
i made the offerings under a gorgeous rising nearly-full moon, with a good fire in the chimnea. i decided to attempt divination by fire to see how the offerings were received. the first, on behalf of ancient hellas, the millions who experienced the true mysteries revealed by trained priests and priestesses at the sacred site, of athens who has bequeathed our modern democracy to us, to all of the demetrieoi who beheld the epiphany and have since gone to the embrace of the Two Goddesses, and all who have passed the knowledge of worship to us today and those who will come after us, was extremely well-received, huge bright flare and busy crackling flames. the next, on behalf of the US, for our leaders that they might receive the wisdom and justice of Apollon and of Demeter, that we might carry on the bright beacon of democracy and fair rulership and wise leadership, there was zero flare, no reaction from the flames at all. the next was for my local community, local farmers, teachers, co-workers, friends, neighbours, and people whom i don't like so much but with whom i share community. a bit more of a flare but not much. my next offering was for the hellenic community, the neokoroi, hellenion, NA, the kyklos apollon, all the other hellenic groups to which i don't belong, and for the queen of heaven group and the pagan community at large, thanks for my having such a large available community considering how scarce we really are, and for the non-hellenic pagans for providing support and appreciation. this offering was quite well-received and burned merrily. the final one was for my own oikos, and to my relief it got a great reception.
tomorrow i'll carry the hiera back to 'eleusis' with a representation of iacchos, shouting (well maybe not too loudly) and telling myself dirty jokes.
it's so odd being a solitary sometimes.
tomorrow also begins my equinox fast, convenient as i'll be fasting lightly throughout the day anyway (i'm just doing a 3/3/3 fast, not the dire master cleanse). i've got mega errands to run after that, then will chill out for a while as the mystai rested after their trek to eleusis and then break my fast with the kykeon.
okay, off to burn a bay leaf to apollon, and hit the hay.
happy karneia to those who are celebrating it (one can only do so many rituals in one day), happy EM to my fellow demetrians, and happy labor day weekend to all!
:) khairete
suz

my beloved and much-missed wendy, who deserted me to move back home to the UK, recently sent out this thoughtful breakdown of 'socialized' medicine and its pros and cons. wendy's one of the clearest thinkers i know. she gave me permission to repost it in its entirety here, including a follow-up comment.
here's wendy!

'I was tickled to see a news report last Thursday that talked about opposition to Obamas healthcare reforms and they'd attended a rally/speech in Hagerstown.

Just to explain the good & the bad about the UKs National Health Service

On the whole if something is seriously wrong with you the nhs is brilliant. With more chronic complaints or nebulous matters the picture is not so clear cut. Children under 16 are covered for everything they get free dentistry free opticians free (a voucher for glasses is given but if you want a more expensive pair you pay the difference and it doesn't cover contacts generally) vaccinations and free meds. Pregnant women get free check ups and ante natal screening and free dentistry from pregnancy and the year following their childs birth. Alsonew mums have a midwife who visits them at home until the baby is 10 days old and after that many areas have health visitors who can help give advice if you want it (they can also be bigoted and interfering busy bodies but thats seems to be the luck of the draw!) and who perform hearing tests and advise you on vaccinations (yes they are usually biased) Those on benefits or the highest payment of Working Families tax credit (like me) get an exemption from nhs charges. Everyone else gets free visits to their GP and if they receive a prescription they pay about £8 for it. Dentists are about £25 for a check up fillings range from 12-50 and more complex work mirrors US costs. Opticians cost £20 and glasses are an open ended cost Mum paid about £120 for hers. I think if you have glaucoma you get screening free. There are also family planning clinics that give out free contraceptives of every type including the morning after pill you can of course buy these things at chemists.

My 2nd cousins daughter(14) was diagnosed with bone cancer 3 years ago and has received excellent treatment has had chemo and they put 1 of her parents up at the hospital as she went to a specialist centre about 2 hours from home. She's had reconstructive surgery on her knee and all the follow ups. Recently they discovered another tumour near her liver and heart. They have removed this and she is now undergoing an experimental treatment at a London paedeatric hospital to try to increase her immune system so they can give her more chemo. I suppose the long term prognosis is not good but they are certainly doing everything you could hope for. None of this has cost the family anything nor have they had to fill in onerous amounts of paperwork.

My friend recently went to her doctor to try to find a reason for some issues she'd been having with IBS/period type stuff. turns out she had a growth on her ovary she was in hospital within 2 weeks stayed 4 days and was released with painkillers and is signed off work for 12 to recover from surgery. The growth was a benign cyst I believe. None of this has cost her anything.

Brandons tooth was rebuilt by the dentist after his skateboard crash - it cost us nothing (mind you in a couple of years time it may have cost a few hundred!)

There are issues with some cancer drugs... new drugs take a while to come to be approved by the body that overseas such things and they may not endorse a product if they feel the cost would be more than is reasonable to pay for the result ie it won't cure you but may prolong your life by 6 months in a third of cases.
IVF is another dodgy area some places you get 3 attempts others only 1 or none if they've used the funding they have allocated. This can be annoying if you can't get something in Frederick county but your friend in montgomery county can.
Transgender operations can also be done on the nhs in certain circumstances as can plastic surgery though there has to be a pretty compelling psychological reason not just the fact you fancy bigger boobs!
It can be hard to find an nhs dentist as after the recent changes to funding structures many dentists only take private patients now. :-(

All this comes at a cost our taxes work out between 22-33% of annual salary. That covers defense education health roads everything. We thought if theres nothing much wrong with you then you are slightly better off under the US system than the UK one however the problems that happen once you have a chronic complaint or a genetic history of problems then you are worse off. I guess as you age your premiums rise too so over a lifetime nhs may well work out better. If you are implementing a system from scratch clearly define the upper boundary of what the state will cover. New procedures and drugs come along all the time... so do new diseases and mental health problems so describe what is a health issue and what isn't and encourage people to insure themselves against the more unlikely or extreme issues that could occur. basic care is basic care and its all most of us ever need. Yes we should ensure that those affected by catastrophes aren't left blowing in the wind but do limit your exposure to whackier entitlement claims. EG investigate what is wrong but if the result is not life threatening or seriously debilitating then (infertility say) surely the state has done enough at that point if you have the means to go for IVF great if not thats really sad butts the way the cookie crumbles. If you need a liver transplant but you are an alcoholic than you won't get one unless you stop drinking. If you are diabetic you need to control your diet as well as receive medication etc etc.'

and in response to my request to kype it.....

'You can but I was also thinking of the other areas it is weak.

My mother in law needs to see a physiotherapist for an arthritic knee it will take in the region of 6 months to see wone which is obviously unacceptable. In those circumstances people who can afford to often go private (cost around £40-50) just to get the exercises to do at home if nothing else.

Homeopathic and other alternative therapies are rarely available although many areas do have acupuncturists these days and some GPs are also homeopaths. Chiropody is done on the nhs although my mum sees someone privately for some reason.

On the news today someone was told that Alzhiemers disease was not a medical condition but a social one so they wouldn't get a full range of services. There is an issue around elderly care and who pays for what. If you go in a nursing home and your only asset is your house then govt may insist on you selling it to pay for your care. And in some homes the nursing care is covered but the social care isn't (eg brushing hair & teeth, food etc) That said if you have few assets then you are eligible for benefits that will cover these things. The big problem is not the genuine poor or the truly wealthy its the middle classes that resent losing their inheritance when people have paid in all their life and then everything they worked to build up goes in your final years (nursing homes cost between £400-£1000 a week) and I see their point.


Thats about it. I am now late for work cos I'd far rather chat to you than do what I should...'

i still like this prospect much better than our current state of 'hang onto it with a death grip if you've got great insurance (like i do) and screw the millions who are falling through the gaping holes.'
khairete
suz

vile hughesnet dictates that i can only download Big Stuff like mac updates etc during the hours of 2am-7am, which means i need a download manager. i've been googling to find one both simple and effective enough for my idiot self, and every site assumes way more savvy than i've got.
can anyone recommend a download manager that works with mac and won't boggle my tiny brain?
:/ khairete
suz

dears, sorry for the late notice, but i've had satellite woes of various stripes this week and it's got me all discombobulated.
anyone in striking distance is invited to a heroic ritual at the UU church of hagerstown tomorrow. here's the descrip....

Our August ritual will be an heroic festival. In ancient Greece this month heralded the celebrations of feats of heroism, both mythic and historical. We'll be telling tales of mighty Herakles, and of the gallant last stand of the Spartans at Thermopylae. This is not the time for modesty and self-effacement! Stand forward boldly, look within and discover your own inner hero, and celebrate him or her! Ritual boasting, uproarious laughter, outrageous tales and prodigious feats of feasting will be called for! Please bring a feasting mug and a beverage to pour into it! Please bring a canned food item to donate as well as a potluck item to share.

and the website addy for directions.....

http://queenofheavencircle.org/contactus_page.html

:) khairete
suz

well, hughesnet has had its fun farking me up the bum for the last week, but finally gave in and fixed my satellite connection, and after reducing me to a shaking sobbing mess, even allowed that they wouldn't charge me for the privilege of them fixing the enhanced service they broke and that i had just got done paying for.
all of you who hath cable, send timai and kleos to the communication deity of your choice.
so, way past the anelisseia, here comes the next in the sloooooooow procession of bermuda posts, with LOTS o' pics in this one.
( beach blissiness )

wow, i'd better get to doing the rest of the trip too. some of the details are already slipping, and i want it down chronologically even though it's not important, really. the memories come and they're amazing and don't need organization, but part of me still craves being able to go back to it and go through it moment by precious moment.
:) khairete
suz

i cooked some stuff from local farmers and bought a bottle of local wine, and made offerings to demeter and dionysos back in the dark woods, donating much blood on the way out through the raspberry canes and multiflora rose. am currently bumming that the full moon eclipsed is totally obscured by clouds, but will drink some more wine and swim nekkid in the pool and that will fix it.
tomorrow is the anelisseia, a hermes logios festival. i shall celebrate by writing up bermuda 3!
:) khairete
suz

you guys rock! i've almost got the fall semester's syllabus ironed out, with a good start on spring's!
thank you all so much.
and keep 'em comin' if you haven't already!
:) khairete
suz