The Dusty Dog

Me

I have decided to write something about myself. Granted, it will be a rather filtered take on my life. It is what it is, and I am who I am, and it is an article about me, including some rantings about my political leanings. Politics make up a lot of who I am, and what I write about. Politics are a philosophy for living. It's a measure of humanity. So, here goes....................

I am a fifty four year old woman, born October 10, 1950. Actually, I will be fifty five in nine days. But, misery loves company, and I have an identical twin sister. Hopefully, we'll get to celebrate our birthday together, but she lives in a different town, in a different state. I also have a younger sister, by three years, who lives in yet a third state. Both my parents are deceased, as is my older brother. And, that's my immediate birth family.

I was married for sixteen years to a real piece of work, and finally threw the bum out, but not until after we created two wonderful children. My son just turned thirty one, and my daughter will turn twenty eight in two weeks. My daughter has a six year old son, my grandson, who is the love of my life.

Right now, I live with my gigantic German Shepherd, Zuki. I love living alone, as it means that I do not have to compromise my desires and beliefs to anyone else. One particular comedian, whose name eludes me, had a great line, which I repeat here. “I really want a man in my life. I really do. Just not in my house.” I don't worry about having a family, because I already have one. I've been there and done that, and I'm happy with all of that. My life is very good.

I am right now getting over a broken ankle, a talar neck fracture, to be exact. I broke it while playing with my dog. We were running around the yard, cutting and dodging and running. As she was running towards me, and as I dodged away from her, my ankle turned. A split second later, she hit me. One hundred and ten pounds of dog slamming into me and my turned ankle. It was a mess. But, the worst is over. The cast was cut off this past thursday, and I have begun the tedious task of physical therapy. I will be up and running with my dog again in no time.

I also have a disease called psoriatic arthritis. I was a hobbling mess until I was prescribed a drug called Enbrel. It is one of the relatively new biologics, called a TNF or tumor necrosis factor inhibitor. I'm not exactly sure what that means, other than reducing the inflammation that arthritis causes. I now, at least when my ankle is fully healed, will be back to running with my dog, taking long walks down to the bay, and long walks on the beach.

I am a bleeding heart liberal. I have very little tolerance for the selfish who seem to think that the poor and the downtrodden are in that predicament because of their own faults. I have little tolerance for the assholes who think that a $200/year tax cut for themselves is worth the the heavy price levied on society for that stinking' blood money. That dumbass tax cut means less health care, education, environmental protections, quality arts and sports for kids, medications for seniors, to name a few issues. They are so freakin' hell bent on getting their lousy measly bucks, that they could care less that it comes at a huge cost to the American people. Selfish assholes.

I'm all for people keeping as much money as possible from their hard earned pay. But, I am also a firm believer in the concept of community and social responsibility, something that republicans seem to lack. Must be a genetic failing.

I was born a liberal. I was raised as a liberal. I was raised to question authority. I was raised on picket lines and marches on Washington for civil rights and womens' rights and financial equity. I continued my liberal mindset into and through the Viet Nam era, wherein I continued the marches on Washington. I am proud of who I am, and how I was raised. I've learned a lot from my parents. They have taught me well. I, in turn, have taught my children well. Both of my kids are caring, loving, responsible adults now. They are sensitive, artistic, creative and beautiful. I'm really proud of them both, and I love them with all of my heart.

I am convinced that the only time, the only time that a country should engage in war is if attacked. A preemptive strike against a foreign sovereignty, whether we like them or not, is beyond acceptable, is criminal and reaches the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. Particularly, when those neocon death cult assholes lied like rugs to get us into that war. That is the situation right now. We experienced it in the sixties and we're doing it again now. It's really sad. And really criminal. What a horrific waste of resources on so many levels.

As a landscape architect, I have a particular interest in the environment. We only have one planet to call home, and if we trash it, we're done as a viable species. We have no choice but to preserve and protect and repair the damages we have caused to Mother Earth. When dubya pulled the US out of the Kyoto protocols, it truly saddened me. It enraged me. It was a selfish deed that pandered to selfish corporate interests so that they can all make record profits. Disgusting example of human waste. I cannot believe we have this moron for our country's leader. And, he is considered a moron throughout the entire world. Pulling us from Kyoto was a horrifically arrogant act that was tantamount to thumbing their noses at the rest of the world, at our country, and at our planet.

Global warming is real. The only debatable thing about it is how fast sea level is rising, and how fast the earth is warming. Other than that, it's pretty much established sound science, except for the dopes who choose to alter the reports to modify their buddies' profits. I care about our planet. I care about the species that call her home. I care about the air we breath and the children who must be subjected to the pollutants that are emitted by spewing, and selfish industries who have managed to buy off the bushies to save themselves some dough.

I worked very hard for what I have achieved in my life. I was a nursing student, but dropped out after the first semester and traveled around the world and the USA, including Israel, Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska, California, and Vermont to name a few places, for the next seven years of my life, from the time I was nineteen till I was twenty five. I've lived in poverty and I've been on welfare. I know what it's like to be so broke that you wonder where your next meal is coming from. I've even resorted to shoplifting in order to feed myself. If I was black, I suppose the racist bitches of the world would call it looting. But, there was no disaster that went along with the shoplifting. Only my need to eat.

I went back to school when I was twenty five, to become a landscape architect. It was tough, because I was also raising two toddlers at the same time. Were it not for the federal education grants that I qualified for, I would never have been able to afford my education. I find it very shortsighted for our dumbass dubya government to reduce education benefits, thereby leaving so many people with nothing and no way out of their poverty. It used to be that if someone was poor they would be on welfare. But, if they got some education benefits, they could get themselves off welfare, and become productive, taxpaying citizens. Now, not only are the education benefits cut, but so are the welfare payments. Not much chance of any place to go but nowhere. But, must be the child's fault for being born into poverty, right? Stupid poor people.

Some stupid five year old poor kid needs some lunch, but it's his goddamm fault for being poor, right? Some kid needs medical attention, but her parents are poor and have no health care or insurance, so they are relegated to some inferior medical treatment as some overly busy hospital emergency room. God forbid that the kid might need longer term care. Forget it. Tough shit. Stupid ass kid for being born into a poor family. Probably black anyway, right? But that's OK, because we got your tax cuts that enabled us to squirrel away that extra $200 that likely has no effect on our standards of living anyway. Selfish neocon republican tax cuts. Great. Just great. Wave that goddamm confederate flag in the face of this country. Be goddamm proud that you are some remnant of a hooded club that's now defunct. Be proud, you lowlife scumbags. You know who you are.

I am a proud bleeding heart liberal. I am a happy and loving and caring individual. I just happen to detest neocon death cult selfish scumbags who's only measure of government success is a goddamm tax cut.

I love jazz. I love art. Photography is my passion. I believe in an artist's right of expression. I believe in a person's right to privacy. I believe in expansion of individual freedoms, as long as it does not break any laws. That includes the right to piss on a cross or a star of David or a crescent or whatever. I believe in people's rights to express themselves, if that is what they want. If they want to burn a flag, fine. That's what makes this country great. I don't care if offends someones selfish sensibilities. If you are offended, then don't burn a flag. If you don't like abortions, then don't have one. If you don't believe in god, then don't go to church. If you believe in god, then go to church or temple or whatever floats your boat. It's entirely up to an individual.

Speaking of religion, I am not anti-religion. I am a Jew who is also an atheist. One of my best friends is a born again Christian. She is devoutly religious, but does not find the need to cram her religion down my through. We respect each other completely. As it should be. I am not anti-religion. Not at all. But, I am anti the stupid stinking' holier than thou religious fundamentalists, particularly of the Christian ilk in this country, who want to infuse their religious beliefs into our government. It is such an insult to our Constitution that it's just mind boggling. They even go so far as to say that this country, the US of A was based on Christianity. Bullshit. You can take your fundamentalist crappola and shove it. Sideways.

I love to read science fiction. I love the literary license that is available to scifi writers. I love the imagined worlds, and the space travel and the time travel. The sideboards of imagination are moved way out beyond what it would be if anchored to reality. Yet the points and the concepts and the political commentaries are all there. Jack London's The Iron Heel. Ursula LeGuin's The Disposessed and The Word for World is Forest. Octavia Butler's Kindred. Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination. Isaac Asimov. Arthur C. Clark. Larry Niven. Theodore Sturgeon. Greg Bear. Sherri Tepper. Great authors. Great novels. Great minds.

I have a really good job as a community and coastal planner. I live fairly close to the coast, and I love the ocean. I love walking on the sand and the smell of the salty waves. I love the shorebirds and beach grass and dunes. I love living near the coast and having the opportunity to experience the wonders of the ocean. The ocean is a powerful force, no doubt. When the storm surges find their way up the shoreline, vast changes can result from such force. But, that is what the coast was originally designed to withstand. It's a dynamic environment that is dependent upon change to survive. Barrier islands must be allowed to ebb and flow with the tides and the storms. It's their very survival.

This is why I feel very strongly about how coastlines are developed. But more so, who has to pay when a coastal storm comes wailing along, and destroys the houses along the ocean front. Particularly when those houses are second, or vacation homes. It's sickening that FEMA has enabled people to build bigger and better mansions along the coast, making it all the government's responsibility to fix when such a storm comes up the coast. I believe that it should be the homeowners' responsibilities. Let them bear the brunt of their foolish developments, particularly when those developments are undertaken by filthy rich individuals with way too much money burning holes in their pockets. Let them bear the costs of redevelopment. Better yet, prohibit any redevelopment, and return the shore to the people, as parks and public open spaces. That is my dream for the coast. That is what I am working to achieve. Coastlines are magnificent places.

I've rambled on long enough. This is merely a sampling of who I am and what I believe. Thank you for reading. And, feel free to leave comments.

posted by Dusty Dog at 10/10/2005