“I read the news  today, oh boy”: following the so-called “deficit reduction negotiations, ” whose clichés, deceptions, and misleading talking points have dominated the news for weeks, is  frustrating and  frightening. I see no reason for optimi… Read full post »

[Note:  I posted an earlier version of this  on my WordPress blog last November]

Many years ago, in 1988-89 to be exact,  I worked for a local Community Mental Health Center as what is called a “Master’s level clinician” meaning I  had a master&rsq… Read full post »

I  recently heard on Colorado NPR about predictions of The Christian Rapture coming  next week, on May 21. According to Harold Camping and his true-beleiving followers, the Saved will be “raptured up” on that day and not only the world but the entire universe will be… Read full post »

I was--and of course still am-- a native speaker of Standard American English (SAE), born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area with a master's degree in history from San Francisco State University. I'd lectured in community colleges and published newspaper articles before I fl… Read full post »

[an earlier version of this appeared on my WordPress blog on 10/29/10]

Deficit hysteria seems to have won the day. We hear frantic claims of “We’re on the verge of collapse!” or  “an imminent apocalyptic meltdown” because of “profligate government spending and… Read full post »

Congressman Paul Ryan and his supporters evidently have no more  social conscience than Ted Bundy did.  That shouldn’t surprise us since, like Alan Greenspan, he worshipped at the shrine of sociopathic guru Ayn Rand.   Just remember that a major criteria of so… Read full post »

Economist Paul Krugman has an ongoing  series of posts analyzing the details of the GOP budget plan, showing how much  outrageous deception and delusional imaginings it is based upon. Krugman has a great  gift for explaining complex economic matters in clear and simple language: http://krugman.b… Read full post »

Where to begin? So much to unpack, so much to say. This may have to be done a little bit at a time.

Paul Ryan, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee has presented the GOP budget proposal. It includes cutting $389 billion from Medicare for seniors over the next 10 years, $735 billi… Read full post »

[First posted on The Edge of Cedar Mesa, http://donegaldescendat.wordpress.com

on 6 Feb. 2011; retitled and reposted now for OS Open Call: My Petty Crime]

 Colombia had a system of national identity cards,  called cedulas (which an accent over the ’e'  I don&r… Read full post »

[First posted on The Edge of Cedar Mesa, http://donegaldescendat.wordpress.com

on Feb. 3, 2011] 

La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Lourdes: Our Lady of Lourdes, in Chapinero, a neighborhood in the northern part of the city of Bogotá, Colombia.

Of course&n… Read full post »