CoyoteOldStyle's Open Salon Blog

CoyoteOldStyle’s Thanks for Not Posing Photo Caption Contest

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:11:16 -0500

With a nod to Open Salon’s slogan “You make the headlines,” on my page,
You Make the Captions!

Last month, we had a lot of fun with CoyoteOldStyle’s Spooky Spirit Photo Caption Contest. Today I’m offering, once again for your captioning pleasure, some new “interesting” images. Being always mindful of the ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times,” I thank all of you incredible OS photo-weenies by presenting this next incarnation of CoyoteOldStyle’s Thanks for Not Posing Photo Caption Contest.

Write some creative, pithy, thought-provoking, silly, happy, sad or descriptive captions and indicate which photo they are for. The infallible panel of august judges once again have the thankless task of picking the winners and will update this page with the winning captions some time over the holiday weekend. Have at it and have fun!

And have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

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If you enjoyed playing this game, please don’t forget to “rate” it.

Happy Thursday Haiku for Kent Pitman!!!

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:11:18 -0500

Kent Pitman has been a good friend to me for a long time. He enjoys haiku and has pointed out to me on more than one occasion the attributes that make a good verse. We've had a lot of fascinating discussions about the environment, his philosophy of life and, of course, politics.

For too often we don't tell people that we appreciate them. And that's sad.
We simply figure that they know. Some days we take our friends for granted. Not today. Today, I want to take a moment and acknowledge that, like a proper haiku, my friend Kent already possesses all the attributes that make
a good man.

The path and the journey down it are what make the trees most beautiful.

Happy Birthday, Rich Banks! (with Style)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:11:11 -0500

Today is the birthday of friend and fellow OSer Rich Banks. I decided it would be nice to get him something, like these flowers.

So out to the garden I went (via the Time Machine because it's November and getting close to the time for snow to fly in New Hampshire) to find some phlox. Then, holy crap! Who Invited Him?

A bee! He looked ferocious. Or at least like he could potentially sting me and wreck my day or at least a couple of hours of it. He was busily buzzing around the goldenrod plant that was between me and the phlox. I sat down and pondered what to do. I must have fallen asleep for a minute because

suddenly the garden seemed dark and filled with these gorgeous glowing berries on eerily luminescent stalks. But my eyes were open. This couldn't possibly be real. I shut my eyes tight and shook my head violently side to side, hoping that when I opened them . . .

Ahhhhh. That's better. Everything is bright and the golden rod is golden but WHO INVITED HIM???? The bee was still there, moving around the plant stalk. How am I going to get to the flowers I want if there is a potential beesting in my way?

I tried to think of the answer. I looked up into the leaves of the maple tree over my head. Strange. There have never been aqua-colored leaves up there. What's going on? This must be a special day for these interesting phenomena to happen. Suddenly, the answer lit up my brain!

It had been there all along. There were so many brilliant shades today that I'd never thought existed in nature. There were leaves in all colors of the rainbow. There were glowing psychedelic hues in my yard. All at once, I heard the question and its answer in my head. Friendship can make you open your eyes and see things you never saw before.

Who Invited Him? I did.

Happy Birthday, Rich!

I Am a Pro-Choice Christian

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:11:20 -0500

Tuning in to C-Span this morning, I heard the story that the Republican National Committee (RNC) is taking steps to modify the health insurance coverage they carry for their employees. The RNC will no longer offer a policy that pays for “elective” abortions.

Combining this breaking news with the announcement that the guest scheduled for the next 40 minutes of Washington Journal would not be able to appear opened the floodgates for a plethora of Anti-Choice callers who, one after the other, proudly proclaimed both their Christian-ness as well as their blind hatred of abortion. One caller extolled the virtues of having his state’s Christian governor outlaw 85% of abortions and recommended it as a viable tactic for negating a woman’s right to choose certain surgical procedures she and her doctor agree are necessary.

Every time I hear someone exclaim that their Christianity moves them to be against abortion, I cringe. This kind of hiding behind the shield of some human’s interpretation and probable mistranslation of the words and teachings of Jesus Christ is no different than the religion hijacking that was responsible for the Spanish Inquisition, the burning of “witches,” and slavery. It’s no different than the obfuscation, accompanied by the misquotation of the Bible (Mark 14:7) verse, “the poor will be with you always,” by opponents to the war on poverty in the United States. They just conveniently left out the rest of the sentence, “and you can help them any time you want.”

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17)

The Jesus Christ I grew up learning about in years of Sunday School and Confirmation Class and sermons and Bible study and choir practice valued all life. But he didn’t advocate the subjugation of women. He did campaign for loving your neighbor as yourself. He did not encourage killing people who don’t agree with you. The Jesus I know talked more about tolerance and love than sin. According to Him, the path to heaven is paved with kindness and good works, not some ill-conceived virtue born of the adherence to doctrine and dogma.

“In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:5-8)

Anti-Choice factions have a field day co-opting bits and pieces of quotations from the Bible to shore up their spurious, hate-filled opinions. They wave their “Christian” flags and chant their “Christian” chants and spit their “Christian” spit at women trying to go into clinics. They sing songs about how righteous they are and how amazingly superior to me being a “Christian” makes them.

And when I hear these things, I die a little bit inside.

I am a Pro-Choice Christian. The Jesus I talk with was gentle. He did not believe in theocracy as a viable form of government. He was a rabbi of uncanny knowledge and skill. He was a man of compassion. He encouraged his followers, and through them us, to have the curiosity to think, discover and know more about the world.

Like the Pharisees with stones in their hands, we have the freedom to choose.

Fortunate Son

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:11:59 -0500

In honor of all the women and men who gave of themselves in service to our country, and especially those who gave all.

"When you ask them, 'How much should we give,' they only answer, 'More, more, more.' "

-- John C. Fogerty