Burning Down the House

Well just the stairs, actually.

I am at the cabin in Long Creek listening to the best radio station...WNCW...88.7...which comes in so clearly here in South Carolina. I live in the woods anyway, but coming over here lets me try to sleep through the night in a different woods. I say "try to sleep" because the critters seem to think the walls of the cabin were made for them to chase each other around on.

Flying squirrels.

Running and squeaking, doing who knows what on my walls. It's like having a bunch of river guides over for a meal and sleepover. Nobody sleeps until dawn...that's all I'm going to say...Some folks make the noise...other folks try to not hear it. never works.

Something else was out there snuffling. We have bears but this was smaller. It's my own fault for throwing the leftovers from my supper off the deck. I know better.

I have a friend rebuilding lots of things here at the cabin that I was supposed to get finished 18 years ago, one of which is the stairway to the loft. He tore the old treacherous stairs out and put in a fairly reasonable and quite safe new stairway to heaven...upstairs to where folks don't sleep.

I'm trying to get doors and ceilings and sound proofing into strategic places. I like company but I need my sleep, too. In the process of fixing things, there are bits of wood piled up from the tearout and waste, so this morning I burned the old stairs to keep warm. It seemed only fitting...So many couples have gone up them to keep each other warm, I figured to honor the old stairs by letting them keep me warm one last time.

Alone in the woods with hot coffee and a warm cabin...A Romanian folk song following a bluegrass version of Pink Floyd...Gotta get moving, but for a little while, all is well with the world.

Peace,

Steve



Yesterday's news:

Offering few specifics on terror threats, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told a House hearing that the government could reasonably predict attacks would come from terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and other means.

And Bubba says:

"Yeah? No shit? If they are so good at predicting attacks, why didn't they do something to prevent 9/11? After they sent the FAA more than 50 intelligence briefings warning of suicide hijackings just prior to 9/11? Or after sending Bush a briefing entitled "bin-Laden determined to strike in U.S."?

These guys have no shame. And no real concern for the security of the United States. Which happens to be the number one responsibility assigned to the Commander in Chief and his posse by our Constitution."

Well written reasonable outrage here:

SKB


Prarie Weather has the story...I'm really liking this Steny Hoyer:

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2-ranking House Democrat, said Wednesday the decision "smacks of retribution because these staffers put the ethical integrity of this institution above the agenda of the Republican leadership."

PW

Here's a thoughtful read starting with a Budhist proverb:

"Look for the truth exactly on the spot where you stand."

...truths make their way, against all obstacles, and break down the credibility of the warmakers, juxtaposing what reality teaches against the rhetoric of inaugural addresses and White House briefings. The work of a movement is to enhance that learning, make clear the disconnect between the rhetoric of "liberty" and the photo of a bloodied little girl, weeping.

So this is exactly what lots of us have been trying to do...Change the minds of those people who stil have one.

Read and be heartened:

truthout