Squelching Dissent Is Unpatriotic

Democrats are being unjustly browbeaten by the rightwingers over their questions about intelligence reports surrounding the 9/11 attacks. I’ve seen all the democratic comments and not one of them is attacking the White House — they are merely asking questions.

Suggesting that asking questions is unpatriotic, or that it shouldn’t be done in time of war is not only ridiculous, it’s disgusting. Asking questions about how our government is being run is the most patriotic thing any citizen could do. It’s part of the freedom we enjoy as Americans–a freedom that few countries are lucky enough to share with us.

You can bet that if Clinton were in office, the right-wingers would be asking questions, and they certainly wouldn’t be as respectful as the Democrats have been. They’d be viciously attacking Clinton, as they did throughout his term. Funny how they howl when the shoe is on the other foot.

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Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?

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Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?
We got some work to do now.
Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?
We need some help from you now.
Come on Scooby-Doo, I see you…
pretending you got a sliver.
But you’re not fooling me, cause I can see,
the way you shake and shiver.
You know we got a mystery to solve,
so Scooby-Doo be ready for your act.
(Scooby-Doo) Uh-uh Uh-uh
Don’t hold back!
And Scooby-Doo if you come through
you’re going to have yourself a scooby snack!
That’s a fact!
Scooby-Dooby-Doo, here are you.
You’re ready and you’re willing.
If we can count on you Scooby-Doo,
I know you’ll catch that villain.

Scooby-Do Gang

(2014 update – not a clue why I was posting the Scooby-Do theme song here.)

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President Bush speaking about Cuba

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President Bush speaking about Cuba:

“All elections in Castro’s Cuba have been a fraud. The voices of the Cuban people have been suppressed, and their votes have been meaningless. That’s the truth.”

And how, exactly is that different than here in the United States, where the man in the White House is not the one who was elected by the American people? Note to “President” Bush: The entire world is laughing heartily at your speech.

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Banned Books Links

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Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. Banned Books Week is held annually on the second to last week of September.

American Library Association on Banned Books Week

University of Pennsylvania Banned Books Page
And older page on banned books, but with lots of good info on the history of banning books.

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Brown Bobby Triangle Donut Machine

My grandmother makes donuts several times a year, only instead of being round, they’re in the shape of triangles. They are a family favorite that everyone looks forward to, and frosting and eating the donuts at Thanksgiving is a family tradition. You can also try this link https://ownashipleydonuts.com/qsr-industry for the best donuts.

She makes them with an old paraffin wax donut making machine named the “Brown Bobby Greaseless Donut Machine” that was created in Chicago years and years ago, and sold as restaurant equipment during the depression. Turns out the machine is rare and relatively desirable as cooking equipment goes. The donuts are really popular, and earned my grandmother an article in Iowa Farmer magazine. Here is the downloadable pdf file of that article.

Grandma and the "Brown Bobby" Donut Maker

UPDATE: It’s possible to find Brown Bobby machines on eBay, and my dad bought one a while back. They are quite expensive; you’ll be bidding somewhere around $400 at least.

Here’s an article with more of the history of the Brown Bobby Machine.

Brown Bobby Triangle Donuts

2008 UPDATE: While I appreciate all the interest in this page, I’m uncomfortable with the idea of people attempting to buy and sell their donut makers here on this page in the comments. Ebay is equipped for buying and selling; this page is not, and I’d hate to have any good-hearted person be taken in by potential scams.

If you have a Donut Maker to sell, please post it on an auction site. If you’re looking for one, please visit auction sites to purchase. Thanks. I’m deleting all comments that offer to sell or buy.

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Primary Elections, 2002

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Voted in the primary this morning for Julia Carson. Also, I voted for my neighbor Linda Perdue for precinct something or other.

And I bought the Globe tabloid because there’s an expos� in it about Winona Ryder having a hot lesbian sex romp with Brittany Murphy. They’re kissin’ in the street and everything. Woo hoo! I now have a brand-new fantasy.

There’s also a article about Drew Barrymore dirty dancing with a couple of girls in a club after the premiere of E.T. Sweet.

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Anti-Women’s Suffrage Buttons

Under the heading of “HOLY CRAP!” :Check out the price on this eBay auction. Now I know that women’s right to vote memorabilia does go for a lot of money, in general, but I’ve never seen anything like this.

UPDATE: since the item is no longer there, more info: the object was a simple lapel button from the early 1900s, and it was an anti-women’s suffrage button. The auction price was over $3,000. Part of this was because some universities were attempting to purchase it for their historical archives.

It’s sort of shocking to read some of the anti-women’s suffrage materials; try to check them out on eBay or on the internet. It’s tough to remember there was a time with this sort of thing was said out loud by people in public.

But when you think about it in the context of today’s issues, specifically gay rights, you start to recognize the same sort of bigotry. I tried to collect some of these items and managed to get a few postcards, but the cost of them is so high on eBay that they were tough to collect.

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