One (pesky) bombing a day

Watch Jon make mincemeat out of "the one bombing a day" theory


For Laura Bush and Iraq War PhDs everywhere, here are a few facts that they might be missing from Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — Attacks against coalition forces in Iraq averaged nearly 180 a day in January, the highest level since major combat operations ended and more than double the rate one year ago, according to intelligence officials.

Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday said the attacks matched the previous high, set in October 2006.

Attacks on civilians also reached a new high, with almost 50 per day in January, according to the agency. Attacks on Iraqi Security Forces remained consistent with recent months, at about 30 a day.

Males, what's that ticking?

Tick tock, tick tock. Men are you listening? NY Times

A study on schizophrenia found that the risk of illness was doubled among children of fathers in their late 40s when compared with children of fathers under 25, and increased almost threefold in children born to fathers 50 and older. This study was also carried out in Israel, which maintains the kind of large centralized health databases required for such research. In this case, the researchers used a registry of 87,907 births in Jerusalem between 1964 and 1976, and linked the records with an Israeli psychiatric registry.

Researchers controlled for the age of the mother but did not have information on family psychiatric history.

Speaking personally, I'm not a big fan of the "have kids right away" line of thinking. But, I mean, c'mon. If men really think that they can have children as late as they want and don't have to worry about that pesky "old sperm", well women, stay away from anyone that foolish. Some will say "but sperm aren't 'old', that's why men don't have to worry, they make 'new' sperm all the time."

Unlike women, who are born with a lifetime supply of eggs, men are constantly making new sperm. But the spermatogonia — the immature stem cells in the testes that replenish sperm — are constantly dividing and replicating, with each round of division creating another possibility for error.

While women have only about 24 divisions in the cells that produce their eggs, the cells that create sperm go through about 30 rounds of mitosis before puberty and through roughly 23 replications a year from puberty onward. By the time a man reaches 50, the cells that create his sperm have gone through more than 800 rounds of division and replication.

The point is men and women BOTH need to think about their age when planning a family. There is too young AND too old - for men AND for women. Balance your needs and the needs of your children. But don't fool yourselves into thinking that the bell only tolls for women.

Maybe the Market doesn't always know best?

The federal agency that’s been front and center in warning the public about tainted spinach and contaminated peanut butter is conducting just half the food safety inspections it did three years ago.

AP reports on the drop in the number of inspections on the food industry.

Yeah, 'cause you know, the market knows best and those pesky bureaucrats (i.e., FDA inspectors) don't know nuthin' and just get in the way of getting the food to market as quickly (profitably) as possible.

Between 2003 and 2006, FDA food safety inspections dropped 47 percent, according to a database analysis of federal records by The Associated Press.

That's good right? And think of all the taxes we save by having less inspectors and inspections. Millionaires everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief - no new taxes. Whew.

Or wait, is this one of those rare exceptions to a government "small enough to drown in a bathtub" (Grover Norquist) where we WANT the government to help protect us from the rapacious profit motive (dirty factories, unsafe trucks on the road, fire safety laws, etc.)?

Pregnancy in America

New Documentary

Don't know that much about it yet, but here's the blurb from the website:

Pregnant in America examines the betrayal of humanity's greatest gift--birth--by the greed of U.S. corporations. Hospitals, insurance companies and other members of the healthcare industry have all pushed aside the best care of our infants and mothers to play the power game of raking in huge profits.

His wife pregnant, first-time filmmaker Steve Buonaugurio sets out to create a film that will expose the underside of the U.S. childbirth industry and help end its neglectful exploitation of pregnancy and birth.

Revisionist History

From Kos :

On March 16, 2003 Dick Cheney went on Meet the Press. His absurd claims in that interview have since become politically embarrassing to the White House. For example, he declared...

"I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators."

You won't any longer find a link to this transcript on the White House website—nor, indeed, are there links to most of Cheney's interviews from before 2006.

Wouldn't it be nice if the rest of us could just "scrub" stupid statements like:

"I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."

Funny how this administration thinks it is above the rules; beyond the rules as defined by the constitution (ala signing statements); beyond the rule of the people (ala anti-Iraq war marches were "focus groups"). They, and they alone, are allowed to make mistakes but never learn from them; never face the consequences. They are allowed to magically rewrite, or at least erase, the past.

Must be nice.

It's good to be the king.

Females More Innovative

Chimpanzees living in the West African savannah have been observed fashioning deadly spears from sticks and using the tools to hunt small mammals -- the first routine production of deadly weapons ever observed in animals other than humans.

The multistep spearmaking practice, documented by researchers in Senegal who spent years gaining the chimpanzees' trust, adds credence to the idea that human forebears fashioned similar tools millions of years ago.

The landmark observation also supports the long-debated proposition that females -- the main makers and users of spears among the Senegalese chimps -- tend to be the innovators and creative problem solvers in primate culture.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'. From WaPo

The new observations are "stunning," said Craig Stanford, a primatologist and professor of anthropology at the University of Southern California. "Really fashioning a weapon to get food -- I'd say that's a first for any nonhuman animal."

Look, males and females are both intelligent, both innovative. But it's nice to see proof in nature that females are as capable as males of taking care of their society. That's the point isn't it. To help one another. In a family. In society.

Woodruff vs. Walter Reed

ABC has an amazing slide show up about the recovery of Bob Woodruff - their correspondent in Iraq whose convoy was hit by an IED last year. ABC calls it 'miraculous' - I call it the marvel of science and technology. Just look at how they've been able to reconstruct his skull. I wish him and his family well. I am glad for him and for his children that their dad's recovery has been so carefully attended to by doctors and scientists. I wonder though, in light of the debacle uncovered by the WaPo and The Army Times of the conditions and neglect faced by the the normal foot soldier returning from Iraq, how many veterans are not afforded this level of care.

And the Bush administration continues to underestimate the amount of care they will require in their rosy (unrealistic) projections of budget deficit in 2012 (see post below).

This post doesn't even begin to contemplate the head injuries and lack of medical care to men, women and children in Iraq.

So, while I rejoice for Mr. Woodruff, I urge you to consider how many many soldiers and innocent Iraqi civilians require this level of care and are unable to get it. Not everyone is a high-priced network correspondent with an employer who can promote their recovery story with a feel-good angle to it (i.e., "miraculous recovery")

Americablog has a great summary of the stories about veterans' affairs. Every one of you reading this with a "Support the Troops" magnet on your vehicle, how about dropping your rep a line and voicing your support for the troops' medical care once they're home. Or is it just easier to slap on the bumper sticker and call it a day?

National Republican Cong. Cmte. donor accused of funding terrorism

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) won't say what it plans to do with thousands of dollars in campaign donations it received from an accused terror financier.

Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari gave $15,250 to the NRCC since 2002, according to FEC records published on the Web site opensecrets.org.

On Friday, Alishtari pled not guilty to funding terrorism and other crimes, including financial fraud.

It staggers the mind to think what the right-wing bile-spewing machine (Limbaugh, Coulter, Malkin, et al) would do if these same contributions had been made to the DNC. But as it is, nary a peep. ABC News

This guy is probably involved in all sorts of ventures where he stands to profit from the continued "Global War on Terrorism". You know, just like our own war-enablers Halliburton, GE, Bechtel, Sikorsky. War is such an efficient way to transfer money from the bottom of the pyramid to the top.

Browsers All

Just a quick note to show some stats I've gotten to date on the blog. So far, so good. Several hits a day. People from India and China have somehow found the blog. Here's a picture of the geo hits.

I just think it's pretty cool that people are reading this thing in Lithuania and Texas. ;*)

America's obsession with repression

"OOOO Daddy, the librarian said 'scrotum'" I guess these words are being heard 'round the country as a new Newberry Award winning book sparks the libidos of parents everywhere by using the anatomical word "scrotum." Talk about a bunch of "nut cases" (sorry, couldn't resist). Full Story

On the first page of The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, this year's recipient of the Newbery Medal, Lucky Trimble, a scrappy ten-year-old orphan, hears the word through a hole in the wall. This happens when another character s explaining that a rattlesnake bit his dog on the scrotum.

I don't understand this needing to hide children behind one's back as words like "vagina" or "penis" or "scrotum" are used - in any setting. Whether it's at the doctor's office, in the library, or at home. These are PARTS OF THE BODY!!!!!!!! There is nothing wrong with the words or the PARTS OF THE BODY they represent. What is it with our repression in this country in the year 2007. And we think the '60's changed everything??!?!? Hah. Many Americans are still so fearful of acknowledging, much less discussing, their "private parts" that I can't believe any progress at all has been made in this area since the '60's (1760's)

We use these words all the time when they are relevant to the topic at hand. We don't just walk around the house saying "vagina, vagina", but then we don't just walk around the house saying "appendix, appendix" either. We use them in context and when they have to do with the discussion.

Honestly, moms and dads, can you please learn the lesson, once and for all, that what is forbidden is intriguing. Make them just normal words about normal body parts. Talk about how our genitals belong only to ourselves, etc. Make kids aware. Arm them with knowledge. Stop hiding behind puritanical notions of needing to have the vapors whenever you hear these words. You're only fooling yourselves. Kids want knowledge. They experiment - that is their job. If you don't help them form a world view - they will make one up for themselves. And it will likely be scarier and more likely to get them into trouble than the plain and sensible truth.


PS - I'm sure this blog just got indexed by a whole new bunch of sites because of these very words.

PPS-I'm also sure that if and when we ever take Catharine to see "The Vagina Monologues" her first question will be, "Mommy, what's a monologue?"

Frequent Flyers Take Note

On Wednesday, Jet Blue held customers captive for up to 11 hours during storms on the East Coast Yahoo News :

"You gotta realize the frustration — you can look out the window and you can see, there's the gate, and if you let us off the plane, we can walk there," said Farrell, 48, of Brooklyn.

Onboard the planes, snack foods wore out their welcome, bathrooms became unpleasant and cabins sweltered, passengers said.

"They had to open the door every 20 minutes just so we could get air," said Sean Corrinet, 29, who was on a flight bound for Cancun, Mexico. It was delayed for at least eight hours, Baldwin said.

Now, I realize that weather is unpredictable and not the fault of the airlines, but airlines have to be forced to allow some "give" or flexibility into the system so that when these types of events occur, they are able to move assets around to free up gates or inject stand-by planes into the system. It is unacceptable to hold people captive on airplanes pushed away from gates for hours at a time. As a mother of a young child, I can imagine how difficult this must have been for parents with young children. If the airlines need to be forced to factor in this "give" factor by balancing it against compensation due to the "captives" then I am all for it.

Look, I know how airlines look at things - cost/benefit. If there is no cost involved in just holding people on a plane for 5,6,7,8,9,10, or 11 hours - they will do so in order to minimize pushes to and from the gate, plane occupancy at a gate, etc. But if they are forced to calculate a cost associated with holding customers - like free tickets, monetary compensation, etc., they will find better ways to deal with the inevitable weather-related delays. There has to be a cost on both sides of the ledger - cost to holding people on the plane AND cost to bringing people back to the gate. Also, let's think about those movable staircases - those have to be a cheap alternative to "blocked" gates.

So, to put the costs on both sides, Rep. Michael Thompson (D-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer are again considering a Passenger Bill of Rights. The last effort was scuttled in 1999 due to airline industry lobbying. The bill of rights would require, among other things, procedures for returning to a gate if a plane must sit on the tarmac for more than three hours. Airlines would also be required to respond to complaints within 24 hours and notify passengers of canceled flights, delays and diversions within 10 minutes.

You can help too by signing the petition at StrandedPassengers

Osama hearts Obama

John Howard - Australian PM said recently:

If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats.

Now I don't know how many times I've heard variations on this meme: We can't do x or y because that would make Osama happy.

Here's the thing - try to wrap your head around this concept: If there is a huge set of things that are good for America and Americans (like no corporate personhood and universal healthcare funded by taxes and paid maternity and paternity leave - just for example) and in that set there is a tiny, tiny, tiny subset of things which Osama also wishes for America, then so be it. I don't give a flyin' flip what Osama or Al-Qaeda want or wish for. America and Americans should not live their lives based on what Osama wants or doesn't want.

In addition to Bush-buddy Howard, conservative activist/writer Dinesh D’Souza argues in his book 'The Enemy at Home' (catchy title, huh?) that terrorists are right about the problems with the culture in the United States. Osama bin Laden and other dangerous Islamic radicals believe the U.S. is too secular, too permissive, too diverse, too free, and too tolerant. Yeah, that's why Osama attacked us - because we're too secular. So, you know, according to D'Souza and Falwell and others of that ilk, we better religion-up so Osama doesn't attack us again. Talk about caving to the demands of your enemy.

And again I say who gives a sh** what Osama wants or thinks? Whether Osama's beliefs sometimes coincide with the right (America is too permissive) or the left (America is too consumerist) Americans should fight for what we believe are important values in America regardless of whether Osama is for or against those values.

So, Osama, if you like Mr. Obama and I like Mr. Obama, then I say those two preferences are completely unrelated and in no way does your preference for Mr. Obama (should indeed that BE your preference) in any way affect my preference for Mr. Obama. I will exercise my American freedoms of speech, religion and thought without any reference to you whatsoever.

More Supporting the Troops Bush-style (i.e. cut VA funding)

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration plans to cut funding for veterans' health care two years from now — even as badly wounded troops returning from Iraq could overwhelm the system.

The proposed cuts are unrealistic in light of recent VA budget trends — its medical care budget has risen every year for two decades and 83 percent in the six years since Bush took office — sowing suspicion that the White House is simply making them up to make its long-term deficit figures look better.

"Either the administration is willingly proposing massive cuts in VA health care," said Rep. Chet Edwards (news, bio, voting record) of Texas, chairman of the panel overseeing the VA's budget. "Or its promise of a balanced budget by 2012 is based on completely unrealistic assumptions."

AP

I don't believe Bush lives in the same universe as I do. You see, in my universe, you have to use logic to understand an issue and decide what steps to take to resolve the issue. But in Bush-universe, apparently, you get to act like a little child who still believes that they can say "I want it, I want it, I want it!!" enough times and they will get what they want.

If you haven't seen pictures of the "wounded" (which is much to kind a word - I think they should say "burned", "blind", "amputee", etc. so people really know what's going on there) then you need to get out your google and have a look. This is being done in your name. And then these broken souls come back to the US and Bush is going to cheap out on their health care - all so we don't have to bother the rich by taxing them a few percent more.

Dinosaur farts and other congressional ruminations

From ThinkProgress

This week, Congress held its first hearing on the landmark IPCC report on climate change. That report concluded that global warming is “unequivocal” and human activity is the main driver, “very likely” causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950.

During the hearing, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) — one of the 87 percent of congressional Republicans who do not believe in man-made global warming — questioned the authors of the report about a period of dramatic climate change that occured 55 million years ago. “We don’t know what those other cycles were caused by in the past. Could be dinosaur flatulence, you know, or who knows?’

First of all, how can 87 percent of congressional republicans not believe in man-made global warming. I can understand a little hesitation - after all there're a few naysayers in every crowd. But 87 percent? Ignorance is not only not bliss - it's downright terrifying.

Secondly "dinosaur flatulence"? Really? You want to go there? I mean if you're saying that dinosaurs (and other plant and animal remains) decayed and their bodies after millions of years formed oil deposits; and if you're saying that we put oil by-products like gasoline into cars for energy; and if you're saying that the car is "eating" the gasoline and "farting" out the CO2 - then yes, I guess I can see how you would connect global climate change to "dinosaur farts" - but it's a hell of a stretch. What seems a little easier logic to follow is this -- Poor education system (caused by desires of capital to have a workforce trained enough for work but not trained enough for critical thinking) + congressional reps beholden to big oil for campaign contributions and other perks = a whole lot of hot air coming out of the Capital (and that ain't helping the global climate change any either).

They're after Elmo again

Perhaps we could tax Exxon-Mobile's insane profits a little more deeply so that we can ensure funding for PBS and NPR? Naw, that's silly. I'm sure gold-plated villas in the Caymans for the CEO and senior management are much better for the American economy than a generation of educated, kind, considerate children. But just in case...

From MoveOn

Subject: Save NPR and PBS once and for all

Hi,

President Bush just proposed drastic cuts to NPR and PBS. We've stopped similar cuts in the past, but enough is enough: With the new Congress, we can make sure this never happens again.

We need Congress to save NPR and PBS once and for all.

Can you help out by signing this petition to Congress? It's really easy—just click the link below:

Sign the Petition

Thanks!

In real news (Iraq) vs. media "news" (Anna Nicole)

Intelligence provided by former undersecretary of defense Douglas J. Feith to buttress the White House case for invading Iraq included "reporting of dubious quality or reliability" that supported the political views of senior administration officials rather than the conclusions of the intelligence community, according to a report by the Pentagon's inspector general.

Rather than having breathless reporting on Anna Nicole Smith, the mainstream media should be hammering the administration about what we're still doing in Iraq week after week even as damning evidence continues to show that we went to military action on bad faith (at best) and lies (at worst). WaPo

It strikes me that all of Clinton's nonsense in semantics was kindergarten play compared to this administration's brilliant use of obfuscation to say things like Feith's quote that his actions were "inappropriate" but not unlawful. "Inappropriate" must be such a comforting word to those serving this very minute in the nightmare that is Iraq. Meanwhile Doug sits in his comfy chair in his comfy Georgetown office peacefully ruminating on the degrees of difference between "inappropriate", "illegal" and "immoral".

WSJ

BEIJING -- For years, foreigners in China have delighted in the loopy English translations that appear on the nation's signs. They range from the offensive ("Deformed Man," outside toilets for the handicapped) to the sublime (on park lawns, "Show Mercy to the Slender Grass").

Just kind of tickled my funnybone. There's something endearing about bad translation - but I guess that can sound condescending. I don't mean it to be. I can't imagine how poorly I would translate something into Mandarin or Farsi or even French. Would that I could. But I do like to see the resulting attempts of others.

It reminds me of when my mom used to try to swear when I was a little kid. With her accent, and her discomfort with swearing generally, the results were more apt to provoke giggles than shock. I always remember "son of a b****" came out something like "sunny my beach". (h/t Kyna and https://Chinglish.de)

Hey Pork Industry - Get a Grip

Update: I can't believe a got a comment from Spocko himself. That is pretty cool. I can't believe he found his way to this little backwater blog. But it makes me feel good. Thanks Spocko
.

From: SoccerMomVote

I’ve been trying to sum this up on my own, but it’s just too preposterous. See, the National Pork Board thinks that nursing advocates like The Lactivist are in the business of “...promote[ing] the use of breastmilk beyond merely for infant consumption...”. They take umbrage with the following slogans, available on tee-shirts:

"The Other White Milk." "Dairy Diva," "Nursing, Nature's Own Breast Enhancement," "Eat at Mom's, fast-fresh-from the breast," and "My Milk is the Breast."

You may have noticed that the first one they mention is close to their piggy little hearts with a fantastic parody of their “Other White Meat” campaign. I’m guessing they threw in the other slogans so they wouldn’t look like preschoolers who just had their ball taken away and are throwing a massive hissy fit.

Personally, I'm going to go order me one of those t-shirts before the cease and desist kicks in. How ridiculous, and how typical of the big guys to go after the little guys when they know the little guys don't keep staffs of attorneys on retainer. It reminds me of Disney going after Spocko

US Sent PALLETS of cash into Iraq

Henry Waxman: "Who in their right mind would send 363 tons of cash into a war zone? But that's exactly what our government did," the California Democrat said during a hearing reviewing possible waste, fraud and abuse of funds in Iraq. Reuters

I don't know much about how to run a country after a military campaign, I'll admit. But sending hundreded of tons of CASH into a war zone seems like a really really bad idea. I never thought the US could be so inept at its implementation of this military campaign in Iraq, but it seems like if there was a bad way to do something, the military and/or bureaucrats in Iraq found a way to do it.

Aw, poor itty bitty congress babies

They're complaining about having to work 5 day weeks . My sympathy knows no bounds.

This is what you signed up for. I understand you have constituents in your home state - there are plenty of recesses in the congressional schedule. There is also mail, there are phones, there is email. I know you're accustomed to spending most of your week running around kissing the butts of special interest groups, but in actual fact, you signed up to be a legislator to all the people in your state - not just the ones who can give you large campaign contributions.

You need to be in Washington to legislate. If you don't like it, resign.

When I think of the parents with more than one job with small children and/or going to school, all without gold-plated pension and health benefits, the self-importance and yet insignificance of these legislators' "problems" really fry me.

Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales

As a new(ish) mom, I get to read a lot of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. I have to say, most of them, SUCK! They're about really mean people doing really crappy things. The fairy tales (aside from all the princess garbage ) have those evil stepmothers to contend with. What was the deal with 14th century stepmoms that they get such a bad rap in the fairy tale trade? And the nursery rhymes are beyond inane. I don't know what to make of them or how to explain them ("I don't know why the woman's living in a shoe sweetie. Perhaps if she'd spent less money designing a shoe that one can live in, she'd have a more sensible home with a little more space for all those kids."), so most of the time we read something more sensical - like stories about Foo-Foo the Snoo (better Dr. Seuss than the Brothers Grimm anyday). Anyway, here's a YouTube by Ricky Gervais on a couple of his favorites - Jack & Jill and Humpty Dumpty . Gervais is one of the few people on earth I'd pay money to go and watch. If he's coming to Seattle, let me know.

Violence Malfunctions

So we had a few friends over yesterday to watch the "big game." We learned that two-year olds don't give a flying fig about watching football (which is a good thing) but care tremendously about watching commercials for horrifying movies (very bad thing). Listen, broadcasters, I care much less about Janet Jackson's wardrobe "malfunction" than I do about showing disgusting and disturbing images during a prime-time sporting event. Catharine will live without nightmares after seeing Janet Jackson's nipple; but your airing of the images in the "Hannibal" ads, I really don't want those floating around in her brain. And, unlike a lot of folks who yap about "no sex or violence, no sex or violence!" I really don't care about showing "sex" (vs. sexism) on the tee-vee. But the violence part is getting out of hand. I don't know how many commercials I counted (and I was cooking so didn't get to watch most of them) where people were slapping/hitting each other. We preach about "using your words" and then show the whole country that, shucks, it's just a whole lot funnier and more effective to whap someone in the face to get a little attention. And commercials aren't really something where you "just watch something else" because the images come at you so quickly and without warning. So CBS, NBC, ABC, etc. how about a little more attention to the "violence" part of the "no sex or violence" mantra.

Military Equipment - MIA

Business Week reports on the (still!) woeful lack of equipment in Iraq. We're almost 4 years into this misguided military action, and we're still not supporting the troops in the field. This is beyond shameful.

"The Inspector General found that the Pentagon hasn't been able to properly equip the soldiers it already has. Many have gone without enough guns, ammunition, and other necessary supplies to "effectively complete their missions" and have had to cancel or postpone some assignments while waiting for the proper gear, according to the report from auditors with the Defense Dept. Inspector General's office. Soldiers have also found themselves short on body armor, armored vehicles, and communications equipment, among other things, auditors found."

Cheney preaches to America about "stomach" for the fight

Old "Five Deferment" has the gall to tell Americans we don't have the "stomach" for the military action in Iraq (from CNN). Listen up Dick, Americans have all the heart and mind and soul and stomach needed for a fight to preserve our way of life - when that threat is really to our way of life (i.e., the values enshrined in the Constitution) versus a fight to enrich you and your defense contractor donors. Next time you want to instruct others on the values of standing up for what you believe, you ought to try it for yourself first.

Scientists solicited (w/$10K) to contradict climate change science

Scientists and economists have been offered $10,000 each by a lobby group funded by one of the world's largest oil companies to undermine a major climate change report due to be published today.

Guardian

Nice, huh. When you don't like the science, just find someone who'll say what you want them to say - for money. I'm sure scientists as a group are good people - like most people as a group are good people. But, there're always a few people in any group who are willing to compromise ethics for money. And when you have as much money as Exxon-Mobile, spending money to find and pay off those scientists, isn't a problem. Especially if you can pay off in the tens of thousands and reap the benefits in the tens of millions as you keep just a few more people unconvinced about the dangers of climate change.

Words that Catharine says that I don't want to forget

Aunt Karen lives in "India Necklace" (Indianapolis)

Mommy works at Letter "C" Horse (Literacy Source)


I'm amazed at how many words she can remember. It seems like it's just too many and they'll crowd her head. But then I think of how many thousands of words an adult needs to know and I guess all that remembering has to start someplace.