I'm just back from Ohio and Pennsylvania where I visited family and got lots of hugs and peace (NO email checks -- yet to be done and it is still being avoided on this, my last day of vacation). Seeing the news, I saw little coverage on Iraq -- a few sentences so I will quote Marquise, WTF!?! It is like it doesn't exist except perhaps on the periphery, until someone in the area gets killed. Yet we know that without Iraq we would have more money and more National Guard and its supplies to assist in the rescue efforts and cleanup following Hurricane Katrina. Which reminds me, Bill Schorr has a great cartoon in AM-New York, a couple with kids and dog on the roof, surrounded by water, "Y'know...I haven't thought about Brad and Angelina in days..." At least the disaster (brought on certainly in a major part by Bush's Global Warming, see Ross Gelbspan's site) is getting attention. Terrible. Awful. But at least it is news and not celebrity gossip.

Life in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as least as my extended family sees it, includes little on Bush's war, yet its ramifications are felt by their people, at the gas pump, at work, on the family budget and much et cetera. But they aren't told that by media -- ah, no! Forget the war, forget the devastation there. But hey, now we have Bush's devastation HERE in the US of A, Meanwhile, Cindy Sheehan leaves Camp Casey to carry her message far and wide. Maybe some of it will touch the hearts of those in Ohio and Pennsylvania -- if they are allowed to hear it.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Last night's candlelight vigil outside NBC was one of over 1500 vigils in support of Cindy Sheehan and her loving peace work at Camp Casey, in Crawford, Texas, by Bush's ranch. I will post more as the day wears on, but in the meantime check out my other blog Peace Hugs.

Now, I am placing my America Stands with Cindy sign in my window and am sending positive energy to my vigil friends, especially Colleen Primrose and Thomas Gallagher and am leaving for work to keep my boss happy :-)

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

I am all for information and ACTION. Just in case you haven't been getting all the emails about Iraq war victim Casey Sheehan's mother that some of us have been getting and have not been listening to Thom Hartmann [stream his latest great progressive radio show, which continuously re-plays, at the link visible at http://www.whiterosesociety.org/Hartmann.html when you scroll down past the absurdly big Barnes and Noble ad -- Friday's show was terrific with Rep. Bernie Sanders and you should have until Monday at noon to listen to it -- or beg me to send you a CD containing my downloaded copy.] or Air America Radio (Randi, Mark and Mark, Jerry, Laura, Rachel [my latest AARadiofavorite -- go to http://maddowonline.com to stream her latest show] Al, Mike, RFK, Jr., Pap -- everyone talks about Cindy), I am providing some links to more info on Cindy Sheehan, currently at Camp Casey outside the Bush family ranch (which used to be a pig farm, fyi). Visit Cindy's site at http://www.meetwithcindy.org for ideas on how you can help. I contacted NY Senators Chuck and Hillary and my congressional rep Joe Crowley -- their offices, reachable via the congressional switchboard toll free at 877-762-8762 -- to ask them to support Cindy's efforts. Also call the White House comment line 202-456-1111. Tell them you want to know what the "noble cause" is that Cindy's son and too many others have died for in Iraq. Read Cindy's blog at the Daily Kos at http://cindysheehan.dailykos.com/user/CindySheehan. More info is also available at Gold Star Families for Peace -- http://gsfp.org and After Downing Street -- http://www.afterdowningstreet.org

As Cindy wrote:

1) We want our loved ones sacrifices to be honored by bringing our nation's sons and daughters home from the travesty that is Iraq IMMEDIATELY, since this war is based on horrendous lies and deceptions. Just because our children are dead, why would we want any more families to suffer the same pain and devastation that we are.

2) We would like for him to explain this "noble cause" to us and ask him why Jenna and Barbara are not in harm's way, if the cause is so noble.

3) If George is not ready to send the twins, then he should bring our troops home immediately. We will demand a speedy withdrawal.

There is also a wonderful commercial showing on Crawford Texas TV which you can link to from KOS -- http://www.dailykos.com, too, if you have QuickTime.

All of this is so amazing: a Gold Star mother in the right place at the right time. She goes down with 5 friends for a small action with an unoccupied press corp stationed nearby waiting for Bush to make a move. They notice her and -- voila! I'm even reading about her on page 3 in a little Vermont newspaper while on vacation. (Another story - later.) A whole bunch of folks have joined her now -- but the trolls and neo-cons and their self-righteous ilk will be down there in Texas (and on the web and their phones) torturing her at the behest of Rush and Bill, too, so whatever YOU can do will be MUCH appreciated.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne