I'm taking a break from my American Axle diaries today to bring you a different kind of labor story, a Mother's Day labor story.  I'm also hoping that the strike will be ending soon and I'm hoping that I'll get to post that info in the next 24 hours.  I've got my fingers crossed on this one.

Now, for Mother's Day and giving flowers.

Come on and join me after the flip:

So the Easley endorsement is finally out.

Blogged by CNN.

Call me crazy, but "pansy" seems a bit confrontational.  Maybe he should have chosen his words more carefully?

Most everyone here is familiar with Helen Thomas, a reporter who refuses to accept the propaganda spewed by the administration.  A grassroots effort to thank her for years of work has collected a good deal of money to send her flowers.

An article in the Independent from yesterday discusses yet another in a recent string of disturbing environmental phenomena: Apparently, flowers are losing their ability to produce an odor.

Pollution is dulling the scent of flowers and impeding some of the most basic processes of nature, disrupting insect life and imperilling food supplies, a new study suggests.

The study suggests that the principle culprit is auto emissions, and that the absense of odor may impede the ability of flowers to attract bees in order to pollinate them.

To those of use who have been worried about bees dying off due to an unexplained syndrome called Colony Collapse Disorder, a new study offers an interesting possible explanation: pollutants originating largely from car exhaust are interfering with the scent chemicals used by flowers to attract the bees.  

Or perhaps I'm an embittered one because I write about soaring food prices, organic farming vs the evils of Monsanto, impending catastrophes like a global shortage of water, the inanities and futility of wars so yes, I suppose I am an elitist since I care about our planet, as does the Senator from Illinois. The news we get in Europe from the US Primaries are somewhat farcical and anathema to our own expeditious political system: we elect a new head of State within weeks, not years. I would be the first one to concede that it may not be the best system either (look at the Italians, they've returned the gangster to power), but then again we don't have that much time to dwell on the avalanche of moronic pronouncements from the wingnuts ad infinitum. Ignore the clamoring repukes, elect Obama and get on with it. We are all elitists and proud to be!

As a fellow elitist, I'd like to report some news on the bees and the scent of flowers and why it's important politicians worldwide should take global warming seriously, not just paying lip service as many seem to do.

Yes.

The day has now arrived when Senator Obama begins explaining to all Americans that come November 2008 their choice will be Obama or McCain

Obama Casts Race Between Him, McCain

Why is this so important? ...

It was above freezing today and the wind wasn't vicious.  As I was going out to work at 8:40 a.m., and slipping across the ice (and when did I get a lake in my backyard?  Maybe I should give in and make it a pond, with waterlillies and goldfish?  Maybe I could have a skating rink, a small one, in the winters), I heard the very distinctive call of a cardinal in spring.  Wild and sweet.  

Ug bring you pretty rock.  Ug bring meat.  You cook meat and look at rock.  We have squeaky squeaky time now.  Happy Ug Day.  

The Irony of Valentine's Day is that so much of what we give as gifts are awash in pain and suffering. It does not have to be that way.

THE TOPICS:
In this diary I'll talk about possible gifts for your Valentines as well as alternatives, providing many options and further reading at your discretion. Among the topics included are:

♥ Flowers
♥ Non-Sweets
♥ Chocolate
♥ Coffee
♥ Doing Without
♥ Dinner & a Show
♥ Jewelry
♥ Wine
♥ How to find "Love" and support kossoks too

Part of how I ended up at dKos was finding out how Republican the grocery store Safeway was. I already despised Wal-Mart (and more with each new thing I discovered about them) but was still to discover just how neck-deep in Neo-Con they are.

Essentially, I didn't want another damn dollar of mine going to support Bushco keeping them in power. As Dr. Phil would say:

(Courtesy of Ridikulous Rangerz News Service)

    Life at the "Koswork Orange" has suddenly become more brutal, insiders say, as frontpager SusanG "Il Suce" has been promoted to Kos Jr. status.
    In her terrifying orange-starred military uniform, Kos' new copilot drilled her terrified fellow frontpagers into attention, with the help of her stormtrooper "Repressive Rangers" squad. "mcjoan, put on that sunflower uniform! We're gonnah have a little SHOW here! ...Hunter, squeeze into that daisy costume, NOW!!

    They don't call me the GARDENER for nothing!! HA HA HA HA HA! HAHAHAHA!!!

   HAAAAAAA!!!"

OK, if you read nothing else in this diary, please read this: Al Gore's not running! I know that. I'm cool with that. So if some &#@! leaves a comment along those lines they deserve thirty days in the Daily Kos Stockade because that's not what this diary is about! I say that because I wrote a diary yesterday that was not about Al Gore running for president but you'd never know that by many of the comments. No, the diary was about my receiving an email from an organization that was hitting me up for money, yesterday to put Al on the ballot in California. Please follow just a little more down below...

Today Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer announced that they would support Mukasey.  This is an unbelievable act of craven submission and there is no rationale that can excuse them.  Time and again the election of 2006 is being disregarded and concerned Democrats are feeling incredible frustration at how they can express their dismay at these acts of craven submission.  Emails, faxes, calls are being made and should be made.  This news was part of the Friday 'newsdump,' and there is concern that by Monday it will be forgotten.  Something dramatic has to be done!  And done NOW!

I have a suggestion.  What does the community think of the following?  If we pooled our resources and sent as many funeral arrangements as we could afford, to arrive at Feinstein's and Schumer's office on Capitol Hill on Monday morning, we would be taking a novel step which would visibly demonstrate our sentiments that this type of submission represents the DEATH of the spirit of this nation.  The novelty of this act of protest would also be newsworthy.  It is a way to take 'the Establishment' by surprise.

Join me below the fold, and please share your ideas for a novel and newsworthy way to make our fury known....

My Mom has alzheimers.

So do millions of Americans who are still eligible to vote.

Have you ever wondered who they'll vote for?

Santa Claus?

The Easter Bunny?

Just before Valentine's Day, there are two distict types of people. Those who have already found gifts for their honey, and those who are still wondering if they can at this late date.

This diary is for the latter.

doink doink

   
Real info about flowers and arrangements after the fold...

Last Monday, after the Superbowl, Bill in Portland Maine reminded me about the Mars candy bar family with his diary.

I'd already been avoiding Mars, Inc for a number of reasons mostly for being one of the 18 families behind the Estate Tax Repeal who are conning us with astro-turf groups, lobbying and campaign donations among other things.

Then, a diary on Saturday heavily featured Godiva chocolates owned by Campbell's, another of the 18 behind the push to repeal of the estate tax.

There's this big holiday coming up. If you haven't figured it out yet I'd like to introduce some products with ideals we share to break the chains of Republican companies that don't need our gold to finance politics against us.

Slip into something more comfy then follow me into my boudoir for some ideas that may help you hold onto your values while expressing the value you hold for the special people in your life.

A friend of mine who now lives in Michigan asked me to post this here for her.

First, here is part of what she wrote to me:

For those of you who don't know, Mike Rogers is an up-and-coming Republican congressman from my district [Ed. Note:  Michigan's 8th District].  He's a favorite of the Bush White House because he supports nearly everything the President pushes through (including permission to torture enemy combatants).  I participated in the demonstration at his office a few weeks ago, and it was inspiring to see so many people from all walks of life delivering flowers to him.  I know it had an impact.  I was there when a huge arrangement was sent from Australia, too---it was really thrilling.  Even if you don't live in my district, please consider mailing a flower drawing (see points #3 & 4).  And if you have a similar situation with your representatives, I recommend this strategy highly.

Senator Maria Cantwell's triumphant effort to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not go unrecognized. The tenacity for which she put into this critical environmental issue is so commendable that I feel that she deserves the same outpouring of support that we gave Barbara Boxer last year. If Boxer got roses, maybe Cantwell should get Forget-Me-Nots, which dot the Arctic Refuge's plain and also is Alaska's state flower.

Who agrees with me?