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:

Only one Shopping Day till Valentines Day, so all you guys, (and you too, Mary Cheney) better get on the stick and send Michelle or Anne whoever you fancy something extra special.
And Don't Send the same old boring flowers!  This year, why not send them something they'll truly love, like a hunky Vermin Teddy Bear.

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...

From Attaturk at Rising Hegemon.

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.

or Environmental News to Use.

Fun fact for the day...As "Green is the new black" in fashion these days, did you know that Henry Ford invented his own "soybean suit?"

Chromium cleanup standards stiffened. New Jersey has come up with a tough new standard for removing chromium waste from soil, three years after critics complained the agency had weakened cleanup standards for the toxic substance beyond safe levels. Newark Star-Ledger

Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means.

George Burns

Valentine's Day is nigh....  take some time to think of the one you love, a wife, husband, sweetheart, special friend..... a child, a partner... maybe even a fellow Kossack :>)

The following Valentines were animated by me using material I made or have been given permission to use.  Each individual graphic is a small file size, but the overall page may be slow to load for dial-up users.  You're welcome to make use of any of these......

Mail Call

What are you doing today?   How about taking the time to write a Valentine--and send it to one of our soldiers?

It's not surprising that mail call is one of the brightest spots in a soldier's life, when they're so far from home and in harm's way.  I know we are all unhappy with the person & policies that sent our service men & women abroad, but the soldiers themselves are doing the job they were sent to do in the best way they can.

Valentine cards for service members overseas need to be mailed by today to be sure of getting them delivered by Feb. 14, the Postal Service said.

"Cupid may have wings, but we have to rely on more conventional methods," said postal consumer advocate Delores Killette.

Tips for Military Valentines

If you don't have any personal contacts, AnySoldier.com helps connect you to service men and women.  Surf over to their Where to Send page to read personal messages and requests from individual soldiers.