Something about this morning made me miss Carrie. Just starting to be cool outside, lots of sitting around, drinking coffee. The sort of weekend morning I used to spend with her; both of us sitting in the living room, watching too much food network and animal planet, periodically announcing that we really must start our homework...as soon as the next show was over.

I appreciate the fact that Atrios titled his entry with this pic "7 Men Smile and Laugh as They Take Control of Your Uterus." I agree that partial-birth abortions are horrific, but this Act is truly scary, is the first time legislation has been passed completely banning any sort of abortion since Roe v. Wade, and at least the fuckers could treat the moment with the weight and seriousness it deserves!

My, but that Nicky does have a way with words. Reminds me of that Vic Thrill show on a boat in NY.

What?! Is this really true? Why would Bush ban this ceremony? (from Cnn):

"The scene so familiar to older Americans -- of the military honor guard in white gloves, respectfully accompanying from the aircraft to the waiting loved ones the remains of the fallen warrior in the coffin covered by Old Glory, often with a military band offering an appropriately solemn piece -- was simply banned. George W. Bush's war against Iraq could not flunk the Dover test because there would be no Dover test."

The Dover test was named by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hugh Shelton; it was how he phrased determining if both the American government and the American people could support sending troops into combat:

"Is the American public prepared for the sight of our most precious resource coming home in flag-draped caskets into Dover Air Force Base in Delaware -- which is a point entry for our Armed Forces?"

He may have phrased this question recently (early 2000), but the ceremony has been going on at least since WWII. And I don't think some sort of administrative BS about time or manpower could really excuse omitting this ceremony, since America managed to pull it off during previous wars, with higher death tolls. I realize there are larger, more important issues one could attempt to fix at this point...but how could an administration that claims such patriotism, such love and respect for soldiers, ban such an emotional ceremony? As Mark Shields so eloquently puts it,

"By official government policy, there is no band to welcome them home. No honor guard to present the folded flag to their widow and orphan, to make certain the family knows that their loss is also their country's loss, that they do not weep alone. It is a cruel and ugly policy that robs the patriot of the glory and public honor he has earned and deserves."

I spent a good portion of this evening zoning out from my homework and composing various blog entries in my head. But they all seemed...inappropriate...or something. After Saturday's post. Like I put this thing out there, and now it's just sitting there...and there needs to be some sort of closure before I can justify moving on to other, lighter topics. Which makes sense, since I'm trying to find some sort of closure. I'm still trying to sort out how I feel about Anne's death. I'm sad...but sometimes I don't think I'm very justifiably sad. Like I'm convincing myself that I'm sadder than I am as an excuse for being unable to focus on work. I suppose my mixed up feelings stem from lack of recent contact with Anne. I haven't seen her in over 5 years...but I have these really lovely nostalgic memories of her from my childhood. She and Karen have been together about as long as my parents, so I've known Anne for as long as I've known my Aunt. Anne had this really lovely singing voice, a sort of hard work, classically-trained type of voice. And she was always singing. She'd just open her mouth and this beautiful sound would come out. While cooking, while paddling out on the river in her canoe...she was the rational half of the relationship. Growing up, Karen was always the "cool" relative, the one closest to being a kid. The one who would organize entire days around eating chocolate. Anne was the one who would make sure Brad and I came back alive from visiting the two of them in Boston. She used to be married, had two kids before coming out of the closet. Since her daughter died of aids 10 years ago, Anne and Karen have been raising Anne's grandson. Little Indigo, sitting next to Anne, learning how to strum a guitar while Anne worked the fingering...I don't know what else to say