And now for something completely different…

I just finished watching “En la Cama,” a surprisingly good chick-flick starring Blanca Lewin and Gonzalo Valenzuela. Instantly downloadable on Netflix. Not rated but definitely not for the kiddo’s — too much belly slapping going on… and too much pillow talk for most guy’s tastes. It made a couple hours fly by and I felt a twinge in my chest when it ended. Good night.

A Confidence Game

Well, this has been an interesting week. I have been closely watching the news for weeks and have seen a huge trend towards mainstream media carrying stories which would have been downplayed (censored?) a short while earlier. Of course I haven’t yet seen a major American news source giving much attention to PIMCO’s bond guru Bill Gross calling the United Kingdom’s bonds a “…must to avoid,” in his February, 2010 article called “The Ring of Fire.” Perhaps this is because the United States is sitting very near the U.K. on his cute little flaming ring diagram.

But at least there are some willing to rightly debunk the announced 5.7% increase in our gross domestic product, including Dr. Doom himself, Nouriel Roubini, in this article I found at Bloomberg.com

I credit David Walker’s explanations about the slippery slope we are on with our national debt for making me wake up to pay attention to all of this. It’s not fun to read about but I am glad I did so. Now, when I read news stories I am detecting a stench of angst and fear from our leaders. President Obama’s announcements this weekend about how our deficit “…could damage our markets, drive up our interest rates, and jeopardize our recovery right now,” and his desire to make permanent the federally subsidized “Build America Bonds” which were recently created to help states and municipalities get money to pay their bills, carry the same odour. Keep in mind that this was needed because there were not enough shoppers for bonds willing to buy the bonds at a cheap enough rate to not harm the states’ and cities’ budgets.

I remember my surprise when I learned that a “con man” or a “con game” was derived from “confidence” and that it meant that someone gained your confidence in order to take advantage of you. My limited study of history has, nonetheless, taught me that propaganda, whether from ancient Greeks, revolutionary Tom Paine or Nazi Martin Bormann, is widely used to manipulate public sentiment to achieve the government’s goals. I am beginning to see that this game is being played right now, and with stakes that are incredibly high.

Good night and good luck, America.

Homeschooling with Monty Python’s Flying Circus

I am just too lucky — Yes, it is true, we really are watching episode 29 of Monty Python and laughing so hard I might wet myself. Whew!

Netflix instant downloads are great… I am so glad we dumped regular TV service years ago. Okay, back to the outrage.

Kristin

My first list

quiet frogs, gentle air, sore, tired puppies nearby.

pulling together, loving one another, accepting, steadying.

smiling through the tears, saying honest words.

whispering hope and glimpsing the light.

steady, strong, pissed off, fierce, focused mommas that we are.

and then again… quiet frog song…. night sounds…. peace…. the sweet smell of our children’s hair….. a sigh….  rest.

More photos from our first week in France

Okay, I know I am horribly behind in posting photos but I will keep posting anyway

Our hosts in Saint-Feliu-d’Avall, Nathalie and Jose, also took us to a beautiful medieval Catalan castle and village near their home. The photos which follow give just a glimpse of the rugged beauty of the area: