Leading ladies...

California's Ellen Tauscher (D), representing California's 10th district, merits my first Steady Hand award for her continued support of GLBT civil rights culminating in her introduction of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283) calling for the end to "Don't ask, don't tell". Rep. Tauscher has garnered a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign for her unwavering committment to civil liberties.
Ellen Tauscher was born in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University. She began her career on Wall Street and at the age of 25 became the youngest female member of the American Stock Exchange at that time.
She moved to California and became pro-active in child care issues and in the Democratic party. She chaired Dianne Feinstein's successful 1994 Senate campaign. In 1996 she won her first election to the House of Representatives besting two-term Republican Bill Baker.
In Congress, she chairs the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and sits on several other committees under the Committee on Armed Services umbrella. She also sits on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Rep. Tauscher's brand of moderate ideological politics is distinctive enough that TIME magazine named it "Tauscherism".
In early March this year Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, offered Ms. Tauscher the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security and on March 18, she announced her acceptance of that position. She clearly is a woman who stands on firm ground and she will be a valuable asset to our foreign policy team.
To learn more about this leading lady, go here.

Deja vu all over again?

When I read about JPMorgan Chase's plan to buy two Gulfstream 650 planes and upgrade a luxury hangar for them to park in for about $138 million, I couldn't help but think about Ronald Reagan. Much to the delight of his fellow Republicans, he liked to talk about the "welfare queens" some of who allegedly used food stamps and then went outside the store and drove home in new Cadillacs. Now I need someone to explain to me the difference between those mythic ladies and these corporate cheeses who accept billions ($25 billion in this case) of dollars from taxpayers and then fly home in executive jets? Ever since Secy. Paulson opened up the All You Can Spend Buffet at the Treasury Department, these corporations have not only eaten their fill, they are now feasting on rich desserts. When will corporate diabetes kick in? It is obvious these people have no shame thus any sympathy I might have for my fellow travelers down life's path, will not be wasted on those whose genetic makeups don't even understand the words "fair", "share", "empathy", or "equality". Go to hell, you greedy bastards you.

BFF or wham bam thank you man?

As one whose life has seen a lot of closures recently, I have been pondering a lot of issues, including the nature of friendships. I found the following article which helped point my thoughts in a positive direction - toward that steady ground I seek.
This article by Valerie Reiss of Holistic Living includes a phrase so illuminating to me; "There's something about betrayal or abandonment in friendship that often feels harsher than that of a lover." That tells me I am not alone and also teaches me that all friends, no matter how fleeting, have influence and impact upon my life. It is then up to me to choose whether any insight gained be positive or negative.

Crashing back to earth...

It always happens when you elevate something or someone to a height almost impossible to achieve. I saw that with some of Hillary Clinton's supporters and I did it myself with the promising 3 year old colt, Mr. Fantasy. Readers of this blog know I touted him as the next big thing in horse racing. I was completely blown away by his first two starts as I watched him blow away his competition. What I ignored this past Saturday was not only the level of that competition, but the level and fitness of the horses he faced in the Grade III $250,000 Gotham Stakes, run at Aqueduct yesterday.
The race speaks for itself. What you can't see is that Mr. Fantasy was a late May foal and is not even 3 years old. While disappointing, he did not disgrace himself in his first start in a major graded stakes beating 3 of the 4 stakes winners entered in the race. If his jockey hadn't eased up on him, he would have finished second. The winner, I Want Revenge, had just come off two close losses in Grade 1 stakes to the Kentucky Derby favorite, Pioneer of the Nile, and lived up to his quality running a freak-type race himself winning off by over 8 in a fast time. Revenge and Fantasy will meet again in the Wood Memorial and I expect a much more competitive race this time as clearly Mr. Fantasy needed the Gotham to move him forward. I just have to deal with the fact that he is only human, er, I mean, equine.

God is a misogynist...

At least according to Colorado state senator Scott Renfroe, a Republican, who railed against a bill granting same-sex benefits to state employees. This is from the Colorado Independent - "The bill, which also came under fire from Focus on the Family in an advertising campaign last week, roused Renfroe to pull out a Bible and thump it during debate Monday. After first establishing that God created Eve to be Adam’s “helper,” Renfroe explained why he opposed extending health care benefits to gay and lesbian partners of state employees."
Further skewing the Lord's will, Sen. Renfroe went on to compare homosexuals to murderers "I’m not saying (homosexuality) is the only sin that is out there. Obviously we have sin — we have murder, we have, we have all sorts of sin, we have adultery, and we don’t make laws making those legal, and we would never think to make murder legal. But what I’m saying that for is that all sin is equal".
After Prop 8 and the backing away from recalling "don't ask; don't tell" this kind of BS has got to stop before gays end up in detention camps. This is the 21st century and men and women of good conscience have got to step up and do something to put an end to this hatred of fellow Americans who pay taxes, serve silently in the military, prop up the economy and provide many services including hairdressers, interior decorators and even construction workers. Senator Renfro needs to be covered in an avalanche of outraged email and phone calls. Let's stop procrastinating and do something about this now. For God's sake.

SCOTT RENFROE
Colorado State Senator, District 13
Office Location: 200 E. Colfax
Denver, CO 80203
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4451
E-mail: scott.renfroe.senate@state.co.us

Absolutely fabulous....

Four score and eight years ago, my grandparents introduced the world to a beautiful baby girl they named Elsie Louise. As one can see, she is still beautiful, not to mention smart, charming, hardworking, curious, optimistic and a wonderful mother. Mom has been raising kids with love for over seven decades without complaining or ever quitting. She is giving and forgiving almost to a fault; she is caring and has the ability to see the brightness at the end of even the longest darkest tunnels. My momma is the eighth wonder of the world to me. She possesses uncommon common sense and has an innate ability to see the diamond in the coal. I can remember driving past a house with her where the front yard was strewn with toys and empty soda and beer cans along with an old car being rebuilt. I said "What a mess!", to which she replied "I don't know; they look like they are having a lot of fun to me". She keeps me grounded and I love her as much as love exists in the universe.
Abe Lincoln would be honored to share his birthday with a woman of her stature.
Happy birthday Mom. I look forward to sharing many more and attending Kayla's graduation with you by my side. A dear friend said your were fabulous; she was absolutely right. Big kisses; big hugs. Don't eat all the truffles.

Hoof hearted...

Late last month, the thoroughbred world held their annual Eclipse awards ceremony honoring race horses in different categories. Curlin became the first consecutive winner of Horse of the Year since Cigar,

easily beating out the Kentucky Derby winning three year old champion colt Big Brown and undefeated champion race mare, Zenyatta. Curlin and Big Brown are off to the breeding shed while Zenyatta will race again this year.
Missing an award was a wonderful mare named Pepper's Pride,pictured above, who ended her career after reeling off 19 consecutive victories to retire undefeated. The 19 in a row easily eclipsed Cigar's 16 win run as a modern day record. Pepper will go visit two time Breeder's Cup Classic winner, Tiznow. Things could get spicy.....
My favorite horse from the past year was a New York bred son of Crusader Sword named Tin Cup Chalice. Tinny won 6 of 8 races, including the Grade 2 Indiana Derby over Pyro, with a second and a understandable out of the money finish in the Japan Dirt Cup run backwards and a half a world away. He is a gelding so the mares are safe and we get to watch him run again this year and hopefully several more as well. Making news last Sunday was the colt, Mr. Fantasy, who freaked a field of his peers by nearly 9. Mr. Fantasy is a half-brother to Tin Cup Chalice, both out of the Spectacular Bid mare,Twice Forbidden, dam also of stakes winner, Don Corleone. Mr. Fantasy is undefeated after two monster efforts winning off by over 10 in his first start and is generating a lot of buzz.