A very moving story

Let us all pledge to do what we can to support more enlightenment on this issue in the New Year:

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

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Something to remember

Quite amazing

Here's the description from Pundit Kitchen:

"This cross-stitch above was done in 1941 by Major Alexis Casdagli in a Nazi prisoner of war camp, just like it says. What it doesn’t say is that the dots and dashes inside the border around the swastikas and Soviet hammer and sickles are Morse code for “God save the King,” and “F**k Hitler.” I never thought I would say this about needlework, but, badass."

And you can read more about it in The Guardian right here.
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Headline of the day

It's from the Grist publication:

Top 10 clean energy stories of 2011

I was particularly intrigued with this piece of information:

"Solar stunner: America is a $1.9 billion exporter of solar products."

That strikes me as very good news, indeed.
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The Sojourners quote of the week

Right here:

"We can't afford another lost generation of people that don't complete high school. We are really trying to figure what is the next strategy with various systems that interact with children." 

- Leslie Strnisha, senior program director of a foundation run by the Sisters of Charity that started a Promise Neighborhood in Cleveland, one of more than twenty programs modeled on the Harlem Children's Zone
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This sums things up rather nicely:

Tragic but probably true:

Down with ignorance

Check this out:

12 Dozen Places To Educate Yourself Online For Free

Really, this is a staggeringly wonderful resource.
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In honor of this day!

"True joy results when we become aware of our connectedness to everything."

-- Paul Pearsall

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Santa's workshop

Apparently this video is a bit on the old side but the principles still remain. PLEASE don't shop at Wal-mart, people! I have great-nieces and great-nephews and I make a point of buying hand made toys that I order from individual shops on Etsy. In many cases they are not any more expensive than the cheap stuff you get from China.

"Sometimes we have no choice, we work till dawn. When you work all night you become dizzy and your eyes hurt because you can't take any breaks."


SANTA'S WORKSHOP takes you to the real world of China's toy factories. Workers tell us about long working hours, low wages, and dangerous work places. Those who protest or try to organize trade unions risk imprisonment. Low labor costs attract more and more companies to China. Today more than 75% of our toys are made in China. But this industry takes its toll on the workers and on the environment.


The European (and American) buyers blame bad conditions on the Chinese suppliers. But they say that increasingly hard competition gives them no option. Who should we believe? And what can you do to bring about a fairer and more humane toy trade?

A mother's Christmas longing

Oh, my goodness, people. This is so very moving:

A Christmas Letter to My Gay Son

Here is an excerpt:

There is only one gift I want to give you this year. I have wanted to give it to you for many years. I have tried in every way possible to find a way to give it to you. It would bring me the greatest joy of all. How do I give you equality? How do I give you back the years you have missed 'not being equal' in this world?"

The entire letter is short. Please do click through and read it.

Dear people, there is not much that moves me to tears these days. But this letter did it. Oh, yes. This letter reached me in a deep place.

May it do so for each of you.
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Read some place...

I did not know this:

"Reagan quit smoking easily, which can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease."


I found it here.
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This is really, really good:

My dear friend, David of Montreal, sent me this:

This is so very true: