Dream Team

In an appearance on Imus in the morning, Senator John Kerry used the phrase "I'm on it!" for assisting with the Liberator Status for the 94th Infantry. Prior to his appearance, Craig Crawford of Congressional Quarterly laid out the whole campaign for Don Imus on the popular syndicated show.

Now Senator Kerry's office has contacted Kathleen Cowley. Senator Kerry is coordinating the next appropriate actions with Senator Kennedy's office. Once more is known it will appear here. Let us hope it is possible to make this happen before Memorial Day. Any and all encouragement and kind words to Senators Kerry and Kennedy would be deeply appreciated.

THANK YOU GENTLEMEN

Comments from Kathleen Cowley

Liberator status for Patton's Boston Regiment made it on the airways today thanks to one of the nation's finest political journalists, Craig Crawford. He came on air and immediately told Imus "I've got a cause for you!" and went on to explain the unjust treatment of the 94th. He ended with an enthusiastic shout "Liberator status for Patton's Boston's Regiment!"

Imus graciously took up the cause and spoke with Sen. Kerry about it during his appearance. He went a step further and said that he would speak to Doug Brinkley. as well. Sen Kerry came on the air exclaiming Craig's phrase "Liberator status for Patton's Boston Regiment!" He told Imus that would most definitely look into it.

What a great debut. Don Imus. who among his other philanthropic efforts brought the Intrepid Soldiers Fund to national interest and raised millions of dollars. His support for a cause moves mountains.

Sen. Kerry is a long time advocate for Vets. His efficient staff contacted me shortly after the show and they are already working on the project.

Last but certainly not least, the ongoing and unwavering support of Sen. Kennedy, he and his staff's determination and resolve so that the 94th will receive Liberation status.

I thank you all from the bottom of my hearl for your efforts to put history to rights, so the efforts of the 94th Infantry Division and the victims of the Holocaust will be forever remembered.

Fighting City Hall

From now until it gets done or Memorial Day (whichever comes first), I will be working on a project described below in the Yom Hashoah post. Anyone wanting to follow along can check out the posts are Liberator Campaign.

Anyone who would like to yowl at the Congress Critter please feel free to pass along the website. We are working against the clock because of the age of the men of the WWII era 94th Infantry and the calendar of Memorial Day. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

Manic Monday - Warm

The instant I saw this week's word, my brain took a time travel trip and said, "Listen To The Warm" by Rod McKuen

"It doesn't matter who you love, or how you love, but that you love"
--Rod McKuen

Suddenly there I was in Northern California with a hippie brother in law and his friends camping out on the floors of our terribly middle class tract home and cooking their macrobiotic recipes in our kitchen while strange smells wafted from the smoke drifting in from the patio. They eventually finished hitch hiking their way to San Francisco where there just happens to be a street by the name of Stanyan.

Over the next few years, you couldn't go anywhere without seeing Rod McKuen's name on a book, on a record, being interviewed on TV, translating the work of Jaques Brell and having his songs sung by everyone from Glenn Yarborough to Frank Sinatra. I loved the poetry and the music and that mellow voice describing all sorts of intimacies among the shadows of blowing draperies across tumbled sheets of a well used bed. Romantics all over the world became more than a little overheated to the sound and words of Rod McKuen.

Imagine my surprise more than four decades later to find that Mr. McKuen is still writing, still performing, still traveling, and still rattling more than a few cages. What's more he has web pages and a bibliography which you can access through the link on his name above. As an alternative, you can just sit back and listen to the warm with a story about "A Cat Named Sloopy".



or "Jean" The Oscar nominated song written and performed by Rod McKuen for the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie



And last, the McKuen English lyrics to a beautiful Jaques Brel song
sung by Julio Iglesias - if you go away - ne me quitte pas

Earth Day Hangover

Photo Essay: 10 Environmental Challenges We've Got to Solve

This is a beautiful series of photographs on Foreign Policy Magazine that show the environmental challenges we face.