Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Archive for April 2013

Glory in Doom: Steve Earle, Ben McCulloch, and the Battle of Pea Ridge

The Battle of Pea Ridge was among the largest and most decisive U.S. Civil War battles fought west of the Mississippi River. For two days, over 26,000 soldiers clashed in northwestern Arkansas in a battle that would decide the fate of Missouri. Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch, a prominent figure in Texas history, perished in the fighting at Leetown, sparking a series of disasters that ensured Union control of a vital strategic hub for the remainder of the war.

McCulloch Falls

Andy Thomas, Two Generals Die, oil on canvas, Pea Ridge National Military Park, Pea Ridge, Arkansas.

Immortalized in a song by Steve Earle, McCulloch’s story and many connections to some of the most significant events in American history well illuminate the trials of young and growing nation who came to be at war with itself.  

They Are Hungry Every Day

This morning I helped fix food to serve about 150 people for lunch. Here is the menu:

Roasted chicken thighs

Baked beans

Lettuce salad with fresh tomatoes, carrots, celery

Peas and cheese salad

Cottage cheese

Peach crisp

Buttered rolls, white or wheat

Beverage

Six days a week, volunteers prepare, serve, and clean up lunch for 100 or more people. The counts have run high recently, with well over 100 stopping in for this free meal.

For many of the customers, this is the only meal they get for the day. Many of them fill their plates, and once the line is opened for “seconds,” they come through again.

The food quality is high, the service is friendly, and the price is… astoundingly high. Though patrons do not pay a penny for their meals, the circumstances that lead them to the free lunch program take a tremendous toll.

Long-term unemployment and underemployment, medical expenses, mental health problems, education expenses, and other issues all lead community members to the free lunch line. They are veterans, they are students, they are retirees, they are working poor. They are hungry, and people gotta eat.  

Hill Country Ride for AIDS – more about what your money does

So I wrote one diary about what your money does, here. And here’s a picture of me with our then-director, the year I was top fundraiser (not that that’s a hint): top fundraiser, top fundraiser

I thought I’d tell y’all some more things your donations do. Of course, if you’re already convinced this is a good cause, you can go straight to  my Hill Country Ride for AIDS page and donate. Also – with 3 weeks to go, the Ride as a whole has only raised 21% of the goal. This is money that, as you will see, goes directly to help people. Research is great, but feeding people who need it is better; counseling for families affected by HIV is needed, helping with rent or legal aid — all of these help real people, right now.

Did you know that only one third of all HIV-infected people get anti-retroviral therapy? I didn’t. What if everyone who needed it could get it? How much better off would we all be?

The Daily F Bomb, Friday 4/5/13

Interrogatories

What is the best gift you ever received? What song/book/movie or other title best describes your life right now? What is the last movie/TV show or story that made you cry? With Spring getting ready to spring, what is your favorite spring flower? What did you learn in grade school that you learned was wrong in college?

The Twitter Emitter

Thursday Coffee Hour: Stonehenge and Other Stone Circles

(Cross Posted from Street Prophets)

Welcome to Thursday Coffee Hour. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you and what’s on your mind. Stonehenge and other stone circles have fascinated mankind since they were first discovered. There have been many different theories on why they were built. One of the prominent theories is they were used in astronomy and tracking the sun in order to know when to plant. I frequently use them in my artwork.

The Daily F Bomb, Thursday 4/4/13

Interrogatories

Do you think we’ll get flying cars in your lifetime? Do we really want them? Sports fans, who are your teams (any sport)? Are or were you athletic? What athletics or sports were you best at? Is the Designated Hitter really an abomination?

The Twitter Emitter

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