Coreopsis Crescendo

Tickseed is the common name for Coreopsis, although we've never heard it called that. It's native to North, Central, and SouthAmerica. The name is derived from the Greek word koris, meaning Bedbug. Ick!

Once it gets going, Coreopsis just won't stop blooming, and is a pleasant oasis of yellow in the LipsYard perennial bed.

Living in very Republican Waukesha County, WI, is part of what fuels this blog's rants on the right. At times it can feel like a lonely position in it's own oasis, but with the publication of today's Mukwonago Chief, we now know that we're not alone!

Last weeks editorial page featured a "Best of the Blogs" column, featuring this little gem:

We are a nation of idiots because...
By Amy L. Geiger-Hemmer
Wednesday,
Jul 2 2008, 09:25 AM
- what other civilized, modern country would sit on it's own vast reserves of oil during an energy crisis? Gas is at $4 plus per gallon. Everyone is complaining, of course. Yet every solution to the problem is shot down. No drilling, no new oil refineries, no wind turbines, no nuclear power plants. And then the usual suspects blame Bush. This is not President Bush's fault. The American people are to blame - for electing a group of politicians - mainly liberals - who continue to block and dismiss any energy solution that may help alleviate this major problem.
- we allow more and more government intrusion in our lives without standing up and declaring "no"!!! Now we have our government telling us what kind of light bulbs we will be required to buy in the future. What kind of gas we must use. That people who own their own tavern or bar business must keep their establishment smoke-free? Government has gotten out of hand and we are going along like sheep.
- because we cannot pray to God, cannot trust in God and cannot post the Commandments in government buildings, but the government and it's employees are allowed to participate in Easter and Christmas holidays???
- we give illegal aliens as much in social security as those who work as legal citizens? Thank you Senators Kohl and Feingold...
- because we bend over backwards to make prisons comfortable for terrorists and we allow terrorists as many rights as we have?
- some believe that President Bush and Vice President Cheney are personally responsible for every natural disaster that has occurred on our planet.
- the state of Wisconsin continues to ignore the rights of it's citizens to carry concealed weapons.
- the state of Wisconsin continues to support cheating at election time by failing to put into law Voter ID requirements.
- we use corn for gas and are now finding food shortages as well as higher prices on most goods due to the foolish ethanol mandate. Politicians need to admit when they are wrong.
- an extreme liberal like Barack Obama, with little to no experience in government matters could be our next President. Obama's socialist agenda should scare everyone and in a sane world he would have been out of the race months ago if the mainstream media had actually done their jobs....
- and finally, we are a nation of idiots because some of us don't appreciate what a great country the United States of America is. Where else would anyone want to live?

This week's Chief "Your Letters" column featured a very un-Waukesha County reply:

Best of Blogs - Really?
by I. Rixmann of Mukwonago

If Amy L. Geiger-Hemmer's blog is considered by the Chief to be "Best of
the Blogs," what, then, would qualify as an "average one?"
Frankly, this blog (including the sophomoric title "We are a nation of
idiots becase...") is one of the least sophisticated partisan hatchet jobs I've
read in a long time. Sure, your publication, generally speaking, caters to a
moderate to conservative readership, but couldn't you find a blogger who is a
little more "fair and balanced?" Or go out on a limb and concurrently publish a
liberal blogger's musings?
...the topics mentioned in the blog (price of oil, climate change, the Iraq
war, illegal immigration, the presidential race, etc.) deserve more brain-based
and less gut-based analysis and commentary. For instance, to my knowledge no
person of intelligence has ever suggested that President Bush or his government
are directly responsible for recent natural disasters; it is fair, though, to
remind the readers that in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, one of the
arguably least competent FEMA directors in recent history was patted on the
shoulder by our president and told that he was doing a "heck of a job" in aiding
the suffering and dying storm victims along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Likewise, our
current administration still does not see too alarmed by the fact that the
United States continues to have by far the highest per capita CO2 output in the
world, which puts us in a bad position when trying to convince India and China
to curb their carbon emissions.
And then there is Ms. Geiger-Hemmer's claim that "we cannot pray to God,
cannot trust in God..." Are we talking about the same country? The United States
is among the most God-fearing, church-going nations in the Western Hemisphere.
Does she have any evidence of people here being told not to pray in their homes,
houses of worship, private schools, while jogging?
Finally, Ms. Geiger-Hemmer implies that only idiots would vote for Barack
Obama, who she tags as an "extreme liberal." Given the exploits of the Bush
administration (weak economy, record-low dollar, record high oil and food
prices, damaged reputation around the globe, hugely expensive and inconclusive
military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, healthcare costs spiraling out of
control...) what would it make a person who is considering voting for the
Republican candidate, John McCain this November? A deluded optimist?

It's refreshing to know we're not the only Blue house in a Red county!