Hurricane Gustav

Keep track via NOAA's Hurricane Center & National Geographic News. Make sure you check on friends & family, neighbors & strangers. No matter what happens, people & animals will need help.

Ten ways to celebrate Labor Day

From Tula Connell writing on the AFL-CIO blog:

Before you head off to the hot dogs and veggie burgers at the backyard barbecue this weekend (because who can afford the gas money to drive anywhere?), take a minute to celebrate Labor Day in a way that honors America’s working women and men.

1. Send a Labor Day e-card. Click here. (See how easy it is to take action?)

2. Help pass the Employee Free Choice Act by signing a petition here.

3. Get set to walk. What better way to mark Sen. John McCain’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Sept. 4 than by talking union-member to union-member about the important issues in this election? Stop by here to see video clips of union members describing why they’ll be walking Sept. 4 and here to read why AFL-CIO President John Sweeney is urging union members to walk Sept. 4. If you’re a union member, sign up to walk here.

4. Read a new report about how unions benefit the environment, workers, business and more. American Rights at Work pulled it together and posted it here.

5. Check out the information and resources available at our Working Families Vote site here. While you’re in election mode, take a few minutes to meet Sen. Barack Obama here and get the real story behind McCain here. Don’t know Sen. Joe Biden? Lots of info on his strong working family record here.

6. Sign up for e-mail action alerts here and get the word out about how Obama supports working families by going here.

7. Keep up with issues critical to everyone who works for a living by signing up for the daily AFL-CIO Now blog news e-mail here.

8. There are a few good employers out there. American Rights at Work has the Labor Day list of employer highlights here.

9. Buy yourself or someone you know a Labor Day treat from The Union Shop Online.™ Stop by the shop anytime.

10. Get all the FAQs on Labor Day here, including basic info, Labor Day history and the union movement’s Labor in the Pulpits program.

Now, go get some barbecue.

----------------------

Tula said it all...GG & her editor add nothing except: have a safe day, laugh, see your family &/or friends; and if you have to work, we will work hard to ensure that, unless you are an emergency worker, you will have a paid holiday next year!

Maria Caterina di Perugia's breaking news photos of Obama party

GG Central's Maria Caterina di Perugia took these cellphone pix at a speechwatching party in Northern Virginia. They're fuzzy but hey, it was breaking news. We're all so excited!

We'll try not to be catty about McCain's Veep Choice (I know!) but it does lend itself to cheap satire...not that GG Central is above such. We're waiting for professionals (Jon Stewart, et al) to handle this, for now. Tina Fey & her take on the bizarre choice should be priceless; watch SNL's first show of the season on 13 September. We can hardly wait.

Please keep the good folks in New Orleans & the Gulf Coast in your thoughts as Hurricane Gustav heads towards land. GG & her editor are so worried about everyone, including one of our very best friends, Pansy W. of Lake Charles, Louisiana. More as we know more.

Ciao-meow, bisou, baci!
xoxo, GG

La principessa, Lily Rose, 29th August 2005

Hurricane Katrina - 29 August 2005

Gulf Coast Hurricane Recovery Stumbles to Third Anniversary

That headline speaks for itself. GG Central will be posting more about the disaster in the coming days. There will not be much new to report on from St. Paul, that's for sure. GG was not yet born when Katrina, then Rita, hit New Orleans & the Gulf Coast; GG's editor remembers all too well.

Au Jardin d'Edgar - GG's Balcony Dream

A little green relief from GG Central. Some day wouldn't this be lovely? Au jardin d'Edgar is in Paris (we heard about it from Paris Breakfasts) but we'd be just as thrilled to be planning a jardin, balcon or otherwise, elsewhere in France or Rome & points south.

Have a great evening...and if you simply cannot "go offline" (or you're waiting to watch the speech on your laptop, A Cup of Jo is a fabulous blog that has come to our attention recently. We do have our standards & this is above & beyond. Check it out...and don't forget Menton Daily Photo & Riviera Dogs by Jilly Bennett.

Bisou, ciao, baci, & xoxo, GG

Dr. King's Dream & The Rising

GG & her editor are very much looking forward to tonight's speech(es) & music. There's a lot of "yes, Bruce will be there...no, he won't" blathering everywhere in the news, online & off. We'd love it, of course, if he could be there. He's tired, people. Here's the word from the official Springsteen site:

"Just to add to what the Obama Campaign stated earlier today, while Bruce is an ardent and dedicated supporter of Senator Obama, he will not be performing at, and, in fact, had never planned to perform, at Invesco Field this Thursday."

So, put on your CDs or fire up your iTunes account (if necessary)...GG is spinning a Bruce CD, even as her editor works (fume) on her behalf...keep your hearts & minds focused on Obama's speech tonight, the one in Philadelphia, & the one that Dr. King delivered 45 years ago today.

Dr. King's speech text.

Much more later.

Ciao-meow,
xoxo, GG

A More Perfect Union - Reprise

Odilon Redon - Go to the museum, anytime

You can even buy one of his paintings.
xoxo, GG

GG Central is Stressed Out!

Too much to do, to read, to write. We're dancing as fast as we can!

GG Central is suffering the late summer blahs along with an overwhelming amount of projects simmering away that must be brought to the boil. Forgive the cooking metaphor: we'd rather be cooking! We promised to take today off & we did not due to website housekeeping duties. If you have time to look at only one thing this evening, we recommend The Menton Daily Photo. Bien sur.

Ciao-meow et bisou, minettes! xoxoGG

(photograph by nikoline)

GG hangs out...

Giulia was hanging out (literally) yesterday at her office & friend Isa took this photo with a cellphone. It's definitely fuzzy--GG wasn't cooperative, she was in deep contemplation. However, she also insisted upon having it posted today instead of waiting for a real photo shoot. Go figure. GG's editor dare not question GG-genius.

The 19th Amendment's anniversary

From today's Writer's Almanac. Thank you, Garrison. (And to Maria Caterina di Perugia who made sure we saw it, just in case. She knows we are often behind with our WA listening.)

GG's editor found out that there are arguments about which darned flower is the American suffragette symbol; so here's a pretty drawing of the Welsh national flower, the daffodil. All flowers are loved at GG Central. (By the way, please remember to register to vote if you've moved to a new state recently. )

Ciao-meow, GG

******

It was on this day in 1920 that the 19th Amendment was formally incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. It proclaimed, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." It ended more than 70 years of struggle by the suffragist movement.

It had passed through the House and Senate. At first, it looked like the amendment was not going to make it. And then, a 24-year-old legislator from Tennessee, Harry Burn, decided to vote for the amendment at the last minute because his mother wanted him to. And Tennessee became the 36th state to approve suffrage for women.

They sent the certified record of the Tennessee vote to Washington, D.C., and it arrived on August 26, 1920. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation that morning at 8 a.m. at his home. There was no ceremony of any kind, and no photographers were there to capture the moment. And none of the leaders of the woman suffrage movement were present to see him do it. Colby just finished his cup of coffee and signed the document with a regular, steel pen. Then he said, "I turn to the women of America and say: 'You may now fire when you are ready. You have been enfranchised.'

The Lion Roars, GG Purrs...

GG & her editor loved the tribute to Teddy but were even more excited to see him on the stage in Denver. We knew he couldn't stay away. GG wants to put lots of video on the site such as Michelle's great speech & so on. But right now, we're not sure of how the video plays on different sites. So we'll leave this for now with a link to the site for all the Convention videos.

Upcoming this week, our dinners with Maria Caterina di Perugia, BB, & the fountain of Silver Spring...

Ciao-meow, bisou! GG

A Big Bonjour to Michelle Obama!

Much excitement at GG Central. A wonderful day with our friends Isa & her l'il boy, Monsieur P. GG had a fun playing ball with him & practicing her French, too. Much more & pix tomorrow. But tonight, we will be watching the Convention. Here is a little preview that Mrs. Obama taped today.

Ciao-meow, bisou!

xoxo, GG

Menton Daily Photo by Jilly Bennett: A daily dose of beauty makes all the difference

© 2007 - 2008 · Jilly Bennett · Menton Daily Photo · All Rights Reserved

A breath of fresh Mediterranean air from GG Central.

Earlier this month, GG’s editor had heaps of basil bestowed upon her by the munificent Maria Caterina di Perugia (aka Hermione the Cool Cat’s human-maman). GG’s editor dragged out an old recipe for Soup menton. Then, choses Menton (and all things southern French—from west to east) began to pop up. A few days ago, one link led to another, to the Menton Daily Photo*, & we just had to go.

A beyond-adorable cat was the Thursday, 21 August 2008 Daily Photo*; GG was entranced, as was her editor. The tabby-tiger resembles our late, dear Teddy & Oliver in their mischievous-but-sweet, pink-nosed splendor. Beyond the cuteness factor, note the elegant shot & the colors in both photos; anyone with thumbs can take a photo of a cute cat. This is different….and all due to the skill & empathy of photographer/hotelier/writer Jilly Bennett.

Also in the MDP, meet Woolite the Swimming Sheep (yes!) & Manon, the baby donkey at the Fête Patronale de la Saint Barthélémy. GG’s editor was preparing a Blessing of the Animals post but we will leave that to Jilly Bennett of Menton Daily Photo today. By the way, Woolite the Sheep was being filmed for a French television program titled 30 Million d'Amis.

Jilly’s main website is Pension Milou, “… is a 5-star 'pension familiale' for dogs on the Côte d'Azur. The dogs who come to stay, live in the house with me - no kennels or cages. Here you'll read stories of their lives and mine on the French Riviera.” GG’s aunt Elena will no doubt want to book a flight immediately & take pups Daphne, Buddy, & Charlie to the French Riviera & Pension Milou. (See also, Postcards from 'Pension Milou.’)

To round out her empire, Jilly publishes Riviera Dogs & Monte Carlo Daily Photo. They are lovely--a mini-holiday. It is well worth a drop-in for a smile, a recommendation to friends, & a thought about our friends–human & animal–across the sea. Read here about Jilly's life & work with animals in the South of France in Real Life Stories from Provence. She's an inspiration.

GG & her editor plan to visit Menton Daily Photo every day to maintain their sanity in a world gone mad.

Cheers & ciao-meow to all.

GG

*A big thanks to Ms. J. Bennett for her permission to republish her photographs here.

© 2007 - 2008 · Jilly Bennett · Menton Daily Photo · All Rights Reserved

Obama/Biden 2008 - GG Central Goes Wild!

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., and his vice presidential running mate Sen. Joe Biden D-Del., appear at a campaign rally Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

GG Central lacks cable but two networks relented & played some of the rally/introduction; we also had on C-SPAN Nerd-Radio. The BBC will have plenty on-line for us to listen to--they do a better job than American outlets. Sigh. Sign o' the times. At least we heard the strains of Bruce singing "The Rising." If only our late dear Ruthie M., our Jersey Girl BFF, could've hung on longer than than Jan. 2008. She was so excited about this election. This YouTube of Bruce & "The Rising" is for her sisters, cousins, nieces, & nephews, & the Fans of Ruthie. We'll be republishing her Red Shirt Friday & Ruthie's Manifesto sometime soon.

Bruce Springsteen: The Rising

TME: Too Much Excitement. A late afternoon catnap is in order. Officially, we're en vacances...at this point, though, it's pretty much just a nice thought. Ciao-meow.

xoxo, GG

Get Smart! Play FreeRice

GG has had a FreeRice link on her site (in the right-hand column) for some time, but an additional push might help the month-end totals. The World Food Programme is under tremendous pressure; the crisis in Georgia is just the latest addition to its mission. (This game is addictive but GG's editor sets a timer & that usually works, at least the third time.)

If you'd like to put a FreeRice banner on your blog or website, there are several lovely ones from which to choose. Here is a link to those FreeRice banners.

So, set up your play options, bookmark FreeRice, & have a good time. (Pssst. Not to be nerdy about it, but it does help with Scrabble & crosswords. Come to think of it: what's wrong with being nerdy? In a good way....)

Ciao-meow!

GG: Forgive our mess...

OOF!

Even en vacances, there is work to be done. While GG & her editor move things around the site, please do forgive the mess. GG's editor cannot readily locate her box(es) of Rembrandt pastels, inks, & Prismacolor pencils to illustrate this dire situation. GG's editorial judgment is to post some lovely images by van Gogh & Fantin-Latour, & spare ourselves embarrassment. It's bad enough leaving a mess floating in the ether. Aieeee!

Ciao, nos amis!

xoxo, GG

Aujourd'hui, nous préparer la soupe

A pretty postcard from a friend on a French holiday. It's just the thing to focus our attention on summer soup prep, seeing as how chives are so lovely atop a vichyssoise. Alas, we've no chives today but we will make do with something else on hand...

GG & her editor are en vacances as of later today. Postings about Team Darfur & matters related, when possible. We're also readying ourselves for the Democratic National Convention. Stay posted & have a wonderful week!

Ciao-meow.

Leeks: The Magical Vegetable

This morning, GG & her editor will be making a vichyssoise, among other things, for a light early supper with our friend BB. Here's a cute video by Mireille Guiliano that we'll play while we chop the leeks. But remember: friends don't let cat-friends eat leeks...they don't mix!

xoxo, GG & her editor

Joey Cheek, Team Darfur, & ivoteyouvote.com

Note from GG: The Olympics are still on & Team Darfur is still in China. Congratulations to all the athletes--from all countries. Postings on medals, stories, & the like from Team Darfur as soon as they are available & GG recovers from staying up too late looking at the full moon (hey, it's still here tonight, Sunday, 17 August). See Parts I & Deux.

More video next week, but for now, please take a look at lovely Joey Cheek & this (fairly) new video. From www.ivoteyouvote.com.

Joey Cheek, Olympic Gold Medalist and Founder of Team Darfur talks about how important it is to get friends and family involved in our democracy, and how easy that is through www.ivoteyouvote.com.

xoxo, GG

A Full Moon Rising, Part Deux

Check out our new lunar widget! GG is too fond of this nonsense at times, but we're so impressed with people who can actually write these things. We feel like geniuses for just copying the code into the template. The moon is a recurring theme at GG Central.

GG was awakened in the wee hours by the luminous, waxing moon. If GG's awake, then so is her editor (but not the way you think...it's the editor who keeps GG awake); so we sat with elbows & paws propped up on the big old windowsill & looked up through the giant oaks. So difficult to believe we're in a major urban area with the tiny "finger" of the huge nearby park. We wish children in Darfur -- and everywhere--could have this same lovely quiet & bit of green.

A Full Moon Rising, Part 1

One summer, GG's editor was in Athens...at a pensione quite near, if not in, the Athenian wedding gown garment district--yes! Such a specific place exists...or did. Some people were not pleased with where she was to stay. She had her doubts...who wouldn't want to stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne? It was good enough for Winnie Churchill, after all.

Wandering about, so busy, there wasn't time to think about that really, much less the phase of the moon. After being out with friends, upon retiring for the evening, up the stairs to her room...which was positively flooded with light. Hurrying over to the teensy Juliet balcony, looking up, she saw the Acropolis Illuminated--not by artificial means but by the fullest moon she ever did see. Who needed the Grande Bretagne that night? She should have had a camera, though...but here are some lovely photos someone else took.

Ciao-meow,
xoxo
GG

PS: GG thought that Hotel Carolina (aforementioned pensione) must have a website. Her editor scoffed--you've got to be kidding! They're lovely people...but it was so NOT that kind of place. GG reminded her editor that it is a new century after all & that the Olympics were in Athens four years ago. So we looked...oh my goodness. It's beautiful. And apparently it was quite beautiful when GG's editor was there--the outer building hasn't changed. Just lovely. We'd stay there again in two shakes of a lamb's tail (as Grandma would say). The prices are, uh, updated...but still...oh to be in Athens tonight!

Stories from the Children of Darfur

Don't forget about the Team Darfur athletes! GG will be watching some of their events over the rest of the Games; she's dismayed by the lack of cat-oriented programming on NBC, though. GG's editor is keeping quiet about ideas about cats & dogs & China for now. No need to upset GG.

Here is a link to TD's website & to both English & French language versions of the Stories From the Children of Darfur initiative, partnered by Darfur Peace & Development Organization (whose staff, partners, & friends are very dear to GG & her editor). Team DarfurRight to Play. Unfortunately, the has other worthy projects; check here for 16th of May Foundation links are disabled at the moment with odd looking hypertext, possibly due to Chinese interference--this is a recurring problem. Perhaps someone should have thought about that when granting the Olympic Games to a totalitarian regime? Grrrrrr.

GG will include news about Chinese interference on the Internet & Team Darfur (along with other organizations) as soon as possible.

South Of France

Cheers, darlings. Next summer, I'll be directing the video.

GG

I am a cat, my name is Li-Po

Walasse Ting, 1982/I am a cat, my name is Li-Po/acrylic on rice paper/collection of Jesse Ting, New York, USA
Art Unlimited Amsterdam

Darfur Olympics. Day Eight: The Closing Ceremony

In our closing ceremony, we juxtapose images from Darfur - showing the anguish underwritten by China - with images from the promotional materials for the Olympics. The disparity could not be greater.

Think for a moment about all the time, money and effort that has been spent to stage the Beijing Games. Now think about the time, money and effort that has been spent, over the same time period, to help the people of Darfur.

Now that China's complicity in the Darfur slaughter is known to all the world, we invite you to help us keep the pressure on China to bring security to Darfur. Please visit the organizations featured throughout the Darfur Olympics to find ways to take action. To stay involved with Dream for Darfur, sign up for our newsletter

Thank you for your concern about the people of Darfur and for participating in the Darfur Olympics.

Also from Mia's site today:

Support Darfuri Diaspora Groups

Many of those in the Darfuri Diaspora community hope to provide better lives for family and friends still living in Darfur and Eastern Chad. Darfuri Diaspora groups provide support for the Darfuri population with an array of services from humanitarian aid to assistance with resettlement in the United States. Please visit the websites of these groups to support their vital work:

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
The Darfur People's Association of New York
Darfur Alert Coalition
Darfur Association of the United States
Darfur Peace and Development

**Note from GG's editor: We will substitute YouTube code for MySpace code [some prefer it for their subscription purposes] when it becomes available. We will also be posting more video footage & music through the end of the Beijing Olympics next week. Please check out Team Darfur's site...these are people doing their very best as athletes & as humanitarians. Let's show them some support. Ciao-meow.

Some Seashells by the Seashore...the Outer Banks

Breaking news...from Maria Caterina di Perguia...the Outer Banks are still there; she's proven it with the cellphone pix above. GG so wants to be there, as does her editor; she used to go to Nag's Head as a child & Ocracoke as an adult. We love the impressionistic dune detail & the seashells-as-art installation on the railing. How very bricolage...just our thing. We look forward to having everyone back in town over the weekend; Hermione the Cool Cat has missed them.

In fact, we're working on a new blog entitled Bricolage...we use a very loose translation as we think it befits the subject. Anyway, many thanks to the gang & we hope they'll bring us some of those shells. Somehow, we're missing many that we've collected over the years. The photos have induced such relaxation that it's time to shut down for a summer's day.
xoxo, GG & her editor

3rd Annual Julia Child Birthday Celebration - Champaign Taste Blog

Julia's celebration continues. GG's editor was mistaken about Champaign Taste blog--they did not have a recipe contest but rather a Third Annual Celebration of Julia's life (which is a much nicer idea, really) & it's a doozy. There are gorgeous, mouth-watering photographs of dishes prepared by several food bloggers.

Many thanks to Lisa, Champaign Taste's author for the sweet tribute. There are so many great recipes & pix on her site, that we'll just include the video of Julia making an omelette that we already planned (and is in Lisa's blog, as well) & leave the rest for another day. Julia's Vichyssoise recipe will be posted later this month or in early September to take advantage of the leek & potato harvest. Bon Appétit!

Bon weekend, amici...

GG

Happy Birthday 96th Birthday, Julia Child from GG

Nice memories here in The Washington Post story in August 2004.

Happy Birthday 96th Birthday, Julia Child

Here's the Julia Child hybrid rose--she chose it herself. Oh to have a jardin again, we'd plant this rose, for sure. GG's editor's grandfather had a favorite flower: the yellow rose. And this is listed as scented, as well. Divine!

Much more on the 'morrow, on Julia's real birthday, 15 August. GG is rapt listening to the wonderful memories of Julia; watching the original PBS series with GG's grandmum; cooking Julia's recipes, & even--no kidding--receiving a ceramic knife sharpener from Julia via a mutual friend. We had no idea our friend knew her very well; it's a great story. Meanwhile, check out some of the wonderful sites about Julia.

Of course, the very famous one of Julie Powell & her original Salon blog that turned into a wonderful book, Julie & Julia. There's also a fun food blog called Champaign Taste (yes, in Illinois) that will announce the 3rd annual winner of their recipe contest dedicated to Julia. And of course, more tomorrow about Minou, Julia's faithful petit chat.

So more about Julia & then back to Provence...a day later than promised. But who cares? We're relaxing..

Ciao-meow, bimbi
GG

Day Seven: The Women of Darfur

Women and girls living in Darfur and eastern Chad-- in camps, towns and rural areas--live in constant fear of sexual violence. The perpetrators are usually men from the Sudanese security forces, militias, rebel groups, and former rebel groups. Gender-based assaults occur as part of attacks, but also in times of relative calm.

In this webcast, Mia talks with women about their lives in the refugee camp. [For those who prefer YouTube for subscription purposes, we will replace the MySpace code with YouTube code when it becomes available later this evening or tomorrow. GG does have other aspects to her life, contrary to some people's perceptions. I mean, we're off to Provence, after all...]

Coming tomorrow: The Darfur Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Team Darfur Partners with Darfur Peace and Development Organization among others...

GG urges everyone to check this out. Not enough attention is being paid to the great athletes who belong to Team Darfur. There are wonderful organizations who are partners with Team Darfur, among them Darfur Peace & Development Organization.

xoxo, GG

Les athlètes engagés du "Team Darfur"

We can't resist plugging something French. Don't forget about Team Darfur! They have videos, blogs by athletes, & flickr photo sharing. Not enough people are looking at these...please do. If athletes who are preparing for the most important moment in their lives can actively engage in this activity, surely more people can watch a 2:00 minute (or less) video. C'mon people! GG

REPORTAGE: L'association d'athlètes olympiques "Team Darfur" entend profiter des JO pour demander à la Chine de faire pression sur le Soudan. (Reportage : G. Meyer, N. Handel)

Breaking News....Out of Darfur

This is a photo taken by Jen Marlowe of the Darfur Diaries documentary project & book. Multiply it by thousands & thousands...add your own horrific images of people, animals, & their belongings. GG won't do that here. We're disgusted; we throw up our hands (& paws) at the relative(or complete) disinterest by the person-on-the-street. We're embarrassed to actually have some of these people as friends....

********
August 14, 2008

From the BBC.

From Mia's blog...

Khartoum bombing a quiet part of Darfur. People were tending their fields, kids were going to school.

Sudanese government troops launched an assault in rebel-held areas in remote north Darfur. An SLA commander in the field said the attackers had some 100 armed vehicles, horses and camels and were accompanied by full air support, including warplanes and attack helicopters.

Khartoum denies the attacks and the AU has no presence in the far north but the rebels claim the assault is intended 'to clear way for Chinese oil hunt' in north Darfur.

Provence

By Tony of Vence.

Darfur Olympics: Day Six. Darfur's Children

Children in Darfur face atrocities of the worst kind: they have been, and continue to be, abducted, raped, tortured, and murdered. Boys are recruited to become soldiers.

Children who make it to camps are traumatized, and often do not have enough to eat or access to medical care.

In today's webcast, Mia comments on the state of Darfur's children.

Coming tomorrow: Mia talks to women refugees.

The Outer Banks...friends check in from the seashore

A bit of visual relief between Darfur Olympic postings on a late summer's afternoon. This morning, GG received cellphone pix from Maria Caterina di Perugia (Hermione the Cool Cat's mum). They're having a wonderful time...GG asks when are we going to the sea? She'd love to climb those dunes...looks like a mini-jungle. Oh, maybe next year. We're still in stay-cation "Mediterranean" mode. Big xoxoxo to MCat & the family for remembering us during their Idyll on the Outer Banks. We're still working our way through the heaps of gorgeous basil, rosemary, sage, & catmint (GG's fave) picked a week ago last Sunday from their wonderful garden . The herb bunches look lovely in our Le Creuset jugs. xoxo