When I intially agreed to join the crew at Unbossed, it was with the thought that I could somehow bridge the red state / blue state divide by providing accounts on what progressives in the Deep South are doing to combat the rabid conservatism that lurks beneath the magnolias.

This is the first year that both houses of the Georgia General Assembly and the Governorship have been controlled by the Republicans since Reconstruction. In 2002, Republicans gained the Governor's mansion and the state Senate. And In 2004, they took the House. It should be noted that both chambers had the help of a few party switchers.

With the Republicans now in control, would they fufill their much touted promise of ushering in a new era of government accountibility?

I'm banning the words “frames”, “frame”, or “framing” from my vocabulary, except when I’m picking out new glasses or dusting the wood things around the pictures on my walls. It’s hard, because they are everywhere in the Left Blogosphere. Throw up a diary on Daily Kos that mentions Lakoff or framing, and it’s guaranteed a multi-threaded comment list in at least three figures.

(Cross-posted from Musing's musings.)

This post has been coming on for a while. It was the Terri Schiavo mess that caralyzed it, but that's hardly the only reason it's been on my mind. This has not been a great spring for me, for my family, or for my circle of friends. My friend and spiritual director lost a seven-year battle with cancer in February, just weeks after my stepfather had to have double bypass surgery, and subsequently suffered a very small stroke. And just before Easter, a friend of mine who was Fr. Stephen's primary caregiver (and probably his best friend) had to take her husband to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with a 100% blockage of his left anterior descending coronary artery (a condition known in the trade as "the widowmaker" which is usually detected only at autopsy).

Fortunately for all concerned, the two latter gentlemen both underwent successful surgeries and are recuperating nicely (although one of them is definitely, and the other is possibly, getting on his wife's nerves). But all the time I've spent in hospitals and nursing homes, or hearing stories of how other people close to me were spending time there, has definitely brought a few end-of-life issues to my mind.

What is Unbossed?
It is a website.

Where'd you get the name "Unbossed" anyway?
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm ran for President of the United States. She was the first black woman to ever run and conducted a powerful, honest, true grassroots campaign. Her motto was "Unbought. Unbossed." We liked the idea and feel it embodies all kinds of good stuff.

Unbossed was founded in 1897 by poor, but honest, immigrants. It flourished during the turn of the century -- marching with the suffragists and helping organize labor unions -- only to wither during the Great Depression.

After a stint in rehab in the early 70's, Unbossed was a concept lost and without direction. It was given new meaning and life when it was found by three girls who shared only a passion for sassy boots, men in kilts, and snarky comments.

Its rebirth was complete with the addition of two starry-eyed boys who weren't sure what they liked, but loved the arts when they saw them. Together, they invited a group of writers who have made Unbossed what it is. Today, Unbossed is known and beloved worldwide as a unique, some might say galvanizing, force.