A Reality Reset

Baby Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:38:00 +0000

Sometimes, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the problems we face in the world today. It is easy to feel like there is nothing we can do that will change anything or make a difference. Today I want to remind you that the little things count, too.
If this sounds a little 'preachy', I apologize. It is an expression of my frustration with all the posturing and finger-pointing that seems so prevalent in our world. I am (obviously) all for pointing out problems, protesting wrongs and working on big changes in our society. But, let's not forget the changes we can make right now, today.
Look around you. Look at your life. What baby steps can you take that would set us all on the road to a better world?

You march around at protests
And proudly wave your sign,
But what have you done today
To change your world and mine?

Did you clothe a shivering child?
Did you feed a hungry bum?
Or did you walk right by,
Carefully avoiding the scum?

Did you plant a community garden?
Share your money with the poor?
Or when they came a-knocking
Did you hide behind the door?

Did you tell someone you love them?
Did you lend a helping hand?
Or did you say that you’re too busy
And trust they’d understand?

Did you comfort a broken heart?
Bring a lonely soul some cheer?
Did you even take the time
To hold your loved ones near?

You brag about your house,
Proud that it’s built right,
Did you offer that extra room,
To a homeless family tonight?

You’ve got a wonderful car,
Great quality & the price was fair.
Did you drive the widow next door
When she needed medical care?

You fill the pews on Sunday
Thankful that you’ve been blessed,
But can you face up to your Creator
And truly say you’ve done your best?

What a Mess!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:22:00 +0000

Let's start with a blast from the past, shall we?
President Bush, in his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002 had this to say...

"North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens...
Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror,...
Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade...

States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic....

We'll be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons."

Now, a blast from the present...
North Korea Claims Nuclear Test

To quote CNN.com ...
"North Korea claimed it conducted a successful underground nuclear test Monday, according to the country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

China, a close ally of North Korea, denounced the claimed test as "brazen" and South Korea said it would respond "sternly." The United States said a test would constitute a "provocative act."

South Korea's president said Pyongyang's claimed test "broke the trust of the international community."
President Roh Moo-hyun said it brought "a severe situation that threatens stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia."

South Korea would "react sternly and calmly" with "appropriate measures" in close cooperation with the international community, he told journalists after a summit with new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe told the same news conference his country would work "to make ways to implement action for a tough resolution."

According to the CNN story, the underground nuclear test did happen and was successful. North Korea has now officially joined the rarefied ranks of nations with nuclear weapons.

So, let's recap...
January, 2002, Mr. Bush tells us that North Korea, Iran and Iraq are the "axis of evil" and cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons.
March, 2003, the United States invades Iraq to take away Saddam's nukes. OOPS! No WMDs in Iraq.
October, 2006, North Korea tests its first nuke.

Did I miss something? Can someone explain to me why thousands of people have died in a non-nuclear Iraq while America stood by and watched North Korea arm itself with WMDs?
Oh, sure, we wagged our finger in their faces and issued "strongly worded" statements "deploring" North Korea's actions. Heck, we even backed UN sanctions against them. But, apparently Kim Jong Il doesn't take that kind of thing very seriously.

Now, we have a real mess on our hands.
Does our Commander-in-Chief invade another country with our overextended military? A country that has the definite capability to retaliate with nukes? Or do we kiss some North Korean hiney and hope they keep their dogs on the leash?

If we choose to shake Kim Jong Il's hand and welcome him to the Nuclear Arsenal Club...
do we apologize to Saddam and get our butts out of his country? Or do we blunder on in the name of the Global War on Terror? And, if it really is a GLOBAL war on terror, how do we justify doing nothing to the newest country to truly hold TERROR in its hand?

How do we explain continuing to 'rattle our sabers' at Iran? Oh, wait! Pre-emptive war, right? We see how well that's working in Iraq. They don't have any nukes! (Or peace, or freedom, or democracy...but that's another post.)

What do we say to our allies when we need their continued help to fight our war in the Middle East? "Gee, don't worry about the little Asian guy with the nukes, the real threat is over here! Have you seen how badass those IEDs are?"

I'm not into making predictions, but I just don't see a neat way out of this one. It's gonna get ugly, folks. Real ugly. :-(

Open Letter to America

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 10:16:00 +0000

Dear Apathetic American,
I spent the last several hours reading, researching and writing an important message to you today.
I was going to express my dismay and disgust that, while you were combing the web for every salacious detail of Mark Foley's alleged attempts to molest a Congressional page, the entire United States Congress molested you and you didn't even flinch.
I was going to point out the the outrages perpetrated in the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
I was going to explain and protest it's definition of "unlawful enemy combatant", it's suspension of the right of habeus corpus, it's approval of torture, it's gutting of the Geneva Convention and the 'blank check' power it gives to the President and the Secretary of Defense.
I was going to define tyranny, autocracy and dictatorship; then point out the commonalities between those things and our present government.
I was going to discuss the 14 Points of Fascicsm and how our country now meets all 14 of those points.
I was going to illustrate the parallels between the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the German Enabling Act of 1933 that gave Adolph Hitler the unfettered power to commit atrocities against his own citizens.
Then, I was going to remind you of the statement in the Declaration of Independence that "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
However, it was another statement in the Declaration that brought me up short and pointed out the futility of my endeavor. That statement was this...
"...and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
Translated into modern English this tells us that people will put up with almost anything rather than make changes in what they are used to.
What a sad and pathetic commentary on mankind it is that, even with all the advances we have made, those words are as true today as they were 230 years ago.
Why should you care what laws Congress passes or what kind of power the President has, as long as they are not messing up your life at this very second?
Who cares whether you live in a Constitutional Republic or a Fascist Dictatorship, as long as the Yankees still have a chance to win?
Why would anyone ever expect you to take steps towards "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", if those steps might upset your family, your friends, your boss, or your comfortable routine?
Hell, everybody knows that Life means you're breathing, Liberty means you're not in jail and Happiness means nobody's pissed off at you, right?
So what if, every once in awhile, you wonder if there is something more? So what if, sometimes, you feel a little uneasy about the way things are going? So what if, on occasion, you get a little depressed? That's just the price of living, right? You can't actually do anything about it, can you? The world is the way it is, people are the way they are, and that's all there is. It may not be a perfect system, but it's comfortable, for now. Why make waves?
Believe it or not, I understand. I don't agree, but I do understand. It is much easier to live a life of "quiet desperation" than it is to "march to the beat of your own drum". It is easier to go along to get along. It is easier to keep your head down and your mouth shut.
But...let me ask you this? What kind of America would you be living in if our forefathers had felt that way? What kind of world would you live in if the people of Germany hadn't felt that way? Where would you be if your ancestors had never said "I've had enough...I'm going to make some changes..."? What kind of life would you have if no one had ever wondered "What if..." and then taken steps to find out?
Just something to think about...while you're still allowed to think for yourself.
Sincerely,
An UN-apathetic American

What About Love?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 08:54:00 +0000

Yesterday's post was about love gone wrong. It's a pretty depressing subject. So, I thought that today would be a good day to post some thoughts on when love is right.

I think it is fairly safe to say that most, if not all, of us consider love a necessity for a full life. Life just seems so much better when we have people we love, who love us in return, to share it with. Now, everybody has their own idea of the 'perfect' love and what is perfect for one may be imperfect for the other. Rather than fill the page with my own ideas, I thought I would post a few examples of what others have had to say on the subject.

Enjoy these! And, tell the people you love how you really feel today. They can never hear it enough.

The best ever definition of love (in my opinion):
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life, that word is Love.
Socrates

True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
Jason Jordan

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
David Viscott

True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does.
Anonymous

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu

There are no guarantees. From the viewpoint of fear, none are strong enough. From the viewpoint of love, none are necessary.
Emmanuel Kant

Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better.
William Shakespeare

Where there is love there is life.
Gandhi

And, finally, one of my favorites...
Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Love Shouldn't Hurt!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:15:00 +0000

How many of you can remember dancing to the song "Love Hurts"? It is one of my favorites and I still crank it up and sing along when I hear it. But, with apologies to Nazareth, love shouldn't hurt! This subject is particularly close to my heart, so please forgive me if this starts to sound like a rant.

I got a phone call last night that really upset me and triggered this post. A couple of weeks ago my niece was involved in an argument with her husband that ended with him pulling a gun and threatening to kill her. She managed to escape with her two little girls to her parents house and we all breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't any worse. Well, unfortunately, he talked her into coming back to him. Yesterday, after less than 48 hours back home, he viciously beat her & stabbed her with a fork because he didn't like the way she cooked supper. She and the girls are safe, for now, but who knows how long that will last?

Why did she go back? She has a simple answer. She loves him and she didn't want her marriage to be "a failure". She is, unfortunately, not alone.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence statistics, in 2001 (the latest year they have numbers for) there were 691,710 non-fatal incidents (PDF) of domestic violence in the United States. From that same report, we find out that in the year 2000 there were 1247 women and 440 men killed by an intimate partner. Yes, men are victims of abusive relationships, too. However, they are much less likely to report it.

Relationship abuse cuts across all lines of gender, race, religion and socio-economic status. Just because someone is a 'really nice person', 'with a good income', who came from a 'great family' doesn't mean they aren't an abuser. And, it's not only about fists and broken bones. Abuse can be emotional, verbal, sexual, or economic. The National Domestic Violence Hotline defines abuse this way...

Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or wound someone.

Why are there so many abusive relationships and why do people stay in them? There are as many different answers to that question as there are different people. Economics, societal pressure, cultural pressure, even religious pressure can all play a part. Some folks simply can't afford to get out. Some feel the push from family & friends to "make it work", no matter what. Others have religious beliefs that tell them ending a marriage is a sin. Often times, the abuse has built up slowly and degraded the abused partner's sense of self to the point that they feel it is their fault or they don't deserve any better. Their own sense of guilt or inadequacy keeps them there. Other times, it is as simple as my niece's answer. "I love him/her." But, they fail to understand that you can never truly love another unless you love yourself and loving yourself means refusing to be a victim.

I am a survivor of an abusive relationship and I have a little insight into the problem. I can tell you that, for me, there were issues of self-esteem and guilt. I always felt that if I could just... love enough...give up enough...give in enough...try harder to be understanding...try harder to be a 'good person'...shut up...everything would change. If I could prove that I would honor my committment to my partner, no matter what, they would suddenly wake up and see my value and it would all be OK. I didn't want to face my family and the world and say "I couldn't do it." I didn't want to be a failure, a reject, a quitter. I didn't want it to be my fault that everything went to hell in a handbasket.

Does any of that sound familiar to you? Are you reading this and thinking "I know exactly what you are talking about!" Are you in an unhealthy relationship? How can you tell?

Here are some warning signs to look out for...

• He/she is jealous and doesn't like you talking to others of the opposite sex, or people he/she perceives that you might have a sexual or romantic interest in.
• He/she criticises your friends and wants you to stop seeing them
• He/she wants to know where you are and who you are with all the time
• He/she tries to control your contacts with members of your family
• He/she often criticises what you wear or how you look
• He/she often criticises what you say and do
• He/she questions what you've spent money on
• He/she expects sex on demand when he wants it
• He/she tells people about things you did or said that are embarrassing and makes you feel stupid.
• He/she blames you for things that go wrong for him/her.
• He/she makes jokes which put you and other people of your gender down.
• He/she calls you fat, lazy, stupid, ugly, a slut, or other things to make you feel bad.
• He/she ignores your opinions or objections and does only what he wants
• He/she drives too fast or does other dangerous things which scare you .
• He/she goes too far when you are playing around and hurts you or holds you down to make you feel helpless.
• He/she gets angry or violent when he/she drinks or uses drugs.
• He/she threatens to break your belongings or destroy your property.
• He/she threatens to hit you, hurt you or your friends, your pets or family.
• He/she threatens to leave you or to kill himself if you don't do what he wants.
• He/she forces you into sexual acts you don't want - by threats, coercion, or physical force.
• He/she gets very angry about small unimportant things.
• He/she won't express his thoughts or feelings and then he/she blows up.
• He/she hits or physically assaults you in some way - he/she may express regret and guilt afterwards but that doesn't stop a repeat of the behavior.

If you recognize ANY of these signs in your partner or yourself, get help or get out! It is NOT your fault and you can't fix it by yourself. Follow the links in this post for information on where to get help.
If you feel like you or someone you love is in eminent danger, don't wait! Get out! Your family will get over it, your church will get over it, your friends will get over it. Believe it or not, you will get over it. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will take courage. Yes, it will hurt like hell. But, one of the wisest sayings I ever heard was this..."It's a choice between an end to the pain or pain without end."
Love shouldn't hurt! Ever!

National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Gotta Have Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:09:00 +0000

We hear about faith all the time. Songs about faith, television shows about faith, books about faith. Heck, even our government has special "faith-based initiatives". So, just what is this thing called faith? What purpose does it serve? How do we know when we have it? What do we do with it? I am not going to claim to have the answers, but here are a few thoughts on faith that rang the bells in my head.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.
St. Augustine

Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive.
David S. Muzzy

Faith makes the discords of the present the harmonies of the future.
Robert Collyer

Faith is not complacent; faith is action. You don’t have faith and wait. When you have faith, you move.
Betty Eadie

Faith is not trying to believe something regardless of the evidence; faith is daring something regardless of the consequences.
Sherwood Eddy

He who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.
B. C. Forbes

For faith to be true, it has to be generous and loving. Love and faith go together, they complete each other.
Mother Teresa

Faith makes all things possible. Love makes all things easy. Hope makes all things work.
Unknown

And my absolute favorite thought on faith...

When you walk to the edge of all the light you have
and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,
you must believe that one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid for you to stand upon,
or, you will be taught how to fly

© Patrick Overton
The Leaning Tree, 1975

Let's learn to fly!

What We Need

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:23:00 +0000

Lots & lots of SANE ASYLUMS! I've got one started, why don't you start one?

DECLARATION OF SANITY & SECURITY

Because we recognize that modern society provides very few opportunities for true respite of the Soul and because we further recognize the need for a haven of Love, Peace and Sanity, we, the founders of the Sane Asylum, do hereby Ordain and Affirm:

1) This place is a Stronghold of Love.

2) It is a Haven of Peace.

3) It is a Sanctuary of Sanity.

4) It is a Refuge for Free Thought, Free Speech & Free Spirits.

5) It is a Retreat for the weary Soul.

6) It is a Shelter from the storms of Life.

7) It is blessed with Abundance & Good Fortune.

8) “Live, Love, Laugh & Eat desert first” is the primary philosophy of those who abide here.

9) All activities & conversations within this dwelling are for the purpose of bringing Joy & Happiness to those present.

10) All activities & conversations occurring here are dedicated to the cause of mutual Enjoyment, Understanding & Enlightenment.

11) Moreover, all activities & conversations which transpire within the Sane Asylum will remain within the Sane Asylum, except as they may contribute to the greater good of the outside world.

All who enter here are welcome.
We seek no judgment & offer none in return.

“In a mad world only the mad are sane.”
Akira Kurosawa

Rita - Katrina's Forgotten Sister

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 06:05:00 +0000

It was about this time of the morning (2:00am), a year ago today, that I was on the phone with my daughter. She was giving me the reassuring news that she and her family had evacuated successfully from South Louisiana. They were lucky. It only took them 14 hours to make it to shelter about 80 miles north of their home on Vermilion Bay.

It was the last really good news that came out of Louisiana for awhile.

In the wee hours of September 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita came roaring onshore, doing her best to prove that big sister Katrina wasn't the only lady in the family with a bad temper.

Rita was the fourth strongest recorded Atlantic hurricane and the most-intense tropical cyclone EVER in the Gulf of Mexico. She did $10 BILLION in damages and cost the lives of at least 120 people. But, in the wake of Katrina's massive devastation, no one seemed to notice Rita.

Entire towns disappeared and the coastline of Louisiana was changed forever.

A year later, some of my family are still living in a travel trailer where their beautiful brick home used to stand. Many people couldn't even afford a travel trailer and left homes and towns that multiple generations of their family had lived in. Relief was slow to come and rebuilding is still a distant dream.

So, I ask you to take a few minutes to watch this video and remember all that was lost in the other hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast last year.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead - Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 18:02:00 +0000

The Internet and, especially, the blogosphere is burning up with reports today that Usama Bin Laden 'might' be dead.
Exciting news, eh? "Woohoo, the bad guy is gone!"
Well, you'll have to forgive me if I don't get too excited. You see, this is old news. Very old news.
Don't believe it?

This report from CBS News is dated July 17, 2002.

This story from the London Telegraph is even older, December 28,2001. It includes this quote from Donald Rumsfield..."We do know of certainty that he is in Afghanistan or some other country or dead."

Then there is this interview from National Review Online, that is from October, 2001.

Or you can check out all of these at whatreallyhappened.com.
How about the information here?

I think what everyone needs to keep in mind is this quote from Russian President Putin...
"When there are leaks ... one can say that (they) were done especially."

So, yeah, I think I'll pass on getting excited about this newest news.
Can you say "October Surprise" - AGAIN - boys and girls?

The Pot & The Kettle?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:14:00 +0000

Maybe it's just me, but wasn't President Bush's speech to the U.N. General Assembly a little reminiscent of the classic cookware controversy? You know the one...pot...kettle...black?

Mr. Bush based his speech on the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and proceeded with a roll call of certain countries that are not yet in line with that declaration.
It was a stirring speech.
However, I do think it would have behooved our Chief Executive to familiarize himself with the document in question. Perhaps, he would have noticed that the United States should have been in that list of offending nations?

For instance, he might have seen Article 1, which states:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Then he could have judged whether "a spirit of brotherhood" encompasses blowing your brother to bits because you don't like his politics or his religion. Or because you want his oil.

Maybe he would have read Article 5:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Surely, that might have made him think twice about pointing fingers?

Or Article 9:
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Do you think he simply forgot about Guantanamo and the CIA 'holding' facilities?
I guess that's possible. Although, it's a good thing that someone reminded him so he could convince Congress to give him permission to keep running them, huh?

I would think that he has never seen Article 19:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Or else, he would know that his administration's call to restrict and/or deny access to opinions and information that they deem misinformation, propaganda or conspiracy theories is a blatant violation of that Article.

There are quite a few more Articles of the Declaration that Mr. Bush would have realized the United States violates daily, had he actually read the thing.
Which, of course, he couldn't have, otherwise he'd never have given that speech. The leader of the free world wouldn't make that big a fool of himself, would he?

Some Thoughts on Debt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:40:00 +0000

I've sent out the checks to pay my bills this month, as have most of you. Now, I get to look forward to paying those bills again next month, as do most of you. Bills are a fact of life for us. Debt is our daily reality. We do the best we can to pay what we owe and try to avoid owing more than we can pay, right? Just about everyone understands that concept as the basis for sound financial management.

So...what if we managed our personal finances the way we allow our government to manage theirs?
What if we bought a house and contracted with the mortgage holder for our great-grandchildren to pay for it?
What if I bought a car and made a deal with the finance company for you to pay the note?
Why should you pay my car note, if you have no access to my car? Well, if you don't pay my note, I won't have a car and I won't be able to go to work. If I can't go to work, I can't make any money to spend at your business or pay taxes. If I can't spend money at your business, your company suffers and you could lose your job. If I don't pay taxes, you will be deprived of the government services that my tax dollars support. It only makes sense that you should pay my car note, as it ultimately benefits you, right?
No? You say that is ridiculous? Why? It works that way for Uncle Sam, why not for the rest of us? Uncle borrows money to send to other countries as Foreign Aid, so that, ultimately, we can buy cheap shirts at the local superstore. Same principle as you paying my car note.

As of today, September 21,2006 our Public Debt is $8,494,091,870,688.50.
That's $8.5 TRILLION in US dollars that our government owes and we, our children, our children's children and their children are obligated to pay it. Whether or not we see any direct benefit from it.

And, it gets better...
Some of the public debt that we have to repay was money borrowed from us to start with! Gotta love that plan, right? Here's an example of how that works...
You take out a government backed Student Loan, we'll say it's from the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs, OK? The VA borrows the money they gave you from the U.S. Treasury ,by way of the Federal Financing Bank. The money that the VA borrowed is now part of the public debt.
So, you make payments on the original Student Loan you received and you make payments on the public debt. You get to pay for the same loan twice and you are paying to borrow money from your own self as an American citizen! Pretty sweet deal, huh?

I'll let you ponder that for awhile.
I leave you with this thought from Founding Father and former President, Thomas Jefferson. He wrote, in an 1816 letter to Samuel Kerchival:
"I am not among those who fear the people. They, and not the rich, are our dependence for continued freedom. And to preserve their independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debts, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our callings and our creeds, as the people of England are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty-four, give the earnings of fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily expenses; and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live, as they now do, on oatmeal and potatoes; have no time to think, no means of calling the mismanagers to account; but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers...And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, and to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering. Then begins, indeed, the bellum omnium in omnia, which some philosophers observing to be so general in this world, have mistaken it for the natural, instead of the abusive state of man. And the fore horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."

Interesting View of the War on Drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 21:28:00 +0000

This video raises some interesting questions about our country's drug policy and drug addiction in general. It really made me stop and think, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.
I particularly like the question at the very end of the video...
"What will cause people to say, I value my freedom, even if that freedom involves a measure of risk?"
I think that question applies to every aspect of our lives today.

Recall of Similac Alimentum & Advance Baby Formula

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:47:00 +0000

A little Public Service Announcement for you, because a sick baby is a very bad thing.
If your baby uses either Similac Alimentum Advance or Similac Advance w/Iron liquid formula, check the bottle for the lot number to be sure it isn't one of the recalled lots. Spread the word to anyone else you know who may use this formula.

The original (PDF) press release from Abbott's Ross Products, includes photos of affected products. They also say they will replace these products "free of charge".

Here is the information you need from the AP story at myway.com:

...The recall is for approximately 100,000 32-ounce plastic bottles of Similac Alimentum Advance liquid formula and approximately 200,000 bottles of Similac Advance with Iron, Abbott spokeswoman Tracey Noe said Friday...

...If infants drink formula without enough vitamin C for two to four weeks, they could start exhibiting symptoms of vitamin C deficiency, which include irritability with generalized tenderness...

...The Similac Alimentum Advance has stock code 57512, lot number 401895V and use-by 1 May 2007 printed on the back of the bottle; the Similac Advance with Iron has stock code 55961, lot numbers 40177RH or 40172RH and use-by 1 November 2007. Some of the bottles may have been included in Similac Advance Hospital Discharge Kits - stock code 58986 and lot number 41699D5 are printed on the back of the bear tag attached to the kit...

...Consumers with questions can contact Abbott's Ross Products division at 800-624-3412.

Blogging Junky?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 02:44:00 +0000

I took a little break from blogging yesterday and discovered something...
I missed it! I've only been doing this for a couple of weeks and I'm already hooked.
I'm not sure what that says about me, other than serving as further proof that I talk too much. :-)
It seems as if almost every news report I read, or conversation I have, triggers an idea for a post. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. Have I become obsessed?

Of course, most of my ideas never grow up into posts.
I try to run each idea through the filter of...is it important, useful, interesting or entertaining?
Hopefully, I'm managing to keep my posts within at least one of those categories.
If not, please bear with me, I'm learning as I go.

Got Asbestos Undies?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:02:00 +0000

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said Tuesday that non-lethal weapons should be used on American citizens before they are used on the battlefield.

Smart thinking there. They can be sure that the darn things actually work before they have to use them in a life or death situation against the enemy. Yep, pretty good plan.

WAIT A MINUTE! American citizens? Why...that's...US! You and me, John and Jane Public!
They want to test these things on us?
Well...I guess it wouldn't be so bad...after all, it would help out our soldiers, right?
And, they are non-lethal weapons. How bad could it be?

I mean, surely they wouldn't use Active Denial Technology against us, would they? After all, it heats up your skin to 130°F in just a second and produces burns after 25 seconds. They wouldn't use that one on Americans, right?

And I'm pretty certain they wouldn't want to temporarily blind a crowd of us with the Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response (PHaSR) either. What would they do with a few hundred blind people? Nope, they wouldn't use that one.

We wouldn't have to worry about SCREAM , even though our good friends in Israel use it, because everyone knows our government would not want to permanently deafen us. How could we listen to President Bush's speeches, if we can't hear? Well, there is closed captioning, but still...

So, yeah, American citizens would only have to worry about TASERS (which only fire 50,000 volts), or rubber bullets and the like. Nobody dies of those.
Ok, well there was this guy and this guy.
Oh, and all of these folks. But, we don't have anything to worry about. Seriously!

They will only use them for special situations. You know, like crowd control after a rowdy ballgame, or stopping riots or herding protesters into approved free speech zones, stuff like that.

Easy enough to avoid situations like that, right? Just don't go to big sporting events or concerts or public meetings or protests or parades or...hmmmmmm...
Anybody got an extra pair of asbestos undies I can borrow?

Just Try Not to Smile!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:16:00 +0000

After the emotional rollercoaster of the last few days, especially yesterday, I thought we could all use a smile.
Here's a little reminder of what life's all about. Hope it gets stuck in your head all day!

How Could They Have Known?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 10:03:00 +0000

Dedicated to the memory of all who died on September 11,2001.

How could they have known
As they went about their day,
That this would be the end
Of the great American way?

How could they have seen
On that bright September morn,
That before the day was done
A new America would be born?

How could they have imagined
That we would know their name?
Or that because of them
We would never be the same?

How could they have dreamed
That the world would watch them die?
And that five years down the road
We’d still be wondering why?

Questioning a Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 14:55:00 +0000

This post, by Preston Taylor Holmes at Six Meat Buffet, is intended to serve as a "reminder of why we're at war." It is heart-breakingly graphic footage of the WTC on 9/11 that I had never seen before. While definitely a jolting reminder of that day, it is also a reminder of the questions I have about the war.

If the events of September 11th are "why we're at war", could someone explain to me why we did not launch a "shock & awe" campaign against Riyadh? Or Abu Dhabi? Or Cairo? Or Damascus? (Oh, wait, we're letting Israel take care of that one.)

You see, the official version of that day's events tells me that 19 hijackers armed with boxcutters brought our country to its knees and changed our world forever.
Of those 19 men, 14 were from Saudi Arabia, 3 were from the United Arab Emirates, 1 was from Egypt and 1 was from Lebanon. Not a single hijacker was from Afghanistan or Iraq. Not one!

If this war was to avenge the 2,752 victims of 9/11, why didn't we go after the countries and comrades of those whom our government says committed these atrocities?

How can we continue to use the events of that day to justify war with a country that President Bush admitted (before the Iraqi war) had no link to the hijackers, while we call the countries that were directly linked to them allies?

The Numbers Game

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 17:11:00 +0000

In my last post, I suggested that we play a word game. This time, let's play with numbers, OK?
Our game today is to figure out, in U.S. dollars & cents, what the War on Terror is costing us.
Don't worry! We are going to keep it simple. A little basic math is all you need.
Now, for these numbers to be correct, the war has to stop TODAY, which it probably won't. Obviously, the cost will be higher if the war continues, which it probably will.

Keep in mind, we are strictly calculating the cost in dollars & cents. I couldn't even try to put a price on a human life, or an arm, or leg or any other of the horrific bodily injuries our soldiers receive. And, we aren't sure yet what the costs will be for the long-term health problems caused by the use of DU ammunition or the mental & emotional difficulties of our troops.

So, confining ourselves to the U.S. government's own numbers and the admittedly false supposition that the War on Terror stopped today, how much would each of us have to pay for it?

According to a Government Accounting Office report issued July 20,2006, there have been $430 billion USD appropriated for the Global War on Terror, since 2001. You can read the actual report (in PDF format) here.

There's our first number...$430,000,000,000. So far, so good.

Now, the United States Census Bureau's Population Clock, as of 17:49 GMT September 9,2006, lists the population of the U.S. as 299,691,385.

There's our second number...299,691,385.

Our problem should look like this 430000000000/299691385.
That's $430 billion divided by the total number of people in the country.
See? I told you this would be simple.

Back to our calculation...430000000000/299691385 = 1434.81.

So, if the War on Terror stopped today, it would cost every man, woman and child living in the United States $1434.81 a piece to pay for it. Not a bad price at all, right?

If you have an average family of 4, your cost would be $5739.24.
That's only slightly more than 12% of the Median Household Income for the United States.
How can you beat that?

Here's an idea! Why don't we all sit down and write a check for our family's part of the payment, then tell the President that the government can have all those checks IF he'll stop this war today?

It's a winning proposition, all the way round. No more of our troops have to die, we won't need Iraq's oil to pay for the war (the Iraqi's could use it to rebuild, saving us even more money!) and we won't leave our children's children's children in debt!
Come on, we are only paying 31.6% of our income in taxes now, if we add another 12% we'll still have 56.4% of our money left!

Think about it, folks. If you haven't yet sent a friend or loved one overseas to fight this war, what is it worth to you to keep them home? If you have already waved good-bye to a soldier you care about, what would it be worth to you to bring them home?

One final thought...

If you have already lost a loved one to the horror of this war, I know these numbers are meaningless. Your loss is inestimable. I pray that the Creator will grant you Peace.

Let's Play!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:55:00 +0000

How many of you like to play anagrams? I imagine quite a few of you wordsmiths do. It is one of my favorite games. For those of you unfamiliar with it, anagramming is a form of word play wherein you use the letters of a word or phrase to make new words or phrases.

Anagrams can be very simple, rearrange the letters affairs, like Earth=Heart, or very complex mindbenders that require you to transform a whole paragraph. You will find them in puzzle books with titles like Word Mine and Re-Arrange-It.

Years ago, I was introduced to the idea that hidden meanings for words and phrases could be found in their anagrams. It sounds strange, but you would be surprised at what I’ve found over the years. In fact, I think we’ve all done it unconsciously, whenever we wondered about God being dog, spelled backwards. Or why Live, reversed, is evil.

Anyway, since it’s Friday and nobody really wants to work, why not play anagrams?
Here’s a few to get you started. Yes, these are real anagrams, folks!

Usama Bin Laden (That is a correct spelling. See here or here.)
Damnable in USA
US alien badman
Use badman in L.A. (a reference to Tim Osman’s 1986 trip to CA?)
Mainland abuse
Mania and blues (bipolar disorder?)
Anal mind abuse (???? I’m not touching that one.)

George W. Bush
Owes Berg hug (which Berg?)
He grew US bog
Bugs go where? (everywhere!)
Bush ego grew
Sob grew huge (or S.O.B.?)
He, W., bugs Gore

Islamofascist
Sail to Fascism
Oil facts amiss
Soft claim, as is
Is a class motif
Fits as oil scam
Last fiasco -ism

War on Terror
A terror worn (on our faces?)
Want or error?
No terror war
Nor retro war
War not error
Arrow err not

Leftist Liberal
Be a trifle still
Lift a rebel list
Felt a libel stir
A tribe felt ills
Let's refit a bill
Little barflies (Some aren't so little!)

See? This can be fun and educational! :-)
So, I'll give you one more before I leave. Then you can try.

Constitution
Coitus not 'n it (Think about it.)

Have a good weekend!

Response to Rich, Pt.2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 20:28:00 +0000

OK, where were we? Oh, yes, my "issues with the NSC position paper on Global Terrorism."

Let me begin with a mea culpa. I absolutely took statements out of their full context. In part, to keep my post short. Also, because I hoped that my readers would be curious enough to read the whole NSC statement and because, as I mentioned in my post, I was just commenting on some of the ideas that jumped out at me. If I had posted a full-context point-by-point commentary, I would still be typing that first post!

Not to mention, bringing up some real hot points like...
How can the U.S. Government say, "There is a broad and growing global consensus that the deliberate targeting of innocents is never justified by any calling or cause." (my emphasis), at the same time that they are supporting and funding Israel's actions in Palestine and Lebanon? But, that's a topic for another post.

On to our discussion!

Rich says:
"Your first quote deals with conspiracy theories, and makes the charge that since Americans believe in conspiracy theories, then we could be terrorists."

Umm, actually, no. I didn't make that charge, the NSC did. That was my point.

"I also note that the article you site[sic] was written by an author with a novel based on conspiracy theories. Not the best of sources."

I chose that article because the author cites multiple polls by such respected pollsters as Scripps Howard, Gallup and Time/CNN. Are you suggesting that those are not good sources? If they are not, then could someone tell our government to stop using these same pollsters to support their spin on the news?
Or, when you say that the author wrote a novel, are you suggesting that the poll results he cites are fiction? Wouldn't you think that the pollsters would have a problem with someone just making things up and ascribing the fiction to them?

"Are you suggesting that a belief that it is possible that Oswald did not act alone is in any way comparable to denying the Holocaust took place? I'd like to think not, but that's the level of argument you appear to be presenting."

OK, yeah, you lost me there, buddy. Denying the 'lone assassin' theory is the same as denying the Holocaust? Well, yeah, in the sense that our government considers them both conspiracy theories.
Although, since you brought it up, why do Holocaust deniers get arrested, deported and demonized, while 'lone assassin' deniers get millions in book, TV and movie profits? That doesn't make sense to me. Isn't one crackpot conspiracy theorist the same as another?

"Finally, let's look at the actual section of the strategy page you are quoting from, to get the context of the passage.
"The terrorism we confront today springs from:
* Political alienation. Transnational terrorists are recruited from populations with no voice in their own government and see no legitimate way to promote change in their own country. Without a stake in the existing order, they are vulnerable to manipulation by those who advocate a perverse political vision based on violence and destruction.
* Grievances that can be blamed on others. The failures the terrorists feel and see are blamed both on others and on perceived injustices from the recent or sometimes distant past. The terrorists’ rhetoric keeps wounds associated with this past fresh and raw, a potent motivation for revenge and terror.
* Subcultures of conspiracy and misinformation. Terrorists recruit more effectively from populations whose information about the world is contaminated by falsehoods and corrupted by conspiracy theories. The distortions keep alive grievances and filter out facts that would challenge popular prejudices and self-serving propaganda.
* An ideology that justifies murder. Terrorism ultimately depends upon the appeal of an ideology that excuses or even glorifies the deliberate killing of innocents. Islam has been twisted and made to serve an evil end, as in other times and places other religions have been similarly abused."

So you're reacting to one piece of a puzzle in isolation, but when put into its proper context, as one factor which promotes terrorism, it makes perfect sense."

Don't get out in American society much, huh? If so, you would find:
*Political alienation - Thus the push every year to overcome voter apathy. Common response to voter registration drives? "Why bother? My vote doesn't count anyway." Ask someone to join you at an anti-war rally and you'll hear, "What difference does it make? There gonna do whatever they want anyway."

*Grievances that can be blamed on others - Haven't talked to anyone about Slave Restitution, eh? Or the various American Indian movements to restore tribal lands that they lost years ago? Or, how about talking to Bubba down at the local bar and asking him what happened to his good job at the factory?

*Subcultures of conspiracy and misinformation - I think I've covered this one.

*An ideology that justifies murder - Yep, covered this one, too. Although, I could add that, besides the Judeo-Christian ideology, there are also multiple non-religious ideologies in our society that justify murder, e.g. gangs, Mafia and family blood feuds.

So, yeah, my argument still stands. According to the NSC position, American citizens are potential terrorists and therefore, potential enemies.

"You claim that intercepting and monitoring terrorist communications is somehow a breach of freedom of speech."

Nope! I claim that intercepting and monitoring the communications of the average American citizen is a breach of free speech. Unless and until, the government has the Constitutionally (4th Amendment) mandated probable cause. I will grant that a case could be made that, if my interpretation of the NSC stance is correct and we are all potential terrorists, they would have probable cause. (See how this works? Pretty sly of them, huh?)

"The only place you might find a valid argument is if Joe Public faces some consequences spilling over from that interdiction, but that is a case that has not been made as yet."

So, we wait until it is illegal to speak our minds and then we speak our minds to protest it? You're the kind of guy that watches the river rise for a week, but doesn't move to higher ground 'til his feet are wet, right?

"As an example, you are still free to write whatever you want on this blog, without fear of repercussions from government watchdogs."

Strangely enough, the prevailing reaction I have had from friends and family has been, "Aren't you scared? Don't you know 'they' could shut you up?" The answers are no, I'm not scared and yes, I know 'they' could. The fact that we have gotten to the point of asking those questions is what truly concerns me.
I see this strategy paper as laying the foundation for steps that could shut us all up. Think it can't happen here? Did you ever think you could be strip searched to board a plane? Or have your bag searched to get on the subway? Or be subject to indefinite detention without charges?
Those things are happening here. Why are you so certain that worse things won't?

"Next, you worry that the NSC recognizes this as a generational conflict. Hmmm. The civil rights movement in the US has lasted through the better part of three generations now, and that was in a country where freedom and liberty were considered a right of all people."

Indeed, the civil rights movement has gone on a long time. But, I would suggest that if this truly is "a country where freedom and liberty were considered a right of all people", there would be no need for a civil rights movement!
And, I do wonder at your use of the past tense in that statement. Freudian slip?

My concern is that if, as you say, "the shooting war will be the shortest part of the struggle.", why aren't we ending the damn thing? Or at least, have an idea of when we will end it? What exactly is our goal and how do we explain the logic of killing people to convince them that killing is wrong?

"As the NSC strategy says, this is not a war of bullets, but of ideas."

Yes, this is a war of ideas. Here's mine...
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Response to Rich, Pt.1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 21:54:00 +0000

Once again, I feel the need to respond to a reader's comment at length.
Rich, from Shots Across the Bow, made several points that I believe should be addressed. Not only by me, but by all of you, in your day-to-day life.

He astutely points out that there are, in fact, two distinct subjects to consider here. Politics and religion. Though they are intimately intertwined in the terrorism issue, I will address them in separate posts for the sake of brevity and clarity.

Let's tackle the "theological arguments" first, shall we?

Rich says:
"The major difference being, of course, that there are no Christian fundamentalists running around blowing themselves up to kill schoolchildren. That would seem to me to be a distinction you tend to ignore."

I absolutely do not ignore it! In fact, that very point is part of my claim for hypocrisy on the part of Anonymous (and many, many others).

Perhaps, I have a longer memory than most folks, or maybe I read too much, but...
Did you ever hear of the Irish Republican Army? They are responsible for a 60+ year campaign of bombings & attacks that have killed thousands of people, including schoolchildren. Faithful Christians, some of them even received special blessings from their church.

How about Bosnia/Hergozovinia? Do you recall the many news reports of the 'ethnic cleansing' of Muslims there? Do you remember the sight of bombed out schools, churches, entire villages? The pictures of bloody and mangled babies, women and senior citizens? The mass graves? Those were the handiwork of Christians, folks.

Look up the National Liberation Front of Tripura. A fundamental Christian movement in India, the government there believes they are funded by the Southern Baptists of the United States. They have claimed responsibility for multiple deadly attacks in northern India and practice "conversion at gunpoint".

Need something closer to home?
Try the OKC bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were identified early on as associates of the Christian Identity movement. How many children died that fine April day?
Read Eric Rudolph's statement, wherein he professes to be a Christian and to be morally justified in carrying out his bomb attacks on abortion centers, bars and the Olympic Park.

Maybe, these are just aberrant examples of Christians run amok? Christofascists, if you will? We certainly wouldn't want to judge all Christians by the acts of a crazy few, would we?

Or maybe your argument hinges on that "blowing themselves up" part? I'll grant that, as a rule, their acts usually only kill others, not themselves. Which does raise the question...
If these people are 'good' Christians with faith in their entry to the Glories of Heaven, why are they so damned scared to go there?

No parallels could be drawn at all between these people, who share a common religious belief and make political statements by blowing inncocents up, and the 'terrorists' we are fighting, huh?

"By the way, when quoting sacred texts, it's always a good idea to maintain context."

You are absolutely correct! However, in this case, the context runs to 66 books. That could get a little wordy for this space.

Rich's next point:
"The Old Testament Law was replaced by the New Testament's new Covenant."

Really? So, a Bible believing Christian who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior has no problem with men having sex with men, or having sex with animals, or killing an unborn child in its mother's womb?
After all, these are all Old Testament Laws.
Someone should get the word out to Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and others of their kind that they are wasting a lot of breath preaching against actions that are no longer prohibited!
While you're at it, could you tell the millions of members of certain Church of God, Seventh-Day Adventist and Mormon denominations (to name a few) that they are wasting their time too?

And, could we please stop all the hoopla over The Ten Commandments?
After all, they are part of the Old Testament Law and they have been replaced.
By the way, why do we even still print Bibles with the Old Testament? Shouldn't we just use the New Testament and take Jesus' word for it?

Although, that might cause problems with Jesus' declaration in Matthew 5:17-18...
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
Did he not know he was making a New Covenant? How could that be, when he is God and God is omniscient?

Of course, we are still left with all those of Judaic belief who do not even acknowledge the New Covenant of Jesus, much less accept it.

If 'we' can't all get on the same page, how can we condemn 'them' to death for the same thing?

"Now then, leaving aside the theological arguments, let's address your issues with the NSC position paper on Global Terrorism."

Certainly! We'll do that in Pt.2, to be posted soon.

Dear Mr. or Ms. Anonymous

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 08:30:00 +0000

I was going to fire off a quick reply to your comment on my previous post, but your obvious expenditure of time and effort deserves more attention than that. Therefore, rather than merely comment on your comment, allow me to respond this way.

Sorry to disappoint you, neither crack nor koolaid to be had here. And while my mind may well be headed around the bend, at least it's still moving.
How about you pull yours out of the...um...er...rut it's stuck in and try some reading, too?

This will get you started...
United States Constitution

And, you might want to read this part again...
Bill of Rights

You see, if there ever is a machete at my throat, I most certainly do not want it to be in the hand of my own government!

Oh, by the way, if we are going to call on Holy Writ to make our case, you should know that there is a not insignificant number of Christians & Jews very dedicated to following these instructions to the letter, if not in fact, then by way of support.

Bible commands to kill non-believers:

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. - Deuteronomy 13:6-9

If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. - Deuteronomy 13:12-15

But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. - Deuteronomy 18:20

All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. - 2nd Chronicles 15:13

Sharia, huh? Try these Biblical punishments:

Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death.
Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.
Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. - Exodus 21:15-17

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. - Exodus 31:15

If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. - Leviticus 20:10

If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. - Leviticus 20:13

I could certainly go on, but I think you've got the idea.

Of course, you may be right, killing all the people who practice a religion that condones and even orders killing would certainly solve the whole darn problem, wouldn't it?
Not to mention put an end to that pesky over-population thing we always hear about.

I have no fear of delusions, only of the deluded.
Sleep tight with that hypocrisy.

At least, they warned us...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:48:00 +0000

I guess we can be thankful for that.

I'm sitting here, overwhelmed & fighting nausea. Why? Because I've just finished reading the U.S. government's Declaration of Endless War on Everyone. They don't call it that, of course.

Officially, it is the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism September 2006. But, calling a dog a horse, doesn't make it eligible for the Derby.

I have numerous points of argument with this latest statement from the National Security Council, but these are a few that stand out...

Terrorists recruit more effectively from populations whose information about the world is contaminated by falsehoods and corrupted by conspiracy theories. The distortions keep alive grievances and filter out facts that would challenge popular prejudices and self-serving propaganda.

Congratulations, Average American Citizen! Your government has just declared that you are: 1) too stupid to recognize the Truth and 2) a potential terrorist. As such, you are the enemy.

In place of a culture of conspiracy and misinformation, democracy offers freedom of speech, independent media, and the marketplace of ideas, which can expose and discredit falsehoods, prejudices, and dishonest propaganda.

There is honest propaganda?
And how does freedom of speech jibe with...

We and our partners will continue to target the communication nodes of our enemy.

Aren't tapped phones, intercepted emails & government access to your Google searches enough?

The Internet provides an inexpensive, anonymous, geographically unbounded, and largely unregulated virtual haven for terrorists...Use of the Internet, however, creates opportunities for us to exploit. To counter terrorist use of the Internet as a virtual sanctuary, we will discredit terrorist propaganda by promoting truthful and peaceful messages. We will seek ultimately to deny the Internet to the terrorists as an effective safehaven for their propaganda, proselytizing, recruitment, fund-raising, training, and operational planning. (italics mine)

Sorry, you can't regulate & exploit the Internet or deny access to those you suspect of being terrorists AND protect freedom of speech at the same time.
I won't even try to figure out how an administration with a world-wide reputation for lies and war can promote "truthful and peaceful messages"!

Similarly, states that harbor and assist terrorists are as guilty as the terrorists, and they will be held to account. Iran...Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, and Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ)...Syria...

And the laundry list for war continues to grow.

To better prepare ourselves for a generational struggle against terrorism and the extremist ideologies fueling it, we will create an expert community of counterterrorism professionals.

Generational? GENERATIONAL?? We are not looking at years of war, but generations of war? It doesn't even matter how many generations they have in mind. One is too many.

So, am I another left-winged Chicken Little insisting that the sky is falling? Maybe.
Read this statement and the others like it, find out what they really mean. Pay attention to the world around you and make up your own mind.
Then do something or nothing, as you see fit.

At least then, when you receive the government censored email on your GRISP (Globally Restricted Internet Service Provider), from your great-granddaughter on the front lines in Venezuela, you won't be surprised.

I leave you with this...

In the War on Terror, there is also a need for all elements of our Nation – from Federal, State, and local governments to the private sector to local communities and individual citizens – to help create and share responsibilities in a Culture of Preparedness.

You know, I think I'd rather live in a Culture of Humanity.

Life is a Discovery Channel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 08:40:00 +0000

Folks, this is an intensely personal journal entry of mine. I am making it public because I have a feeling that someone, somewhere needs to see this today. I hope it helps.

Today is September 5th and that means it's been a year since my world turned upside-down. A whole year of changes, disappointments and discoveries that make what I faced a year ago look like chickenfeed. And yet, I'm still here and still fighting to find out what's around the next bend in the road.

I'm not sure where that road is taking me, and there are days that I'm not sure I want to travel it, but they are fewer and fewer. I do know that to make this trip, I have to drive, because just going along for the ride has cost me way too much in cab fare.

I've looked back at where I've been and, while I wouldn't trade a day of it, not even the worst ones, I know I can never go there again. The only way to move is ...forward.
For all that I have lost and all the coulda been's that never can be and all the woulda been's that never will be, I have found one thing that always is...
Myself. Good, bad or indifferent, that's all I've got. Maybe, someday, someone will think that is just enough for them. Right now, it is just enough for me.

Some of the most important discoveries I have made this year...

I have discovered that I am tougher than I ever thought I'd have to be. And more fragile than I ever dreamed I could be.
I have discovered that my dreams can become nightmares. And that nightmares go away when you wake up.
I have discovered that being selfish is a big fault in my character. And that being selfless is a bigger one.
I have discovered that the easiest thing to do is not always the best. And that the hardest thing is telling the difference.
I have discovered that I talk too much. And that I don't say enough.
I have discovered that telling the truth will hurt. And that not telling it will hurt worse.
I have discovered that I can't change people. And that trying only changes me.
I have discovered that some folks will never understand me. And that I will never understand them.
I have discovered that people don't have to love me. And that I will still love them.
I have discovered that being good and being a good person aren't the same things. And that some folks can't tell the difference.
I have discovered that I cannot give what I haven't received. And that I cannot receive what I do not ask for.
I have discovered that I am not perfect. And that I don't have to be.

But the biggest discovery is this...

I have discovered that I'll never quit trying. And that means I can never really lose.

I think Confucius said it best...
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."