When I lived in Colorado I ached for rain. Not that it doesn't rain there, it just rains for a couple of minutes, then it's over, have a rainbow, move on. I missed the kind of rain that goes on for days and days, when you stayed inside and read good books. I missed rumbling thunder and lightning, I missed a cool breeze on a hot day that smelled of water. I missed hurricanes and so I was very happy when God moved me back to the East Coast.
Yes, I missed hurricanes. The air running before a hurricane smells of the sea and turns the world green, telling it's tale of wind to come. Then the wind does come, and it howls like an animal, then the rain, washing everything away. Hours later the clearing comes and the world is fresh again. I can't stay inside during the storms, I have to see the sky mad with boiling fury, feel the wind lashing in anger and the rain crying itself out on this poor earth. Somehow, at least to me, the world feels more alive when hurricanes blow, like God is walking beside me when I am out there.
Now there is the pesky matter of storm damage and deaths, I do pray that people are able to find secure shelter and that the damage isn't too high. But always remembering that with out these storms the world would become hopelessly and forever polluted. It is just that we humans have built up and love our things so much that we forget that these storms have scoured the face of the earth for millennia, and like the forest fires that are currently ravaging the west, they are necessary to our very survival.
So, here I remain, one of the few that is actually excited at the prospect of a busy hurricane season.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
Annoying Grammer - Top 3
These are the top 3 most irritating grammer issues, for me anyway.
3. Their, there, they're. One is possesive, one is an adverb (as my friend the Queen tells me, not a preposition), the last is the conjunction of they are. These are different words used in specific instances. Different instances.
2. Had Went. You may have gone, perhaps you went, but never ever will you had went anywhere.
1. Your & You're. Again, one is possesive, one is the conjuntion of you are.
Feel free to add.
3. Their, there, they're. One is possesive, one is an adverb (as my friend the Queen tells me, not a preposition), the last is the conjunction of they are. These are different words used in specific instances. Different instances.
2. Had Went. You may have gone, perhaps you went, but never ever will you had went anywhere.
1. Your & You're. Again, one is possesive, one is the conjuntion of you are.
Feel free to add.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Top 10 List - Organic Gardens
Here is my list of reasons why keeping an organic garden ROCKS!
10. The smell of the dirt, it doesn't smell like anything other than dirt, which means the smell is clean. That is a lovely smell.
9. You can assign children to work in the garden with out worrying what limb will grow out of their back in a week. Nothing out there is really unsafe for handling at anytime.
8. You can use that nasty light beer left over from a family gathering to catch slugs. You won't waste it and you can then make more room for good beer. And it works.
7. Peas. Peas in June, right off the vine. Oh, my, that's nice.
6. Eating a salad in which the only thing you didn't grow is the dressing. (Olive trees don't grow in Maryland. :-( )
5. Raspberries, right off the bushes. right off, no washing.
4. The smell of the herbs as the sun warms them.
3. Mint. Just pick a leaf and crush it then rub it between your hands. That is a heavenly smell.
2. EVERYTHING tastes incredible. There are no chemical aftertastes, it's all just really lovely. really.
1. Being able to barely rinse, or not, the things you eat. I need to find a waterproof salt shaker to keep next to the tomato beds, so I can just stand there and glut myself on sun warmed vine ripened heirloom tomatoes. The taste of fresh herbs on everything. Nothing like, really. There is such a difference between picked two days ago and picked three minutes ago.
Last night there was a fabulous storm and the fading light of the day mixed with the greening air of the coming storm to create really lovely light. The roses, peony, clematis and the rest of the flowers were just gorgeous. I took pictures which I hope to post in the next few days.
10. The smell of the dirt, it doesn't smell like anything other than dirt, which means the smell is clean. That is a lovely smell.
9. You can assign children to work in the garden with out worrying what limb will grow out of their back in a week. Nothing out there is really unsafe for handling at anytime.
8. You can use that nasty light beer left over from a family gathering to catch slugs. You won't waste it and you can then make more room for good beer. And it works.
7. Peas. Peas in June, right off the vine. Oh, my, that's nice.
6. Eating a salad in which the only thing you didn't grow is the dressing. (Olive trees don't grow in Maryland. :-( )
5. Raspberries, right off the bushes. right off, no washing.
4. The smell of the herbs as the sun warms them.
3. Mint. Just pick a leaf and crush it then rub it between your hands. That is a heavenly smell.
2. EVERYTHING tastes incredible. There are no chemical aftertastes, it's all just really lovely. really.
1. Being able to barely rinse, or not, the things you eat. I need to find a waterproof salt shaker to keep next to the tomato beds, so I can just stand there and glut myself on sun warmed vine ripened heirloom tomatoes. The taste of fresh herbs on everything. Nothing like, really. There is such a difference between picked two days ago and picked three minutes ago.
Last night there was a fabulous storm and the fading light of the day mixed with the greening air of the coming storm to create really lovely light. The roses, peony, clematis and the rest of the flowers were just gorgeous. I took pictures which I hope to post in the next few days.
Friday, June 03, 2005
What is a Hero?
Former FBI guy, Mark Felt, revealed this week that he was "the man" who leaked all that information to Woodward and Bernstein at the Washington Post (henceforth WaPo.) Mr. Deep Throat came out of the closet. Great. Expessly for money. Even better.
Mark Felt was J. Edgar's poodle at the FBI, groomed to take over when Hoover died. When that happened, Nixon passed him over for the top spot and soon after Mr. Felt was breaking every oath he had ever sworn to out him. Funny, to me it doesn't look like heroism, just a big case of poopy pants. There were other, and legal, options. Today it's easy to say it just would have been too hard to take that evidence to the Grand Jury, or to say that if he had, the information still would have been suppressed. The problem is that Mr. Felt didn't even try to do things the right way and through proper channels. He had taken an oath not to reveal classified information. He broke that oath.
Bob Bradlee, editor of the WaPo, has some interesting ties to JFK, cover-ups and such, that in light of the eviseration of Nixon on his watch are rather hypocritical in nature. He too is looked as a hero, as are Woodward and Bernstein. Whatever.
The left has often pointed at Nixon as proof of the corruption on the right, and in a gesture of fairness, I'll give them that Nixon was unprincipled and uncouth, actually, not even a nice guy. But now in that same gesture of fairness I'd like to point out that nearly every democratic president from FDR on has acted the criminal. FDR stacked the Supreme Court, Truman overlooked and condoned Soviet spies in our midst, even to the highest levels of government, JKF, a drug addict, used his fathers methods and brother RFK to get things done that shouldn't have gotten done including murder, LBJ, well, ick, there's just too much. Carter's missteps have come from bullheadedness and a petulance not seen often this side of the woobie, but as far as I know he hasn't been charged with anything. Okay, except a case of stunning and stellar blindness, like when he said that Venezuela's recent election is more democratic than our own. (What planet is he on anyway?) WJC, well, it starts with sexual harassment, misappropriating FBI files, the rape of Juanita Broaderick and we can just keep going from there. Remember that he was disbarred, you know, lost his lawyers license because he broke the law and lied under oath. On the Republican side you have Ike, one of the most honest politicians ever to inhabit the White House, Reagan, say what you will of Iran-Contra, he ended the cold war, and 41, he got us into GW1, and got us out again, but he made that "read my lips" mistake. Say what you will of W, his tenure is unfinished, and we still have to see what the WMD thing was all about.
One thing has always baffled me, the left's hatred of the Vietnam conflict. All the protests, all the anger, all the "hawks and doves" junk, and it always looked to me that the left forgot who started, promulgated and LOST that "police action". It was the left, that was their baby, if you look closely at Somalia you will see Vietnam on a smaller and shorter scale. That same fight-but-don't-fight thing. We were in Vietnam because of the policy of "containment", a leftist idea and a poor idea at that. It took Reagan's vision to stop that silliness and bring an end to the coldwar. I just never understood all the anger from the left at the right over Vietnam when it was the left's doing. Why didn't those radical kids all go Republican?
Okay, so, back to Mark Felt. Is he a hero? No. And just to clarify, I'm not saying that Nixon didn't commit crimes and wasn't a mediocre president. What I am saying is that selling out your boss because you didn't get a promotion and then outing your self as the mole for profit doesn't fit the definition of a hero. Like I said, poopy pants. If Mr. Felt was still on the playground he would have been roundly pounded.
A hero looks like the firefighters who run into burning buildings when every one else is running out. And like Abdul Amir, who gave his life to protect his fellow Iraqi citizens so that they might vote. And like Amy Carmichael, who bought children being sold into prostitution and raised them as her own. And like the Ten Boom family, who built a secret room in their home so they could hide Jews from the Nazi's and get them to safety. And like the men and women in uniform fighting a world away to give a people not their own a chance at peace. All these people are just ordinary folks who act admirably and bravely to aid others at great personal and physical peril. That is the definition of a hero.
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8254
http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/kessler200506010934.asp
Mark Felt was J. Edgar's poodle at the FBI, groomed to take over when Hoover died. When that happened, Nixon passed him over for the top spot and soon after Mr. Felt was breaking every oath he had ever sworn to out him. Funny, to me it doesn't look like heroism, just a big case of poopy pants. There were other, and legal, options. Today it's easy to say it just would have been too hard to take that evidence to the Grand Jury, or to say that if he had, the information still would have been suppressed. The problem is that Mr. Felt didn't even try to do things the right way and through proper channels. He had taken an oath not to reveal classified information. He broke that oath.
Bob Bradlee, editor of the WaPo, has some interesting ties to JFK, cover-ups and such, that in light of the eviseration of Nixon on his watch are rather hypocritical in nature. He too is looked as a hero, as are Woodward and Bernstein. Whatever.
The left has often pointed at Nixon as proof of the corruption on the right, and in a gesture of fairness, I'll give them that Nixon was unprincipled and uncouth, actually, not even a nice guy. But now in that same gesture of fairness I'd like to point out that nearly every democratic president from FDR on has acted the criminal. FDR stacked the Supreme Court, Truman overlooked and condoned Soviet spies in our midst, even to the highest levels of government, JKF, a drug addict, used his fathers methods and brother RFK to get things done that shouldn't have gotten done including murder, LBJ, well, ick, there's just too much. Carter's missteps have come from bullheadedness and a petulance not seen often this side of the woobie, but as far as I know he hasn't been charged with anything. Okay, except a case of stunning and stellar blindness, like when he said that Venezuela's recent election is more democratic than our own. (What planet is he on anyway?) WJC, well, it starts with sexual harassment, misappropriating FBI files, the rape of Juanita Broaderick and we can just keep going from there. Remember that he was disbarred, you know, lost his lawyers license because he broke the law and lied under oath. On the Republican side you have Ike, one of the most honest politicians ever to inhabit the White House, Reagan, say what you will of Iran-Contra, he ended the cold war, and 41, he got us into GW1, and got us out again, but he made that "read my lips" mistake. Say what you will of W, his tenure is unfinished, and we still have to see what the WMD thing was all about.
One thing has always baffled me, the left's hatred of the Vietnam conflict. All the protests, all the anger, all the "hawks and doves" junk, and it always looked to me that the left forgot who started, promulgated and LOST that "police action". It was the left, that was their baby, if you look closely at Somalia you will see Vietnam on a smaller and shorter scale. That same fight-but-don't-fight thing. We were in Vietnam because of the policy of "containment", a leftist idea and a poor idea at that. It took Reagan's vision to stop that silliness and bring an end to the coldwar. I just never understood all the anger from the left at the right over Vietnam when it was the left's doing. Why didn't those radical kids all go Republican?
Okay, so, back to Mark Felt. Is he a hero? No. And just to clarify, I'm not saying that Nixon didn't commit crimes and wasn't a mediocre president. What I am saying is that selling out your boss because you didn't get a promotion and then outing your self as the mole for profit doesn't fit the definition of a hero. Like I said, poopy pants. If Mr. Felt was still on the playground he would have been roundly pounded.
A hero looks like the firefighters who run into burning buildings when every one else is running out. And like Abdul Amir, who gave his life to protect his fellow Iraqi citizens so that they might vote. And like Amy Carmichael, who bought children being sold into prostitution and raised them as her own. And like the Ten Boom family, who built a secret room in their home so they could hide Jews from the Nazi's and get them to safety. And like the men and women in uniform fighting a world away to give a people not their own a chance at peace. All these people are just ordinary folks who act admirably and bravely to aid others at great personal and physical peril. That is the definition of a hero.
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8254
http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/kessler200506010934.asp
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Movie Review - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
This made Speilburg cry? All I could think was: How on earth did this sticky treacle make that man cry. It just wasn't that good or that moving. There was too much to mock and frankly, the script was so awful, direction so juvenile and the plot, wait, there was a plot? It was hard not to start mocking out loud, but I truly was afraid the star wars believers there would shoot me with their laser guns.
There were too many silly things to be believed, and before you blast me, I know this is fiction, it's just BAD fiction. Good fiction transports you away to new worlds and makes you believe that they could exist. In George Lucas' Star Wars world there is a vast emptiness of nothing to draw you in and make you believe it could have happened. Star Trek was silly, but somehow made me believe long enough to just enjoy the entertainment. RotS just makes me mad I wasted my time.
There were some little things, like Padme's night gown, it's lovely, really beautiful. In fact, I had no idea it was a night gown until I saw her in bed with it still on. The problem? Beads, lots of them, strings of them across her arms. She's pregnant and sleeping on her side wearing a dress more suited to meeting the Queen of England than catching some shuteye. All I could think was: My arm would be asleep in that, it looks uncomfortable. But often it's the stupid little things that lend believability to unbelievable stories. Lucas fails miserably to bring his audience, me, in to the plot to care at all what happens. It's just a series of cool but meaningless special effects that are just mildly interesting in the way that watching grass grow is mildly interesting.
Anakin's final transformation into Darth Vader was laughable. Obi Wan and Anakin have a lightsaber duel floating on lava on a volcanic planet without any sort of heat protection and absolutely no breathing apparatus. First of all, he lost me at hello. Volcanic planet? It's one big lava flow, and lava being notoriously treacherous for humans or anything else slightly alive, between the intense heat and toxic gases, I can't believe that even Jedi powers can overcome the physical difficulties of dueling inches away from toxic flowing lava. So already I'm laughing. Then Anakin loses his limbs, then he catches on fire, but hey, he's still alive enough to curse Obi Wan who just walks away. (Has no one learned that you don't just walk away from an evil person, you must actually KILL THEM DEAD. Dang, do I have to do everything?)
The emperor shows up and collects the crispy cripple and shuttles him off to the hospital where he gets turned into the Lord Vader we all know. Now, in the hospital HE'S STILL SMOKING when they lock him into the Vader suit. What, people in that world don't need to heal from third degree burns? How about stripping all that melted cloth off him before you attach his prosthesis? How about some skin grafts? Maybe give him a little advil? Why not just put him out first! Just pour some water on him. I'm sure Sith Lords are powerful, but still, do they not suffer from infection because of badly cleaned, or in this case uncleaned, wounds? At least put some cream on those burns, that suit will chafe.
As I watched the "battle" between the Emperor and Yoda all I could think was "They got the wrong muppet to kill this guy, give Animal a lightsaber and he would have offed him quicker than you please. That would be a fight I'd be happy to pay to see."
And what was all the excitement about going to the Wookie homeworld. It's not like anything happened there that was slightly interesting. All you find out is that Chewbacca is an old dog. That's it. Whatever.
All in all, I give it an F. Lucas wasted four movies and some incredible actors to pile up 8 hours of trash. How do you make Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor look like no-talent high school actors? How in the world do you take the edge out of Samuel L. Jackson? The dialog was so weird, stodgy, stilted and silly, just plain old silly, as to render it laughable. The original Star Wars (ANH) was fun and incredible and a blast, the Empire Strikes Back (TESB) was equally fun. Then it all fell apart into sappy stupid vacuous nothingness, like the emptiness of space. TESB was, by the way, the only one of the movies that Lucas did not direct, and that only one he had help in writing, it is by far the best of the lot. That's very telling, and very interesting. George Lucas has a vision, and it could have been a fun one, but he let his navel gazing pride get in the way of making great movies. He should have gotten help, outside eyes to assist him, someone unafraid of saying "Midiclorians? That's stupid and doesn't flow with what came before." and "Another Senate scene? Gimme action, fast and furious! Common, let the Wookies really fight!" I wanted to shout "The Empire has no clothes!!" It started with the Ewoks. Stupid teddy bears, just too cute.
This movie, and the previous junk, Episodes 1, 2 and 6, all lacked the kind of character development that draws an audience in to want to come back. The plot, writing and direction were ponderous in the way that a legless hippo trying to wriggle it's way ashore in wet season mud is ponderous, and trite. I didn't care at all about any of them. Frankly I missed the Death Star blowing up planets willy nilly, that was fun stuff. I wanted to Emperor to win, he at least was interesting to watch. Just like at the tedious end of Titanic, I wanted to shout "DIE, please, just die!!!" Thankfully, this franchise will die and be resurrected no more. I think it could only have been worse if Ben Affleck had played Obi Wan. (Now, if I could just convince the Rolling Stones to stop touring, my work here will be finished.)
There is one consolation, and it is a small one, M&M's came out with dark chocolate M&M's. Wait, see, the Emperor did win. SWEET!
*At the theater were some Star Wars geeks, people dressed up like the characters. The best part of the whole experience was getting an ironic chuckle because the guy in the vader suit was shorter than everyone else. I mean like 5'2", shorter than me. Oh, and the other guy in the vader suit was using his lightsaber as a tapstick for a blind person. I nearly snotted soda out my nose. That was funny.
There were too many silly things to be believed, and before you blast me, I know this is fiction, it's just BAD fiction. Good fiction transports you away to new worlds and makes you believe that they could exist. In George Lucas' Star Wars world there is a vast emptiness of nothing to draw you in and make you believe it could have happened. Star Trek was silly, but somehow made me believe long enough to just enjoy the entertainment. RotS just makes me mad I wasted my time.
There were some little things, like Padme's night gown, it's lovely, really beautiful. In fact, I had no idea it was a night gown until I saw her in bed with it still on. The problem? Beads, lots of them, strings of them across her arms. She's pregnant and sleeping on her side wearing a dress more suited to meeting the Queen of England than catching some shuteye. All I could think was: My arm would be asleep in that, it looks uncomfortable. But often it's the stupid little things that lend believability to unbelievable stories. Lucas fails miserably to bring his audience, me, in to the plot to care at all what happens. It's just a series of cool but meaningless special effects that are just mildly interesting in the way that watching grass grow is mildly interesting.
Anakin's final transformation into Darth Vader was laughable. Obi Wan and Anakin have a lightsaber duel floating on lava on a volcanic planet without any sort of heat protection and absolutely no breathing apparatus. First of all, he lost me at hello. Volcanic planet? It's one big lava flow, and lava being notoriously treacherous for humans or anything else slightly alive, between the intense heat and toxic gases, I can't believe that even Jedi powers can overcome the physical difficulties of dueling inches away from toxic flowing lava. So already I'm laughing. Then Anakin loses his limbs, then he catches on fire, but hey, he's still alive enough to curse Obi Wan who just walks away. (Has no one learned that you don't just walk away from an evil person, you must actually KILL THEM DEAD. Dang, do I have to do everything?)
The emperor shows up and collects the crispy cripple and shuttles him off to the hospital where he gets turned into the Lord Vader we all know. Now, in the hospital HE'S STILL SMOKING when they lock him into the Vader suit. What, people in that world don't need to heal from third degree burns? How about stripping all that melted cloth off him before you attach his prosthesis? How about some skin grafts? Maybe give him a little advil? Why not just put him out first! Just pour some water on him. I'm sure Sith Lords are powerful, but still, do they not suffer from infection because of badly cleaned, or in this case uncleaned, wounds? At least put some cream on those burns, that suit will chafe.
As I watched the "battle" between the Emperor and Yoda all I could think was "They got the wrong muppet to kill this guy, give Animal a lightsaber and he would have offed him quicker than you please. That would be a fight I'd be happy to pay to see."
And what was all the excitement about going to the Wookie homeworld. It's not like anything happened there that was slightly interesting. All you find out is that Chewbacca is an old dog. That's it. Whatever.
All in all, I give it an F. Lucas wasted four movies and some incredible actors to pile up 8 hours of trash. How do you make Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor look like no-talent high school actors? How in the world do you take the edge out of Samuel L. Jackson? The dialog was so weird, stodgy, stilted and silly, just plain old silly, as to render it laughable. The original Star Wars (ANH) was fun and incredible and a blast, the Empire Strikes Back (TESB) was equally fun. Then it all fell apart into sappy stupid vacuous nothingness, like the emptiness of space. TESB was, by the way, the only one of the movies that Lucas did not direct, and that only one he had help in writing, it is by far the best of the lot. That's very telling, and very interesting. George Lucas has a vision, and it could have been a fun one, but he let his navel gazing pride get in the way of making great movies. He should have gotten help, outside eyes to assist him, someone unafraid of saying "Midiclorians? That's stupid and doesn't flow with what came before." and "Another Senate scene? Gimme action, fast and furious! Common, let the Wookies really fight!" I wanted to shout "The Empire has no clothes!!" It started with the Ewoks. Stupid teddy bears, just too cute.
This movie, and the previous junk, Episodes 1, 2 and 6, all lacked the kind of character development that draws an audience in to want to come back. The plot, writing and direction were ponderous in the way that a legless hippo trying to wriggle it's way ashore in wet season mud is ponderous, and trite. I didn't care at all about any of them. Frankly I missed the Death Star blowing up planets willy nilly, that was fun stuff. I wanted to Emperor to win, he at least was interesting to watch. Just like at the tedious end of Titanic, I wanted to shout "DIE, please, just die!!!" Thankfully, this franchise will die and be resurrected no more. I think it could only have been worse if Ben Affleck had played Obi Wan. (Now, if I could just convince the Rolling Stones to stop touring, my work here will be finished.)
There is one consolation, and it is a small one, M&M's came out with dark chocolate M&M's. Wait, see, the Emperor did win. SWEET!
*At the theater were some Star Wars geeks, people dressed up like the characters. The best part of the whole experience was getting an ironic chuckle because the guy in the vader suit was shorter than everyone else. I mean like 5'2", shorter than me. Oh, and the other guy in the vader suit was using his lightsaber as a tapstick for a blind person. I nearly snotted soda out my nose. That was funny.
Monday, May 16, 2005
You Can't Ever Take It Back
In 1900 four journalists in Denver sat down to figure out what kind of blockbuster story they could come up with, but it would be a hoax. The story that ran was about a local contractor winning the bid to tear down The Great Wall of China. This story was picked up by the international press. It was all fun and games until the story got to China. In a land already inflamed by fear of foreigners and a fastly imploding ruling class, that was the spark that set off a year of slaughter. The Boxer Rebellion left many innocent dead, including many Chinese.
Now if any of this sounds eerily familiar, you may have heard about the the riots, the calls for jihad and the 17 deaths that have resulted from the fictious bit piece in Newsweek's Periscope regarding the supposed desecration of the Koran in GITMO. Now, however much Newsweek apologizes for their error in reporting an unsubstatiated rumor, they can't fix the havoc wreaked by this rumor taken as truth. It was absolutely irresponsible of them to print it, especially with out fully vetting it. Good luck trying to get the truth out there, Muslims won't believe it, neither will the progressives. Both love conspiracies too much to hear the truth.
Lately, freedom of the presses is translating into slander, rumor-mongering and libel, and it begins to look more like abuse of liberty than freedom of the presses. CBS, The New York Times and Newsweek have all been guilty of making up stories to suit their political ends. But now it's begun to cost the lives of innocents a world away. Just like it did in China a century ago.
Liberty and freedom are costly things, they come with a hefty price tag. One of the costs of liberty is the responsibility to use it wisely. Freedom of the presses means only that the government can not tell you what you can and can not print. It does not mean that you can print just anything. It means that with careful research, vetting and honor, you can choose to run stories that will matter, make a difference and inform. You also have a responsibility to weigh the outcomes of printing a story. It's called self-editing.
Now if any of this sounds eerily familiar, you may have heard about the the riots, the calls for jihad and the 17 deaths that have resulted from the fictious bit piece in Newsweek's Periscope regarding the supposed desecration of the Koran in GITMO. Now, however much Newsweek apologizes for their error in reporting an unsubstatiated rumor, they can't fix the havoc wreaked by this rumor taken as truth. It was absolutely irresponsible of them to print it, especially with out fully vetting it. Good luck trying to get the truth out there, Muslims won't believe it, neither will the progressives. Both love conspiracies too much to hear the truth.
Lately, freedom of the presses is translating into slander, rumor-mongering and libel, and it begins to look more like abuse of liberty than freedom of the presses. CBS, The New York Times and Newsweek have all been guilty of making up stories to suit their political ends. But now it's begun to cost the lives of innocents a world away. Just like it did in China a century ago.
Liberty and freedom are costly things, they come with a hefty price tag. One of the costs of liberty is the responsibility to use it wisely. Freedom of the presses means only that the government can not tell you what you can and can not print. It does not mean that you can print just anything. It means that with careful research, vetting and honor, you can choose to run stories that will matter, make a difference and inform. You also have a responsibility to weigh the outcomes of printing a story. It's called self-editing.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Creatures that make you go "hmmm"
Hmm - Part 1
So let's say that your daughter steals some money from you then goes on a bike ride with her best friend when she's supposed to be home grounded, what do you do? Probably stabbing the girls a total of 30 times and beating the heck out of them and leaving them to die in the park wouldn't be high on a rational parent's mind. But to Jerry Hobbs it made sense. He says he was mad that she was out WITH her mother's permission ON Mother's day, and that her friend pulled the knife on him. Yeah, right. Dude just got out of prison, I'm totally sure he could have disarmed a 9 year old little girl with out beating the crap out of her then turning the knife on her. Sheesh, he could have run back to her mother and told on her.
Hmm - Part 2
It's 2005, right? If you live in the Washington DC/New York, NY area, which includes Pennsylvania, and you were able to vote in 2001 you remember life before the terrorist attacks and you can now tell the difference. One thing would be the extra security around buildings, much of which was actually put in place after the Oklahoma City bombing. Another change would be the much expanded no-fly zone around Washington's power center. Now if you are a pilot, even of a small Buddy-Holly-Lawn-Dart Cessna, you would be aware of the extensive no fly zone AND of the stated intentions of the US Military to shoot down any aircraft straying into that no fly zone and failing to respond.
Now read this wee little paragraph:
"The Cessna pilot appeared confused by the aircraft escort and did not respond to repeated signals ordering the plane to turn away. The F-16s fired four warning flares before the Cessna finally veered west and away from the secure zone." (from My Way News, story linked below)
Some student pilot and his teacher from Pennsylvania wandered into the no fly zone and were seconds away from being shot and killed AND THEY DIDN'T RESPOND? Why? Maybe they turned their radio off or just didn't like the "tone" of the F-16 pilots and ground control. What ever, they are obviously too stupid to be allowed to fly, maybe even drive. I'm not sure what's really confusing about an F-16 wagging it's wings at you and acting threateningly, they are fighting aircraft build for war after all.
Also, I'd like to point out that Washington DC has a VERY distinctive aerial look. It's not really like you can miss either the Appalachians on one side, the Potomac in the middle and the Chesapeake on the other side, or DC itself.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050513/D8A207VG0.html
So let's say that your daughter steals some money from you then goes on a bike ride with her best friend when she's supposed to be home grounded, what do you do? Probably stabbing the girls a total of 30 times and beating the heck out of them and leaving them to die in the park wouldn't be high on a rational parent's mind. But to Jerry Hobbs it made sense. He says he was mad that she was out WITH her mother's permission ON Mother's day, and that her friend pulled the knife on him. Yeah, right. Dude just got out of prison, I'm totally sure he could have disarmed a 9 year old little girl with out beating the crap out of her then turning the knife on her. Sheesh, he could have run back to her mother and told on her.
Hmm - Part 2
It's 2005, right? If you live in the Washington DC/New York, NY area, which includes Pennsylvania, and you were able to vote in 2001 you remember life before the terrorist attacks and you can now tell the difference. One thing would be the extra security around buildings, much of which was actually put in place after the Oklahoma City bombing. Another change would be the much expanded no-fly zone around Washington's power center. Now if you are a pilot, even of a small Buddy-Holly-Lawn-Dart Cessna, you would be aware of the extensive no fly zone AND of the stated intentions of the US Military to shoot down any aircraft straying into that no fly zone and failing to respond.
Now read this wee little paragraph:
"The Cessna pilot appeared confused by the aircraft escort and did not respond to repeated signals ordering the plane to turn away. The F-16s fired four warning flares before the Cessna finally veered west and away from the secure zone." (from My Way News, story linked below)
Some student pilot and his teacher from Pennsylvania wandered into the no fly zone and were seconds away from being shot and killed AND THEY DIDN'T RESPOND? Why? Maybe they turned their radio off or just didn't like the "tone" of the F-16 pilots and ground control. What ever, they are obviously too stupid to be allowed to fly, maybe even drive. I'm not sure what's really confusing about an F-16 wagging it's wings at you and acting threateningly, they are fighting aircraft build for war after all.
Also, I'd like to point out that Washington DC has a VERY distinctive aerial look. It's not really like you can miss either the Appalachians on one side, the Potomac in the middle and the Chesapeake on the other side, or DC itself.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050513/D8A207VG0.html
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Back in the USSR
Was anyone else weirded out by the display in Red Square in Moscow yesterday? I mean the display of the hammer and sycle and the old Soviet uniforms. Did anyone else feel like that wiley old Putin, (former KGB guy if I must remind you) was putting on more than a show for the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, a Soviet specific day. And that this same Putin is the one denying that life was anything other than rosey for those Baltic States that got the snot kicked out of them when they were annexed for their own good by "Uncle Joe".
For those of you who read this who have a short or faulty memory of life under Stalin, can I remind you of some things. Gulags. Pogroms. Ethnic Cleansing. Government Created Famines. Torture of Political and Religeous Prisoners. Nuclear Proliferation. China, Vietnam, Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Columbia. Remember. Don't forget, the Soviets were brutal, life smothering, evil creatures who really did want to take over the world and subjugate us. Not free us, but smother us and remove from anyone any shred of individuality so that we would serve the purposes of the Kremlin. If you've been keeping up on your History Channel watching you would have heard this little refrain before, from the mouth of Himmler, a peach of a guy who was so grossed out by brain splatter watching his SS work at killing Jews with shots to the back of the head, and undone at the inefficiency of it all, that he invented the concentration camps.
Just a thought.
For those of you who read this who have a short or faulty memory of life under Stalin, can I remind you of some things. Gulags. Pogroms. Ethnic Cleansing. Government Created Famines. Torture of Political and Religeous Prisoners. Nuclear Proliferation. China, Vietnam, Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Columbia. Remember. Don't forget, the Soviets were brutal, life smothering, evil creatures who really did want to take over the world and subjugate us. Not free us, but smother us and remove from anyone any shred of individuality so that we would serve the purposes of the Kremlin. If you've been keeping up on your History Channel watching you would have heard this little refrain before, from the mouth of Himmler, a peach of a guy who was so grossed out by brain splatter watching his SS work at killing Jews with shots to the back of the head, and undone at the inefficiency of it all, that he invented the concentration camps.
Just a thought.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Despicable Creatures
Now, I know I spent some time just a couple of weeks ago defending life. And I still do. Really. However, there is a difference between ridding yourself of an unwanted baby, wife, pope, by murdering them and administering the proper punishment for a crime committed. At least I hope you see a difference.
See, a convicted sex offender is likely to offend again, child sex offenders even more so. Terri Schaivo was never likely to do anything other than draw breath in and then press it out of her lungs for who knows how long and not much more, perhaps not to your standard of living, but she would not be perpetrating any crimes. Your average baby will also not be committing crimes, at least not until it reached 12. Sex offenders, i.e. rapists, pederasts, pedophiles, molesters, are guilty of criminal activity. Criminal activity as defined by all religions and nearly all cultures. Usually they are also guilty of crimes of violence as well, certainly when perpetrating against children.
In case you missed it, the autopsy for Jessica Lunsford and a bit of the transcript of Mr. Couey's confession were released earlier this month. That poor little girl died a horrific death, she was raped and then bound, then buried alive within shouting distance of her grandparents and father as they searched for her. The villain who did so was committing several crimes at the time he committed that crime. He had not reregistered with the local police. That may or may not have made a difference whether little Jessica lived or died, but just maybe it might have. There is suspicion that she was alive when police first approached that house to canvas for the missing child, hopefully had they know of the prior proclivities of one resident of that house they would have searched it until they found her, BEFORE she died. One might be brought to wonder if Mr. Couey would have allowed himself to entertain the thoughts that led to the actions that led to Jessica's death. The point is that the consequenses for not registering weren't enough to make him register. Why do we expect that the law will be abided by a committed law breaker? (His other crime was that he was abusing an illicit substance when the rape and murder took place.)
In the weeks after Jessica's body was found there have been multiple stories of other children stolen, raped and murdered in other places. Before this happened there were too many stories of missing and dead children preyed upon by a twisted and peculiarly unredeemable group of criminals, the sex offender that perpetrates against children. It will happen again. And we allow it to happen again because we continue to try to stop the unstoppable with ineffective means. These criminals have to be contained and restrained by other methods. The only effective ones that come to mind are life in prison or death. I prefer life sentances for those offenders who don't kill and death for those that do. Period. First offense against a child under 12, you are in prison for life or you are dead. No appeals for parole, no second chances. They can reform all they like while in prison, but they can never again be confronted with access to the object of their twisted and evil desires.
See, a convicted sex offender is likely to offend again, child sex offenders even more so. Terri Schaivo was never likely to do anything other than draw breath in and then press it out of her lungs for who knows how long and not much more, perhaps not to your standard of living, but she would not be perpetrating any crimes. Your average baby will also not be committing crimes, at least not until it reached 12. Sex offenders, i.e. rapists, pederasts, pedophiles, molesters, are guilty of criminal activity. Criminal activity as defined by all religions and nearly all cultures. Usually they are also guilty of crimes of violence as well, certainly when perpetrating against children.
In case you missed it, the autopsy for Jessica Lunsford and a bit of the transcript of Mr. Couey's confession were released earlier this month. That poor little girl died a horrific death, she was raped and then bound, then buried alive within shouting distance of her grandparents and father as they searched for her. The villain who did so was committing several crimes at the time he committed that crime. He had not reregistered with the local police. That may or may not have made a difference whether little Jessica lived or died, but just maybe it might have. There is suspicion that she was alive when police first approached that house to canvas for the missing child, hopefully had they know of the prior proclivities of one resident of that house they would have searched it until they found her, BEFORE she died. One might be brought to wonder if Mr. Couey would have allowed himself to entertain the thoughts that led to the actions that led to Jessica's death. The point is that the consequenses for not registering weren't enough to make him register. Why do we expect that the law will be abided by a committed law breaker? (His other crime was that he was abusing an illicit substance when the rape and murder took place.)
In the weeks after Jessica's body was found there have been multiple stories of other children stolen, raped and murdered in other places. Before this happened there were too many stories of missing and dead children preyed upon by a twisted and peculiarly unredeemable group of criminals, the sex offender that perpetrates against children. It will happen again. And we allow it to happen again because we continue to try to stop the unstoppable with ineffective means. These criminals have to be contained and restrained by other methods. The only effective ones that come to mind are life in prison or death. I prefer life sentances for those offenders who don't kill and death for those that do. Period. First offense against a child under 12, you are in prison for life or you are dead. No appeals for parole, no second chances. They can reform all they like while in prison, but they can never again be confronted with access to the object of their twisted and evil desires.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Pope John Paul II
I woke up early this morning to watch the funeral. Quite an amazing rite for quite an amazing man. A lovely spectacle, carried by telecast around the world, even into the hearts of darkness in China and the Muslim world. (Did anyone else see the feed from Al Jazeera? I wish I could read Arabic.)
Let me declare here first, I stand firmly in the Reformation, declaring "Soli Deo Gloria", et all. In no sense do I wish to join the Roman Church. But I have heard and read a number of rumblings in the evangelical community about the Pope, how the papacy isn't a biblical office, etc, lately as well as reminders about all the stuff about Catholicism that we Reformationists protested, selling of indulgences, the veneration of Mary, the elevation of the priesthood, celibacy of the priesthood, mixing works into the gospel of grace, etc. Mostly concern about the current popularity of the Pope, concern that popularity will dilute the gospel of grace.
I can appreciate that concern, but from where I sit, today it is popular to like the JPII, and will always be. What I don't see happening is a mad dash to the Catholic Church from Evangelicals. He won't be as popular in a month, or on everyone's mind and lips in 6, and in a year, he will be fading from view in the rear view mirror. Which in my opinion is criminally shameful. But that is what will happen. Everyone suddenly loved Reagan when he died too, but dems didn't rush out and convert to the GOP. (Logical choice, I know, but alas, loving Reagan didn't help them think more clearly. ;-)
I would like to state here that I believe in some very specific things the Romans have it right and we have it wrong. There is an ancient majesty to the old rites that draws our gaze to the agelessness of God. We can worship God in spirit and in truth through observing those old rites and understanding their foundation. We miss that when insisting upon the latest worship music played upon the latest technology. It isn't that other of God's truths are not proclaimed by worshiping in the new ways, they are, powerfully. But I would submit that we miss our history, the amazing history of how God has sustained his church through wars, civil upheaval, famine, disease, invasion and persecution. Also, we can learn about and understand more of God's King-ness through HIS veneration. Yes he is Father, that is how Jesus taught us to pray. But he is Father-King, and not something other, these two are together rather than singular. As C.S. Lewis says of Aslan, He isn't safe, but He is good, that's the way we should view God. There are ancient meanings behind the traditions of the Catholic Mass, it would behoove us to discover those meanings. I also think there is a much needed place for monasticism in the Protestant church, but that is a discussion for another time.
So, all that to say, I am not concerned about the Pope's current place in the pantheon of popular dead people. He really did accomplish some amazing and incredible things in his lifetime. He lived through two of the harshest, cruelest dictatorships in world history and emerged from them a man of God, committed to peace. Not a pansy peace, but real peace, rather, the kind you stretch your neck out for. He reached out ecumenically to heal rifts and wounds that, frankly, needed healing. He never, as far as I know, sold out his understanding of what it was to be a Christian. Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II reached out to sinners as an ambassador of Christ. I think he was an amazing role model.
R.I.P.
Let me declare here first, I stand firmly in the Reformation, declaring "Soli Deo Gloria", et all. In no sense do I wish to join the Roman Church. But I have heard and read a number of rumblings in the evangelical community about the Pope, how the papacy isn't a biblical office, etc, lately as well as reminders about all the stuff about Catholicism that we Reformationists protested, selling of indulgences, the veneration of Mary, the elevation of the priesthood, celibacy of the priesthood, mixing works into the gospel of grace, etc. Mostly concern about the current popularity of the Pope, concern that popularity will dilute the gospel of grace.
I can appreciate that concern, but from where I sit, today it is popular to like the JPII, and will always be. What I don't see happening is a mad dash to the Catholic Church from Evangelicals. He won't be as popular in a month, or on everyone's mind and lips in 6, and in a year, he will be fading from view in the rear view mirror. Which in my opinion is criminally shameful. But that is what will happen. Everyone suddenly loved Reagan when he died too, but dems didn't rush out and convert to the GOP. (Logical choice, I know, but alas, loving Reagan didn't help them think more clearly. ;-)
I would like to state here that I believe in some very specific things the Romans have it right and we have it wrong. There is an ancient majesty to the old rites that draws our gaze to the agelessness of God. We can worship God in spirit and in truth through observing those old rites and understanding their foundation. We miss that when insisting upon the latest worship music played upon the latest technology. It isn't that other of God's truths are not proclaimed by worshiping in the new ways, they are, powerfully. But I would submit that we miss our history, the amazing history of how God has sustained his church through wars, civil upheaval, famine, disease, invasion and persecution. Also, we can learn about and understand more of God's King-ness through HIS veneration. Yes he is Father, that is how Jesus taught us to pray. But he is Father-King, and not something other, these two are together rather than singular. As C.S. Lewis says of Aslan, He isn't safe, but He is good, that's the way we should view God. There are ancient meanings behind the traditions of the Catholic Mass, it would behoove us to discover those meanings. I also think there is a much needed place for monasticism in the Protestant church, but that is a discussion for another time.
So, all that to say, I am not concerned about the Pope's current place in the pantheon of popular dead people. He really did accomplish some amazing and incredible things in his lifetime. He lived through two of the harshest, cruelest dictatorships in world history and emerged from them a man of God, committed to peace. Not a pansy peace, but real peace, rather, the kind you stretch your neck out for. He reached out ecumenically to heal rifts and wounds that, frankly, needed healing. He never, as far as I know, sold out his understanding of what it was to be a Christian. Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II reached out to sinners as an ambassador of Christ. I think he was an amazing role model.
R.I.P.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Poetry #1
All poems are the property of the author, Vivian Louise Saavedra, and may not be reproduced with out written consent.
All The Rain
my heart gave out, gave in and turned away
and all i seemed to have was rain
then in the morning of a brand new day
you woke me with a love so bright
sorrow through the dark has seen the day
i am changed and i overcome.
here in the light of a holy God
all the pain has washed away
forever captive to your mercy mine
i hold on tight to who you are
three days down and now you walk again
your loving kindness flows ever on.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Awake
Awake
Awake.
Awake.
Awake.
I should be sleeping,
but I am not,
I could be dreaming.
Instead, I pray,
I read,
And sometimes cry.
My enemy, the clock
Stares boldly
Mercilessly mocking.
Tossing and turning,
Desperate,
I get out of bed.
It's a new day.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Miss Gaily's Pillow
Gently down she sets her head,
at the scene of her unrest.
Dreams and tears, screams and secrets,
transverse her nightly test.
Sacred is the silence she demands,
blessed are the hours when she flies.
There in the dark watches where she longs,
to soar through azure skies.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Miss Ya
Miss ya in the morning, miss ya at night,
You seem as far away as a satellite.
Miss ya so much it makes me hurt,
You should see these tears my eyeballs squirt.
Miss ya like crazy, miss ya completly,
Miss ya from my headly down to my feetly.
Miss ya real bad and it's a big fat bore,
Just missin' and missin' till my misser gets sore.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
All The Rain
my heart gave out, gave in and turned away
and all i seemed to have was rain
then in the morning of a brand new day
you woke me with a love so bright
sorrow through the dark has seen the day
i am changed and i overcome.
here in the light of a holy God
all the pain has washed away
forever captive to your mercy mine
i hold on tight to who you are
three days down and now you walk again
your loving kindness flows ever on.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Awake
Awake
Awake.
Awake.
Awake.
I should be sleeping,
but I am not,
I could be dreaming.
Instead, I pray,
I read,
And sometimes cry.
My enemy, the clock
Stares boldly
Mercilessly mocking.
Tossing and turning,
Desperate,
I get out of bed.
It's a new day.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Miss Gaily's Pillow
Gently down she sets her head,
at the scene of her unrest.
Dreams and tears, screams and secrets,
transverse her nightly test.
Sacred is the silence she demands,
blessed are the hours when she flies.
There in the dark watches where she longs,
to soar through azure skies.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Miss Ya
Miss ya in the morning, miss ya at night,
You seem as far away as a satellite.
Miss ya so much it makes me hurt,
You should see these tears my eyeballs squirt.
Miss ya like crazy, miss ya completly,
Miss ya from my headly down to my feetly.
Miss ya real bad and it's a big fat bore,
Just missin' and missin' till my misser gets sore.
Vivian Louise Saavedra
Random Thought on Social Security
I was thinking that the problem with Social Security, specifically that there are too few new workers to take care of the burden of the baby boomers is a problem that the baby boomers themselves have created.
By legalizing abortion, they have jeopardized their future benefits by killing millions of future SS contributors. Even if you made it illegal now, you would have to wait more than 21 years for the added workers to make an impact, and even then there is a diminished generation breeding, since the people now coming of age to have children are, for the most part, born after Roe v Wade. SS is due to be insolvent in 14 years.
Fascinating that selfishness would be the self-focused generation's undoing.
Like I said, just a random thought.
By legalizing abortion, they have jeopardized their future benefits by killing millions of future SS contributors. Even if you made it illegal now, you would have to wait more than 21 years for the added workers to make an impact, and even then there is a diminished generation breeding, since the people now coming of age to have children are, for the most part, born after Roe v Wade. SS is due to be insolvent in 14 years.
Fascinating that selfishness would be the self-focused generation's undoing.
Like I said, just a random thought.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Comments
I've had several people tell me that they would like to leave comments, but don't see how to do it. Below each post is a line that tells you when I posted, that there are 0 comments and a picture of a little envelope. If you click on "0 comments" you will be able to post a comment.
BTW - I reserve the right to delete posts that are mean, use foul language or that I just don't like.
BTW - I reserve the right to delete posts that are mean, use foul language or that I just don't like.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
hmmm
Sometimes I don't post because I don't think I have anything to say. Sometimes I don't post because I don't know how to say any of the twenty things I want to say. Sometimes I just can't imagine how to process what's happening in my head to words. I'll try to be more faithful to do this. Not that more than three people actually read any of this, but more because I am trying to be faithful to the calling I believe God has placed on my life. So, if it looks and smells incoherent, it probably is. Just look away. Hopefully the next time you stop by I will have edited or deleted anything offesive or wrong.
Hopefully too, I'll be posting my poetry here soon.
Hopefully too, I'll be posting my poetry here soon.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Definitions
Today in Florida a woman lays dying, murdered actually, it's just not finished yet.
Over the course of the last two weeks the MSM has pontificated, postured and blathered all about the right to die. Once again they've got it all wrong, the story of Terri Schaivo is really about the right to kill those we find inconvenient, costly and ugly.
Surveys have asked over and over "Would you want to live like this?" NO! is the resounding American answer. Ask the question another way, "If you had an accident or injury that left you significantly disabled would you prefer to have all the rehabilitative might that modern medicine offers and all the tests administered to properly diagnose you or would you prefer to languish in a twilight place until they came to pull your feeding tube out so that you slowly starved and dehydrated to death, this death taking up to two weeks or more?" Um, tests and rehabilitation please.
That question "Would you want to live like this?" could get a "No" answer to dozens of situations and circumstances. For example: I don't want to live with acne, back pain, headaches, old soccer injuries, in Denver, as an amputee, without wealth, without comfort and without my cup of coffee in the morning. Are we so selfish and vain that life actually loses all of its value simply because our circumstances change? I'm not saying that there isn't heartache and pain involved, or that life is easy for Terri or her family. What I am saying is that life itself is precious, and must be held onto tightly at all times.
What I see at work here is misplaced and wrongheaded selfishness disguised as sympathy. Simply because you would prefer to not live in a specific circumstance does in no way mean that it is acceptable to put someone else to death because they are living in that specific circumstance. It looks like sympathy, but really is an aberrant form of selfishness.
Considering that life is the one absolute irreplaceable in our time here on earth, the one thing we can't do without, should we really be quantifying it's value with what we used to be like, what we prefer and how we would LIKE to live? If you follow that logic, then why do we intervene in places like Darfur, after all who wants to live like a third world refugee? Just let them die. That of course is hideous thinking, of course we intervene, life is valuable. Sometimes.
In reading the opinions of the bioethecists weighing in on Terri Schaivo's case I am more and more frightened of the future. These "ethicists" actually argue that because Mrs. Schaivo's diminished brain function has reduced her hopes for her life, and even her ability to know that she has a life that her life is therefore less valuable and so she can be terminated like we would kill a cow for dinner. She is unaware that she is a person and therefore her right to protection as a person is forfeit. They argue the same for embryos, fetuses, infants and alzheimers patients. We should be harvesting these "Non-person people" for what they have that we lack. How on earth did these people come up with these sick, twisted and demonic ideas? Well, it starts with abortion, that leads to euthanasia, that leads to eugenics, that leads to a slaughter we can't even imagine.
No, you say. Really? Wake up and smell the coffin. In Europe they kill babies and children because they don't measure up, through the age of 12. In this country we allow a woman to kill her fetus right up to the moments before birth, we allow physician assisted suicide. In China they harvest organs from political prisoners in the hours before they are executed. AND WE ALLOW ALL OF THIS. Why?
Because we have consistently and willfully turned away from God, from the knowledge that He gave us this life, life for a purpose. Jesus came that we might have life, and that abundantly. So that we could walk in His ways and glorify Him. In seeking after Satan's folly, pride and power in ourselves and our abilities, forsaking the One who gave us ourselves and our abilities, we have set up new gods in the temples of our minds. Youth, health, bodily perfection, fill-in-the-blank. These gods rule us with heavy hands, influencing everything they touch. Just look around, you can see them everywhere in everything. Most terrifyingly of all, these gods have taken up residence in the halls of medicine.
So, would I want to live like Terri Schaivo? Not with Michael Schaivo as my husband, because I wouldn't live, I would die.
Over the course of the last two weeks the MSM has pontificated, postured and blathered all about the right to die. Once again they've got it all wrong, the story of Terri Schaivo is really about the right to kill those we find inconvenient, costly and ugly.
Surveys have asked over and over "Would you want to live like this?" NO! is the resounding American answer. Ask the question another way, "If you had an accident or injury that left you significantly disabled would you prefer to have all the rehabilitative might that modern medicine offers and all the tests administered to properly diagnose you or would you prefer to languish in a twilight place until they came to pull your feeding tube out so that you slowly starved and dehydrated to death, this death taking up to two weeks or more?" Um, tests and rehabilitation please.
That question "Would you want to live like this?" could get a "No" answer to dozens of situations and circumstances. For example: I don't want to live with acne, back pain, headaches, old soccer injuries, in Denver, as an amputee, without wealth, without comfort and without my cup of coffee in the morning. Are we so selfish and vain that life actually loses all of its value simply because our circumstances change? I'm not saying that there isn't heartache and pain involved, or that life is easy for Terri or her family. What I am saying is that life itself is precious, and must be held onto tightly at all times.
What I see at work here is misplaced and wrongheaded selfishness disguised as sympathy. Simply because you would prefer to not live in a specific circumstance does in no way mean that it is acceptable to put someone else to death because they are living in that specific circumstance. It looks like sympathy, but really is an aberrant form of selfishness.
Considering that life is the one absolute irreplaceable in our time here on earth, the one thing we can't do without, should we really be quantifying it's value with what we used to be like, what we prefer and how we would LIKE to live? If you follow that logic, then why do we intervene in places like Darfur, after all who wants to live like a third world refugee? Just let them die. That of course is hideous thinking, of course we intervene, life is valuable. Sometimes.
In reading the opinions of the bioethecists weighing in on Terri Schaivo's case I am more and more frightened of the future. These "ethicists" actually argue that because Mrs. Schaivo's diminished brain function has reduced her hopes for her life, and even her ability to know that she has a life that her life is therefore less valuable and so she can be terminated like we would kill a cow for dinner. She is unaware that she is a person and therefore her right to protection as a person is forfeit. They argue the same for embryos, fetuses, infants and alzheimers patients. We should be harvesting these "Non-person people" for what they have that we lack. How on earth did these people come up with these sick, twisted and demonic ideas? Well, it starts with abortion, that leads to euthanasia, that leads to eugenics, that leads to a slaughter we can't even imagine.
No, you say. Really? Wake up and smell the coffin. In Europe they kill babies and children because they don't measure up, through the age of 12. In this country we allow a woman to kill her fetus right up to the moments before birth, we allow physician assisted suicide. In China they harvest organs from political prisoners in the hours before they are executed. AND WE ALLOW ALL OF THIS. Why?
Because we have consistently and willfully turned away from God, from the knowledge that He gave us this life, life for a purpose. Jesus came that we might have life, and that abundantly. So that we could walk in His ways and glorify Him. In seeking after Satan's folly, pride and power in ourselves and our abilities, forsaking the One who gave us ourselves and our abilities, we have set up new gods in the temples of our minds. Youth, health, bodily perfection, fill-in-the-blank. These gods rule us with heavy hands, influencing everything they touch. Just look around, you can see them everywhere in everything. Most terrifyingly of all, these gods have taken up residence in the halls of medicine.
So, would I want to live like Terri Schaivo? Not with Michael Schaivo as my husband, because I wouldn't live, I would die.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Playground Rules
Playground Rules are those rules that you knew intuitively as a child, and if you didn't you got your butt kicked by the other kids. Things like "Never cut in line at the slide, unless you won't get caught" (rule #25) or "General Alarm sounds the moment the Ice Cream Man is sighted" (#12) were rules we lived by as children. We had rules for siblings, rules for neighbors and rules for kickball. These rules were in effect all the time with specialized rules for every location, not just in the playground, but at home, at school and on vacation when you run into new children. These rules enabled us to play effectively and safely with children all over the country when our parents took us on cross-country road trips.
The number one rule applied all the time: All things must be fair. Defining fair was left to the situation or who had the biggest and strongest older brother, but one thing we all agreed on, if your Mom was bringing cupcakes to class for your birthday she had better bring one for each child, OR ELSE! This is a good rule, and every parent with a 6 year old knows they had better get an accurate head count and prepare extra in case of tipping and disaster. Only an act of God, and it had better be a doozy, could be an excuse. And even then, it's better that Mom doesn't show up at all.
Apparently no one informed St. James and LaDonna Davis that this rule also applies to Chimpanzees. Last week the couple were bringing a cupcake to their chimp, Moe, for his 39th birthday. Two other chimpanzees freaked out when they didn't also get cupcakes, broke out of their cages and severely mauled Mr. Davis. Mrs. Davis also sustained injuries. Analysis of this attack by an animal expert in the Washington Post confirmed what any six-year old could have told you, Buddy and Ollie were ticked because they didn't get any cake. Mr. Davis lost his nose, testicles and one foot in the attack. Apparently Chimpanzees have a highly defined sense of fairness. You would think that after living with one for all those years they might have understood that.
(Their pet, Moe, had been confiscated in 1999 because he bit off part of the finger of a neighbor, BTW)
So now you know. Remember your playground rules, they may save your life, and your nose, feet, fingers...
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/03/04/chimp.attack.ap/
The number one rule applied all the time: All things must be fair. Defining fair was left to the situation or who had the biggest and strongest older brother, but one thing we all agreed on, if your Mom was bringing cupcakes to class for your birthday she had better bring one for each child, OR ELSE! This is a good rule, and every parent with a 6 year old knows they had better get an accurate head count and prepare extra in case of tipping and disaster. Only an act of God, and it had better be a doozy, could be an excuse. And even then, it's better that Mom doesn't show up at all.
Apparently no one informed St. James and LaDonna Davis that this rule also applies to Chimpanzees. Last week the couple were bringing a cupcake to their chimp, Moe, for his 39th birthday. Two other chimpanzees freaked out when they didn't also get cupcakes, broke out of their cages and severely mauled Mr. Davis. Mrs. Davis also sustained injuries. Analysis of this attack by an animal expert in the Washington Post confirmed what any six-year old could have told you, Buddy and Ollie were ticked because they didn't get any cake. Mr. Davis lost his nose, testicles and one foot in the attack. Apparently Chimpanzees have a highly defined sense of fairness. You would think that after living with one for all those years they might have understood that.
(Their pet, Moe, had been confiscated in 1999 because he bit off part of the finger of a neighbor, BTW)
So now you know. Remember your playground rules, they may save your life, and your nose, feet, fingers...
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/03/04/chimp.attack.ap/
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
History in the Making
When you see it, you know. It's that story on the news that makes you sit up and take notice, realizing that you are seeing something big, really big, and you know that you have to soak in every detail, every nuance, because you want to remember. There are lots of stories like that for me, and probably for you too. The Challenger Accident, Tiananmen Square, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Bhopal Accident, the Execution of Ceaucescu, September 11, 01. And now added to that list are the protests in Lebanon.
The brave citizens of Lebanon have so far forced the Syrian-puppet PM Omar Karami to resign and now they are turning their efforts to rid their country of it's Syrian oppressors. Lebanon has been under occupation for twenty years, in part because of the actions of Arafat and the PLO after Jordan kicked them out for doing exactly what they did in Lebanon in the early eighties, run terrorist missions into Israel. The subsequent response from Israel and the continued actions of Arafat destabilized Lebanon and opened the door for Syrian dictator and Moscow stooge, Hafez Asad to declare Lebanon his own. Syria has had troops on the ground, has hand picked governments, and has brutally repressed the people of Lebanon.
Now the people are rising up against oppression, as they have in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, etc. I can't wait to see what happens. I hope they win!
A bit of history
http://www.lgic.org/en/history.php#h5
BBC Coverage of Lebanon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4306925.stm
The brave citizens of Lebanon have so far forced the Syrian-puppet PM Omar Karami to resign and now they are turning their efforts to rid their country of it's Syrian oppressors. Lebanon has been under occupation for twenty years, in part because of the actions of Arafat and the PLO after Jordan kicked them out for doing exactly what they did in Lebanon in the early eighties, run terrorist missions into Israel. The subsequent response from Israel and the continued actions of Arafat destabilized Lebanon and opened the door for Syrian dictator and Moscow stooge, Hafez Asad to declare Lebanon his own. Syria has had troops on the ground, has hand picked governments, and has brutally repressed the people of Lebanon.
Now the people are rising up against oppression, as they have in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, etc. I can't wait to see what happens. I hope they win!
A bit of history
http://www.lgic.org/en/history.php#h5
BBC Coverage of Lebanon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4306925.stm
Friday, February 18, 2005
Top 10 Reasons to pay for a pedicure
Friday Top Ten Lists
(Every Friday, give or take a day ending in y, I’ll do a top 10 list.)
Top 10 Reasons to pay for a pedicure:
10. Where else would you spend that hour on Saturday?
9. You’d never buy a whole bottle of “Arterial Red”, but you love that color
8. Those fun little toe separators and just-add-water flip flops
7. You don’t have to clean toenail clippings off your furniture
6. The massagey chair, oh baby!
5. The nap you get while in the massagey chair
4. The foot rub
3. Nail polish won’t migrate to your hips the way chocolate does
2. Someone has to support all those illegal-alien nail techs
1. Do you want to be that close to your feet?
(Every Friday, give or take a day ending in y, I’ll do a top 10 list.)
Top 10 Reasons to pay for a pedicure:
10. Where else would you spend that hour on Saturday?
9. You’d never buy a whole bottle of “Arterial Red”, but you love that color
8. Those fun little toe separators and just-add-water flip flops
7. You don’t have to clean toenail clippings off your furniture
6. The massagey chair, oh baby!
5. The nap you get while in the massagey chair
4. The foot rub
3. Nail polish won’t migrate to your hips the way chocolate does
2. Someone has to support all those illegal-alien nail techs
1. Do you want to be that close to your feet?
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Abdul Amir, Iraqi Hero
In case you don't know him, you should get acquainted with Abdul Amir. Or, to be more precise, get acquainted with his story.
Abdul Amir was a 30 year old Iraqi policeman, which means that he is a relatively new officer who doesn't have the background of free elections, free government, liberty, value for life and a strict sense of equality that we Americans take so much for granted. Mr. Amir could only have remembered the tyranny of the Hussein regime where it was the rule of the strongest and most violent, not the rule of law. Sunday, January 30, 2005, Abdul Amir offered his life to ensure that his fellow countrymen and women had the opportunity to vote. He noticed a man carrying something heavy under his arm walking towards a polling station, Mr. Amir grabbed him and dragged him away from the group preparing to vote. The detonation of the homicide belt killed both men, one a thug, the other, a hero. Living in Baghdad, Abdul Amir could have had no doubt that his very heroic action would cost him his life, and perhaps only a razor thin hope he could disarm the thug. Who knows, Abdul is dead. I hope he is never forgotten, that his name is remembered in Iraq the way we remember our founding heroes. So far there are hopes to rename the school where he died after him, maybe even erect a statue.
May we all remember the many, many lives lost in pursuit of liberty, ours and theirs. May we never ever forget that peace is purchased by blood, that continuing freedom is bought by never relaxing vigilance, that liberty can only rise from the ashes of absolutism and tyranny, never from the smoldering remains, that the sword is not sharp for no reason and must be bloodied to be useful for those it protects. Lastly, may we never forget that self-sacrifice is the standard our Creator meant for us to follow.
Abdul Amir was a 30 year old Iraqi policeman, which means that he is a relatively new officer who doesn't have the background of free elections, free government, liberty, value for life and a strict sense of equality that we Americans take so much for granted. Mr. Amir could only have remembered the tyranny of the Hussein regime where it was the rule of the strongest and most violent, not the rule of law. Sunday, January 30, 2005, Abdul Amir offered his life to ensure that his fellow countrymen and women had the opportunity to vote. He noticed a man carrying something heavy under his arm walking towards a polling station, Mr. Amir grabbed him and dragged him away from the group preparing to vote. The detonation of the homicide belt killed both men, one a thug, the other, a hero. Living in Baghdad, Abdul Amir could have had no doubt that his very heroic action would cost him his life, and perhaps only a razor thin hope he could disarm the thug. Who knows, Abdul is dead. I hope he is never forgotten, that his name is remembered in Iraq the way we remember our founding heroes. So far there are hopes to rename the school where he died after him, maybe even erect a statue.
May we all remember the many, many lives lost in pursuit of liberty, ours and theirs. May we never ever forget that peace is purchased by blood, that continuing freedom is bought by never relaxing vigilance, that liberty can only rise from the ashes of absolutism and tyranny, never from the smoldering remains, that the sword is not sharp for no reason and must be bloodied to be useful for those it protects. Lastly, may we never forget that self-sacrifice is the standard our Creator meant for us to follow.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Movie Review - Super Size Me
This was a funny movie. Aside from a graphic rectal exam scene I could've lived my entire life without seeing, I can't complain about anything I saw. It was also very informative. The doctor's visits alone should be transcribed and become required reading for parents taking their children to any fast food joint.
See this movie. Much better than the other famous "documentary" film from 2004. Cool extras too, for sure see the fry thing. Wow.
(For the ladies, look away when he is in the doctors office in the beginning of the movie.)
Grade - B
Language, some everyday sort of cussing.
The results of his blood tests alone are very revealing. Prepare to gag. You will never eat another McFry.
See this movie. Much better than the other famous "documentary" film from 2004. Cool extras too, for sure see the fry thing. Wow.
(For the ladies, look away when he is in the doctors office in the beginning of the movie.)
Grade - B
Language, some everyday sort of cussing.
The results of his blood tests alone are very revealing. Prepare to gag. You will never eat another McFry.
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