Indigo Lake

Iowa Caucus: We, the People...

2008-01-03T09:21:00.000-06:00

"We, the people, in order to form a more perfect union..." Our country was founded by people who gathered together, bringing with them their experience and foresight, to build our nation into what we are today. The Iowa Caucus continues that vision of gathering for the future tonight, as people around the state come together in small meeting halls and living rooms, bringing their experience and foresight, to show their views of the best people to build our nation into the future.

Many people wonder why all the fuss about the Iowa Caucus? Well, let me tell you why so many presidential candidates are willing to stomp through this midwestern state right in the middle of the coldest months.

The Iowa Caucus is unique in its approach to selecting a presidential candidate worthy to hold the office of President of the United States. As in any primary or caucus, each person eligible to vote in the presidential election can caucus for their preferred candidate. Okay, so the other primaries and caucuses are pretty much the same in that regard.

Unlike most primaries, the Iowa Caucus is not like voting. There are no government officials overseeing the process, and there are no voting machines employed. Each political party is responsible for their caucus.

So, who decides who can run as a presidential candidate in a party's caucus? Well, as an Iowan you do! If you want to caucus for someone, anyone, you can do that.

"There is no ballot for caucus. So we have no petitions, registrations or fees," according to a spokesperson from the Iowa Republican Party. Basically, on the Republican side, you can caucus for anyone. It is a sort of free-for-all with Republican presidential candidates and the Iowa Caucus. Of course, they would like to get people to caucus for them, but if they only get a few in each precinct, they will still get some sort of showing in the caucus results. This is most likely why Republicans just don't canvass the state campaigning to small localities like the Democratic presidential candidates have been doing for the past year or so.

That's because the Democratic side of the Iowa Caucus is a bit more complex. Anyone can get Iowa delegates for their presidential campaign, according to Chris Allen, press secretary for the Iowa Democratic Party. The catch is that the candidate needs to get enough supporters in the democratic precinct to be viable, which is 15% or more support. The all important distinction of viable candidate happens at each precinct in the Iowa Democratic Caucus. It is up to the Democratic people of Iowa to say if a presidential candidate is viable. And the viability distinction is vitally important to a presidential campaign, as only viable candidates get results in the Iowa Democratic Caucus. This is why all the ground work campaigning is needed in Iowa. Presidential candidates are vying to be viable in Iowa, and the way to do that is to get caucus supporters.

Luckily, the state of Iowa is one of the best places in the country to campaign. With it's uniform grid of counties and highways that criscross each other in linear simplicity on mostly flat topography, navigating the state is easy. Iowa's rural population is one of the largest and most evenly distributed in the country. Iowa holds on to its traditions, and the Iowa Caucus is one of those traditions of people gathering to make key decisions for our future. The caucus is a reflection of Iowa's value of education.

The ground work and grassroots campaigning is critical, not only to make a candidate viable, but it is also effective in gaining momentum for a presidential campaign. Campaigning around the state of Iowa, presidential candidates can educate Iowans on their political stance on a variety of ideals, from domestic issues to international relations. As a state that prizes education, Iowans do not take their role in the presidential race lightly, and many choose to see all the candidates as they venture through their communities. As citizens in communities across Iowa band together in alliance with their personal views of what they value for the future of our nation, they look to find the presidential candidate that best reflect the way to attain that vision for the future. Once there is a group of people willing to caucus for a candidate, that momentum can continue into caucus night.

Caucus night is a fascinating experience in Iowa. The Iowa Caucus shows the passion of our people as we gather together on caucus night. During the night, presidential candidate supporters get a chance to speak for their candidate at the caucus. It is a time for caucus participants to hear the concerns of their neighbors and learn more about the political policies that affect the heart of their community.

The Republican process allows for more anonymity, according to past Iowa Republican Caucus participants. During caucus night, Republican caucus-goers will support their presidential candidate by putting that candidate's name on a slip of paper and placing that piece of paper into a hat. Pretty easy.

The Democratic process for caucus participants is a bit different. After comments are made for the presidential candidates, the precinct's participants then split up to areas of the room designated for each presidential candidate represented in the precinct. Neighbors often encourage undecided people to join their group at this time. Precinct officials then count how many people are standing for each presidential candidate and calculate if a candidate has enough supporters to be deemed viable. That viability threshold is 15% of the precinct's participants.

For example, the fictitious Soda Bar precinct in northwest Iowa has gathered 43 participants on caucus night. Five participants each speak about the presidential candidate they support: Stephen Colbert, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Jon Stewart. Once the speeches are over, participants gather to support their candidate. Colbert has 12 supporters in his corner, Leno has 10, Letterman 3, O'Brien 6, and Stewart 8. There are three participants undecided, and one supporting Carson Daly. Colbert (28%), Leno (23%), and Stewart (19%) are viable candidates. The Letterman camp persuades three to join their side and one goes to O'Brien. O'Brien becomes a viable candidate with 7 supporters (16%). Letterman, with six supporters, still is not viable with only 14% of the precinct participant's support. Those six Letterman supporters can either go to a viable candidate's camp, or end their participation in the caucus. Of course, the other candidate's camps encourage the six to join them. One Letterman supporter decides not to support another candidate. All five believe comedy is king, with two deciding to join the Colbert powerhouse to give him 14 supporters and 33% of the precinct, and three going with Stewart camp giving him 11 supporters and 26% of the precinct.

The results of the Soda Bar Caucus show Colbert (14) with 33% of the precinct, Stewart (11) with 26%, Leno (10) with 23%, and O'Brien (7) with 16%. Daly and Letterman are not viable candidates in this fictitious caucus.

You can see how the results change somewhat dramatically from the beginning of the Democratic caucus to the end. Even a previously unviable candidate can become viable during the Iowa Democratic Caucus if they have enough persuasion to get undecided and other supporters of unviable candidates to come over to their camp. This is precisely why it is so vitally important for presidential candidates to educate caucus-goers in Iowa, because on caucus night results rest not on the candidates themselves, but on their supporters who advocate for them on caucus night. Results of the Iowa Caucus is about the people.

Sure, there is media that can put a spin on the presidential pickings for primaries and caucuses held across the nation. Media cannot spin the fact that no other presidential caucus or primary in the United States compares to the Iowa Caucus. The nature of the Iowa Caucus is all about the people, not the candidates. Unlike other primaries or caucuses, no committee decides who can be a presidential candidate, and there are no fees for the candidates to run in the Iowa Caucus. It is up to the people of Iowa to decide who they believe is a worthy presidential candidate to caucus for on January 3rd.

No other political process in the country gives a greater proving ground for candidates like the Iowa Caucus. In other presidential picking processes in the country, candidates just need your vote. That can be done easily through advertisements and media coverage. In Iowa, not only do candidates need your vote, but they need you to know them as a candidate and where they stand on issues important to you, so you can caucus for them and convince others to support them on caucus night. Presidential candidates in Iowa are much more than a pretty face on TV, responses in a debate, or a few sound bites on the news. Presidential candidates in Iowa must prove they are the country's catalyst for a better future.

The results show how a gathering of educated, well-informed people in a small, midwestern state hold such a large stake in choosing the next President of the United States. In Iowa, the caucus is about people. The Iowa Caucus: We, the People...

Caucus Turkey

2007-11-25T15:35:00.000-06:00

I was working last Wednesday at the radio station when I was supposed to have the day off and thusly, I was in my more casual attire. Yeah, you know, the Wednesday before Turkey Day, aka Thanksgiving. As I diligently worked to get done to be home with my family, I looked out my office window to see the suit coat of some guy that looked to be some presidential hopeful. I could not quite make out the man's face through the glare of the glass and wondered who would possibly humble themselves to stump at a small radio station. I thought, could it be Mike Huckabee, as I had mentioned his like-ability on the air a few times? Or, be still my beating humor, Stephen Colbert? I stood up at my desk to see who it was and if it were worth my "vacation" time to actually get up and speak with this suited man.

Oh, my dear Tsar! He looked like Ukrainian leader Viktor Yushchenko as he was poisoned! This beckoned my curiousity beyond my better judgment. So, I walked out of my office to get a better look, and, of course, he came up to me and introduced himself. I'm sure he said his name, but "just another no-name cheap presidential wishful thinker" came out. I thought how sad that he could not get up the energy to shave before stumping at my station. Then, his trophy wife came out of the restroom, and I thought, huh, he really thinks that if he can lay a good-looking wife, then he can run for president?! Oh, yeah, Kucinich.

The presidential hopeful gave me his brochure that pretty much said nothing about him. It had his name, which I actually caught for the first time as Cap Wingdig, or something like that. He even had a website at electcap.us. He was running under the Republican Party stage (just be careful of the horses' hooves, Cap). He asked if I'd be interested in doing an interview with him. No, on my vacation time, no you are not worth it, I thought. Now, if you were Mike or Stephen, damn, I'd drop everything.

As he left with his trophy blonde, I returned to my office, doused my hands with hand sanitizer, and thought dreamily about Huckabee or Colbert walking through the radio station to stump me for the caucus. Damn, Huckabee, I'd convert to Republican if you did that!

Campaign of Truthiness

2007-11-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the South Carolina Democratic Party has decided that Stephen Colbert's campaign isn't truthy-enough.

Doesn't it seem that the campaigns of many presidential candidates are just big charades? This is all too cheesy, anyway. All the candidates are characters, and believe what you may, Colbert's campaign is chocked full of just as much truthiness as the next. Colbert's just a little too honest about it sometimes.

Westboro Baptist Church Gets Some Discipline

2007-11-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

The Westboro Baptist Church, outside of Topeka, Kansas is finally seeing some discipline after protesting at the funerals of soldiers who gave their lives fighting in Iraq.

I blogged on this church's rude and cruel activities a while ago.

It is one of those WDJD issues. What Did Jesus Do? I never read any accounts of Jesus at a soldier's funeral with a protest sign that read "Thank God for dead soldiers."

Presidential Candidates Just An Act??

2007-11-01T06:34:00.000-05:00

News Satirist Stephen Colbert is running for president! In South Carolina. Yes, I know this is old news. The newsfolk have a way of regurgitating old news and Colbert for President continues to be the news pet. In fact, I am pretty sure this is the most Colbert has been stroked, ever. I wouldn't be surprised to see Stephen doing silly pet tricks on Letterman some night. (Okay, he's been there...10/10/07)

Some reporters wonder if we should take Stephen Colbert's run for the president seriously, and if perchance Stephen Colbert were to become president, who would actually be running the country: the character or the real Stephen Colbert?

Why do they wonder? These concerns seem so... strange. Look, Stephen Colbert is a satirist and a patriot who wants the best for his home country. His stage character is an uber-patriot, and isn't that the kind of president we want? Colbert uses comedy as his medium to get us citizens to think and to do our patriotic duty. We should take his run for president satirically, not so much serious, and enjoy every last bit, because life without humor is sad.

Why worry if the character or the real Stephen would run the White House if elected? Why think Stephen is only out for the drunken college student vote? Why treat him any differently than any other candidate for president? Just because he is out to make you laugh?! Think about it. Colbert is a character. Clinton is a character. Obama is a character. Edwards is a character. Romney is a character. Guilliani is a character. Okay, I admit, these guys make me laugh, too, but I don't think that is their intention. They are all acting. Do you think these candidates act this way in privacy?

The whole charade of the presidential campaigning season is all an act. Colbert exemplefies that whole notion. At least Colbert is honest about his act. The rest of the candidates I would be more leary. So, let's just call it even and have a few laughs together.

Long Time, No Commentary... Or, I Haven't Quit My Day Job, Yet

2007-11-01T06:22:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the delay in posting on this blog. I am sure all one of you have waiting on baited hook, wondering when I would write some great epic journal entry. Well, keep wondering. I have no idea when I will ever write anything that could be considered epic. However, I am glad that you have decided to continue checking in on my blog ever so often. I do appreciate your interest in my zany, off-the-wall thinking and my odd flair for words.

As my readers, you do an excellent job reading my posts, even more so than I in writing. Continue the great work. And, remember, much of my writings are about as rooted in reality as the ghost stories we have told around the Halloween bonfire. Okay, some may seem more serious, and maybe they are. It is all in perspective. There is always truth somewhere, and each perspective holds a different, valid and intriquing view of the reality we call life.

See you in the next post, and please don't forget to post your comments! I love to read your thoughts in words, too.

Am I America?!

2007-10-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

The 80s gave us "We Are The World", a strange rendition of charity sung by pop star sensations (USA for Africa). How can you, rolling in money rich celebs, be the world, and yet cannot overcome world hunger? Are there just not enough Burger Kings and McDonalds in Africa to satiate our world? Sad, indeed.

Being the world was way too much to shoulder in the 80s. Just look at the effect it has on our pop stars, even today. Rehab is becoming a booming industry. Maybe we are expecting too much from our celebs.

Luckily, this decade is giving us I Am America (And So Can You). I applaud that Stephen Colbert is America. It takes a lot to be America. And I don't know if I could do that. This offer that I can, too, is a bit scary. I don't know if I want that. To be America, or not to be, is that a question we really should be asking? The thought just scares me.

So, the book I Am America was released this week. A mix of uber-ego and self-help. For some reason, I read the title as either a bold American hero claiming his 'right'ful (conservative exulting) title, or America in a 10-step program.

I haven't purchased it, yet. Don't know if I will. I recall a famous person once said "I don't trust books. They're all fact, no heart."

Is this a fact book? I think it is the work of fiction, because there is no way I can be America. Ironically, all I hear on the radio as I type this is Bryan Adams' "Straight from the Heart." Maybe this could be the first heart book ever published. Irony doesn't work in a vacuum, so it has to be true. "Behold the only printed word to be trusted." Yes, it must be.

I must think too much. And thinking leads to fear. This is not a book to think about. The title says it all: I Am America. A bold statement. No thought whatsoever behind it. Yet, even more bold is the statement in parenthesis: (And So Can You). It's just like the Dr. Pepper commercials from the 80s: "Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?" Why, if you put it that way, yes, I would.

Am I America? Sure. I Am America. Free and brave. I think...

Someday I might get up the courage to buy the book, but reading it? That's another story. A hero's story.

Enjoy the Silence

2007-09-17T21:10:00.000-05:00

It's been almost a week since the 6th anniversary of 9/11. The day that changed the world.

Enjoy the Silence

This video is the most spectacular and, yet in light of 9/11, the most eerie thing I have seen to date of the WTC towers. It was a 1990 French promo video of Depeche Mode's song "Enjoy the Silence."

An innocent video with words that strike to the core of my own thoughts on 9/11. I think of the souls we lost, those who lost loved ones that day...

Words are meaningless...

Bad Vibes

2007-08-20T12:26:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get a bad feeling about something? Yeah? Well, I do.

I had a bad vibe about the mining cave in at Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington,Utah . A terrible situation. I pray for those lost souls and the survivors of that disaster. And I pray the mining owners stop such risky mining exercises.

I also have a bad vibe about the return of the Space Shuttle Endeavour coming back to Earth. Sigh. I always hope in the back of my mind that everything will be fine, but sometimes that doesn't happen. It would be sad if Endeavour experienced a similar fate to Columbia, and even sadder to see the second teacher with her venture into space end in tragedy.

The issue with the space shuttle's small, but deep gouge troubles me, and the last time NASA said it'd be okay, it wasn't. Officials say the risk to do further damage just to repair the deep cut is what causes them to be cautious about fixing it in space, and apparently outweighs the risk of re-entry explosions from the shuttle's exposed surface igniting. Sigh. It's their judgment call. I just hope they are right.

Heaven is a Soul Filled with God's Love

2007-08-16T11:15:00.000-05:00

Psst.... Don't we all know that salvation has come? Salvation is not something for us to be achieved or earned. It is a gift. It is given by the grace and mercy of God. Let us then stop seeing Heaven as a self-righteous goal that we must earn for eternal life.

Rather, let us "yearn" for God and His love. All that great loving stuff we do for each other, then, is just an outpouring, a reflection of God's love in us. As we "yearn" in God's love filling our soul, we are with God, and really, this is Heaven.

Condition of Your Soul

2007-08-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

I've been wrestling with the concept and need of God's grace in a growing culture and church where we are so task and goal oriented. I believe this is similar to the wrestling match Martin Luther faced personally and professionally.

Anyhow, the convention is that God and His love is unconditional. Yet, instance after instance God threatens civilization and in some instances destroys communities due to their evil deeds. Then, tells later evil civilizations that the community he destroyed previously stands a better chance on the day of judgment than the current evil community. How can this be unconditional? God says through Jesus that if someone wrongs us that we should turn the other cheek. Forgive them seventy times seven. Vengence is mine, says the Lord. Sigh. What is God trying to say?

Okay, this is how I see it. We only have two cheeks (or four, depending what you deem to count), so basically that's like giving the benefit of the doubt twice (or four times). After that, consequences are needed. Sometimes, people need to know they did something wrong, so after a couple of times for those wronged to let it slip and give that proverbial benefit of the doubt, it's time to allow the consequence to correct the wrong-doer, if you will. Consequences are not vengence, in my humble opinion, which should rightfully be left to the One who judges.

So, in the situation of the evil deeds of a civilization receiving destruction, it is a consequence, then? Sure. I think vengence is much more personal. Something between the individual and God. Just my perspective anyway.

Now, onto those who think that if I only repent and accept Jesus, then I will be saved and attain Heaven at the end of my days. I really contemplate this sometimes, because we as a society are so pressed by that equation of "if, then" in our daily lives. If I work hard at my job every day, then I get paid and I can support my family. It's an equation that we understand, know, and live by every day.

Thus, it seems humanly logical that salvation can only be attained if we do something to achieve it. And, many churches also give that ultimatum to members, either outright or subconsciously. You must repent and accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior to attain God's graces. In this equation it is up to you, basically, to work for your salvation. And in our humanly minds we accept this conditionality of salvation. Humbly, I do not think this is God's salvation. This is humanity trying to save itself.

"If, then" statements work great for a computer. God is no computer. I don't think God is a conditional freak. He is not about "if, then". That is what we are as humans. But what about Sodom and Gomorrah? He basically was giving them the ultimate "if, then" statement, right? No, I don't think so. I think that was a consequence of sin.

God's salvation came through death on the cross with Jesus. Remember when Jesus said, if your arm (or eye, or whatever body part it was) causes you to sin, cut it off so that you may be right with God again (it was something like that). It is not the act of cutting something off that saves one from sin, but the ability to stop the sin, to keep the soul healthy and in essense keep it from death in sin. So, death also carries salvic value to those who face the consequence of sin. Death in many ways may be the ultimate band-aid for our sin. It is quite possible that death is the ultimate cut-off from our souls to sin. And, in a strange perspective, quite fitting for Jesus' blameless death on the cross to take sin from us.

You think that we still need to act to be saved? If God forced humans to act for their own salvation, then why the whole fuss about Jesus and Jesus' death on the cross? What need is there for God's grace and mercy if the things we do as humans, to "accept Jesus", to "repent our sins", to "pray", to "be good and love your neighbor", our own actions to personally save ourselves and attain heaven? It seems most Christians think if we just repent and accept Jesus as our personal savior and do good, that we will win our ticket to heaven. There's that whole "if, then" equation that seems to trip us up.

It's not about that. It is about the condition of our hearts/souls/spirits that God has made for us, and entrusted in us. True Christians do the things they do because of the condition of their soul. True Christians repent because their soul yearns for God. True Christians show the love of God because of the condition of their soul is filled with God's love. It is the act of God alone that fills them. It is the act of God that saves them. Nothing in our own power alone can save us. We are helpless by ourselves in our salvation.

Thus, it is God's grace and mercy that transforms our souls to reflect God's love. It is the condition of your soul God will judge at the end of the day, as only God knows who we really are.

And, why are you so concerned about the end times? The end times will come, at a day and time we do not know. God's beloved will be called for service and we will see light that has not been seen before. It will be then that the light will either be absorbed in the darkness of the soul or reflected out and radiating from the soul, depending on its condition. That is why we all must be ready, but not worried. God promises to protect His own.

And don't be worried about your own salvation, as salvation has already come. Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Woo Hoo! A Legend of an Amusement Park

2007-08-06T16:46:00.000-05:00

Wooooo! Yeeeeeeah! Let's do it again! One more time!

There is just something to love about those old wooden roller coasters, and the "Legend" at Arnold's Park makes you love it. At first glance you notice its small imposing curved posture as you walk to the park's entrance from the parking lot. You may think this is just another small, old coaster. The coaster's train rumbles overhead, almost in slow motion, and you think there could be no thrill left in that roller coaster. It's a classic white wooden coaster, with distinctive red rails and railing.

As you walk through the entrance of Arnold's Park, you walk under the station house of the Legend, and notice the old Tipsy House built into the coaster's infrastructure. Although it seems old and outdated, you enter out of curiosity. Walking around, you feel as though you drank too much at a college kegger, and somehow your mind has been completely flipped and you can't decipher up from down. Finally, you get to the "balcony" of the Tipsy House, hoping to find some relief from the topsy turvy feelings beginning to rumble in your tummy. Grabbing hold of the railing, you look out at a spectacular view of Lake Okoboji and feel the cool breeze through your hair. Yet, the sloping floor beckons you to finish the tour of the Tipsy House.

Finally, you exit the architectural antics of the Tipsy House and find yourself in front of the Mirror Maze. You enter, thinking two things: this is a kiddie attraction, and so was the Tipsy House, so you never know. Walking in you think that to make it difficult you will not look down. BAM! Okay, so it's not so easy. You make it to the back of the Mirror Maze, and the wacky, wavy mirrors in the back make you wonder why we have diets when we ought to replace conventional flat mirrors with these.

Managing to make it out of the Mirror Maze mostly unscathed, you view the elevated station for the Legend roller coaster and notice the short line for the ride. You begin to walk over to the plank for the coaster when the horn from the park's train honks in your direction. You are again sidetracked glancing over at the park's train, with its nostalgic engine, coaster cars moving past you, and the ding of the railroad crossing sign warning pedestrians to get out of the way.

You then become determined to ride the Legend as it calls you to ascend the ramp to the station. Balancing yourself against the strip of wood on the plank to the station, you wait in anticipation as the train comes into the station with shouts of satisfied coaster riders. You wonder how such a coaster could make people scream like that.

You sit in the car, the fourth row from the front, and notice both a lap bar and safety belt. You think, there's probably a reason for the safety belt, and you tighten the strap across your lap. The train leaves the station and dips below the exit of the Tipsy House before hooking up with the chain drive that leads the coaster up to the first summit. Clinkety, clankety sounds echo like an amusement park bell choir and the air seems oddly still for a moment. Then, the breeze comes up again, catching the leaves of the surrounding large, old oak trees that thrive in this area. The branches bend down as if they were trying to high five the thrill-seekers in the coaster cars. Looking up around the rustling branches, you see at the peak an ominous sign: The Point of No Return.

The car begins to go past the sign as the coaster sends you downward and you gulp to catch your breath for a moment. You let out a whoop of excitement as you pass under a section of the roller coaster you have yet to experience. The train leads you up to the curve and you feel as if you are flying. Nothing extreme. Pleasant. As if you are a hawk flying among the grand oak trees that frame the coaster.

Once you feel that this is a nice, tame coaster, you plunge downward, then feel airborne as if you are about to be ejected from your seat. Not so tame after all. You scream and now know why people love the Legend at Arnold's Park.

(Thanks to the Youtuber Greiman23 who made this video.)

Airtime, my friend, wonderful airtime. That is what makes them scream, wanting to come back for more. Something too amazing to capture on video. It's not just any old airtime, this coaster makes you fly, float, and you feel your heart soar as the last two hills take your breath away. As the train pulls toward the station, you see the lake, with its waves that twinkle at you. It charms your soul into exhilarating screams of gratitude--Woooo! Yeeeeeah! Let's do it again! One more time!!

The Legend roller coaster at Arnold's Park, Iowa, USA is the 7th oldest coaster in the USA and the 13th oldest in the world. It was built in 1927 as a freeform figure 8 design by John A. Miller, John F. Pierce and Harry Baker, manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. The ride time is one minute 12 seconds, a height of 63 feet, and speeds on its tracks at 50 mph. Originally called the Giant Coaster, when I went to the park as I was growing up (1970s and 1980s), it was called the Big Coaster, and around 1995 it was renamed The Legend.

As I grew up, Arnold's Park also featured an indoor skating rink and the Roof Garden that held a dance hall, retail shops, and the Fun House, that had a spinning horizontal barrel, moving planks (back and forth, and up and down), a spinning wooden king of the hill type of ride, and, my favorite, the large wooden slides.

In 1968, the Roof Garden was hit by a tornado and rebuilt, however its days were numbered. The Roof Garden was a popular concert venue (featuring area bands and nationally-internationally recorded groups, including one of the last bands to play: The Romantics) up until its ultimate demise in 1987 when the park closed and many of the buildings were razed, including the Roof Garden, that met its fate with the local firefighters who burned it down as a training exercise. Arnold's Park was reopened in 1989, with a refurbished roller coaster and fewer attractions.

In 1999, Arnold's Park was purchased and threatened to close as the new owners had ambitious plans for a condominium complex. They gave the community an ultimatum that they had to raise around 4 million dollars to save the park. In 30 days, the community rallied to save the park and raised well over 7 million dollars.

They have since added several rides, including a log flume, a kid's play park, and a very nice mini-putt-putt course, along with some nice landscaping around the park. Arnold's Park is alive and well, and in my opinion, doing even better than I can remember.

If you want to experience The Legend and the rest of Arnold's Park Amusement Park, it's located on Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa, USA, just off Highway 71 on Lake Street in Arnolds Park, Iowa (yes, the town has the same name).

What?! No Holocaust?? Consider the Source...

2007-07-26T13:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes thinking in a humorous or obscure view can eleviate the tension of talking politics with mind-set people like in-laws. I always get a bit annoyed by their bad mouthing former President Clinton, usually because they can't put the blow job episode to bed. So, at our Maine visit with them in July, politics come up.

Now, understand that I have taken the policy to smile and nod my head when controversial issues come up ("uh huh, yeah, right" type blended with a good measure of internal sarcasm). Doing so usually keeps me out of trouble.

However, for some reason it internally disturbs me to see devoted Christians, like my in-laws, talking ill of the policies of former Democratic Presidents Clinton and Carter all due to the Republican mudslinging, and disregarding the humanitarian good these presidents have shown their country and the world.

As expected, the discourse of the terrible Presidents Carter and Clinton came up and somehow (a miracle, perhaps) we got off that topic. Only to go directly to the Iraq Conflict and controversy with Iran. [dramatic music] Holocaust deniers! [/dramatic music] There's no way to make that topic any better, I thought, nor any way to make the leadership of Iran any more at our level of human with that topic. World War III--get ready!

Then, like a dove from heaven, a thought came into my head and before I could think it through, I began to say, "you really need to look at it from their perspective." Oh, dear God! What am I saying, I thought to myself. "Consider how they live daily. Ethnic cleansing is normal, every day stuff to them."

Oh, my. I was looking for my foot to insert in my mouth, but no, I continued to talk. "So, what we consider the Holocaust, it's really nothing new for them." Gasp. Oh, God, you know my mother-in-law's mind is difficult to sway, this isn't good, I thought, as I expected her to rant about how terrible it is for anyone to deny such horrendous torture and death.

A brief moment of silence. Then, my mother-in-law says, "I never thought of it that way. You might be right with that." And with that, the holocaust denial discussion was tucked away and put to bed. Whew. That was GOOD.

I have a feeling that my brilliant conclusion might have come from my diligent observation of the off-perspective views from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. If so, thank you, gentlemen, and keep 'em coming. If not, I believe TDS and TCR sentiment is there, and maybe they will bring up this point of view about holocaust denial as business as usual, when it surfaces again.

Painting the Pretty Picture

2007-07-06T07:50:00.000-05:00

Anyone in business knows that the way to get ahead is to paint the pretty picture, regardless of what reality shows. So, if your business practices are not up to par and you leverage out your competitors, you cover it up to the outside so those who want to be in the know, like investors and customers, only see the best of your product and your company.

Imagine, however, if someone who claims that they only want to help your company comes out and tells the world your inequal business practices? Well, it would be devastating to your product, and eventually might lead to the demise of the company, right?!

For decades, we have been led to believe that Africa is suffering in dire conditions. Most of the African people living in oppressive, famine-like conditions under evil governments that want to enslave children as soldiers, and such. So, imagine my surprise when I read this article about the implied horrors of Africa.

So, what the statistics from this article tell me is that Africa, well, it's not so bad. Not as bad as we were led to believe, anyway. Take this stat: One half of 1% of the population, in each case, die in war each year, are child soldiers, afflicted with famine, died with AIDS, or living as refugees. That's hardly a drop in the bucket. Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill!

Okay, I do understand things are getting better in Africa. So, why are all these advocates, like Bono and Bob Geldof, not painting the pretty picture? I mean, things won't get better in Africa, until it does get prettier there.

Gotta have that pretty picture so Wal-mart will open there, just like they do here, to help out small, declining rural communities with their economic powerhouses. Just think of all those women and children that previously were forced to be cast as poor, barely clothed and starving (how humiliating and degrading) in all those late night "feed the children" commercials , could possibly be greeters at the new Wal-marts built in Sub-sahara Africa--if only we'd paint the pretty picture.

Who Else Celebrates the Red, Beige & Blue??

2007-07-06T07:19:00.000-05:00

So, the president recently commuted I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from his prison sentence, saying it was too much. Who didn't see that coming? *waits* Okay, so it was pretty much imminent that this was going to happen. However, it seems a bit in haste, doesn't it? Was Scooter Libby guaranteed no prison time, or was the president pressed to do it now to cover something instead of waiting to give a full pardon at the end of his presidential term?

It would seem that the president's commuting Scooter Libby now, would give even more ammunition to the Democrats on the campaign trail, and further hinder the credibility of the Republicans and their stance on morals and ability to uphold the law. You'd think, right? I don't know, and I don't have a crystal ball (no, I didn't get one with my bachelor's degree, although it seems many bosses in my past seem to think that I have one that works with extreme clarity). Who knows?

Well, among those outspoken critics of the president's actions is Hillary Clinton. How dare she, right?! Just look at what her husband did! [whisper] He lied under oath about a blow job. He pardoned and commuted sentences for, like, a bunch of people at the end of his last presidential term. Yeah, even a former Clinton cabinet member who apparently made false statements to authorities. [/whisper]

See, the difference here is that all this pardoning and such was done at the end of Bill Clinton's presidency. It did not affect Al Gore's aspirations with his presidential campaign, and it did not affect the former president's ability to do his job at the White House while he was there. Bill Clinton did some of his dirtiest work at the end of his White House stint (kept the White House as clean as he could for as long as he could, because who wants to be the president living in the Beige House?). Maybe the current president should have taken note of this (and maybe he did).

However, it seems if Hillary does make it to the so-called White House, she'd better be armed with lots of house cleaners and Formula 401, because she's got a lot of cleaning to do. (Probably one of the best reasons to elect a woman president, they usually know how to clean house. Figuratively speaking, of course! Off my back, women libbers!! It's just a silly social stereotype, anyway, 'cause if any of those social stereotypers knew me, they'd rethink their stupid stereotype.)

Watching the Wind Blow By

2007-07-02T11:22:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, as the battles of life tend to overwhelm us, it is good to sit and watch the wind blow by. The leaves on the tree branches waving in the breeze. Maybe they are waving "goodbye" to all the problems of the day?

The wind feels cool against the heat of the sun on my face. It is as if the heat is like all the negative challenges in my life and I am holding on to them, for what reason, I don't exactly know. Then, the gentle wind comes up. I don't want to give up the heat and I hold onto it for a slight moment. And then, I release my grip on all the frustrations of day and let the wind carry it away, drifting aimlessly into the blue sky to dissipate into nothingness. It's gone.

I smile as I admirably gaze into the vivid blue sky. I sit up smiling and feel the renewed power of the release. Carpe Diem!

It's All About RESPECT

2007-07-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

"Yes! He's gone. He's history!" The first words of the character Sid Philips in Toy Story. Someday I, too, will echo those words... when 'Sid' and his parents, our neighbors in the adjacent rental property move out.

A parent's worst fear we have realized, as our neighborhood Sid has a penchant for disrespect and destruction. Even the images of skull and cross bones are everyday neighbor sights from our backyard.

It is one thing to experience Sid watching Toy Story, and wince at his evil antics. It is another to deal with a Sid character and his parents in real life. When we first met Sid's parents, we were sympathetic to their plight: one just laid off from a minimum wage job, while the other working another low-pay job. They seemed like young parents having difficulties getting a good paying job to support their family. So, we allowed Sid to play with our two boys.

I realized early on that allowing Sid to play with our boys was beginning to have a negative impact on our boys' innocent and polite dispositions. Sid would be mean in his play, and his coarseness was rubbing off, especially on my youngest son.

I also noticed the relationships between Sid and his parents, and it caused me to pause. Their way of handling misbehavior with Sid was to get into a yelling match about it, profane words used by both sides, and Sid trying to talk his inappropriate actions into something that should be acceptable. In the end, usually Sid got away with whatever he did, or he was told to go inside, and he'd yell all the way, calling his mom a "bitch" (and his mom would do nothing about it) as he'd walk inside.

However, Sid's antics made me more of a hawk over my kids when they would play together outside. Finally, it came to a head about a month ago. Here's a forum post I made at a mom website (this is lengthy, but you may get a better understanding of the situation) about that time:

Sometimes I would just like to be able to have neighbors that can respect me and my family, and to respect our property. Neighbors that would stay on their own property and when we are outside, to ask before coming over. (We do not allow our children to go playing in our neighbors or any other person's yard without first asking.) Neighbors that encourage their child to play nice with our children, and when they don't, to have the grace to take their child back to their own yard to play. Is that asking too much?

[begin rant] Apparently so, to our neighbors. A couple of weeks ago, it was a typical scenerio where the neighbor boy, I'll call him Sid, was over playing with our two sons and ever so often doing mean things to them. Well, he brought over his skateboard and was laying on it to go down a dirt hill in our back yard, and let our kids do that, too. The first time he yanked the skateboard out from under my 3 year old, his mom yelled at him and they did their usual yelling match. The second time, he yanked it out from our 5 year old as he was just descending down the hill, and my husband came over and told Sid that it was time for him to go play in his own yard. Well, Sid's mom had this look of "how dare you say that to my son" as if her son had magical rights to play on our yard. Sid then proceeded to argue his point why he yanked the skateboard from under my son, and I said told him he didn't need to use words. He said he hated us, and I told him that he made those choices and he needed to play in his own yard until he was ready to apologize and play nice again. His mom yelled at him to get inside at this point, and he did.

Now, mind you, similar behavior was going on previously with Sid, and we would ask him not to do the behavior and to play nice. It got to the point where our 5 year old did not want to play in our yard anymore because he didn't like playing with Sid. This really upset me, because this is our yard, and my son shouldn't feel like he's bullied in his own yard, to the extend that he avoids playing in our own back yard!

Thus, we decided that 1) neighbor kids can only play in our yard when we are outside in our backyard and they need to ask before playing each time; and 2) if a neighbor kid is not playing nice, they will need to go play in their own yard until they are ready to apologize and play nice again. Now, I think these seem like basic, simple rules to follow, not only in the backyard, but in life in general, as well.

Well, I saw Sid out playing in our backyard last week when I got home from work. I got down on his level, as we always do when we talk with him or our own children, and told him in a normal voice that unless we were outside playing and he was ready to play nice, he needed to play in his own yard. He then went in a tangent about how his mom told him that he couldn't play with our kids anymore. I said that is fine, but if you are not going to play with our kids, then you need to stay in your own yard. Then, he wanted to get in a yelling match to argue his point. I continued to tell him he needed to play in his own yard. He then ran inside his house. Fine, I thought.

This past week Sid continues to play in our yard ever so often when we are not outside. Today I went up to him as he was playing near our dirt hill with several of his toys scattered in our yard, got down on his level and said that since he isn't playing with our kids he can't play in our yard. He didn't say a word to me, left his toys in our yard, and darted to where his dad was working on an engine on their driveway. I waited, then calmly walked over to speak with his dad.

I mentioned that since they decided that Sid could not play with our kids, then Sid needs to stay in his own yard. He told me that was ignorance (I don't think he knows what that word means) and said that it should be okay for him to play in our yard because he's not hurting anything and it's not like our yard where he's playing is anything like a nice lawn that he would be destroying or anything like that. I told him its not about that, it's about playing nice with our kids and if Sid isn't going to play at all with our kids, he doesn't need to be playing in our yard. Apparently, our neighbor doesn't know anything about being respectful of his neighbor's property. He did finally tell his son to get his toys out of our yard and to stay in their yard. Sid just stayed in their yard, so I gathered his toys and nicely put them in Sid's yard and walked away.

Latter in the afternoon, there was Sid again, driving in his battery powered black car (actually the skull monster truck hearse version of the barbie jeep) around our yard. My husband was home and went over to talk with Sid and again Sid ran away into his yard, leaving his monster hearse in our yard. So, he went over to talk to Sid's dad to let him know that we would be putting up a fence this weekend. Then, Sid's mom came out and yelled at Sid to drive his car back into their yard and they got into a yelling match, with Sid finally driving his hearse back into his own yard.

It's one of those deals where I don't understand why they are balking against us so much, when it is OUR YARD in the first place. I just want our backyard to be a place where our children can play nicely and not feel bullied out of it. I think that is reasonable, and most parents should be able to understand that.

What do you think?

(And maybe you are our pesky neighhbors, so tell me why you think your child should have free reign and dominion over our back yard, and be able to play in our yard, even though you told him not to play with our kids? How would you feel if our kids played around your backyard without your permission, played mean to your child, and then refused to play with your child? I'm thinking you'd do exactly the same thing we are doing.)[end rant]

There's plenty of stories where that came from, but I won't bore you with them. (Like the gun play and Sid's "jail" or Sid's car-jacking of our sons' toy Gator vehicle.)

Now, by this time his dad got a job as a clerk at the local grocery store, another near minimum wage job. I can understand the frustration of working near minimum wage, especially when you have skills (like the skill of kindness, politeness and respect) and abilities to earn much more (been there, done that--for a very short while).

However, I also somewhat understand why these parents cannot find good work. They have no respect. They have no respect for each other, as they banter and roughly argue, both the parents and their son, on many occasions about the littlest of things. They have no respect for their own property, as Sid is allowed to smash a hammer against his rusted up, beat up wagon and to run over all his toys with his grave digger power wheels car, as his dad tries in constant vain to work on motors (revving the engines ever so often to destroy their own hearing and whoever's in ear shot) pulled out of their vehicles and banging on other parts in their yard. They show no respect for a neighbor's property, and when they do trespass and are kindly asked to stop, instead of seeing the property line (physically and metaphorically) and staying on their own yard, they badger us with a 'how dare you' attitude.

Now, if I was the boss for either of these two adults, and they talked back to me like that on the jobsite, their time with my company would be very limited. There's only a certain amount of tolerance, before disrespect leaves detrimental consequences for people who come from a low economic level (if you are born into wealth and disrespect, well, they call those mobsters, lawyers, or politicians).

We still see Sid and his parents outside, and sometimes at the grocery store. We don't hold their lack of respect against them. It is a sad state for them. They will likely always feel "victimized" because they lack respect within themselves. And they will always bully others because of their own lack of respect.

And only so much empathy I can give to people who sadly just don't know respect. If anything can be corrected in our society, it is the ability for all people to learn and show respect. Why respect isn't one of the three "Rs" is beyond me. It should be the first thing children learn in school and the last thing they are thankful for as they breathe their last breath.

It's all about RESPECT. Aretha Franklin hit the nail on the head with her aptly named hit song. Oh, and regardless of previous personal thoughts, fences do make great neighbors.

Breath: The Ethereal Existence of Life

2007-06-25T07:29:00.000-05:00

Inhale. Exhale. Rest. Repeat. We all breathe. It is a sign of life. It is a sign that our body still has the capacity to live. How do we live, breath after breath? How do we take our life from the everyday mundane, to the extraordinary, to the ethereal existence of life?

Life becomes mundane, because in many senses, we forget our senses. We forget to, say, stop and smell the roses. We forget to slow down and enjoy the breezes from a mild, warm afternoon with the sun peeking through the clouds. We forget to quiet ourselves to hear the sounds of nature all around us.

Instead, we busy ourselves with the mundane. We surround ourselves with materialistic things that dull our senses, and create more mundane-ness in our lives. Listening to surround sound stereos that enclose our senses into an impenetrable egg. Watching TV that saps the energy from our bodies. Working constantly during the day without stopping for breaks. Seemingly escaping with illicit drugs that bring a quick high, but essentially enhances the dulling of the senses. All of these are ways of distancing and dehumanizing ourselves from our vital functions of life. And they all make us slaves to the mundane.

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. --Genesis 2:7

We all began with a breath.

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. --Job 33:4

It is our primal instinct to breath, and it is our in survival that we continue to breathe. It is our subconscious duty. Inhale. Exhale. How we easily forget that we continue this vital prayer of life. Breathing is our silent prayer. In speaking, we add words to our silent prayer. In silence, we pray, sometimes with thought, and sometimes thoughtless. Sometimes listening to the breath of the Almighty, many times listening to the dead space of the mundane.

But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. --Job 32:8

Maybe we take breathing for granted too much? Have we forgotten the power of breath? Take a moment, close your eyes, silence your mind, and just breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Rest. Repeat. It feels centering and focusing on the basics. It feels natural and soothing, envigorating, quieting and subtle. Peace. Patience. Understanding.

Next time you pray or go to church, stop first and breathe. As you pray or participate in the church service or mass, be conscious of your breathing. Be aware of the emotions and thoughts, both positive and negative, that escape your being as you exhale, and the renewing senses as you inhale. Feel the presence of the Spirit with each breath.

Whenever life seems crazy and chaotic, or when you feel caught up in the mundane, just breathe. Get away from the mundane. Go for a walk. Go lean against your favorite tree. And breathe.

Soothed by the Rain

2007-06-22T06:38:00.000-05:00

Ah... The soothing qualities of rain. There is a magical, ethereal quality about a raindrop that hits the dry, parched earth. The soil clenches up as if shocked by the touch of water drop. Then, it gives way as the rain drops accumulate. The dust is no longer blown away in the breeze, but stays together with the soil it yearns to remain.--Me

Thursday morning, while I was enjoying a lovely dream, I was suddenly awakened by our bedside weather radio alarm. I thought, this had better be good, since it woke me up 4 minutes before I needed to wake up at 4:30 a.m. No, it was a Severe Thunderstorm Watch--not a warning! And, no, it wasn't for our immediate area. It wasn't even for our regional area! It was for Faribault County in Minnesota!! I couldn't believe it! I know that I programmed that weather radio to only alarm for warnings and only for my county and surrounding counties. It must have been an act of God. Or something...

Yesterday afternoon we experienced T-storm watches and warnings, but somehow we just were not fortunate to enjoy more than a few drops of rain. Very disappointing since our lawn looks more like a hayrack spilled its contents all over our yard. However, at 2:30 a.m. this morning, I was awakened by the sound of strong winds and thunder. Thor must have listened to my heartened pleas, because he was out in full force this morning, banging away with flashes of light in an otherwise dark night.

Then, the downpours came. The first one was so soothing and refreshing, however, that was not good enough for Thor. The second storm system converged shortly after the first, and it began with a thunderous boom and then--poof! All the lights were out in our end of town. The lightning darting from the sky seemed to almost leap at us in the dark-black night landscape. As the zags of lightning flashed in the night, I could see the trees bending down, as if they were trying to touch their roots. The sheets of water pouring down from the sky made the scene a hazy blur.

Soon after, the angry Thor god ushered himself onward to the next unsuspecting, sleeping community. The soft, gentle rain continued, massaging the stressed ground, as I dashed from my car to get to the door and into my dry work cave. I am always refreshed by the effects of a good thunder boomer, but this morning I was soothed by the rain.

The Advent of Computers and the "Tubes"

2007-06-11T07:02:00.001-05:00

I feel compelled to share this bit of humor with you. I typed it in a forum post discussion on remembering the beginning of the internet, in a humorous context. I hope this will add a bit of a smile to your day.

Yeah, I remember the days of the text only internet.

Oh, you know that reminds me of the first time I saw a computer porn show. Really. Let me take you back. The year was 1985 and I was on my first "date" with this geeky guy, a sort of premonition that I would be destined to love geeky guys. After the homecoming dance, he took me back to his house and it was all dark. 'Pretty sure my parents are upstairs banging away,' he said to me. Great. Then, he said he had to show me something. I'm thinking he's really crazy or really horny. Found out he was both, but that's another story. He took me over to his dad's den and, as we sat in front of the computer, he put a 5 1/4 inch floppy into the drive. 'You gotta see this,' he said. Okay, this better be good, I thought. All of a sudden the drive starts to make this grinding noise, and on the screen it says something like "Oh, baby, yeah. That feels so good." The floppy in the drive starts to make whirling sounds and then more grinding. "C'mon, baby, work it harder," the screen said. More whirling and grinding, and I swear the computer was going to have an orgasm! Either that or it was going to explode! "Oh, Oh, Oh My G-d, Come. Yes! Yes! Yes! Ooooooh! Ohhhhh!" Wow. I don't know if his intention was to turn me on, which it didn't, but I got a great laugh out of that.

You know, I think it was the intention of the designer of the computer and the tubes to make it just a bit suggestive. Think about it. You insert your disk into the drive... and in the old days, disks were huuuuge. 5 1/4 inch was small compared to the 8 inch monsters. It is a bit ironic, too, that they called them floppy disks, because any man who needs viagra would be very pleased if he could be as rigid as a floppy disk. When the 3 1/2 inch floppy came out, it was even more rigid than the 5 1/4, which was great because 5 1/4 inch floppies were just not lasting long in my backpack. Another great internet tool that I miss is being able to "finger" someone online. Kinky, huh? Yeah, I remember posting on the BBS, and if my favorite poster wasn't there, I could "finger" him. It was always fun to get "fingered" online, too. For those who have no idea what online fingering is, I can tell you what it is not: It is not giving someone the online bird, unless after you fingered them you gave them the computer version of the bird; It is not touching the computer screen with your sweaty fingerprints; It is not exploring the inner chasms of the tubes in search of pleasure... Oh, ah, actually, yes that is what it is. Okay, boys and girls, fingering is like ICQ, or instant messaging. Get your mind out of the gutter.

There's some of my odd sit down comedy. My own experiences wrapped in the topic of discussion. If I got you to smile, or even chuckle once or twice, or if you actually learned something, then my typing was not in vain. I kind of think that way about my life, too...

Two Birds to the Head

2007-05-29T11:05:00.000-05:00

Sometimes an odd event seems so strange that it should indicate something. This Sunday morning (May 27, 07), I took my two sons with my sister and her family to go to church. Now, this is a small town church with a basement that originally had access by going outside and the basement is where the only restroom in the building could be found. Well, my oldest son needed to go to the restroom during mass. We walked outside and found the basement door locked. I tried to get him to go outside in a wooded area next to the church, but he wouldn't do it.

I then asked if he could hold it until the end of mass, and he said he could do that. As we were walking up the steps outside to the church, two birds were diving down from the belltower, their wings seemed to be entangled, and hit my son in the forehead. The two birds untwined in a nearby large flower pot and quickly flew away. Of course, my son was a bit shaken up and I was taken aback by it all, as I right next to him.

It took a couple of minutes before my son regained his composure after the incident, as I gave him a hug and reassured him that everything was okay. Oddly enough, he didn't have any bumps or bird droppings on him after that event, and thankfully he didn't wet himself, even though we weren't able to find a restroom for him.

So, are getting hit by two birds on the forehead on church grounds a sign of anything? I just hope that if so, it is a good sign of great things to come.

Strange Dreams

2007-05-29T10:29:00.000-05:00

I've been having strange dreams lately that have intrigued me. One dream, though, stood out from the others. I dreamt that I was with someone who looked just like a girl I went to school with and looked like her current age with shorter hairstyle than I remember her currently having. Anyway, she had been injured, but healed quickly, and I was wondering why I was there with her, as we didn't have a close relationship.

Well, on Saturday morning I was covering Hillary Clinton's visit to our area, and when she came out I recognized the face. It was the woman in my dream the other night. For some reason, Hillary has very similar facial features of my former classmate, but when I saw Hillary's face up close it was unmistakable that it was Hillary in my dream. Hillary was also wearing a turquoise colored suit, which seemed familiar to me, especially that shade of blue. Another dream I had last week had my aunt looking at turquoise jewelry, which she loved to wear; and also in that dream an association with strawberries, as I must have subconsciously linked the two sometime in my childhood, as I love strawberries and the color blue.

I have had weird dreams before, and some of them premonitions of later dejavu experiences where some of the substance of a dream came about in reality. I don't think too much of my dreams, but this one certainly made me remember it.

Mother's Day Is Every Day

2007-05-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my son's last day at preschool before the summer break. All the emotions some mothers share about great days in their children's lives, well, at first they weren't welling up for me. I'm not really a showy emotional person and it was probably subconsciously trained during my own childhood.

Sure, I was proud of my oldest son's accomplishments and his process of overcoming challenges with Aspergers. He has reached milestones during this year of formal preschool that were such barriers at his child care center. Yes, thinking back to all the parent-teacher-AEA meetings, and all the issues that were preventing my son from being an active and achieving student and all those who worked to make sure he was understood, included and assisted so he could achieve, and my son being able to now do things that seemed frustrating before, I do begin to get all teary-eyed.

Wednesday, the preschoolers came to the front of the church and presented a program after mass. The children lined up sang and many of them fully participating, doing the actions of the songs, and reciting a prayer. There was my son, standing at the end of the back row, swaying, looking around, pulling up his shirt and touching his belly button (nervous trait), doing some actions, not really singing. And I was proud of him.

As the children were called alphabetically by name to receive their certificate of completion, he stood there waiting patiently until his name was called. When they called his name, he walked down just as any other child in his class and received his certificate, and even paused a while as I tried (unsuccessfully as the flash and camera were taking too long to do their thing--apparently I wasn't pushing all the way down on the button, you know, emotions) to get a good snapshot of the moment.

The last day of preschool, the class went to the park for a mini-picnic for the morning. I came to witness his last day with his friends in a fun environment. It was nice to see how the other kids interacted with my son, and how he felt comfortable playing with them. When my son did something odd, some would comment, but from my perspective the comments were never negative or derrogatory. The kids then walked back to the preschool room to finish their day.

I came to pick him up from his last day at preschool at the same door I dropped him off at for the first time. All the preschoolers were outside waiting and it was the first time I saw other kids beside my son hanging around his "favorite tree" just outside the preschool door. His favorite teacher gave him a small, white sack and pointed at me. Then, he gave it to me. A Mother's Day gift. I didn't open it then, because he just doesn't realize that he had already given me a Mother's Day gift of who he is today. Yes, I am very proud of him.

I let my son play with his friends around the tree before we left. After many of them had already gone with their parents, I let him know its time to go and asked him to go and say thank you and goodbye to his teachers. He went over and gave them leg hugs and thanked them. As he came back to me, I saw a girl from his class try to come toward him, arms extended to give him a hug. He didn't see it and he was focused on me. I mentioened to him that she was trying to give him a hug. He turned around, walked toward her, extended his arms, and they shared a long, warm, friendly embrace. This coming from a kid who specialized in no-arm hug-leans before preschool. This was a special moment. I held back my tears, as he came toward me and we hugged, and waved goodbye to his teachers and remaining classmates.

In a society that seems to at least disregard and sometimes highly disrespect anything atypical, for a brief time my son found a group of people who respected him for who he was, and he grew and flourished in their midst.

Every mother's quest is to create a brighter future for their children. It is a quest that goes beyond emotion. Mother's day is every day that we see the twinkle in our child's eye, a stance of positive interest and intrigue in our environment, a look of concern and compassion for others, a smile of sunshine that brightens our day, a glimmer of hope in their soul that the future will bring peace.

"Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears! Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided byirrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reekingwith carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not betaken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. . .

. . .Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to themeans whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God." --Julia Ward Howe, from her Mother's Day Proclamation, 1870

Terror Strikes Within US

2007-05-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

This last weekend we saw terror strike the United States and take lives. It was a natural disaster in the Midwest and especially Kansas. Tornadoes and flood waters that ripped through communities and left a trail of trashed treasures, broken lives and many tears.

We are learning that terror can come from many sources, not just from the generic violent terrorist who wants to kill people for their somehow misguided views. Mother Nature herself has a way of terrorizing us and bringing us to our knees in times violent storms and its consequences. The lessons from Hurricane Katrina apparently have not sunk in to our country’s collective ability to respond to terror.

Again, battered communities look for help from our states’ National Guard units for assistance and find that the Iraq War has left us with less homeland security. This sad reality should be a wake up call for our states to demand our National Guard and our National Guard equipment be returned to their home states in defense of our homeland security.

This may be the best time to demand that our state National Guard troops and equipment come home, as Congress continues to deliberate an acceptable budget and schedule for the Iraq War. Our homeland security and our states’ defenses are being unacceptably compromised by their presence in the Middle East. Now is the time to re-establish our security and defend our home country from terrorists, foreign, domestic and natural.

What will happen if terrorists of a human kind attack again within the United States? How will our armed forces be able to respond? How will we defend ourselves when our resources have been shipped to a foreign region half way around the world? How will we recover from the violence?

How will we be able to respond if the next big earthquake hits California, or the next big flood engulfs the Midwest, or the next big hurricane inundates the coastline?

One thing’s for sure, we will again be brought to our knees. Some will be on our knees in prayer, as others will be begging for their next breath, and others for peace in the midst of chaos.

Now is the time to stand. Now is the time for us to think about our vulnerabilities at home and take action to be a nation of strength within. A nation that is able to defend its homeland against terrors foreign, domestic and natural. Message to Congress: Keep our National Guard at home.

Jon Stewart: True Patriot

2007-04-25T13:12:00.000-05:00

Oh, Jon Stewart, you seem to be begging for the Golden Ruler Award! And you deserve it!!

If you didn't see last night's Daily Show where Jon Stewart interviewed John McCain, go see it now, in two parts: Part I and Part II.

Jon Stewart's words of great measure:

"Is it part of the insurgency, and isn't this part of the difficulty that we have to win over the Iraqi people and can we win them over when we seem to almost consistently diminish their suffering. Rumsfeld has said 'when you fly over Baghdad the whole place isn't on fire.' Condi Rice has said that this is birthing pangs. You know, think of how we're grieving for (the deaths at Virginia Tech), and rightfully so... (disrupted thought about mismanaged war) But even the mindset... (again disrupted thought win/loss militarily or politically) But don't you think we already won militarily? (disrupted) Can we describe this as won or lost? Even the president said this isn't the kind of war you win and people surrender on a battleship. Shouldn't we get away from the language of win or lose in Iraq and get more to a descriptive success, a metrics, deadlines, if you will, timetables."

"They're fighting each other. We're there keeping them from killing each other. Surrender is not--We're not surrendering to an enemy that has defeated us, we're saying how do you quell a civil war when it's not your country?"

(In reply to McCain's audience comment "I think I know who's side they're on.") "They're on America's side because they're patriots."

"If the architects that built a house without any doors or windows don't admit that's the house they built, and continue to say it's your fault for not being able to see into it, then I don't understand how we're supposed to move forward."

"What I believe is less supportive to the good people who believe they're fighting the great cause is to not give them a strategy that makes their success possible...(disrupted thought) All I'm saying is you cannot look a soldier in the eye and say questioning the president is less supportive to you than extending your tour for three months when you should be coming home to your family. And that's not fair to put on people that criticize."

"And you know I love you and I respect your service and I would never question any of that. And this is not about questioning the troups and their ability to fight, and their ability to be supported. And that is what the administration does and that is almost criminal."

In regards to this interview as an observer, John McCain wasn't listening attentively to any of the questions or comments Jon posed, and it seemed to my unskilled ears that McCain was answering questions from some make believe interview that was happening at the same time, as if Jon Stewart wasn't really saying anything. I don't believe there was one question that John McCain directly addressed and answered in the theme of Jon Stewart's moderate perspective.

Sad that a Republican candidate for our highest office can't get off his party's rhetoric and spin long enough to truly listen to and honestly answer questions from a true patriot: Jon Stewart.

Americone Dream Challenge Diet

2007-04-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

It has been four weeks, almost to the day, that I had my first taste of Ben & Jerry's Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream. It was love at first bite.

After that, I vowed that I would go on the Americone Dream Challenge Diet. I would eat only one meal a day until I could find another pint of Americone Dream. Then, I would ration my pint of Americone Dream to last for the week.

Sure, I've fallen off the Americone Dream diet wagon a couple of times, but I always get back on. I am also a loser, too. I have lost seven (7) pounds so far!

I am also looking for another pint of Americone Dream, too. The local Wal-Mart always seems to be out of it now. Good for my diet. No so good for my poor taste buds.

The American Dream is to own your very own home. I believe the Americone Dream is to taste truthiness in all its truthy glory. And the best way to do that is to maintain a pure and uncensored gut.

What if PE Taught Self-Defense?

2007-04-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

The best years of my life were at college. After 13 years of bullying and cliques in a small midwestern community school, my reflection of college was like heaven. I was finally able to live life without being harrassed daily and I could surround myself with people who were similar to me. It was there that I experienced epiphanies that changed my view of life.

So, it was with great shock and sadness when I heard about the shootings that occurred Tuesday at Virginia Tech. I can only pray that the survivors may find a positive epiphany out of their sorrow.

Whenever I hear of such tragedy at the hands of an armed gunman, I begin to feel defenseless and helpless. It is from such a feeling that I wonder why we are not better equipped to handle such situations in our lives. Why aren't we taught how to defend ourselves in school?

I recall hearing the news on April 20, 1999 as I imbibed some cocktails with co-workers at a restaurant in the Denver Tech Center area. I watched the TV screen at the bar with disbelief as local and national media recounted the story umpteen times about Columbine.

I then thought, what would have happened if PE classes routinely taught self-defense to all grade levels? What if all students knew how to confidently, proactively, quickly and respectfully diffuse a negative physical altercation?

It's all fine and dandy to know our readin', writin', and 'rithmetic, but how does that prepare us to live as good, responsible citizens? How can we prepare our children, our next generations, to be better citizens and be responsible and caring members of our society? How can we teach our children to face evil and subdue it?

Our first response is not the trained police or authorities in these situations, it is people like you and me. We are the first response. I'm not talking about arming teachers and professors with weapons, as I believe weapons are motivation for violence (we all go off the edge ever so often, and I can't imagine what would have happened if one of my worst teachers had ready access to a gun--doubt I would be here today). I'm talking about knowing exactly how to deal verbally to calm a potential violent situation, to infuse kind respect to everyone involved, and if there is a weapon (a fist, a knife, a gun, a kicking leg, etc.) that those involved can make quick, unnoticable motions to take over the weapon, safely secure it, and calm the perpetrator to the good of all who surround the incident.

Then, the nation was jolted by the events of September 11, 2001. I immediately thought, what would have happened if the people on those three fateful planes could have known how to properly diffused that terror situation in the air? They had the strength in numbers. But they didn't have the knowledge to intelligently overcome the terrorists and physically subdue them.

The after effect of the tramatic events of September 11th was not to equip all citizens in our nation with self-defense strategies to subdue any form of terrorism. No, it was to put guns in the cockpit. What will that accomplish? Guns, in the hands of someone preoccupied with something like flying a plane, can easily be used against them.

Now, if pilots and flight attendants knew self-defense and knew how to coordinate efforts by the passengers to maintain control of their plane at all times, then we could say we've done something to combat terrorism.

Flash forward to this week. Again, victims were held defenseless because instead of being taught how to defend themselves through 13 years of primary school, they were taught how to do the tinikle (You know, when you had to jump between the rhythm of the clapping bamboo sticks? Our PE teacher would call it double dutch with bamboo sticks.) in PE class.

What would have happened if the girl and the RA practiced self-defense against the attacker in the dorm? The worst that could have happened if they had tried to subdue the attacker with self-defense moves is exactly what happened to them that fateful Tuesday morning.

The best thing that could have happened is that they would have been able to successfully subdue the attacker before the gun was raised, or even if the gun was raised, they strategically and successfully gained control of the weapon from the attacker, were able to subdue the attacker while maintaining respect and consideration to the attacker as a fellow human, and allow him to understand that his decisions and choices to attack were not the right thing to do.

I know this is a pipe dream in a utopian world. But, just imagine... If we were all taught how to effectively think through choices and make decisions in our daily lives that would not only benefit ourselves, but also benefit all those around us? If we were taught not only self-defense, but also how to maintain positive relationships, regardless the situation?

Think about it. Imagine.

Stuffed Up on the 13th

2007-04-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

As I suffer with my spring fever, I will give you a video that is fitting for the date (Friday the 13th). I hope it scares your funny bone just enough to squirt your Mountain Dew out your nose (won't happen to me, too stuffed up today).

I will call this "Pizza Delivery: Meat Lovers with Extra NWO"

Vote for ME! Blogger's Choice Awards

2007-04-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

Hey, vote for Indigo Lake as the Best Blog About Stuff at the Blogger's Choice Awards! Yep, I'm a nominee! So, if you enjoy reading my off-the-wall thoughts and inquisitive questioning of perculiar things, please put your vote in for Indigo Lake.

And, THANK YOU for your vote of confidence! I knew you could do it!!

1914: End of Times??

2007-04-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Jehovah's Witness stopped by the other day. Must have missed them, because they left one of their Watchtower's behind. As I was about to throw it away, I noticed on one of the pages a timeline that read something like this: "1914 Christ enthroned in heaven." What?? How do JWs know the exact year of such an occurance?

JWs are really into the apocolyptic vision in Revelations and believe that there are 144,000 annointed ones that will be saved and be placed on the right hand of God, along with Jesus. They are also apparently really big into thinking that unless you are one of the 144,000, you are an observer and will not (or should not) partake in the feast.

Okay then, so who in the JW camp is the all-knowing eye that knows when God enthroned Christ? Well, they explained their calculations based on Bible prophecy. Sure, I read it, and yeah, I am a numbers person, but I am not a mathemetician. Math mumbo-jumbo to me.

So, I thought, is there some cable link between the JW camp and God that captured this significant moment? How do they know and not the Catholics, or the Lutherans, or Anglicans? And what does 1914 have to do with anything today?

[reflection] I have wondered and thought that the end times Jesus spoke of are a more personal echo of the foreseen end times for the world. We all are physically born and we all will likely physically die. Spiritually, we are coming to the end times in our self daily. Each breath marks a breath closer to the end times. Each trial, each struggle marks a strife toward the end time in each of our lives. Our own personal battles and achievements in some way echo the battles and achievements that may be (or have been) met on a worldly scale. [/reflection]

Okay, first of all, there is a possibility that we may be living in the so-called "end times", but no irrefutable proof. So, JWs may think that the end times began in 1914. Maybe. What happened then?

It seems that all the major events listed in Wikipedia could spark the thought of the end of times. Sure, a couple of events stand out:

Ford Motor Company creates the standard for the work day at 8 hours
Mexican Revolution on January 10th
ASCAP is established in February
The first successful non-direct blood transfusion
Irving, TX incorporated in April
Mothers Day proclamation
July and August see a lot of Countries bickering--must be PMSing
Pope Benedict XV (yeah, you seeing something familiar there?!) succeeds Pope Pius X in September
Diamond capital Antwerp, Belgium falls to Germany (must be those Belgian waffles they were after)
Speaking of diamonds, the Boston Braves (aren't they in Atlanta) defeat the Philadelphia Athletics (wait... what's up here? The As are in Oakland) in the World Series
The Fed (er the Federal Reserve Bank) opens in November, just before the New York Stock Exchange reopens for bond trading after a war-induced closure in July
German and British troops stop fighting for Christmas

Yeah, all of those events are kind of crazy. What was up with these folks back in 1914? Were they poisoned by something? Did they have some psychosomatic illness? C'mon, we all know that the Braves belong in Atlanta and the As in Oakland. I do admit that Belgian waffles are worth fighting for, they're that good, but did the whole world have to get into it? Yup. It was the Belgian waffles.

However, I found another info website that states in 1914 that the Federal Trade Commission was set up, Army was the NCAA football champions, and the world's first red-green traffic light was installed in Cleveland. Okay, combine the Belgian waffles and the traffic light, and I think I am beginning to see the light. Yeah. The end of times began in 1914.

Cat Fight at Fox News

2007-04-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

I think we all love a good cat fight, but this one is a duesy! Here are my thoughts as I watched this spat.

CAT FIGHT!!! Go O'Riled! Go Giraldo!! This is good!!

You know what really sucks about this fight? Not only did O'Riled not nail Giraldo on his truthiness concern of his daughters (really, it doesn't matter who your daughters hang out with, when they innocently come into the path of a DUI driven vehicle), but the heart stopping heart of the matter is that our legal system doesn't work. (The legal system does not protect citizens.) If O'Riled could really talk coherently, that is what he would have said. But, no, like Giraldo said, he had to make it into a talking point of illegal immigration.

From what I read about the DUI illegal immigrant incident, this was this guy's 2nd DUI charge, and who knows how many times he had DUI'ed without getting caught?! So, basically, the first DUI charge didn't work for this guy. And la migra didn't pick him up after he served his first sentence and take him home. So, our legal system failed, not once, but twice!! Then, our legal system failed a THIRD TIME when an apparent innocent person was killed by this DUI no green card guy. So, the message is that our legal system doesn't work, but that is not O'Riled's talking point. And Giraldo missed out on completely nailing O'Riled because he couldn't get past the whole DUI issue killing someone.

[insane idea] Well, after I had a chance to let the whole thing sink, I decided that maybe O'Reilly had a point. Hmmm... Yeah. It's about immigration. Sure. Darned Mexicans. So, if all our social ills deals with immigration, why don't we just get rid of Mexican immigrants by annexing Mexico into the USA? [/insane idea]

The First Threesome? Lilith, Adam & Eve

2007-04-09T10:52:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Eve wasn't the first woman created by God? Apparently, not according to Jewish Midrash. It was Lilith.

Last night I watched the History Channel show Banned from the Bible II, and they exposed this possibility that Adam's first wife wasn't Eve, but Lilith. The Jewish Midrash explains it by claiming that God indeed created man and woman on the sixth day, that being Adam and Lilith. However, Lilith did not follow the idea that she should be submissive to Adam, and Adam didn't like that. (And this may explain why Frasier's wife was named Lilith, too--you know Frasier?NBC? Cheers? Okay.)

So, God apparently agreed with Adam and said that he would make Adam a mate from Adam's own rib, so that the woman made with a piece of Adam would know to be submissive to Adam. Thus, the story in Genesis that Adam went into a deep sleep and God made Eve from Adam's rib.

Lilith apparently was banished and made out to be a demon. Or, as the Jewish Midrash describes, that Lilith was made a demon. (Was she being the jealous lover in the guise of a snake? Or did God change Lilith into a snake? For the sake of all humanity, I would hope God was more kind to Lilith than that.)

However, "Everything derives from woman," according to Midrash: Genesis Rabbah, 17. So, how can man dominate woman? Is this the intent of God when He created woman, for man to dominate woman and for woman to completely submit to man? In a perfect world, sure this would work, because man would not be human and do stupid things to subordinate and severely impair woman's gifted role in life.

But, no. God's creation in Eve caused the "original sin," as Adam submitted to Eve's encouragement to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of life. I'm sure God was shaking his head in disbelief that Eve, the woman who was created to be submissive to Adam would be the undoing of the entire human race. Eve was supposed to be submissive to Adam, not to a snake. And Adam was so gullible. I mean, where's Adam's balls here? Why didn't he stand up to Eve and just say NO? (Too bad Nancy Reagan wasn't alive then.)

All our anguish because Adam was a wimp. He couldn't live with God's first creation of woman. (Maybe Lilith was the one with the balls, not Adam??) What was so flawed with Lilith, anyway? Why couldn't God give marriage counseling to Adam and Lilith, so they could work out their differences and learn to love each other? This really throws a wrench into the Catholic thinking that a man and woman are bound for life in matrimony, with no reprival for divorce. Look at it this way: The first man and woman bound together by God, was put asunder (Was God really okay with this?), and God basically scrapped Lilith and then created Eve to mate with Adam. Could this event actually have been the first "original sin"??? Could this have a direct effect on the "original sin" of Adam and Eve? (Someone has got to create a play or Broadway show on this whole drama between Eve, Lilith and Adam.) Did Lilith get a bum rap on this?

Men have been playing this one-up game with women, apparently since the beginning of time. Men in power creating cultures that subdue and diffuse the powerful gift of women. Women were created by God to give life, and most women also have the power to care and nurture that life. Men, when they play their games to force submission on women, forget their own role to provide for women and to provide for their offspring, and men forget their role in relation to God and their world.

Women, being of the mind to care and nurture, have taken up the slack of men. It has been that life-giving power of women that have created the greatest strides in human rights around the world.

It seems that men want to break dance and show off, when God would prefer ballroom dance.

Wizard Awareness

2007-04-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

It is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa April 2-6, 2007. So, how do you prepare for severe weather? Marathon watching The Wizard of Oz? Sounds like a plan.

Sure, there are other ways to prepare. Websites abound with emergency preparedness, like:
weather.gov
redcross.org
bereadyiowa.org

Yeah, get yourself prepared and get to a safe location for a tornado. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything. However, think of a tornado like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. What an adventure!

Follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road! Woo hoo!

That's what I'm talking about. Roads paved in gold. Wait. No! Tornados are usually disasterous events that leave neighborhoods riddled with debris and damage.

Hmmm... Yeah. Okkkkey... I'm beginning to see the light. That means clean up time, too! Woo hoooooo!! There's a reason why tornados instinctively go toward the trailer parks and the lower grade homes. God is saying that we need to clean up those neighborhoods. Since we didn't, then God takes it upon himself to git 'r done.

Sure, some nice expensive, fancy neighborhoods get hit occasionally, but there's probably a reason for that, too. So, next time the tornado siren goes off, find shelter and just think: there's no place like....

Tuesday, Bloody Tuesday

2007-04-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

I was going to blog about the thought that permanent US bases in Iraq will force US involvement in the "Iraq War" to continue into oblivion, but nah, I think we all know that by now. Let's get to the heart of the matter:

The Big O
For those who remember taking physiology in high school or college, you know that if you are the O blood type, that you are a universal donor (regardless of charitable disposition). You may also remember that the AB blood type is the universal receiver (blood suckers), and that type A and type B can only receive their own type or type O blood. If Danish scientists have any say, in the future you may not have to worry about your blood type. These researchers have found two enzymes that can break down the antigens found on A, B and AB blood cells, thus rendering them as type O blood, which does not have antigens. O yippee.

Bloody Curse? Cure!
Women may despise their monthly visitor, Aunt Flo, the curse, whatever you want to call it, but it may just save a life. Yes, you read that right. And, I think I will quote blots from a couple of sentences from this article for the jist of this: "Japanese researchers have harvested stem cells from human menstrual blood...AND...these stem cells could be coaxed into forming specialised heart cells, which might one-day be used to treat failing or damaged hearts." Period. End of story?

The Breast Way
So, what is the best way to detect breast cancer? Good question. Apparently, experts don't know either. Some advocate mammograms every year to two years for women starting at age 40, while others say annual mammograms for every 40+ year old woman has too many side effects that outweigh the benefits. There are now some experts that advocate MRIs along side the routine mammogram for women with a high risk of breast cancer. Regardless of experts' view of modern screening devices, the best way to detect breast cancer is to know thy breast. Doctors rarely give their patients the credit we deserve that we know our own bodies better than anyone else. So, make yourself as valuable as your doctor and begin to know thyself. Start with breast self-exams, then begin to listen to your body and sense when things are good and note when they don't seem so right (keep a health journal to show your doctor). If you feel a bump where there once was no bump, or if you feel something is really not right, get it checked out by your doctor. Be specific with your symptoms as to what doesn't feel right. Doctors are only as knowledgeable about you as you tell them what to be knowledgeable about. Doctors usually do not get their doctorate in mind reading, nor are they the god that some doctors (i.e., House) elude to be. And know that 70 per cent of breast cancers are found by self-exams. So, YOU are the best way to detect breast cancer.

Mary and the Snake

2007-03-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my soon-to-be 5 year old son's kindergarten roundup at the Catholic school in town. Many of the kids that will be going there are in his preschool class this year, so he was surrounded by familiar faces. I went to pick him up and he went into the coat room by himself, found his coat, and attempted to put it on by himself. He's growing up so fast!

Then, as we walked towards the doors to leave, he stopped in front of the statue of Mary in the entry. As he looked up at the large statue, I asked him who it was. And, of course, he knew it and said, "Mary" so matter-of-factly. Then, he walked closer and touched the snake in the statue that was slithering at Mary's feet. The school principal walked by, noticed my son's interest in the snake, and said that many kids ask about the snake.

Hmmmm... I never noticed the snake in this Mary statue before, although I've walked by this statue many times before. This really caught my interest, too.

Genesis 3:14-15
Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."

Walk Through Walls and Other Fascinations

2007-03-26T13:52:00.000-05:00

I've always believed that architecture has a higher purpose than just to protect us from the elements. It forms our basis of relating to ourselves and to others. It creates the foundation of our organization and thought processes. A building is a manipulation of space and elements.

Since I can remember, most of my dreams have involved the organization based on architecture and the relations that develop in those spaces. I have had dreams of beautiful palaces, of interlinked deckwalks on a swampy bog, and intricate details of imagined churches.

I recall in elementary school I was one of a handful of kids in my class to test out of our final year of reading, and we were thrown into taking Spanish. Our Spanish teacher was a young man of northern heritage who grew up in Chile. As a class filled with smart kids, we usually would lead our Spanish classes off-topic or playing Spanish Password and BINGO. One day he talked about living in Chile and hiking the nearby mountains and what he'd found on his explorations. He mentioned that it was then he would gain ideas and insights about the forces of nature. He made a side remark once that he believed that in the future humans would be able to walk or pass through doors and walls without effort. (Maybe he had read something like this futuristic dream.) The thought intrigued me.

It was also during this time that I became involved in calligraphy and began perfecting my calligraphic writing. (Still not perfect, yet.) Several years ago, the Smithsonian magazine featured the first illuminated script of the Saint John's Bible. Wow. Researching illuminated script and sacred geometry pulled up even more interesting information: Coding sacred numbers and design into the illustrations.

Maybe there's a connection here between sacred architecture, geometry, faith and our physical nature.

Coral Castle: Mysteries of Sacred Geometry and A Man's Passions

2007-03-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

Coral Castle is a work of magnificent manipulation. Many ask how one tiny man could build these structures by himself... Me too. So, what did he know that I don't? Who knows. However, some try to figure it all out.

Edward Leedskalnin, the creator of Coral Castle, or referred to as Sweet Sixteen, built this place as a beckoning to his unrequited love, Agnes, a sixteen year old who left him a day before their wedding. What a way to grieve! He flees his homeland of Latvia and comes to southern Florida to build this epic rock garden for his sweet sixteen. I don't think any guy I dumped would have gone to that extent to woo me back.

And that is the point, this guy built this world wonder for a girl! Not to exploit his scientific knowledge to the world or to boost of his intelligence, but he did it for a girl. Now, I do know guys who go crazy over a girl, and sometimes never get over it. But this is extreme.

And it is impressive. I don't know if I'd want to live in a rock quarry, but the structures are overwhelmingly impressive. If I were Agnes, I don't think this would convince me of a man's love, however. (I'm thinking Ed Leedskalnin was maybe an autistic-savant, but I think that savant is an underestimate.) He certainly didn't seem to understand what really turned his woman on.

Sure, having a huge door that can be opened by a slight push is nice feature for a woman, but, no, it really doesn't do the trick in the aspect of love. Creating an air conditioner is a nice feature, especially in Florida, but not so much for Latvia. A rocking chair in rock. You know, they make those in wood, too, and they're probably more comfortable, too.

Women like pretty things like flowers and pretty pictures. Now, if Ed Leedskalnin had sent his beloved a drawing of his sacred geometry of magnetic currents, maybe that would help his cause. Notice the drawing of magnetic currents, courtesy of Jon DePew. Connect the dots. Doesn't it look like a heart? The designs of sacred geometry using this design is beautiful, too. Can you imagine the wallpaper that could be created with this design?

Now, this man was smart. Very smart. Almost too smart. That may have been his biggest fault in the courting department. Ed Leedskalnin's passion became Coral Castle. His passion was marked with outstanding intelligence. He may have known the inner workings of magnetic currents, but he apparently fell short on human magnetism.

China's Cancer Apple Juice

2007-03-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

If you knew how much apple juice my three year old son drinks and the majority of the apple juice selection in our local grocery stores are from China, you would understand why I just about had a heart attack reading the article linked in the title of this post. I found this article from my favorite new blog BLDGBLOG.blogspot.com that focused on China and how cancer is multiplying there and being exported here.

This line really got my panties in a bunch: "toxic clouds so big that they can seen from space, drifting across the Pacific to California laden with microscopic particles of chemicals that cause cancer and diseases of the heart and lung." Besides the air, what other cancer-ridden products could China be exporting? Noooo, not apple juice!!

However, I then read this article about how apple juice, and especially pulpy apple juice, can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Phew! Thank goodness! I guess that negates the possibility of getting cancer from China's apple juice, right?!

Alcohol Trumps Ecstasy and Other News

2007-03-24T06:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, I know. There are more pressing issues out there than some British report on recreational drugs. Like the eight fired US Attorneys (so do they have to relinguish their monkey status, as well?), and John Edwards' wife's cancer has returned (note to Edwards' family: life is short, enjoy it now!), and the tainted pet food (aw rats, I can't believe it's poisoned).

However, in my unconscious ploy to uncover news stories that affect the most people, I think this one takes the keg, er cake. Let's get a show of hands here... how many of you have indulged in alcohol in the past month? The past week? The past day? Okay. You get the point. Most people do enjoy alcohol once in a while.

What if I said that alcohol is more harmful than LSD? Worse than Ecstasy? More horrible than marijuanna? Yup. And so is tobacco. At least according to some British scientists hoping to better classify these recreational drugs according to the harm they cause.

This is just a bit disappointing for me. (Reflects a moment...starts sobbing...) This is impossible. Why would alcohol and tobacco be legal if our government really wants to protect us from such evils? Why didn't they rate them with the other illicit drugs during the "Just Say No" campaign when I was in high school?

Alcohol is bad... no it can't be all that bad. Those experts also say wine and beer are good for my heart. Damn! What's it going to be?? I mean, we can't go around touting everything is harmful, can we?

And what's next? Fast food? Heck, let's just rank legal pharmaceuticals, including vaccines, and see how they fair against the bad boys of the drug world--who's more harmful now? Yeah, I can see it now: Heroine is for wimps, Asprin will eat your insides alive, until you're dead.

When the Laughter Dies...

2007-03-12T10:04:00.000-05:00

Jokes are no laughing matter to the brain. They are a type of release valve that enables us to think the unthinkable, accept the unacceptable, discover new relationships, adjust better and maintain our mental health. They are also funny. Without them we probably would be a dull, dimwitted society, trapped in a harsh world too serious to bear.

I instantly thought of Comedy Central when I read this quote. Especially The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. When our crazy world becomes too overwhelming, laughter is our release and allows us to overcome our crazy world.

It is a crazy world, indeed, when the laughter dies. I remember when I heard Phil Hartman died. It was if a part of the world had died. Yes, we have healed and we move on, with humor at our side. Again, today I read that Richard Jeni passed away. And another rift in the world laughter continuum has formed. And again, we will heal.

We are blessed to be able to rekindle the laughter from Hartman and Jeni, and all the past comedians like John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Richard Pryor, with their recorded performances. Those performances that helped us heal in times of stress and trial. In a way, comedy has saved us from (and in spite of) ourselves.

To those comedians, all I can say is: Thanks for the memories!

Just a Little Bit of Understanding...

2007-03-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

You don't have to walk in my shoes to understand me. You don't have to shadow me to see the light in my eyes. Sometimes you just need to know that I am not you. And know that is okay. We can see and enjoy each other's strengths together. We can bounce off of our weaknesses together and become stronger. Just know that I see our existence from different eyes than you. It's just a perspective.

I spent much of yesterday covering the Shamrock pageants, and I began to fully realize my own "Aspie-ness" as I watched the young girls performing their talents on stage. In previous years, I always wondered why I didn't do pageants. I am beautiful. I am talented. What I lacked was confidence to do it. Years of being told I am stupid and ugly have an impact on one's psyche. Sure, if I had been in the "in" crowd and had a shred of dignity I could have been a great pageant queen. That's what I used to think.

Yes, that was part of it, but only the tip of the iceberg. The more I read about Aspergers, the more I am reading about me.

I was the one in school that did want friends. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to enjoy friendship. Friends came, and friends left. There were few close friends. Sometimes it tears me out from the inside that I was never close to anyone. Other times I am thankful that I didn't have friends. I was bullied intensely in a small school. In some ways, it is hard to be friends with someone who called you retarded the day before. I wanted to be liked by others, but it was always an uphill battle. That was my aspie-ness creating that need.

My niche came in high school, as I submerged myself in drawing, and people accepted me and my talent. The great thing about drawing is that I didn't have to face the people who called me stupid, but I could exhibit my talent for them in a relatively safe environment. I could shelter myself in my room drawing for hours on end. That was my aspie-ness fulfilling my need.

As I watched the girls walking down from the stage onto the runway, deep inside I wanted to do that, too. Then, I thought, sure I could do that, but my nerves would have been so intense at that age, and even today. I would have been so worried how others would see me, that I would work myself up and in the end would not be able to focus on my stance and projected confidence to look good. My focus is precious and it is delicate, and can get distracted easily if I don't ignore the distractions around me. That is my aspie-ness creating a need.

I guess that is why I enjoy radio broadcasting. Nice, short blips of focused performance with my voice. I don't have to look 100% completely stunning all day long. I can work by myself and I don't have to deal with the distraction caused by others. That is my aspie-ness fulfilling my need.

I realize that there are things I would love to do. And I realize there's a time and a place for everything. I know that I am different than others, and some things are more difficult for me, while others come easily for me. The more I understand myself, the more courage I begin to develop to do the things I enjoy doing.

I love to cantor at church. I enjoy singing and enjoy sharing my God-given talent to God and my church. I see it as a self-sacrificing gift, instead of a self-serving gift. I cantor because I want to help others sing, too. I look at the crowd in front of me, and I smile at the faces as I sing to God's glory, to encourage those faces to sing with me. We have been blessed way too much to sit in church like a bump on a log. There is not a week that goes by that I don't hear someone tell me how much they enjoy my singing at church, and many times they comment how easy it is for them to sing along with me. That is my aspie-ness fulfilling many needs for me and others.

Yes, I am different than the norm. There's no changing it. I've tried. Acceptance, understanding, and creative thinking goes a long way to utilizing my strengths.

I see it like a box in front of me. I see others walking through the box with ease. I try to walk through the box, but I am blocked. I can't walk through it, no matter how I try to mimic others' pursuit through the box. But, I can walk around it, under it, over it. The goal is to get to the other side of the box, not in the box. Sure, I see others inside the box, but they can get out of the box. At one point, I thought the goal was the inside of the box and I tried to get in. Bad idea. As I can't get through the box, if I got into the box I would be trapped. And I don't like feeling trapped. So, it is sometimes best to avoid the box. The goal, the focus is the other side of the box. And, along the way I meet people who avoid the box, as well. We see those in the box can't see the goal, and aimlessly do their deeds. And that's okay. (I'm sure I will carry this analogy on later...)

So, this is a bit of an epiphany for me. Realizing why I am good at the things I enjoy, and why I would not be good at other things. And realizing that I am not alone.

I had some great aspirations, and I still have aspirations. They've just changed a little.

Headlines: Pardon Me!

2007-03-08T09:57:00.000-06:00

Pardon Me! We pardon scooters all the time as they zoom by us on the sidewalks of life. Why not this scooter? I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was found guilty on Tuesday by a reportedly saddened grand jury on four of the five charges for lying to investigators during the Plame leak case. It would be a political move of varied motives for the President to pardon Libby, but wouldn't it be nice for the fall guy to get some justice, too?

Success in Iraq is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed. General David Petraeus, US Army commander in Iraq commented recently that it will take more than military might to end the violence in that war-torn country. Gen. Petraeus hinted that resolution in Iraq would need political negotiations to create peace. Political negotiations, eh? I think it's time for the US President to pardon Iraq.

"I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden." would likely be a hummed tune for the fired Maj. Gen. George Weightman and Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley were singing before the bad press came out for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Sure, military service is tough. However, we are talking about our injured soldiers here. I think we can lay off the tough guy act in a hospital, can't we? Just think what these vets will say to their grandkids: Yeah, it was difficult fighting off those rats and cockroaches, but the moldy stench was the worst. I survived Iraq because they gave me a gun and ammo, but surviving Walter Reed was the biggest battle I faced. No guns, no ammo. Not even rodent bombs or roach motels. Conditions were deplorable. I needed to raise the black flag, but the Army didn't supply us with any. So, we had to use our crutches and wheelchairs to squish the enemy! No pardons likely here. No matter how hard they beg.

"Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again!" I don't know if Pierce Brosnan will need a pardon after this one, but he is slated to sing, yes I said SING... ::LOL:: Sing ABBA tunes... ::ROFL:: With, get this... Meryl Streep! ::LMAO:: Okay, okay, Brosnan is a handsome actor, a remarkable artist, but I don't recall any singing scenes in the Bond movies. The big question now is, will I be walking out of the theater singing S.O.S. out of desperation or under a euphoric state of enjoyment? By the way, Pierce, I'll pardon you in advance on this one.

No Pardons for Captain America! I was completely saddened by the news that our superhero, Captain America, ::sob:: is dead. Captain America is dead apparently due to his resistance to register with the federal Super Hero Registration Act? Is this a sobering reflection of the state of affairs in our country? What will our country do without Captain America? Is this the end? Will Tek Jansen be able to fill such big shoes?

Well, if there are pardons to make, lent is a good time to make them, as we forgive others and forgive ourselves for all the blunders and ignorantly foolish things we do and forget to do. I hope you have it in your heart to pardon me, as well. I promise I will pardon you, too.

Daylight Savings for St. Pat's

2007-03-08T03:07:00.000-06:00

This will be the first time since daylight savings came into existence that both my birthday and Saint Patrick's Day will enjoy a later evening. And an early morning.

For those of you just joining me, I discussed some of the ramifications of this change of daylight savings last year...

However, I failed to realize how this would affect my birthday this year. Sure, it is nice to enjoy daylight savings when the spring sunrise is tapping at your window, but it's not going to do that this early. Heck, we still have snow on the ground! If anything, the snow is just going to reflect the streetlights into my window on Monday morning, March 12th.

How could my birthday be any more special this year? Getting daylight saving on my birthday is spectacular. A kind and wonderful present from our President. When my internal alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. Monday morning, it isn't really 6 a.m. It'll be 7. I'll be down one whole hour on my birthday?! What kind of present is this??

Let alone the implications of partying for St. Patrick's Day. I'd better hope this year's Irish dignitary likes to get his shut-eye early. But, of course, I won't hope that. A girl needs a little fun every now and then. I think I will boycott this early daylight savings this year. I'm sure no one at work will mind. And anyway, I don't believe in time.

In the Family of Aspergers & Labels: Good?

2007-03-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

Did you ever notice subtle, yet distinguishable differences between you and others? Did you ever wonder why people react to you differently than others, although you look just like everyone else? Have you ever felt lost in a vast sea, taken up on a wave of your own individuality?

I began to see differences in my oldest son early on, but I dismissed them as something of his own individuality. I even began to love his idiosyncracies. However, I knew that he was different. Just as I was different as a child.

Last week, we saw a specialist to find out exactly what the professional world of psychology and labeling defined my son's differences. The label? Aspergers Syndrome. Or what some call high-functioning autism. It is among the autistic spectrum disorders. We have begun the process of proper analyzing, assessing, testing, affirming and action.

Yes, it is a label. I was not surprised by the label. In fact, I expected it. (I actually was hoping that he would not get misdiagnosed with ADD or ADHD and get thrust into meds and programs that would never work for him.)

How would I know about my son's condition? Because he acts a lot like me. His tantrums are a lot like mine. His frustrations, his interests, his view on life are very similar to mine. When I was his age, I was very apprehensive about giving apologies as I felt more sorry about those I gave them to, than I was sorry about what I had done. I want to be accepted by my peers, but feel strangely awkward in their presence. I see things differently, and react to things differently. I hear things that others don't and I feel things that others don't sense. There are things that people say and do that would affect others socially or mentally that don't phase me, and things that don't affect others that greatly affect me.

Labels are only good when there are ways, processes and activities within such a labeling to affect a positive outcome for the individual and all who are affected. The unfortunate part of labeling is that as a society we try to get the labeled to fit into society, instead of working with the label and its positive offerings.

I believe, in the purest hollow of my heart, that every person existing has a positive energy and positive offering to give to the world. Some will find that positive energy and bestow it to the world unhindered, others will not see that positive energy and instead offer the world negative energy, and then there are some who see that positive energy and watch it be socially hindered and sapped away by the negative energy, intentionally or unintended by others.

My experience with Aspergers is not as much a label, inasmuchas it is a different perspective. It is that POV (point of view) that is not readily accepted by societal and cultural norms. The label is only there to help the "normal" people to define what they see as an obscurity in someone. What is obscure in the norm, is clear in someone with aspergers. What is obscure in someone with aspergers, is clear in the norm. Sure, it's not absolute, as no one or two can together see all answers to life (unless two or more are gathered in God's name, well that's a different story there, too).

Picture it as a circular peg trying to fit into a square hole. There are the corners in the square where that circle will not fill into, and areas where the circle go over the bounds of the square. In a perfect world, we would sense that we would lose so much by changing the circle, and reconfigure our societal and educational boundaries so that all the positive energy of the circle would be fully actualized.

We are not in a perfect world. Society as we know it, presses all into the meatgrinder of life, regardless of the cut of meat, and strives to make all into nice, uniform sausages. In effect society is willing to convert the circle into a square so it will fit nicely into the square hole.

A good butcher would be appalled to see a good piece of sirloin ground into a hotdog. Good educators and parents, also should be appalled to see their good child being mangled with meds and ineffective learning techniques aimed to restrict the student's creative and obscure point of view and mould him into the "perfect" student.

In the process of labeling, it is vital to help normal people to see and take positive advantage of the special POV and learning skills that those with Aspergers exhibit. It takes teachers with a teaching style that parallels the aspergers' learning style to truly gain the most out of this educational experience.

It takes a teacher that can change the educational square into the circle, and a student that can understand his/her circular nature and learn to literally work around the societal and cultural square that challenges them. It also takes a parent that can see both the square and the circle to coach their child to understand that both are vital, and necessary, and that both need to do their part to work together in harmony.

The challenge is made for us. It is in our hands to see and offer the positive energies in ourselves, to show the positive in others, and to provide guidance to those seeking the positive in themselves. I am positive of this.

I think...

Essence of a Snowball

2007-02-27T18:22:00.000-06:00

What is a snowball? I pondered today as I looked at the mounds of snow piled on every street corner. Could I describe a snowball to someone who has never experienced one before?

I began to define to myself the essence of the snowball: A spherical mass of compacted and cooled water particles... No, too scientific. It is a cluster of unique and individual snowflakes that combined together create a winter fighting weapon--bwap! I got you!

Spiritual Space and Architecture

2007-02-26T11:20:00.000-06:00

In the summer of 1999, I experienced the full effect of architecture on physical, mental and spiritual notions. Made possible by a restored kiva on the property of Kelly Place, a bed and breakfast near Mesa Verde National Park, I became even more aware of the intricate relationship between the physical and the spiritual.

This Sunday's homily at mass was about spending more spiritual time in our lives. Recently, I have been doing a little research on prayer gardens and labyrinths, and specifically about the labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France.

http://www.lessons4living.com/chartres_labyrinth.htm
http://www.johnjames.com.au/chartres-thelabyrinth.shtml
http://www.crystalinks.com/labyrinths.html
http://www.greatdreams.com/sacred/triple-doors.htm (scroll down to Chartres)
http://members.aol.com/Lambdom3/Chartes.html

Several websites have led me to wonder about the extreme thought put into architecture and buildings in the past. Many experts believe that these buildings were built to honor God or gods, take your pick. As I ponder this, I realize that this type of powerful architecture is more of an outer expression of an inner spiritual movement, if you will. Could it be a reflection of the internal dwelling of God?

Being born into a world pre-established with external buildings, institutions and societies, it is easy for us to think that the world is material, and that buildings are material. We know it exists in a physical sense, and we tend to assume that these external things are only external in nature and existence. We continue the assumption that these external existences have no foundation internally, exist solely in the physical realm and have no relation to the internal spirituality.

What about those truly inspirational buildings, places, and spaces that invoke a sense of amazement and wonder of something much more significant and ethereal than our own humanity? What about the spaces that transform our our thinking, our perception and our conscience to an entirely different realm?

A building, regardless how elaborate in form and function, effectively changes the physical space around it. It displaces air and molecules around it, and makes a footprint in the ground, interacting with all physical elements that surround it. The design of the building has a direct effect on how each physical element reacts to the building's imposition on that element.

I have believed for several years that undefined energies can be created within an architectural design, as physical elements react to the existence of this object in space. It is an extension of several trains of thought: The art thought that people are drawn to tension in an art piece (note the David sculpture and the twisting position of the torso among the tension points); and the concept of tension in design and construction of a building.

With this thinking, I began to be drawn to spaces that seemed to have this tension. A tension point in architecture could be defined as the location where two or more building materials are attached together with pressing force in its architectural design. (I'm sure there is a bona fide architect out there that knows the actual term for this. I, however, am not a bona fide architect.)
I noticed that ghost hunters would invariably sense the presence of ghosts in these same building tension point areas, as stairways and doorways are physical stress and tension points in a building. I noticed that in historical architecture altars and sacred places of distinction were located directly under these major architectural tension points in a building. Coincidence? I think not.

It is the outer expression of an inner spirit.

I look at new churches recently built and see a grave lack of major tension points in its building. Is this a reflection of the lack of spiritual energy within today's architect? Is it the denial of healthy and appealing tension in our external world because we don't want that tension and stress, and that feeling in society of don't offend anybody tolerance? (I digress.)

Yes, it is an outer expression of an inner spirit. A spirit created and designed before the first building ever stood. A spirit existing before the first stroke of pigment touched a cave wall. A spirit of succession that dwells in those who continue to use it to light the torch of their souls.

This same spirit beckons us to light our torches and see beauty and intricate simplicity.

Romans 10:8
But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach)...

Psalm 91: 1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."

Luke 4:1
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit...

This was Jesus' 40 days and nights of temptation by the devil. Not even the Son of God had smooth sailing on earth. There is tension and stress. It is in this tension and stress that we see the work of God. As it is so for those who feel the tension and stress in architecture.

In the restored kiva near Mesa Verde, I felt an odd sense as I descended down the small hole in the earth on a hand-hewn ladder, not knowing what space this ladder was leading me into. It was a bit of fear and trepidation, also wonder and anticipation of exploration. I began to see a series of huge log beams radiating out from the center that held up the earth. I set my feet on the ground. I felt a sense of being safe and secure in this underground sanctuary.

I looked around in awe that a people so many years ago could build such a secluded, secure place. I sat down on the earthened bench and felt a calm come over me. I felt a need to reflect on my inner spirit, as if the external space was capturing and focusing my spiritual energies. I sat for a moment or two within the silence of the kiva. It felt peaceful and spiritually nurturing.

I heard a hum in my ear. A perfectly tuned hum that did not waver. I stood up and walked around the space to see if it would change or disappear. It stayed constant. My husband, who accompanied me into the kiva, stood on the other side of the circular kiva. I asked if he heard the hum. Although he had not initially noticed the hum, he confirmed that the hum seemed to be external and not something I was just hearing in my head. It was as if the structure of the kiva emitted this perfect audible and stable frequency.

These historic architects knew the power of the structure and its manipulative abilities on our environments. I cannot fathom how these ancient builders attained such knowledge, unless it was their own spiritual journeys that led them to understand the physical and spiritual nature that surrounds us.

I believe we all are architects of our physical, mental and spiritual realms. Our physical, mental and spiritual realms do not exist separately. We all have the internal spirit with us, to guide us, and to use the stress and tension before us to be used for good. We are challenged in our journey to stop, listen, and sense that spirit. And we are encouraged to bring that internal spirit into our world, and share that spirit so others can find it and experience the constant, conforting, and unchanging hum of that same spirit.

Whoever you are, if you seek to fathom the good in these doors

Then marvel not at the gold or the cost, but find the aim of the artist.

This noble art has a hidden light that can lift the mind in an inward way

It warms the heart, to turn from daily concern to heaven within,

And opens the door to truth in each of us.

Such art can show how the spirit within can be found in this world:

The dull mind rises to truth through material things,

And seeing this light escapes its former submersion.

--Abbot Suger of St Denis

Finding the Future of Schools in the Past

2007-02-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

The past couple of months the local radio station 94.1 FM KEMB-LP (streaming on the web at emmetsburg.biz) has focused on the book They Opened the Door, And Let My Future In by alocal author Helen Phalen Augustine about teachers' experiences in a one-room schoolhouse. Listening to these stories have made me think about the current system of teaching and learning in community and private schools, and how so many kids seem to get lost in the scheme.

It seems our schools are turning backwards in effective teaching. Each teacher has a specific and special way they teach and every child has a specific and special way they learn. Our current elementary school system pegs all kids of one age into the same classroom, with one teacher, regardless of the teacher's teaching style and regardless of the student's learning style. In this system, each year a child can either excel with the teacher or struggle.

Imagine if, instead of having grades with specific aged kids, classrooms were like a one-room schoolhouse of the future with one classroom that has a teacher whose specific teaching style works well with kids who can't sit still and listen for long periods of time and learn best in hands-on situations, and another classroom with a teacher and students who work best sitting, listening and doing work at a desk.

Each classroom has students ranging in ages from 6 to 11 years of age (first through sixth grades). Advanced kids still learn the same subjects as the younger, less advanced kids with more advanced projects, assignments and experiments. The advanced and older kids also work as peer teachers to help the younger kids learn the subjects. These kids learn social and communication skills, along with teamwork in a group of varied skills, talents, and ages. Skills that are so vital to their future learning and working careers. Skills that are lacking in the current teaching and learning environments we call K-12 school.

Love Thy Enemy?!

2007-02-20T17:01:00.000-06:00

Sunday's homily at our church was on the gospel lesson of "loving your enemy" and our priest made me think a bit more on this concept. He asked how many of us go around saying "I have no enemies"? How many of us go around and say we get along with so and so, and if there's any issues with them that we do not confront it and just go on with life? How many of us deny the existence of our enemies because we think we are doing the right thing then?

Jesus said, "love your enemy." It is difficult to love our enemies and do as Jesus commands in the scripture if our enemy doesn't exist in our minds. Jesus did not command us to change our enemies into our friends. In life we will have enemies, and we cannot change our enemies into our friends. They will be our enemies, and we have to accept that. Not change it.

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
"If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:43-47)

In effect, to change our relationship with our enemies to think they are friends is to change our view of our enemy just in our own mind. It seems this type of conversion is not what Jesus had in mind. No, the more I consider these thoughts the more I believe that I have been fooling myself in many situations and in the end becoming a victim because I had changed the relationship with an enemy in my mind to a friend and making myself more vulnerable to them.

Enemies are enemies, and likely will not make a conversion to a friend, regardless how kind and courteous we are to them. And we should not beat ourselves up because they have not given any kindness in return, because it is not love that is the issue. It is the lack of love in our enemies that created them, and until they decide to truly accept it and share it, they will not have it.

We must be constantly at guard with our enemies, even if they show gestures of friendship. That is the point we are most vulnerable and the point where their enemy colors can shine. I, myself, have learned this the hard way. I now know that when I spot an enemy in my midst that I love my enemy, and accept them as my enemy.

The final word: An enemy is not a friend. Ever. Love your enemy.

Teeth Are Bones, Right?

2007-02-20T16:30:00.000-06:00

If teeth are bones, and bones that are broken or chipped can heal themselves, then why do we treat teeth like they cannot heal themselves, too?

Are there certain conditions that will allow a tooth to heal itself? My logical thinkings says that there must be a way that human teeth can heal themselves if placed in the right conditions, just like other bones in our bodies.

I know that there will come a day, when someone who knows teeth much better than I do, that when your dentist finds a cavity or a chipped tooth, they will use a special cast to allow the tooth to heal itself. This will revolutionize the dental industry from a destructive, drilling and filling surgically invasive business to a healing and dental wellbeing business.

People will then consider going to the dentist a part of a good day!

What's happening now? Well, I typed in "tooth cast heal dentist" in google and got this website:

PI Dental Center

I was encouraged to read this piece from a dental center, thinking maybe they are cutting edge. However, the article doesn't mention that teeth could heal just like bones in the right environment. That should have been an indicator to the fact that they are cutting edge in the same old, same old dentistry of drill, cut and fill. Just using more screws and prettier plates.

Let's take these "tooth implants" to the next, more temporary level! Tooth Casts that allow the tooth to heal on its own in an environment that promotes healing. A Tooth Cast that can be removed once the tooth has healed and repaired itself. Anyone in the dental industry ready to research and do something revolutionary for the human mouth?

Iraq: Dr. USA's Cancer Patient

2007-02-17T10:44:00.000-06:00

We leave, we all win! Everyone is a winner! We win because we have helped Iraq to come to grips with freedom. We win because our kids come home. Iraq wins because they are now truly independent (in as much as we let them be independent) and can decide themselves what is best for Iraq--and who knows, maybe having three new nations spring forth from a previously corrupted united Iraq might be the best for the region and for the world--we all win! Iraq wins because now USA is off their back. I'd like to see a win-win situation come out of this, and the only way that can happen, IMHO, is to get out of Iraq-now! We can spin this for a win for everyone, I know we can, regardless of the situation we leave.

I think that our leaders are having a hard time seeing the glass as half full, and can't bring themselves to seeing that when we leave Iraq that the glass will be completely full in time.

Let's look at Iraq like battling a tumor that we think could be cancer. Sometimes you have to stop fighting the tumor, especially if you have extracted the tumor already, and let the patient heal on his own. (Have we even tested to see if the tumor was in fact cancerous, and if it has spread? What? It wasn't originally cancer? And the chemo treatments have actually spurred benign cells to become malignant? Oh, for shame!) Too much chemotherapy, and you'll kill the patient, cell by cell. So, let's stop the chemo treatments, and see how our patient responds. Give them some healing support medicine, but just stop the chemo!!

And, maybe there's a more effective treatment for our patient than total inhiliation.

Condemnation and Surge Protection

2007-02-17T09:55:00.000-06:00

The Iowa Senate condemns Bush's troop surge in Iraq recently. Proponents of condemnation generally say this war has gone beyond its original paramenters of disabling weapons of mass destruction as no WMDs were found, and the evil dictator Saddam Hussein has been eliminated. The surge is overkill for something that has long been deemed "mission accomplished."

Dissenters claim that anti-war rhetoric is causing poor morale among the ranks in Iraq, and gives psychological ammunition to the terrorists and insurgents. Is there a study that proves that this anti-war rhetoric is the cause of troops' poor morale? If so, I think those findings need to be referenced. Otherwise, these legslators assume this is the case, and we all know what assuming does. (Makes an ASS out of U and ME.)

What is the ideal situation in Iraq? Of course, the best thing that could happen is that the Iraqis get over their deathly loathing of others, start getting along, and work together to show the USA and the world that they are solid, organized and a stable nation.

It is a nice gesture for the Iowa Senate to think clearly about this war and send a message condemning Bush's troop surge in Iraq. However, this message falls short of the need to change the way we think about this war in Iraq.

That won't happen until we in the USA stop thinking that "we" need to win this war. I don't know how many times I need to stress this before it sticks with an intelligent someone in the media, but this elusive victory is not our (USA's) victory. STOP saying that we must win this Iraq war. This victory in Iraq is for Iraq (unless there's a very hidden agenda to take over this country that I don't know about). We all need to stop thinking about a USA victory in Iraq and start considering this as Iraq's victory. Until this happens, there is no way troops will leave and there will be no end to this war.

The Republicans have put their spin on this war to unofficially declare it as imperative US dominance in Iraq, and now pointing fingers at Iran, all in pursuit of this "war on terror." Deflectors of this disjointed pursuit of the war on terror are deemed as undermining these efforts. But, what are these efforts? Our goal might be to eliminate terrorists, but what are we really doing? Our "war on terror" seems to be creating more terrorists as we invade countries on false precepts, completely destroy their infrastructure, and leave these regions void of any sense of civilation. Inhabitants or "insurgents" are fighting because their lives have been turned upside down and they have seen the destruction and murders. They feel this is the only way to regain their country again.

Those who think these actions are inhuman and wrong need to create a counterspin to the "war on terror" and change the way our country's citizens and look at this war. Working around and challenging the Republican spin only helps to promote this Republican "war on terror" spin. Creating and promoting a completely different counterspin that Americans can embrace will help change the course of international relations and turn the tide on senseless conflicts.

Sure, we can plead to stop the troop surge, and we can ask to send the troops home, but this is weak strategy. When Keith Olbermann reminds us how many days we have been at war since proclaiming "mission accomplished" we should not just listen and agree, but we need to counterspin that message to the country. Our mission apparently was accomplished, so why are we still there?

Headlines and Metaphors...

2007-02-11T00:09:00.000-06:00

North Korea's Yummy Omelet
Watch out Denny's and Perkins, I've heard North Korea's cookin' up an omelet, and they say it's da bomb! Apparently for Condi Rice, the international language of peace is now Metaphor. The metaphor Rice referenced here is the old adage, "I don't count my chickens until they hatch." I just want to say, this is an egg I would rather see scrambled with some cheddar, onion, ham, --and no mushroom cloud!

Eggsrava-Gaza?
Not to be outdone, peace talks in the holy city of Mecca have brought the two political factions in Palestine together in governing the war ravaged area. Our good friend, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was the king pin instrumental in bringing Hamas and Fatahs to make amends. They have decided that the Palestinian parliament majority Hamas will have their delegate Ismail Haniyeh reappointed as prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader, will continue to be president. For some people, they may be wondering: Will this stop the fighting in Gaza? Me? I'm wondering: Who's the head of the henhouse here? Is it the President, or the Prime Minister? Regardless who gets to be the rooster and the hen, I'm sure they'll be serving it up overeasy. Hey, where's the bacon?

Putin Eggs on the Frypan
The US and Europe are scrambling international security with their unilateral policies, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mixing it up at an international security conference, Putin suggested that the US-led "unipolar world" has brought worldwide instability, insecurity, and has pushed countries to seek weapons of mass destruction. Unipolar world? Really?? Now I've heard all the hype about the polar swap in 2012, but this unipolar world intrigues me. Globally, that would really stir things up. Heck, we may not know where the compass points, but I bet I'd still like a little cheese in my scrambled eggs.

Iraq's Sunny Side Cafe
The new commander for the US Forces in Iraq is calling for 'cooperation' between American and Iraqi forces in that conflict. Gee, that sounds familiar. Hmm. Oh, yes. I remember my kindergarten teacher using that big word. Maybe our plan for peace in Iraq is this. Yes, all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. Now there's a policy for international relations! And that's serving it sunny side up!

Tek Jansen: Egg Beater
I think we need to enlist an experienced warrior for this battle of the eggs: Tek Jansen! It seems that there's been a krono-rift in the space time continuum that has caused this outbreak of eggs-traordinary portions. Hmm... Could it be, Condi Rice is Tek Jansen's biggest fan?

Do I have egg on my face, or what?! I've heard it's great for the pores.

Headlines In My View

2007-02-08T12:46:00.000-06:00

Unity -- That's the Ticket?
You may see something odd on the ballot November 2008--the "Unity" ticket. A grassroots push has begun to get a mixed presidential ticket in '08 with actor Sam Waterston leading the crusade. Waterston made his case for a bipartisan presidential ticket first on Tuesday's Hardball. Actor, lawyer and financial advisor, that is Waterston. Now, a political advocate? Apparently, Waterston needed to expand and broaden his resume. And, what's with the bipartisan ticket? Who'd be in their right mind to mix the lion with the lamb? I'm sure there'll be two people with enough balls to come forward and... Huh? You don't think there's anyone willing to do that? Okay, okay. So, the ultimate question will then arise, at some point, I'm sure--Who wears the pants? Someone is going to have to wear the pants. Someone is going to have the buck stop with them. Which one? Republican? Or Democrat? Now, there's bipartisan bickering at its finest! I'd like to see that one!! Where do I sign up? (www.unity08.com)

Harvest for the World
Well, maybe the world is an exaggeration, but sometimes it takes a village to fuel the nation. As President Bush talks aggressively about pushing for renewable fuels, the heartland of America responds. Broin Company's Voyager Ethanol Plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa plans to expand its ethanol producing capacity by using the cornstalks and leaves to produce 125 million gallons of fuel per year. Pretty soon, we'll see people trying to squeeze ethanol out of grass clippings from their lawn. Imagine that!

Global Warming--My A$$!
This morning I came into work and it was -8 degrees F! I now believe that the F stands for f'ng cold!! I thought it has to be colder in Iceland, what with the name and all. But, NOOOOooooo! They're forecasting in Iceland between Zero and 15 degrees C--You know what that converts to in F'ng degrees? That's 32 to 59 degrees F! It may be Iceland Warming, but I sure as heck ain't calling it "Global Warming"!

UnBEARable Valentine's
"Oh, it is soo adorable! *squeee squeee* It's soo much bigger than I thought! *I know.* I could just kiss it and kiss it. Oh, *reading the card* 'I sent you this love bandit to steal your heart, because you've stolen mine. Love, Jim'* squeee squeee*" No! NO! NOOOOO! Fake O's for a stuffed teddy bear? Phuuleeeease! I am repulsed by the thought that any woman can get swept away by a teddy bear. How does a woman respond to this? "Oh, Jim, let me do your sensuous bandit teddy bear, since you apparently have no balls to steal my heart yourself!"

Apocalypse Nears...

2007-01-30T19:03:00.000-06:00

Current events dictate that the foreseen apocalypse is nearing, just read on...

The Police reunite for the Grammys... And they won't be pulling you over in your gramma's oldsmobile, either. Hopefully, a little bit of Synchronicity will be in order!

A Resurrected Castro Meets with Chavez... There's no other way this previously thought to be dead dictator could travel to Venezuela. And to meet with President Hugo Chavez. Obviously, to barter for the fountain of life. I think we all know the fountain of life is in Paraguay, right Jenna?

US Under Pressure to Stop Saying No... What these poor fleeing Iraqis don't realize is that the US spent most of the 1980s learning how to Just Say NO. The only Yes we know is the one who sang "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Bush Accused of Distorting Evidence on Global Warming... Oh, c'mon! There are obviously much bigger fish to fry! Hmmm... maybe the bigger fish are too tainted.

Harry Potter Strips... Oh, dear! The world is coming to an end! Eeeeck! Wa..wa..wa...wait! Oh, my. Haaaary Paaahhhhhter! Oh, yeeees! The end times are near.

The Best of 2006

2007-01-09T20:33:00.000-06:00

It's 2007! And it is time to review the best of 2006. Let' s see what 06 gave us:

Best Science Book Edit: Pluto, formerly known as a Planet
Best Moment in Satire: Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondent's Dinner
Best Dictionary Addition: Truthiness, again, thanks to Stephen Colbert
Best Political Coup: Democrats winning majority in both House and Senate
Best Presidential Boo-boo: "The only way we can win is to leave before the job is done"
Best Repetitive Ad: Head On, apply directly to the forehead; Head-On, apply directly to the forehead...(repeat, repeat, repeat)
(My) Best Epiphany: One who looks for the truth in the world will look forever and never find it. One who looks for the truth within, will see the truth for what it is to them.--Me
Best Reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow: Keith Olbermann
Best Time Person of the Year: Me (And you thought it was going to be You! Kind of selfish, isn't it!!)

Oh, I could go on, but I'll end it there, because 2007 is already here and it is beginning to be such an excellent year already.

Jews for Peace

2006-12-12T09:14:00.000-06:00

When I first saw the headline "Unorthodox Jews" I admit that I thought they were addressing the issue of the Menorah at Seattle's international airport, but once I read that it was about rabbis attending a holocaust denial conference I thought hell was freezing over. Surely, the Messiah is coming again soon.

Apparently, these rabbis were not there to deny the holocaust, as they believe that it was a part of God's will. They were there because they feel that the current state of Isreal is not a part of God's will and should be dissolved so Jews and Palestinians can live peacefully again.

That is a noble cause. Living peacefully. Let's be honest, can anyone live peacefully in the Middle East? That part of the world has been a hot bed for violence since day one. If peace does happen anywhere in the Middle East, that will be God's will. In the meantime, if rabbis can work for peace, maybe imams can work for peace, too. And then, maybe the rest of the world will follow suit...

Peace in our day? Don't hold your breath. Who knows, though, it might just be on the horizon.

Pope's Turkey Visit is This Week!

2006-11-27T10:37:00.000-06:00

Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Turkey is this week! Apparently, the article I read from last week made it sound like it was to happen last week, which, of course, it didn't. I was just one week ahead of the times.

Or maybe the Vatican has decided to postpone the trip to this week, as many of the media spinners and satirical news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report had the week of Thanksgiving off to truly enjoy some turkey. Good thing, because all the talk this week will be about what to do with that leftover turkey.

Speaking of leftover turkey, the pope's visit to Turkey will likely not be a leftover affair. And hopefully, Pope Benedict XVI will not use leftover remarks during his speeches in Turkey, as he did several months ago during his German lecture that sparked the Muslim controversy with the pontiff. (Just because the pope quoted from an old byzantine saint that claimed Islam was a violent religion, doesn't mean that Muslim need to prove it, does it??)

After reading stories about this historic visit, I realize that this visit has more to do with the future of Turkey, than the remarks the pope will make. Sure, each word that the pope speaks in this Muslim country is going to be scrutinized to pieces, but this visit is bigger than that. It is going to deal with differences between what the pope represents and the Muslim people. Look at it this way, Turkey has more to lose than the pope if this visit goes down horribly.

So, it's going to be all about differences in ideals and religion, right? It's more than just those basic issues. It's about civilization. Western civilization vs. Eastern civilization, specifically. Right now, Turkey is vying to become a part of the European Union (EU). Turkey officials apparently feel that it would be advantageous for them to be a part of this economic union.

However, to connect with the EU, Turkey would be connecting with predominantly Christian countries. Not only are they Christian, but they are a part of Western civilization, a culture that most Muslims would consider repulsive. It is a clash of cultures.

Beyond the clash, it is about Turkey's past, present and future. Turkey is a historically pivotal country between Western and Eastern civilizations. Turkey is where Christianity saw its rise into prominence with mandated state and country religion, thanks to Emperor Constantine, and it is this role that changed Rome's stance from burning Christians to embracing them. It was at this point in history that Turkey (Byzantine Empire) affected both Eastern and Western civilizations.

Then, Turkey's Byzantine traditions were taken over by the Ottoman empire and changed from Christianity to Islam. Another pivotal moment for Turkey, as Constantinople changed to Istanbul and the Haghia Sophia, Church of Holy Wisdom, was converted to a mosque with minarets and all (and within the last century has been restored and is now a public museum).

Turkey is now facing another pivotal moment. On one side, there's the East with primarily Muslim belief, culture and government states. They offer Turkey their traditions and views of proper Muslim societies, along with isolated cells of muslim extremists. On the other side, is the West, with their free-thinkers, Christian fundamentalists, and (perspectively corrupt) capitalist (and some socialist) countries with their advanced technologies and crazy middle classes.

My personal hope is that the pope sees this visit like a good samaritan. I also hope that Muslims in Turkey will show and prove to the pope that their beliefs are not about violence. Non-violent, peaceful acts can go a long way to prove a point of non-violence. I also hope that Turkey's decision is what truly is best for its country considering their prospects with the EU and working with both Western and Eastern neighbors.

Last thoughts:
I do hope that the pope can enjoy Turkey this week. And I do hope that Turkey will enjoy the pope's visit.

Poetry is not dead, yet...

2006-11-22T14:58:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it is an engaging glance
happened just perchance;
Or an alluring smile
elevating spiritual ectasy for a while.
More than magic that transcends
it is love that our spirit's tether rends.
Weightless adulation releases the soul
and we are aloft, soaring above it all.
Awe...

For just a moment, until the moment is gone
I will enjoy the love of my beloved's song.

Pope to Enjoy Turkey This Week?

2006-11-21T15:07:00.000-06:00

Pope Benedict XVI hopefully has packed his courage, along with the extra baggage of almost two centuries of crusades and his recent remarks regarding Islam's apparent tradition with wars and violence.

I'd like to back the Pope on this, really I would, but I'd be running scared with my tail between my legs. The Catholic Church does not have a pristine record on peace. We are just as guilty of instigating war and violence in our Maker's name. Sigh.

Pope Benedict certainly is showing that he has more balls than I would have imagined. The question does linger in my mind regarding his trip to Turkey: Will he take Istanbul by the horns and command them like a true matador? Indeed, this meeting will be a clash of religions. It will also possibly be the moment of truth when each side will show the world the true tenets of their religion.

It seems ironic that this meeting falls during the week Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on the story when the newly settled pilgrims "shared" a feast of the harvest with their new neighbors, the "Indians". Maybe this Thanksgiving will be a sharing of peace between Christians and Muslims around the world to embrace the peaceful love of our Maker.

President Pelosi??

2006-11-08T19:41:00.000-06:00

If the democrats have enough balls, we may be saying "President Pelosi" before 2008. As the democrats have taken charge of the US House and now the Senate, as well, there's nothing stopping them from making some yummy impeachment pie for Bush and Cheney. I'm sure they will enjoy it. Yum. Yum.

Okay, okay. It really is time for every elected official to hold fast to their oath of office and to preserve (and restore), protect and defend the Constitution of the United States... from enemies both foreign and domestic.

Living Dead: Time to Vote Zombie! Or--Daylight Saving Republicans??

2006-11-06T09:52:00.000-06:00

Newsflash: Halloween has been extended through Tuesday, November 7th.

"We have lived as if in a trance. We have lived as people in fear," commented Keith Olbermann on October19th.

Keith, Halloween was just around the corner. TV campaign ads are just following custom--vote zombie! With the midterm elections right after the scaring ritual, it just seems fitting to continue scaring the living daylights out of people. Daylight saving was not immune to the scaring as it abandoned us at 2 a.m. on Sunday, October 29th this year, leaving us to wake in total darkness.

Although we walk in darkness... to work and back home again in pitch black... there is a light at the end of our scary darkness. The midterm elections? No. Still darkness.

The light, or rather daylight, which our great and fearless president has recently modified, will return early in 2007 on Sunday, March 11th. Is this a ploy to ruin St. Patrick's Day celebrations, as festive partiers will have to adjust to an earlier time to get to mass the next day?? Or is there a more sinister and diabolical plot?

I can't deny that the daylight saving-standard time changes in the spring and fall changes the way we act and live our day lives--it does. Standard time sucks. How do I hate standard time so? Let me count the ways...

So, how do these seasonal changes affect our perceptions on things like politics and other scary things? I'm sure it does alter our perceptions to wake in darkness and come home in darkness. Everything seems dark. It is a bleak time. Obviously.

And, although we must rise earlier for daylight saving, we wake in the spring of sunshine. It is a glow of hope, and a glimmer of summer that we rise to celebrate daylight saving in the spring. And in the spring there is no taunt of political mudslinging, no robo-calls of candidates barking their message before the elections.

Get this: The changes on daylight saving and standard time extends the length we get to "enjoy" daylight time. That's right. Yea! I love daylight time.

As far as I can remember, we have always changed the clocks the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. Now, according to King George, beginning in 2007 we will change clocks the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in NOVEMBER! That's three more weeks of daylight! WoooHoo!

Wait... The first Sunday in November? (...sounds of gears clicking and whizzing in my head...) Now, don't we have general elections in November? That means I get one less week to adjust to the time change before the elections. So, I get to enjoy waking to the sun one more week before the elections... Hmmmm... Does this mean I get one more week of optomism before the dreaded darkness sets in?

In 2008, the general election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4. Do you know what this means? In 2008, we will endure only two days waking into complete darkness before the next presidential election. I think we need to change it from "daylight saving" to "republican saving" time.

Sa a Hsse__n: Hangman

2006-11-06T09:11:00.000-06:00

There's nothing like playing an exciting game of hangman in Iraq, is there?! Exciting, indeed. And depending on which side of the fence you claim, it could excite (or incite) joy or anger. Shiites were indeed happy. Sunnis were upset. Both sides continue to disagree.

This isn't just a little cat fight between Muslim factions, this is about a clash of ideologies. Not just within Iraq, but with "us" "occupiers", as well.

Iraq will not become an instantly peaceful, tyrant-free country once Saddam Hussein is hanged. The Iraqi people have too many reasons to be excited. Ideology is a difficult thing to modify, especially in a people of tradition.

Peace and tranquility cannot be achieved with a verdict. It cannot be achieved by war and occupation.

It is acheived when all sides can value all human life, and humanely live together with their differences. It is about consideration for our neighbors. It is observing, protecting and defending those inalienable rights that all humans on this great planet have been endowed with by our creator. Sounds a lot like the documents that started a country several centuries ago, founded on those same principles.

Whatever happened to those principles?

Oh, right. Hanging chads... (Florida 2000 game of hangman: __ __ __ __ w__n!)

Political Camouflage?

2006-11-02T18:39:00.000-06:00

What do you do when you are a red republican in a very true blue state, like Maryland? If you're Michael Steele, you wear political camouflage.

In a recorded appearance today on CNN's Situation Room, it was clear that Michael Steele's favorite color is rrrrrrr-royal blue! What? Not red?? That's right, red republican Michael Steele's bid for Maryland senator was all blue. From the blue signs that supporters shook behind him, to the blue jacket he wore, and even to the blue striped button-down shirt and blue tie that peeked through his jacket.

Apparently, this is not a case of the blues for Steele. Even his website is predominately blue. The color red is completely absent on his website, with the possible exception of a photo with a supporter wearing red.

So, is this just another sign that Steele is one of many campaigning republicans that are supposedly turning their backs to the president? According to Steele's interview with Wolff Blitzer, the answer is no.

So, what's wrong with red, Mr. Steele?

Democrats Whimper

2006-10-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

Whimper is the sound an injured animal makes. The Democrats seem to be whimpering a lot lately. You'd think that with all the Republican scandals, the Democrats would have licked their wounds and become prepared to attack. Wrong.

Harkin made a comment that practically burst the bubble for many democrats in the room for last Sunday's Democrat Rally. He said that if the Democrats gain the majority in the House and Senate that they will not impeach. Some in the crowd made some noises, most of them sounded like whimpers. I whimpered inside, as well.

Harkin tried to redeem himself by saying that if they didn't want to impeach (the president), because they didn't want Cheney as president. Apparently, that appeased much of the crowd as they clapped and cheered at the comment.

It did not appease me. C'mon, if President Bush is found to be impeachable, who's to say that Cheney also has impeachable advances? I was hoping that it would be the Democrats, but apparently I am wrong there.

Harkin went on to say that the Democrats want to hold them accountable, and they want to investigate. I whimpered. I thought, what's accountable anymore? Hold them accountable is like telling the school yard bully to stop name-calling.

Well, that's all fine and dandy if Harkin wants to take the low road, but why vote Democrat on Nov. 7 if the democrats aren't willing to impeach and punish those who've mangled the Constitution, and to right the wrongs that were made against the Constitution and freedoms of the American people?

Accountability is one thing. Responsibility is taking the bull by the horns and doing what needs to be done to make the Constitution a valid, living, breathing document vital to our country. I hope the Democrats will change their tune, but I won't hold my breath.

Is there anyone out there willing to defend, protect, and resuscitate the Constitution out there? Defending the Constitution should be the platform the Democrats should take, but no, they just sit in the corner and whimper.

Corpus Habeas Corpus?

2006-10-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

RIP Habeas Corpus

Once again, the Constitution lies under siege in this new millennium. Thanks to Keith Olbermann for reporting on this grave issue affecting all American citizens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUzUljH8EHU

Olbermann delivers the bad news with such panache that no words I write could affect the same consideration. Have I given Keith Olbermann a Golden Ruler, yet? Well, he deserves one.

For acts of bravery and courage to stand up and protect our Constitution with all its rights and privileges afforded unto us, I hereby grant Keith Olbermann with the Golden Ruler. Mr. Olbermann, please use this Golden Ruler to continue measuring and correcting our leaders to the standards of truth and justice as carried out in the Constitution of the United States, and continue to defend our freedoms and rights, both here and abroad.

Elections Like Drivers Ed

2006-10-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

US Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, spoke at the Democrat Rally on Sunday, October 8, 2006. He had an interesting way of discussing the election with others:

Harkin: "As you go out and talk to all your friends and neighbors about this coming election, after church, in your social clubs, down to the local cafe, wherever it might--here at the casino--wherever it might be, when you talk to your friends about the election, keep it simple.

Keep it real simple. Don't get involved in all this, just tell them:

All you ever needed to know about this election, you learned in Drivers Education.

I mean think about it.

If you want to go backward, you put it in "R".

Ok, stick with me here.

If you want to go forward, you put it in "D"! "

I thought that was too cute. Very nice, Mr. Harkin. I'll have to remember that the next time I get in my car. Ok... "R"=Reverse/Republican... "D"=Drive/Democrat... Republicans are elephants. Democrats are donkeys. Either way, I guess it's a slow go.

Doublethinking the Democrat Rally

2006-10-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like getting a bunch of local Democrats together, and last night's rally at Wild Rose Casino in Emmetsburg reaffirmed my belief that Democrats are wild for their country.

Sure, it was like a high school pep rally, with all the rah-rah cheers and coaching staff hyping everyone to think that we can make a difference. Yes, we can make a difference, I thought. Yes, my vote just might make a change in our country's direction.

As an "unbiased" member of the media, I extinguished those thoughts for the rest of the rally.

Note: Although I serve a very, very small base of listeners, I am apparently exempt from the first amendment, lest others think I am partial and drawn to one side simply out of loyalty. Which, to me, is complete hogwash, as I am about as impartial as they come (with the exception of the truth, which I support over any bias I might hold) and I want to expose various perspectives and views that surround an issue.

Iowa Senator Jack Kibbie emceed the rally, in Jack Kibbie style, of course. Local and state Democratic officials and candidates were on hand to voice their views and concerns about the state of affairs. Chet Culver, candidate for Iowa Governor, was there promoting his ideals to lead Iowa. Dr. Seldon Spencer, candidate for US Congress in Iowa's 4th District, spoke how he wants to motivate change in congress.

Same old, same old talk. Go, team, go! Rah! Rah. Rah... Don't get me wrong, rallies are a good way to motivate your base. It's just that they don't usually motivate the people that need motivating. Democrats talk of values and morals, just like the Republicans have done in 2000, 2002, and 2004. Neither side is innocent.

"We are in perilous times...," headliner John Kerry told the standing room only crowd. This Kerry fellar has some "idears", some big "idears" for these perilous times

Kerry's first "idear": Tell the Truth. Ok, Ok... This is a big one, because we all know how difficult it is for any politician to do this, Republicans and Democrats alike. And even those other political parties are not immune. Politicians will do whatever it takes for their constituents, whether they be in Iowa, California, Texas, Exxon, Diebolt or Halliburton. That's just the fact of the political process in the good ole US of A. Kerry went on, saying how he wants to "hold people accountable" and "fire incompetence."

Kerry's second "idear": Export Products, Not Jobs. But how would Wal-mart be able to keep their prices low with a smiley face? We all know that it is better to keep prices low over jobs, because if we gave the lower classes jobs, then that would mean that there is hope, and the only hope there is, is located in Arkansas, and we all know that's where Bill Clinton is from. And that is why Republicans don't want to create any more Hope, because that may create more Bill Clintons.

Kerry's third "idear": Energy independence. Sure, maybe one week of the Iraq war could pay to put an alternative fuel pump in every gas station in the US, but do we really need it? Isn't so much nicer to share, like with the Saudis? They apparently make great bed pals, just ask our president. Moving on...

Kerry's fourth "idear": One of the biggest challenges facing us: Global Climate Change. Kerry says we have ten precious years to change our environment. This is a non-issue for Republicans, because it doesn't exist in the Republican world. 'Nuff said.

Kerry's fifth "idear": A Tax Code that Values Work, Not Wealth. I'm sure Kerry's wife cringes when he starts off on this. What Kerry and others on Capitol Hill fail to realize is that our capitalist society rewards wealth and power. And it is that wealth and power that makes the rules. Which is why the tax code will always value work and tax the working class to the limit, just because it can. Every policy this country has put into place in the last five years, from No Child Left Behind to the Iraq War, is all about winners and losers. None of these policies define an "everyone wins" situation, only because it does not exist in a capitalist country. If we want everyone to win, we'd be called a "socialist" or "communist" country, now, wouldn't we?...

Kerry's sixth "idear": Set a Date for Iraqis to Stand Up for Iraq and Set Up a Democracy for Themselves as much as We Want it for Them. Then, bring our heros home. Kerry explains that having deadlines is how teachers and bosses work. Hasn't Kerry heard the song "You Can't Hurry Love..."??

A wonderful pep rally, really. I just kind of wonder if we aren't playing the wrong game??...

Well, there's my doublethink on the local Democrat Rally. Doublethink. Devil's advocate, if you will. There's always two sides to a story, and then there's the truth. At least, that's how I see it.

Expand Your Vocab: Cerebral Ballsy

2006-10-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

Cerebral Ballsy:
n. A form of extreme confidence believed to be caused by a highly motivated brain or by acute brain focus during times of conflict or turmoil, most marked in courageous fortitude and characterized by acheiving control of sensory chaos.
Often accompanied by qualities, such as competence, skill, or knowledge, that are necessary for successful confidence.
related to uber confidence —cerebral ballsied adjective

Cerebral Ballsied:
adj. A confident individual called on their twisted reality or innuendo of the truth by a person inflicted with cerebral ballsy. Getting nailed.

“The Silence of Politics, Under a State of Persecution”

2006-09-20T14:19:00.001-05:00

“I wish that my memory and name may animate those who survive me…”—Robert Emmet’s Speech from the Dock.

On this, the 203rd year of his death and martyrdom, we honor Robert Emmet.

Robert Emmet was a freedom fighter, just as those who formed what we know as the United States of America had done less than a quarter of a century before Emmet's involvement in Ireland's quest for freedom from Britain.

His famous Speech from the Dock continues to evoke similarities in his struggle and current situations around the world, including the United States:

“I look down with complacency on the destruction of that perfidious government which upholds its domination by blasphemy of the Most High-which displays its power over man as over the beasts of the forest-which sets man upon his brother, and lifts his hand in the name of God against the throat of his fellow who believes or doubts a little more or a little less than the government standard--a government which is steeled to barbarity by the cries of the orphans and the tears of the widows which it has made.”

Towards the end of his statement to the courts, Emmet continues his reasoning: “My lords, you are impatient for the sacrifice-the blood which you seek is not congealed by the artificial terrors which surround your victim; it circulates warmly and unruffled, through the channels which God created for noble purposes, but which you are bent to destroy, for purposes so grievous that they cry to heaven.”

Is there an echo here?

In a declaration for Ireland, it is written: "And we call first on that part of Ireland which was once paralysed by the want of intelligence, to shew that to that cause only was its inaction to be attributed; on that part of Ireland which was once foremost, by its fortitude in suffering; on that part of Ireland which once offered to take the salvation of the country on itself; on that part of Ireland where the flame of liberty first glowed; we call upon the NORTH to stand up and shake off their Slumber and their oppression."

"...Once paralysed by the want of intelligence..."--doesn't that seem familiar?!

As Emmet and his freedom fighters called upon their countrymen (and women) to rise up, shake off their slumber and their oppression, so we too need to awaken and stand for our freedoms.

I offer Robert Emmet the distinguished Golden Ruler, in hopes that his legend will encourage us all to stand up for what is truly right and defend democratic freedom.

“I have but one request to ask at my departure from this world--it is the charity of its silence! Let no man write my epitaph: for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them. Let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, until other times, and other men, can do justice to my character; when my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written.”

Women's Last Obstacle--Or, Is the Writing on the Ladies Room Stall?

2006-09-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

Women today have conquered many obstacles in the working world. However, one major obstacle literally stands in the way of women becoming equal with men in the workforce and at home. That critical obstacle: Peeing while standing.

As a mom to two toddler boys, it has been difficult to teach them to go potty like daddy does. I've gone to numerous websites touting various ways to train your child to go potty. Then, upon accident, really, I found a website that announce a challenge to all women who have seemingly conquered all other male induced obstacles.

Women no more have to be subjected to setting their delicate and precious nether-regions to filthy, bacteria-infested public toilets. In my bar-hoppin' days, I recall many a-time squatting over overty disgusting things that had little resemblance to toilets in a ladies restroom stall, and on more than one occasion needing to use one of those undermaintained dark and stinky port-o-lets at the light rail stop because I just couldn't hold it any longer. It's difficult to keep your balance squatting in one of those plastic poop coccoons, especially after an evening of one too many martinis.

So, it was out of truly great relief, literally, when I read that women can learn to pee standing up, too! Woohoo! Rack one more up for women's lib!!

In this society today, there are no more glass ceilings, and now--look out boys--it's a free for all at the urinal!

More Lies?

2006-09-08T03:57:00.000-05:00

Don't you think we've heard enough lies and half-truths, if you will, about any and all links to 9/11?? Now, the ABC mini-series docu-drama "Path to 9/11" that will air this Sunday and Monday is reported to stray from 9/11 commission report and fictionalizes key scenes.

Sounds a lot to me like what the DaVinci Code did to Christianity...

Oh, and it gets deeper... Apparently, there's a darker mission in ABC's "Path to 9/11": Pinning the blame on former President Bill Clinton. The documentary's creators are aledging that the Clinton administration let Osama bin Laden get away in the 90s, as they think that at that time the CIA had several chances to nab him. Osama bin Laden? Wasn't he the CIA's best friend in Afganistan? Oh, right. That was the 80s. I just keep getting stuck in the 80s! Love that music.

Whoa... Letting Osama bin Laden get away? I thought I heard some strange report that in the height of the war on terror in Afganistan, George W. Bush let Osama bin Laden get away? Maybe the creators of "Path to 9/11" are getting their wires crossed and are confused about the timeline of events?

At the time of the Clinton presidency, bin Laden had been a minor terrorist to American interests. There were few that got super-enraged about the strikes bin Laden's posse made on Americans in foreign lands. Few media sources really trumped what bin Laden was doing in 90s as a major evil terroristic force. Remember, we were still reeling from Khaddafi.

Even before the 9/11 attacks, the Bush Administration on September 10th put together a strategy to deal with the Taliban. If the bin Laden and al-Qaeda were such a "menace", if you will, to the US, then both the Clinton and Bush Administrations both really dropped the ball on this one.

Oh, wait. Osama bin Laden is wanted by the FBI for..."murder of U.S. Nationals outside the United States; Conspiracy to murder U.S. Nationals outside the United States; Attack on a federal facility resulting in death." It mentions the August 7, 1998 bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, but no mention of September 11, 2001. What?

So, Osama is still free out there to plot and reign as terror king. Why?

Ok, if there are no other truths out there lurking, let's just say that the ball was dropped by both administrations on this whole Osama (Usama) bin Laden thing. I'm sure there are reasons behind it.

It's not just the Clinton Administration's fault, especially when the Republican Party was in process to impeach Clinton for enjoying some hanky-panky in the White House.

And when the filmmakers sent copies to important people, including Republican pundit Rush Limbaugh, but sent no copies to Democratic interests and especially not to the Clinton Administration depicted in the film...I'm sure there are reasons behind it.

Ah... Gravitas!

2006-09-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

Seriously... We need to get serious. And finally Keith Olbermann is giving true gravitas to the grave concerns of the state of the union.

As I read about the references to the traditions of network television news after Katie Couric's premiere performance, the accomplishments of those early pioneers in television news are indeed amazing. They were cowboys of their era, riding into a new frontier of journalism, with the ability to truly make a genuine difference to better this world because of their honest reporting.

Where have all the cowboys gone? Up until now, I thought they had gone to Comedy Central, because it seems in our culture today, the only way to say there's a major SNAFU here, is to pepper it with laughter. It takes balls to call out someone's bluff, or to point at authority and say they've done wrong, or to do some serious investigative reporting and publicize the real truth behind the smoke screens.

It was such reporting by CBS News that changed the tide for Nixon and quite possibly ended the Vietnam War. We, as the collective people, do not fully understand the impact television news has when they offer us their reporting perspectives on today's stories. And we should be concerned when the rhetoric of governmental offices are echoed in the evening news without the least bit of questioning, probing, or indepth independent investigation. We do not understand the full impact of the reprimand CBS News received after the whole investigation into the president's alleged time in the national guard. This was grave.

Maybe that is why people are turning to the lighter side for their news. We all need a laugh ever so often, and sometimes we like to know what's going on around us, too. Thank goodness for Comedy Central's Daily Show and Colbert Report, where gravitas is spoken with a sprinkling of jest.

A new cowboy is riding on the horizon. Keith Olbermann. I've watched his show a couple of times, as I get a chance, since he is one of a few television newsmen that tries to tell it like it is, beyond the propaganda from biased agencies. Thanks to another cowboy, I've been able to see the continued rise of prominent people to speak up about the concerning state of our country. A couple of days ago Olbermann spoke up about his concerns on the direction of our country, lead by President G.W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

At the end of Olbermann's perspective look, he quoted Edward Murrow: "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty." Olbermann continues with a strikingly mellow and sobering countenance, in the fashion of those old cowboys, like Cronkite and Murrow: "We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear - one, of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of un-reason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men; Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were - for the moment - unpopular."

If you look up Murrow's quote, some sources take that first sentence and end it with, "When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it." Murrow is not talking about terrorist opposition, but loyal opposition--a big difference. Loyal opposition, in my humble view, are among "we the people" who honestly question, research, and investigate actions and intentions that stray from our Constitutional foundations. Loyal opposition defends our Constitution.

Keith Olbermann is bringing television news back to the journalistic integrity of days gone by. (And for those naysayers who think the past is irrelevant to day, just look to our Constitution if you want relevence to your own freedoms.)

Keith Olbermann delivers gravitas! (And he does carry out, too! Check out his blog!)

Greatness in Television News?

2006-09-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

“This is 'The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric.'” It was Cronkite himself, her most distinguished predecessor.

I really didn't get a chance to watch the evening news much, and I sadly missed this debut to the evening news, just as I missed Brian Williams' debut. From the many reviews, it seems I didn't miss much. Thank goodness.

Wow. Walter Cronkite voices the intro for Ms. Katie Couric. A legend in his own right. Cronkite. The same man, who showed the world that anchors have heart-felt emotions, when he dramatically and professionally took off his glasses to relay to the television world that President Kennedy had died. Walter Cronkite, what true gravitas.

Gravitas. Katie Couric. I am not sure if I can put those two words together in one sentence. Call me a bit old fashioned, or maybe this is how her other network portrayed her, but she seems to be better suited to hosting a cooking show over an evening news program. Weren't there other female candidates that would have echoed the same traditional journalistic gravitas as Walter Cronkite?

Unless Katie can shed that old gal next door persona, that's what she'll continue to deliver. No gravitas there.

Be Not Afraid!

2006-09-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

Over this past Labor Day weekend, our church celebrated 150 years of Catholic faith in our community. They spoke of brave and courageous pioneers that came to America for a brighter future.

These ancestors endured many hardships that today we can hardly imagine. They traveled with their few belongings, with horse and oxen on roadless paths to get to this point they called "home." As settlers in this foreign place, they battled the harshness of the northern plains, the bitterly cold winters and the sporatically hot summers. They helped each other to build their communities to what they are today out of their own sweat and toil. And they built their communities here, in America, for the promise of freedom and prosperity that they did not find in their homeland. They truly lived by the phrase "be not afraid."

In reflection of our ancestors' brave conquest of a new world, my own courage drastically pales in such comparison. I look at our country, and even our world today, and it seems we have lost that brave courage that spurred our forefathers to sacrifice all to live in this great country.

It is those who devalue our courage and our bravery, who say you are less of a person for standing up for what is truly right, that strike such fear against our courage. It is those who subvert the American way by demoting the values of the Constitution that create our "fear factor" today.

The "fear factor" is what brought our ancestors here many, many years ago. The fear of economic disaster. The fear of living in a corrupt country. The fear of tyranny. Our ancestors came here, to the United States, because of a document that held more power than any person could ever legally obtain in this country. It is this document that safeguards our freedom. The United States is the envy of the world, not due to our previous industrial economic success, but because of this document, the Constitution.

I am sure many of you have amazing stories of your own ancestry coming to the United States seeking the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. Such an elegant statement could ever be made was written in another document that started our country on the path to democracy. Those words "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happinesss"--unalienable rights to the people, as the Declaration of Independence most eloquently declared. That is why people sacrificed all, for the promise of a better tomorrow.

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The preamble of the Constitution succinctly echoes those words from the Declaration of Independence, and places the undeniable importance of the people in this new country at the very beginning with "We the people..."

Be not afraid... Yes, be not afraid... As long as the Constitution of the United States continues to be defended and stands as a living document for we, the people... Be not afraid.

Headlines: DemoIndeRepub... Who Wins? And More!

2006-08-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

Ah, HEADLINES for the midweek crisis...

DemoIndeRepub--Where's the Party for Joe Lieberman? Who Wins?
Well, Iraq war loving Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman lost his bid for the democratic ticket to ... who is Ned Lamont? The Republican Party would love it if Lieberman had won or lost, because now they are just reviving the lost Democratic Party propaganda machine. And what a great diversion to this whole Israeli-Lebannon issue! Kill two birds with one stone on this one!! I don't know who wins, but the American people yearning for truth will ultimately lose. Sorry, truth, we are too busy attacking and/or defending the weakness of the Democratic Party.

Cease-Fire? I Thought You Said Seize Fire!
Isrealis push forward to more bombings and a ground war in Lebannon, as contemplations of a cease-fire seem to be ignored. Cease fire--seize fire?? I guess it's either cease fire and seize the day or seize fire and cease the day. Israelis continue to show the world that their policy is about "loving thy neighbor"--to death. Who wins? God only knows.

Fed Up?
The Feds decided on a holding pattern yesterday, but who knows what the future holds. Talks of recession (downers) and inflation (uppers)... Who wins? The ones with the most money. Sigh.

Egads! Headlines...

2006-08-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

Egads! Has it really been two months since the last time I blogged? So much going on... so little time.

Let's cut to the chase and debrief the headlines:

Lebanon and the Bombshell
There's nothing like making more terrorists in the Middle East. Al Quada is a has been as Hezbollah is the new catch phrase in terrorism. And there's nothing like a diversion from the Iraq civil war to get US thinking about other interests. Like the never-ending feud between Israel and any country that lies too close to its borders. Has anyone figured out why Israel just can't get along with its neighbors? Is it because Israel drives its boom car around late at night when the Palestinians are trying to get some sleep? Or could it be that Lebanon just has prime real estate that Israel envies so? You can blame the other countries only for so long before you are forced to look at the root of the problem.

Castro Comeback--Again
Fidel Castro, perpetual arch enemy of the United States, continues to survive after surgery on his intestine. You know what else continues to survive? Our embargo on anything from our neighbor to the southeast. How long do we need to continue this to prove--what point are we trying to prove, again?

More Moral Incompetence on the Iraqi Battlefield
And its not from the crazy terrorists. Again our US soldiers continue to embarrass the honor of our country, but you really can't blame them. Really, when you send soldiers off to fight a war with no goals, no mission and no focus, they aren't fighting for a specific cause. They have to psych themselves out. Faced with the reality, they put their game face on as they listen to violent gangsta rap and sexual provocative music. What do you expect?

Sexual Explicit Music Leads to Sex
Of course, all things considered, people are influenced by messages they hear over and over. And what better way to get a message across than the repetitive nature of music?! If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. That is the message here. It is not just about sex, it is about marketing. Those who stand for something are not easily swayed, so forget about them. Go for those suckers who fall for anything, and that's what commercials do and, really, let's get to the root, that's what music does.

Expand Your Vocab: From Spring to Summer or is it Fall?

2006-06-12T12:04:00.000-05:00

In just about a week and a half, we will see the official first day of Summer 2006. However, in northwest Iowa, it seems summer has been in full swing for a while. The spring showers did not hold up long enough, and, for the first time in my memory we are experiencing water restrictions in our little community.

The lawns that were once green are now yellow as hay. Plants and flowers that are not hardy enough are wilting from the lack of water. Some trees are losing leaves. And it's only June! If anything like this happened before, it was usually in August when nature is starting to transition to autumn.

Today's vocab is about seasonal expressions.

Aestival: Of or belonging to the summer.

Vernal:
Of, relating to, or occurring in the spring.
Characteristic of or resembling spring.
Fresh and young; youthful.

August (emphasis on the last syllable):
Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic: the august presence of the monarch.
Venerable for reasons of age or high rank.

Breaking Seals

2006-06-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

Last week (ironically, on Tuesday, June 6, 2006), I was tucking my four-year-old son into bed and after we had read a story and sang a couple of songs, I noticed that he looked a bit scared when I began crawling out of his bunk.

I sat back next to him and asked if he was scared. He nodded his head and said, "uh-um," which means yes. I asked why, and he wouldn't say. Since he had been watching a lot of the old Scooby Doo shows and the movie, Monsters, Inc., I asked him if he had a monster. He nodded, "uh-um." I then asked him about his monster:

"What color is your monster?"
"Blue." He said in his quiet, tired boy voice.
"Is he smooth and hard, or soft and furry?"
"Soft."
"Does he like to sing?"
"Uh-aeh." (No.)
"Is he a mean monster or is he nice?"
"Nice."

Then, he went on to talk more about his monster:
"He loves to give kisses."
"What else does he like to do?"
"Seals."
"Seals?"
"Yeah, he likes to break 'em."
"He likes to break seals?"
"Yeah. P-chchchah." He said as he mimicked how the monster breaks seals.
"Really? He breaks seals?"
"Yup. P-chchchah."

My son, who was previously so tired that all I got were one word or grunt answers, was now describing what his monster likes to do, in such a matter of fact way, even though he was tired. It wasn't like he was really thinking hard to make the story up about the seals, but rather telling me what he had seen. The sound effect of breaking the seals is what really got me, because even though he was tired, he was so quietly animated about it.

I laid beside my son quietly for a while, trying to understand his "monster." Then, out of the blue, I asked him if he wanted to say a prayer, and he said, "uh-um." I don't normally pray with my kids as they fall asleep, but felt the need to do so that night. I don't remember the prayer I said, but he listened as he lay there, probably watching his monster. I then kissed him on the forehead, and said "I love you." He replied, "I love you, too." I pulled the covers up for him, and proceeded down the bunk ladder. He then quietly fell asleep.

That got me wondering. Where did he get the idea about seals, besides seals that swim in the sea? And breaking seals, of all things? We don't read Revelations stories to our kids, and the Bible stories they do hear are the watered down kid versions from hardboard books.

Then, I thought, who is his monster? It had been a while since I had read Revelations, so I was a bit concerned about the character of his monster. After reading Revelations, chapter five, I am relieved.

Revelations 5:1-10
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[or the sevenfold Spirit] of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."

Zurg-Zarq Is Dead!?

2006-06-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

Well, President Bush has announced that our archenemy Al-Zarqawi is dead. This link (just right click and open in new window) shows a large, framed photo of Zarq, presumably posthumous, after a bomb attack. Ok, first of all, he's looking pretty good for dying from a bomb attack. Maybe this was a photo taken post humus, when the humus was just not agreeing with him that day.

Zarq. Zurg. Zurg... Sworn enemy of the Galactic Alliance. Archenemy of Buzz Lightyear. Hmmm... Maybe Zarq is recharging his battery. Again.

Chiaroscuro: Jews, Christians & Muslims

2006-06-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

Chiaroscuro is an Italian word and an art term that basically means clearly obscure. It is the use of dark and light elements in a pictorial work of art that creates drama and mystery into the piece. It is the comparing of similar elements with the contrast of paradoxical elements.

Let me paint a picture for you with Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions today. They are all different and have some conflicting beliefs and rituals. Muslims pray to Allah. Christians worship God. Jews revere G-d. Muslims are led by the works of the Prophet Muhammad, who is scarcely acknowledged as a legitimate prophet by Christians and Jews. Christians are led by the works of the Son of God and Savior, Jesus, who is seen as just another prophet by the Muslims, and denied by the Jews as the messiah.

Jews are led by the Patriarch Abraham and the Prophet Moses, which actually are similar elements found in both the Christian and Muslim faiths. Thus, all three religions share a similar foundation. All three faiths hold firm to the concepts of peace, love, charity, and true justice.

As you can see, there is a sense of a beautiful chiaroscuro painting here with these three faiths. However, the dark, contrasting element in this painting is also a connection shared with the morally faithful within these three religions. It is the dark side of the faithful: those who claim to follow their religious beliefs, but their walk doesn't follow their talk. I'm not referring to the sins of the individuals in the faith, as individual sins can be repented and reconciled in the true faith.

The dark side of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths have shepherds that lead the faithful away from the morals and intentions of their faith. They talk of peace, but their idea of peace is not the true peace of God. Their idea of love is not the true love of God. Their idea of charity and justice are not the true charity and justice of God.

Those unfortunate to fall under such leadership are led astray and coerced into doing acts that strike against the goodness of their faith and perverse their beliefs, all in the supposed name of God (Allah, G-d).

Muslims must deal with hirabahists.
Those that believe in the Third Jihad (hirabahists) claim they have a right to reclaim ALL formerly Muslim-ruled lands, even where Muslims now are a mi-nority. They claim a right to establish the sharia-governed Caliphate over all Muslims. They want Islamist rule to replace secular rule in the Middle East, across North and East Africa, Asia Minor, the Balkans, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, and Indonesia. But the believers of the Third Jihad also want a global Caliphate. That means they want to be the only ones that can proselytize where Muslims are a minority. It is impossible to compromise with the hirabahists be-cause they have unlimited goals. To us their goals might seem unreasonable and unlikely to succeed. Yet they, like Hitler, can do grave harm before their movement's ultimate defeat.

Jews have to contend with Zionists.
One might suppose that this is simply an Israeli tribute to piety--far from it. The subsidies and exemptions enjoyed by orthodox Jews are part of a compromise that reconciles them to cooperation with the Zionists, a movement they generally abhor: support for their religious life and exemption from defending Israel are the price the orthodox exact for limited cooperation with an enterprize they reject.

And true Christians have to cross swords with fundamentalist evangelicals.
"Pastor Ted,...talks to President George W. Bush or his advisers every Monday..." "...the battle boils down to evangelicals versus Islam. “My fear,” he says, “is that my children will grow up in an Islamic state.” And that is why he believes spiritual war requires a virile, worldly counterpart. “I teach a strong ideology of the use of power,” he says, “of military might, as a public service.” He is for preemptive war, because he believes the Bible’s exhortations against sin set for us a preemptive paradigm, and he is for ferocious war, because “the Bible’s bloody. There’s a lot about blood.”
"These Christian fundametalists are actively and intentionally taking advantage of the colonial usurpation of power by the American and Coalition forces to culturally and religiously invade the Iraqi society. ... It is taking advantage of their deprivations and using that physical and psychological dependence on Christian goodwill to advance the more important agenda: the conversion of Muslims to Christianity. It's not about learning and collaborating with the Iraqis on these social matters, it's about "teaching" and "civilizing" them with Christianity."

These are groups that seem to deny the basic truths of their own religious beliefs, and in its place they take matters into their own hands, as if God cannot accomplish His kingdom without His people breaking their own faith's morals and values. This is clearly obscure.

Sure, there's a contrast there, but we can't underestimate nor undermine the power of God, even in these circumstances. However you determine to name the creator and master of our universe and beyond, He is the painter and the artist. He can take the canvas we've provided and paint a beautiful, moving and spiritual picture out of our chaos. In any painting, the element that always stands out is the light, the light out of the darkness, and that light in God's painting is the true essence of our faith.

Expand Your Vocab: 6/6/06

2006-06-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

I am beginning some theme days here at Indigo Lake, with the first being "Expand Your Vocab." My hope is that we will find new words and word combinations to use in our daily discussions, that will not only clarify our thoughts, but make us sound like we know more than we really do.

Today’s words are intrinsically linked by a common similitude: 6/6/6

We’ll start at the beginning of becoming someone marked, with a word you may have heard and used many times:

Ignoramus: An ignorant person.

A nice adjective for an ignoramus is:

Feckless:
Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective.
Careless and irresponsible.

I had a neighbor who loved to use this word to describe careless youth to their faces, and they thought they were cool to be called “feckless.” What feckless ignoramuses. Feckless ignoramus. Flows nicely from the tongue, doesn’t it?!

Moving up the scale from an ignoramus, we find this word:

Miscreant:
An evildoer; a villain.
An infidel; a heretic.

What’s a good adjective for a miscreant? Oh, how about this:

Opprobrious:
Expressing contemptuous reproach; scornful or abusive: opprobrious epithets.
Bringing disgrace; shameful or infamous: opprobrious conduct.

An opprobrious miscreant. A nice way to tell someone they are the devil incarnate, isn’t it?!
So, put them all together and what do we get? A feckless ignoramus that matures into an opprobrious miscreant.

And if you happen to be chatting about politics and governments and can’t find a nice word for a leader with the mark of the beast, here’s a word to use:

Quisling: A traitor who serves as the puppet of the enemy occupying his or her country.

Laughter: The Best Medicine

2006-05-15T13:53:00.000-05:00

Here's some humor to get over the fact that it's Monday. The title link goes to a site with some very humorous doctored pictures (and some not doctored). Laugh and enjoy life!

Under God: Are You Covered?

2006-05-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

Just as Christian women have recently come out from being under the head covering of men, it seems that Christian men are also coming out from being under the head covering of God. If you read the New Testament, you'll see that the apostle Paul was a big advocate of head covering. You can read that in one of two ways: headcovering = limiting, or headcovering = protecting and reflecting glory.

Now, I am sure that many people see the headcovering with its potential to be submissive, limiting and even oppressive. And for men who feel it is their duty to command the world, having to deal with a headcovering to God goes against their own ability to do whatever the heck they want. Thus, ditch the headcovering and ditch God--but not entirely. Use the headcovering of God as a cloak to hide indiscretions and secret plans. You see how that can really hide all the bad stuff and make people think that everything is being done in the light of God.

George W. Bush is experienced in this type of clandestine action to take one thing that is good and is limiting and use it to hide and in a way shield him from his diverging activities. As president, the laws enacted by our democracy's representatives are his headcovering. They are there not just to limit him, but to protect his head and when the law is upheld due to his efforts, he is rightly glorified. However, when the headcovering is not used on the head --are you following the analogy here?--Ok... When the law is circumvented and instead of placed as a protective covering over the right foundation of our government (the Constitution), it is used as a shield to deflect and contort the law, what is there to protect the head (the US Constitution and the proper use of government)? Nothing.

The struggle to keep "under God" in the pledge of allegiance may be nothing more than symantics to some. To others it signifies that headcovering, the law, not just of God, but the laws of our country. And still to others it is the push to keep the public thinking that God is protecting us, when in actuality it is distorted and is only protecting the personal interests of those leaders.

Did I mention that when men and women keep the headcovering over their heads, it protects and reflects glory to them? Ok, so what's so great about being limited and submissive? We don't harm ourselves or harm others (our protection--it is in this protection that even if others harm us, we forgive and heal), it keeps us focused on the mission designated by our Creator, and allows our Creator to mold us into the creation that we have been designed to become (the reflection of glory is from the Creator in becoming what we are meant to be). That same headcovering is there not just to help yourself, but others, too. When we become what God made us to be, then we learn that the head covering not only protects our head and heart, but puts our hands into service to serve God and those who God places into our care. (You can see how restrictive it would be if that headcovering were used as a cloak or shield--the ability to serve God and others is severly restricted or nonexistent.)

There are people out there that wear that headcovering to physically represent their faith. You'll see devout Jewish men wearing their yarmulke, nuns in their habits, traditional Catholic women wearing prayer veils, and Islamic women wearing burkhas. It reminds them of their faith, and stands for the protection, guidance and reflects the glory given by their Creator. It shows respect for their Creator, and in return, honor.

George W. Bush: Under God or Playing God?

2006-05-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

Some say that the US president, George W. Bush, is a born-again Christian, others say he was ordained by God to lead our country, and some say he is the anti-Christ. But, how could they possibly say that someone is the anti-Christ, or even some powerful Dragon of the Revelations dreamed Beast?

The title link (please right click and open in a new window) has an interesting article that poses George W. Bush against his own religious beliefs, and patches some holes in the way American Christians might be viewing the US president.

Public Relations in the Spin Cycle

2006-05-12T23:19:00.000-05:00

What is public relations? Is it product placement or people placement? Ah, no... I think that's called marketing and promotional gimmicks. Is it that bikini clad women that displayed her message in front of world leaders? Ah, no... That would be picketing and improper exposure. Is it spinning the news? Well... sort of.

Public relations is disseminating the truth in a positive light. Edward Bernays, the father of public relations (and the nephew of Sigmund Freud, go figure) was concerned that he would display "properganda" and not "improperganda." If only more public relations practitioners would be as message conscious as Bernays. Right... Let's get real here.

Bernays, being related to Freud, almost naturally concentrated on the psychology of public relations, almost to a fault. In fact, due to his efforts, Bernays worked to create social acceptance of women smoking in public. During the 1920s, the health consequences to smoking were not as known, so I'll give Bernays the benefit of the doubt.

According to Bernays "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. . . . In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons . . . who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind." If you want to know more about Bernays and his life devoted to making himself known as the father of public relations, read the Father of Spin by Larry Tye (here's a great book review).

In reality, a public relations practitioner can only be as honest as their clients' honesty is reflected to them. And even then, sometimes money can influence honesty and conveying the truth. It is amazing how flashing a couple of greenbacks can put a normally honest and open person into a deceptive trance. Sure, we'll give our public the truth in a positive fashion, but with a twist, er a spin. We won't out and out lie, but we'll convince the public that they are hearing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We'll even convince journalists that all we are feeding them is the wholesome and natural truth, so there will be no need to question our message. Can I get an Amen?? Thank you, choir! (You know I'm preaching to the choir.)

So, the progression of public relations is a lot like washing machine. Load the machine with some dirty laundry (you know, all those marketing blunders that got mud on that questionable client's clothes), throw in some detergent (or detour agent, i.e. public relations practitioner--to clean up the mess), let it soak, then put it in the spin cycle, rinse and spin to dry. Viola! Your laundry is clean!

Protecting the US Borders

2006-05-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

So, why didn't we have this talk about immigration before 9/11/2001, or even just after that fateful day? How better to protect the US from foreign invaders like terrorists than to protect our borders?!

Where's the funding for our coast guard and border patrol, who truly protect our nation's borders? Where's the national guard, who really ought to be helping to protect our homeland at home? Oh, right, Afganistan and Iraq...

Well, I read on the DHS website (that's the Department of Homeland Security) that they have beent thinking about protecting the US borders since 9/11, and apparently into the distant future, as well... DHS Announces Long-Term Border and Immigration Strategy, November 2, 2205

Yes, you read that right--November 2, 2205! Now that's forward thinking! So, if you think our DHS isn't working toward the future, well, you're wrong.

Pirating ways: Pillaging, Raping & Plundering

2006-05-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

After being too busy this past week to allow Microsoft to download one of their many upgrades, I log into my laptop this morning, and get notification that I am a victim of pirating!

Now, pirates are known to pillage, rape and plunder. I don't recall Gateway raping me when this computer was purchased over a year ago. Pillaging and plundering, well, I don't know. Sometimes products can be so overpriced, that could be considered pillaging and plundering. This computer, in my opinion, wasn't overpriced, although I did not receive a boot disk or any install disks for the software that was pre-loaded on it. So, I guess I was robbed of those products that I paid for. It would have been nice to have the backup install disks that would be helpful for the many times I've had to reinstall everything because the hardware crashed or died.

However, I do not feel like a victim of pirating from Gateway. I believe that they sold me legitimate software licenses from Microsoft.

I do feel like a victim of Microsoft's zealous inconsideration and insecurity. I feel raped. Microsoft has raped my computer. And with their wierd blue star in the lower right hand corner of my computer, and the notifications that pop up frequently, I am constantly reminded of this fact.

So, after clicking to remind me later to make my Windows geniune, and trying in vain to search online to figure out how to prove my and Gateway's innocence, I finally decided to see what Microsoft has waiting for me if I did click on it. Well, there was no way to prove you did have a genuine Windows license at this link. There was no way to contact Microsoft to tell them they have a glitch in their authentication/genuineness process. Microsoft just wants victims to pay them, too.

Figures. Innocent until proven guilty, nah. Guilty til proven otherwise (regardless of innocence), because that is the way it is today. Sigh.

Now, I guess I'll need to contact Gateway and figure out how to get this straightened out. Sigh.

There's nothing like getting pillaged, raped and plundered by a purchase made over one year ago.

**Update: I contacted Microsoft tech support, and spoke with a nice lady that I couldn't understand half of what she said. I gave her info on my Windows and she said that it was indeed a genuine Windows XP license. Yes, thank you, I knew that. But how do I get MS Validation to recognize that? Oh, there's a website to go to for validating that:

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag/

So, I go there, and it diagnoses and validates everything but that WGA . . . So, I email Microsoft support, since hopefully whomever answers that types in English without any dialect issues. I also go to the forum they refer to and check that out. (Here's that link if you want to check it out: http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=442&SiteID=25)

Well, after looking at the forum conversations, I am fearful that I will have to reinstall everything on my computer. And I didn't get an installation disk from Gateway in the first place! The moderator states that Microsoft is working on a way to correct the validation error without reinstalling. Well, I'm not holding my breath.

Thank you, Microsoft, for screwing up my computer! Can I declare computer rape?

Life is too short to take too seriously...

2006-05-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

Have you ever worked with a rancid person? Someone who spoils everything? Someone who takes everything personally? I mean EVERYTHING... PERSONALLY. And then they bitch and moan about how people are mean and treat them so bad. Usually with this kind of person, they take everything negatively. Try to get them to think on the positive side, and they will see it as a personal attack. There is never a bright side to anything, unless they can demean some's character. Oh, that is negative, too.

For the rancid person, the sun must shine in black, and the sky is gray, even when it's blue. The sweet scent of the lilacs in bloom must smell pungent to their noses. The smooth touch of a new baby's skin must feel like coarse sand paper for them. And the sounds of songbirds singing in the surrounding trees must sound like chainsaws in their ears.

What a sad world for such negative thinkers. The rancid people. 'Tis a pity.

Life is too short to take too seriously. That's why God invented laughter, silver linings to gray clouds, and rainbows. All so we could smile, to take hope for a better future, knowing that the good in everything is in how we perceive it.

However, when you have to work with a rancid person (RP for short), you're stuck with them, unless the boss gets (literally) sick of them, or you get sick of them and leave, or the RP leaves thinking that the grass at the next job will be greener (regardless of the fact that it's only the RP's eyes that see the gray grass). Lucky for me, the rancid co-worker is thinking the grass will be greener somewhere else. Thankfully, the rancid co-worker's last day is TODAY!

I again can confidently smile, knowing that things can only get better (right, Howard Jones?), and that the toxic effects of the negative rancid co-worker will now be at someone else's desk (I pray God's positive impact will allow those poor souls to overcome the rancid worker excrement).

Hurray for silver linings, rainbows, and especially laughter--because life really is too short to take too seriously.

New Stamps, Again??

2006-05-05T11:15:00.000-05:00

It seems like I just went out and bought new stamps with the new rate, along with those weird looking 2 cent stamps with the alligator teeth on them, and now the US Post Office wants to raise the rate of stamps again!

They claim its because of the rising costs of gas. Hey, I see my postal delivery guy walking to deliver my mail everyday, they don't use gas.

Besides, no one is giving me more money to compensate the rising gas prices. Oh, wait. I guess congress was looking into doing just that this week with a $100, or even a $500 tax rebate. Hmmm... Wait a minute, if I pay taxes, and they want to give me money from the taxes to pay for gas so the gas companies will lessen their high price assault, but the gas companies are too greedy to lower gas prices, and our country is running a large deficit right now... Hey, I'm going to pay for it anyway. Ok, that's a bad idea. Relegate that one to the circular file.

USPS is also claiming the rise in the stamp rate is to pay for their employees' rise in health insurance. Pssst--businesses don't care about that silly rise in their employees' health insurance, they're just letting their workers foot that bill.

And, get this, they want to raise it to 42 cents! That means all those extra 2 cents stamps I have laying around wouldn't work--I'd have to get one cent stamps, too! Good grief!

Oh, they want to have a Forever Stamp?? Buy that stamp and I would never have to worry about adding stamps for rate increases?? Why didn't they come out with this idea sooner?

Colbert, That's French, Isn't It?! That's OK, Mr. Colbert, Here's a Golden Ruler!

2006-05-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

Although not characteristic of Stephen Colbert's "professional newsiness", a nudge-nudge and a wink-wink might sums up his monologue at the White House Press Correspondents Dinner last Saturday night.

Mr. Colbert decisively marked the evening with way more inside humor and jabs than the large gathering of media, government leaders, and stars could possibly digest, especially the guest of honor, our president.

Playing as if he's in on the good-ole-boys club and up on their antics in the media, Colbert subtly and many times not so subtly discloses his perception of the media's coverage on important events, while maintaining his composed "newsiness" during the speech.

Maybe the reason why some didn't like his speech could be the same reason they now refer to freedom fries and freedom toast. There's just too much French in that guy's name. Toward the end of his speech, President Bush looked like he was about ready to export him back to France. Colbert better be carrying his passport next time he's close to the president, or might get a special trip out of the country. You know how the president feels about those darned immigrants!

On his truthiness, Colbert knows better than most real news outlets how to give his audience the truth, and he delivered in his usual fashion. Why are some people upset about this? Did you not know his style? Did you not watch his show?

Regardless of his neo-con leanings, Colbert stuck it to the man. Thank goodness he got some practice on Bill Kristol a couple days prior to his WHCD gig. He was ready to tackle the news that the media forgot to tackle. And tackle, he did.

By the way, what was with the lame Double-W skit? And last year's skit where the president was running around the room looking for WMDs while our troops in Iraq were dying? And those skits don't offend people? But Stephen Colbert's truthiness does offend? Why can't those people handle the truth?

Mr. Stephen Colbert, in recognition of your courage to fight for the truth, I bestow unto you the Golden Ruler Award. Just as those golden nuns from parochial school used rulers to maintain order and keep their students in line, this Golden Ruler exemplifies your accomplishments to keep truth in line. Use this Golden Ruler to continue to keep truth and justice in line, and to give a gentle tap on the hand to those who deviate from the truth.

Omega Glory

2006-05-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

With all the discuss of corruption (especially on Len Hart's blog: existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com) on Capitol Hill, and even in the White House, along with many practices by our government that seem to really subvert the Constitution of the United States, I started to think back to an old (I mean original) Star Trek episode: Omega Glory episode (#54, first aired 3/1/68). Although I am not a true Trekkie, I remember seeing this show when I was young, and the overtones of our US civilization stuck with me.

Wikipedia has a nice overview of this episode. Their summary of the Omega Glory: Captain Kirk must battle a deadly virus and prevent a meaningless war.

Sound familiar? In 1968, the good and bad guys were different than today, but it can easily be changed to today's political climate within the US. Ok, the feared deadly virus today: Avian Bird Flu (I'm sure our president will talk your ear off with coherent discuss about this, since he is way more knowledgeable about this virus than about his current war in Iraq). And today, we are in a pretty much meaningless war in Iraq (Sorry, no WMDs and really, if Saddam was really as dicky of a dictator as they say, then why is the US just as dicky or even more so. Yes, Saddam tortured and used chemical weapons on his people. Pssst--The US has done this, too, on Iraqis--have you forgotten Abu Graib and white phosphorus? Doesn't sound very nice to me.)

Can you see the word "freedom" turn into a "worship word"? I can.

Close to the end of the show, Capt. Kirk finds what looks like a tattered copy of the US Constitution and says "Look at these three words written larger than all the rest, and with special pride never written before or since -- tall words, proudly saying "We the people" .. these words and the words that follow ... must apply to everyone or they mean nothing."

Is the Omega Glory predicting our present and future?

Living Free

2006-04-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

I hope you can get to this journal entry that is linked here, written by oxbow on democraticunderground.com. I read it today and it just hit home with me, on many levels of my life, not just about the political climate.

After reading the story and thinking of the background of our political issues and my own situations recently, the last paragraph was so refreshing:

We enjoy the little things that bring us joy. The warm sun on our bare skin, the taste of a really good meal, the pleasure of good company, all of these are things we can enjoy even in the darkest hours. The universe could have been made so that such things didn’t bring us pleasure. There is no reason why a flower HAS to be beautiful, or sex MUST feel as good as it does. Miraculously though, it is and it does! Try and remember that when things are rough, and you’ll do just fine. And when you catch yourself enjoying life, say a quick thank you. Thank the universe for being the way it is, and yourself for being the way you are, which is good enough on both accounts.

Thank you, oxbow! Nonattachment: The essence of living free.

Iowa Stops Funeral Picketing

2006-04-26T13:32:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that someone would want to have a protest at a funeral? Get this: A Kansas City church wants to protest at an Iowa National Guardsman funeral. Why? Because this church believes that our soldiers are dying because they are fighting for a country (the US) that allows homosexuality. This article went so far to say that God is killing our soldiers! What kind of weed is this church smoking??

Jesus did not protest at any funerals. In fact, when one of his diciples wanted to bury his father, Jesus said, "let the dead bury the dead." What did Jesus mean? Are funerals a folly? A waste of time? Thus, would this mean that protest at a funeral would be doubly foolish?

Maybe this Kansas City church doesn't follow Jesus, because Jesus would not lead them down the road to protest at a funeral. "Let the dead bury the dead."

Changes on the Blog Front

2006-04-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, today I am going to get a lot less political and a lot more personal. Maybe this whole blog is going to change. There's a whole heck of a lot of blogs out there that are doing way more research into the progressive, purple movement than me. Sure, I might bring some things up ever so often that catch me a bit funny politically that I may blog, but really, I am being redundant here.

If you want to read some good progressive blogging, go to http://existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com/
Len Hart does quite a job of finding and connecting the political dots, and some of the pictures he creates are rather interesting. That blog will get you thinking. At least it does for me. Bravo, Len!

Anyway, Indigo Lake is going to transform a bit into more of a leisurely place to sit back, chat about what's on your mind kind of blog. Please feel free to join in the chat on any discussion that might come up. In my opinion, it's all about perspective, and yours is likely different than mine. So, let's compare sketches and enjoy the company!

The Scarlet Letter

2006-04-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

Whenever you put some physical stigma on someone who's done something wrong, something like this is bound to happen. Now, the question is what's worse? Murder or sexual offenses?

Well, that has always been my question, after this law to mark all sexual offenders with the state's scarlet letter. However, murderers are not marked. There is a long list of offenses that an offender/criminal does not have to deal with being marked. Except for sexual offenses.

Are sexual offenses that bad, worse than murder, that everyone needs to be made clearly aware of the offender's presence anywhere? What is the purpose of the sex offender list? How does such a list help to keep our neighborhoods safe?

The sex offender list is a prime example of making people paranoid, creating legal gossip about the offender, and stigmatizing that person for the rest of their life. Might as well just force them to wear the scarlet letter on their apparel.

Now that the scarlet letter has cause two people to needlessly die, will states that have enacted these sex offender lists rethink their law? I hope so.

George W. Bush: RICO Suave'??

2006-04-11T17:30:00.000-05:00

RICO Suave'? George W. Bush?? What do they have in common???

George W. Bush finally admits to being the leaker in the Plame Game... now the blamer is blamed. Well, if the courts ever get to try anything against George W. Bush and his gang, they may use the RICO Act. If that ever happens, die-hard Bush fans will hope that Bush and his attorneys are RICO Suave' enough not to get indicted on such charges because penalties are super stiff with the RICO Act.

Anyone care for some hot, latin salsa dancing?

61 Taser Deaths: The Gun Alternative

2006-03-29T13:23:00.000-06:00

Last year 61 people died from a taser gun shot by police in the United States. This was to be the death-free alternative to guns for police. Hmmmm... Guess not. So, the lesson is if you have heart issues, or are taking recreational drugs or drinking alcohol, or have mental illness, don't get tased--it may be your life at risk.

So, tasers aren't harmless? Well, one cop was apparently permanently injured from a quick jolt from a taser in training. Ok, so if you want to be able to walk and move without pain for the rest of your life, then make sure you don't get tased.

And, one researcher in the UK claims that tasers have been used in the US and Canada as ways to get compliance from people already in their custody (a 2004 Denver Post survey found that one-third of all taser use in the Denver police force was used on handcuffed individuals). This researcher also claims that the taser can easily be used as a means of torture.

If you read these articles, then you know that a taser sends two barbed receptors to the victim and injects 50,000 volts for a period of up to 5 seconds. Each trigger press sends more and more volts to the victim. Sounds like a modified electrocution, doesn't it? I thought they decided that death by electrocution is cruel and unusual. So, wouldn't that mean that individuals under the custody of police that receive taser jolts are receiving cruel and unusual punishment??

Wait, I'm bringing up that Constitutional thing again. Cruel and unusual=taser=torture? Oh. Hmmmm...

You Gotta Know When to Hold 'Em, Know When to Fold 'Em

2006-03-28T08:27:00.001-06:00

I don't know if Kenny Rogers wrote that song especially for this ocassion, but it seems a bit fitting, doesn't it?

If you didn't right click and read the title link in a new window, well Card has folded. Andrew Card, who's been sitting at the same poker table at the George W. Bush White House Casino for almost six years, has decided to collect his poker chips and go home. Kind of makes you wonder what the House is holding in their hand, doesn't it? Hmmmm...

Ooops--Dup'ed Post

2006-03-28T08:27:00.000-06:00

Oops.... Duplicated Post -- is removed for your viewing pleasure.

Have a great day!

EEeeeck! Dr. Evil Is Likely Working Hard In His Laboratory

2006-03-23T16:18:00.000-06:00

The Avian "Bird" Flu doesn't scare me as much as what some creepy mad scientist will do with it. Oh, you're not following me? Didn't you read my last post about the bird flu? Well, scroll down and read it.

One of my diligent blog readers forwarded the Title Link (right click on the title and select open in new window), which expands the knowledge that our mad scientists have to make such a pandemic a reality.

Here's the statements from that article that are likely making Dr. Evil laugh with evil delight:

First and foremost, it (avian flu virus) would need mutations in the spike, the haemagglutinin molecule, to enable the virus to bind to cells in the upper respiratory tract.

This would enable the virus to spread via coughs and sneezes and nasal mucus, which are caused by irritation to the upper airways.

To boost its pandemic potential, the virus also needs changes in its PB2 gene, which controls an enzyme essential for efficient reproduction.

I can hear it now: "Muwaaaah ahhhh ahhhh. My scheme to take over the world, it's all coming into place now. Muwaaaah aaaaah aaaah."