The First Threesome? Lilith, Adam & Eve

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.

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

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.

When the Laughter Dies...

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...

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.

In the Family of Aspergers & Labels: Good?

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...

The Best of 2006

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.

George W. Bush: Under God or Playing God?

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

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!

Life is too short to take too seriously...

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.

Omega Glory

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?

Changes on the Blog Front

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!

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

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."

Bye, Bye Birdie?

Imagine a conversation with a top "investor" in pharmaceuticals and/or issues pertaining to legislation to combat the avian flu and a researcher in the study that found the current form of the avian flu virus is difficult to transmit from human to human.

Hmmm... So, your research has shown that the bird flu is hard to pass from human to human. What can you do about that, you know, to make that virus do that? You said something about the virus mutating, can you do that? Make it mutate? You know, like teenage mutant ninja avian flu viruses? Give 'em some throwing stars or something that will really be a big hit with people everywhere.

Why'd the Chicken Cross the Road?

To spread the Avian Flu virus, of course.

Here's another riddle for you: How can you quickly infect thousands upon thousands of birds with avian flu at one shot and spread it across a continent?

Answer: Infect the birds when they have migrated south for the winter, then in the spring, watch it spread like wildfire!

You're not laughing. Oh, you read the linked article. Well. I'll have to say that when the avian flu hit Turkey last fall, that the migratory birds would spread it to Europe in the spring. And look who's got it first? France. That's logical. The majority of birds haven't migrated, yet, and in an effort to get back at France's inability to support the Iraq war, well, you know how that goes.

Don't worry, scientists are working diligently to create the human to human form of the avian flu so their pharmaceutical backers can find vaccines and drugs to cure it. They are working hard to make sure that they can get the almight dollar. Don't worry too much, the USA will probably see the first case of the human to human form of the avian flu, which will likely kill about five hundred people before everyone goes crazy to get vaccinated.

Of course, the vaccination will be mandatory to all US citizens and travelers in the US within six months of introducing the human to human avian flu vaccine. So no worries. The vaccine will also have a GPS device inside so the government can really play big brother. They will claim the chip is a time release device for the vaccine, but really it isn't. Some wisecracking folks will have shirts for those innoculated saying "Intell inside." Then, Intel will sue those wisecrackers for millions.

By the time its all over, it'll just be one big joke for the organizers of this epic tragedy, as the remaining citizens of the US will be programmed like robots to do as they are told and they will know that big brother is watching. Sounds a lot like 1984, huh?

Generation Y Less Violent?

Current generation is less violent than previous generation? Really?? Hmmmm...

I read a similar article to the one I am linking to in the March 12th Des Moines Register. Who are they trying to fool? There's still violence.

This is like Tom Brokaw calling the World War II generation the greatest. Although that generation had some good people, Mr. Brokaw's opinion is not to be construed as fact. There were some very terrible things that World War II generation faced. There are terrible things that the current youth are facing. However, I wouldn't call Gen Y the second greatest generation. Maybe Tom Brokaw would.

So, all the violent video games, acceptable drug use/abuse for new fangled ailments like ADHD, the pervaillance of drugs in smaller communities, rave parties, loud boom cars, the total lack of respect for anyone but themselves, and complete disregard to authority makes them less violent?

How about this: Police are more willing to tolerate this generation's reckless (and feckless) behavior because they don't want to deal with them and their attitudes. This generation has gotten away with more crime than my terrible Gen X ever could. We see this Gen Y, or Millennials, as they apparently prefer to be named, talking back to police officers and other citizens on our small towns streets consistently. We speak to the police officers who would prefer not to bother them when they are fighting at the quicky mart down the street because they don't want to deal with them. The police ignore the drug trading that is going on right at the courthouse square and across from the middle school, as if the brown bag that is passed is just filled with peanut butter sandwiches and an apple. This is a generation that feels entitled, and desires to be spoon-fed, lest they have to ever think on their own. And if you force them to think on their own, well, then you're not being fair.

And this: The more we make children nice, obedient robots, the less apt to deal with rebelious issues. Right? Well, instead of finding a cause for a child's inability to focus when we want them to pay attention, let's just drug them. That's what we've done to the Millenials. Approximately 8.8 million children each year are prescribed with stimulant medication to treat ADHD. It's become the miracle pill, or has it? How safe is it? Does it really help the child, or is it just to keep the sanity of the teacher, or parent, who can't deal with certain children? What underlying conditions is such a drug like Ritalin covering, especially for those children misdiagnosed in their early years? How have we in effect doomed these young children for the rest of their lives with the label ADD/ADHD and forcing them to take a pill that in the 70s and 80s would be classified as an illegal drug for kids (remember speed, uppers)? Is the current thought of less violent kids a direct result of the legal drugging up of our children? Is this all a part of the dumbing down of America?

Is this why children in the US are more inclined now more than ever before, to be overweight? Are our children so complacent with ADHD drugs that they don't have the energy or ability to play on their own without some guidance (by teachers or drugs)?

Can ADD/ADHD and other distracting behaviors be overcome without the use of drugs? Yes. And Yes. But that would take some effort on the part of teachers, school administrators and parents. They'd have to take an active interest in our children and truly help them. Work with the environment kids are in to avoid distracting objects, and becoming an example of behavior that is expected of them. That takes brain power and human relations power, that apparently schools don't want to be forced to use.

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off!

Tomato, tomahto...Potato, potahto...Let's just call the whole thing off!

Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would put those lyrics to the abortion debate. But, today after reading some of the reactions from both the pro-abortion, anti-choice groups, these lyrics seem to fit right in.

You'd think with a full ban recently legislated in South Dakota, you'd think the pro-life would be rejoicing. Think again.

"As a pro-lifer, I feel guilty saying this, because people are out there all excited, but a ban is actually counterproductive," said Mary Kay Culp, executive director for Kansans for Life. Does that statement seem odd to you, too? Yes, really, she said that.

Now, apparently, pro-lifers feel that they need more time to turn society's thinking around about abortion before going for the jugular on abortion rights. Ah, you've had over 30 years to turn society's head on to the ideals of the pro-life movement, and you say you need more time? What? The posters of aborted babies, protests at abortion clinics and other places that accept abortion practices not helping society to see the pro-life movement in a good light? What's missing here??

Ok, let's look at the other spectrum. The pro-choice, pro-abortion movement. You'd think they'd be outraged at this outright ban in South Dakota and the possibility of a ban in Mississippi. You'd think that, wouldn't ya?

Nope. Their message seems to be going soft, as well. According to the article, a memo circulated by Third Way, a progressive movement, through congress a message to uphold personal liberties while accepting a moral responsibility to reduce the number of abortions. Nothing new there. I believe this was Bill Clinton's stance on abortion when he was president. And my stance, as well.

What I see happening is that both sides are beginning to realize is that being pro-life or pro-choice is all about respecting and valuing life, regardless of its stage. And in the history of both movements, there have been extremes that have devalued life. Now, they see that they are defending life, either that of the mother or that of the child or fetus. Both movements, in essence, are pro-life. They both want to uphold life.

Potato, potahto... whatever. I'm taking my ball and going home. You want to come along? I'm a bit thirsty and I think mom could make us PB & J sandwiches. Sound good?

Determining Value of Life

Let me preface this post by saying that I believe that certain events, though unrelated, happen because they are trying to tell us something. They are signs.

"A long way from the gallow"as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle about the ethical issues surrounding postponement of Michael Morales' execution.

"S. Dakota targets abortion ruling" reported by Indianapolis Star regarding South Dakota's passing a law banning virtual all abortions, with the exception to save the mother's life. This story basically kicked yesterday's story about the ban on partial-birth abortion into dead news space. Although, they are, in a way, similar and both tie in with the death penalty issue.

I believe these two unrelated news stories are really related in a factually abstract way. "Fabstractually" if you will. No, wait. "Factstractually." There's a difference. Fabstractually, would be an abstract fabrication, something George W. Bush would say if he were talking about WMDs in pre-war Iraq.

The death penalty and abortion issues are about the value of life. These issues will be the proving ground for George W. Bush's stance on life. Whose existence is worth continuing? Whether it be a fetus in the womb, a brain-dead woman on life support, an Iraqi insurgent, a combat soldier, or a man convicted of murder on death row, there are philosophical and ethical questions about the value of life that we as a society must face and solidify in our thinking and in our laws.

When does an individual existing become a true, bonafide human? When does an individual's existence cease? Those are existence issues. Sure, a fetus exists. But, when does it achieve rights and responsibilities of a human existence? How do we define a human? When a fetus completely exits the mother's womb? When the fetus is viable outside the womb? When the fetus takes its first breath?

Then, when it takes its first breath, how do we as a society value that life through the years? What is the true value of its life? How do we define the value of a life? How do we react and respond to that life? We do place value on the lives of others daily in our own lives by the way we react and respond to the lives around us.

We devalue people when we offer devaluing comments to them, do mean and spiteful acts against others, and ignore those who most need our attention. In a way, our devaluing is a way to kill the value of another's life and we are extinguishing a bit of that life by every act or negligence we place on that individual.

Does devaluing others' lives by the act of murder, devalue the life of the murderer as well? To the point that the murderer's life is no longer valued by society? That is how our society views it today. Should those who devalued the murderer before he committed his crime be held to be devalued in society as well? Our society places great value in those who can strategically manipulate and devalue others while being able to assert and persuade that they are doing the right thing.

Life as we know it has various levels of value or worth. Many of us see our worth in our paychecks and/or benefit plans at our places of work. Some of us see our worth in our families and how they appreciate our existence and contributions that we make as a member of the family. Some of us see our worth in other social or working groups that make us feel our existence is valued and in some ways justified. In most cases it is what we do that gives us our personal sense of worth, and also a social sense of worth, as well. (And in my case, my true worth far exceeds the amount of my paycheck, as many others could also claim, too.)

Some lives find value, satisfaction, and justification by devaluing other lives. Should we continue to value that individual, even if they devalue us?

When a devaluing person is punished for a crime, what is cruel and unusual punishment for any crime? Is confining a criminal in jail cruel? Is detaining someone without judgment unusual? Is execution by injection cruel? What did they mean when they wrote cruel and unusual punishment in the Constitution?

Then, we have other circumstances where a human life has declined by physical or mental decay. These lives may continue to bring value to others, even if they do nothing but exist. But when do we say that life fails to provide value or worth and should not truly exist?

When should ideals and ideology trump life itself? What is worth losing a life? What is worth taking a life? Is life really worth living?

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When does life take a back seat to liberty or the pursuit of happiness? These are the tough questions.

We think it is the courts, and especially the Supreme Court that should answer these questions. No, these are definitions that need to be answered by our legislators both at the state and Federal level. These are definitions that we need to answer to our legislators so they can do their jobs and write (or rewrite) legislation according to our definitions of life that can be applied, enforced, judged and upheld.

Urban Cowboy?

Well, the secret's out of the saddle bag... Some cowboys are gay. Dale Evans? Probably not. John Wayne? Definitely.... well... uh... you'd think not. Who knows...

Oh, that just blows the whole masculine, virile cowboy stud image out of the water, doesn't it?! Willie Nelson, what are you thinking??

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! Or Please Don't Send Me Chocolates!

Nothing says "I Love You" to the chronic dieter love of your life like chocolates. If you do buy your sweetie chocolates for Valentines, then just don't tell her about her enormous rear-end ever again because now its really your fault.

If you love your significant other enough to care about their health, give them a membership to a workout club that they would enjoy and stick to it (like Curves--they need a club like that for men...) or take them out to eat some fresh fish which is good for the heart.

Flowers are, of course, a nice way to brighten the day, but to really surprise her/him give the gift that keeps giving with a plant that will make a wonderful addition to their cluttered desktop, or better yet, one that can be planted in the garden in the spring. That's one way to keep love blooming.

Is the White House Coming Clean?

Imagine the scene: The House Intelligence Committee's confessional. A slightly beleaguered White House senior staffer (name withheld--c'mon this is a confessional--it's private--it's secret).

WH Staffer: Forgive me, representative, for I have not strictly followed the FISA guidelines. It's been five years since my last confession.

House Representative: That's a long time... Please confess your transgressions.

Staffer: Ummm. Well. (Confessor starts to fidget.) Well, it first started out when, um, well Dick was pushing me to find out what the oil countries, er... um...

Rep: Go on.

Staffer: He wanted me to get some more intel on countries that were threatening the United States. At first it sounded innocent and all.

Rep: When did this begin?

Staffer: Oh, this was in the spring of 2001. I remember the cherry trees in bloom. It was all before the changes happened.

Rep: What changes?

Staffer: You know. The changes. I thought that when all this was happening that it was just everyone getting adjusted to being in the White House. The changes were affecting people differently. I just thought I'll just do my job. I listened to Dick. He had grand ideas, but just coming from a large corporation like Halliburton, it seemed right. Even the president came with his ideas. But they needed intel so they could implement their ideas. So, we were to gather it. Our intel didn't support their ideas. So, we were back on the hunt.

Rep: Then what?

Staffer: History changed. Everything changed. That Tuesday in September. I knew something was amiss that day. I knew it before the day began. That whole month was surreal. It was like a whirlwind caught us and everything we saw was blurred in the wind. We did things we would never have done had we really known. There were things we thought were needed at the time that really went beyond all innocent intentions. But we did what we had to do. We had a job to do and we did it.

Rep: Uh huh.

Staffer: Then, there was more and more pressure to get more and more intel. Intel for this. Intel for that. And for all that intel, it seemed we continued to get more and more flack. But we weren't getting any help, either. We said we needed more organization. We didn't get organization. They wanted more, but we couldn't do it that way. At least my conscience wasn't letting me. They worked on making it easier to do, but it didn't pass by the hill. They told us to do it, anyway. There's a lot of stuff that happened between then and now, but I'd hate to bore you with the details.

Rep: Oh, please go on.

Staffer: We just kind of made up our minds to do it, making up our own rules as we went. I admit we might have gone too far. But we were encouraged, because they told us the hill agreed. We thought that we were again in the right, but now I think we might have been wrong.

Rep: It is difficult to confess, I know. I and my fellow representatives thank you for your honest effort of confession. For your penance, say the "Pledge of Allegiance" five times in the next week, and come speak and ask for mercy from the House Intelligence Committee at our House Cleaning Meeting next Wednesday. We'd love to be bored from the details.