Monday, February 26, 2007
Counseling Center - 52 Proven Stress Reducers
Counseling Center - 52 Proven Stress Reducers: "52 Proven Stress Reducers"
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
An explanation, but not an excuse - Wizbang
An explanation, but not an excuse - Wizbang
An explanation, but not an excuse
Among the (well-deserved) outcry over conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, one question has been repeated over and over: how the hell did things get so bad there? And amidst the muddle, a lot of people have extended that argument in wrong directions: from "how can we treat our veterans so badly" to "how did the Veterans Administration let this happen?"
That little misunderstanding -- that Walter Reed falls under the VA -- was actually a pointer to some people.
Walter Reed is not -- repeat, NOT -- a Veteran's Hospital. It is owned and operated by the United States Army, and is for active duty personnel -- not former service members.
And as part of the Army, it fell under the last round of Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) cuts.
In 2004, a non-partisan commission took a long, hard look at our military installations, and made recommendations that many of them be reduced, consolidated, or eliminated entirely. And Walter Reed -- the Army's premiere hospital -- has been around for almost a century. The commission recommended that it be closed, effective 2011, and consolidated with the Naval National Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland.
Here are a couple of cold, hard facts that most likely contributed to the deterioration at Walter Reed:
1) The military has a finite amount of money to spend.
2) Any money invested in Walter Reed will, in essence, be "wasted" as the whole facility will cease to exist in about four and a half years.
What SHOULD have happened was that the shut-down should have been modified, with the worst facilities being closed down, modest temporary fixes applied where possible, and patients transferred to other facilities. Administrators of the hospital should have been performing architectural "triage" on the campus, sacrificing the most deteriorated buildings and focusing on their core concerns. Instead, it appears they just watched the clock, betting that things wouldn't get too bad before the whole issue became irrelevant.
That was a losing bet -- and our sick and injured service members are having to cover it.
This in no way excuses what happens there. It needs to be fixed, and fixed NOW. Those who made that bet need to be disciplined, demoted, reassigned, or fired. Courts martial might even be in order.
But the state of matters at Walter Reed are too big to be the result of negligence, of carelessness, of even malice. They are systemic -- and the BRAC decision was a major factor in perverting that system. It should have been anticipated that this might happen when one schedules the shuttering of such a huge hospital, especially during a time of war.
At this point, I don't care if we find someone to blame now, or go looking later. The main thing we need to do first is get those sick and wounded service members the hell out of those conditions. They've suffered far too much already in service to all of us; to leave them there while trying to pin the blame on whoever you don't like is to use them in the most obscene of political theatre.
If I were in their place, if given the choice between staying in the disgusting conditions in parts of Walter Reed and being used as a political prop, I think I'd stay with the rats.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: Politically Correct ? Or Just Stating a Fact
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: Politically Correct ? Or Just Stating a Fack
TEXAS FRED may not be politically correct but he is right. It is about time to move past this bullshit about race and move on to protecting the country. Am I biased? You gotdam right. I am a predjudiced sumbitch when it comes to not liking people who are dead set on destroying a country I love. I have no use for ragheads..and until the Moslem population in this country takes to the streets demonstrating against the ragheads that are trying to destroy us ...instead of trying to force the rest of us to abide by THEIR perverted religion ...I will include them as part of the raghead population of the world.
Here's the deal people. I don't give a rats ass about the color of your skin..we all bleed red. I don't really give a rats ass about your sexual choices as long as the goat agrees. I could care less about who, when, where, or how you worship provided you don't require me and mine to abide by your religious rules. But I do care about the government taxing hell out of me to provide housing and subsistance to a sub culture that happens to be primarily black..but there are also so low life whites in this group as well as Hispanics and others. Does this make me prejudiced? Yeah, according to the Politically correct assholes it does. I do care about trying to fight the left wing socialists and try to keep them from taking over the country..but I fear it is a losing battle.
But primarily I care about freedom. I don't ordinarily use the so called hate words suck as Kike and nigger and spick and mick. But I have the RIGHT according to the constitution of the USA to use these words if I so desire. No one has the right to NOT be offended. If I had the right not to be offended Hillary Clinton would be in jail because every time she opens her thieving mouth she offends me. It offends me that Ted Kennedy can get not only get by with manslaughter..the people of his state are stupid enough to keep reelecting him. It offends me that Jessie Jackson gets by with extorting money from big business. It offends me that American corporations rooled over for trade unions years ago and passed the cost on to me..the consumer. Yeah, there are a lot of things that offend me..but I have no right NOT to be offended. Not as long as I still live in a free country.
TEXAS FRED may not be politically correct but he is right. It is about time to move past this bullshit about race and move on to protecting the country. Am I biased? You gotdam right. I am a predjudiced sumbitch when it comes to not liking people who are dead set on destroying a country I love. I have no use for ragheads..and until the Moslem population in this country takes to the streets demonstrating against the ragheads that are trying to destroy us ...instead of trying to force the rest of us to abide by THEIR perverted religion ...I will include them as part of the raghead population of the world.
Here's the deal people. I don't give a rats ass about the color of your skin..we all bleed red. I don't really give a rats ass about your sexual choices as long as the goat agrees. I could care less about who, when, where, or how you worship provided you don't require me and mine to abide by your religious rules. But I do care about the government taxing hell out of me to provide housing and subsistance to a sub culture that happens to be primarily black..but there are also so low life whites in this group as well as Hispanics and others. Does this make me prejudiced? Yeah, according to the Politically correct assholes it does. I do care about trying to fight the left wing socialists and try to keep them from taking over the country..but I fear it is a losing battle.
But primarily I care about freedom. I don't ordinarily use the so called hate words suck as Kike and nigger and spick and mick. But I have the RIGHT according to the constitution of the USA to use these words if I so desire. No one has the right to NOT be offended. If I had the right not to be offended Hillary Clinton would be in jail because every time she opens her thieving mouth she offends me. It offends me that Ted Kennedy can get not only get by with manslaughter..the people of his state are stupid enough to keep reelecting him. It offends me that Jessie Jackson gets by with extorting money from big business. It offends me that American corporations rooled over for trade unions years ago and passed the cost on to me..the consumer. Yeah, there are a lot of things that offend me..but I have no right NOT to be offended. Not as long as I still live in a free country.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: RECORD TRADE IMBALANCE..AGAIN
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: RECORD TRADE IMBALANCE..AGAIN
People, there ain't no free lunch. Business is in business for one reason and that is profit..not to provide social services nor jobs but PROFIT. When government and unions make the cost of doing business so high there is not enough profit business either has to shut down or move out of the country..either means loss of jobs. The public just can't seem to understand that all of the "feel good" laws that are passed for labor such a family sick leave and maternity leave adds to the cost of doing business and as such adds to the cost of the finished product to the consumer. The public demands all of these benefits and gets laws passed to mandate them and then wonders why business moves off shore. The problem in this country is that everyone wants $70,000 a year in wages but wants Wally World prices..
People, there ain't no free lunch. Business is in business for one reason and that is profit..not to provide social services nor jobs but PROFIT. When government and unions make the cost of doing business so high there is not enough profit business either has to shut down or move out of the country..either means loss of jobs. The public just can't seem to understand that all of the "feel good" laws that are passed for labor such a family sick leave and maternity leave adds to the cost of doing business and as such adds to the cost of the finished product to the consumer. The public demands all of these benefits and gets laws passed to mandate them and then wonders why business moves off shore. The problem in this country is that everyone wants $70,000 a year in wages but wants Wally World prices..
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
Cafe Hayek: Let's Have Less Hot Air About Global Warming
Cafe Hayek: Let's Have Less Hot Air About Global WarmingLet's grant (if just for the sake of argument) that environmental scientists have proved that Earth's ideal average temperature was reached about a century ago and that the temperature is rising because of human activity ("Just the facts," Op-Ed, yesterday).
The truth remains that these scientists have no expertise to judge whether government can be trusted with the power and resources to "combat" global warming. Nor can these scientists tell us how a free market likely would deal with global warming's consequences.
Contrary to widespread belief, environmental scientists can legitimately say nothing about whether, or how, to respond to global warming.
DONALD J. BOUDREAUX
Chairman
Department of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: Something to Think About...
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: Something to Think About...: "'A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.' .....................by Marcus Tullius Cicero"
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING
CHARMING, JUST CHARMING: "Charles Krauthammer has made the right call in THIS COLUMN. The 'hate America'..'blame America'..crowd is quick to criticize anything that our forces do in Iraq. But as Krauthammer writes:
We have made a lot of mistakes in Iraq. But when Arabs kill Arabs and Shiites kill Shiites and Sunnis kill all in a spasm of violence that is blind and furious and has roots in hatreds born long before America was even a republic, to place the blame on the one player, the one country, the one military that has done more than any other to try to separate the combatants and bring conciliation is simply perverse.
It infantilizes Arabs. It demonizes Americans. It willfully overlooks the plainest of facts: Iraq is their country. We midwifed their freedom. They chose civil war."
We have made a lot of mistakes in Iraq. But when Arabs kill Arabs and Shiites kill Shiites and Sunnis kill all in a spasm of violence that is blind and furious and has roots in hatreds born long before America was even a republic, to place the blame on the one player, the one country, the one military that has done more than any other to try to separate the combatants and bring conciliation is simply perverse.
It infantilizes Arabs. It demonizes Americans. It willfully overlooks the plainest of facts: Iraq is their country. We midwifed their freedom. They chose civil war."
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
CONTROLLED GREED.com: Book Values: Self-Help
The four books I've enjoyed are:
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Succeeding, by John T. Reed. This gem isn't available in book stores or on Amazon. You have to buy it from Reed's website. Reed is a West Point grad, former Army Ranger, Harvard Business School grad, football coach, former real estate investor and author of numerous books, mostly on real estate investing. His style might not appeal to some, and you or I might not agree with all his views, but we can all find this work worthwhile.
The Templeton Plan
Of course, you may have benefited from works by folks like Norman Vincent Peale, Stephen Covey, Les Brown and many more. Like I said, the bookstores are packed this time of year with people looking at bookshelf after bookshelf of these books. I could never begin to read them all -- I'd never have to time to read anything else. Or do anything, either.
But getting a bit of inspiration here or there, and gaining a few nuggets of wisdom, can only impact our lives for the better. And wouldn't that have left Samuel Smiles with a grin on his face? ;-)
CONTROLLED GREED.com: Book Values: Self-HelpHerb Greenberg
Herb Greenberg: "'No. We've been here before, and the consequences -- though not always immediate -- have invariably been bad. There is not a single instance in historical data since 1871 when the S&P 500 traded above 18-times record earnings and there was not a low a year or more later that erased every bit of advantage over Treasury bills. Not one.'
He concludes, 'Simply put, there is no investment merit to the stock market at these valuations.'"
He concludes, 'Simply put, there is no investment merit to the stock market at these valuations.'"
Monday, February 05, 2007
.:. WitNit .:.: Another Scientist Speaks Out Against Global Warming
.:. WitNit .:.: Another Scientist Speaks Out Against Global Warming
Another Scientist Speaks Out Against Global Warming
n case you missed it, check out this article written by a former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg. Here's a sample:
I think it may be because most people don't understand the scientific method which Thomas Kuhn so skilfully and briefly set out in his book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." A scientist makes certain assumptions and then produces a theory which is only as valid as the assumptions. The theory of Global Warming assumes that CO2 is an atmospheric greenhouse gas and as it increases temperatures rise. It was then theorized that since humans were producing more CO2 than before, the temperature would inevitably rise. The theory was accepted before testing had started, and effectively became a law.As Lindzen said many years ago: "the consensus was reached before the research had even begun." Now, any scientist who dares to question the prevailing wisdom is marginalized and called a sceptic, when in fact they are simply being good scientists. This has reached frightening levels with these scientists now being called climate change denier with all the holocaust connotations of that word. The normal scientific method is effectively being thwarted.
Meanwhile, politicians are being listened to, even though most of them have no knowledge or understanding of science, especially the science of climate and climate change. Hence, they are in no position to question a policy on climate change when it threatens the entire planet. Moreover, using fear and creating hysteria makes it very difficult to make calm rational decisions about issues needing attention.
And more interesting material from The Wall Street Journal:
Take rising sea levels. In its 2001 report, the U.N.'s best high-end estimate of the rise in sea levels by 2100 was three feet. Lord Monckton notes that the upcoming report's high-end best estimate is 17 inches, or half the previous prediction. Similarly, the new report shows that the 2001 assessment had overestimated the human influence on climate change since the Industrial Revolution by at least one-third.Such reversals (and there are more) are remarkable, given that the IPCC's previous reports, in 1990, 1995 and 2001, have been steadily more urgent in their scientific claims and political tone. It's worth noting that many of the policymakers who tinker with the IPCC reports work for governments that have promoted climate fears as a way of justifying carbon-restriction policies. More skeptical scientists are routinely vetoed from contributing to the panel's work. The Pasteur Institute's Paul Reiter, a malaria expert who thinks global warming would have little impact on the spread of that disease, is one example.
U.N. scientists have relied heavily on computer models to predict future climate change, and these crystal balls are notoriously inaccurate. According to the models, for instance, global temperatures were supposed to have risen in recent years. Yet according to the U.S. National Climate Data Center, the world in 2006 was only 0.03 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in 2001--in the range of measurement error and thus not statistically significant.
The models also predicted that sea levels would rise much faster than they actually have. The models didn't predict the significant cooling the oceans have undergone since 2003--which is the opposite of what you'd expect with global warming. Cooler oceans have also put a damper on claims that global warming is the cause of more frequent or intense hurricanes. The models also failed to predict falling concentrations of methane in the atmosphere, another surprise.
Meanwhile, new scientific evidence keeps challenging previous assumptions. The latest report, for instance, takes greater note of the role of pollutant particles, which are thought to reflect sunlight back to space, supplying a cooling effect. More scientists are also studying the effect of solar activity on climate, and some believe it alone is responsible for recent warming.
Posted by witnit at February 5, 2007 3:12 PM
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Econbrowser: Cantarell in decline
Econbrowser: Cantarell in decline: "im Puplava (of Puplava Securities and financialsense.com) mentioned back on 13 January 2007 that Cantarell was declining at around 14%/year, Ghawar at around 8%/year, and Burgan (in Kuwait) at around 11%/year. The WSJ article's figures make Cantarell's drop more like 25% over the past year or so."
Econbrowser: Cantarell in decline
Econbrowser: Cantarell in decline: "From Saturday's Wall Street Journal ($$$): Mexico's biggest field declining significantly!
The virtual collapse at Cantarell-- the world's second-biggest oil field in terms of output at the start of last year-- is unfolding much faster than projections from Mexico's state-run oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. Cantarell's daily output fell to 1.5 million barrels in December compared to 1.99 million barrels in January, according to figures from the Mexican Energy Ministry.
Mexico made up for some of the field's decline. Mexico's overall oil output fell to just below three million barrels a day in December, down from almost 3.4 million barrels at the start of the year. It marked Mexico's lowest rate of oil output since 2000....
The field's decline is expected to continue, if not worsen, this year, according to most estimates."
The virtual collapse at Cantarell-- the world's second-biggest oil field in terms of output at the start of last year-- is unfolding much faster than projections from Mexico's state-run oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. Cantarell's daily output fell to 1.5 million barrels in December compared to 1.99 million barrels in January, according to figures from the Mexican Energy Ministry.
Mexico made up for some of the field's decline. Mexico's overall oil output fell to just below three million barrels a day in December, down from almost 3.4 million barrels at the start of the year. It marked Mexico's lowest rate of oil output since 2000....
The field's decline is expected to continue, if not worsen, this year, according to most estimates."
The real deal?
The real deal on GLOBAL WARMING?
"Solar activity can explain a large part of the 20th-century global warming," he states, particularly because of the evidence that has been accumulating over the past decade of the strong relationship that cosmic- ray flux has on our atmosphere. So much evidence has by now been amassed, in fact, that "it is unlikely that [the solar climate link] does not exist."
The sun's strong role indicates that greenhouse gases can't have much of an influence on the climate -- that C02 et al. don't dominate through some kind of leveraging effect that makes them especially potent drivers of climate change. The upshot of the Earth not being unduly sensitive to greenhouse gases is that neither increases nor cutbacks in future C02 emissions will matter much in terms of the climate.
Even doubling the amount of CO2 by 2100, for example, "will not dramatically increase the global temperature," Dr. Shaviv states. Put another way: "Even if we halved the CO2 output, and the CO2 increase by 2100 would be, say, a 50% increase relative to today instead of a doubled amount, the expected reduction in the rise of global temperature would be less than 0.5C. This is not significant."
The real deal?
The real deal on GLOBAL WARMING?
"Solar activity can explain a large part of the 20th-century global warming," he states, particularly because of the evidence that has been accumulating over the past decade of the strong relationship that cosmic- ray flux has on our atmosphere. So much evidence has by now been amassed, in fact, that "it is unlikely that [the solar climate link] does not exist."
The sun's strong role indicates that greenhouse gases can't have much of an influence on the climate -- that C02 et al. don't dominate through some kind of leveraging effect that makes them especially potent drivers of climate change. The upshot of the Earth not being unduly sensitive to greenhouse gases is that neither increases nor cutbacks in future C02 emissions will matter much in terms of the climate.
Even doubling the amount of CO2 by 2100, for example, "will not dramatically increase the global temperature," Dr. Shaviv states. Put another way: "Even if we halved the CO2 output, and the CO2 increase by 2100 would be, say, a 50% increase relative to today instead of a doubled amount, the expected reduction in the rise of global temperature would be less than 0.5C. This is not significant."
Thursday, February 01, 2007
The First Post : Robert Fox: Gulf stands on brink of all-out war
The First Post : Robert Fox: Gulf stands on brink of all-out war: "his is not the only threat facing the allies as they stare defeat in the face in Iraq. Tensions are rising between the Americans and the British.
American officials, particularly in the CIA, have criticised the British approach to dealing with the Iraqis, particularly the Shia militias in the south of the country.
A confidential British briefing paper says this is now a major bone of contention. 'The Americans believe the British should take out the Mahdi Army "
American officials, particularly in the CIA, have criticised the British approach to dealing with the Iraqis, particularly the Shia militias in the south of the country.
A confidential British briefing paper says this is now a major bone of contention. 'The Americans believe the British should take out the Mahdi Army "
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Blogs of War � Video: John Kerry Calls the U.S. an “International Pariah”
Blogs of War � Video: John Kerry Calls the U.S. an “International Pariah”
Ignore links above
Article by Geo Tag
Ignore links above
Article by Geo Tag
| Issue Date: January 2007, Posted On: 12/28/2006 |
| Forget the Koran. Forget the ayatollahs and the imams. If we want to understand the enemy we're fighting in Islam is not our opponent in For two years I've been researching a book about Alexander the Great's counter-guerrilla campaign in In other words, the clash of East and West is at bottom not about religion. It's about two different ways of being in the world. Those ways haven't changed in 2,300 years. They are polar antagonists, incompatible and irreconcilable. The West is modern and rational; its constituent unit is the nation. The East is ancient and visceral; its constituent unit is the tribe. What is a tribe anyway? Am I knocking tribalism? Not at all. In many ways I think people are happier in a tribal universe. Consider the appeal of post-apocalyptic movies like The Road Warrior or The Day After Tomorrow. Modern life is tough. Who can fault us if now and then we entertain the idea of going back to the simple life? The people we're fighting in How do you combat a tribal enemy? What is the nature of the tribe? What can sociology tell us about its attributes? The tribe respects power. The tribe must have a chief. It demands a leader. With a top dog, every underdog knows his place. He feels secure. He can provide security for this family. The tribe needs a Tony Soprano. It needs a Godfather. The The tribe needs a boss. Alexander understood this. Unlike the When we Americans declared in essence to the Iraqis, "Here, folks, you're free now; set up your own government," they looked at us as if we were crazy. The tribal mind doesn't want freedom; it wants security. Order. It wants a New Boss. The Iraqis lost all respect for us then. They saw us as naive, as fools. They saw that we could be beaten. The tribe is a warrior; its foundation is warrior pride. What the warrior craves before all else is respect. Respect from his own people and, even more, from his enemy. When we of the West understand this, as Alexander did, we'll have taken the first step toward solving the unsolvable. The tribe places no value on freedom. You can't sell "freedom" to tribesmen any more than you can sell "democracy." He doesn't want it. It violates his code. It threatens everything he stands for. The tribe is bound to the land. The tribe cannot be negotiated with. The tribe has no honor except within its own sphere, deriving justice for its own people. Its code is "Us versus Them." The outsider is a gentile, an infidel, a devil. These are just a few of the characteristics of the tribal mind. Now: what to do about this? How to deal with the tribal mind. To deal successfully with the tribe, a negotiator of the West must first grant it its pride and honor. The tribe's males must be addressed as warriors; its women must be treated with respect. The tribe must be left to its own land, to govern as it deems best. If you want to get out of a tribal war, you must find a scenario by which the tribe can declare itself victorious. The tribal mind is canny; it knows when it's whipped. But its warrior pride is so fierce, it cannot admit this. The tribe has to be allowed its face. How Alexander got out of a quagmire. Alexander made the tribesmen his equals. He acknowledged their warrior honor. When he and his army marched out to their next conquest, Alexander took the bravest of his former enemies with him as his Companions. They rode at his side in stations of honor; they dined at his shoulder in the royal pavilion. (Of course, he also beat the living hell out of the Afghans for three years prior, and when he took off, he left a fifth of his army to garrison the place.) The outlook for the Perhaps, in the end, our leaders, like Alexander, will figure some way to bring the tribal foe around. More likely, in my opinion, they'll arrive at the same conclusion as did Lord Roberts, the legendary British general. Lord Roberts fought (and defeated militarily) tribesmen in two bloody wars in Steven Pressfield's most recent book is "The Afghan Campaign: A Novel." © 2006 Steven Pressfield |
Iraqi Mojo: Fouad Ajami on Iraq
Iraqi Mojo: Fouad Ajami on Iraq
Katie: 10 Questions On Iraq
Questions by Katie Couric
1.
We’ve heard so much about Sunnis and Shia. What are the main religious differences between them? What do they have in common?
Big, complicated history. It begins with the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, leaving no male heir. The majority Sunni (literally orthodox, mainstream) community subscribed to the rule of the first three Caliphs who succeeded him. The minority movement, the Shia (literally the Partisans) of his son-in-law, Imam Ali, husband of his daughter Fatima, asserted that succession belongs to the Prophet’s family, to Ali in the first, and to the Prophet’s grandsons and their descendants. In the great civil war in the House of Islam that played out in the later years of the seventh century, the Sunni governments won, the Shia “martyrs” and oppositionists lost. In 680, The Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussein, the hero-martyr of Shi’ism was killed in southern Iraq on the plains of Karbala. And with this, the great wound in Islam deepens forever. What Sunnis and Shia still have in common is belief in the unity of God, in the Prophet Muhammad, in the Quran. They are separated by temperament and by how they look at history.
2. Why are Sunnis and Shia politically divided? Could you tell us about the history of the two sects in Iraq?
The first question goes to the heart of this second one: They differ about legitimate power, and who should hold it. The Shia believe that power belongs to the pious, and to The Prophet’s family; the Sunnis believe that power and order have legitimacy of their own. In Iraq the Sunnis and the Shia are both Arab through and through. Iraq became a battleground between the (Sunni) Ottoman empire and the (Shia) Persian empire. The Sunnis, though a minority in Iraq, have ruled that country for centuries. The Shia were cut out of political power, and successive regimes in that country (the monarchy, the military regimes since the Revolution of 1958 that overthrew the monarchy) were based in the Sunni community. With the Shia holy cities and seminaries of Najaf and Karbala on Iraqi soil, the Shia clerics have had great say over the life of the Shia community.
3. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen what appears to be a resurgence of sectarian violence in Iraq. Why is this happening now?
The sectarian violence is precisely what the Arab Sunni jihadists have sought to trigger, in alliance with the Saddamists. Last February, they attacked the sacred Shia mosque in Samarra. The result was predictable: The Shia were drawn into the fight. And now the Shia have extremists of their own, and death squads and avengers – the boys of Moqtada al-Sadr in the slums of Baghdad.
4. Is there any hope for Sunnis and Shia to live together peacefully in a democratic Iraq? Or is the ultimate solution some way of separating them into different states—as Senator Joe Biden has proposed?
In the long run, the Sunnis and the Shia are doomed to live together. In the past Iraqis prided themselves on the high rate of inter-marriage between Sunnis and Shia – Sushi is the label so many of these people go by, for wit. Partition will not work. Baghdad can’t be divided, and the Sunnis would be stranded in regions without oil. I have great respect for Senator Biden and have talked with him at great length over the years about Iraq and other Middle Eastern subjects, but he is off target here.
5. Two Shiite mosques and five Shiite-owned businesses in Detroit were vandalized earlier this month. The head of the Michigan Council on American-Islamic Relations said that many in the community believe it was an attack by Sunnis, though this hasn’t been proven. Is there also a Sunni-Shia divide among Muslims in the United States?
There is a Sunni-Shia divide in Detroit, in Amsterdam, wherever Muslims live, alas. Detroit because of the automotive industry, and the history of labor migration by poor Lebanese Shia, may have a Shia majority, though of course in the Muslim world as a whole the Shia are a minority.
6. Qatar recently held a conference intended to bring Sunnis and Shia closer together. How do you think sectarian fighting can be curbed in Iraq and elsewhere? Does it require a military or a political solution?
The conference in Qatar is o.k. as far as it goes. The problem is that there is in Qatar a very hugely influential Sunni cleric, of Egyptian background, Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, who is fairly strict and not given to kind thoughts about the Shia. The answer is both cultural and political: The Sunni Arabs will have to accept the claims of the Shia; for their part, the Shia must, with time, rid themselves of the attitude of opposition that has marked their history.
7. We know that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, honorable people. But what do you say to people who ask why almost every terrorist is a Muslim?
I say there is a painful truth here, and that one of the Arab world’s most influential and liberal journalists, the Saudi Abdulrahman al-Rashed, head of Al-Arrabiya television channel based in Dubai, bluntly observed that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all (most?) terrorists are Muslims. What is clear and indisputable is that violence and terror are on the loose in Islamic lands – and in Islamic communities in the West – and that it has religious support given it by free-lance preachers who have bent the faith to their own interpretation.
8. What motivates Islamic extremism? Is it repressive governments—the lack of democracy—as the president has said? Is it economic disadvantage?
Economic disadvantage is part of the story, but that interpretation misses a lot. The boys of 9/11 (the Egyptian Mohamed Atta, the Lebanese Ziyad Jarrah who piloted the plane forced down in Pennsylvania on that sad day) were not poor. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden come from aristocracy and a merchant dynasty, respectively. It is, in part, the will to power, and a belief that Islam – as interpreted by these men – ought to prevail.
9. We seemed to have much of the Islamic world on our side in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Why are we now so unpopular there? Is it just Iraq, or is it more than that?
Good question, but a seductive one. We did not have the Muslim world on our side after 9/11. Huge numbers of Muslims believed we got our comeuppance on that day, while others were embarrassed. Iraq complicated our lives, but the American position in Islamic lands was never brilliant to begin with. We befriend the rulers in the Arab world, and we are caught in the crossfire between the rulers and populations that resent them but can’t overthrow them. We are the perfect scapegoat for every problem under the sun. Anti-Americanism is the weapon of mass distraction, a clever man once said.
10. What is the biggest misconception Americans have about Islam?
People think that Islam is on the boil, overly political. But for the vast majority not caught up in radicalism and sectarian violence, it is a faith that provides solace and comfort, people still go on pilgrimage, give alms to the poor, turn to Islam for meaning, for a bit of shade, if you will, in a turbulent Islamic world. From Indonesia in the east to Morocco in the Western-most land of Islam, there are 1.2 billion Muslims. There is fanaticism among a dangerous minority, and ordinary life for the vast, silent majority. posted by Iraqi Mojo
Katie: 10 Questions On Iraq
Questions by Katie Couric
1.
We’ve heard so much about Sunnis and Shia. What are the main religious differences between them? What do they have in common?
Big, complicated history. It begins with the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, leaving no male heir. The majority Sunni (literally orthodox, mainstream) community subscribed to the rule of the first three Caliphs who succeeded him. The minority movement, the Shia (literally the Partisans) of his son-in-law, Imam Ali, husband of his daughter Fatima, asserted that succession belongs to the Prophet’s family, to Ali in the first, and to the Prophet’s grandsons and their descendants. In the great civil war in the House of Islam that played out in the later years of the seventh century, the Sunni governments won, the Shia “martyrs” and oppositionists lost. In 680, The Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussein, the hero-martyr of Shi’ism was killed in southern Iraq on the plains of Karbala. And with this, the great wound in Islam deepens forever. What Sunnis and Shia still have in common is belief in the unity of God, in the Prophet Muhammad, in the Quran. They are separated by temperament and by how they look at history.
2. Why are Sunnis and Shia politically divided? Could you tell us about the history of the two sects in Iraq?
The first question goes to the heart of this second one: They differ about legitimate power, and who should hold it. The Shia believe that power belongs to the pious, and to The Prophet’s family; the Sunnis believe that power and order have legitimacy of their own. In Iraq the Sunnis and the Shia are both Arab through and through. Iraq became a battleground between the (Sunni) Ottoman empire and the (Shia) Persian empire. The Sunnis, though a minority in Iraq, have ruled that country for centuries. The Shia were cut out of political power, and successive regimes in that country (the monarchy, the military regimes since the Revolution of 1958 that overthrew the monarchy) were based in the Sunni community. With the Shia holy cities and seminaries of Najaf and Karbala on Iraqi soil, the Shia clerics have had great say over the life of the Shia community.
3. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen what appears to be a resurgence of sectarian violence in Iraq. Why is this happening now?
The sectarian violence is precisely what the Arab Sunni jihadists have sought to trigger, in alliance with the Saddamists. Last February, they attacked the sacred Shia mosque in Samarra. The result was predictable: The Shia were drawn into the fight. And now the Shia have extremists of their own, and death squads and avengers – the boys of Moqtada al-Sadr in the slums of Baghdad.
4. Is there any hope for Sunnis and Shia to live together peacefully in a democratic Iraq? Or is the ultimate solution some way of separating them into different states—as Senator Joe Biden has proposed?
In the long run, the Sunnis and the Shia are doomed to live together. In the past Iraqis prided themselves on the high rate of inter-marriage between Sunnis and Shia – Sushi is the label so many of these people go by, for wit. Partition will not work. Baghdad can’t be divided, and the Sunnis would be stranded in regions without oil. I have great respect for Senator Biden and have talked with him at great length over the years about Iraq and other Middle Eastern subjects, but he is off target here.
5. Two Shiite mosques and five Shiite-owned businesses in Detroit were vandalized earlier this month. The head of the Michigan Council on American-Islamic Relations said that many in the community believe it was an attack by Sunnis, though this hasn’t been proven. Is there also a Sunni-Shia divide among Muslims in the United States?
There is a Sunni-Shia divide in Detroit, in Amsterdam, wherever Muslims live, alas. Detroit because of the automotive industry, and the history of labor migration by poor Lebanese Shia, may have a Shia majority, though of course in the Muslim world as a whole the Shia are a minority.
6. Qatar recently held a conference intended to bring Sunnis and Shia closer together. How do you think sectarian fighting can be curbed in Iraq and elsewhere? Does it require a military or a political solution?
The conference in Qatar is o.k. as far as it goes. The problem is that there is in Qatar a very hugely influential Sunni cleric, of Egyptian background, Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, who is fairly strict and not given to kind thoughts about the Shia. The answer is both cultural and political: The Sunni Arabs will have to accept the claims of the Shia; for their part, the Shia must, with time, rid themselves of the attitude of opposition that has marked their history.
7. We know that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, honorable people. But what do you say to people who ask why almost every terrorist is a Muslim?
I say there is a painful truth here, and that one of the Arab world’s most influential and liberal journalists, the Saudi Abdulrahman al-Rashed, head of Al-Arrabiya television channel based in Dubai, bluntly observed that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all (most?) terrorists are Muslims. What is clear and indisputable is that violence and terror are on the loose in Islamic lands – and in Islamic communities in the West – and that it has religious support given it by free-lance preachers who have bent the faith to their own interpretation.
8. What motivates Islamic extremism? Is it repressive governments—the lack of democracy—as the president has said? Is it economic disadvantage?
Economic disadvantage is part of the story, but that interpretation misses a lot. The boys of 9/11 (the Egyptian Mohamed Atta, the Lebanese Ziyad Jarrah who piloted the plane forced down in Pennsylvania on that sad day) were not poor. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden come from aristocracy and a merchant dynasty, respectively. It is, in part, the will to power, and a belief that Islam – as interpreted by these men – ought to prevail.
9. We seemed to have much of the Islamic world on our side in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Why are we now so unpopular there? Is it just Iraq, or is it more than that?
Good question, but a seductive one. We did not have the Muslim world on our side after 9/11. Huge numbers of Muslims believed we got our comeuppance on that day, while others were embarrassed. Iraq complicated our lives, but the American position in Islamic lands was never brilliant to begin with. We befriend the rulers in the Arab world, and we are caught in the crossfire between the rulers and populations that resent them but can’t overthrow them. We are the perfect scapegoat for every problem under the sun. Anti-Americanism is the weapon of mass distraction, a clever man once said.
10. What is the biggest misconception Americans have about Islam?
People think that Islam is on the boil, overly political. But for the vast majority not caught up in radicalism and sectarian violence, it is a faith that provides solace and comfort, people still go on pilgrimage, give alms to the poor, turn to Islam for meaning, for a bit of shade, if you will, in a turbulent Islamic world. From Indonesia in the east to Morocco in the Western-most land of Islam, there are 1.2 billion Muslims. There is fanaticism among a dangerous minority, and ordinary life for the vast, silent majority. posted by Iraqi Mojo
Iraqi Mojo: Where Were You?
Iraqi Mojo: Where Were You?
Read this when you have time. A Christian Iraqi tells about past and present.
Read this when you have time. A Christian Iraqi tells about past and present.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
BizzyBlog
BizzyBlog
Do You Mean Credit Isn’t Automatically Evil (and Being Debt-Free Isn’t a Bed of Roses)?
Imagine that. The two major takeaways from the SmartMoney.com article are:
- There are challenges to living debt-free.
- There are times when having certain debts makes financial sense. For example, having a low-rate traditional fixed-rate mortgage with a rate of under 5%, not paying it off more quickly, and investing money you may have targeted towards paying the mortgage off more quickly in a reasonably aggressive manner will ordinarily leave you with more wealth when the mortgage is eventually paid off.
I’ll focus on the challenges to living debt-free in this post.
The biggest challenge is that if you are truly debt-free, you may not even have any credit established — and if you don’t have credit, you often can’t get credit. “Credit” in the broadest sense includes getting services that you don’t have to borrow money to obtain, but for which you still have to present some kind of proof of financial viability to get access to. In this broad scope, not having credit could even affect your ability to get a wireless phone, to avoid having to put down deposits to get utility, cable, or phone service, or to make other supposedly “routine” purchases.
Then there is the hassle you’ll likely face when traveling. Most rental-car companies insist on having a credit card number (a debit card will NOT suffice. More hotels are insisting that you guarantee your room with a credit card (debit cards are somewhat more likely to work here).
Putting the above potential problems aside, most people aspire to owning a home, and most people wishing to be totally debt-free usually don’t have the money to pay cash for a house. A person without a credit history or having a very sketchy one will often have a tough time getting a mortgage loan approved. It shouldn’t be that way, and if I were king of the world, I would force lenders to consider the absence of late payments on routine bills, such as utilities, wireless phone and the like positive evidence of creditworthiness. If lenders felt like they routinely needed proof (a fair request, I suppose), I would want the service providers I just named to report payment history to the bureaus. Voila, the “problem” of being debt-free without evidence of creditworthiness would be solved.
Since I’m not king (yet), the main ways to head off the potential “no credit, no approval” problem in advance of applying for a mortgage are:
- Get a general-purpose credit card (Visa/MC/Discover/Amex). Use it occasionally, and pay the bill in full when it’s due. The card will at least show up on your credit report (even Amex, as of some years ago). Whether the card’s unpaid balance shows up on the report, even when always paid in full, depends on the card, but I don’t think it matters that much to your perceived creditworthiness whether it does or doesn’t (if you think I’m wrong about that, let me know or leave a comment).
- If you already have a general purpose card or two already but never use them, do the things suggested in the previous step.
- If you can’t get approved for a general-purpose card because of no credit history, get a retail card, for which you will get approved if you either a) have a pulse, or b) can fog a mirror when you breathe. Charge a few things on it for 3-6 months and pay it in full, and you will probably have little difficulty getting approved for a general-purpose card.
- Have a checking account AND a savings account — A surprising number of people who are living debt-free without established credit also live outside the banking system. I like privacy as much as the next person, but this is not a good long-term idea. The credit-application scoring systems (different from your credit score) give a person a lot of points for having an open checking and an open savings account. You may get approved even if you are totally debt-free and don’t have much of a credit history (but don’t take it for granted that this is what will happen).
- Consider borrowing from a credit union where you are already a customer if it offers mortgages. The rates they offer may be a bit better too.
TheStockAdvisors.com - Boomers, dollars and debt
TheStockAdvisors.com - Boomers, dollars and debt
| Best of the Best: Today's Top Investment Ideas |
| Boomers, dollars and debt |  | Digg It! |
| Thursday, 25 January 2007 | |
|
In addition, the Adens share some thought-provoking commentary regarding government debt, the dollar and baby boomers from David Gallard of Casey Research, also a long standing expert in this sector. “We often discuss the unprecedented U.S. debt load and what it means for the economy, gold, the dollar and so on. But we rarely discuss the baby boomers and how this will affect the future, which is also one of the main reasons why we believe gold will continue to rise for years to come. In the excerpts that follow, David Gallard explains why… “Seventy eight million is the number of baby boomers who are in or approaching retirement. That’s the biggest demographic bulge in U.S. history, fully 26% of the population. "And many of those 78 million are in a jam. As they approach retirement, they are still carrying historic levels of debt and, on average, have woefully inadequate net worth — and much of that based on shaky housing prices. “In fact, 25% of the retiring boomers are facing retirement with a net worth of less than $50,000. You don’t need to be an accountant to see that they won’t get very far on so little. "Meanwhile, U.S. government debt now tops $9 trillion, before taking into account its unfunded obligations for Social Security and Medicare — debts that the retiring boomers will soon have their hands out to collect. “After adding in Social Security, Medicare and all the government’s other pay-later obligations, the current debt actually comes in at over $60 trillion—an amount so large, not one person in a million has a real sense of it. So let’s try to put that number into perspective. “A trillion is 1000 X 1000 X 1000 X 1000, or a million millions. President Reagan, himself a big spender, accurately pointed out that a stack of $1,000 bills four inches high makes you a millionaire, and that a trillion dollars would be a stack 67 miles high! The U.S. government owes 60 of those sky-piercing stacks of $1,000 bills. “It’s a lot of money. And it’s not just any kind of money. Amazingly, this unbacked currency of a bankrupt government is still the reserve currency of virtually every nation in the world today. But not, we think, for much longer. “To service its debt and keep the game going, the U.S. government must sell on the order of $2.5 billion per day in new Treasury bills, much of it to foreigners already sitting on something like $6 trillion of U.S. paper. "Recognizing that the U.S. has little capacity to rein in its profligate spending and has neither the intent nor the ability to actually pay off its $60 trillion debt in money worth anywhere near what it’s worth today, foreigners are increasingly leery about accumulating more greenbacks. “So what are nervous bureaucrats to do? The answer is to depreciate the currency – and as quietly as possible. That allows the government to meet its obligations, but with ever more worthless dollars. It’s their only way to buy time. “In other words, the total amount of money in the system – what we ‘print’ — is whatever the government finds convenient from one day to the next. That’s a way of saying that the U.S. government is planning to paper over all its many obligations and accelerate a trend that has been in motion since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. “While no one can say with certainty how this will play out, there is one truth you can take to the bank. Throughout all of human history, gold has always held its value as a monetary instrument. That sort of shock-proof durability cannot be claimed by any paper currency, certainly not by the dollar, which has lost 70% of its value since abandoning the gold standard in 1971. |
Mary Anne and Pamela Aden have long been among the most respected advisors in the resource sector and in the latest issue of The Skeptical Optimist: Pie Chart of Who Owns the Debt, and Bar Chart of Who’s Been Buying It
The Skeptical Optimist: Pie Chart of Who Owns the Debt, and Bar Chart of Who’s Been Buying It: "If we’re supposed to be scared of the foreigners who are buying up our debt, I guess we’d better stop looking across the Pacific for the culprits, and start keeping an eye on the Brits—because in the six months through March ’06, they increased their holdings almost six times as much as the Chinese did ($84B vs $15B). Not only that, but the Canadians were right behind the Chinese ($12B vs $15B).
In that environment, it’s tough to figure out who we’re supposed to be scared of, isn’t it? I gave up a long time ago; I’m just grateful they’re helping (indirectly) to fund our economy’s growth, and helping (indirectly) to keep our tax rates lower than they’d otherwise have to be to keep our debt burden (debt-to-GDP ratio) from growing. (Thank you, foreigners! Maybe you should consider immigrating...)
In any case, the two biggest groups of T-bond buyers swamped everybody else (see the two longest bars at the top of the chart). Those two groups are made up of you, me, our families, our friends, and our neighbors. "
In that environment, it’s tough to figure out who we’re supposed to be scared of, isn’t it? I gave up a long time ago; I’m just grateful they’re helping (indirectly) to fund our economy’s growth, and helping (indirectly) to keep our tax rates lower than they’d otherwise have to be to keep our debt burden (debt-to-GDP ratio) from growing. (Thank you, foreigners! Maybe you should consider immigrating...)
In any case, the two biggest groups of T-bond buyers swamped everybody else (see the two longest bars at the top of the chart). Those two groups are made up of you, me, our families, our friends, and our neighbors. "
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Delftsman: "Quagmire", and other lies
Delftsman: "Quagmire", and other lies
Positive Facts about Iraq!!!
Positive Facts about Iraq!!!
Lifestyle Changes Cut Diabetes Risk in Half
Lifestyle Changes Cut Diabetes Risk in Half
I am going to repeat myself again, but the main thing with DM 2 is insulin resistance. This is secondary to America's obession with carbs. Most take in more carbs in relation to protein and fats. Which are very important when it comes to the physiology of the body. Any time you overload on carbs, many things start to happen: your pancreas works over time, as well as the liver, you have fluctuations of insulin and blood sugar levels, your cortisol levels go up/down and eventually stay up and so forth. The main trigger is that your body starts to store sugar in your muscles and most do not exercise enough. So when the muscles stores are filled, the next place is to let if "free flow" in the blood. The end result is that your body cannot handle the blood glucose levels, as well as all the carbs/sugar coming in. You end up with pancreatic insulemia and insulin resistance. Your body cannot keep up and you are now unable to decrease blood sugar levels becuase your body is insulin resistant.
As well, as I have said before, insulin is the KEY that opens the doors of the receptor sites to store fat. So, most, not all type 2 diabetics are skinny, but have guts. This is one of the signs of being insulin resistant. Some great principles to follow are:
# Your are what you eat and when you eat
# Get to bed by 10 and rise no earlier than 6 a.m. (physical repair is between 10pm-2am and mental repair is between 2am-6am)
# Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day
# If it wasn’t here 10,000 years ago, don’t eat it
# If it has a shelf life than it is a nonfood and should not be eaten (it takes more energy for you to metabolize and assimilate a nonfood than that food actually provides you with)
# If it is white, don't eat it (salt, sugar, flour, pasteurized milk)
# If it is clear, don't eat it (jello's, juice, etc). Bacteria grows around it and most clear fluids are sugar water.
# If you are not eating for your metabolic type, it is like putting unleaded gas in a diesel engine
# If you can't eat it, don't wear it! (www.eastwest.younglivingworld.com)
# Stay away from or eating food from microwaves!
With Love!
I am going to repeat myself again, but the main thing with DM 2 is insulin resistance. This is secondary to America's obession with carbs. Most take in more carbs in relation to protein and fats. Which are very important when it comes to the physiology of the body. Any time you overload on carbs, many things start to happen: your pancreas works over time, as well as the liver, you have fluctuations of insulin and blood sugar levels, your cortisol levels go up/down and eventually stay up and so forth. The main trigger is that your body starts to store sugar in your muscles and most do not exercise enough. So when the muscles stores are filled, the next place is to let if "free flow" in the blood. The end result is that your body cannot handle the blood glucose levels, as well as all the carbs/sugar coming in. You end up with pancreatic insulemia and insulin resistance. Your body cannot keep up and you are now unable to decrease blood sugar levels becuase your body is insulin resistant.
As well, as I have said before, insulin is the KEY that opens the doors of the receptor sites to store fat. So, most, not all type 2 diabetics are skinny, but have guts. This is one of the signs of being insulin resistant. Some great principles to follow are:
# Your are what you eat and when you eat
# Get to bed by 10 and rise no earlier than 6 a.m. (physical repair is between 10pm-2am and mental repair is between 2am-6am)
# Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day
# If it wasn’t here 10,000 years ago, don’t eat it
# If it has a shelf life than it is a nonfood and should not be eaten (it takes more energy for you to metabolize and assimilate a nonfood than that food actually provides you with)
# If it is white, don't eat it (salt, sugar, flour, pasteurized milk)
# If it is clear, don't eat it (jello's, juice, etc). Bacteria grows around it and most clear fluids are sugar water.
# If you are not eating for your metabolic type, it is like putting unleaded gas in a diesel engine
# If you can't eat it, don't wear it! (www.eastwest.younglivingworld.com)
# Stay away from or eating food from microwaves!
With Love!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Iraqi Bloggers Central: Where Did Saddam Get His Chemical Weapons?
Iraqi Bloggers Central: Where Did Saddam Get His Chemical Weapons?Sadam got lessthan 1% of his WMDs from America. Gteat info.
Monday, January 15, 2007
The Big Picture | Countries GDP as US States
The Big Picture | Countries GDP as US States Great analogy picture!!!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Brutally Honest: Dispatches from Baghdad - a soldier's view on Iraq
Brutally Honest: Dispatches from Baghdad - a soldier's view on IraqDispatches from Baghdad - a soldier's view on Iraq
Hope filled words from a Brit in Iraq:
Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb CMG DSO OBE is the Deputy Commanding General for the Multi-National Force-Iraq. He is also the UK’s Senior Military Officer in the country. Based in Baghdad, he frequently operates around the country. Here he gives his thoughts and an honest appraisal of Iraq's unfolding story:
"This is my fourth deployment. So I have, if nothing else, a reasonable (albeit soldier’s) perspective on Iraq and its people. I have, as you would expect, in these four tours got around a great deal and in the process I have drunk more tea (it’s very good, but not at all English) and broken more bread than I would care to recall.
But I have enjoyed an honest engagement with Iraqis from all persuasions whose hospitality is humbling, and on each occasion that I return to this country have seen progress being made that rarely gets reported.
...
In July, a poll by the nonprofit International Republican Institute found that 94% of Iraqis said they support a “unity” government. Nearly 80% opposed Iraq being segregated by religion or ethnicity, and even in Baghdad where sectarian violence is heightened, 76% opposed ethnic separation.
Similarly, according to a September WorldPublicOpinion.org poll, 97% of Iraqis said they “strongly disapprove” of attacks against Iraqi civilians, and 96% of Iraqis disapproved of attacks on Iraqi security forces.
These are the voices of that huge, so often forgotten, and silent majority of Iraqis who deserve a better life. They are good people who struggle and fall, but pick themselves up every day and continue to move on. These are people who deserve a chance. Their hopes and their dreams are, I believe as they do, worth fighting for. And it is this that this coalition does every day.
...
Iraq will not be completely free of violence - no country ever is. But as the Iraqis begin to learn to trust their security forces and actively work to rid the country of extremists, violence can be reduced to acceptable levels. Iraqis are making progress, and the Coalition Force remains steadfast in its support of Iraq through its transition to a more unified, secure, and prosperous country.
Can this still fail to meet our expectations? Of course it can. I personally do not believe that it will, and I am inclined to believe that greatness will eventually return to a country long overdue its sovereignty. But it would be a shame to fail simply because we all grew tired of trying."
The whole thing's worthy so go now and read it all and thank Instapundit for the find.
Hope filled words from a Brit in Iraq:
Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb CMG DSO OBE is the Deputy Commanding General for the Multi-National Force-Iraq. He is also the UK’s Senior Military Officer in the country. Based in Baghdad, he frequently operates around the country. Here he gives his thoughts and an honest appraisal of Iraq's unfolding story:
"This is my fourth deployment. So I have, if nothing else, a reasonable (albeit soldier’s) perspective on Iraq and its people. I have, as you would expect, in these four tours got around a great deal and in the process I have drunk more tea (it’s very good, but not at all English) and broken more bread than I would care to recall.
But I have enjoyed an honest engagement with Iraqis from all persuasions whose hospitality is humbling, and on each occasion that I return to this country have seen progress being made that rarely gets reported.
...
In July, a poll by the nonprofit International Republican Institute found that 94% of Iraqis said they support a “unity” government. Nearly 80% opposed Iraq being segregated by religion or ethnicity, and even in Baghdad where sectarian violence is heightened, 76% opposed ethnic separation.
Similarly, according to a September WorldPublicOpinion.org poll, 97% of Iraqis said they “strongly disapprove” of attacks against Iraqi civilians, and 96% of Iraqis disapproved of attacks on Iraqi security forces.
These are the voices of that huge, so often forgotten, and silent majority of Iraqis who deserve a better life. They are good people who struggle and fall, but pick themselves up every day and continue to move on. These are people who deserve a chance. Their hopes and their dreams are, I believe as they do, worth fighting for. And it is this that this coalition does every day.
...
Iraq will not be completely free of violence - no country ever is. But as the Iraqis begin to learn to trust their security forces and actively work to rid the country of extremists, violence can be reduced to acceptable levels. Iraqis are making progress, and the Coalition Force remains steadfast in its support of Iraq through its transition to a more unified, secure, and prosperous country.
Can this still fail to meet our expectations? Of course it can. I personally do not believe that it will, and I am inclined to believe that greatness will eventually return to a country long overdue its sovereignty. But it would be a shame to fail simply because we all grew tired of trying."
The whole thing's worthy so go now and read it all and thank Instapundit for the find.
Amazing Facts: Daily Bread
Amazing Facts: Daily Bread
Some are motivated to step out fearlessly and identify with the despised “remnant” who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (cf. Rev. 15:2, 3; 12:17). The gospel commission will not be finished with a whimper but with a blaze of glory.
Isaiah 49 is a wonderful treatise on these glorious days as finally the pure truth of the gospel is understood and proclaimed. The Lord says, “‘I will say to the prisoners, Go free!’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come out to the light!’ ... I will make a highway across the mountains and prepare a road for My people to travel. ... Look around you and see what is happening! Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers. They will bow low before you and honor you. ... I will fight against whoever fights you, and I will rescue your children” (vss. 9, 11, 18, 23, 25, GNB).
Under that proclamation of “the everlasting gospel,” agencies that have held people back are powerless to keep them from stepping out for the Lord—like employment that threatens dismissal because of the holy Sabbath, or friends or family; truth is more precious than all besides. Honorable people honor the Lord. Some in the very highest levels of the Roman Curia will respond, according to the Revelation 15:2 prophecy.
Abraham was a wealthy, distinguished man in his day. If God Himself preached the “gospel” to him (Gal. 3:8), it must have been “Christ and Him crucified,” for that alone is the gospel (1 Cor. 2:1, 2). Jesus said that “Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 9:56). It was not craven fear of hell that motivated him to leave his comfortable home in the great city of Ur and live in tents the rest of his life; it was a glimpse of the abounding grace of the Lord. Yes, in the story of the offering of Isaac in Genesis 22, Abraham saw the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the love (agape) of Christ; that’s what nerved and moved him to shine as “the father of all them who believe” (Rom. 4:11).
The same vision will move you and me today, and also many in time to come! Agape is a far more effective motivation than any kind of fear the old covenant can generate.
Some are motivated to step out fearlessly and identify with the despised “remnant” who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (cf. Rev. 15:2, 3; 12:17). The gospel commission will not be finished with a whimper but with a blaze of glory.
Isaiah 49 is a wonderful treatise on these glorious days as finally the pure truth of the gospel is understood and proclaimed. The Lord says, “‘I will say to the prisoners, Go free!’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come out to the light!’ ... I will make a highway across the mountains and prepare a road for My people to travel. ... Look around you and see what is happening! Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers. They will bow low before you and honor you. ... I will fight against whoever fights you, and I will rescue your children” (vss. 9, 11, 18, 23, 25, GNB).
Under that proclamation of “the everlasting gospel,” agencies that have held people back are powerless to keep them from stepping out for the Lord—like employment that threatens dismissal because of the holy Sabbath, or friends or family; truth is more precious than all besides. Honorable people honor the Lord. Some in the very highest levels of the Roman Curia will respond, according to the Revelation 15:2 prophecy.
Abraham was a wealthy, distinguished man in his day. If God Himself preached the “gospel” to him (Gal. 3:8), it must have been “Christ and Him crucified,” for that alone is the gospel (1 Cor. 2:1, 2). Jesus said that “Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 9:56). It was not craven fear of hell that motivated him to leave his comfortable home in the great city of Ur and live in tents the rest of his life; it was a glimpse of the abounding grace of the Lord. Yes, in the story of the offering of Isaac in Genesis 22, Abraham saw the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the love (agape) of Christ; that’s what nerved and moved him to shine as “the father of all them who believe” (Rom. 4:11).
The same vision will move you and me today, and also many in time to come! Agape is a far more effective motivation than any kind of fear the old covenant can generate.
Dumb Looks Still Free: The Oncoming Storm
Dumb Looks Still Free: The Oncoming StormExcellent discussion of America. Now and to come!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Saturday, January 06, 2007
15 rules for understanding the Middle East -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY
15 rules for understanding the Middle East -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY
First published: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
For a long time, I let my hopes for a decent outcome in Iraq triumph over what I had learned reporting from Lebanon during its civil war. Those hopes vanished last summer. So, I'd like to offer President Bush my updated rules of Middle East reporting, which also apply to diplomacy, in hopes they'll help him figure out what to do next in Iraq.
Rule 1: What people tell you in private in the Middle East is irrelevant. All that matters is what they will defend in public in their own language. Anything said to you in English, in private, doesn't count. In Washington, officials lie in public and tell the truth off the record. In the Mideast, officials say what they really believe in public and tell you what you want to hear in private.
Rule 2: Any reporter or U.S. Army officer wanting to serve in Iraq should have to take a test, consisting of one question: "Do you think the shortest distance between two points is a straight line?" If you answer yes, you can't go to Iraq. You can serve in Japan, Korea or Germany -- not Iraq.
Rule 3: If you can't explain something to Middle Easterners with a conspiracy theory, then don't try to explain it at all -- they won't believe it.
Rule 4: In the Middle East, never take a concession, except out of the mouth of the person doing the conceding. If I had a dollar for every time someone agreed to recognize Israel on behalf of Yasser Arafat, I could paper my walls.
Rule 5: Never lead your story out of Lebanon, Gaza or Iraq with a cease-fire; it will always be over before the next morning's paper.
Rule 6: In the Middle East, the extremists go all the way, and the moderates tend to just go away.
Rule 7: The most oft-used expression by moderate Arab pols is: "We were just about to stand up to the bad guys when you stupid Americans did that stupid thing. Had you stupid Americans not done that stupid thing, we would have stood up, but now it's too late. It's all your fault for being so stupid."
Rule 8: Civil wars in the Arab world are rarely about ideas -- like liberalism vs. communism. They are about which tribe gets to rule. So, yes, Iraq is having a civil war as we once did. But there is no Abe Lincoln in this war. It's the South vs. the South.
Rule 9: In Middle East tribal politics there is rarely a happy medium. When one side is weak, it will tell you, "I'm weak, how can I compromise?" And when it's strong, it will tell you, "I'm strong, why should I compromise?" Rule 10: Mideast civil wars end in one of three ways: a) like the U.S. civil war, with one side vanquishing the other; b) like the Cyprus civil war, with a hard partition and a wall dividing the parties; or c) like the Lebanon civil war, with a soft partition under an iron fist (Syria) that keeps everyone in line. Saddam used to be the iron fist in Iraq. Now it is us. If we don't want to play that role, Iraq's civil war will end with A or B.Rule 11: The most underestimated emotion in Arab politics is humiliation. The Israeli-Arab conflict, for instance, is not just about borders. Israel's mere existence is a daily humiliation to Muslims, who can't understand how, if they have the superior religion, Israel can be so powerful. Al Jazeera's editor, Ahmed Sheikh, said it best when he recently told the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche: "It gnaws at the people in the Middle East that such a small country as Israel, with only about 7 million inhabitants, can defeat the Arab nation with its 350 million. That hurts our collective ego. The Palestinian problem is in the genes of every Arab. The West's problem is that it does not understand this."
Rule 12: Thus, the Israelis will always win, and the Palestinians will always make sure they never enjoy it. Everything else is just commentary.
Rule 13: Our first priority is democracy, but the Arabs' first priority is "justice." The oft-warring Arab tribes are all wounded souls, who really have been hurt by colonial powers, by Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, by Arab kings and dictators, and, most of all, by each other in endless tribal wars. For Iraq's long-abused Shiite majority, democracy is first and foremost a vehicle to get justice. Ditto the Kurds. For the minority Sunnis, democracy in Iraq is a vehicle of injustice. For us, democracy is all about protecting minority rights. For them, democracy is first about consolidating majority rights and getting justice.
Rule 14: The Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi had it right: "Great powers should never get involved in the politics of small tribes."
Rule 15: Whether it is Arab-Israeli peace or democracy in Iraq, you can't want it more than they do.
First published: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
For a long time, I let my hopes for a decent outcome in Iraq triumph over what I had learned reporting from Lebanon during its civil war. Those hopes vanished last summer. So, I'd like to offer President Bush my updated rules of Middle East reporting, which also apply to diplomacy, in hopes they'll help him figure out what to do next in Iraq.
Rule 1: What people tell you in private in the Middle East is irrelevant. All that matters is what they will defend in public in their own language. Anything said to you in English, in private, doesn't count. In Washington, officials lie in public and tell the truth off the record. In the Mideast, officials say what they really believe in public and tell you what you want to hear in private.
Rule 2: Any reporter or U.S. Army officer wanting to serve in Iraq should have to take a test, consisting of one question: "Do you think the shortest distance between two points is a straight line?" If you answer yes, you can't go to Iraq. You can serve in Japan, Korea or Germany -- not Iraq.
Rule 3: If you can't explain something to Middle Easterners with a conspiracy theory, then don't try to explain it at all -- they won't believe it.
Rule 4: In the Middle East, never take a concession, except out of the mouth of the person doing the conceding. If I had a dollar for every time someone agreed to recognize Israel on behalf of Yasser Arafat, I could paper my walls.
Rule 5: Never lead your story out of Lebanon, Gaza or Iraq with a cease-fire; it will always be over before the next morning's paper.
Rule 6: In the Middle East, the extremists go all the way, and the moderates tend to just go away.
Rule 7: The most oft-used expression by moderate Arab pols is: "We were just about to stand up to the bad guys when you stupid Americans did that stupid thing. Had you stupid Americans not done that stupid thing, we would have stood up, but now it's too late. It's all your fault for being so stupid."
Rule 8: Civil wars in the Arab world are rarely about ideas -- like liberalism vs. communism. They are about which tribe gets to rule. So, yes, Iraq is having a civil war as we once did. But there is no Abe Lincoln in this war. It's the South vs. the South.
Rule 9: In Middle East tribal politics there is rarely a happy medium. When one side is weak, it will tell you, "I'm weak, how can I compromise?" And when it's strong, it will tell you, "I'm strong, why should I compromise?" Rule 10: Mideast civil wars end in one of three ways: a) like the U.S. civil war, with one side vanquishing the other; b) like the Cyprus civil war, with a hard partition and a wall dividing the parties; or c) like the Lebanon civil war, with a soft partition under an iron fist (Syria) that keeps everyone in line. Saddam used to be the iron fist in Iraq. Now it is us. If we don't want to play that role, Iraq's civil war will end with A or B.Rule 11: The most underestimated emotion in Arab politics is humiliation. The Israeli-Arab conflict, for instance, is not just about borders. Israel's mere existence is a daily humiliation to Muslims, who can't understand how, if they have the superior religion, Israel can be so powerful. Al Jazeera's editor, Ahmed Sheikh, said it best when he recently told the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche: "It gnaws at the people in the Middle East that such a small country as Israel, with only about 7 million inhabitants, can defeat the Arab nation with its 350 million. That hurts our collective ego. The Palestinian problem is in the genes of every Arab. The West's problem is that it does not understand this."
Rule 12: Thus, the Israelis will always win, and the Palestinians will always make sure they never enjoy it. Everything else is just commentary.
Rule 13: Our first priority is democracy, but the Arabs' first priority is "justice." The oft-warring Arab tribes are all wounded souls, who really have been hurt by colonial powers, by Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, by Arab kings and dictators, and, most of all, by each other in endless tribal wars. For Iraq's long-abused Shiite majority, democracy is first and foremost a vehicle to get justice. Ditto the Kurds. For the minority Sunnis, democracy in Iraq is a vehicle of injustice. For us, democracy is all about protecting minority rights. For them, democracy is first about consolidating majority rights and getting justice.
Rule 14: The Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi had it right: "Great powers should never get involved in the politics of small tribes."
Rule 15: Whether it is Arab-Israeli peace or democracy in Iraq, you can't want it more than they do.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Blog d'Elisson
Blog d'ElissonPowerful Eyes O’ Jeremy Tait, by the late Wallace Irwin.
The Powerful Eyes O’ Jeremy Tait
An old sea-dog on a sailor’s log
Thus spake to a passer-by:
“The most onnateral thing on earth
Is the power o’ the human eye -
Oh, bless me! yes, oh, blow me! yes -
It’s the power o’ the human eye!
“We’d left New York en route for Cork
A day and a half to sea,
When Jeremy Tait, our fourteenth mate,
He fastened his eyes on me.
“And wizzle me hook! ’twas a powerful look
That flashed from them eyes o’ his;
I was terrified from heart to hide
And chilled to me bones and friz.
“ ‘O Jeremy Tait, O fourteenth mate’
I hollers with looks askance,
‘Full well I wist ye’re a hypnotist,
So please to remove yer glance!’
“But Jeremy laughed as he turned abaft
His glance like a demon rat,
And he frightened the cook with his piercin’ look
And he startled the captain’s cat.
“Oh, me, oh, my! When he turned his eye
On our very efficient crew,
They fell like dead, or they stood like lead
And stiff as a poker grew.
“So early and late did Jeremy Tait
That talent o’ his employ,
Which caused the crew, and the captain, too,
Some moments of great annoy.
“For we loved J. Tait, our fourteenth mate
As an officer brave and true,
But we quite despised bein’ hypnotized
When we had so much work to do.
“So we grabbed J. Tait, our fourteenth mate
(His eyes bein’ turned away),
By collar and sleeve, and we gave a heave,
And chucked him into the spray.
“His eyes they flashed as in he splashed,
But this glance it was sent too late,
For close to our bark a man-eatin’ shark
Jumped after Jeremy Tait.
“And you can bet he would ha’ been et
If he hadn’t have did as he done -
Straight at the shark an optical spark
From his terrible eye he spun.
“Then the shark he shook at Jeremy’s look
And he quailed at Jeremy’s glance;
Then he gave a sort of a sharkery snort
And fell right into a trance!
“Quite mesmerized and hypnotized
That submarine monster lay;
Meek as a shrimp, with his fins all limp,
He silently floated away.
“So we all of us cried with a conscious pride,
‘Hurrah for Jeremy Tait!’
And we hove a line down into the brine
And reskied him from his fate.
“And the captain cries ‘We kin use them eyes
To mighty good purpose soon.
Men, spread the sails - we’re a-goin’ for whales,
And we don’t need nary harpoon.
“ ‘For when we hail a blubberous whale
A-spoutin’ the water high,
We’ll sail up bold and knock ’im cold
With the power o’ Jeremy’s eye!’ ”
And thus on his log the old sea-dog
Sat whittling nautical chips:
“Oh, powerf’ler far than the human eye
Is the truth o’ the human lips;
But rarest of all is the pearls that fall
From a truthful mariner’s lips.”
The Powerful Eyes O’ Jeremy Tait
An old sea-dog on a sailor’s log
Thus spake to a passer-by:
“The most onnateral thing on earth
Is the power o’ the human eye -
Oh, bless me! yes, oh, blow me! yes -
It’s the power o’ the human eye!
“We’d left New York en route for Cork
A day and a half to sea,
When Jeremy Tait, our fourteenth mate,
He fastened his eyes on me.
“And wizzle me hook! ’twas a powerful look
That flashed from them eyes o’ his;
I was terrified from heart to hide
And chilled to me bones and friz.
“ ‘O Jeremy Tait, O fourteenth mate’
I hollers with looks askance,
‘Full well I wist ye’re a hypnotist,
So please to remove yer glance!’
“But Jeremy laughed as he turned abaft
His glance like a demon rat,
And he frightened the cook with his piercin’ look
And he startled the captain’s cat.
“Oh, me, oh, my! When he turned his eye
On our very efficient crew,
They fell like dead, or they stood like lead
And stiff as a poker grew.
“So early and late did Jeremy Tait
That talent o’ his employ,
Which caused the crew, and the captain, too,
Some moments of great annoy.
“For we loved J. Tait, our fourteenth mate
As an officer brave and true,
But we quite despised bein’ hypnotized
When we had so much work to do.
“So we grabbed J. Tait, our fourteenth mate
(His eyes bein’ turned away),
By collar and sleeve, and we gave a heave,
And chucked him into the spray.
“His eyes they flashed as in he splashed,
But this glance it was sent too late,
For close to our bark a man-eatin’ shark
Jumped after Jeremy Tait.
“And you can bet he would ha’ been et
If he hadn’t have did as he done -
Straight at the shark an optical spark
From his terrible eye he spun.
“Then the shark he shook at Jeremy’s look
And he quailed at Jeremy’s glance;
Then he gave a sort of a sharkery snort
And fell right into a trance!
“Quite mesmerized and hypnotized
That submarine monster lay;
Meek as a shrimp, with his fins all limp,
He silently floated away.
“So we all of us cried with a conscious pride,
‘Hurrah for Jeremy Tait!’
And we hove a line down into the brine
And reskied him from his fate.
“And the captain cries ‘We kin use them eyes
To mighty good purpose soon.
Men, spread the sails - we’re a-goin’ for whales,
And we don’t need nary harpoon.
“ ‘For when we hail a blubberous whale
A-spoutin’ the water high,
We’ll sail up bold and knock ’im cold
With the power o’ Jeremy’s eye!’ ”
And thus on his log the old sea-dog
Sat whittling nautical chips:
“Oh, powerf’ler far than the human eye
Is the truth o’ the human lips;
But rarest of all is the pearls that fall
From a truthful mariner’s lips.”
Friday, December 29, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Gut Rumbles
Gut Rumbles: "I knew that!!! RIGT ON ACIDMAN!!!!
Originally published June 2, 2004
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Wacko-environmentalists are religious freaks, every bit as obsessed and misguided as Islamic extremists. Those people give me the creeps.
Environmental alarmism/hysteria is a fascinating psychological phenomenon. It bears many traces of ancient myth and similarities to religious mania. It also has close ties with that most powerful, and delusive, of all political religions: socialism.
Close ties to socialism? I would call it more than that. Environmentalism is anti-individual, anti-private property, anti-capitalist and anti-progress. Environmentalists don't care how many people die because of their idiotic cause. In fact, they would be the first ones to throw virgins into a volcano to please the appetite of Gaia. They are that goddam superstitious and that goddam crazy.
They won't be happy until we all freeze to death in the dark."
Originally published June 2, 2004
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Wacko-environmentalists are religious freaks, every bit as obsessed and misguided as Islamic extremists. Those people give me the creeps.
Environmental alarmism/hysteria is a fascinating psychological phenomenon. It bears many traces of ancient myth and similarities to religious mania. It also has close ties with that most powerful, and delusive, of all political religions: socialism.
Close ties to socialism? I would call it more than that. Environmentalism is anti-individual, anti-private property, anti-capitalist and anti-progress. Environmentalists don't care how many people die because of their idiotic cause. In fact, they would be the first ones to throw virgins into a volcano to please the appetite of Gaia. They are that goddam superstitious and that goddam crazy.
They won't be happy until we all freeze to death in the dark."
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
FORGOTTEN PROPHETS: Tisquantum
FORGOTTEN PROPHETS: TisquantumSquanto
Tisquantum
That's "Squanto's" real name, in Algonquian. Tisquantum. The shortening can be forgiven, of course. Algonquian rivals ancient Elamite for its opaqueness. Nquitpausuckowashawmen. No, I've not lapsed into glossolalia. That's how Squanto would have said, "There are a hundred of us." Tashuckqunne cummauchenaumiz? "How long have you been sick?" Yep. Tough language.
Of course Squanto could have numbered his tribe in English -- and in Spanish. Alas, there were not a hundred Patuxets left -- his people: all had perished, to smallpox. He alone survived, like some servant of Job -- as indeed he was, to the hardpressed pilgrims. As for how long Squanto was sick, sudden fever took him the year after he had settled with his new tribe of pilgrims.
Well, he must have been used to being snatched away. He wasn’t kidnapped just once, you understand. In 1605, one George Weymouth whisked him away to England -- whether kidnapped or volunteered, history does not record. For untold years he labored -- well, eight or nine -- until returning to America in 1613 as translator for none other than John Smith. Set free as reward for his service, Squanto returned to his own tribe, only to be enslaved and taken to Spain -- kidnapped in 1614 by Thomas Hunt, a lieutenant of Captain Smith. He escaped to London where he remained until 1619 (interupted by one odd intermission in Newfoundland), then he joined an expedition to America. There he found his family and tribe all wiped out.
Providence? To find an English-speaking Indian wandering the coast at just the right time to save the Pilgrims? Well, yes. But how many other Squantos have wandered the earth, who never found their mission? -- Jonahs who made it to Tarshish?
To know one's purpose is something to be thankful about. Father, mother, friend -- and to bring light and love not only to those you care about but to the stranger -- well, this is something in which we might make our own providence. The rest of it -- being kidnapped and orphaned and dying young and such -- we count as beyond our understanding, and trust in God to resolve.
Much fiction will have crept into the story of Squanto and the Pilgrims. Of course. It's not that it wasn't a good enough story on its own. It's just that the reality is complex, and myths have a happy simplicity to them. The tales of childhood are for inspiring us to emulate an example of excellence ... since there are hardly any real examples of excellence ... or is that unworthy? It is a fact that having heroes who actually lived requires a degree of selective blindness on our part. We give importance to what is admirable, and choose not to see the flaws -- or at least to down-grade them. This is as it should be. If we saw the chamber of horrors that is the heart of every human, we'd never stop screaming.
So we have myths.
Is America everything it might be or that we wish it were? The question answers itself. The same holds when we inspect any ideal. There are no “ideals.” If they were real, they’d be “examples.” But part of living in the real world is understanding that it is hopelessly flawed. Well, not hopelessly. Fatally. Even in the face of the inevitable failure of our biology, though -- in the face of ultimate fatality, we need not be hopeless.
And so we have Thanksgiving. It has its own mythology, as does Christmas. But for all that there is the fiction of Santa, there is the reality of Jesus. And for all that the Hallmark and Rockwell images may very well be nothing but a happy conceit -- of convivial Indians supping in sumptuous abundance with the wayfarers from across the gray waves of the churning seas -- yet they have the reality of vivid dreams, that might be true, for all that daylight says otherwise.
The cherished dreams of our hearts have no guarantee of coming to pass. Every prayer of thanks must, must include a prayer of abject supplication, begging God that evil, or greater evil, should not strike us. Thus as a nation we take a day, a single day, collectively to call to mind the many blessing with which we have been blessed. We recall that it need not be so. We understand that who looks for perfection is a fool. We understand that who accepts the inspiration of a myth honors the daylight that the visions of night have promised.
Tisquantum
That's "Squanto's" real name, in Algonquian. Tisquantum. The shortening can be forgiven, of course. Algonquian rivals ancient Elamite for its opaqueness. Nquitpausuckowashawmen. No, I've not lapsed into glossolalia. That's how Squanto would have said, "There are a hundred of us." Tashuckqunne cummauchenaumiz? "How long have you been sick?" Yep. Tough language.
Of course Squanto could have numbered his tribe in English -- and in Spanish. Alas, there were not a hundred Patuxets left -- his people: all had perished, to smallpox. He alone survived, like some servant of Job -- as indeed he was, to the hardpressed pilgrims. As for how long Squanto was sick, sudden fever took him the year after he had settled with his new tribe of pilgrims.
Well, he must have been used to being snatched away. He wasn’t kidnapped just once, you understand. In 1605, one George Weymouth whisked him away to England -- whether kidnapped or volunteered, history does not record. For untold years he labored -- well, eight or nine -- until returning to America in 1613 as translator for none other than John Smith. Set free as reward for his service, Squanto returned to his own tribe, only to be enslaved and taken to Spain -- kidnapped in 1614 by Thomas Hunt, a lieutenant of Captain Smith. He escaped to London where he remained until 1619 (interupted by one odd intermission in Newfoundland), then he joined an expedition to America. There he found his family and tribe all wiped out.
Providence? To find an English-speaking Indian wandering the coast at just the right time to save the Pilgrims? Well, yes. But how many other Squantos have wandered the earth, who never found their mission? -- Jonahs who made it to Tarshish?
To know one's purpose is something to be thankful about. Father, mother, friend -- and to bring light and love not only to those you care about but to the stranger -- well, this is something in which we might make our own providence. The rest of it -- being kidnapped and orphaned and dying young and such -- we count as beyond our understanding, and trust in God to resolve.
Much fiction will have crept into the story of Squanto and the Pilgrims. Of course. It's not that it wasn't a good enough story on its own. It's just that the reality is complex, and myths have a happy simplicity to them. The tales of childhood are for inspiring us to emulate an example of excellence ... since there are hardly any real examples of excellence ... or is that unworthy? It is a fact that having heroes who actually lived requires a degree of selective blindness on our part. We give importance to what is admirable, and choose not to see the flaws -- or at least to down-grade them. This is as it should be. If we saw the chamber of horrors that is the heart of every human, we'd never stop screaming.
So we have myths.
Is America everything it might be or that we wish it were? The question answers itself. The same holds when we inspect any ideal. There are no “ideals.” If they were real, they’d be “examples.” But part of living in the real world is understanding that it is hopelessly flawed. Well, not hopelessly. Fatally. Even in the face of the inevitable failure of our biology, though -- in the face of ultimate fatality, we need not be hopeless.
And so we have Thanksgiving. It has its own mythology, as does Christmas. But for all that there is the fiction of Santa, there is the reality of Jesus. And for all that the Hallmark and Rockwell images may very well be nothing but a happy conceit -- of convivial Indians supping in sumptuous abundance with the wayfarers from across the gray waves of the churning seas -- yet they have the reality of vivid dreams, that might be true, for all that daylight says otherwise.
The cherished dreams of our hearts have no guarantee of coming to pass. Every prayer of thanks must, must include a prayer of abject supplication, begging God that evil, or greater evil, should not strike us. Thus as a nation we take a day, a single day, collectively to call to mind the many blessing with which we have been blessed. We recall that it need not be so. We understand that who looks for perfection is a fool. We understand that who accepts the inspiration of a myth honors the daylight that the visions of night have promised.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Emigre with a Digital Cluebat
Emigre with a Digital Cluebat: "Kids say the DARNDEST things
JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister.
After a while he asked: 'Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for
cold milk?'
MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was
so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, 'If you don't remember you
must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six.'
STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom goodnight. 'I love you so much,
that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window.'
BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a painkiller. She tried in
vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained
it was a childproof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with
wonder, the little girl asked: 'How does it know it's me?
SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. 'Please don't
give me this juice again,' she said, 'It makes my teeth cough.'
DI (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: 'How much do I
cost?'
MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and
kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad: 'Why is he whispering in her mouth?'
JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: 'The man named
Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked
back and was turned to salt.' Concerned, James asked: 'What happened to the
flea?'
TAMMY (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled
woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for awhile and then asked, 'Why
doesn't your skin fit your face?
The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget.... this particular Sunday
sermon...'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust.'
He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter (who was listening!) Leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little
girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'"
JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister.
After a while he asked: 'Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for
cold milk?'
MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was
so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, 'If you don't remember you
must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six.'
STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom goodnight. 'I love you so much,
that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window.'
BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a painkiller. She tried in
vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained
it was a childproof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with
wonder, the little girl asked: 'How does it know it's me?
SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. 'Please don't
give me this juice again,' she said, 'It makes my teeth cough.'
DI (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: 'How much do I
cost?'
MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and
kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad: 'Why is he whispering in her mouth?'
JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: 'The man named
Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked
back and was turned to salt.' Concerned, James asked: 'What happened to the
flea?'
TAMMY (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled
woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for awhile and then asked, 'Why
doesn't your skin fit your face?
The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget.... this particular Sunday
sermon...'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust.'
He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter (who was listening!) Leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little
girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'"
Saturday, May 27, 2006
The Official Reality Dot Appreciation Page
The Official Reality Dot Appreciation Page: "The Official Reality Dot Appreciation Page"
SFO Magazine Official Journal for Personal Investing in Stocks, Futures and Options
SFO Magazine Official Journal for Personal Investing in Stocks, Futures and Options: "What I Learned Trading in 2005
by: Thomas N. Bulkowski"
by: Thomas N. Bulkowski"
Yahoo! Mail - jdr1228@yahoo.com
Yahoo! Mail - jdr1228@yahoo.com: "Idle thoughts of a retiree's mind wandering...
...I planted some bird seed. A bird came up. Now I don't know what to feed it.
...I had amnesia once -- or twice.
...I went to San Francisco. I found someone's heart. Now what?
...Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.
...All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
...If the world was a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses sidesaddle.
...What is a 'free' gift? Aren't all gifts free?
...They told me I was gullible... and I believed them.
...Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto the freeway.
...Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.
...One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
...My weight is perfect for my height -- which varies.
...I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.
...The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.
...How can there be self-help 'groups'?
...If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
...Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.
...Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken?"
...I planted some bird seed. A bird came up. Now I don't know what to feed it.
...I had amnesia once -- or twice.
...I went to San Francisco. I found someone's heart. Now what?
...Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.
...All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
...If the world was a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses sidesaddle.
...What is a 'free' gift? Aren't all gifts free?
...They told me I was gullible... and I believed them.
...Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto the freeway.
...Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.
...One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
...My weight is perfect for my height -- which varies.
...I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.
...The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.
...How can there be self-help 'groups'?
...If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
...Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.
...Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken?"
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Something... and Half of Something: Guard Our Borders!
Something... and Half of Something: Guard Our Borders!: "A Cool Change
A Lady's Ruminations
A Tic In The Mind's Eye
Adam's Thoughts
Amber and Chaos
Amboy Times
American Daughter
Bear Creek Ledger
BobGriggs.com
Cao's Blog
Charming Just Charming
Church and State
Customer Servant
DeMediacratic Nation
E L Frederick
Euphoric Reality
Fort Wayne Libertarian Mike Sylvester
Freedom Folks
Gribbit's Word
Gun Toting Liberal*new!
Independent Conservative
Intergalactic Source of Truth
Jarhead's Firing Range
Kender's Musings
Life~Florida~Whatever
LomaAlta
Mensa Barbie Welcomes You
Morning Glory 2
Most Certainly Not
Mover Mike
Musings and Ramblings
NIF
Nova Townhall Blog
Ogre's Politics and Views*new!
Pamibe
Parrot Check
Part-Time Pundit
Politics, Parenting and Other Hazardous Pastimes
Publius Rendezvous
Ravings of a Mad Tech
Right As Usual
Right on Blog
Right on the Right
Right Truth
Right Wing Howler
Something and Half of Something
Stuck on Stupid
Subterfuge
Team Swap*new!
The Irate Nation
The Neo-Con Blogger
The Original Gobbleblog
The Right Track
Theodore's World
Third World County
TMH's Bacon Bits
Universe and Other Things
Vanishing American
Watchman's Words
Woman Honor Thyself"
A Lady's Ruminations
A Tic In The Mind's Eye
Adam's Thoughts
Amber and Chaos
Amboy Times
American Daughter
Bear Creek Ledger
BobGriggs.com
Cao's Blog
Charming Just Charming
Church and State
Customer Servant
DeMediacratic Nation
E L Frederick
Euphoric Reality
Fort Wayne Libertarian Mike Sylvester
Freedom Folks
Gribbit's Word
Gun Toting Liberal*new!
Independent Conservative
Intergalactic Source of Truth
Jarhead's Firing Range
Kender's Musings
Life~Florida~Whatever
LomaAlta
Mensa Barbie Welcomes You
Morning Glory 2
Most Certainly Not
Mover Mike
Musings and Ramblings
NIF
Nova Townhall Blog
Ogre's Politics and Views*new!
Pamibe
Parrot Check
Part-Time Pundit
Politics, Parenting and Other Hazardous Pastimes
Publius Rendezvous
Ravings of a Mad Tech
Right As Usual
Right on Blog
Right on the Right
Right Truth
Right Wing Howler
Something and Half of Something
Stuck on Stupid
Subterfuge
Team Swap*new!
The Irate Nation
The Neo-Con Blogger
The Original Gobbleblog
The Right Track
Theodore's World
Third World County
TMH's Bacon Bits
Universe and Other Things
Vanishing American
Watchman's Words
Woman Honor Thyself"
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Fear, Complexity, Environmental Management in the 21st Century
Fear, Complexity, Environmental Management in the 21st Century: "n other words, the greatest damage to the people of Chernobyl was caused by bad information. These people weren’t blighted by radiation so much as by terrifying but false information. We ought to ponder, for a minute, exactly what that implies. We demand strict controls on radiation because it is such a health hazard. But Chernobyl suggests that false information can be a health hazard as damaging as radiation. I am not saying radiation is not a threat. I am not saying Chernobyl was not a genuinely serious event."
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Townhall.com :: Columns :: Is thinking obsolete? by Thomas Sowell - May 10, 2006
Townhall.com :: Columns :: Is thinking obsolete? by Thomas Sowell - May 10, 2006: "Amid all the hysteria among politicians and in the media over rising gasoline prices, and all the outraged indignation about oil company profits and their executives' high pay and lavish perks, has anybody bothered to even estimate how much effect any of this actually has on the price we pay at the pump?"
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