At Home in Wooton Manor

2005-11-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE BABIES!

In order to produce veal, young calves are taken from their mothers and chained by the neck in crates measuring just two feet wide. They cannot turn around, stretch their limbs, or even lie down comfortably. This severe confinement makes the calves' meat “tender” since the animals' muscles cannot develop.
Scientific research indicates that calves confined in crates experience “chronic stress” and require approximately five times more medication than calves living in more spacious conditions. It is not surprising, then, that veal is among the most likely meat to contain illegal drug residues, which pose a threat to human consumers. Researchers have also reported that veal calves exhibit abnormal coping behaviors associated with frustration. These include head tossing, head shaking, kicking, scratching, and stereotypical chewing behavior. Confined calves also experience leg and joint disorders and an impaired ability to walk.
Veal calves are fed an all-liquid milk substitute which is purposely deficient in iron and fiber. It is intended to produce borderline anemia and the pale-colored flesh fancied by "gourmets." At approximately twenty weeks of age, these weak animals are slaughtered and marketed as "white" veal (also known as “fancy,” “milk-fed,” “special-fed,” and “formula-fed” veal).
Please don't buy veal, and educate others about this abuse.Support Farm Sanctuary's campaign to end cruel veal production

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2005-11-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW... ER... RATS
My niece The Beautiful Brianna (who started all this rat business!) gave me her pet rat Ratty-Ratty-Ratboy to keep for a while because she dint have the time to spend with him as he needs. We had already made plans to breed them when they were old enough (Ratty being male & Rizzo being female) because I had read that rats can die of loneliness & so we were gonna split up the babies by gender. Seems now, I am gonna have a rattery! But I don’t mind. Ratty is a sweet boy.
I put Ratty & Rizzo in the bath tub to meet & they seemed to like each other. I put a towel in the tub for warmth & traction. Ratty tried several times to jump out & when he is larger, I am sure he will be able to! I had to color code them. I put blue food coloring on Ratty & pink on Rizzo. They are both black & white hooded rats & altho their patterns are different, they are about the same size each & it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between them. I made a tunnel out of cardboard for them to run thru & they enjoyed it very much! They are now napping inside it together. I was sitting beside the tub watching them & kinda felt like Jane Goodall or Diane Fossey. I made a mental note to name Rizzo & Ratty’s babies with "R" names but now I am not sure. Maybe I should alphabetize them? That way, I would know which generation each particular rat is from? OR, give all the girls "P" names & all the boys "B" names? Hopefully, there will be eight & not twenty! I wonder if they will all be black & white like their parents? I am anxious to find out! I may become a neurotic rat breeder!! I don’t know of anyone in the immediate area who raises pet rats. Ok... off to post this on my blog & then think & look up some "A" "P" "B" & "R" names!

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2005-11-13T10:29:00.000-05:00

Queen Noor just gave me a kiss!

We had had a setback by which she has been refusing to "step-up" & so I have assumed she didn’t want to ride on my shoulder. (She just now did a "step"!) I have been telling her I loved her & I wish she loved me or at least dint hate me.
Saturday, I got a pet rat who is just as sweet & precious as possible. I named her Rizzo & she loves to ride on my shoulder. I let Noor out while I had Rizzo on my shoulder (because Noor dint want on my shoulder anyway, right?) & she flew a little bit but dint seem to want to be out all that much. But now my theory is: birds have excellent eyesight & I think maybe she saw I had another creature on my shoulder & got jealous. She asked to be out so she could have my shoulder but since it was occupied, she dint have anywhere to land. This morning after she refused to "step" she flew around my head & landed on my arm. That is the first time she has ever done that! So, I think all though Queen Noor doesn’t trust me yet, I think she likes me. And I know how difficult it is to trust even the people you like

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2005-10-30T19:02:00.000-05:00

We’ve had a breakthrough!!

Today, Queen Noor came out of her cage & flew around! The poor thing hit the window on the door to the front porch but she recovered quickly. I felt like a heel. But I picked her up & put her on my shoulder & she seemed content. She sat on my shoulder while I but an X on all the windows with brown tape. She flew a little bit more & then, she sat on my shoulder while I ate lunch & played a computer game. I shared an occasional small piece of corn chip with her & she preened my hair a little. I was so afraid she would never be able to come out of her cage. She still doesn’t like hands & will hiss & try to bite me when I ask her to step up. But after two hours of communing, she went right back into her cage. A good time was had by all!

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2005-10-22T11:24:00.000-04:00

"Corrupted by wealth and power, your government is like a restaurant with only one dish. They've got a set of Republican waiters on one side and a set of Democratic waiters on the other side. But no matter which set of waiters brings you the dish, the legislative grub is all prepared in the same Wall Street kitchen."

Huey Long view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2005-10-09T00:45:00.000-04:00

if you ever thought about owning a bird, click HERE view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2005-10-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

Friends For Fine Feathers

(From The Register-Guard )

Like your average toddler, Sydney gets a kick out of throwing things on the floor.
On a recent sunny morning, the 16-month-old blue and gold macaw - a South American parrot - sat on a large perch in the middle of Andrea Larsen's kitchen, grabbed a spotless metal bowl in his beak and dropped it on Larsen's unsuspecting dog Elvis, an aging pug who skittered out of the way.
"He's pretty outgoing and boisterous," Larsen said. "He's still got baby tendencies and won't mature for four or five years."
But Sydney's not just your average playful youngster. He's a bird with two serious problems: torn ligaments in his left leg that make it impossible to stand on both feet and a scissor beak with upper and lower parts crossing over, making it more difficult for him to climb around or to munch the fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts that make up his diet.
He's come to Larsen's north Eugene home because his owners could not give him the care he needed. Larsen, the chairwoman of Exotic Bird Rescue of Oregon, is providing foster care for Sydney, hoping to find an adoptive home for the bird.
She'd also like to get him to the vet for a beak trim and an operation to repair the ligaments, but that costs $800 and her nonprofit network of volunteers has 89 other birds in foster care and not enough in the bank to pay for Sydney's operation.
He needs it soon, Larsen said. Parrots spend their entire lives on their feet, often standing on one to rest the other. Sydney doesn't have that luxury and his good foot already has pressure sores, she said.
For a bird that can live a century, it's an untenable situation.
Exotic Bird Rescue, a 10-year-old Eugene nonprofit, takes in birds throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Northern California from owners who can no longer care for them, Larsen said.
The very things that attract people to cockatoos, cockatiels, macaws, parakeets, lories and conures, the family of birds commonly known as parrots, also make them challenging to live with. The birds are smart, loud, long-lived and require plenty of attention and discipline. Larger birds like Sydney have a powerful beak that can crack a walnut or break a finger.
More people have been contacting Exotic Bird Rescue, said Larsen, seeking to give up a problem bird that's developed destructive habits such as self-mutilation, pulling its feathers or constant screaming. Some well-behaved birds come to the group because owners can't provide the attention the birds need.
Sydney belonged to a Newberg resident who purchased him from a Louisiana breeder, hoping her local veterinarian could correct the bird's ligament problem, Larsen said.
But that vet didn't have avian training and was unable to help Sydney, so the owner contacted Exotic Bird Rescue, Larsen said.
Larsen's home is alive with the birds. In addition to fostering four birds needing adoption, Larsen has also purchased or adopted 10 others. They range in size from tiny Sweetie, a 5-inch Pacific parrotlet to imposing Zelda, an umbrella cockatoo about 18 inches tall.
Larsen's love of the species surprised her, she said. She and her fiance first purchased Presley, a cockatiel about three years ago when they lived in an apartment that didn't allow cats or dogs.
"He blasted all my misconceptions about birds," she said. "They're more than something you put in a corner and show to your friends. ... The relationship is way more intense than you would get with a cat or a dog. They recognize you. They call out to you. They listen to you. They understand you."
Soon after that, she got involved with the local bird rescue group and after buying a house, more birds came into her life. Some she adopted; others she purchased. The birds all have different personalities.
For play, she turns to Scrunchie, a blue front Amazon. For conversation, it's Spock, an African gray.
"He'll sit there and listen to every word I say, and I know he understands," she said.
Most of the birds talk, saying things like, "Good morning" early in the day, and "Good night" in the evening. They know "good bye" and "hello" and "peekaboo," a game they enjoy playing.
Scrunchie, the blue front Amazon who once lived with people in a house by a lake, always greets her when she comes home, saying "Did you catch any fish?"
Larsen believes that such birds should not be domesticated, that they belong in the wild. But once they are habituated to people, it's almost impossible to return them to their native habitats, she said.
While fewer birds are captured in the wild now, a proliferation of breeders churn them out for purchase by people who don't always understand what they're getting into.
That's why groups like hers have become part of the avian landscape, Larsen said. Occasionally they get birds that are on endangered species lists and try to move them into conservation breeding programs, she said.
Currently, the rescue group has 40 people providing foster homes for birds that can be adopted, but they won't let just anyone take one of their parrots.
Adoption is a lengthy process that includes a class, several in-home visits with the bird in foster care, site visits at the prospective owner's home and the approval of the Exotic Bird Rescue board and the foster care provider. After the adoption there is a probationary period that can last up to six months.
"After that, they're tied to us for life," she said, with a contract that allows the group to take the bird back if it isn't well-cared for or the relationship doesn't work out.
"Lots of people don't understand how much work it is," she said.
Larsen herself spends between 40 and 60 hours a week, either taking care of her birds or working on issues related to the rescue group. Her fiance, an automobile mechanic, is supportive of her passion, helping out especially with the group's senior and disabled companion program.
She'd like to see more members, more people providing foster care, and financial support from the broader community.
Sydney's not the only bird with medical needs. Larsen is also caring for a Sammy, a sun conure with a fungal infection in need of about $300 worth of blood work and cultures.
The group's main income comes from its $20 annual membership fee. They currently have about 100 members, Larsen said. The money goes to provide food, cages, toys and medical attention for the birds in their care.
Some area vets already provide free and reduced-cost services to the group, Larsen said.
"We need the help because we have such a small membership and the number of birds needing a place to go has tripled," she said.

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2005-10-02T21:22:00.000-04:00

Teflon: the miracle comes unstuck

The first alarm bells rang about four years ago when the makers of Scotchgard ever so quietly ditched the chemical recipe we trusted for decades to protect our lounge sofas and car upholstery.America's 3M company didn't want to create too much of a hoohah about the health dangers of its stain-proof treatments.Scotchgard had always been "safe" it said, but the company hinted rather vaguely that there could be some trouble afoot.And now it seems that the game may be up.Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs for short) have gone on trial in the United States for mass assault, with intent to do grievous global harm. Culpable homicide charges could follow.According to tests done in America, Japan and elsewhere, this all-but indestructible group of man-made chemicals has crept into the blood of almost every living creature in the northern hemisphere and will remain there for several years.No tests have been done in South Africa, but our blood is almost certainly polluted with the same chemicals.And medical tests, sponsored mainly by the industries which benefit from PFCs, are showing ever-stronger evidence of potential health damage to humanity and wildlife - from cancer to birth defects and weakened immune-systems.Earlier this year, Teflon-giant DuPont was charged with violating United States' toxic substance laws after it allegedly covered up the results of blood tests on pregnant chemical workers from the early 1980s.In a group of seven female DuPont staff, two mothers gave birth to children with confirmed or suspected birth defects similar to those seen in a disputed laboratory rat study.The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) charges that DuPont failed to provide immediate notification of tests showing "substantial risk of injury to human health", including birth defects and liver damage.Had this evidence been disclosed 20 years ago, the agency said the US government might have been "more expeditious" in trying to protect public health from the uncontrolled use of perfluorooctanoic acids (PFOA) and other PFC compounds.DuPont, which denies the charges, now faces fines of up to $313 million (R1.9 billion) for the non-disclosure claim and other charges of polluting drinking water in West Virginia.According to DuPont's 56-page denial, the tests did confirm the presence of this chemical compound in the blood of women workers and unborn children.However, it says the mere presence of a chemical in blood does not amount to evidence of substantial risk.The case is scheduled for hearing on December 16.Two months ago the com-pany also agreed to spend R518 million to settle a class-action lawsuit linked to the pollution of drinking water next to a Teflon factory.But perhaps the biggest nightmare for DuPont and 3M is the prospect of new laws to regulate these chemicals, as well as global media publicity which threatens to dent profits and consumer confidence. The 3M company took a "voluntary" decision in May 2000 to phase out the use of a group of sister-chemicals after a government investigation showed evidence of unexpected toxicity.Both chemical groups (PFOA and PFOS) have been used widely throughout the world - virtually unregulated - since the 1950s.The company said its decision to phase out the chemicals was for "environmental" reasons, but the New York Times reported that if 3M hadn't jumped, the EPA would certainly have pushed the company into halting their use.The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington DC-based watchdog group which maintains a website on the controversy, charges that 3M was aware of the hazards for nearly 20 years, but only responded under threat of government regulation.Less than a year before the phase-out, 3M was still pushing for approval of PFOS in microwave popcorn bags.More recently, the US EPA said it had pushed PFOA to the top of the pile of potentially dangerous chemicals and a new human safety review is due to be published soon.The history of TeflonTeflon, as it came to be known, was discovered virtually by accident in 1938 by the DuPont scientist Roy Plunkett.At the time, he was tinkering with Freon refrigerants. While checking on a frozen, compressed sample of gases, he found they had changed form spontaneously into a white and waxy solid state to form the new compound polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).It was one of the "most slippery materials" in existence, according to DuPont, and the non-stick properties led to a range of revolutionary uses in anything from frying pans to stain repellent fabrics and the aerospace industry.The first products were sold under the Teflon brand name in 1946. But it was the discovery of a separate detergent-like chemical compound (PFOA) which has sparked more immediate concerns. Though this chemical is not a major component, there is concern that traces are contained in Teflon or in the gases emitted from heated cooking pans.The health risksAs far back as the eighteenth century, the British coal mining industry realised the wisdom of sending canary birds down mineshafts.If the canaries stopped singing, or keeled over, miners had early warning that they were being exposed to dangerous gases or the risk of methane gas explosions.Yet when you buy a Teflon-coated, non-stick frying pan, your local department store is unlikely to warn you of the dangers of Teflon fumes killing your pet budgies and parrots.If it pulverises the lungs of pet birds, what does it do to our lungs, or the growing lungs of our children and embryos in the womb?There are several research reports which document the death of birds around the world from Teflon and other PFC fumes.A recent study by vets at the University of Missouri traced the death of more than 1 000 broiler chickens to special heating bulbs coated with the Teflon chemical PTFE.A study in 1975 documented the death of five pet cockatiels which died within 30 minutes of being exposed to fumes from an over-heated frying pan coated with non-stick PTFE chemicals.The owner of the birds also got sick from "polymer fume fever". Another study from 1975 records a woman coughing and gasping for breath when a Teflon component melted in her malfunctioning microwave oven. Two parakeets died within minutes, and the woman's lungs were damaged.But there is still too little data about the health effects on humans from Teflon.Teflon is everywhere"Teflon: It's everywhere!" is the proud mantra of the DuPont chemical corporation which has raked in billions of dollars from the sale of non-stick cookware and allied products for nearly 40 years.DuPont has a website where consumers can dis-cover just how pervasive the chemicals have become in modern society. Many domestic light-bulbs, for example, are coated with a heat coating to make them shatter-proof, while carpets, sofas and clothing can be doused with chemicals to make them stain-resistant. In the kitchen, small traces of these chemicals can be found in non-stick pots and pans, plastic place mats, non-stick baking and biscuit sheets, kitchen tools or the lining of ovens. Elsewhere in the house they are used in shower curtains, leather luggage, hairsprays and shampoos, irons and ironing-board covers, floor polishes and several motor-car components.They are also used widely in industry, from fire-fighting foams, computer and electronics components to brake fluids in Boeing aircraft.What is South Africa doing?The short answer to this question is: "Nothing . . . yet".The national Health Depart-ment acknowledges it does not have the capacity to conduct full-scale chemical safety tests on food packaging to the same extent as the US EPA or European safety bodies."We are simply not as ad-vanced as the US or Europe in this field," an official noted.Maryke Herbst, assistant director in the department's food section, said local legislation to protect consumers dates back to the Food and Disinfectants Act of 1929.This law places the onus on manufacturers to ensure the public is not exposed to harm or injury from food packaging.But recognising that "some things can fall through the gaps", the Health Department was also a member of the international Codex Alimentarius commission, which sets limits for chemical levels in food. Herbst said if bodies like Codex or US EPA identify new concerns with Teflon-related chemicals, SA will be guided by their recommendations.No evidence could be found that any work is being done to monitor PFCs in the blood of South Africans. Most industrialised countries only began to investigate the issue very recently.Japan, for example, ordered the first tests about three years ago. So far, only a few human blood samples have been collected, but all showed measu-rable levels of PFOS compounds according to the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Sciences.The chemicals were also found in the blood of sea creatures in several parts of Japan.High levels of PFOA were found in the blood of Taegu residents, South Korea's third-largest city. The Teflon scare also triggered "panic" among Chinese consumers in June this year. The Standard newspaper reported that stores in Guangdong province pulled non-stick cookware from their shelves after the US EPA decision to review the safety of PFOA. Published on the web by Daily News on November 24, 2004.
© Daily News 2004. All rights reserved.

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2005-09-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

Getting a Handle on Hemp by Geoff Davis

Few plants arouse people's passions like the one called hemp. To its supporters, hemp is a miracle plant capable of endless feats of sustainability. But to opponents, hemp is an evil that shouldn't be tolerated. Harmful or helpful? That's the question swirling around hemp, a lowly weed that grips proponents with zealous fervor while sending its detractors into a panic.The problem, of course, is hemp's relation to marijuana. Both are varieties of the genus Cannabis and many people think that's reason enough to ban hemp altogether. Yet the fact remains that hemp can be sustainably made into almost anything. And in a world of rapidly diminishing finite resources, it just may be the ultimate renewable resource.

A Brief History of Hemp:

Hemp evolved on the Himalayan Plateau, where it was first cultivated for fiber some 10,000 years ago. As tides of human civilization ebbed and flowed across the seas of history, hemp migrated from this beginning to ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, northern Europe and finally, via the Vikings, to North America.So important was hemp to American colonists that in 1640 the Governor of Connecticut decreed that it must be grown by every citizen. The Declaration of Independence was composed on hemp paper. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson once said, "Hemp is of first necessity... to the wealth and protection of the country." The first pair of Levi's® jeans is believed to have been made from hemp. And Henry Ford designed a car with hemp parts that could run on hemp oil. Hemp had a very bright future, indeed. But in 1937, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. Though the law meant to effectively ban only marijuana by taxing it to death, its resultant red tape also made it almost impossible to grow legitimate hemp. As a result, aside from a brief revival during the shortages of WWII, hemp disappeared from American farms and factories.

Hemp-Hemp Hooray!

A hemp plant has four parts: the leafy tops, the bast (or fibrous outer stalk), the hurd (or woody inner stalk) and the seed. From these components, almost anything can be made.
Hemp hurds can be processed into construction, electrical and automotive products; natural, biodegradable plastics and polymers; insulation; and other products.
Hemp seeds are a high protein food source for humans and animals. High in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and vitamin A, and containing the rare nutrient gamma linoleic acid, hemp seeds are also the highest known source of healthy polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. Hemp seed oil can be used as a natural base for personal care products, paints, sealants, inks, solvents, fuels, lubricants, and more.
As a fabric, hemp is unrivaled. It yields 12 or more times more fiber per acre than cotton; offers the highest level of UV ray protection to the wearer; and is far stronger, more durable and more abrasion, heat, and rot-resistant than any other fiber. These qualities can be woven to a coarse canvas or a delicate silk. You can find hemp products like socks, rugs, bean bag and cube chairs and shower curtains on Gaiam.com.
As a paper source, hemp similarly excels. It yields 4 times more paper fiber per acre than trees and matures 150 times faster; requires no chlorine bleaching; doesn't yellow; and can be recycled several times more than tree-based papers.
A 1938 article in Popular Mechanics stated that over 25,000 products could be made from hemp, and improved processing technologies have dramatically increased this number. In fact, literally anything that can be made from trees, petroleum, or cotton can today be made from hemp.

Amber Waves... of Hemp?

As a crop, hemp is environmentally unrivaled. Hemp plants grow to maturity in just 70-110 days. Naturally hardy, they require little care and can be grown without pesticides. Tall hemp plants shade out weeds and after harvest these weed-free fields are instantly ready for the next planting. During harvesting, the unusable leaves and tops of the plant are left behind as a soil builder. Hemp even absorbs heavy metals from the ground. Unlike many crops, growing it actually improves soils over time. As to the marijuana connection, one needn't look very far to see that there isn't one. Genetically, hemp is a far different strain of Cannabis than varieties grown for their psychoactive properties. At 0.3%, its THC content (the chemical responsible for marijuana's effects) is virtually nonexistent. It also grows far differently - hemp is tall and gangly, marijuana is short and bushy - so it would be very difficult to hide or grow sun-loving marijuana in a hemp field. These points notwithstanding, efforts to hinder hemp production continue. The good news is such efforts have not met with complete success. While hemp still can't be grown in the U.S. (all hemp materials are imported), in 2004, the Hemp Industries Association convinced the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) rule that would have effectively banned any hemp food product containing any amount of THC, despite the fact that the typically miniscule THC levels found in hemp foods don't even register on sensitive drug tests. Because the DEA declined to appeal this decision, hemp foods, which previously faced extinction at the hands of overzealous regulators, remain legal to import, buy and sell in the U.S. Proponents hope that more rational decisions like these continue to prevail where hemp is concerned. They believe that in a world badly in need of viable and sustainable options, hemp stands alone as the raw material environmental dreams are made of.

About the Author: Geoff Davis is a freelance writer and commercial inkslinger whose work has been featured in an variety of local and national media. He lives sustainably with his wife, daughter and faithful canine in the forested wilds of Monkton, Vermont.

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2005-09-12T20:06:00.000-04:00

this was sent to me by my cousin Deb in Tomah. you may have read it before but it's a classic!! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

It is with the saddest heart that I must pass on the following news: Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin.

Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, The California Raisins, Betty Crocker, The Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly dad, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 min.

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2005-09-12T19:42:00.000-04:00

this was sent to me by Cullen:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy."
Alex Carey

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2005-09-11T19:53:00.000-04:00

here's a joke from Marilyn**********************************************

There was a man who loved dogs. He served as a speaker in various civic clubs to benefit the SPCA. He was known far and wide as a dog lover.

One day his neighbor observed as he poured a new sidewalk from his house out to the street. About the time he smoothed out the last square foot of cement a large dog strayed across his sidewalk leaving footprints in his wake.

The man muttered something under his breath and smoothed out the footprints. He went inside to get some twine to string up around the sidewalk only to discover dog tracks in two directions on his new sidewalk.

He smoothed those out and put up the twine. About five minutes later he looked out and the footprints indicated that the dog had cleared the fence, landed on his sidewalk and proceeded as he desired.

The man was mad now. He troweled the wet concrete smooth again. As he got back to the porch he saw the dog come over and sit right in the middle of his sidewalk.

He went inside got his gun and came out and shot the dog dead.

The neighbor rushed over, "Why did you do that?" he inquired, "I thought you loved dogs."

The man responded as he cradled his gun in the crook of his arm. "I do, I do like dogs. But that's in the abstract. I hate dogs in the concrete."

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2005-09-10T10:55:00.000-04:00

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. -Dave Barry, author and columnist (1947- )

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2005-09-07T20:42:00.000-04:00

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGETTY-JIG

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just got back this a.m. from Wisconsin. ok, 2:00 a.m. but this a.m. nevertheless! we made plans last year to go to my great-aunt Myrtle's 100th birthday party. but the trip takes about 13 hours by car & that is awfully difficult for my mom. so, i suggested to Dad that we fly & he had

Brian make all the arrangements & Dad paid for it! (someone else might have a better dad but i don't think so)
i had only ever flown before in a little 4-seater with Brian to take some aerial photos but i knew i would love it! airport security was not nearly as intense (or secure!) as i had been led to believe it would be. but i was surprised that i had to surrender my bic lighters when i got there ( & Dad had to leave his pen knife in the car) i understand the dangers of lighters but i was aggravated 'cos i wouldn't be able to have a cigarette later! turns out, i had no where to smoke anyway so it dint make much difference. i am just glad i dint have a spiffy lighter like a zippo or some fancy, expensive gift lighter! i asked a security feller in Appleton what happens to all the bins of lighters & he said they are all given to a hazardous waste disposal bunch. i need to send an email to CNN to let everyone know what not to take to the airport! the news never really tells us stuff we need to know!
i was nonplussed at the complacency of the other passengers while in the air. i couldn't get enough of looking at the clouds!! being above the clouds is an awesome experience & an amazing sight! i am sure others have described it better than i can but the sheer mass of the piled-up fluff is stunning! how do they stay up there? ok, you say they are clouds, but hey! clouds are water vapor & water is heavy! & if you can see it, then some condensation is taking place & the weight is increasing. some of the clouds were tiny little wispy poofs that were just lovely. other clouds were enormous, piled up mountains of nearly solid masses! what was really neat, the closer we got to D.C. the heavier the cloud cover got & i could tell where it was raining. there were deep holes like wells of gray clouds that were stretching downwards & seemed to be streaming.
the flight itself was great too! i liked the smaller planes because i could feel more but even the larger planes felt like a gentle rollercoaster ride. we taxied down the runway & then all of a sudden, WHOOSH! the turbos kicked in & we went from 10 to 100 in 9.4 seconds! (ok, i am making the numbers up but you get the idea) the point of contact loss with the ground was a kick in the butt itself & when the wheels retracted into the plane, the thump was as exhilarating as the start of a rollercoaster ride. i looked around a few times & saw people reading or napping & was grateful this was my FIRST time flying. i hope i never lose that thrill!
stay tuned for more on the vacation itself.

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2005-09-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

this was sent to me by my cousin Deb! (we are Green Bay Packers fans) Now I lay me down to bedA wedge of cheese upon my head.Allegiance to the Packers I promise to keepAnd cheer them on while I'm asleep.
If I should die, don't let me wonder,Bury me beneath the frozen tundra. But, Lord, before you take my soul,Let me see the Pack in the Superbowl.
Forgive me, Lord, for those I've hated,The Cowboys and Vikings they're overrated.The streets of heaven, so I've been told,Are paved for us in green and gold.
If I get to heaven I'll have only one wish,A big screen TV with a satellite dish.I pray for this, Lord, for only one reason,To cheer on my Pack to a winning season. view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2005-09-07T12:21:00.000-04:00

this was sent to me by Cullen Sutton

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Editorial

Waiting for a Leader
Published: September 1, 2005

George W. Bush gave one of the worst speeches of his life yesterday, especially given the level of national distress and the need for words of consolation and wisdom. In what seems to be a ritual in this administration, the president appeared a day later than he was needed. He then read an address of a quality more appropriate for an Arbor Day celebration: a long laundry list of pounds of ice, generators and blankets delivered to the stricken Gulf Coast. He advised the public that anybody who wanted to help should send cash, grinned, and promised that everything would work out in the end.
We will, of course, endure, and the city of New Orleans must come back. But looking at the pictures on television yesterday of a place abandoned to the forces of flood, fire and looting, it was hard not to wonder exactly how that is going to come to pass. Right now, hundreds of thousands of American refugees need our national concern and care. Thousands of people still need to be rescued from imminent peril. Public health threats must be controlled in New Orleans and throughout southern Mississippi. Drivers must be given confidence that gasoline will be available, and profiteering must be brought under control at a moment when television has been showing long lines at some pumps and spot prices approaching $4 a gallon have been reported.
Sacrifices may be necessary to make sure that all these things happen in an orderly, efficient way. But this administration has never been one to counsel sacrifice. And nothing about the president's demeanor yesterday - which seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.
While our attention must now be on the Gulf Coast's most immediate needs, the nation will soon ask why New Orleans's levees remained so inadequate. Publications from the local newspaper to National Geographic have fulminated about the bad state of flood protection in this beloved city, which is below sea level. Why were developers permitted to destroy wetlands and barrier islands that could have held back the hurricane's surge? Why was Congress, before it wandered off to vacation, engaged in slashing the budget for correcting some of the gaping holes in the area's flood protection?
It would be some comfort to think that, as Mr. Bush cheerily announced, America "will be a stronger place" for enduring this crisis. Complacency will no longer suffice, especially if experts are right in warning that global warming may increase the intensity of future hurricanes. But since this administration won't acknowledge that global warming exists, the chances of leadership seem minimal.

2005-08-27T23:36:00.000-04:00

CANARY IN A COAL MINE...

Copyright © 1998 by Sam Vaughn, DVMfrom NCS Magazine - 1994

Teflon Gas

Unfortunately, I must relay to you another Teflon gas toxicosis story. A gentleman came to my clinic with 14 dead birds in a box. He had been entertaining some friends and someone cooked bread on a Teflon cookie sheet and barely burned the bottom of the bread. Thirty minutes later, all the birds were dead. He told me he had used the cookie sheet hundreds of times before without incident. Autopsy of two of the birds confirmed lung lesions compatible with polytetrafluoroethylene toxicosis (gas from non-stick cookware).
Please, if you own birds, do not allow any non-stick cookware in your home. Tell your friends and relatives and anyone else about the severe potential life threatening consequences of this substance around birds. Another thing.......if it kills our birds, what does it do to OUR lungs? Maybe we will know more 10 or 15 years down the line if possible tumors develop as a result of exposure to this substance.

2005-08-27T11:30:00.000-04:00

ok, here is a politically incorrect joke sent to me by Stacey. all jokes have a grain of truth or they wouldn't be funny!

A woman walks into the welfare office, trailed by 15 kids... "WOW," the social worker exclaims,"are they ALL YOURS???" "Yes they are all mine," the flustered mother sighs, having heard that question a thousand times before.

She says, "Sit down Leroy." All the children rush to find seats.

"Well," says the social worker, "then you must be here to sign up. I'll need all your children's names."

"This one's my oldest - he is Leroy."

"OK, and who's next?"

"Well, this one he is Leroy, also."

The social worker raises an eyebrow but continues. One by one, through the oldest four, all boys, all named Leroy. Then she is introduced to the eldest girl, named Leighroy!

"All right," says the caseworker. "I'm seeing a pattern here.

Their mother replied, "Well, yes-it makes it easier. When it is time to get them out of bed and ready for school, I yell, 'Leroy!' And when it's time for dinner, I just yell 'Leroy!' and they all come running.' And if I need to stop the kid who's running into the street, I just yell 'Leroy' and all of them stop. It's the smartest idea I ever had, naming them all Leroy."

The social worker thinks this over for a bit, then wrinkles her forehead and says tentatively, "But what if you just want ONE kid to come, and not the whole bunch?"
"Then I call them by their last names."

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2005-08-13T19:08:00.000-04:00

Here is a site just full of good info! CLICK

2005-08-12T00:07:00.000-04:00

WALTZING MATILDA...

Mattie died today. She was a special dog. I had had Sassy {SassyLougene} for about three years & Buddy {Sassy’s Li’l Buddy} for two years. Sassy was probably a year older than Buddy. Sassy is an Australian Cattle Dog; a Blue Heeler & the great granddaughter of Lucy the Blue Heeler my uncle Jimmy had. Buddy was a little Terrierist (part Cairn I think ‘cos she looked a lot like Toto) someone had dumped here.
Mattie {Waltzing Matilda} was also a Blue Heeler. Sam Smith had seen her picture in the newspaper when she was at the Humane Society & showed it to me. He said he knew she was gonna be our dog when he saw her picture. But he showed me anyway & I had to go look at her. She had been dumped at the shelter along with a puppy. Someone had tossed her & the pup over the fence into the exercise pen. The shelter found a home for the puppy right away but Mattie had been there long enough to become depressed. She was a gentle dog but completely untrained. Her nipples were quite enlarged altho she was not lactating at the time so I imagine she had been a puppy-mill dog & was dumped when she was no longer useful. I have no idea how old she was but am pretty sure she was older than Sassy.
She was very small & had had her tail docked which I am opposed to but I have to admit, it does make a cute dog. She was not very well bred altho she was obviously an ADC. Her ears were too small, she had a large black spot on her hip, she was missing no teeth & her eyes were bulged. She would never have made a working dog but she did learn some basic manners & could even do a few tricks. She liked to "hup" (jump) so I taught her to "hup" through a hula hoop. She wouldn’t chase a ball but she liked to steal Sassy’s ball & bring it to me for a treat. She would sit, lie down, shake & sometimes come when I called. She knew "get in your room," "wait," "back," "ok," & learned to "wave bye" (which Sassy won’t do.)
Sam Smith & I often discussed why anyone would want to get rid of her since she was such a nice dog. But as she got older, she had a lot of health problems & I now think the puppy-mill breeders dint wanna deal with her health or let anyone see what a poorly bred dog their pups came from. She did have one other fault. While she never started a fight, she would always finish one. Several times Sassy felt she had to enforce my authority & Mattie resented it. I still carry two scars from breaking up fights between them. The only way to break up a fight was to physically drag them off each other. Sassy would quit if they were separated but Mattie would not & if Matt were not tied up or put in another room, she would jump right back on Sassy.
Over the past two years, Mattie’s eyesight had deteriorated from retinal atrophy & she had arthritis in most of her joints. She managed to deal w/the blindness & could get around the yard amazingly well. The last couple of weeks I had to keep her on a leash tho because she had wandered off once & couldn’t find her way home.
Last night when I went to feed, Mattie was doing her strange head weave & her eyes were very green & shiny. I could tell she couldn’t see but she also seemed confused. She dint want to eat so I took her food away & went to check on her every hour thru the night. About 9:00 when I checked on her she was lying on her side. She had dumped her water can & had collapsed on top of her food dish. I moved the dish & re-filled the water can. She was panting rapidly & had paper stuck to her mouth so I pulled the paper out & put a few drops of water on her tongue so it wouldn’t dry out. She seemed oblivious to me. Later on when I checked on her she was still lying down but had her head up & was looking around but still panting rapidly. After that initial rousing, she lay on her side the rest of the night. I stopped checking on her after 2:00 since she hadn’t moved any more. This morning, she had moved to the rear of the pen & had dumped her water over again. I realized she needed to be put down. I called Sam Smith at work but he was not in the warehouse so I left a message. I should not have called him at work because he takes death very hard. I was afraid of hurting her tho & wanted him to help me take her to the vet in his truck so she could be put to sleep.
Finally, when I checked on Mattie, she was having convulsions & had bitten her tongue. I called my dad & he came down with his deer rifle. I hated to ask him to do it but I was only thinking of Mattie. I dint realize Dad would have a hard time with shooting her. (Brianna says it’s the hardest thing in the world to do, shooting a dog, especially one you know) I think he cried as much as I did. I promised him I would never again call him to put any other of my animals down.
So, Matt had a quick death (at the end) & is now lying next to Buddy. I will extend Buddy’s cairn to include Mattie. I should have written an epitaph for Mattie as I did for Buddy & placed in a plastic bag in her grave. But I suppose this will be Mattie’s epitaph. Whomever finds her someday will know from the cairn that she was a beloved dog.

2005-08-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

RACHEL'S WAY TO SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS:

I mainly just do the treadmill 5 or 6 days a week. I aim to burn 300 calories a day on the treadmill. It takes me about 40 to 45 minutes. And of course there's the slimfast diet. Here's what a typical day looks like:

5:05 AM - 5:30 AM - Pilates workout and 4 pound weights

6AM: Slimfast meal on the go bar, 8 ounces 2%milk, One lunchbox snack-size container of applesauce. Weightsmart Multi-vitamin and 1000 mg of Vitamin C

10:30AM - 4 Reduced fat Triscuits, water

12:30PM - Slimfast meal on the go bar, water

3:45 PM - 5 Reduced Fat Triscuits, water

4:30PM - Treadmill, water

5:15PM - Lean Pocket or homemade dinner*, water

7:00PM - Small bowl of low fat ice cream (Krogers has FMW half gallons for $0.99 each)

8:00PM - 6 Reduced Fat triscuits w/low fat melted cheese, water

9:30PM - one lunchbox snack-size container of mandarin oranges

10:00PM - Bed.

Sometimes I change the evening snacking to low fat popcorn or an 8oz glass of chocolate milk. I try to stay away from the popcorn though because people say your body doesn't break it down well - I don't know if it's an old wives tale but it doesn't hurt to listen to it.

* right now dinner is shredded baked chicken and low fat shredded cheese melted between two corn tortillas, but it could be Barilla whole grain pasta (the kind with the omega 3 added in) with low fat italian dressing or spaghetti sauce, or healthy choice dinners. On the weekends, I sometimes switch and eat the dinner for lunch and the slimfast bar for supper. When you're at home, you tend to munch more so if I put more calories (and more non-sugar calories) in the middle of the day, it might keep me from munching during the day.

Sprinkled throughout the day is the munching of Gobstoppers hard candy or Sweetarts.

On the weekends and days off, I try to do more than 300 calories on the treadmill.

And while I drink water with everything - I don't think I get the 8 8oz glasses a day like they say you're supposed to have. I drink about a liter at work every day and a couple of 8 ounce glasses at home.

2005-08-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

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2005-08-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL...

I came home to a surprise this evening! As I walked in the door, Gomez jumped out as fast as his fat li’l ass would take him. Just as I turned to say, "where you goin’?" Ssisi (my female budgie) flew past my head. I had a bad feeling when I pulled into the driveway & dint see Jammy waiting for me. I was afraid I had left her in the house & I would walk into a tragic scene of a toppled cage & two dead budgies. I certainly wasn’t expecting a budgie to be buzzing me. I have seen no signs of Jammy yet so maybe I can’t blame anything on her. There is a small flight door at the top of the cage & it was open. I am guessing Ssisi landed on it sometime today & it popped open. Pancho was still inside. I would give my left nut to know for sure what happened & when it happened today!
I tried holding the cage up to Ssisi as she was perched on the kitchen door frame but she just wouldn’t take the hint. So, I set the cage on the heater in the living room & opened the little door & hoped she would fly back home. Pancho was calling her but she found the window & was perched on the sill looking out at freedom. I waited a while to let her go in by herself but when it was clear she wasn’t gonna take the bait {Pancho} I approached her at the window. I knew as long as she dint see my hands she wouldn’t panic so I walked to her slowly with my hands behind my back. She let me get right up to her & even let me put my fist near her. But when I stuck a finger out to touch her she tried to get out the window. I caught her like a fly on the window. I held her firmly but gently but I couldn’t get a hold of her head; she bit me three times. Her little beak is sharp! But she dint draw blood altho I have no idea if she meant to or not. I got her back into the cage & Pancho was very glad to have her back. I think she was relieved to be back... but maybe not. I put a hook on the little door so it won’t pop open again. I hope how soon their new cage comes!!

2005-07-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

All tremble when there is a weapon,

Everyone fears death;

Feeling for others as for oneself,

One should neither kill nor cause to kill.

-Dhammapada

2005-07-24T11:44:00.000-04:00

Cindy Sheehan lost her son in Iraq <~ click thereview my guestbook sign my guestbook
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2005-07-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Prophecy
On September 12, 2001
Hunter S. Thompson wrote:
"The towers are gone now, reduced to bloody rubble, along with all hopes for Peace in Our Time, in the United States or in any other country. Make no mistake about it: We are at War now-with somebody-and we will stay At War with that mysterious enemy forthe rest of our lives. It will be a Religious War, a sort of Christian Jihad, fueled by religious hatred and led by merciless fanatics on both sides. It will be guerilla warfare on a global scale, with no front lines and no identifiable enemy. We are going to punish somebody for this attack, but just who or what will be blown to smithereeens for it is hard to say.Maybe Afghanistan, maybe Pakistan or Iraq, or possibly all three at once. Victory is not guaranteed-for anyone, and certainly not for anyone as baffled as George W. Bush. He will declare a National Security Emergency and clamp down Hard on Everybody, no matter where they live or why. If the guilty won't hold up their hands and confess, he and the Generals will ferret them out by force. He is in for a profoundly difficult job-armed as he is with no credible Military Intelligence, no witnesses and only the ghost of Bin Laden to blame for the tragedy."

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2005-07-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

Chianca: Take me out to the cockfightBy Peter Chianca

At LargeThursday, July 14, 2005Peter Chianca returns from vacation next week; in the meantime, here's his 2000 column about cockfighting that everyone's been requesting we run again. Please keep in mind that any legislators mentioned in it may now be deceased.
Well, those liberals are at it again. First they have that crazy idea about universal health care, and now they're trying to do away with cockfighting. Where will the madness end?
I'm referring of course to the efforts of U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, the Minnesota Democrat who's trying to ban the interstate transport of birds for cockfighting. Peterson tried to sell sportsmen on the proposal by explaining that he's not one of those animal huggers you hear about. "I've got more dead animals on my wall than anybody in this Congress except for Don Young," he said, referring to an Alaska congressman who keeps a dead bear in his lobby. Presumably stuffed.
Well, sorry, Peterson, but we're just not going to buy it until you have at least one more dead bear in your office than Congressman Young. Also, for good measure, we want you to throw in a dead moose rug and a wounded dingo under your desk. That's how strongly we feel about this.
Luckily, according to the Associated Press, cockfighters are coming out in droves to protest Peterson's bill, concerned that it's just the beginning of an effort to do away with the sport. And who would want to live in a country where it's illegal to put two chickens in a pen and cheer as they peck each other to death? What would we tell the children?
At the hearing last week, 200 cockfighters apparently packed the hearing room to oppose the bill. I just wish I could have been there with them, if only for the stimulating conversation.
The cockfighters pointed out that fighting chickens have a much better life than the ones that are used for food, at least up until the point where another chicken pokes their eyes out, punctures their lungs and hacks them to death. Either way, the message is clear: It's no great shakes being a chicken.
Hopefully the cockfighters' efforts will pay off, because things are already pretty bad in the once-glamorous world of cockfighting. Right now the sport is legal only in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana, three states where the only other viable form of entertainment is renting "Ernest" movies.
Thankfully, for now at least, even if this bill passes you'll still be able to attend a cockfight in those states; however, chickens from other states won't be able to participate. So what of the poor Mississippi rooster who's been training to have a razor blade strapped to his beak so he can mangle another chicken who's hopped up on stimulants? Well, apparently he's out of luck.
And those bleeding hearts at the Humane Society aren't making things any easier with the misinformation they're spreading. For instance, the society states on its Web site that cockfight attendees, some of them children, are "exposed to illegal gambling, drug traffic and firearms." This is very misleading: People in Louisiana are exposed to these things all the time, not just at cockfights.
I guess for some reason certain people will always have a problem with cockfighting, even though essentially it's just a good, old-fashioned family sporting event. It's just like soccer, if the soccer players were injected with blood clotters and had ice picks tied to their legs.
Hmmm ... I wonder if anyone's thought of that? It could go over big in Baton Rouge.
Peter Chianca is a CNC managing editor and appears weekly on the Exhausted Rapunzel Family Hour, Sundays at 1 p.m. on WBIX AM 1060. Visit his blog at chianca-at-large.blogspot.com. To receive At Large by e-mail, write to info@chianca-at-large.com, with the subject line "SUBSCRIBE."

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2005-07-10T10:18:00.000-04:00

I gave the budgies a new toy this a.m. I found a bright green ½ cup tupperware scoop in a kitchen drawer. I hung the scoop on a string in the cage & watched. They are fascinated with it! I read online about the dangers of bird toys. I have to be careful of things that are toxic, & things they can fall off, or get their toes or beaks stuck in. I guess most anything wooden is safe as long as it isn’t painted or stained. I have accidently been doing the right thing by giving them perches made of fresh mulberry sticks. Also, I fastened the perches too loosely & they turn when the budgies move on them. At first, I thought, "oh no!!" but then I realized they are getting exercise & entertainment from making the perches turn. Pancho likes to bump Ssisi & make her spin around on a perch. He is such a brat! They also like their bell but I think they are bored with just the one toy. I never got many toys for my cats since they had each other & the whole world to play in. It’s tough being trapped in a cage with nothing to do though. They like to nibble & shred their perches too so I have to replace them periodically. They also like to have fresh grass. Since it’s been so dry, it has been difficult to find them fresh grass everyday. I am gonna have to grow them a patch in the yard I guess.
Pancho thinks I should take in more birds so I contacted a rescue group in Parma Ohio. They rescue all kinds of parrots but won’t let anyone have a large parrot unless one has prior experience with them. I realize this is a good idea since all the birds they have are birds someone dint want. But they have budgies too & I am not afraid of taking care of them. I need to find an avian vet tho. I am gonna call Pam’s friend Todd to find out who his vet is for Charlie (an African Grey Parrot)

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2005-07-03T13:18:00.000-04:00

ok, i have been neglectful again... here are a couple of funny links to click on:anagram generator New Zealand Running Record Karma Trade Deficit also:send a birthday card to H.H. IVX Dalai Lama! view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2005-06-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

BUGS & RAINWATER
Last fall, I found this little black & white kitten when I was moving some stuff for a friend of mine. He was being carried around by little kids but dint seem to belong to any of them & since he was just a scruffy little starved thing, I took him home with me. I named him Gomez & he has been an affectionate, adorable treasure to me & I came to love him very much. I could tell he loved me as well. Last Thursday, he was on the side porch chasing night porch bugs & dint wanna come into the house when I called him. When I got ready for bed, he was no where around so I figured he would knock & wake me up when he got ready to come in. That was the last I saw of him. Friday, he was not around & I called him several times. Pam drove around the entire village asking everyone if they had seen him. I sent Jammy & Sweetie out to bring him home but they both returned without him. Jammy kept telling me Gomez was on the other side of the chainlink fence so on Saturday, I took Sassy & Mattie walking over there. I asked Sassy to look for him & I called him & stopped several times to listen for him to cry for me. None of us were successful. I met my neighbor Joan on one of my circuits around the property & she told me her son Weasel’s dog had come up missing. That made me think perhaps someone was kidnaping pets to sell to laboratories. That one of my pets would be tortured to death in a laboratory is my greatest fear. By the time evening came I was bereft & spent most of the night crying & calling for him. Sunday morning, I kept calling for him but with no conviction. Pam felt he was still alive & somewhere around the area but I was convinced he was gone for good. Sunday evening, (after calling for him all day) I was walking out to the clothesline to bring in the sheets. There was a rabbit in the orchard & I greeted it. As I was looking at the rabbit, I saw a black & white movement on the other side of the fence in the high grass. It was just a glimpse but I was sure it had to be Gomez! I dropped my clothes basket & ran to the fence calling him. As soon as he heard me, he began crying desperately for me. I tried to lead him to a rabbit hole but I couldn’t find one. I tried to get him to climb the fence but he was afraid since it was so high. I found a piece of rebar near my neighbor’s garden & tried digging a hole under the fence. Gomez understood what I was doing & tried to squeeze under the fence every time I stopped to clear out the dirt. Finally, he put his little paw in the hole just as I began digging again & I smashed his tiny front foot with the rebar! He jumped away but dint go far & I of course felt like shit. He wouldn’t come back to the hole so I had to think of something else. It was a considerable walk for a tiny cat to get to the gate but I kept calling him & he kept crying & followed me around the fence to the gate. He was almost to the gate when he got lost in the tall grass. By this time I would have risked crocodiles to get him so I went thru the gate & waded thru the grass, pollen & ticks to pick him up. I was nearly in tears & he was so exhausted & relieved to be with me he let me carry him the entire way home. He dint seem to be starved so Pam & I figured he had been surviving on bugs & rainwater. Anyway, Gomez is home now & I feel like a weight has been lifted from my heart. He of course wanted to go outside on the porch to chase bugs.

2005-05-15T11:49:00.000-04:00

Poem against solitary keeping {of budgerigars}

Once upon a time I was...
Only yesterday I was a happy budgie.I sat in a warm nestbox,surrounded by warming feathers and the familiar voices of my brothers and sisters.Security and care under my mother's tender wings.
- - -
Only three days ago I was a content budgie.Though I've been separated by force from my siblings and parents,there were others of my kind who shared my fears.We snuggled against each other and eyed the big unfeathered beings,who paced up and down in front of our glass cases. We got used to the fact that one of our friends suddenly vanished now and then.The big unfeathered beings weren't able to get in to us.To preen and cuddle each other is a good remedy against the fear.
- - -
Only a year ago I was a budgie.Though I've been abducted from my new friends and brought into alien surroundings.All around me strange unfeathered beings, whose size and voices scared me to death. At nights I squatted alone in a dark corner, around me loneliness.In my dreams my friends are with me, whose voices and warmth give me hope.Memories are a good remedy against the fear. Although after a while I realized that the unfeathered beings meant well,I couldn't understand them.Preening and cuddling helps to bridge distances.So I took courage and began to preen the unfeathered beings.
- - -
Infinite ages ago I knew who I was.Now I'm here, surrounded by darkness and silence.The unfeathered beings visit me only very rarely now.Did I do something wrong? But how could I know since I can't understand them?Just as they can't understand me.The loneliness grabs at me and I am defenceless.A void spreads in my head and in my soul.Only sometimes in my dreams a fragment of a memory rises from infinite depths.Fluttering of wings, familiar voices, a beak that caresses gently the thinning plumage on my neck.I cannot hold these pictures, they slip away when I try to remember.
There is no remedy for loneliness.

2005-05-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

Everyone dies & we all go to hell: click here view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2005-05-07T14:27:00.000-04:00

Friday, April 8, 2005 (SF Chronicle)
Jon Carroll
The following is the first communique from a group calling itself Unitarian Jihad. It was sent to me at The Chronicle via an anonymous spam remailer. I have no idea whether other news organizations have received this communique, and, if so, why they have not chosen to print it. Perhaps they fear starting a panic. I feel strongly that the truth, no matter how alarming, trivial or disgusting, must always be told. I am pleased to report that the words below are at least not disgusting:
Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Jihad. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. (The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.) Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States! Too long has your attention been waylaid by the bright baubles of extremist thought. Too long have fundamentalist yahoos of all religions (except Buddhism -- 14-5 vote, no abstentions, fundamentalism subcommittee) made your head hurt. Too long have you been buffeted by angry people who think that God talks to them. You have a right to your moderation! You have the power to be calm! We will use the IED of truth to explode the SUV of dogmatic expression! People of the United States, why is everyone yelling at you??? Whatever happened to... you know, everything? Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea? (Sister Immaculate Dagger of Peace notes for the record that we mean no disrespect to Jews, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. Referred back to the committee of the whole for further discussion.) We are Unitarian Jihad. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with. (Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity notes for the record that he does not have a moral code but is nevertheless a good person, and Unexalted Leader Garrote of Forgiveness stipulates that Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity is a good person, and this is to be reflected in the minutes.) Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Jihad will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for "balance" by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues. We are Unitarian Jihad. We will appear in public places and require people to shake hands with each other. (Sister Hand Grenade of Love suggested that we institute a terror regime of mandatory hugging, but her motion was not formally introduced because of lack of a quorum.) We will require all lobbyists, spokesmen and campaign managers to dress like trout in public. Televangelists will be forced to take jobs as Xerox repair specialists. Demagogues of all stripes will be required to read Proust out loud in prisons. We are Unitarian Jihad, and our motto is: "Sincerity is not enough." We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm. Get a dog, or comfort someone in a nursing home, or just feed the birds in the park. Play basketball. Lighten up. The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone. (Brother Gattling Gun of Patience notes that he's pretty sure the world is out to get him because everyone laughs when he says he is a Unitarian. There were murmurs of assent around the room, and someone suggested that we buy some Congress members and really stick it to the Baptists. But this was deemed against Revolutionary Principles, and Brother Gattling Gun of Patience was remanded to the Sunday Flowers and Banners committee.) People of the United States! We are Unitarian Jihad! We can strike without warning. Pockets of reasonableness and harmony will appear as if from nowhere! Nice people will run the government again! There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi Room after the revolution.
Startling new underground group spreads lack of panic! Citizens declare themselves "relatively unafraid" of threats of undeclared rationality. People can still go to France, terrorist leader says. Michael row the boat ashore, and then get some of the local kids to pull the boat onto the dock, and come visit with jcarroll@sfchronicle.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2005 SF Chronicle

2005-05-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

CHECK OUT VIRTUAL BUTTERLAMPS! http://vigil.savetibet.org/lamps/index.php

2005-05-07T14:19:00.000-04:00

Feng Shui enthusiasts use "cures" for everything from finding love to winning the lottery. And while adding plants and wind chimes to strategic spots can attract fortune, what you don't do can often be as important as the actions you do take. Here, then, are the 10 biggest Feng Shui mistakes you can make, and how to fix them:

Never Entering Your Home through the Front Door – Your front door governs your career and life path. When you enter your home through the garage or back door, you lose sight of your life's purpose. Job opportunities dry up and aimlessness sets in. Get into the habit of using the front door at least once a day, even if you have to go out of your way to do so.

Keeping Exercise Equipment in the Bedroom – The bedroom should evoke play, not work. Storing your Stairmaster in the boudoir will make relationships arduous and exhausting. Move your exercise machine to another part of the house. If you want to work out in the bedroom, do it between the sheets!

Allowing Clutter to Accumulate – Musty newspapers, dirty laundry, and piles of toys can weigh you down, both physically and emotionally. Tidy up at least once a week to restore your health.

Keeping Hall Closets Jammed to Overflowing – Hall closets represent your capacity to be receptive. Keeping yours stuffed with sports equipment, off-season clothing, and sundry junk will cut you off from helpful people. Clear out these spaces so they are one third empty, then wait for burdens to lift.

Leaving Walls Bare and Lifeless – Blank walls make it difficult to abandon yourself to pleasure. Take the time to fill your home with artwork that uplifts and inspires you. At the very least, apply colorful paint or paper to the walls.

Leaving the Toilet Seat Up – Women have been complaining about this phenomenon for years... and with good reason. Toilets are drains that can suck wealth right out of your life. Get into the habit of keeping the lid down when the toilet is not in use.

Not Washing Windows – If you don't do windows, you won't do much else, either. That's because windows are connected to your fame and reputation. When they're clear and sparkling, people will recognize and celebrate your talent. When they're dirty and dim, those golden opportunities will keep passing you by.

Ignoring Squeaky Hinges – Doors that moan and groan can make you inflexible. A few drops of WD-40 will loosen up more than your hinges.

Never Cooking – Your kitchen is the heart of your home. When it lies stagnant, all areas of your life will suffer. The more you cook at home, the happier and healthier you will be. If you can't cook, be sure to ignite the burners on your stove at least once a day to generate warmth and vitality.

Hanging on to Unwanted Family Heirlooms – Grandma willed you her favorite brown afghan that smells of mothballs and clashes with everything you own. Whether you've draped it over the couch or relegated it to a cardboard box, this legacy is keeping you mired in the past. Get rid of undesired gifts and move on.

2005-05-07T14:16:00.000-04:00

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One pathleads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction.Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. -Woody Allen, authoractor, and filmmaker (1935- )

2005-05-07T14:14:00.000-04:00

‘He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.’ Those who think such things will not be free from hate.-Buddha

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2005-05-07T13:31:00.000-04:00

I have neglected this blog shamefully & I really dunno why. It certainly is not because of writer’s block. I guess I just can’t imagine anyone being interested in anything that might happen to me. Y’know how when someone asks "how are you?" & you answer "fine" or someone asks "what’s new?" & you answer "nothing" when you know very well you have been living your life to the fullest extent of which you are capable (or not) & haven’t had time to call or visit w/any of your friends or family?
So, now I have two new pets & perhaps their antics will keep me writing in this blog. Actually, since you read this last I have 3 new pets . So, let’s start w/the two news ones & work backwards shall we?
yesterday/ (may 6, 2005) I went to work (I had taken annual leave the reason for which is a whole ‘nother story) to collect a pair of keets which brenda dobbins (YES! I AM NAMING NAMES!!) Suckered me into taking off her hands (@ least, melanie korzep gave me the sucker award.) Actually, I never had birds but have always wanted some. I kinda had an amazon grey parrot in mind because they are so intelligent but they are also expensive. The day brenda dobbins talked me into taking the birds, I called pam @ home to find out if she minded having birds around. I felt it was only the polite thing to do. Melanie laughed @ me for "having to ask my wife if I could bring some birds home" sheesh! I don’t mind keeping others amused but give me some credit where credit is due! As I have taken to saying @ work "I don’t do much but what I do do I do VERY well."
so, brenda dobbins says bird cages are cheap @ walmart but if you know me @ all, I try not to patronize the EVIL STORE & I will pay double the amount for something to keep from going there. Now, I have no idea what the prices for bird cages are @ the EVIL STORE but I imagine I certainly paid more @ the pet store! $70.
And that was the sale price! Then I felt I should have something to hang the cage on so the cats wouldn’t harass the birds so I got a stand ($50) for the cage. Also, parakeets need their own type of food (of course!) because if they only eat sunflower seeds they will starve to death. Yes, I researched parakeets online. Anyway, with all the equipment & food I ended up paying $130 for two FREE birds!
Now, when I went to work to pick them up, they were so calm & sweet & seemed to get along so well. I had told brenda dobbins to make sure I got a male & a female because the females won’t talk but I dint want the males to fight. Brenda did well there. And they are so cute! I named them both after St. Francis of Assisi. The male is Pancho (which is a Mexican form of Frank) & the female is Ssisi. Have you ever examined a parakeet? (Kinda sounds like a paralegal dunnit?) I dunno exactly what a KEET is but these are not quite those. They are colorful & tiny & have these precious li’l beady eyes w/feathery eyelids. When they shut their eyes, they are all feathers in the face.
I got them home w/only a little bit of panic & they seemed to settle right down. Then the cats found them. Gomez is completely fascinated w/them & so is Jammy of course. But Gomez doesn’t jump & Jammy does! She is a great slayer of small creatures & was determined to get the ‘keets. She jumped on the cage while they were hanging on their stand & panic ensued. I peeled her off the cage & hung them up higher on a hook in the middle of the doorway to my room & hoped they would be safer there. I moved anything she might have climbed or jumped on to get to them. Then I watched. It took her a while to conclude that she could jump that high, but jump she did! I had to peel her off the cage for the second time & panic ensued. Now, you might think that after all the moving, & cat attacks these li’l ‘keets would be on the verge of heart attacks. But no! They calmed right down & after I put Jammy outside they began to eat. Now they have eaten & pooped several times & I believe they are going to survive. They still sound the alarm when they see a cat but that is a good thing. I am slowly learning their language & attempting to teach them mine. Whenever I pass their cage I say "bless you!" Hopefully, they will learn it soon. Brenda dobbins said they were stupid & loud & drove her nuts. I told her that I would have the male speaking w/in 3 months. I preferred to give myself a wide timeframe so as not to fail. But, we’ll see just how long it takes & I will let you know when he speaks his first words.

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2004-11-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

this was sent to me by Fritzanne!

Canada busy sending back Bush-dodgers.

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada
has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The re-election of President Bush is prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray and agree with Bill O'Reilly.
Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing
their fields at night. "I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. "He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"
In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."
Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves. "A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I
found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little
Napa Valley cabernet, though."
When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors>have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR.
In the days since the election, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age," an official said.
Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating and organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies. "I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history >majors does one country need?"
In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada, Vice President Dick Cheney met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals, a source close to Cheney said. "We're going to have some Peter, Paul & Mary concerts. And we might put some endangered species on postage stamps. The president is determined to reach out."

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2004-11-26T07:57:00.000-05:00

Puss-In-Boots to get his own Fiesta

Dreamworks and Shrek 2 producers had predicted that new character Puss, played in the CG sequel by Antonio Banderas, would be an extremely popular character. It seems they were right, since the little fur ball will now get his very own movie. Variety reported that a direct-to-video spin-off has been assigned to scribes Ed Decter and John Strauss (The Santa Clause 2). NO exact release date was discussed, but chances are it will be used to promote the next 'Shrek' chapter. No news yet on Banderas' involvement, but since he's already signed on for Shrek 3, it's pretty likely he'll spend a few more days in the booth.

Anthony Langois

interview

2004-11-20T16:43:00.000-05:00

LUDO in GAMBIA UPDATE!!

Greetings,
Most of you did not notice it but these last days have been big through the Muslim world as it was on Saturday that the month of Ramadan, during which people keep fast from 7 AM till 7 PM. Definitely a hard experience and a great sign of devotion.

For the Irie Nation sound system, it was a month of complete silence… SO all the crew was so happy on Sunday evening to park the equipment in our newly registered van (now the car is a Gambian citizen!!!) and to set off for the Afra FM Night Club in the big town of Brikama.

Despite our motivation and energy, things didn’t turn the way we expected it. Actually we miscalculated that on that day, people prefer to go and see their families and chill out with friends at home rather than going to club. So we just entertained a handful of reggaematicals and went home with just a bit of pocket money.

After this setback, anyway, I woke up in the early morning. Because on Monday again we had a party to run. But how to run it ? The owner of the generator that we were supposed to rent and use told me that his machine had a breakdown… From 9 AM till three in the afternoon, I went all over, called everybody, did all I could… but found no generator. I thought all my efforts were vain and was about to give up when a friend showed up with a solution. Someone in his area had the one generator we needed, 4000 watts of power !!!

The heart filled with courage again, it is with a crew of about twelve people that we departured for Mandinari. If you check the map of the Gambia, you may not find this town because it is just a small village. No electricity in the town, just a couple of shops but nothing else.

So why go and play there ? One man had an inspiration in this peaceful and natural place. He built a very standard dancing hall called the Dazzle Night Club. A high fence all around the yard, a covered dancefloor of 15by15 metres, all tiled on the floor, a massive stage with colour bulbs, nice paintings on the wall and a small garden aside the dancefloor where people can relax their tired dancing legs. Indeed a very surprising place in that village… and as we had been there before we really expected something…

And yesterday night, really, the things came true. As early as 7, we started booming the sound, so that the crowds would know we were ready. By that time the gates were open and the hall was full of children getting their part of enjoyment, with my second DJ, Mickey General teaching the kids how to pronounce ‘Irie Nation’, all in a choir.

Around ten we cleared the place and started selling tickets. (On that day, sold for 25 dalasis, around 75 cents). General was now playing African vibes in a empty hall. The first party people started to come in, take a check and , as usual, go for a stroll outside till the place gets more full. Around 11, Mandinari’s nice and decent people had filled the half of the hall, and still Mickey General was getting them to dance and clap to the sound of Senegalese Ndaga vibes. He followed with a mix of hip hop (including the likes of B2K, Busta Rhymes, 50Cent, Shaggy, Mary J, R. Kelly and others), Ragga Bashment tunes (check for Elephant Man, Beenie Man, Shaggy, Sean Paul, TOK, Bounty Killer,…) and Reggae-Dancehall Vibes (Natural Black, Anthony B, Sizzla, Junior Reid, Warrior King and many more). Those latest tunes I discretely selected for him to make sure they would hit the people badly (remember that when music hits you, you feel no pain). And on the Microphone, non stop, Sizzla and General were entertaining the people and promoting the main man of the show, known as DJ Ludo from… Belgium !

By half past twelve the place was full enough and the heat was on !! Under many claims I greeted the people, sent nuff respects to all my crews and started to unleash my first hot tunes, the latest in Reggae and Dancehall. The dance was just unstoppable. Everywhere the youths were skanking and bouncing and jumping. Blowing their whistles, flashing their lighters in the air, one of them even spraying a large flame from a bottle of mosquito spray. It seems that each tune added more energy to the crowd and after 45 minutes of non stop mix, I saw our manager Paco, running from the gate. Time to cool off a bit he said. It is true that a few hardcore boys were getting overzealous and started smashing bottles on the floor anytime a big tune was played…

General took the stage again, African vibes and everybody starts to clap again, the ladies wining their waists. I passed on another shirt as the sweat had wetted me completely. 30 minutes after that I was pon the stage again, running another session, a very happy mood reggae dancehall mix with Beres Hammond, Morgan Heritage (Reggae bring back love), Barrington Levi, Buju Banton (Can you play some more), Sanchez (thing called Your love is a blessing) everybody was happy and sweating.

The crowd was under full control and the party continued with another short Ndaga mix by General till around 4 in the morning….

Time for everybody to rest his body from this wonderful night of a kind…. view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-11-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

US Winter Weather Mixed Bag - NOAA
WASHINGTON - Winter weather in the United States, affected by a weak El Nino, will be warmer in the West and cooler and wetter in the South and Southeast, forecasters predicted Thursday.
The US East, including the Northeast which is the biggest consumer of heating oil in the world, should get cooler-than-average temperatures, according to the forecast.
US home fuel prices have surged, with heating stockpiles 16 percent below 2003 levels as the winter season approaches. The US Energy Department estimated last month that home heating oil this winter will cost about 28 percent more than last year.
"This event is expected to continue into early 2005 but remain much weaker than the 1997-1998 El Nino that greatly affected parts of California," said Wayne Higgins, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center.
El Nino, which is Spanish for "the little boy," is an abnormal warming of water in the Pacific Ocean every three or so years that can wreak havoc with global weather patterns.
NOAA also said in its final winter weather forecast that drought will worsen in the Northwest and Ohio Valley regions due to drier-than-normal weather. Drought will lessen in parts of the Southwest, however.
Wetter-than-average weather will blanket the South from New Mexico to Texas and Louisiana, NOAA said.
In its forecast, the weather agency said the mid-Atlantic Coast States, the southern Ohio Valley, the Tennessee Valley, the Southeast, the lower Mississippi Valley and eastern sections of Texas will be cooler than normal.
Warmer-than-average temperatures will cover the West, the Rockies and Alaska and Hawaii.
NOAA's winter forecast is for December 2004 through February 2005.
Story Date: 19/11/2004

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2004-11-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

Published on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
Ten Reasons Not to Move to Canada
by Sarah Anderson

Ready to say screw this country and buy a one-way ticket north? Here are some reasons to stay in the belly of the beast.

1. The Rest of the World. After the February 2003 antiwar protests, the New York Times described the global peace movement as the world's second superpower. Their actions didn't prevent the war, but protesters in nine countries have succeeded in pressuring their governments to pull their troops from Iraq and/or withdraw from the so-called "coalition of the willing."Antiwar Americans owe it to the majority of the people on this planet who agree with them to stay and do what they can to end the suffering in Iraq and prevent future pre-emptive wars.

2. People Power Can Trump Presidential Power. The strength of social movements can be more important than whoever is in the White House. Example: In 1970, President Nixon supported the Occupational Safety and Health Act, widely considered the most important pro-worker legislation of the last 50 years. It didn't happen because Nixon loved labor unions, but because union power was strong. Stay and help build the peace, economic justice, environmental and other social movements that can make change.

3. The great strides made in voter registration and youth mobilization must be built on rather than abandoned.

4. Like Nicaraguans in the 1980s, Iraqis Need U.S. Allies. After Ronald Reagan was re-elected in 1984, progressives resisted the urge to flee northwards and instead stayed to fight the U.S. governments secret war of arming the contras in Nicaragua and supporting human rights atrocities throughout Central America. Iraq is a different scenario, but we can still learn from the U.S.-Central America solidarity work that exposed illegal U.S. activities and their brutal consequences and ultimately prevailed by forcing a change in policy.

5. We Can't Let up on the 'Free Trade' Front Activists have held the Bush administration at bay on some issues. On trade, opposition in the United States and in developing countries has largely blocked the Bush administrations corporate-driven trade agenda for four years. The President is expected to soon appoint a new top trade negotiator to break the impasse. Whoever he picks would love to see a progressive exodus to Canada.

6. Barack Obama. His victory to become the only African-American in the U.S. Senate was one of the few bright spots of the election. An early opponent of the Iraq war, Obama trounced his primary and general election opponents, even in white rural districts, showing he could teach other progressives a few things about broadening their base. As David Moberg of In These Times puts it, 'Obama demonstrates how a progressive politician can redefine mainstream political symbols to expand support for liberal policies and politicians rather than engage in creeping capitulation to the right.'

7. Say so long to the DLC. Barry Goldwater suffered a resounding defeat when he ran for president against Lyndon Johnson in 1964, but his campaign spawned a conservative movement that eventually gained control of the Republican Party and elected Ronald Reagan in 1980. Progressives should see the excitement surrounding Dean, Kucinich, Moseley Braun, and Sharpton during the primary season as the foundation for a similar takeover of the Democratic Party.

8. 2008. President Bush is entering his second term facing an escalating casualty rate in Iraq, a record trade deficit, a staggering budget deficit, sky-high oil prices, and a deeply divided nation. As the Republicans face likely failure, progressives need to start preparing for regime change in 2008 or sooner. Remember that Nixon was reelected with a bigger margin than Bush, but faced impeachment within a year.

9. Americans are Not All Yahoos. Although I wouldn't attempt to convince a Frenchman of it right now, many surveys indicate that Americans are more internationalist than the election results suggest. In a September poll by the University of Maryland, majorities of Bush supporters expressed support for multilateral approaches to security, including the United States being part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (68%), the International Criminal Court (75%), the treaty banning land mines (66%), and the Kyoto Treaty on climate change (54%). The problem is that most of these Bush supporters weren't aware that Bush opposed these positions. Stay and help turn progressive instincts into political power.

10. Winter. Average January temperature in Ottawa: 12.2°F.

2004-11-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

"Jesus don't like killin' no matter what the reason's for..." john prine
Published on Monday, October 25, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
No Longer a Christian
by Karen Horst Cobb

I was told in Sunday school the word "Christian" means to be Christ-like, but the message I hear daily on the airwaves from the “christian ” media are words of war, violence, and aggression. Throughout this article I will spell Christian with a small c rather than a capital, since the term (as I usually hear it thrown about) does not refer to the teachings of the one I know as the Christ. I hear church goers call in to radio programs and explain that it was a mistake not to kill every living thing in Fallujah. They quote chapter and verse from the old testament about smiting the enemies of Israel. The fear of fighting the terrorists on our soil rather than across the globe causes the voices to be raised as they justify the latest prison scandal or other accounts of the horrors of war . The words they speak are words of destruction, aggression, dominance, revenge, fear and arrogance. The host and the callers echo the belief in the righteousness of our nation's killing. There are reminders to pray for our “Christian” president who is doing the work of the Lord: Right to Life, Second Amendment, sanctity of marriage, welfare reform, war, kill, evil liberals. . . so much to fight, so much to destroy.
Let me tell you about the Christ I know. He was conceived by an unmarried woman. He was not born into a family of privilege. He was a radical. He said, “It was said an eye for and eye and a tooth of a tooth, but now I say love your enemies and bless those who curse you.” He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5: 3-9) He said, “All those who are called by my name will enter the kingdom of heaven." He said, "People will know true believers if they have the fruit of the spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control.“
He knew he would be led like a sheep to the slaughter. He responded with “Father forgive them.“ He explained that in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile, slave or free male nor female. He explained that even to be angry is akin to murder. He said the temple of God is not a building, but is in the hearts of those are called by his name. He was called "the Prince of Peace." His final days were spent in prayer, so that he could endure what was set before him, not on how he could overpower the evil government of that day. When they came for him he was led away and didn’t resist his death sentence.
This is a stark contrast to the call of the religious Christian right, who vote for war and weapons, and suggest towns and villages be leveled to bring freedom and peace to the people. They proudly boast this country’s superiority, suggesting God has blessed our nation. Today, as I listened to a popular Christian news network, I was reminded that in the last days, even God’s elect will be deceived, (II Timothy 3:13). When the religious media moguls preaching prosperity spout their rhetoric, I am reminded of the difficulty Jesus described of a rich man’s ability to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19: 24) (http://www.4religious-right.info/rr_economics.htm) Some who believe they are fighting evil will cry to the Lord, and he will say “I never knew you.“ (Matthew 22). They will have a form or godliness but will deny the power (II Timothy 3:5) to move mountains through prayer. (Matthew 17:20). Jesus explained that he has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:17) I wonder if the innocent moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles, and grandmas and grandpas who were the victims of US military weapons (the never reported collateral damages we are protected from in the “liberal” nightly news) felt the love of Jesus with the shock and awe. I wonder if the surviving family members now understand His radical love and that they no longer have any need for weapons or defense.
The solutions to the social issues used to manipulate good, decent people have no resemblance to how Jesus responded to the social concerns of his time. He never once mentioned the “right to life” the year he was born King Herod ordered the execution of all babies. (Matthew 2:16). He knew that passing laws does not change the heart. As a follower of his teaching I believe in the right to life, including the children in Iraq who stumble onto land mines, cross the street at the wrong time, or who are snugly tucked within the warm bellies of their wounded or grieving mothers as US fighter jets fly overhead. These are living, breathing children. The killing of these little ones are never even reported, and our tax dollars pay for these bombs. I believe in the right to life for those in the United States who are unwanted and impoverished. I believe in the right to life of the naive kid who was promised by the recruiter they could choose a desk job and still get their education paid or could see the world or could accelerate their life or could play a very realistic video game from a cockpit.
I've worked at a shelter, and I know first hand the reality of unwanted children. I know the reality of this right wing rhetoric when week after week I begged and pleaded with people to give up only one night every three months to sit with these unwanted living children for a few hours while the overworked house parents had a night off. Of the few I found, many changed their minds when they discovered that they would need to wear rubber gloves to change the babies diapers. These “believers” stand on the street corners holding right to life signs and then vote against medical assistance for the mothers and their unwanted children creating an impossible existence for them. The few of these abortion activists who might adopt some of these unwanted children generally want the white and the healthy. The ones with hydrocephalous, tracheotomies, emotional/ mental problems and communicable diseases along with their life long medical expenses can be someone else’s problems.
I cringe as many christians vote for policies that deny help to the poor in our own county, who vote to support the war and military strength, assuring the latest weapons are developed and that the heavens will be dominated by the military of the United States. We develop electromagnetic weapons to shatter skulls , split the earth (http://www.raven1.net/emr13.htm) and silently destroy a body as a thief in the night. Studies are even now searching for the frequencies to override the freewill. These unbelievable technologies are a reality and DNA specific weapons can or soon will target a specific nationality (http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/981116/1998111619.html ).I weep as the waters Jesus walked on become contaminated with uranium. (http://www.greendove.net/resources3.htm) I grieve as the missiles fly through the atmosphere on the continent where Jesus rose into the sky, defying death and the grave and where the Holy Sprit first descended. I cry out at the horrors of war and the indignity of the prisons so close to where He took captivity captive. So I am no longer a Christian if Christianity has become what is presented to us by our Christian president and Christian media. I cannot support the right of the United States and Israel to develop and use the most heinous weapons ever imagined. I want no part of a temple built on the blood of the innocent. The sheep have been lead astray by the teachings of prosperity and misinterpretation of the final battle between good and evil. Many no longer can recognize the voice of the good Shepherd.
Some “good Christians” even work at weapons facilities. It is not a stretch to say that a woman who tightens a last rivet on a shiny new missile just off the assembly line might be the same woman who licks the gold star on the attendance chart in morning Sunday school. The missile could be launched by the kid in the youth group who reads the invocation and it will find it’s destiny at a “target of interest” which might or might not have been a result of good intelligence. The collection plate circulates children are taught to love their enemies and bless those who curse them.
The statements and lifestyle of Jesus are difficult for me to understand. What would he say to evil dictators? This God would not justify 15,000 or more deaths. Even the wrathful jealous God of the old testament spared whole cities for a few righteous souls. For Christians, to support mass killings as a way to prevent future deaths is not at all like Christ. He would not say,"When I am talking about war I am really talking about peace," like the self professed Christian President proudly states. Who but God has the right to determine what price a people should pay for their freedom? The religious leaders on the airwaves today respond to the voices of the few brave peacemakers who dare to speak out. They say that pacifism is insane, and that it doesn’t make sense, but what is forgotten is that logic and faith are separate entities. I believe in the example of Jesus and his admonition to love your enemies and bless those who curse you . Do I understand how this works on the global scale? Do I know what Jesus would say to all the world’s leaders? No, nor do I totally understand how the example of Christ’s life and his message of love works in the world today. That’s why I need faith. Am I always correct in my assessments and actions? No, that’s why I need grace. Am I brave and unafraid? No, that’s why I need the perfect love that casts out fear. Some put trust in Chariots and some in horses but I will remember the name of the lord our God--the Prince of Peace. Perhaps politics has no place for imitators of Christ.
Who will show the face of Christ to the world? Who will speak His radical message? I hear from these so called imitators of Christ that the pacifists are a collection of kids, hippies, socialists and communists who haven’t got a clue. Some of us, however, have come to our beliefs as a result of careful and prayerful study of the scriptures and admonishment from our elders. Many are Mennonite, Amish, Quaker and other Anabaptists, whose ancestors did not resist their torturers and were drowned, burnt at the stake and flogged for their pacifist stand. They truly followed the example of Christ, and their resistance against the catastrophic effects of the merging of church and state cost them a great price. Churches today have signed onto the government plan and have agreed to look the other way in exchange for tax free privileges. The true message of Christ still exists to some degree in the quiet of the land to peacemakers, but sadly these good people have been deceived by the angry words from a righteous sounding religious media majority broadcasting in cars and trucks and tractors all over our land ironically preaching the “good news of war for peace“ and convincing 24-7 “liberal“ bashing. I suspect there are many who share my sorrow at the loss of what it means to be Christ-like, but our voice is seldom heard. The blaring rhetoric drowns out the still small voice of the mighty God. Peace used be the opposite of war, Conservative used to mean the tendency to conserve resources. Liberal used to mean kind and generous, and Christian used to mean like Christ.
So I am no longer a Christian but just a person who continues trying to follow the example of Christ. I’ll let him call me what he wants when I see him face to face. Until then, I will pray that someday people like me will be able to reclaim the meaning of Christ’s identity, and the world will see the effects of the radical message of Christ‘s love--the perfect love that casts out fear.
Karen Cobb is a freelance writer and artist in Santa Fe, NM and can be contacted at cairnhcobb@msn.com. view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-10-31T07:49:00.000-05:00

If you feel you need something stronger than a voodoo curse I suggest this site... their services are unconditionally guaranteed for a year!

2004-10-31T07:26:00.000-05:00

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2004-10-31T06:50:00.000-05:00

THE HORROR! THE HORROR!

MAXI PRIEST The cross-over king eyes country Michael Edwards, Observer writerFriday, October 29, 2004

PRIEST... I've always done combinations, I've always been about representing good music

This is de doctah! /Maxi Priest and Shabba!

Those lines, and the underlying backbeat, seemed inescapable just about a decade ago when then fast-rising DJ Shabba Ranks teamed up with Maxi Priest for the chart-topping Housecall. The single, one of several high-profile pairings for the DJ at the time, also established Priest as a viable partner in dancehall's first big run at the North American market.

Prior to that, Priest had scored solo hits with Close To You and Cat Stevens' Wild World among others. Shabba only figures sporadically at present, but London-born Priest has hung around, though not without difficulties. After a long absence, he re-emerged at the Air Jamaica jazz and blues Festival in January, as an impromptu guest of show-stopper Beres Hammond.

Another show-stopper at that event was country-and-western king Kenny Rogers, and it is Rogers' return to Jamaica, for a one-night only show in Kingston on November 4, that will also bring Priest (as well as Ernie Smith) back before Jamaican audiences. The show presented by Turnkey Productions in collaboration with Tent City and What's On Jamaica.com, takes place on the grounds of King's House.

As one would expect, Priest is keyed up, not only about appearing before Jamaican fans, but at the opportunity to share a bill with country-and-western's greatest international exponent.

PRIEST... I love Kenny Rogers, grew up with his music in my home as I'm sure almost every Jamaican did "I think me and Kenny could even do a song together," he suggests, and indeed, given his track record, the notion is not at all far-fetched.

Speaking by telephone from a studio in England where he is laying tracks for his next album, Priest reminds that he's used to pairings with the biggest and brightest stars of the music world, regardless of the genre, and in fact sees the show's blend of reggae and country music as a perfect match for him.

"Man, I've always done combinations, I've always been about representing good music and being open to different ideas and influences from different cultures. It's not so different from what Bob [Marley] and Peter [Tosh] and them guys did."

"I love Kenny Rogers, grew up with his music in my home as I'm sure almost every Jamaican did" he continues, "and I definitely say 'nuff respect' to him, but also for me as an artiste, I really view this as a natural progression at this stage of my career."

Ironically, his career began much closer to the dancehalls. Initially a carpenter by trade, Priest spent his formative years crafting speaker boxes for legendary UK system Saxon. A more hands-on involvement would come later when he was credited as a co-producer on DJ Jah Levi's 1980s smash, Mi God, Mi King.

Priest then went on to form his own band, Caution, and gradually ascended the ladder of his solo career.

His collaborative hits also include the number one ballad, Set The Night To Music with Roberta Flack and working alongside jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour, on a breezy cover of Marley's classic torch song Waiting In Vain.

The crooner is fresh from Brazil, where he worked alongside the likes of Gilberto and other major stars from that country. Previous tour appearances have seen him hook up with Anita Baker, guitar legend Carlos Santana (who has himself developed a knack for winning combinations) and portly vocalist Phil Perry.

Looking on at dancehall's "Second Wave" via Sean Paul,Wayne Wonder, Shaggy et al, Priest is very heartened about his own role as trailblazer.

"I feel good that those guys can step up and have success, and thus keep new ideas flowing into the music. Bob and the other fore-runners did unforgettable and vital stuff, but the music can't be allowed to stagnate, that's not the approach they took and it's certainly not the approach I come to the music with."

Still, he maintains, the offerings from his upcoming album (early next year is the only release date we'll get at the moment) are a progression form his previous work, building on the mid-tempo lover's rock vein that he has successfully mined since the late 1980s. It's that same mix that fans will be expecting when he takes the stage come next week.

"There's always an unbeatable vibe about performing in Jamaica, and I know this time will be no different. I'm feeling better than I've felt in a long time. I'm renewed and ready to go out there and have a great time just sharing who I am with the people."

Can a reggae version of Lady or She Believes In Me be too far behind?

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2004-10-30T13:45:00.000-04:00

Forming a new world religion is difficult and not particularly desirable. However, in that love is essential to all religions, one could speak of the universal religion of love.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-10-30T13:18:00.000-04:00

CHICKENHAWKS view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-10-25T07:32:00.000-04:00

Ludo is from Belgium & has gone to live in Africa:

Greetings All,
As Europe enters in the winter, in The Gambia the rains have stopped and the weather is getting cooler.
I am myself also getting cooler… Definitely the rainy season is a hard thing to experience… This year, the end of the rainy season meets the beginning of the month of Ramadan. For Muslims, this is a time of prayer and fasting. It is the time they should really care to do the five daily prayers and also you should prevent yourself from eating or drinking or smoking or having sex from seven in the morning till seven in the night.
Things run a bit low during that month, but also the sound system is totally blocked, unuseful… during that month, no party is taking place, even weddings and naming ceremonies will be celebrated after the Koriteh, the last day of Ramadan.
So I get quite a lot of time to write a couple of lines for you as I missed to do so for so long. (Note : I am personally not fasting, though I look forward to experience the Ramadan, I have decided that I’ll not be able to run it this year.)
It was around the middle of the month of June that the first rains started to pour down on us. When the first rains come, it is a magical moment because you haven’t seen the rain for so long, you feel like running under the rain. It is the time also when the landscape is changing. In the gardens and the compounds, on the roadsides, at the beachside, basically everywhere the plants start growing. It is for me a wonder to see a soil that has been empty and dry for six months, getting covered with high grasses. Various kind of flowers and plants are growing. In the countryside some tarred roads get covered of vegetation and the plants hide the houses.
The next direct effect of the rain is to disturb the traffic. I am not talking about the problem of the numerous cars that miss one or two glasses, this is just a small thing. I am talking about the many roadblocks created by the water. In certain streets cars have to run in up to fifty centimeters of water, which means that only certain type of cars (4x4 or trucks) will go through and the others will estimate it wiser to turn back and find another way.
The real fun anyway when you drive in the water is that you cannot know whether the water is deep or not, whether the bottom of the water is hard or has big stones or holes or is so muddy that you will get blocked. The best is to ask a local whether he used to see cars crossing through or not. The funny answer is ‘…yeah…mmmh…some cars go through anyway…’ which means ‘try your luck’. If you are not lucky you may find yourself with feet and hands in the mud trying to push the car out. This is the time the locals are sitting and enjoying…
Travelling on foot anyway is sometimes another kind of enjoyment. Check this : in the night, try and walk along a street that you did not see in the daytime. I can beta lot that all of you would end up with wet feet and dirty shoes… you just can’t know where is the water till you hear your foot step in the water. Then it’s too late !!! Normally once you have put each feet in the water once, you will not worry about the water too much anymore because then your two feet are wet already. Anyway by daytime it is more simple but still you have to be flexible and have a kind of balance whilst crossing the water stepping on blocks or car tyres…
As you guess, the streets where the water is permanent quickly get dirty, and grasses start to grow in the mud and the frogs come in numbers. Would you imagine frogs getting a serious problem for humans? Not that they will enter in your house or something like that. The stress is just that they are so noisy ! Croaking ands croaking non stop when the night falls down. This is driving some people crazy, when you are trying to sleep or when you want to sit outside to relax and try and get some fresh air. Some of my friends tried to throw dirty car oil in the water but the hint was not good and it had no effect at all on the frogs and the noise.
My own street has a quite different face: we are on a slope street, going from on main street up to another mainstreet down, seen. So whenever a few drops of water reaches the upper side, it flows down my street to the other side. So I can say that I live along a river street !!! In case of big rain you even hesitate to cross it as it is so full of water. Sometimes the kids take their clothes off and go for a swim in that water… (but it is not allowed and when their mama comes around they run away..)…
Next to the rain, the summer is particularly enjoyable for the heat… As people say here, it is good to sweat as it cleans your body but there is also a limit after which I was in permanent fear to get dry like smoked fish. Definitely, I have been sweating nonstop this summer, from morning till evening and also through the night !!! If you wake up late, something like ten o clock, you will find that the heat is installed already and sweep your forehead for the first time of the day already…
Some days however, the clouds are fixed in the sky and not ready to move at all, no chance at all for the sun to show its rays… This is what we call a Babylon weather, then I could really feel like if I was in Belgium, enjoying a fresh and tiny rain. Those days are nice and cool but unfortunately quite rare, normally the sun hits and the heat heats till big black clouds rush in the sky and water pours down with thunder for one or two hours, after the clouds continue their way forward. At the end of the rainy season, around September, is the time when the rain comes faster and louder. Sometimes you will just feel a heavy wind blowing for five minutes just the time to run away and the water is there. If you are in town you will see everyone rushing for a shelter, the streets will empty in two minutes !!
Consequence of the rain and the heat : the insects start to proliferate, reproduce, multiply and take their place everywhere inside and outside. The one I enjoy the most are the spiders. I don’t know how they call them here but there is one type of spider that will build very long nets between trees or at the electric poles on the streets, between houses. It is really amazing to see those spiders resting on their net like they are just sitting in the air. They can draw a line between two threes distant of more than four meters !!! They just spend the season there. At first they are small and have small nets but before the end of the rainy season they get quite big. One of them had built her house between my van and my house and stayed for about two months despite the heavy winds and the rains and the burning sun. Right now, as the season ends, they start to disappear, … til next year.
I particularly enjoy those spiders because they have no mercy for mosquitoes, which are a very big problem here. Why that? You might remember what malaria is : a sickness whose symptoms are heavy fever, headache, diarrhea, loss of appetite, pain in the muscles, … a very dangerous cocktail for those who don’t get cured on time. Remember that the disease is killing every year here more people than any other disease. A simple mosquito bite can cause it. Normally a heavy dose of penicilin can cure it but some people can’t afford to get cured or get cured too late,or are already weakened because of the raint season. First to be blamed is the poverty of the people and the poverty of the health system and infrastructures… if such a disease was present in Europe, people would probably not die from it because the government would provide efficient means to prevent and cure it. But here in the Third World country this disease takes another dimension.
I also caught malaria, this was in the middle of July and I was quite surprised because I did not expect it I just woke up with it on a Monday morning… Anyway, having experienced it twice in 2001, I just went to the Sukuta Health Center and got my injections done and bought tablets also. Malaria is so common here that I just entered and said to the nurse ’I have malaria’, she did not ask for any test and just wrote the prescription…
These are just a few experiences that you missed, but remember that any time you want to pass around you are welcome...
More stories soon
And soon a phone number also…
All the best
God Bless
Ludo

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2004-10-24T13:11:00.000-04:00

You may have seen this already but it deserves another look! click HERE

2004-10-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Remember me? I haven't been online (except to buy jewelry making stuff) for months! But I recently received an email from my friend Ludo in Gambia & decided to post it here to let others know what life is like in Africa & as a way of keeping Ludo's postings. I haven't decided whether or not to post all of Ludo's email or just the latest one but a strong decision is to follow. ;) view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-09-29T22:19:00.000-04:00

I see all the different religious traditions as paths for the development of inner peace, which is the true foundation of world peace. These ancient traditions come to us as a gift from our common past. Will we continue to cherish it as a gift and hand it over the the future generations as a legacy of our shared desire for peace?-His Holiness the Dalai Lama view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-09-29T01:05:00.000-04:00

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2004-09-28T13:32:00.000-04:00

FOR PITY'S SAKE!! CLICK HERE NOW!! view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-09-28T13:24:00.000-04:00

The Dalai Lama preaches world healing through compassion
By Alexandra Alter, Knight Ridder Newspapers

MIAMI --- When the Dalai Lama enters a room, bald head bowed, hands pressed together in front of his chest in his trademark gesture of humility, some people see a spiritual leader who preaches world peace through compassion to others."His significance is incalculable in bringing a healing and united presence in the world," said the Rev. Annette Jones, who holds a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and is pastor of St. John's On The Lake First United Methodist Church in Miami Beach. "He's pure compassion."Born in 1935 in the Lhamo Dhondrop region of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was thrust onto the world stage at age 25 after fleeing to India to escape Chinese-occupied Tibet. From his exile post, the Tibetan monk has preached, prayed and negotiated with the Chinese over their governance of six million Tibetans, who have lived under Chinese rule for more than 50 years.
His efforts won him a Nobel Peace prize in 1989.Now 69, the Dalai Lama has increasingly branched out to the world stage, addressing throngs of thousands in Europe, Latin America and the United States. He recently gave a talk on world peace through inner peace in Miami, his second visit to South Florida in five years.His message of nonviolence, coupled with his humility, has cast a spotlight on Buddhism, the world's fifth-largest religion with 360 million followers. Among the five million Buddhists in the United States, one million are Western converts.Jeffrey Hopkins, a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and longtime friend of the Dalai Lama, said part of his appeal lies in his ability to put Buddhist teachings into universal terms."His Holiness has worked very hard to formulate a message appropriate to all people," said Hopkins, a professor of Indo-Tibetan studies at the University of Virginia who has co-authored several books with the Dalai Lama. "There are many techniques within Buddhism for the generation of kindness towards others, and those techniques appeal to people of any religion."In addressing Western audiences, however, the Dalai Lama has often been pressed on issues like homosexuality and the lack of female spiritual leadership in Buddhism. He has said that while homosexuality is condemned as "sexual misconduct" in certain Buddhist texts, such teachings shouldn't be applied to modern societies.When pressed about discrimination against women in the Buddhist monastic tradition, the Dalai Lama has admitted that elements of monastic culture should perhaps be revised to ensure equal opportunity for nuns.Said Alejandra Fernandez, a convert to Tibetan Buddhism. "With everything that's happening in the world today, people need a philosophy that teaches tolerance and compassion."

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2004-09-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

Updated: 10:28 AM EDTFormer Soldiers Slow to Report500 Ready Reservists Seek Exemptions From Reactivation, Risk AWOL Status
By Tom Squitieri, USA TODAY
(Sept. 28) - Fewer than two-thirds of the former soldiers being reactivated for duty in Iraq and elsewhere have reported on time, prompting the Army to threaten some with punishment for desertion.The former soldiers, part of what is known as the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), are being recalled to fill shortages in skills needed for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.Of the 1,662 ready reservists ordered to report to Fort Jackson, S.C., by Sept. 22, only 1,038 had done so, the Army said Monday. About 500 of those who failed to report have requested exemptions on health or personal grounds."The numbers did not look good," said Lt. Col. Burton Masters, a spokesman for the Army's Human Resources Command. "We are tightening the system, reaching the people and bringing them in."
Masters said most of the requests for exemptions are likely to be denied: "To get an exemption, it has to be a very compelling case, such as a severe medical condition."The figures are the first on the IRR call-up. They reflect the challenges the Pentagon faces in trying to find enough troops for ongoing operations and show resistance among some servicemembers who returned to civilian life.The ready reserve is an infrequently used pool of former soldiers who can be called to duty in a national emergency or war. On June 29, the Army announced it would call 5,674 members of its IRR back to active duty this year and next.Several of those who received recall notices have already been declared AWOL (absent without official leave) and technically are considered deserters. "We are not in a rush to put someone in the AWOL category," Masters said. "We contact them and convince them it is in their best interests to show up. If you are a deserter, it can affect you the rest of your life."Fourteen people were listed as AWOL last week; six subsequently told the Army they would report. Punishment for being AWOL is up to the unit commander and can include prison time and dishonorable discharge, said Col. Joseph Curtin, an Army spokesman.With a force that generals say is stretched thin, the Army is considering $1,000-a-month bonuses to ex-soldiers who volunteer to return for overseas duty.Ready reservists are soldiers who were honorably discharged after finishing their active-duty tours, usually four to six years, but remain part of the IRR for the rest of their original eight-year commitment. The IRR call-up is the first major one in 13 years, since 20,277 troops were ordered back for the Persian Gulf War. view my guestbook sign my guestbook
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2004-08-08T09:02:00.000-04:00

On a certain day, month and year one should observe the ceremony of tree-planting. Thus, one fulfills one’s responsibilities, serves one’s fellow-beings which not only brings happiness but benefits all.-His Holiness the Dalai Lamaview my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-07-22T23:24:00.000-04:00

Jane Goodall Talks Turkey”Hundreds of people watch the antics of birds on their bird tables, feed them through the winter, and provide nest boxes in the spring, yet never give a thought to the domestic hens, turkeys, and ducks who, in the nightmarish conditions of battery farms, live lives so cramped that they cannot spread their wings or roost or do any of the things that make avian life in the wild so joyous. Thousands of people who say they ‘love‘ animals sit down once or twice a day to enjoy the flesh of creatures who have been utterly deprived of everything that could make their lives worth living and who endured the awful suffering and the terror of the abattoirs—and the journey to get there—before finally leaving their miserable world, only too often after a painful death.”(The Ten Trusts, p. xv) view my guestbook sign my guestbook

2004-07-11T10:30:00.000-04:00

woman reclaims the house of God —Khalid Hasan

It is time to throw open the windows, to take on the dark-souled, ill-read and delusionary arbiters of the word of God and to assert the supremacy of love and reason
Asra Nomani, who happens to be a direct descendant of Maulana Shibli Nomani, the celebrated Islamic scholar, lives in a small town in West Virginia. She is also considered a heretic, if not an apostate, by some of the faithful in her town. Her sin? She walked into the town’s single mosque one Friday from the front entrance and took her place with the rest of the congregation. She had come to say her prayers and she did not believe then, nor does she believe now, that Islam prohibits women from praying in the same spot as men.
The imam stopped in mid-sentence as if struck by lightning; every head turned. They couldn’t believe what they saw. “Sister,” the imam said, “there is a separate entrance for women and a separate place for them to pray.” Asra held her ground. “This is the house of God and I am here to pray. I am quite happy sitting where I am.” Many of the men who were close to her moved as if her being there would bar their entrance to heaven. Her defiant gesture caused a commotion in the tiny Muslim community and every means was used to dissuade the young woman from praying in the same spot as men and entering the mosque from the main, men-only entrance. There were also threats of physical violence and declarations that her wayward behaviour had ensured eternal damnation for her. Asra could neither be convinced, nor frightened, nor dissuaded. She continues to go to the mosque because she believes that what they are trying to apply are man-made not divine regulations. She has also written about it and received much support from Muslim women in many countries.
I narrate Asra’s story because what the besieged religion of Islam needs today are more Asras, many more, to challenge the austere hegemony of Mullahism. I should add that her brave example has not been followed by her sisters, though most of them are in agreement with her.
However, there is one mosque in Toledo, Ohio, were men and women pray under the same roof and are only separated by a low divider.
While it is a wonderful affirmation of faith to build a place of worship, the hundreds of mosques that have gone up in the United States and Canada in the last thirty to forty years are for the most part controlled by illiberal Muslims. Since the Saudi government, out of good intentions no doubt, made generous financial contributions to their construction, it has also ensured that only a certain interpretation of Islam will mark the thinking and discourse of those who lead the congregations or manage their affairs. I have run into more illiberal and radical Muslims in North America than I would meet in Multan, were I to spend an entire week seeking them out. What is their problem? Why have they chosen to isolate themselves as if the entire world was at war with them? Why are they blind to the romance and sweep of Islam and the liberation it once brought to humanity? Why do they express such contempt for the societies where they have chosen to live and none of whose benefits will they even dream of denying themselves?
A couple of weeks ago in London I met a young man, English-born and English-bred. He had a long black beard — no moustache — and he was wearing a white skullcap, a long white shirt and pyjamas that hung above his ankles, complemented by a bag swinging from his shoulder. He told me that it was the destiny of Muslims to be victorious over the “Kuffar” or the infidels. When I asked him whom he had in mind, he replied, “The Jews and the Christians.” “But the Quran calls them people of the book,” I remonstrated. “The Muslims alone are the people of the book and all earlier books stand annulled and incorporated in the Quran, the final word of God,” he declared. I pointed out that right now it did not look as if Muslims were going to be the victors. “Not in this world, but the next,” he thundered. “What about this world then, here and now?” I asked. “This world does not matter. It is nothing. We are going to be the victors in the next world,” he declared. At that point, I decided our conversation was going nowhere.
It is time, therefore, to throw open the windows, to take on the dark-souled, ill-read and delusionary arbiters of the word of God and to assert the supremacy of love and reason. It also seems to me that what the Muslims living in Western countries need is not a chicken in every pot, but an Asra Nomani in every mosque.

Khalid Hasan is Daily Times’ US-based correspondent.

2004-07-11T09:19:00.000-04:00

THIS IS GOOD FOR A GIGGLE! :)

Cliches reign in 'King Arthur'
By Chauncey Mabe
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's not easy to make a decent swords-and-hordes flick. "Braveheart" and "Gladiator" are the exceptions, not the rule. No, the rule is "The 13th Warrior," the much-maligned Vikings-vs.-Neanderthals epic featuring Antonio Banderas as an Arab poet and diplomat.

"King Arthur," alas, is the kind of movie that you should hasten to see if you've never, ever in your entire life experienced a motion picture before, let alone the staples of this particular genre. You'll be thrilled, surprised, satisfied and uplifted.

But if you've been to the talkies once or twice, the chief pleasure in this well-intentioned, revisionist take on the Arthurian legend will come from counting off its inexhaustible Hollywood cliches.

Actually, a movie about the historical underpinnings of the Camelot myth is a promising idea. Forget the jousting and the chivalry and the love triangle involving Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. King Arthur dispenses with those Frenchified late-medieval romantic accretions. Director Antoine Fuqua, screenwriter David Franzoni and uber-action producer Jerry Bruckheimer go for Dark Age squalor, set in the more or less appropriate fifth century.

This time, Arthur is no king, but the half-Roman, half-Celtic captain of the frontier cavalry. His knights are Sarmation warriors pressed into service from the opposite end of the empire in west Asia, although they still bear familiar French and English names such as Lancelot, Galahad, Tristan and Gawain. They spend their time defending Hadrian's Wall and repulsing small bands of Pictish and/or Celtic guerrillas, led by the Druid chieftain Merlin.

After 15 years of brutal service, the knights eagerly await the arrival of a bishop from Rome carrying their discharge papers. But when he gets there, the sneaky prelate first insists they go on one last job (straight out of every noir drama ever filmed - that's one cliche). Their mission is to find and bring back a favored young nobleman and his family from behind the Wall (turning this briefly into "Saving Private Alecto" - that's two).

The knights reach the noble estate, where Arthur is disgusted by the Romans' evil treatment of the local serfs ("Dances With Picts" - that's three). He decides to save not only the Romans but also the natives from the massive Saxon army beating its drums just over the nearest ridge crest ("The Magnificent Seven" - four).

It's giving nothing away to say that Arthur eludes the Saxons. By the time Arthur stands on the Wall, looking at the huge Saxon army on one side and the bereft and helpless Briton peasants on the other, trying to decide whether to leave or stay and fight, the scene recalls an almost identical one from the Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell 1993 B-movie send-up, "Army of Darkness."

It's all too bad, because the actors are sincere, compelling and well-cast. Clive Owen makes a strapping and morally conflicted Arthur, while Keira Knightley is a wild-child Celtic Guinevere (though a trifle skinny to be credible as a warrior princess). Stellan Skarsgard, as leader of the awful Saxons, bears an astonishing resemblance to Geoffrey Rush in "Pirates of the Carribean" - he's a joy to behold.

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2004-07-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

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2004-07-10T13:43:00.000-04:00

OXYMORONICA

2004-07-10T13:29:00.000-04:00

Brenda sent me this... it's funny but true!

The Guys' Rules (kinda makes me wonder what we need guys for?)

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down
Finally, the guys' side of the story.
We always hear "the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules! Please note... these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every
question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant it the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1 . Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default sttings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; but did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

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2004-07-10T13:20:00.000-04:00

The best way to begin a day well is to think, on awakening, whether we cannot give pleasure during the day to at least one person. If this could become a substitute for the religious habit of prayer our fellow-men would benefit by the change.

nietzsche

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2004-07-07T07:51:00.000-04:00

It is not sufficient for religious people to be involved with prayer. Rather, they are morally obliged to contribute all they can to solving the world’s problems.-His Holiness the Dalai Lama view my guestbook |sign my guestbook

2004-06-30T21:44:00.000-04:00

Such human qualities as morality, compassion, decency, wisdom and so forth have been the foundations of all civilizations. These qualities must be cultivated and sustained through systematic moral education in a conductive social environment, so that a more humane world may emerge.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

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2004-06-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

here's a great joke from Demelza!

While walking down the street one day, a senator is tragically hit by a truck and killed. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldon see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."
"No problem, just let me in," says the senator.
"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What' we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."
"There's no need! I want to be in Heaven," says the senator.
"I'm sorry but we have our rules."
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator, and he goes down, down, down into Hell.
The doors open, and he finds himself in the middle of a beautiful green golf course. In the distance is a club house and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with h im. Everyone is very happy and in formal dress. They run to greet him, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar.
Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that, before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the elevator rises.
The elevator goes up, up, up, and the door reopens to Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
"Now it's time to visit Heaven."
So 24 hours pass with the head of state joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by, and St. Peter returns.
"Well, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now, you must choose where you want to spend eternity."
He reflects for a minutes and then answers: "Well, I would never have thought it, I mean, Heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better satisfied in Hell."
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator, and down, down, down he goes into Hell. Now, the doors of the elevator open, and h e is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags. And it's hot, hot, hot and the odor is just horrible.
Sweltering hot. Hot ane miserable. The Devil comes over to him and smoothly lays his arm around his shoulder.
"I don't understand," stammers the senator. "The day before yesterday I was here, and there was a gold course and club and we ate lobster and caviar and danced and had a great time. Now all there is is a wasteland full of garbage, and my friends look miserable."
The Devil looks at the senator, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning.....today you voted for us."

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2004-06-08T22:44:00.000-04:00

Cold Turkey
By Kurt Vonnegut

Many years ago, I was so innocent I still considered it possible that we could become the humane and reasonable America so many members of my generation used to dream of. We dreamed of such an America during the Great Depression, when there were no jobs. And then we fought and often died for that dream during the Second World War, when there was no peace.

But I know now that there is not a chance in hell of America’s becoming humane and reasonable. Because power corrupts us, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas.

-------------------------

When you get to my age, if you get to my age, which is 81, and if you have reproduced, you will find yourself asking your own children, who are themselves middle-aged, what life is all about. I have seven kids, four of them adopted.

Many of you reading this are probably the same age as my grandchildren. They, like you, are being royally shafted and lied to by our Baby Boomer corporations and government.

I put my big question about life to my biological son Mark. Mark is a pediatrician, and author of a memoir, The Eden Express. It is about his crackup, straightjacket and padded cell stuff, from which he recovered sufficiently to graduate from Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Vonnegut said this to his doddering old dad: “Father, we are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” So I pass that on to you. Write it down, and put it in your computer, so you can forget it.

I have to say that’s a pretty good sound bite, almost as good as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” A lot of people think Jesus said that, because it is so much the sort of thing Jesus liked to say. But it was actually said by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, 500 years before there was that greatest and most humane of human beings, named Jesus Christ.

The Chinese also gave us, via Marco Polo, pasta and the formula for gunpowder. The Chinese were so dumb they only used gunpowder for fireworks. And everybody was so dumb back then that nobody in either hemisphere even knew that there was another one.

But back to people, like Confucius and Jesus and my son the doctor, Mark, who’ve said how we could behave more humanely, and maybe make the world a less painful place. One of my favorites is Eugene Debs, from Terre Haute in my native state of Indiana. Get a load of this:

Eugene Debs, who died back in 1926, when I was only 4, ran 5 times as the Socialist Party candidate for president, winning 900,000 votes, 6 percent of the popular vote, in 1912, if you can imagine such a ballot. He had this to say while campaigning:

As long as there is a lower class, I am in it.
As long as there is a criminal element, I’m of it.
As long as there is a soul in prison, I am not free.

Doesn’t anything socialistic make you want to throw up? Like great public schools or health insurance for all?
How about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes?
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. …
And so on.
Not exactly planks in a Republican platform. Not exactly Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney stuff.
For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course that’s Moses, not Jesus. I haven’t heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere.
“Blessed are the merciful” in a courtroom? “Blessed are the peacemakers” in the Pentagon? Give me a break!
-------------------------
There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don’t know what can be done to fix it. This is it: Only nut cases want to be president.
But, when you stop to think about it, only a nut case would want to be a human being, if he or she had a choice. Such treacherous, untrustworthy, lying and greedy animals we are!
I was born a human being in 1922 A.D. What does “A.D.” signify? That commemorates an inmate of this lunatic asylum we call Earth who was nailed to a wooden cross by a bunch of other inmates. With him still conscious, they hammered spikes through his wrists and insteps, and into the wood. Then they set the cross upright, so he dangled up there where even the shortest person in the crowd could see him writhing this way and that.
Can you imagine people doing such a thing to a person?
No problem. That’s entertainment. Ask the devout Roman Catholic Mel Gibson, who, as an act of piety, has just made a fortune with a movie about how Jesus was tortured. Never mind what Jesus said.
During the reign of King Henry the Eighth, founder of the Church of England, he had a counterfeiter boiled alive in public. Show biz again.
Mel Gibson’s next movie should be The Counterfeiter. Box office records will again be broken.
One of the few good things about modern times: If you die horribly on television, you will not have died in vain. You will have entertained us.
-------------------------
And what did the great British historian Edward Gibbon, 1737-1794 A.D., have to say about the human record so far? He said, “History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind.”
The same can be said about this morning’s edition of the New York Times.
The French-Algerian writer Albert Camus, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, wrote, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.”
So there’s another barrel of laughs from literature. Camus died in an automobile accident. His dates? 1913-1960 A.D.
Listen. All great literature is about what a bummer it is to be a human being: Moby Dick, Huckleberry Finn, The Red Badge of Courage, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Crime and Punishment, the Bible and The Charge of the Light Brigade.
But I have to say this in defense of humankind: No matter in what era in history, including the Garden of Eden, everybody just got there. And, except for the Garden of Eden, there were already all these crazy games going on, which could make you act crazy, even if you weren’t crazy to begin with. Some of the games that were already going on when you got here were love and hate, liberalism and conservatism, automobiles and credit cards, golf and girls’ basketball.
Even crazier than golf, though, is modern American politics, where, thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative.
Actually, this same sort of thing happened to the people of England generations ago, and Sir William Gilbert, of the radical team of Gilbert and Sullivan, wrote these words for a song about it back then:

I often think it’s comical
How nature always does contrive
That every boy and every gal
That’s born into the world alive
Is either a little Liberal
Or else a little Conservative.

Which one are you in this country? It’s practically a law of life that you have to be one or the other? If you aren’t one or the other, you might as well be a doughnut.
If some of you still haven’t decided, I’ll make it easy for you.
If you want to take my guns away from me, and you’re all for murdering fetuses, and love it when homosexuals marry each other, and want to give them kitchen appliances at their showers, and you’re for the poor, you’re a liberal.
If you are against those perversions and for the rich, you’re a conservative.
What could be simpler?
-------------------------
My government’s got a war on drugs. But get this: The two most widely abused and addictive and destructive of all substances are both perfectly legal.
One, of course, is ethyl alcohol. And President George W. Bush, no less, and by his own admission, was smashed or tiddley-poo or four sheets to the wind a good deal of the time from when he was 16 until he was 41. When he was 41, he says, Jesus appeared to him and made him knock off the sauce, stop gargling nose paint.
Other drunks have seen pink elephants.
And do you know why I think he is so pissed off at Arabs? They invented algebra. Arabs also invented the numbers we use, including a symbol for nothing, which nobody else had ever had before. You think Arabs are dumb? Try doing long division with Roman numerals.
We’re spreading democracy, are we? Same way European explorers brought Christianity to the Indians, what we now call “Native Americans.”
How ungrateful they were! How ungrateful are the people of Baghdad today.
So let’s give another big tax cut to the super-rich. That’ll teach bin Laden a lesson he won’t soon forget. Hail to the Chief.
That chief and his cohorts have as little to do with Democracy as the Europeans had to do with Christianity. We the people have absolutely no say in whatever they choose to do next. In case you haven’t noticed, they’ve already cleaned out the treasury, passing it out to pals in the war and national security rackets, leaving your generation and the next one with a perfectly enormous debt that you’ll be asked to repay.
Nobody let out a peep when they did that to you, because they have disconnected every burglar alarm in the Constitution: The House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the FBI, the free press (which, having been embedded, has forsaken the First Amendment) and We the People.
About my own history of foreign substance abuse. I’ve been a coward about heroin and cocaine and LSD and so on, afraid they might put me over the edge. I did smoke a joint of marijuana one time with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, just to be sociable. It didn’t seem to do anything to me, one way or the other, so I never did it again. And by the grace of God, or whatever, I am not an alcoholic, largely a matter of genes. I take a couple of drinks now and then, and will do it again tonight. But two is my limit. No problem.
I am of course notoriously hooked on cigarettes. I keep hoping the things will kill me. A fire at one end and a fool at the other.
But I’ll tell you one thing: I once had a high that not even crack cocaine could match. That was when I got my first driver’s license! Look out, world, here comes Kurt Vonnegut.
And my car back then, a Studebaker, as I recall, was powered, as are almost all means of transportation and other machinery today, and electric power plants and furnaces, by the most abused and addictive and destructive drugs of all: fossil fuels.
When you got here, even when I got here, the industrialized world was already hopelessly hooked on fossil fuels, and very soon now there won’t be any more of those. Cold turkey.
Can I tell you the truth? I mean this isn’t like TV news, is it?
Here’s what I think the truth is: We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial, about to face cold turkey.
And like so many addicts about to face cold turkey, our leaders are now committing violent crimes to get what little is left of what we’re hooked on.

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2004-06-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

DNA Study Finds Chihuahuas Aren't Dogs

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2004-06-07T22:12:00.000-04:00

This Is What War Looks Like
The abuse at Abu Ghraib prison is what happens when we abandon compassion and allow our animal nature to take over.

Interview with Thich Nhat Hanh

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced Tick-Not-Han) has been a spokesperson for peace and human rights since the 1960s, when his activism to end the Vietnam War inspired Martin Luther King Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has been living in exile from his native Vietnam since 1966, and calls Plum Village, a meditation retreat center he founded in the south of France, his home. He conducts retreats throughout the world on "engaged Buddhism," nonviolence, and mindfulness, and has written more than 100 books. In an email interview with Beliefnet, he offered his thoughts on the prison abuse scandal.

What is the Buddhist perspective on the abuse of prisoners of war in Iraq?
Recent news about the abuse of prisoners of war provides us with the opportunity to look deeply into the nature of war. This is an opportunity for us to be more aware. This is not new; everywhere there is war, these kinds of things happen

Every one of us should know the way soldiers are trained in order to see the truth about war. Soldiers are trained to kill as many people as possible and as quickly as possible. Soldiers are told that if they don’t kill, they will be killed by the so-called “enemy.” They are taught that killing is good because the people they are trying to kill are dangerous to society. Soldiers are trained to believe they must kill the other group because they are not human beings. If soldiers see their “enemies” as fellow human beings just like them, they would have no courage to kill them. It is important not to blame and single out the U.S. in this kind of situation because any country would do the same thing under the same conditions. During the Vietnam War atrocities were committed by both sides. The statement President Bush made that the U.S. just sent dedicated, devoted young men, not abusers to Iraq shocked me. Because committing acts of torture is just the result of the training that the soldiers have already undergone. The training already makes them lose all their humanity. The young men going to Iraq were already full of fear, wanting to protect themselves at all cost, being ready to kill at any moment. In this state you can become extremely cruel. You may pour all of your hate and anger on prisoners of war by torturing and abusing them. The purpose of your violence is not only to extract information from them, but also to express your hate and fear. The prisoners of war are the victims, but the abusers, the torturers are also the victims. Their actions will continue to disturb them long after the abuse has ended. Preparing for war and fighting a war means allowing our human nature to die and the animal nature in us to take over. We should never be tempted to resort to violence and war to solve conflict. Violence always leads to more violence.

There have been examples of individuals who were kind to prisoners. Assuming they have the same training and are operating in the same difficult conditions, what makes some people compassionate and others abusive?

Some people are able to remain compassionate because they are lucky to have received a spiritual heritage, kindness and goodness, that stayed at least partially intact despite their training. This heritage is transmitted by parents, teachers, and community. Their humanity is preserved to some extent even if they have been damaged during their training. So they are still able to be shocked by their fellow soldiers' acts of torture. But those with a poorer spiritual heritage, who come from a family or community without much understanding and compassion, lose all their humanity in the process of military training.

Is it ever possible to torture someone for a good cause? If a prisoner in custody did have information that could potentially prevent a terrorist attack, would coercion be appropriate? If no, what interrogation tactics would be appropriate and effective?

There is no ‘good cause’ for torture. As a torturer, you are the first to be a victim because you lose all your humanity. You do harm to yourself in the act of harming another. If you had a good cause to begin with, it is lost when you torture another human being. When we imagine situations when torture could be justified, we jump to conclusions too quickly and too easily. Torturing someone will not always give us the result we wish for. If the prisoner in custody does not tell us the information we want it is because they don’t want their people, their fellow soldiers to be killed. They withhold information out of compassion, out of faithfulness to their cause. Sometimes they give out wrong information. And there are those who prefer to die rather than give in to the torture. I am absolutely against torture. It is very easy to create a pretext for why it is necessary to torture a prisoner when we have fear and anger in us. When we have compassion, we can always find another way. When you torture a living being, you die as a human being because the other person’s suffering is your own suffering. When you perform surgery on someone, you know the surgery will help him and that is why you can cut into his body. But when you cut into someone’s body and mind to get information from them, you cut into your own life, you kill yourself as a person.

If military action is incompatible with mindfulness and compassion, how should people/nations defend themselves? (You have said that when we are mindful, “compassion becomes possible.” Is a lack of mindfulness what our moral failings boil down to?)

There are many ways to defend ourselves: through diplomatic foreign policy, forming alliances with other countries, humanitarian assistance. These are all approaches motivated by the wisdom of inter-being, not just by political gain. In these kinds of approaches to resolving conflict, the army doesn’t have to do much. They can serve the people, build bridges, roads, etc. This is not idealistic thinking, armies have worked this way in the past. With good foreign policy, the army will not have to fight. The only really necessary and appropriate circumstance under which an army should resort to violence is to defend itself or an ally from invasion. And even in this case, much suffering will result. What is upsetting to me is that former generations have committed the same mistakes and we don’t learn from them. We haven’t learned enough from the war in Vietnam. There were so many atrocities committed there. So many innocent people were tortured and killed by both sides because they were perceived to be ‘communist’, or ‘anti-communist.’ Mindfulness has so many layers. When we kill because we think that the other person is evil, that we are killing for the sake of peace, that we are doing a good thing, this is not right mindfulness. If we are mindful, we will see not only the present situation, but also the root and the consequence of our act in that moment. Other insights should arise if we are truly mindful: “This person I want to kill is a living being. Is there any chance for him to behave better and change his present, harmful state of mind? Maybe I have a wrong perception and one day I will see that he is just a victim of misunderstanding, and not really the evil person I think he is.” Mindfulness also helps a soldier to see that he or she may just be an instrument for killing used by his or her government. A general who is mindful of his actions is capable of looking deeply. He may not need to use weapons. He will see that there are many ways to deter the opposite side and he will exhaust all other means before resorting to violence. And when nothing else works, he may use violence, but out of compassion, not out of anger.

There is a collective sense of shame among many Americans about the activities depicted in these photos. Buddhists believe individuals are responsible for their actions through karma, but is there any such thing as collective karma? At a national level?
An act of cruelty is born of many conditions coming together, without any separate, individual actor. When we hold retreats for war veterans I tell them they are the flame at the tip of the candle, they are the ones who feel the heat, but the whole candle is burning, not only the flame. All of us are responsible. The very ideas of terrorism and imagined weapons of mass destruction are already collective karma in terms of thinking and speaking. The media helped the war happen by supporting these ideas through speech and writing. Thought, speech and action are all collective karma. No one can say they are not responsible for this current situation even if we oppose our country’s actions. We are still a member of our community, a citizen of our country. Maybe we have not done enough. We must ally ourselves with bodhisattvas, great, awakened beings, around us to transform our way of thinking and that of our society. Because wrong thinking is at the base of our present situation, thinking that has no wisdom or compassion. And we can do things every day, in every moment of our daily life to nourish the seeds of peace, compassion and understanding in us and in those around us. We can live in such a way that can heal our collective karma and ensure that these atrocities will not happen again in the future.

What is the chief lesson for us to learn from these terrible events?
Don’t be tempted to use the army to solve conflicts. The only situation in which we use the army is to defend our country during an invasion. In the past, the U.S. was loved by many of us in the world because the U.S. represented freedom, democracy, peace, and care for other countries. The U.S. has lost this image and must rebuild it. In the past, when I would go to the U.S. embassy for a visa, it was not heavily guarded. But now, all over the world, U.S. embassies are surrounded by heavily armed guards. Fear has overtaken the U.S. It is the primary motivation for many of the U.S. government’s actions because we do not know how to protect ourselves with compassion. Students of political science must learn this in university so that they can bring real wisdom into politics. Compassion can go together with intelligence. Compassion is not stupid. Love is the same, real love is born from understanding.

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2004-06-07T07:06:00.000-04:00

Conquer your foe by force, you increase his enmity; conquer by love, and you will reap no after-sorrow.

-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King

well, easier said than done *sigh*

2004-06-06T23:30:00.000-04:00

Remember the clear light, the pure clear white light from which everything in the universe comes, to which everything in the universe returns; the original nature of your own mind. The natural state of the universe unmanifest.

Let go into the clear light, trust it, merge with it. It is your own true nature, it is home.

-Tibetan Book of the Dead
From "Teachings of the Buddha

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2004-05-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

Beltane, the Animals, and Us
We have built a 'meat-engorged urban economy' with no regard for the souls of cattle. Is the logical result Mad Cow Disease?

By Kathleen Jenks

Spring has arrived across the Northern Hemisphere with the usual celebrations of renewal and thanksgiving for help in dark times. All of these rituals—Easter, Passover, Earth Day, and Beltane--respect the life-giving forces of nature, which are in turn aligned with the mysterious Divine.

Beltane (alternate spellings include Beltaine, Beltene, and Bealtaine), an ancient Celtic fire-festival, falls within the astrological sign of Taurus the Bull, thereby associating the celebration with the robust life-force of eros in humans and their herds. Given this association, as we mark Beltane, our modern relationship with the herds comes into chillingly clear focus.

Writer Adrian Strong explains this connection in his essay about “the death industry which brings food to our tables.” He writes, “The way we treat our daily food--as stock--not as a living sacrament which keeps us alive, is an indication of just how removed we are from Life, and consequently from Death.” Three springs ago, Mad Cow Disease was discovered in England. The world watched as 2 million hoofed creatures in the United Kingdom and Europe were dumped into flames, surrounded by toxic smoke through which their confused, suffering spirits had to rise. These were sentient beings--one need only look into their eyes to know they had souls, to know they suffered and grieved. Long gone were the sweet-smelling fires of Beltane that once restored and honored their ancestors.Beltane was once a time when cattle were honored in rituals of protection, purification, and fertility. Just as they were driven to their winter pastures at the beginning of the Celtic year at Samhain (Halloween), so were they driven to their summer pastures six months later at Beltane. It was a sacred time, for one’s status and wealth were measured by one’s herds--and any threat to their lives and health impacted their owners. Protecting one’s animals, as scholar Miranda Green writes, “is closely associated with the supernatural world, and not simply a profane, secular activity.”The Celts knew that seasonal transitions were times of heightened supernatural strength, even danger. Beltane and Samhain were the year’s two great fire festivals -- they divided the year in half and marked the time when the veils between the worlds were at their most vulnerable, when spirits moved freely through the portals and enchantment abounded. In respecting such powers, the celebrations called for holy fires, kindled from the most revered trees. The magical woods were believed to be “specialists” in protecting and purifying people and animals. Beltane’s fires welcomed the sun’s return and therefore had specially focused powers of renewal. That is why the Celts at Beltane drove their treasured herds and flocks along a narrow pathway between two banks of burning wood piles, through the holy, incense-like smoke, asking for blessings upon the animals and themselves. Cows in ancient Ireland were closely associated with various goddesses, especially those connected to rivers, because cattle must drink an average of 16 gallons of water per day. For ancient peoples, Mother Goddesses were often synonymous with a celestial cow giving generously of her milk to her children. The Irish regarded cow’s milk as so sacred that they used it instead of water to baptize their children.

The ancient Celts’ attitude toward their cattle was shared by many nomadic peoples worldwide, but it finds no answering echo from ancient Greece – and regrettably, the Greek attitude is the one that has most influenced our own. Greece was a collection of city-states whose citizens not surprisingly had a skewed view of cattle.

That attitude is reflected in a myth in which the hero Cadmus is instructed by the Delphic oracle to hound and follow a cow until she falls dead. Upon that spot, he is told to build a city. Surely, such a dishonoring of that desperate creature's life-force would make it an ill-omened place--only people completely out of touch with nature would build their city there. That city, Thebes, is where Cadmus’ successor, Pentheus, was torn into pieces by his own mother, and where the ill-fated Oedipus would be born.

In Sigmund Freud's hands, the “Oedipus complex” became a fitting cipher for Western civilization, for we too are built on a foundation of thoughtless abuse of the natural world and of each other. We have founded—-not a city—-but a meat-engorged urban economy upon dead cows. Although the Mad Cow crisis of 2001 is behind us, because of the long incubation period of the human form of the disease (i.e. New Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk and may not know for decades if they are carrying the disease or not. The animal form of the disease has an incubation period of four to seven years, which means that young animals exposed in 2001 might not show symptoms until 2005-2008. In the meantime, inhumane factory farming practices guarantee still more epidemics – it is simply a matter of time. A recent book, Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust, by Charles Patterson discusses our policies toward livestock by considering the connection between the treatment of Jews by the Nazis and modern society’s treatment of animals. Although the appropriateness of its central analogy to Treblinka may disturb many, it comes from a Jewish vegetarian--Nobel Laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, who wrote: "In relation to them, all people are Nazis; for the animals it is an eternal Treblinka."Modern dairy factory farms, where cows live confined in huge buildings, never roaming free, never “living,” are among the most chilling examples of Patterson’s argument. Their calves have a nine-month gestation period. Once born, calves are immediately removed (the surplus males are slated for the veal market), and their mothers are artificially re-impregnated. Injections of synthetic Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) stimulates milk production but impairs the cows’ health and leads to birth defects in their calves. Ironically, milk is advertised as a fine source of calcium, but the cows providing it are forced to produce so much that their blood cannot replenish their own calcium--thus, they suffer from extreme calcium deficiency.

Normally, cows have a life expectancy of 25 or more years. On modern dairy farms, that is reduced to an average of four years. Approximately one-third of the herd will die each year. Those who die on the property are buried, burned, or composted.

My own suspicion is that to take into one's body a life-form killed painfully, disrespectfully, untimely, and cruelly is to invite one's own cells to run amock in confusion and revulsion--the result could be what we call cancer.

Humans are just one among many life-forms--we're all interconnected. How can our cells not feel the pain of all the others? If we were digesting the flesh of animals and birds whose cellular structures still held memories of sun and rain, wind, and fragrance, then even if their lives were terminated abruptly, but with the respect a hunter feels for a brave prey, we could probably find true nourishment there--for the earlier, life-drenched memories would still overbalance the pain at the end. But to take into ourselves the flesh of creatures reared in dreary, claustrophobic boredom on huge farms with thousands of other miserable creatures, never tasting rain or wind, never running free, and herded at the end into brutal pens of mass death--how could our own bodies ever digest and find decent nourishment in such gray, cramped, inert flesh? For myself, I prefer not to risk it. Whether we know it consciously or not, our myths and folklore inform our fears, prejudices, values, and ethics. Cadmus and that poor cow are one example of how such material “works” within a culture. But there are also more positive examples that deserve our attention. We are all familiar with the story of Cinderella, but few realize that in many Cinderella variants, it is a cow, not a fairy godmother, who plays a crucial role. In Marguerite L. M. Wolf’s re-telling of a traditional Romanian version, for example, a dying mother leaves a cow to her daughter, telling her to turn to the cow whenever she is in trouble. The cow, Fairywhite, becomes the girl’s only source of consolation. When the stepmother gives the girl impossible tasks to do, Fairywhite tells her human friend simply to get started and not to worry. Each time, the girl’s fingers fly and whirl through the tasks, accomplishing everything within the assigned time. Suspicious after several such episodes, the stepmother orders her husband to have the cow killed. Realizing Fairywhite is doomed, the girl runs to warn her. But the cow gently asks her to bury her bones, hoofs, and horns under a cover of dung and to go to that place whenever she needs help. The girl obeys--and the bones speak with her, just as Fairywhite did. Eventually, the bones manifest lovely clothes for a dance, where the girl meets a prince, falls in love, and the rest of the story unfolds much as in more familiar versions of Cinderella. Even when Fairywhite is killed, her bones continue to manifest magic for the young girl. Perhaps it is magic we miss most. Deep in our own bones we remember a time when life itself was “magic,” when animals talked and helped us, when food and drink nurtured us, making us healthy and well. Our food has lost all “magic.” We are factory-fed. Scientist Candace Pert even argues that molecules carry “emotion.” If food-molecules are in shock or trapped in appalling death-traumas, what's being nurtured? Eventually there will be no more factory farms. Even today, many groups of physicians, religious leaders, and environmentalists are calling for immediate moratoria on such farms. But in the meantime, we need to “re-magick” our food. Perhaps a good start, especially at Beltane, is to create meaningful rituals of grief and gratitude to the animals. Small groups of us, for example, can link up in prayer. The prayers should include concern for small farmers, too, because many love their animals and feel crushed by their fate at the hands of bureaucrats. We can light white candles, echoing those ancient sacred Beltane fires lit on small hilltops across the Celtic world. With our candles we create a gentle web of light, soothing the spirits of the dead or dying creatures but also purifying fire itself, for it has been massively violated. We can sprinkle the earth with drops of fresh water while we chant, speak, or whisper blessings. The Celts sprinkled the earth with warm milk, but milk from cows suffering living-deaths would be no blessing to the earth.And we might call upon the Welsh goddess Cerridwin and ask her to receive the animals into her magic Cauldron of Death and Regeneration, heal their bewildered spirits, free them of terror, bless them--and send them into future lives where they can live fully, and die at peace in old age. Take care not to collapse into emotions that will only drain you. Stay calm and watchful, showing compassion to your bodies (which are also of earth) -- and do whatever your own healthy, creative imagination prompts you to do. It'll all help.May we live more wisely within our overlapping ecosystems.
May we cherish anew the wonder of clean waters and fresh winds.
May we more wisely tend and respect the animals and plants that nourish us.
May the sacred fires of Beltane guide us into new paths of hope.

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2004-05-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

Heart of Happiness

2004-05-22T17:51:00.000-04:00

I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one's own family or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-05-21T18:12:00.000-04:00

here's a joke from brenda :D

A guy walks into a bar, notices a very large jar on the counter, and sees it's filled to the brim with $10 bills.
He guesses there must be thousands of dollars in it.
He approaches the bartender and asks, "What's up with the jar?"
"Well, you pay $10, and if you pass three tests, you get all the money."
The man certainly isn't going to pass this up. "What are the three tests?"
"Pay first, those are the rules." says the bartender. So the man gives him the $10, and the bartender drops it into the jar.
"OK," the bartender says, "here's what you need to do....First you have to drink that entire gallon of pepper tequila...the whole thing, all at once...and you can't make a face while doing it.
"Second, there's a pit bull chained-up out back with a sore tooth. You have to remove the tooth with your bare hands.
"Third, there's a 90-year-old woman upstairs who has never reached orgasm during intercourse. You've gotta make things right for her."
The man is stunned. "I know I paid my 10 bucks, but I'm not an idiot! I won't do it! You have to be nuts to drink a gallon of pepper tequila, and then do those other things...."
"Your call," says the bartender, "but your money stays where it is."
As time goes on and the man has a few drinks, then a few more, he asks,"Wherez zat teeqeelah?"
He grabs the gallon with both hands and downs it with a big slurp.
Tears are streaming down both cheeks, but he doesn't make a face.
Next, he staggers out back where the pit bull is chained-up, and soon all the people inside the bar hear a huge, noisy, scuffle going on outside.
They hear the pit bull barking, the guy screaming, the pit bull yelping, and then... silence.
Just when they think the man surely must be dead, he staggers back into the bar, with his shirt ripped and large bloody scratches all over his body.
"Now," he says, "where's the old woman with the sore tooth?"

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2004-05-18T07:39:00.000-04:00

"Tibetans are absurdly compassionate people"
Isabel Losada

2004-05-18T07:34:00.000-04:00

H.H. in Scotland

2004-05-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

the HUMMERDINGER

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2004-05-17T07:15:00.000-04:00

"Thanks for the Memories"
this sent to me by Cullen
be patient while it's loading 'cos it is worth it!

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2004-05-17T06:58:00.000-04:00

According to Buddhist psychology, most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for, attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities. The pursuit of the objects of our desire and attachment involves the use of aggression and competitiveness…These mental processes easily translate into actions, breeding belligerence. Such processes have been going on in the human mind since time immemorial, but their execution has become more effective under modern conditions. What can we do to control and regulate these “poisons”—delusion, greed and aggression? For it is these poisons that are behind almost every trouble in the world.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-05-17T06:52:00.000-04:00

Government to Use 1872 Law Against Greenpeace
Law Kept Boarding Houses From Luring Sailors With Harlots, Liquor and Warm Beds
By CATHERINE WILSON, AP

MIAMI (May 16) - When the wave-tossed Greenpeace activists boarded a container ship off Miami Beach two years ago, they didn't know it could lead to prosecution under a 132-year-old law aimed at keeping boarding houses from luring sailors to shore.

In a tactic the group has often used to make a point, the activists attempted to unfurl a large banner on the ship to protest what they saw as the Bush administration's inaction on a ban on Amazon mahogany imports.

In a trial starting Monday, federal prosecutors will dust off an 1872 law aimed at preventing ''sailor mongering'' to seek the first conviction of an advocacy group over its protest techniques.

The environmental group, a staunch critic of the Bush administration, and others see the case as an attempt to silence political dissent.

''Never has anything like this been done and it's particularly suspect in light of the mission of Greenpeace,'' said attorney Maria Kayanan, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who is helping in Greenpeace's defense.

On April 12, 2002, three miles off the coast of Florida near Miami Beach, the crew of the APL Jade stopped two Greenpeace climbers before they could unroll a banner saying ''President Bush, Stop Illegal Logging'' on the ship, which carried 70 tons of mahogany that Greenpeace believes to be contraband.

Individual Greenpeace members were prosecuted immediately. In an unprecedented move, prosecutors indicted the organization itself 15 months later on misdemeanor charges of illegal boarding and conspiracy. A conviction could be punished by five years of probation and a $20,000 fine.

Prosecutors have not talked about the case outside court.

The rarely used 1872 law was aimed at keeping boarding houses from luring sailors off inbound ships with offers of harlots, strong drink and warm beds. Law books mention the law only twice, most recently in 1890.

''It harkens to the Barbary Coast and wenches with heaving bosoms and kegs of rum,'' said Kayanan.

Fast forward to the 21st century, when Greenpeace is working with the Brazilian government to keep its most valuable tree, the big leaf mahogany, in the ground instead of in American homes.

David Bookbinder, Washington legal director for the Sierra Club, said the prosecution is a political persecution.

''This administration is drunk on power and has gotten to the point where it thinks that it's appropriate to respond to political criticism with criminal prosecution,'' he said.

Greenpeace claims its protest called attention to illegal logging in the Brazilian rain forest and the Bush administration's failure to enforce an import ban under an international environmental treaty.

U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan has rejected Greenpeace's attempt to access records to determine who authorized the prosecution.

Jordan has sounded open to dismissing the case on Greenpeace's claim that the wording of the old law is too vague. In an order last month, he said the group's argument ''looks like a winner.''

Still, Jordan granted a jury trial, which the government argued should not be allowed on misdemeanor charges. A pool of 45 people has been summoned to court for jury selection.

Greenpeace has targeted Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft in an e-mail campaign calling for a crackdown on Amazon contraband.

AP-NY-05-16-04 2140EDT

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2004-05-14T23:48:00.000-04:00

i used to call 'em Nazis... but maybe they are just Romans?

2004-05-14T23:33:00.000-04:00

BUDDHISTS & THE PASSION

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2004-05-09T11:44:00.000-04:00

There's something happening here
By RON GRAHAM
Saturday, May 8, 2004

Forget the Dalai Lama's photo ops and repeated grip 'n' grins with celebrities, writes RON GRAHAM, because the mission at the heart of his much-hyped visit to Canada was something even greater than the campaign for a free Tibet. To Western eyes, his odd pronouncements and constant giggles seemed strange, but the ritual that unfolded once the media had packed up and left was something to behold -- enlightening, in fact it was typical of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, to play down the significance of his 19-day stay in Canada, which came to an end on Thursday.

"I just whiz around," the Tibetan spiritual leader said in his halting English. "Half dream, half reality. Old Tibetan expression: 'We come and go and leave no trace, like a crow that has taken off from a rock.' I talk some words, then I leave." And he laughed as though at the emptiness of it all.

His Holiness often seemed incapable of resisting the comedy of life, much to the bewilderment of those who see it as a tragedy. But he wasn't oblivious to the seriousness of his purpose, or to the remarkable amount of public adulation and media attention that he had received in Canada.

His celebrity sparked the news coverage, of course, and the news coverage in turn fanned the flames of his celebrity. But, aside from the presence on our shores of a Tibetan version of the Pope, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a countercultural superstar all rolled into the body of a charming personality who had known Mao, Nehru and Thomas Merton, the story wasn't at all clear.

In the absence of any sexual or financial scandals, which are the religious reporter's bread and butter these days, the obvious hook was politics. And what a dramatic hook it was: the unjust invasion of Tibet by China in 1950, the savage killing of more than a million Tibetans, the wanton destruction of more than 6,000 religious institutions, the ongoing suppression of the Tibetan language and culture, and the Dalai Lama's own 45-year exile in India.

Almost all the reporting leading up to his arrival in Vancouver on April 17 and his subsequent visit to Ottawa hung upon the question of whether Prime Minister Paul Martin would disregard the fire-breathing threats from the Chinese embassy and become the first Canadian leader to meet officially with the man China has denounced as a "splittist" and "wolf in monk's clothing." Editorialists unanimously called for Mr. Martin to show some backbone, and more than half the members of Parliament signed a petition calling for Canada to broker a solution.

The last-minute compromise was more devious than defiant. To placate the Chinese, the Prime Minister agreed to greet the Dalai Lama in a spiritual "frame," which turned out to be a gathering of local religious leaders at the home of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Ottawa. Then, to placate the Tibetan lobby, he agreed to include human rights in his discussion of things spiritual -- if discussion is the right term to use in describing a private exchange that lasted all of 15 minutes. It was enough, however, to let the Canada Tibet Committee exploit the photo op as a historic breakthrough.

With the political story now played out, the parliamentary media caravan moved back to the sponsorship scandal and the timing of the federal election. But the frenzy in Vancouver and Ottawa had served to generate 205 requests for press accreditation in Toronto and to boost ticket sales for His Holiness's public address April 25 at the SkyDome.

Indeed, the number, diversity and attentive silence of the 29,039 people who lined up outside the stadium for hours in the bone-chilling rain to hear him discuss The Power of Compassion became the next story: He came, he spoke, he conquered.

There was no easy explanation, however, of why such a wide cross-section of generations and cultures had elevated the Dalai Lama to the pantheon of those very few human beings who seem to embody such simple virtues as non-violence, love, self-discipline and secular ethics. And his words, which one 14-year-old described as "life-transforming," tended to come across as naive and trite when pulled out of context and separated from the warmth of his presence. The only option for the reporters, given the lack of hard news, was to fall back on soft copy about his giggling at his own jokes and hugging Justin Trudeau.

"The media have important role for promotion of human values and religious harmony," he said at a news conference in the Royal York Hotel a few days later. "People get impression world more violent, everything much worse, based on media. Can't see whole picture. Media need long nose like elephant to smell front, back, top part, bottom part [another giggle] to know reality."

By that point, however, media interest was understandably exhausted, as was the man himself. He had been up since 3:30 a.m., praying, meditating and teaching for nearly 12 straight hours. Half the chairs in the room were empty, and the event garnered almost no coverage. Despite his reputation as a master politician, the Dalai Lama showed no signs of having grasped the efficacy of the sound bite. His answers tended to be long-winded and rambling, and they weren't helped by his frequent hesitation for the right word in English or sudden lapses into Tibetan.

Short of an assassination attempt or a monk caught drunk with a hooker, therefore, the press leapt off His Holiness's bandwagon, leaving him to carry on doing whatever it was he was doing down at the National Trade Centre with the thousands of Buddhist followers who had come to Toronto from four dozen countries, including 28 from China.

If the general public knew that he was still in town, few seemed to realize that, for the price of admission, the events were open to everyone of any faith, or no faith, and even fewer understood what a fascinating story was unfolding in their midst.

According to Tibetan tradition, after the man who became known as the Buddha attained his enlightenment in the sixth century BC, he taught a variety of meditation techniques to his students, depending on the qualities of their mind, so that they also might realize the knowledge and bliss he had experienced.

Some of the more esoteric teachings, having been passed down through secret initiations over the centuries, were preserved by Sanskrit scholars in India and then taken to Tibet more than 1,000 years ago. For traditional reasons, one of them -- the Kalachakra or Wheel of Time -- was made available to anyone whose heart feels ready to receive it, whether as a method of mental transformation, a powerful blessing, or a wish for world peace.

The Toronto Kalachakra, the first ever held in Canada, was only the 29th that the Dalai Lama has conducted. In recent years, more than a quarter-million people have gathered in India whenever he presides over the 11 days of rituals, which centre on the construction of an extremely intricate, highly symbolic mandala made of coloured sand.

Every line, circle and square of its exquisite geometric design represents some part of the Buddhist cosmology, and the whole is used as both an object of meditation and as a "palace" for the 722 Tibetan deities who are considered manifestations of aspects of consciousness and reality.

Exhibit Hall C at the National Trade Centre, as huge and impersonal as an aircraft hangar, seemed a rather surreal venue for such a spiritual happening. About 7,500 chairs were lined up in six separate sections, from the lowly one-day spectators at the back (who, nevertheless, had had to pay $90 a ticket, $75 for seniors and children) to the VIPs, sponsors, patrons, monks and nuns in the roped-off area up front, though most days the room was only half-filled even though it was such a rare opportunity.

Flanked by two gigantic screens, there loomed a raised stage, lit, miked and decorated with five painted silk banners as the backdrop, a square altar-like platform under a golden canopy, two dozen monks squatting in maroon and saffron robes, a gilded throne emblazoned with flames and demonic-looking figures, and upon its brocade seat His Holiness, Kundun, the Presence.

To put its strangeness into perspective, The Ultimate Guy's Show - "Big Toys for Big Boys" -- was competing across the road.

The first three days, from 7 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon with only an occasional pause for tea and 90 minutes at lunch, felt like the Ring Cycle without program notes or Surtitles, except that Wagner would have been more melodic and much, much shorter.

Hour after hour passed in meditation and prayer, a rapid, deep-bass, monotonic mumble amplified over the loudspeakers and interspersed with the clanging of cymbals, the clattering of drums, and the ringing of bells. After the ground had been purified and the deities pacified, dancers in flamboyant embroidered robes and tall red crowns conjured up an invisible protective ring by revolving in slow, balletic steps, with precise hand gestures and trance-like chanting, non-stop for an hour and a half.

However much this might have resembled a theatrical production, of course, it wasn't supposed to be just an extension of the many celebrations of Tibetan dance, song, art, medicine, cuisine and fashion that were being put on concurrently at Harbourfront. It was an ancient preparatory ceremony that made no concessions to such modern notions as attention span or mass entertainment.

For long periods, in fact, the Dalai Lama did not lead the prayers from his throne, but from a seat facing the rear of the stage with only the swaying top of his bald spot visible to the passive audience -- not a few of whom seemed as bored and perplexed by what was going on as someone who had just walked in off the street.

After lunch on the fourth, fifth and sixth afternoons, however, while four monks continued work on the sand mandala with an intense concentration and a gentle chiselling noise, the Dalai Lama ascended his throne, put on an orange Callaway Golf sun visor to shade his eyes from the spotlights, and proceeded to deliver a series of three-hour lectures that finally unveiled the philosophical, psychological and spiritual sophistication of Tibetan Buddhism.

To those who had been on the verge of dismissing the incomprehensible practices as so much pagan superstition, the lectures revealed the majesty of Buddhism as an expression of the human imagination and of mankind's quest for knowledge, something as profound as Plato and Einstein, as stirring as Beethoven and Michelangelo.

To those who may have been ready to write off the Dalai Lama as so much New Age hype, they revealed him as a teacher and scholar who excelled in the exposition and analysis of the arcane text inscribed on oblong sheets that lay like musical scores upon his lap. He was animated, confident and forceful, often using his fingers to emphasize a point or breaking into funny anecdotes to illustrate an idea.

Compared with his talk at the SkyDome, where he hadn't even mentioned the word Buddhism, there was nothing simplistic or obvious in what he had to say about Fundamental Stanzas on the Middle Way by Nagarjuna, the great second-century Indian master.

These were dense, intellectual discourses in which His Holiness articulated the fundamentals of his beliefs with a clarity and rationality that made them accessible to all. And no matter how long or obtuse his thoughts were in Tibetan, they were transformed into elegant English by the astonishing virtuosity of his translator, Thupten Jinpa, a handsome and nattily dressed ex-monk now living in Montreal.

"Non-Buddhists can just listen," the Dalai Lama said at the start, "and take what they want for their life," and he urged his own followers to maintain a high degree of skepticism, objectivity and study.

Very simply put, at the core of all three lectures were the Buddha's Four Noble Truths. The truth that existence is suffering, dissatisfaction, impermanence. The truth that suffering is the cause and effect of ignorance, attachment, desire for pleasure and aversion to pain. The truth that there is a way to end suffering. And the truth of how to end it, which is the cultivation of the mind and the heart to penetrate through the impermanence, the ignorance, the attachments, the desires and the aversions, to reach Selflessness, Emptiness, Nirvana, for the benefit of all beings, human or not.

This was the story the media hadn't, perhaps couldn't, cover in focusing on the Dalai Lama as a celebrity. Yet it was the most essential thing about him.

In his role as the revered leader of the Tibetan people, for example, he had inherited the burden of being the poster boy, chief fundraiser and most effective spokesman for their liberation from China's ruthless domination. "He's all we've got," one veteran campaigner admitted.

And a great deal of His Holiness's international popularity, especially among the young, has been his insistence on the individual's moral responsibility to engage in the pressing issues of the world, whether war, poverty, population or environmental destruction.

But when he speaks of liberation as a Buddhist teacher, he is speaking of liberation from the suffering of a deluded, afflicted ego through wisdom and compassion. And when he speaks of responsibility, he means working for the happiness of everybody, rich or poor, good or bad, friend or foe.

That is why, no matter how brutal the oppression of Tibet, he cannot condone any hatred or violence toward the Chinese without violating his religious vows. He goes further by asserting that our greatest enemies are, in fact, our greatest friends. Nor can he wallow in the sorrow and nationalistic yearnings of his compatriots without undermining the virtues he preaches of equanimity and renunciation.

"Once I was ordained," he said at the news conference, "I was cut off from family and society. Tibetan saying: 'Wherever you find happiness, that's your home.'

"Yesterday, driving in car from university, road worker waves. I put down window and shake his hand. Not very clean hand, but I feel very happy. One hundred per cent innocent. Only motive sharing human friendship. So Canada my home for last few days."

It is the realism of his Buddhist training, too, that led him to abandon all demands for Tibet's independence and plead only for a self-governing democratic province within China, even while his more impatient supporters keep up the cry for a free Tibet and others say it's time for armed resistance. And rather than pushing for Tibet's freedom in order to right a historic wrong or establish an ethnic state, his goal is to create a peaceful, tolerant society for the mutual welfare of everyone, including the Chinese.

He even understands the indisputable irony that the Chinese invasion of Tibet, for all its horrors, set into play the conditions that forced the separation of Tibetan Buddhism from a corrupt, feudal and historically militant state and allowed it to spread for the first time throughout the world.

"I am a simple Buddhist monk," he kept repeating, to little avail. "My personality more spiritual nature." As a consequence, he often sees events in terms of centuries, if not eons, and his activism is not driven by any ordinary thirst for power. He has already passed his political authority to the elected leaders of the government-in-exile, although the presence of his "prime minister" in Toronto garnered much less attention than the presence of Richard Gere, and he happily looks forward to the day when he can hand his temporal power to a democratic government in Tibet.

That day will never come, many observers argue, and even the Dalai Lama has had to admit that Tibet's prospects appear "hopeless" from a certain angle. Economic development, the militarization of the Tibetan plateau and the coming of the new railway threatens to bring 20 million more Chinese immigrants within the next 10 years.

The land is already being destroyed by dams and deforestation; the towns are already booming with brothels and bars; and it may only be a matter of time before Tibet is assimilated as irreversibly as Manchuria and Mongolia.

But that doesn't mean that Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama have to be written off as lost causes as well. "Tibetan civilization now resides with the 120,000 Tibetans outside Tibet," said Lodi Gyari, who was His Holiness's special envoy on two recent negotiations with the Chinese government, "though we hope to transplant it back some day, bringing the wonderful gift of democracy with us."

For all its woe and dislocation, Tibetan civilization certainly looked a lot more vital this time than it did 14 years ago, when the Dalai Lama last visited Toronto. Public sympathy for the Tibetan cause has grown around the world, His Holiness's books and videos are mega-sellers, and the ninth and 10th days of this Kalachakra saw the numbers double to more than 6,000 a day. About one-third were families from Ontario's small and mostly middle-class Tibetan community who had volunteered thousands of hours over the past two years, raised $1.8-million to cover the expenses of the event, and recovered almost $2.6-million in total revenues.

By the end, too, His Holiness looked even stronger, given a physical stamina and mental strength that belied his 68 years. There was nothing downtrodden or weary about his quick, muscular gait, and he never appeared to frown or complain about anything except the bright lights ("What about my human right?" he cried) or a lack of sleep. Technical breakdowns struck him as funny, his own liturgical mistakes even funnier, and he radiated a sincere lightheartedness, humility and optimism throughout it all.

There were flashes, however, when he also appeared as vulnerable and alone as a child in a forest of wolves. For all his fame and position, he remained just a penniless monk, after all, loose in a mean age of materialistic greed and military might, with no power base other than the affection of millions of people around the world, still as dependent on the kindness of others as he had been when taken from his peasant farm as a boy and later from his palace as a young man. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, to whom he is often compared, never had to stand up to the barbarity of Chinese communism, and even they were gunned down.

"As a Buddhist, I take refuge in the Buddha," he said, "but as a Tibetan, I take refuge in international support."

On the final day of Kalachakra 2004, when more than 7,200 people showed up for the closing blessing, they all recited the Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. "We offer our prayers with intense devotion," they chanted in Tibetan, "that Tenzin Gyatso, protector of the great Land of Snow, may live for a hundred eons. Pour on him your blessings that his aspirations may be fulfilled."

And then there was little more to do but sweep away, as a symbol of impermanence and non-attachment, the sand mandala that had been built so meticulously. The palace that had been home to the deities for the past 11 days was destroyed and they were freed to return whence they had come. The sacred sand was taken to Battery Park, just below Lake Shore Boulevard near Ontario Place, where His Holiness came with a dozen monks to pour it into the water. The wind blew hard and cold that afternoon, and no one lingered once the 15-minute ritual was done.

Back at the trade centre, His Holiness, off to France the next day, bade farewell to the Tibetans, many of whom were in tears. The stall keepers at the Kalachakra Marketplace were packing up their books, beads, paintings and carpets. Friends new and old were making arrangements to meet up when the Dalai Lama makes an appearance in Florida next September. The organizers were already beginning to take apart the stage and put away the precious objects.

And down at the lake, where just an hour before the reporters and photographers had been jockeying for the best position, the last remnants of the sand mandala bobbed on the waves and soon dissolved into nature once again, coming and going, and leaving not a trace.

Toronto writer Ron Graham is the author of God's Dominion, a study of religion in Canada, and has practiced Buddhism for 30 years.

2004-05-09T10:03:00.000-04:00

The Significance of Vesak - Buddha Day

The significance of Vesak lies with the Buddha and his universal peace message to mankind.

As we recall the Buddha and his Enlightenment, we are immediately reminded of the unique and most profound knowledge and insight which arose in him on the night of his Enlightenment. This coincided with three important events which took place, corresponding to the three watches or periods of the night.

During the first watch of the night, when his mind was calm, clear and purified, light arose in him, knowledge and insight arose. He saw his previous lives, at first one, then two, three up to five, then multiples of them .. . ten, twenty, thirty to fifty. Then 100, 1000 and so on.... As he went on with his practice, during the second watch of the night, he saw how beings die and are reborn, depending on their Karma, how they disappear and reappear from one form to another, from one plane of existence to another. Then during the final watch of the night, he saw the arising and cessation of all phenomena, mental and physical. He saw how things arose dependent on causes and conditions. This led him to perceive the arising and cessation of suffering and all forms of unsatisfactoriness paving the way for the eradication of all taints of cravings. With the complete cessation of craving, his mind was completely liberated. He attained to Full Enlightenment. The realisation dawned in him together with all psychic powers.

This wisdom and light that flashed and radiated under the historic Bodhi Tree at Buddha Gaya in the district of Bihar in Northern India, more than 2500 years ago, is of great significance to human destiny. It illuminated the way by which mankind could cross, from a world of superstition, or hatred and fear, to a new world of light, of true love and happiness.

The heart of the Teachings of the Buddha is contained in the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, namely,

The Noble Truth of Dukkha or suffering
The Origin or Cause of suffering
The End or Cessation of suffering
the Path which leads to the cessation of all sufferings

The First Noble Truth is the Truth of Dukkha which has been generally translated as 'suffering'. But the term Dukkha, which represents the Buddha's view of life and the world, has a deeper philosophical meaning. Birth, old age, sickness and death are universal. All beings are subject to this unsatisfactoriness. Separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, association with unpleasant persons and conditions, and not getting what one desires - these are also sources of suffering and unsatisfactoriness. The Buddha summarises Dukkha in what is known as the Five Grasping Aggregates.

Herein, lies the deeper philosophical meaning of Dukkha for it encompasses the whole state of being or existence.

Our life or the whole process of living is seen as a flux of energy comprising of the Five aggregates, namely the Aggregate of Form or the Physical process, Feeling, Perception, Mental Formation, and Consciousness. These are usually classified as mental and physical processes, which are constantly in a state of flux or change.

When we train our minds to observe the functioning of mental and physical processes we will realise the true nature of our lives. We will see how it is subject to change and unsatisfactoriness. And as such, there is no real substance or entity or Self which we can cling to as 'I', 'my' or 'mine'.

When we become aware of the unsatisfactory nature of life, we would naturally want to get out from such a state. It is at this point that we begin to seriously question ourselves about the meaning and purpose of life. This will lead us to seek the Truth with regards to the true nature of existence and the knowledge to overcome unsatisfactoriness.

From the Buddhist point of view, therefore, the purpose of life is to put an end to suffering and all other forms of unsatisfactoriness - to realise peace and real happiness. Such is the significance of the understanding and the realisation of the First Noble Truth.

The Second Noble Truth explains the Origin or Cause of suffering. Tanha or craving is the universal cause of suffering. It includes not only desire for sensual pleasures, wealth and power, but also attachment to ideas', views, opinions, concepts, and beliefs. It is the lust for flesh, the lust for continued existence (or eternalism) in the sensual realms of existence, as well as the realms of form and the formless realms. And there is also the lust and craving for non-existence (or nihilism). These are all different Forms of selfishness, desiring things for oneself, even at the expense of others.

Not realizing the true nature of one's Self, one clings to things which are impermanent, changeable and perishable. The failure to satisfy one's desires through these things; causes disappointment and suffering.

Craving is a powerful mental force present in all of us. It is the root cause of our sufferings. It is this craving which binds us in Samsara - the repeated cycle of birth and` death.

The Third Noble Truth points to the cessation of suffering. Where there is no craving, there is no becoming, no rebirth. Where there is no rebirth, there is no decay. no, old age, no death, hence no suffering. That is how suffering is ended, once and for all.

The Fourth Noble Truth explains the Path or the Way which leads to the cessation of suffering. It is called the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold path avoids the extremes of self-indulgence on one hand and self-torture on the other. It consists of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

These path factors may be summarised into 3 stages of training, involving morality, mental culture and wisdom.

Morality or good conduct is the avoidance of evil or unwholesome actions -- actions which are tainted by greed, hatred and delusion; and the performance of the good or wholesome actions, - actions which are free from greed, hatred and delusion, but motivated by liberality, loving-kindness and wisdom.

The function of good conduct or moral restraint is to free one's mind from remorse (or guilty conscience). The mind that is free from remorse (or guilt) is naturally calm and tranquil, and ready for concentration with awareness.

The concentrated and cultured mind is a contemplative and analytical mind. It is capable of seeing cause and effect, and the true nature of existence, thus paving the way for wisdom and insight.

Wisdom in the Buddhist context, is the realisation of the fundamental truths of life, basically the Four Noble Truths. The understanding of the Four Noble Truths provide us with a proper sense of purpose and direction in life. They form the basis of problem-solving.

The message of the Buddha stands today as unaffected by time and the expansion of knowledge as when they were first enunciated.

No matter to what lengths increased scientific knowledge can extend man's mental horizon, there is room for the acceptance and assimilation for further discovery within -the framework of the teachings of the Buddha.

The teaching of the Buddha is open to all to see and judge for themselves. The universality of the teachings of the Buddha has led one of the world's greatest scientists, Albert Einstein to declare that 'if there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism'

The teaching of the Buddha became a great civilising force wherever it went. It appeals to reason and freedom of thought, recognising the dignity and potentiality of the human mind. It calls for equality, fraternity and understanding, exhorting its followers to avoid evil, to do good and to purify their minds.

Realising the transient nature of life and all worldly phenomena, the Buddha has advised us to work out our deliverance with heedfulness, as 'heedfulness is the path to the deathless'.

His clear and profound teachings on the cultivation of heedfulness otherwise known as Satipatthana or the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, is the path for the purification of beings - for the overcoming of sorrows and lamentation, for the destruction of all mental and physical sufferings, for the attainment of insight and knowledge and for the realisation of Nibbana. This has been verified by his disciples. It is therefore a path, a technique which may be verified by all irrespective of caste, colour or creed.

- Venerable Mahinda

2004-05-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

''if there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism''

Albert Einstein

2004-05-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

Nature’s Law dictates that, in order to survive, bees must work together. As a result, they instinctively possess a sense of social responsibility. They have no constitution, no law, no police, no religion or moral training, but because of their nature, they labor faithfully together. Occasionally, they may fight, but in general, based on cooperation, the whole colony survives. We human beings have a constitution, laws and a police force. We have religion, remarkable intelligence and a heart with a great capacity for love. We have many extraordinary qualities, but in actual practice, I think we are lagging behind those small insects. In some respects, I feel we are poorer than the bees.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-05-08T11:56:00.000-04:00

Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit—such as love and compassion, patience, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-05-01T23:55:00.000-04:00

'nothern from Miranda: the exorcist in 30 seconds done w/bunnies

2004-05-01T23:45:00.000-04:00

Miranda sent me this link: the subservient chicken... it's funny, especially when you ask the chicken to do something naughty! HEEHEEHEE!

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2004-04-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

the PETA brick

2004-04-13T11:42:00.000-04:00

WELCOME TO THUNDERDOME!

Researchers Convert Manure to Crude Oil
By JIM PAUL, AP

URBANA, Ill. (April 13) - A University of Illinois research team is working on turning pig manure into a form of crude oil that could be refined to heat homes or generate electricity.
Years of research and fine-tuning are ahead before the idea could be commercially viable, but results so far indicate there might be big benefits for farmers and consumers, lead researcher Yanhui Zhang said.
"This is making more sense in terms of alternative energy or renewable energy and strategically for reducing our dependency on foreign oil," said Zhang, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering. "Definitely, there is potential in the long term."
The thermochemical conversion process uses intense heat and pressure to break down the molecular structure of manure into oil. It's much like the natural process that turns organic matter into oil over centuries, but in the laboratory the process can take as little as a half-hour.
A similar process is being used at a plant in Carthage, Mo., where tons of turkey entrails, feathers, fat and grease from a nearby Butterball turkey plant are converted into a light crude oil, said Julie DeYoung, a spokeswoman for Omaha, Neb.-based Conagra Foods, which operates the plant in a joint venture with Changing World Technologies of Long Island, N.Y.

Converting manure is sure to catch the attention of swine producers. Safe containment of livestock waste is costly for farmers, especially at large confinement operations where thousands of tons of manure are produced each year. Also, odors produced by swine farms have made them a nuisance to neighbors.
"If this ultimately becomes one of the silver bullets to help the industry, I'm absolutely in favor of it," said Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
Zhang and his research team have found that converting manure into crude oil is possible in small batches, but much more research is needed to develop a continuously operating reaction chamber that could handle large amounts of manure. That is key to making the process practicable and economically viable.

Zhang predicted that one day a reactor the size of a home furnace could process the manure generated by 2,000 hogs at a cost of about $10 per barrel.
Big oil refineries are unlikely to purchase crude oil made from converted manure, Zhang said, because they aren't set up to refine it. But the oil could be used to fuel smaller electric or heating plants, or to make plastics, ink or asphalt, he said.
"Crude oil is our first raw material," he said. "If we can make it value-added, suddenly the whole economic picture becomes brighter."

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2004-04-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

Peter Lalor: Hitler was a herbivore and look how cranky it made him

April 12, 2004
I'VE never met a vegetarian I liked. Believe me, I've met my share and have more than an intimate knowledge of the subject having closely researched it for the best part of 15 years.

The mung bean mafia are generally prone to flatulence, have poor personal hygiene, make terrible dinner companions and share a gastronomic gene pool with those disposed toward mass murder and violence. And quite possibly fat.

Case study one: Adolf Hitler was a herbivore. The Dalai Lama is not.

Case study two: Russell Crowe's past crankiness and weight problems can be blamed on a vegetarian diet and method acting. Had he stuck to the fruit of the cow/sheep/pig/chicken or whatever-it-is-they-put-in-pies/sausage rolls* he could be as slim as a super model.

It's true. An Austrian anthropologist studied the skeletons of 70 gladiators and discovered the mighty Roman warriors – men you'd expect to use their jaws to tear strips of raw meat from thick animal bones – were, well, vegetarians.

"They ate mainly barley, beans and dried fruit," Karl Grossschmidt of Austria's Institute of Archaeology reported. "This diet, which has been mentioned in the oral history, is rather sad, but it gave the gladiators a lot of strength even if it made them fat."

Fat and cranky that is. Grossschmidt's studies go on to clear up one important gladiator myth: the fighters did not wear leather thongs. While they did share murderous qualities with the rest of the carrot clique, it is good to know that they did not share their awful dress sense.

So much bile must have a source. So the time has come in this column to make the difficult admission that I was once a long-term vegetarian. Unfortunately I'm currently in remission so there is a lot of self-loathing going on (not to mention malodorous explosions, bad clothes and anti-Semitic thoughts).

In fact, I've wasted 15 years on tofu and beans and now I want to bite the cow again. I want to gnaw a sheep, get some pig on the palate, chew a chicken. But the pernicious vegetarian diet is hard to shake. There is no Vegetables Anonymous, no "sponsor" I can ring when I get the urge to pass on a sausage or a four'n'twenty.

Mahatma Gandhi, despite being a vegetarian, managed to suppress any gladiatorial violent urges. However, he did have a gastronomic encounter with a goat as a young man, which he wrote about in his autobiography.

Winston Churchill's favourite half-naked fakir had been convinced by some other anti-Brit types that the reason Hindus were ruled by the English was because the Poms had grown strong by eating meat.

Determined to beat them at their own game, the Mahatma and his mates slaughtered a goat and had a feast by the river. Unfortunately it did not sit well in the stomach and the poor boy was awoken by nightmares of a goat growing in his intestines.

The Mahatma seemed to try to make it up to goats for the rest of his life, taking one on an all-expenses-paid trip to Britain. It visited the palace and Winston and returned to India with many fabulous stories. In some ways it's a pity that goat never wrote a book.

Buddhists, too, are believed by most people to be vegetarians because they do not believe in killing any living being, but as a rule this is bunkum. If you've ever been to McLeod Gang, home of the Dalai Lama and his exiled community, you will see a steady stream of earnest salad-eating Westerners rock up for Enlightenment 101 only to be a little disturbed when nirvana and chicken are included on the menu.

The followers of this Tibetan philosophy have a marvellous rationalisation about meat eating and the slaughter of animals. They say that as long as they don't do the killing there is no problem.

The Buddhists go a step further in their rationalisation. They say that eating an animal frees it from its lowly place on the wheel of fortune and enables it to move up. Of course if they really meant this they would eat insects and rats because these are the lowest on reincarnation's rung. Somehow it just seems easier to liberate the chicken or the cow.

* Lips and arses, I'm told, but it is most probably a vegetarian lie.

2004-04-12T10:32:00.000-04:00

I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we may succeed in building a better world through human understanding and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-04-12T10:30:00.000-04:00

SOME QUOTES (tnx Q!)

Back up my hard drive? How do I put it in reverse?

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you.

I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.

Pardon my driving, I'm reloading.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

Just remember if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try and pass them.

You can't have everything. Where would you put it?

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking.

Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

It was recently discovered that research causes cancer in rats.

Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter since nobody listens.

When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak .

2004-04-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

Non-violence means dialogue, using our language, the human language. Dialogue means compromise; respecting each other’s rights; in the spirit of reconciliation there is a real solution to conflict and disagreement. There is no hundred percent winner, no hundred percent loser—not that way but half-and-half. That is the practical way, the only way.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2004-04-04T11:34:00.000-04:00

[P]assion is the cause of blindness, of not seeing, of not knowing, of loss of insight: it is joined with vexation, it does not conduce to Nibbâna.

-Anguttara-Nikâya

2004-03-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

Those who try Zen meditation even once wipe away beginningless crimes. Where are all the dark paths then? The Pure Land itself is near.

Those who hear this truth even once and listen with a grateful heart, treasuring it, revering it, gain blessings without end.

-Hakuin Zenji, "Song of Zazen"