Huge war spending bill to test Democrats - "The Bush administration is working on its largest-ever appeal for more Iraq war funds - a record $100 billion, at least, and that figure reflects cuts from wish lists originally circulating around the Pentagon. ... Despite widespread discontent over the Iraq war and President Bush's handling of it, Democrats are expected to grant the vast majority of the request."
Controversial U.N. ambassador to step down - "Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his temporary appointment expires within weeks, the White House said Monday."
Rumsfeld Memo on Iraq Proposed ‘Major’ Change - "Two days before he resigned as defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld submitted a classified memo to the White House that acknowledged that the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq was not working and called for a major course correction. ... Nor did Mr. Rumsfeld seem confident that the administration would readily develop an effective alternative. To limit the political fallout from shifting course, he suggested the administration consider a campaign to lower public expectations. ... The memo provides no indication that Mr. Rumsfeld intended to leave his Pentagon post."
For Defense Nominee, Echoes of Old Questions - "With bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for quickly putting the war under new command, Gates's controversial history is by all accounts highly unlikely to derail his confirmation after a single hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday. Moreover, Gates and others say he learned from the searing, 10-day hearings that scrutinized his record 15 years ago and has since adopted a less officious style. At the same time, the concerns expressed about Gates then have echoes in the contemporary debate over the alleged tailoring of intelligence analysis to serve political ends, an issue at the heart of criticism of the war in Iraq."
Bob Gates & Locking You Up Forever - "As the next Defense Secretary, Robert M. Gates will be in charge of a new star-chamber legal system that can lock up indefinitely “unlawful enemy combatants” and “any person” accused of aiding them. Yet, despite these extraordinary new powers, his confirmation is being treated more like a coronation than a time for tough questions."
Poison plotters claim their second victim - "The two were critics of the Kremlin and both appeared on a death list drawn up by a group of former KGB agents reportedly behind a number of murders abroad of enemies of President Putin."
Graham: Putin a '1-Man Dictatorship' - ""He's a problem, not a solution, to most of the world's problems. He could help us with Iran if he chose to. He is becoming basically a one-man dictatorship in Russia. And we need to be tough with him.""
Bill Gates For - You'd Better Sit Down For This - President - "It took us a moment to get used to the idea, but then we wondered why we hadn't thought of it before. The Microsoft man has done computers; he's done capitalism; he's doing as much as anyone to get on top of HIV / Aids and Malaria; so why not the White House? And at least a few American bloggers seem to think the same way."
Chavez storms to re-election victory - "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stormed to a re-election victory in Sunday's vote, handing him an ample mandate to broaden his promised socialist revolution and challenge Washington's influence in Latin America."
Congress open to passing bill on immigration - "Congress will approve an immigration bill that will grant citizenship rights to most of the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S. after Democrats take control next month, predict both sides on Capitol Hill."
Muslims Seek Prayer Room at Airport - "Airport officials said Friday they will consider setting aside a private area for prayer and meditation at the request of imams concerned about the removal of six Muslim clerics from a US Airways flight last week."
On Tape: An 'Enemy' Interrogation - "In new court filings, Padilla's lawyers also assert for the first time that Padilla's interrogations were taped, thereby providing a potentially extensive video record of how the government treated a man once considered a dangerous Qaeda operative."
Newsweek: Gov't. motion to silence Padilla defense - "U.S. citizen Jose Padilla was infamously accused by John Ashcroft of wanting to set off a "dirty bomb" for Al Queda. After being held incommunicado in solitary confinement for three years, and tortured, the government dropped the bomb charge and now wants to put him away on vague charges of supporting terrorism. But, as Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball report, the government wants to silence Padilla's attorneys, not allowing them to bring up Padilla's treatment by the government, and not allowing public testimony of any kind, in the name of "national security" (of course)."
Olbermann: We Fight for Liberty by Having More Liberty and Not Less - "And finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment about free speech, failed speakers, and the delusion of grandeur."
The Move To Label All Civil Disobedience "Terrorism" - "An endemic crackdown on peaceful protest and dissent has continued with President Bush signing the 'Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,'. Under the guise of protecting researchers, scientists and their staff who conduct experiments and tests on animals, the latest terror bill seeks to class as "terrorists" those who seek to protest against such activities. The bill expands criminal prohibitions against the use of force, violence, and threats involving animal enterprises and increases penalties for violations of these prohibitions. The operative term being "threats", because what an activist may see as protesting may be construed under the law to be threatening. ... Without getting into a debate about animal testing itself, the real issue of concern here is the term "terrorism". The push to merge crime and terrorism laws can be no clearer than in this case. ... The more crimes that become "terrorism", the more people you can label as terrorists and treat in the same way. Every time a piece of legislation like this becomes law, the more the Bill of rights is eroded and free speech is restricted."
How We Will Lose Our Freedom of Speech - "If people were asked about actor Michael Richards' epithet-laced outburst at a Los Angeles nightclub, there would be a lot of focus on the verbal assault but very little on an assault on freedom of speech. In truth, however, if there's anything at all relating to this story that rises above gossip-column fodder, it’s that it’s also fuel for demagogues who seek control over discourse in America. Representing the two targets of Mr. Richards’ bile, Frank McBride and Kyle Doss, “civil rights” attorney Gloria Allred appeared on Hannity and Colmes Thanksgiving eve. The stone-faced Allred opened with a very telling assertion, boldly proclaiming, “This is not free speech, this is hate speech!”"
Ghosts in the Machine: Encounters with the NSA - "Quite some time ago, I am not sure exactly when, the thought police (National Security Agency) clandestinely moved into my computer. It did so without my permission and in violation of the law, not to mention the Constitution. ... While it troubles me that the NSA is lurking in my computer, it does not deter me from exercising my constitutional rights of free speech and, more specifically, speaking truth to power. I am not paranoid or afraid. I have not armed myself. I go on doing what has to be done. I stand behind my words and have every intention of continuing for as long as I draw breath. Truth still matters and someone has to protect it."
FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool - "The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations."
Olbermann's Hot News - "Olbermann, who denies any partisan leanings and whose background doesn't suggest any, insists his job is to report on what's really going on--even if the public is loath to believe it. ... Not surprisingly, Olbermann has his critics. National Review recently lambasted him for his "angry and increasingly bizarre attacks on the Bush administration," claiming that he offers nothing in the way of hard news. But the author didn't cite a single fact that Olbermann had wrong. Meanwhile, as the Review acknowledged, O'Reilly's numbers are trending downward as Olbermann's are shooting up. While his views may seem radical for mainstream television news, they turn out to be a pretty safe bet for him and his network. Which may prove that the American public does have a taste for serious, even high-minded, news--particularly when peppered with a sharp sense of humor. It's another unexpected Olbermann news flash: Dissent sells."
Born Right the First Time? - "The purpose of most religion is to make us "better" than we currently are. The Biblical premise is that all human beings are fatally flawed, not good enough and in need of vast improvements and control of their "human nature." Without this ongoing overcoming of the evil self, growing towards a better kind of person and change, one runs the risk of being so not good enough that they will spend eternity, for their inability to change over a rather short lifetime, in a punishing hell. Scripture goes out of its way to remind us all that our fundamental human qualities are deceit, wickedness, jealousy, anger, lust and greed. I find that personally to be one of the most unhelpful and controlling lies ever foisted upon human beings by religion. Of course that is how we can act, but that is not who we are by any real means when given the freedom to be authentic and feel safe in being so. ... Have you ever considered the fact that you and I may have been born right the first time? What if the most simple and spiritual goal a human being has is to become your own genuine, authentic and self? What if our purpose in life is neither to jump through the hoops set out by others, who think they know, nor to struggle and strive to improve yourself dramatically over what you are? People don't change much over a life time no matter what their religious affiliations, and while it's an improvement to stop killing one's self with sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine along with other assorted body killing habits, it's ok to just be yourself."
The Christian Right Goes Back to Bible Boot Camp - "After a study revealed that less than 10% of evangelicals were bible literate, James Dobson's Focus on the Family is desperately taking a two-day multi-media Bible boot camp on the road, selling "truth" for $179 a seat."
Close-Up of WTC-7 Collapse Footage Shows Unmistakable Demolition Charges - "Looking at the upper right-hand corner of the building we see a rapid series of small explosions travelling upward just as the building itself begins to fall. The size, placement and timing of these "puffs" is very consistent with squibs from cutting charges of the type used in professional controlled demolitions, and in fact nothing but small explosive charges could create such an appearance." -- Hmmm.
Unseen Photos of Bohemian Grove Found - "These photos were literally found on disc in a stack around the office. They contain dozens of photos from the Bohemian Club, most of which are circa 1926-27. Amongst photos of (largely unidentified) notable individuals attending the meetings are photos of plays performed and various angles of the nefarious owl god Moloch."
Supreme Court looks at race and schools - "Parents in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle are challenging school assignment plans that factor in a student's race in an effort to have individual school populations approximate the racial makeup of the entire system. Federal appeals courts have upheld both programs."
Look who owns U.S. debt now - "For most of U.S. history, the national debt was something that America owed itself. What was borrowed by the government was lent by its people. The liabilities of one were the assets of the other. But that has changed as the federal government has increasingly looked abroad to finance its prodigious borrowing. Foreigners now hold a record 52% of the government's $4 trillion in outside debt, up from a quarter in 1995. ... The growing reliance on foreigners, in many cases foreign central banks, reflects a nation digging itself further into debt and denial. Perhaps the best comparison is the many credit card offers that come in the mail each month. In the short run, by making borrowing so easy, they can prop up living standards. In the long run, the bills come due. The foreign money is no different:"
IRS taxation of online game virtual assets inevitable - "If you are a hard-core player of virtual worlds like World of Warcraft, Second Life, EverQuest or There, IRS form 1099 may someday soon take on a new meaning for you."
Police admit planting evidence - "A Huntington Beach police officer's exoneration for planting a loaded gun in a suspect's car has led to the revelation that police routinely plant evidence in unsuspecting civilians' vehicles for training exercises."
Pediatricians blast inappropriate ads - "Inappropriate advertising contributes to many kids' ills, from obesity to anorexia, to drinking booze and having sex too soon, and Congress should crack down on it, the American Academy of Pediatrics says."
NASA Looks to the Future With Eye on the Past - "The bigger picture, however, is significantly more grand. As Griffin and others (including renowned British cosmologist Stephen Hawking) describe it, it is all about whether humans will incorporate the solar system "into mankind's sphere of influence."" -- And that's just what the Universe needs.
Old forest sucks up greenhouse gas, study says - "If common to the soils of other old-growth forests, the finding could add combating global warming to the reasons for preserving them from logging, some scientists say."
Toxic trade-off - "This is a story about a trade-off: Products that make our everyday lives convenient, comfortable and safe contain potentially harmful chemicals that can remain in the body for decades."
Top 10: The best, worst... and craziest uses of RFID - "They've put a chip where?"
Deadliest states for drunken driving - "The “Fatal Fifteen” are states (and Washington, D.C.) in which 41 percent or more of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related."
Moderate Pot Use Positively Effects Treatment Outcomes For Cocaine Dependent Patients, Study Says - "Cocaine dependent patients are more likely to complete drug treatment if they use cannabis intermittently, according to clinical trial data to be published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse."
Azureus' HD Vids Trump YouTube - "The file sharing company Azureus on Monday launched a new distribution platform for downloading high-quality video, which the company hopes will become the next YouTube -- but for high definition, DVD-quality video on the internet."
X-Rated 'Pornament' Christmas Decorations Raise Eyebrows - "Six controversial ornaments, which can be purchased for $9 at Spencer's stores in Jacksonville and other parts of Florida, include an X-rated snowman and reindeer."
Quote of the Day
"In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy."
~ Ivan Illich
2 comments:
Ok, it's been a while since I've been induced to rant... but here goes. This one's about Dennis Diehl's article, "Born Right the First Time?"
Mr. Diehl writes,
"The purpose of most religion is to make us "better" than we currently are."
This sets the tone of the piece nicely and points to a key difference in perspective. To some, the "purpose" of religion is self-improvement; to others, the "purpose" of religion is what the religion promotes, that is, the worship of God. I won't dwell on this though... there are bigger fish to fry today. But it does point to a nice description of the perception behind the piece.
He continues,
"Scripture goes out of its way to remind us all that our fundamental human qualities are deceit, wickedness, jealousy, anger, lust and greed. I find that personally to be one of the most unhelpful and controlling lies ever foisted upon human beings by religion. Of course that is how we can act, but that is not who we are by any real means when given the freedom to be authentic and feel safe in being so."
I must agree here. We readers of "The Fall of Humanity" see how seldom the qualities that are "deceit, wickedness, jealousy, anger, lust and greed" really apply to men. The daily posts we see here quickly lead to the conclusion that these so-called qualities in men are really just a myth. *groan*
He continues,
"I don't believe that it would be a very fair thing for humans to pay a literal and eternal death penalty based on a mythical and not literally true story."
Ah, the individual's assessment of "fairness"... the true arbiter of justice.
And onward,
"Have you ever considered the fact that you and I may have been born right the first time? What if the most simple and spiritual goal a human being has is to become your own genuine, authentic and self? What if our purpose in life is neither to jump through the hoops set out by others, who think they know, nor to struggle and strive to improve yourself dramatically over what you are? People don't change much over a life time no matter what their religious affiliations, and while it's an improvement to stop killing one's self with sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine along with other assorted body killing habits, it's ok to just be yourself."
What a sad life this person must lead if he truly thinks that "people don't change much over a life time", which I can only guess is a formulation derived from self-experience.
And forward,
"As Mike Adams said in a recent article on The discovery of DNA variability, holographic blueprints and the symphony of life..."We are, in fact, an expression of the very phenomena we are attempting to understand, and if we read the poetry of DNA correctly, we will realize that life itself is not about the accumulation of wealth, or stuff, or power over others, but rather the discovery of self. And "self" does not exist in isolation. We are, in every way imaginable, intertwined. We are all made of the same stuff, wrought from the same patterns of nature, and in fact, formulated from the same musical notes played out in five billion unique but compatible tunes. With this discovery, Western science has concluded we are all more different from each other than previously thought, but I believe it is evidence that we are all just unique verses of the same universal poem.""
Gotta love it when the validity of religion is questioned, and in supporting this argument, a statement that basically says "science says X but I have faith in Y" is used. Kudos to Mr. Diehl for originality.
He goes on to say,
"All of Iraq is coming unglued because of fear and self preservation, not some inherent evil that is the true, ongoing and daily nature of man. When people feel safe, appreciated, respected and listened to, you'd be surprised how much good can be accomplished. If Chicago was Bagdad, these same fears and survival skills would rear their ugly heads in the neighborhood."
Obviously Mr. Diehl doesn't read this blog. One wonders if he really believes Iraq to be a consequence of "fear and self preservation", as opposed to "deceit, wickedness, jealousy, anger, lust and greed". But perhaps he is correct. Perhaps when we get a new president, the first act should be for him to announce that America "appreciates, respects, listens and wants the 'insurgents' to feel safe", then the conflict will simply end and our troops could come home. Yep. I think that very well may work.
And finally, we have,
"What is the most simple spiritual truth a human can come to recognize? While there may be many, the simple recognition that being your authentic self in thought, word and deed is ok, is near the top. If my even saying that to you makes you uncomfortable, then you can know that it is not far from a truth you, as a conscious being, needs to consider in the time you have left to live in your limited five sensed, carbon based wet suit."
When I started reading his article, I thought that this piece would be an anti-religion piece based on perceived flaws in religion or the worshipping of a god. But, the more I read, the more it became clear that this is not an anti-religion piece at all... but rather, it is a pro-mediocrity piece. Religion, as a proponent of developing personal character, is a convenient representative of those who maintain that man is capable of becoming of greater character than our base instincts would limit us to being. Ironically, his little tirade isn't anti-religion, but anti-evolution.
I have missed your rants. This was a good one...and I agree: "What a sad life this person must lead if he truly thinks that "people don't change much over a life time", which I can only guess is a formulation derived from self-experience."
I've changed quite a bit over the years.
Post a Comment