I know things are tough in the Middle East. The whole notion of a holy war seems to me oxymoronic, to over-simplify matters slightly.
But what seems really odd to me is watching efforts to convince peoples that we're a peaceful nation and have deep-seeded beliefs in human rights, liberty and democracy, yet the government uses bombs and bullets to negotiate or sponsor a "peace process". I don't blame people of other lands and cultures for questioning the motivation of our leaders here.
I usually just delete forwarded emails, but this caught my eye. I received and read some remarks
purportedly made by a televangelist's daughter today. It doesn't matter who made the remarks or what people were thinking when they forwarded it into cyberspace. People mostly know how I feel about cluttering other people's inboxes with politics and religion and offers of larger organs.
But this particular message caught my eye for another reason. It hits on a nerve. I think it's no wonder people are pissed at the media in general because the news isn't news anymore and advertisers and political action groups have been given a right-of-way over the interests of America.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show.
[In reference to the September 11th attacks], Jane Clayson asked her, "How could God let something like this happen?"
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.
And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
(add nauseam)
Profound? Insightful? If there were profound or insightful
elements in this dispatch, they were well camouflaged.
Let me get this straight. God has now begun to withhold blessings and protection,
permitted terrorists to kill thousands of human beings because the majority of Americans simply don't trust its government to manage our religion (or lack thereof) for
us? Really? Is God that mean-spirited a gentleman?
Never mind that one of the fundamental themes in the Constitution and
supporting writings is that the government should not be trusted.
Religious persecution was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the
USA. But that's not even the point here.
It is precisely this flavor of contrived propaganda that divides people. These comments, when read through, aren't thoughtful, logical or even intelligent
-- nor does the author use any level of reasoning ability. The comments aren't persuasive to the thinking
person, but heartening only to the weak-minded who believes trusting the
government is a good thing. Political pundits and talking heads pile layer after layer of this non-information into the news cycle, not to share fact-based information, but to pray on perceptions of simple folks who don't really think about what is being said,
targeted really toward the sound-byte society that the so-called 24-hour "news" channels
perpetuate.
It equates to propaganda and it pisses me
off. We, the general public, may well be complacent, but it's no reason to load us with this kind of stupid
crap and it is inexcusable by responsible citizens.
I've done my best to reserve judgment on President Bush after the Senate Intelligence Committee reported impairments in the intelligence he used to take the nation to war. I can bite my tongue no longer.
Tenet resigns "for personal reasons" one week, and the next, the Intelligence Committee releases a negative report (careful not to criticize Bush personally). We can set aside for a moment all of the irrefutable facts repeated in the movie “Fahrenheit 9/11”.
Hello!
I think people have to trust their instincts on this one. Sure, we want to believe we have a president that has integrity; that's a natural desire. But we also have to use the facts to come to some thoughtful judgment. After all, it's our job, as tax payers and citizens, to make judgments which have consequences on our elected officials. It is not our job to trust them, a fact our forefathers tried to spell out for us.
I know no one really wants war. There is nothing good about it, even though there can be times I believe you, as a sovereign nation, may have no choice in the matter. Such was the case when the Japanese government ordered the bombing of our bases on December 7th, 1941.
But the president used bad information to make the choice in Iraq, and that’s an established fact. There was no imminent threat to US soil. No one bombed our bases and the threat against our country was unclear at best.
I have a few thoughts...
The costs of taking preemptive measures were predictably high.
The activist world is largely venomous toward the US. The war didn't help.
To say, "The terrorists hate us", has no meaning to me. People hate what the US government did, and it's hard to find fault with that considering I also hate what the US government did.
The US government does not represent my values as a people, collectively, or as an individual.
Most of us can agree that Hussein had to be removed. The right answer, however, was to use a competent force to remove the Iraqi leader from power -- without catastrophic loss of life.
In bringing down the bully, there is no question in my mind that you have to identify Saudi-Americans or trained seem-alikes who have the ability to enter into sleeper-like cells in the region, gather usable intelligence and bring force to bear which has a high probability to terminate the dictator's ability to strike American soil, with as demonstrable minimal loss of life as possible. Failing that, if war occurs despite your best efforts, then you still have to take a similar course to squelch the threat -- with which we assisted in the creation -- on an even more monumental scale than would have otherwise been necessary.
Yes, an error in judgment was made. A bad choice resulted. Catastrophic human casualties ensued.
Both of the viable presidential candidates have to promise the American people that peace is a primary goal, and spell out the process by which they will ensure that peace. Send a clear message to the world that the US government is committed to the first goal, which is to live and let live; that we have no business interfering in affairs that do not have a direct impact on our mission as a country; and the second mission, to help in the world, where we can, through peaceful means, where ever we have reasonable assurances that catastrophic loss of life or critical human rights violations will not result.
Walk softly, but carry a big stick.
In the seventies, the DOD adopted the Air Land Battle doctrine. It is an outdated piece of work. If the last two national quagmires have taught us anything, it should be that we need to retire the battle dress uniform and the notion that ground troops can win a war. We have unmanned aircraft and amazing aerospace and airborne robotic technologies with pinpoint accuracy that should instead be utilized. We should recognize when a traditional "police action" doesn't work. Can you say Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Iraq?
I think that's important advice, but no more important that the step which must be taken before any other: secure the perimeters!
I'm having a difficult time swallowing the recent news reports that there are actually orders that prevent police from acting on illegal immigration, limitations placed on border patrol officers and rights being given to illegal aliens that supercede the safety of Americans on our own soil.
There are a dozen technologies that exist right now that can nearly guarantee the borders will not be penetrated. We have to develop and implement that technology beginning right now. We also have to use our law enforcement intelligence to identify people in our country that do not belong here legally.
How have we, for this long, been able to rationalize immigration without also expecting integration, assimilation into our society?
Let's get a grip!
The nation obviously regards piping petroleum and natural gas products as more critical to human
sustenance than water. We spends billions on pipelines to deliver fossil fuels that destroy our environment and bring man to war, yet oxygen and water are given a backseat.
On
the other hand, why should I be surprised that government leadership that can't create a safe and reliable
transportation infrastructure would act differently in this case?
If your computer’s acting up today, showing errors or shutting off completely, it might be infected with “Sasser”, a worm that hit computers this weekend. It does not use email to propagate, but it copies itself onto random vulnerable computers directly.
Industry analysts suggest Sasser may have started in Russia. Microsoft is offering 250-thousand dollars in reward money for the identity of the author.
Last year’s Blaster worm cost companies millions to fight, but Sasser may not have it so easy, due to acute awareness of such threats. In fact, Microsoft released a patch more than two weeks before the worm struck, that protects Windows computers from the worm.
Speculation abounds that the very act of publishing a patch alerts would-be hackers and inspires attacks.
The best defense against such threats? Keep your security patches up to date, use anti-virus software and put a firewall between you and the Internet.
I want to tell an Iraqi person how I feel as an American. I am naive. I learned about America in text books. I learned about the world from text books.
I have been given so much by our society and have put back so little in comparison. I volunteered for our military service as a promise and comitment to defend freedom, liberty and our American values. Luckily, I was not asked to fight in any war. I am truly a lucky individual. I was born into and inherited the principles of The New World, a place where freedom was born.
We are not an old European country. We make no apologies for that. We are America! We are the United State of America. We are free people because our fathers and forefathers fought and died to establish it and maintain it. Freedom and liberty were gifts left by generations past. We came here to escape many injustices and built a land that is the envy of people of many lands. I am proud of my heriatage and I couldn't imagine living in another.
I don't think people kill Americans for who they are so much as for what they do. I think Islamic funamentalists attacked the US on September 11, 2004 because Americans took a proverbial whore into the church of Islam and offended its sensibilities. The US Government tried to integrate American into Iraq and the Middle East which are incompatible with Muslim beliefs. I draw no correlation between September 11 and the US Government's attacks in Iraq.
Please be clear on this. America is a population of American Citizens who are human beings like you. One has to be able to draw a distintion between Americans and the US Government. I am not among the Americans who did this. I am not against you. I am for you. If you ask for my help, I will be happy to help you. I do not want to occupy your homeland. If you would rather I stayed home, that is what I will do. Americans do not speak with one voice unless that voice speaks for Liberty and Freedom.
There is a double standard between America and Iraq today. We have said many times in our history that we would rather die on our feet than live on our knees. We are proud people and have a strong desire to live free. These aren't just words to us, to make us feel good. We honestly believe them as others believe in their guiding principles. We do, however, sometimes forget that you most likely have prinicples that you would would die to defend. Thereinlies the rub. It may seem like America wants to force on you its own beliefs without regard for your own. But I, an American, say here and now that I do not want to force my beliefs on you. I want to you live by your own principles, happily so, in the place of your choosing.
Understanding my own resolve, I imagine yours is just as strong, and I can respect you for that.
I think burning fossil fuels is a bad plan for our whole planet, so the possibility that there may be some oil interests that motivated a few Americans to visit Iraq and do battle is very disturbing.
I want to live a simple life and to be able to support my family and raise my children in a safe, healthy environment. I detest war, the slaughtering of innocent people, corruption among world leaders and the greed that feeds them. I think Michael Jackson acts like a jackass. Are we so different?
I want to reach across the lands as one person to another person, transcend the conflict that divides us and give you a gift: my respect.
I was reading THE JEFFERSON MUZZLES the other day and it brought back a Dr. Phil quote from a couple years ago that has stuck with me, and it goes to the heart of secrecy.
The thing that protects our liberties and freedoms most of all is the free speech principles of the First Amendment, which is responsible for keeping the government out in the open for all to observe, and thereby keeping it honest. If the government is permitted to operate under a veil, then it will most certainly be corrupt. One of the underlying themes of our form of government is distrust. Maintain a healthy distrust for the government, because when you start to trust it to provide for you, it will take away from you. Freedoms, liberties and money.
But wait. That's already happening!
When a popular voice tells a lie, the passive majority among us will begin to promote it until it is perceived as the truth. Inundate sheep with manure long enough and they'll wallow in it.
Case in point: A recent poll indicated most people believed weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq and that the dictator had indeed been linked to the 9-11 terrorists. While facts showed otherwise, popular media, through vague and ambiguous "analysis",
propagated those perceptions.
Walter Cronkite was once quoted as saying, "The news is what I saw the
news is." That seemingly arrogant remark has been taken several steps
further by today's so-called news organizations. Just because you report
it, people do believe it. There are a growing number of
"analysts" who purport to be "journalists", and while news
and commentary were once divided, today, opinion-based content is pervasive in
popular media.
Diane Sawyer was on Letterman recently and she made a comment that everyone
should hear: "Journalists don't make commentaries." Thank you,
Diane!
"The Fox Commentary Channel" would be a much more fitting name for
Murdock's conservative media property. href="mailto:danny@radiowiseguys.com">What do you think?
How long will Clear Channel tolerate my style of broadcasting? When
will Mark Mays announce a zero-tolerance policy against the likes of me and my
standards? When will "href="http://www.greaseman.org/wp_19970515.html" target="_blank">Greaseman"
be heard in our market?
While the movie1 (and I know you know to
which I'm referring) and gay marriage2 dominate
the headlines, what isn't being covered? Mel Gibson was apparently try to
make a great movie, and I think he managed to do that. 1Opponents
of the film sound as though they want to hear themselves talk, and those who
favor it are quite passionate in their remarks. 2Regarding
Bush's assertion that a constitutional amendment is needed, the Federal
Government needs to get a life. Now can the media move on and begin
covering the news?
A neat party trick might make you smarter.
Increases or improvements in advanced mental functions might result from learning to juggle -- a revelation that is believed to lead to disease management, accoring to Arne May, who heads reasearch in this area at Germany's University of
Regensburg.
Mars rover 'Spirit' is in critical trouble.
NASA engineers think a hardware failure is the cause of malfunctions that cropped up this past week, which means the mission is terminated for all intents and purposes. Spirit's twin, 'Opportunity', is expected to land later today. It's unclear whether the second rover will suffer the same demise.
A new way to contribute to the presidential candidate of your choice.
Amazon.com rolled out a new feature Friday that collects campaign contributions of up to $200 for the candidates. As of this morning, Kerry received 1,699 bucks, Dean got 1,095 dollars and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik earned 252 dollars.
A major hotel chain Offers Free Hi-Speed Internet Access in all its properties.
In a big step bound to put pressure on its rivals, Best Western International Inc. said Friday it would begin offering free high-speed Internet access in all 2,300 of its hotels in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Best Western is the first to implement the policy for all its hotels. In each of the hotels, at least 15 percent of the guest rooms will have high-speed Internet access. The company also plans to make wireless cards available for guests to connect in the hotels' public areas.
How to get the attention of a major software developer with your domain name.
Mike Rowe is a 17-year-old Canadian who caught the attention of Microsoft Corp.'s lawyers by registering www.mikerowesoft.com. Friday, he agreed to give up his Web site in exchange for training for certification on Microsoft's products, a subscription to Microsoft's developer program Web site, and an Xbox (news - web sites) video game console with games, as well as an invitation to bring his parents along for a visit to Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, headquarters for an annual technology fair. Microsoft will also set Mike up with a new web site and redirect traffic to it so the lucky kid won't lose any business.
Computer maker turned twenty yesterday (give or take a week).
Introduction of the first Macintosh came two decades ago this week. Happy Birthday!
File sharing software maker strikes back at the music & recording industry
According to Sharman Networks, a U.S. federal court has cleared the way for Kazaa to sue the entertainment industry for copyright infringement. In recent history, studios and recording companies have targeted Kazaa and other file sharing networks -- who are now accused of misusing Kazaa software to invade users' privacy and send corrupt files and threatening messages. TOO-SHAY! RIAA, says Sharman will have a very difficult time providing evidence to support their allegations.
Blogs heavily used presidential election campaigns
Such journals, known as blogs, may not be doing much to sway undecided voters, but analysts say they strongly impact the media, campaign consultants and activists.
"A blog's not going to have the same reach as a Washington Post or USA Today or an AP article," said Cameron Barrett, a longtime blogger now with Wesley Clark (news - web sites)'s campaign. "But it does have reach, and people consistently go to online blogs to find information that traditional media ignore."
Blogs are collections of links and ideas, usually frequently updated. Their most recent entries are on top, and readers can generally post comments. Blogs are increasingly popular, and the software behind them gets friendlier to use by the
day.
Please don't pass this onto your friends.
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings.
An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did", the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer.
At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy.
If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."
And that he did. Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman?
Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.
I won't bore you with promises of happiness if you forward this to your friends. In fact, please don't!
This letter was forwarded to me, claiming to be the best ever chain
letter. You judge.
Hello, my name is Dan and I suffer from the guilt of not forwarding 50
billion chain letters sent to me by people who actually believe that if you send
them on, a poor 6-year-old girl in Arkansas with a breast on her forehead will
be able to raise enough money to have it removed before her redneck parents sell
her to a traveling freak show.
Do you honestly believe that Bill Gates is going to give you, and everyone to
whom you send this email, $1000? How stupid are we?
"Ooh, look here! If I scroll down this page and make a wish, I'll
get laid by a model I just happen to run into the next day!" Whoopee!
Maybe the evil chain letter leprechauns will come into my house and sodomize me
in my sleep for not continuing a chain letter that was started by Peter in 5 AD
and brought to this country by midget pilgrims on the Mayflower. Forget
them.
If you're going to forward something, at least send me something mildly
amusing. I've seen all the "send this to 10 of your closest friends, and
this poor, wretched excuse for a human being will somehow receive a nickel from
some omniscient being" letters about 90 times. I don't bloody care.
Show a little intelligence and think about what you're actually contributing
to by sending out these forwards. Chances are, it's our own unpopularity.
The point being, if you get some chain letter that's threatening to leave you
luckless for the rest of your life, delete it. If it's funny, send it
on. Don't piss people off by making them feel guilty about a leper in
Botswana with no teeth who has been tied to the ass of a dead elephant for
twenty seven years and whose only salvation is the five cents per letter he'll
receive if you forward this email.
Now forward this to everyone you know. Otherwise, tomorrow morning your
underwear will turn carnivorous and will consume your genitals.
Have a nice day.
P.S. Send me $100 for making you laugh!
Is it any wonder there's a demand for foreign workers in the US? $7 an hour
is not a living wage, so naturally the American labor force doesn't race to take
those jobs. Packing house wages haven't increased in twenty years, mostly as a
direct result of illegal immigration and south-of-the-border recruiting efforts,
and partly because we've started moving American companies to cheaper labor --
and right out of the jurisdiction of fair labor standards and market value in
this country. American workers cannot compete on this playing field without
sending Mom to work, thereby dominishing family values and the family unit
itself!
Have you seen the national debt lately? Do you see a trend? GW may well
out spend Reagan & Bush 43 combined. It took them 12 years to raise
the debt from 1 to 4 trillion, and GW will raise it by 3 trillion in one term!
Under Clinton, the fiscal deficit was reduced to zero and the national debt
nearly stopped increasing altogether by the end of 2000. GW says he can cut the
fiscal deficit by half in five years, and you know what? I don't believe him.
Whoa, stop with all the so-called reality TV. There's nothing genuine about it; it's meant to pull in ad dollars at the expense of (and perpetuates) the lowest common denominator.
But I like "The Apprentice". No apologies. It inspires me and makes me think. About something
worthwhile, for a change. Donald Trump has churned the imagination of many would-be
entrepreneurs and this show puts on display the unusual personalities you see in business -- the same devious people we
might really have to deal with in such an arena.
UPDATE -- Who the hell does Trump's hair!?
It isn't fine with me that we're telling foreign nationals to ignore the legal standards for immigrating to the US, and 'W' didn't ask me
about it. I fully recognize that we're a country built on immigration, but there's some paper work we ask people to fill out at the door. If you don't like the process, then let's work to change it, but don't reduce the standards
based on unacceptable behavior and make breaking the law acceptable. War exists where there are no effective laws; chaos reigns where there is no order; and Americans lose their jobs where illegal immigration is permitted!
