Reminder to 0bama and Holder Employees

COMPUTER TRESPASS---RCW 9A.52.110---Computer trespass in the first degree.

(1) A person is guilty of computer trespass in the first degree if the person, without authorization, intentionally gains access to a computer system or electronic database of another; and (a) The access is made with the intent to commit another crime; or (b) The violation involves a computer or database maintained by a government agency.

(2) Computer trespass in the first degree is a class C felony.

National Debt Counter -- Thank the Stimulus Bill

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Saturday, December 31, 2005

My "ah ha" experience

I have two blogs. For today I direct you to my latest post on the other blog.

I hope you find it extremely interesting.

However to post comments, you'll need to use THIS blog.

Happy New Year! May 2006 be a year you can look back on and smile. God Bless You in 2006 and forever.
-- Auntie Coosa and Casey the WonderDog.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

He's not my Cocker any longer!







If you've been following the saga of Crockett Nicolas, then you know that on September 3, 2005, he was run over by a hit and run. I have mourned his loss. I have grieved deeply. I have prayed many prayers.

Sunday before Christmas, I prayed and gave Crockett to Jesus' mother, Mary. As a Catholic, we revere her as Theotokos -- mother of our Lord Jesus. She is the mother we cling to when our own birth mothers cannot or will not offer us succor and comfort.


We ask her to join us in prayer requests we make to her Son. If you're not Catholic, that may make no sense. "I go straight to Jesus when I pray." Well, we do, too, but we have His Blessed Mother assisting us. It's like asking your sibling or parent to accompany you when you go ask an elder brother or your father for something. So maybe it makes some sense after all? It's nice to know you can have someone standing with you when you make a request. Especially if that request is made to God through His Son, Jesus. And especially if that someone is Jesus' own mother.



I was driving to Vigil Mass on Saturday before Christmas, thinking of Crockett, as I usually do, and the thought came to me that I could release Crockett to the Blessed Mother. (God gives us the desires of our hearts. Doesn't mean God gives us the desires we put in our hearts. It means God puts His desires in our hearts.) So I prayed a simple prayer, "giving" Crockett to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. After Vigil Mass, driving to pick up my cousin for our usual weekly evening out, my heart felt 'lighter' and my spirit was more joyful.



Each day during the week, I thought of my gift to the Blessed Mother and how giving Crockett to her to care for brought closure to my grief. On Friday morning, prior to waking, I had a very vivid dream. In full and living color. It was daylight. I was standing in the drive, near to where Crockett was run over. Crockett was there in front of me and was about to walk out into the road (where the blood stain was still visible). I called to him "Crockett Nicolas, get back here!" He turned his head and looked at me with a very curious look. Suddenly, I was seated on the front steps and Crockett jumped into my lap. He put his haunches on each leg and his paws were on my shoulders. I was staring straight into that lighter 'bib' on his chest. And I noticed, he was not wearing a collar or tag.

Crockett is not mine any longer. I love him forever. That will never change. But he's not mine. He belongs to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. He is hers. And he showed me that in the dream. The collar I purchased and the rabies tag from the Veterinarian's office are gone. He roams heaven and doesn't worry about cars.

Driving back from Florida on Tuesday after Christmas (where I'd gone over Christmas vacation), I looked up and saw a cloud in the sky in the shape of a woman with a head-covering, feeding treats to the shape of a dog. I immediately knew the dog was Crockett. And I assumed the shape of the woman was me. Wrong assumption. I looked again and the clouds moved so that the lips of the woman changed and appeared to be 'saying' something. And what my heart heard was that the cloud-woman was Mary, the Blessed Mother. She was giving treats to Crockett. After all, Crockett is her dog now.



If it's a sun dog, is it Crockett? Or have you, too, given a dog to the care of Mary, Theotokos?



If you look closely, on the left near the bottom corner, facing you, you'll see the form of a woman and a cat on the woman's left (your right) at the middle bottom of the image. What else do you see? Let your heart guide you.

The Mary who laid her Baby in a cradle in a stable loves all animals. If you are grieving the loss of an animal, consider offering that animal to the care of Jesus' Mother, Mary.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Merry Christmas



DUCCIO di Buoninsegna (b. ca. 1255, Siena, d. 1319, Siena)
Tempera on wood, 43,5 x 44,5 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

(I'm going to Panama City, Florida, for Christmas. I'll be back before the first of the year to continue blogging. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and that the Reason for the Season is also your Savior.)

Saturday, December 17, 2005

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
by Michael Marks

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.

The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again

There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas tree.

They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition."

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.

I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near
And kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.

"There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,

To worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall."

He looked at me as children do and said, "it's always right,
To thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write."

And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote:

"God bless you all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay."


"I freely submit this poem for reprint without reservation--this is an open
and grateful tribute to the men and women who serve every day to keep our
nation safe." ~ Michael Marks

The Professor's Question

Did God Create Evil?

A university professor challenged his students with this question:

Did God create everything that exists? "

A student bravely replied "Yes, he did!"

"God created everything?" the professor asked.

"Yes sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil." The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course," replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor does cold exist?"

The professor replied "Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"

The students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence we see everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name --- Albert Einstein.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Seize the Day, but Capture the Moment

I've been told that I think too much.

Two people have told me this. My own Mother and one of my best friends.

So of course, this got me to thinking.

And they're right. It's either a genetic characteristic or a deeply ingrained habit. If it's a habit, it can be broken. If it's genetic, then it's something I'll have to decide to overcome.

I got to thinking deeper and realized that both my Mother and my best friend are 'seize the day, but capture the moment' people. More deep thought leads me to the probable conclusion that my Father is (and both sets of Grandparents were) also 'seize the day, but capture the moment' people.

Which of course led me into even deeper thought -- and a revelation. Somewhere along the journey of life, my train got on a side-track headed for no-where always thinking but never enough 'time' to do.

I am by nature a helper, a rescuer, a resolver of the present conflict. That's why I'm so good at what I do. But I am also a slug. Not a bullet, the slimy mollusk. The innards of a snail. A slug. Maybe also I'm like a bullet-slug, too. (Again, too much thinking going on here.)

I actually DO think too much.

I don't DO because I'm spending my DO time thinking too much.

My parents, children and best friends will all nod their collective heads reading this post.

So, what do I do with this newly garnered revelation? How do I assimilate it into my being, my personality, my 'ethic' (if you will) of living? THAT is the question. And what is your final answer? More thinking? Bllleeeeeep, wrong. The answer is "less thinking, more doing."

So how will this change, this paradigm shift, occur? Will it be a painless change? (There are very few painless changes in life.)

First, I'll have to think about not thinking so much. Then, I'll have to 'do' without 'thinking about the doing.' The 'thinking about thinking too much' will be the final curtain call (oh, there will be encores, I'm sure) of thinking-too-much.

My Mother has been trying to tell me this for years but it wasn't getting through because my brain was too busy 'thinking.' My train was on a side-track. If you know anything about trains, you know that there are two kinds of 'side-tracks.' One has a dead end. One merges back onto the main track.

So, I have a choice to make: crash into the dead-end or merge back into the main track.

Do you think I should 'think about it?' Nooo???

Seize the day, but capture the moment.

This is going to take a bit of time to become a fully ingrained habit (the train is long, old and slow). And merging onto the main track means there will be the 'bump' at the merge. I may do something I'll regret later, like toss out something that I end up really needing. But what are the odds of that? "If you haven't worn it in the past two years, give it to the (domestic violence) Thrift Store." (Exception: if it has significant meaning, keep it.) All the copies of things I made from the internet years ago - - trash. (This is the painful part. Mama, it hurts! It hurts because trashing all those papers means that I made copies needlessly, recklessly, using up precious resources of ink and paper!) (I can already hear the patter of my feet running down the tiled hallway of the mental ward in the hospital as I am screaming at the top of my lungs: NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, don't throw that out!)

CAN I even 'DO' such a drastic thing? Can I even 'toss' with abandon what I have so eagerly clutched for so long? Will I end up running down the hallway of the hospital mental ward, screaming my head off, because all my 'clutter' priceless possessions have been taken to the County dumping station?

This is major surgery y'all. And *I* am the surgeon AND the patient. This is no 'walk in the park.' (Mom, the English Major, will enjoy the mixed metaphors.) I'm 61 years old. This is a deeply ingrained habit. (If it were a genetic trait, do you think I could apply for minority status?) (Apparently humor IS a genetic trait.)

I look around my house. Yikes. I have accumulated a lot of dust, dog hair, and debris (like the alliteration there?) of many years. I've been in this house since Christmas 1998 -- and amazingly, it's nearly Christmas 2005 and I have received this revelation: Seize the Day, but Capture the Moment.

You getting chill bumps yet?

If you've read the blog, you know that I recently lost the dearest thing to my heart, Crockett, my buff colored Cocker Spaniel. He came into my life for 22 very beautiful months. But I have to admit, they were months spent 'thinking' too much. I didn't seize the day. I failed to capture the moment. And then Crockett was run over, just 3 months ago, and my heart broke. Out of Crockett's death have emerged, like a phoenix, many blessings. I have two dearest friends, willing to confront me about my sluggish ways and to stick with me while I clutch onto the fragments of my disordered existence.

Seize the Day, but Capture the Moment. This is not going to be easy. Should I maybe 'think about it' a bit longer?

{Chorus of voices in background: NOOOOOOO! Just DO it!}

Taking a deep breath . . . I . . . yi . . . yi . . . yi . . . yi.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Islam's Children Cry . . . for Peace

There is no winner in this war!
We scream as jets roar overhead
Drowning out our plaintive cries
. . . for Peace.

We do not wish this battle, we wail
As bursting bombs crumple cityscapes
And imploding buildings sink into sand
. . . not Peace.

Where is Islam's Prophet? Oh where are our Imams?
Whose voice can we hear over this cacophony?
Where are the placards marching in the streets
. . . for Peace.

Why must children suffer for the hostilities
Of their fathers and their countrymen?
Why cannot our fathers become friends
. . . in Peace?

If our fathers refuse to love us more
Than they hate our neighbors' children,
Then it is we who must stand up
. . . for Peace.

Can you lay aside your reasons for conflict?
Can you stop the roar long enough to hear
The songs of all the world's children? Songs
. . . of Peace.

There is no justification for terrorism!
Do not blame our religion, our race.
Are our national leaders speaking the words
. . . of Peace?

Fathers, prove your love to us this day!
Lay your hate and guns aside and come!
Come sing with us and dance the dance
. . . of Peace.

Copyright C.E.Donaldson 2005

Monday, December 05, 2005

This is a Must Read

I'm going to give you a couple snippets to whet your appetite.
From The Daily Standard
[snip]
Most public discussion of donor insemination for single women has been carried on in a neutral, positive, or breathlessly celebratory tone.
[snip]
European countries are skeptical enough to actually ban the process. Sweden and Italy bar single mothers from engaging in either in vitro fertilization or use of anonymous sperm (or, in Italy, eggs), and Britain and the Netherlands have banned the anonymous donation of sperm.
[snip]
A story in the New York Times last month reported that donor-conceived children check out strange men to see if they match the physical traits of their donor dads. "It'll always run through my mind whether he meets the criteria to be my dad or not," said JoEllen, a girl from Russell, Pennsylvania.
[snip]
Young adults voice similar sentiments. Olivia Pratten, a 23-year-old Canadian conceived through donor insemination, told the Toronto Globe and Mail about her fatherless life: "I had to grieve. It wasn't till I was 17 or 18 that I got it. I felt very angry. How dare someone take my choice away from me? How dare the medical profession tell me it doesn't matter?" And a 15-year-old boy profiled recently in the New Scientist was so determined to find his father that he submitted a sample of his own DNA to an online DNA-testing service. He was able to match it to a family surname and from there to track down his dad. Young people with less ingenuity are probably out of luck. U.S. law does not regulate donor insemination, and most donors choose anonymity, making it very difficult to find them.
[snip]
Our report, Why Marriage Matters (available at the website of the Institute for American Values), found that children reared in single-parent homes are two to three times more likely to face serious negative emotional, social, or health outcomes than children reared in intact, married families. These findings apply up and down the social ladder. They also apply in societies with generous welfare systems like Sweden, where poverty for single mothers is largely a nonissue.
[snip]
It appears that children are even affected physically by father absence. Pioneering work by Bruce Ellis suggests that the timing of puberty in girls is linked to the presence of a biological father: Girls who grow up without their biological fathers experience puberty (and therefore are likely to have sex) at significantly younger ages than girls who grow up with their fathers.
[snip]
Why do fathers matter to children? Fathers typically bring an extra pair of hands, an extra set of kin, and extra income to the child-rearing enterprise, not to mention extra concern for the child's well-being. They also perform better than mothers when it comes to disciplining their children--especially their sons. Finally, fathers who are in good marriages with the mothers of their children implicitly teach girls to expect respect from members of the opposite sex, and boys to treat girls and women with respect.
[snip]
For all these reasons, it is time to bring children's welfare into the discussion of donor-assisted single motherhood. A serious consideration of children's best interests would probably lead us down a regulatory road comparable to that being pursued in Europe, with bans on the donor-insemination of single women and on the anonymous donation of sperm and eggs.

Can a hedonistic society be reined in when it comes to fatherless pregnancies and fatherless children? Or will "single women" suddenly become the "victim-du-jour" and demand their "rights" to become pregnant by anonymous sperm donors?

Found in a Pakistani School Book



The poem, not the background, was found in a 2004 printing of a Pakistani school book. It won't be in the next printing. More's the pity.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Three full months

Today is December 3. On September 3, at about 12:15 AM, Crockett was run over.

I don't understand why. I do trust that "in the fullness of time, God . . ." and that since He is in control as Lord of my life, Crockett served his purpose on earth and is now my "heavenly puppy" guard-dog.

A lot of things changed abruptly when Crockett died. Choices I'd made. Friends I didn't know I had. My future. My heart. A lot changed.

I think that the way I comprehend has changed too. There are people I want in my life. I choose to surround myself with kind and mature people with whom I share common interests. Emphasis on kind and mature. Positive influences who challenge me to be. (To be? What? Just "to be" -- to grow into the kind and mature person I am becoming.)

Oh, and to clean house and stay off the computer so much.

See, it's three months, and I'm grinning, even if I'm still in mourning. Thank you, N&K: best and true friends. (May everyone find best and true friends in her life.)

Friday, December 02, 2005

Natives and "Conservation"



By reading the article (click on the picture above), the reader will gain a broader understanding of "original conservation."

READ MY DISCLAIMER. I am not supporting Orion Online. I'm just saying that this article is good and it looks at how 'conservation' affects native peoples in their own lands.

It's worth a read and some deep thought.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Ten Months from TODAY!

I will be sleeping in and enjoying RETIREMENT!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Today's Quote




"(I)f the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American . . . .
There can be no divided allegiances here. Any man who says he is an American but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag . . . .
(W)e have room for but one language here, and that is the English language . . . and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

- Teddy Roosevelt, 1907

Monday, November 28, 2005

Still in mourning both morning and evening

**Note, check the Haikus as I have edited the first one.

A cute little black kitten, approximately six months old, showed up at work. I was able to catch her and took her home. Well, Casey loved on the kitten who was a bit skittish and scared of feet. I think she'd been kicked about a bit. I arranged for spaying here, but then was able to set up an appointment in L-A. So, I took the new kitten to my daughter's in Lower Alabama. She wasn't sure the cat would warm up to her or the kids, but she (cat) did by Sunday. Cat is renamed "Spooky" and has been spayed today. The 'free' cat cost me over $300 to two different Vets and a cat carrier and litter box. BUT, I couldn't just toss her out to be run over by a f'n-red-neck. (Excuse my French.) (Whether you agree or not, I am entitled to be angry at drivers who run over animals intentionally and/or don't stop to offer aid.)

While visiting my daughter and family, I cried every evening when I lay my head down to sleep. And last night (the last night I was there), I was stifling sobs. I had cried and sobbed a quarter of the way to Alabama (a seven hour drive) and I sobbed about a fifth of the way back. Sobs, not just tears.

I miss Crockett. I have a hole in my heart just his size. I cried thinking that he would not be home when I got back. I cried thinking that I'd be moving to Alabama and not be able to drive 20 minutes to his gravesite. I sobbed because I was driving "home" but not to pick him up and bring him home, too. I miss Crockett.

Yes, I have Casey and my family and my friends (my 'real and true' friends) all of whom I love and would do anything for. But I still mourn for Crockett. My love for him was more than just for a dog.

He was not 'just a dog.' He was my Crockett. He was my 'baby-boy.'

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

The thin line between acquaintance and friend



I noticed something the other day while talking with one of my best friends. There is a line between a person being an acquaintance friend and a person being a true or best friend.

I don't quite know how to describe it. There's a transition with some people, but when there's not, two people might keep on trying to transition until one of them says something and then moves on.

I've had that happen in my life a few years ago. One of my friends emailed me and said something to the effect that our friendship wasn't working out, so goodbye. Well, at the time, I was just confused and thought to myself, "I still consider you my friend" and I tried to convey that in an email. But to no avail.

NOW, with the understanding of that 'fine line' I begin to see that there was some barrier to one of us (or both of us) being able to cross that line. What was it? Different culture? Different life goals? Different what? What WAS the difference between that person and the people I consider my best friends?

I have no ready answer. There IS a line, though, that once crossed, changes a friendship into a best-friendship. It's a 'familial' experience. Once the line is crossed that person becomes more like a trusted sister (or brother). Trust defines part of that thin line, I think. But what else? What changes when someone becomes a best friend?

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Today's Quotes


  • War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
    John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)


  • All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
    Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Friday, November 18, 2005

Another Friday reminder of another Saturday

Crockett's memory is always with me. He lives within my heart and occupies a large portion of my mind. I miss him. Every Friday, where ever I am, and especially if I'm driving down the highway to visit my cousin or my best friend or attend Mass, I am reminded of that fateful Friday in September. And driving back home on the same road we took together the night he was run over brings back memories of that last ride. If only I'd known.

If only.

Sometimes I shed a tear or two. Sometimes I can stuff them back in. All the time, I just wish I could relive that day or wake up from this nightmare or have my Crockett back.

I'm writing this here, on the blog, knowing that my friends and my family may read it at some point in time. I write as a cathartic: so I can read it later and not cry when reading it because I'm crying as I write it.

Every Friday and Saturday I have this deep sense of loss that maybe time will heal. But I can't say for sure. Maybe in a year I'll read this and think some crazy thought about myself crying over the loss of a dog I'd only known 22 months.

But no. You don't think some crazy thought when you've lost a baby or a husband you've only known 22 months. Crockett was the love of my life. I can't explain it. He was both my baby and my boyfriend. And it'll take more than a few months for the sense of emptiness I feel on Fridays and Saturdays to hurt less.

If it ever does. My friend, Jennifer, has lost dogs and she says you always mourn them when you've loved them as fiercely as I loved Crockett.

Always. I love Crockett always. And I miss him so very much. And always.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Temper

I have a temper when dealing with ignorant people who don't want to know anything different from what they've been told all their lives.

When I know, I know. I usually don't argue the point, since it makes no sense to me to argue from the pinnacle of an issue, but rather I extend a hand and pull the other person up. Then it's up to that person to accept the hand up. Normally, if I comprehend that the person is slapping my hand away, I just leave the discussion and hope that the person has an experience which challenges their perceived point of view and allows them the opportunity to understand the issue more clearly.

There are quite a few people who would be the recipient of my temper if I decided to lash out. I see it as counter productive.

Tempers usually flare when someone is frustrated that the other person (or people) seem to be unwilling to accept verifiable proof and are ensconced in their own prejudices.

I figure that if I know I'm correct, it's best to let the Good Lord take over, rather than my temper. Because He will exact His judgment in His time.

Moral: Don't assume that God is on your side just because He doesn't strike you dead when you have an incorrect core belief. He gives you many many opportunities to educate yourself in the correct core beliefs.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care!

Ask Me if I Care About 'Mishandling' of Koran
By Doug Patton
June 6, 2005

First, Newsweek pulled a Dan Rather on us, running a fabricated story just because they wanted it to be true. They told the world that an American guard at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center had ripped pages from a prisoner's Koran and flushed it down a toilet. As a result, innocent people died when practitioners of Islam rioted in protest in Afghanistan.

Oops, said Newsweek, it seems we can't back up our story. Oh well, it's probably true; we just can't prove it. (Isn't it convenient for Newsweek that the media now have "Deep Throat" to talk about so they can revel in their glory days and divert our attention from their criminal negligence.)

The lie heard round the world about the flushed Koran has caused convulsions in the Bush Administration and forced the Pentagon to launch an investigation of unfounded allegations contained in an unsubstantiated story. The results of said investigation are now in, and it seems there are at least five incidents of "mishandling" of the Koran at Gitmo.

Well, guess what? I don't care!

Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling, slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

I'll care when Clinton-appointed judges stop ordering my government to release photos of the abuses at Abu Ghraib, which are sure to set off the Islamic extremists just as Newsweek's lies did a few weeks ago.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college hazing incident, rest assured that I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and -- you guessed it -- I don't care!

-----------


Doug Patton is a freelance columnist and political speechwriter who has worked for conservative candidates, elected officials and public policy organizations at the federal, state and local levels. His weekly column can be read in newspapers across the country and on selected Internet web sites. Readers can e-mail him at dpatton@neonramp.com.

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

Jimmy Crack Corn: Beautiful corrugated gold leaves with piecrust edges and prominent veins. The leaves are held horizontally, forming a large, broad clump. Near white flowers. A H. “Piedmont Gold’ hybrid.

Jimmy crack corn and he don't care...i should say not if he looks like this. Rich gold probably glows in the dark. A large impressive hosta for the shade boasting deep vein texture and wavy edged leaves. A seedling of Piedmont Gold that blooms in white.

Haiku Trilogy

First Haiku
Willowy palm fronds
Dancing in the wild wet wind ~~
Hurricane Season.

Second Haiku
Silent in the night
Willowy soft caresses~~
Ground covered in snow.

Third Haiku
Ballerina bows
Gracefully touching the stage ~~
Weeping willow tree.

[Edited 11/28/05]

Monday, November 07, 2005

Gates of Vienna

At the siege of Vienna in 1683 Islam seemed poised to overrun Christian Europe. We are in a new phase of a very old war.


You are invited to check out the weblog Gates of Vienna. And especially Saturday, October 09, 2004
The Newest Phase of a Very Old War



You may think "get back to the poetry" or "why all the Islam information" or "what's with this blogger?"


Well, what's "with me" is what's going on all around me and you today. Like it or not, we are living in very insecure times. Look below at the map of Islam. Their stated goal is total control of the entire Earth!


But we, some of us, see this as a challenge to pray. Some will dance and say "the rapture is coming, the rapture is coming." But what if there is no rapture the way you've been taught? What if the things in the book of the Apocalypse have already taken place because they were written as an allegory and not for someone nearly 2000 years later to decipher into a dogma called "the rapture."

Want a few more examples of man's ability to deceive himself? Look at the hullabaloo around Dianetics? Look at the popularity of The DaVinci Code. Y'all, use the brains God gave you. THINK. Do some research. Don't be blind.

You want an even greater example of man's ability to deceive himself? Islam. Think about it.

The ONLY religion where man doesn't have to do anything to reach God is Christianity where God came down to earth to reach men.

John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. Douay-Rheims Bible
John 3: 16 sic enim dilexit Deus mundum ut Filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam 17 non enim misit Deus Filium suum in mundum ut iudicet mundum sed ut salvetur mundus per ipsum Latin Vulgate Bible


Sunday, November 06, 2005

Purgatory - C. S. Lewis

I BELIEVE IN PURGATORY...

"Of course I pray for the dead. The action is so spontaneous, so all but inevitable, that only the most compulsive theological case against it would deter me. And I hardly know how the rest of my prayers would survive if those for the dead were forbidden. At our age, the majority of those we love best are dead. What sort of intercourse with God could I have if what I love best were unmentionable to him?

I believe in Purgatory.

Mind you, the Reformers had good reasons for throwing doubt on the 'Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory' as that Romish doctrine had then become.....

The right view returns magnificently in Newman's DREAM. There, if I remember it rightly, the saved soul, at the very foot of the throne, begs to be taken away and cleansed. It cannot bear for a moment longer 'With its darkness to affront that light'. Religion has claimed Purgatory.

Our souls demand Purgatory, don't they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy?' Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I'd rather be cleaned first.' 'It may hurt, you know' - 'Even so, sir.'

I assume that the process of purification will normally involve suffering. Partly from tradition; partly because most real good that has been done me in this life has involved it. But I don't think the suffering is the purpose of the purgation. I can well believe that people neither much worse nor much better than I will suffer less than I or more. . . . The treatment given will be the one required, whether it hurts little or much.

My favorite image on this matter comes from the dentist's chair. I hope that when the tooth of life is drawn and I am 'coming round',' a voice will say, 'Rinse your mouth out with this.' This will be Purgatory. The rinsing may take longer than I can now imagine. The taste of this may be more fiery and astringent than my present sensibility could endure. But . . . it will [not] be disgusting and unhallowed."

- C.S.Lewis, Letters To Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer, chapter 20, paragraphs 7-10, pages 108-109

Also see The Guild of All Souls.

10 Questions for "Bible Christians"

1) Where did Jesus give instructions that the Christian faith should be based exclusively on a book?

2) Other than the specific command to John to pen the Revelation, where did Jesus tell His apostles to write anything down and compile it into an authoritative book?

3) Where in the New Testament do the apostles tell future generations that the Christian faith will be based solely on a book?

4) If the meaning of the Bible is so clear—so easily interpreted—and if the Holy Spirit leads every Christian to interpret it for themselves, then why are there so many different Protestant denominations, and millions of individual Protestants, all interpreting the Bible differently?

5) How did the early Church evangelize and overthrow the Roman Empire, survive and prosper almost 350 years, without knowing for sure which books belong in the canon of Scripture?

6) Who in the Church had the authority to determine which books belonged in the New Testament canon and to make this decision binding on all Christians? If nobody has this authority, then can I remove or add books to the canon on my own authority?

7) Why do Protestant scholars recognize the early Church councils at Hippo and Carthage as the first instances in which the New Testament canon was officially ratified, but ignore the fact that those same councils ratified the Old Testament canon used by the Catholic Church today but abandoned by Protestants at the Reformation?

8) If the early Church believed in sola Scriptura, why do the creeds of the early Church always say “we believe in the Holy Catholic Church,” and not “we believe in Holy Scripture”?

9) The time interval between the Resurrection and the establishment of the New Testament canon in AD 382 is roughly the same as the interval between the arrival of the Mayflower in America and the present day. Therefore, since the early Christians had no defined New Testament for almost four hundred years, how did they practice sola Scriptura?

10) If Christianity is a “book religion,” how did it flourish during the first 1500 years of Church history when the vast majority of people were illiterate?

Please feel free to use the comments to answer any or all of the above questions.
+Pace e Bene+

Salvation: Greek soteria; Hebrew yeshu'ah

The Council of Trent describes the process of salvation from sin in the case of an adult with great minuteness (Sess. VI, v-vi).

It begins with the grace of God which touches a sinner's heart, and calls him to repentance. This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the love and mercy of God. Man may receive or reject this inspiration of God, he may turn to God or remain in sin. Grace does not constrain man's free will.

Thus assisted the sinner is disposed for salvation from sin; he believes in the revelation and promises of God, he fears God's justice, hopes in his mercy, trusts that God will be merciful to him for Christ's sake, begins to love God as the source of all justice, hates and detests his sins.

This disposition is followed by justification itself, which consists not in the mere remission of sins, but in the sanctification and renewal of the inner man by the voluntary reception of God's grace and gifts, whence a man becomes just instead of unjust, a friend instead of a foe and so an heir according to hope of eternal life. This change happens either by reason of a perfect act of charity elicited by a well disposed sinner or by virtue of the Sacrament either of Baptism or of Penance according to the condition of the respective subject laden with sin. The Council further indicates the causes of this change. By the merit of the Most Holy Passion through the Holy Spirit, the charity of God is shed abroad in the hearts of those who are justified.

Against the heretical tenets of various times and sects we must hold
· that the initial grace is truly gratuitous and supernatural;
· that the human will remains free under the influence of this grace;
· that man really cooperates in his personal salvation from sin;
· that by justification man is really made just, and not merely declared or reputed so;
· that justification and sanctification are only two aspects of the same thing, and not ontologically and chronologically distinct realities;
· that justification excludes all mortal sin from the soul, so that the just man is no way liable to the sentence of death at God's judgment-seat.

Other points involved in the foregoing process of personal salvation from sin are matters of discussion among Catholic theologians; such are, for instance,
· the precise nature of initial grace,
· the manner in which grace and free will work together,
· the precise nature of the fear and the love disposing the sinner for justification,
· the manner in which sacraments cause sanctifying grace.


But these questions are treated in other articles dealing ex professo with the respective subjects. The same is true of final perseverance without which personal salvation from sin is not permanently secured.

What has been said applies to the salvation of adults; children and those permanently deprived of their use of reason are saved by the Sacrament of Baptism.

Copyright The Catholic Encyclopedia.

Two Months Ago from November 3, 2005

On November 3, two months since Crockett was hit and killed, I was on my way to pick up my cousin to take her out for her Birthday (for 1 month we're the same age, then she turns a year older). Driving to her house, I happened to look up in the sky and saw what appeared to be an outline of clouds that circled around to form a human form. Where the face was, were cumulus clouds in the shape of a dogs head. The 'nose' of the head was turned as if kissing the face of the outlined shape.

As soon as I saw it, I knew in my soul (see the story of Friendship in September's posts to this blog) that was Crockett giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. His kisses were special times, because he didn't always give them. The last evening of his life, while driving home, I recall him kissing me three or four times. THAT was unusual for him. Maybe he knew that was his last night on earth. When I recognized the clouds as Crockett's kiss, tears rolled down my face. All I could do was thank God for the 'cloud kiss' from Crockett, two full months from the day of his death (9/3/05).

Later that evening, around 11:30 PM, I went to Crockett's gravesite and talked to him. Tears again flowed. Tears of "I miss you forever." And I do. I miss Crockett forever and I know that one day we'll be together. Because dogs DO go to heaven. And I'm headed there in about 38 years or so.

Best Prayer

The Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time...

Heavenly Father, Help us remember
that the jerk who cut us off in traffic
last night is a single mother who
worked nine hours that day and
is rushing home to cook dinner,
help with homework,
do the laundry and spend a
few precious moments
with her children.

Help us to remember that the
pierced, tattooed, disinterested
young man who can't make
change correctly is a worried
19-year-old college student,
balancing his apprehension
over final exams with his
fear of not getting his
student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord,
that the scary looking bum,
begging for money in the same
spot every day (who really ought
to get a job!) is a slave to addictions
that we can only imagine in our
worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the
old couple walking annoyingly
slow through the store aisles
and blocking our shopping
progress are savoring this
moment, knowing that,
based on the biopsy report
she got back last week, this
will be the last year that they
go shopping together.

Heavenly Father,
remind us each day that,
of all the gifts you give us,
the greatest gift is love.

It is not enough to share
that love with those
we hold dear.
Open our hearts not to
just those who are
close to us,
but to all humanity.

Let us be slow to judge
and quick to forgive,
show patience,
empathy and
love.

Author Unknown

Saturday, November 05, 2005

The News That Main Stream Media Ignores

Talk about being left in the dark by our so-called unbiased press. Did
you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi current government employs 12 million Iraqi
people?

Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under
rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools
have been built in Iraq?

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20
Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all
currently operating?

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in
January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational?! They have 5-
100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a navel infantry regiment.

Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational
squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport
aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night,
and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 bell jet rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando
Battalion?

Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained
and equipped police officers?

Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over
3500 new officers each 8 weeks? !

Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq?

They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad
stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical
facilities Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have
received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary
school by mid October?

Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and
phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consist of 75 radio
stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?

Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a
televised debate recently?

OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW!

WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW?-OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!

Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag
burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at
presidential motorcades.

The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes. It is
intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus
minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American
citizens.

---- Above facts are readily verifiable on the web.

The Future of Islam



Actual poster from a Lashkar-e-Toiba-run madrassah in Pakistan.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001

Open Letter To President Bush and the Congress of the United States:

Please reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001. As a Nation, we take pride in our National Treasures, among which are Roadless Areas that preserve the very core of the American Spirit. Not only do we, the people, need areas untouched and untrammeled by machinery, the eco-system needs these areas if we are to survive as a Nation. Backcountry areas revive the human spirit as much as they protect our physical environment.

I read of other Countries who have no conservation or preservation policies. Their population has decimated (and usually eaten) what we consider 'wildlife' (birds, mammals large and small). One of the strangest occurrences is to be in a Country where there are so few birds that hearing one sing is considered a special occasion. Hearing birds sing is a given in the United States. And it is due to habitat in Roadless Areas that promotes the continued propagation of birds by protecting flyways.

It makes me proud that in the United States, we have protected areas where our wildlife and our watersheds will not be disturbed. As a backpacker, I urge you to reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 and to protect the Roadless Areas in perpetuity so that I and my grandchildren can enjoy a backcountry experience filled with the sights and sounds only available in such places.

Thank you.
Backpacker, Kayaker, Mother of two, Grandmother of six.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Christianity

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

Old catechisms asked, "Why did God make you?" The answer: "God made me to know him, to love him, and to serve him in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next." Here, in just 26 words, is the whole reason for our existence. Jesus answered the question even more briefly: "I came so that [you] might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

God’s plan for you is simple. Your loving Father wants to give you all good things—especially eternal life. Jesus died on the cross to save us all from sin and the eternal separation from God that sin causes (CCC 599–623). When he saves us, he makes us part of his Body, which is the Church (1 Cor. 12:27–30). We thus become united with him and with Christians everywhere (on earth, in heaven, in purgatory).

What You Must Do to Be Saved
Best of all, the promise of eternal life is a gift, freely offered to us by God (CCC 1727). Our initial forgiveness and justification are not things we "earn" (CCC 2010). Jesus is the mediator who bridged the gap of sin that separates us from God (1 Tim. 2:5); he bridged it by dying for us. He has chosen to make us partners in the plan of salvation (1 Cor. 3:9).

The Catholic Church teaches what the apostles taught and what the Bible teaches: We are saved by grace alone, but not by faith alone (which is what "Bible Christians" teach; see Jas. 2:24).

When we come to God and are justified (that is, enter a right relationship with God), nothing preceding justification, whether faith or good works, earns grace. But then God plants his love in our hearts, and we should live out our faith by doing acts of love (Gal. 6:2).

Even though only God’s grace enables us to love others, these acts of love please him, and he promises to reward them with eternal life (Rom. 2:6–7, Gal. 6:6–10). Thus good works are meritorious. When we first come to God in faith, we have nothing in our hands to offer him. Then he gives us grace to obey his commandments in love, and he rewards us with salvation when we offer these acts of love back to him (Rom. 2:6–11, Gal. 6:6–10, Matt. 25:34–40).

Jesus said it is not enough to have faith in him; we also must obey his commandments. "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do the things I command?" (Luke 6:46, Matt. 7:21–23, 19:16–21).

We do not "earn" our salvation through good works (Eph. 2:8–9, Rom. 9:16), but our faith in Christ puts us in a special grace-filled relationship with God so that our obedience and love, combined with our faith, will be rewarded with eternal life (Rom. 2:7, Gal. 6:8–9).

Paul said, "God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work" (Phil. 2:13). John explained that "the way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:3–4, 3:19–24, 5:3–4).

Since no gift can be forced on the recipient—gifts always can be rejected—even after we become justified, we can throw away the gift of salvation. We throw it away through grave (mortal) sin (John 15:5–6, Rom. 11:22–23, 1 Cor. 15:1–2; CCC 1854–1863). Paul tells us, "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).

Read his letters and see how often Paul warned Christians against sin! He would not have felt compelled to do so if their sins could not exclude them from heaven (see, for example, 1 Cor. 6:9–10, Gal. 5:19–21).

Paul reminded the Christians in Rome that God "will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life for those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness" (Rom. 2:6–8).

Sins are nothing but evil works (CCC 1849–1850). We can avoid sins by habitually performing good works. Every saint has known that the best way to keep free from sins is to embrace regular prayer, the sacraments (the Eucharist first of all), and charitable acts.

Are You Guaranteed Heaven?
Some people promote an especially attractive idea: All true Christians, regardless of how they live, have an absolute assurance of salvation, once they accept Jesus into their hearts as "their personal Lord and Savior." The problem is that this belief is contrary to the Bible and constant Christian teaching.

Keep in mind what Paul told the Christians of his day: "If we have died with him [in baptism; see Rom. 6:3–4] we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him" (2 Tim. 2:11–12).

If we do not persevere, we shall not reign with him. In other words, Christians can forfeit heaven (CCC 1861).

The Bible makes it clear that Christians have a moral assurance of salvation (God will be true to his word and will grant salvation to those who have faith in Christ and are obedient to him [1 John 3:19–24]), but the Bible does not teach that Christians have a guarantee of heaven. There can be no absolute assurance of salvation. Writing to Christians, Paul said, "See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness, otherwise you too will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22–23; Matt. 18:21–35, 1 Cor. 15:1–2, 2 Pet. 2:20–21).

Note that Paul includes an important condition: "provided you remain in his kindness." He is saying that Christians can lose their salvation by throwing it away. He warns, "Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall" (1 Cor. 10:11–12).

If you are Catholic and someone asks you if you have been "saved," you should say, "I am redeemed by the blood of Christ, I trust in him alone for my salvation, and, as the Bible teaches, I am ‘working out my salvation in fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2:12), knowing that it is God’s gift of grace that is working in me."


Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth
Revised Second Edition
Copyright © 1996, Catholic Answers.
All Rights Reserved.
(Note: CCC references are to the pages in The Catechism of the Catholic Church.)

Islam

Muhammad lied when he said he has come with clear proof. He asked people to believe in him simply because he said so and if they didn't, he ordered them to be killed. The only proof given was the sword. In other words, "I am right because I can kill you".

Muhammad did all sorts of evil things and said follow my examples. Would really God choose a despicable man like Muhammad to be the guidance to Mankind? Does it make sense at all? Can the maker of this universe be so stupid, so cruel, so sadistic, to send an evil man like Muhammad who commits all sorts of crimes, fill his book of revelation will hodgepodge and ridiculous tales and demand us to forgo our intelligence and accept this evil man nonetheless or else we would face eternal burning. ETERNAL burning??? Isn’t this nuts? How can the allegedly merciful God be so sadistic?

Do you see my friend? People are not genetically or clinically stupid. But they allow themselves to be fooled.

Just where are those women liberators? They're not in the Middle East.

A woman is like a private part. When she goes out the devil casts a glance at her"

Al-Hadis, trans. Al-Haj Maulana Fazlul Karim, vol. 2, p. 692, from Mishkat al-Masabih, by Waliuddin Abu Abdullah Mahmud Tabrizi



This women thinks she is 100% vagina.

What is the subliminal message this woman is sending? The subliminal message is that every square inch of my body is private part, every square inch of it can make you horny. Therefore my entire body is an 'awrat, (lit. pudendum, genital) and I am a sex object from head to toe. People cover their private parts. This woman thinks her entire body is private part. Does this in anyway arouse respect? Only one who thinks with her genital may think so.



These women think they are 96% vagina 4% people.

These women have determined that all their bodies, except their faces, are extensions of their genitals, including their heads. Thinking with their genitals they can't distinguish the difference between their hair and their pubic hair. To them both are embarrassing and should be covered. Thinking with their genitals these ambulant vaginas are fighting for the right to be humiliated, beaten and treated as sex objects.

Spread this message and reproduce it in your site. Let all Muslim women know the world sees them exactly the way they see themselves and Muhammad described them - as 'awrat, pudenda, private part and deficient in intelligence. They think of themselves as nothing but a big vagina. As a matter of fact the word "woman" in Urdu is 'awrat. In Iran she is called zaifeh (weak). She is regarded weak both mentally and physically. Muslim women strive to be treated as 'awrat, a walking talking vagina. Why should we think of them differently? Combat stupidity with humiliation.

A look inside with the help of blogs

Two bloggers living in Baghdad:
The Messopotamian
and
Healing Iraq.

Another resident of Iraq, a young woman:
Baghdad Burning

A reporter in Iraq who is there with no sponsorship from media has this blog:
Michael Yon

A blog about what's going on in Islam:
The Flanstein

And for balance, a blog from Israel:
What Paula Says

For those who wish to know more:
Resource Page



Saturday, October 29, 2005

Friendship


Friendship is a treasure
One you rarely find
If you search with human heart and mind.


Friendship is a flower
Blooming where it will
Throughout summer's heat and winter's chill.


Friendship is a present
A joyous surprise
Welcomed with humbleness by the wise.


Friendship is respect
Undiscovered delight
A constant amid the shadows and the light.


Friendship is a touch
Light as angel wings
Bringing with it a heart that sings.

May all your friendships be filled with wonder, thankfulness, and song.

Poem Copyright Carol E Donaldson 2005.
Images Copyright Sue McDonagh

Friday, October 28, 2005

I'm developed

Well, not really. I learned what to do about my benefits. And about how much I'll get from my State retirement.

So, what did I learn?

Well, I learned that it's time to metamorph (again).

From the cap/hat sandal and hikerboot clad backpacking, kayaking, dog loving friend of my friends, child of my parents, mother of my children, Nana of my grandchildren to . . .

. . . the woman with make up, real shoes, real purse (not a backpack or belly-pack) and a hat that looks like a hat.

Oh, yeah, the jeans and jean-type pants will stay. The hair is still short, but may be styled a bit. The tees will be replaced by real blouses.

I'm NOT abandoning who I am. Just externally morphing back to what I resembled at 40 or 45.

WHY? Glad you asked. It just seems to be a good time to do so. No one is expecting it, other than my daughter because I called her about which make up color to use. Of course, the manufacturer no longer makes that kind of make up. Grrrr.

Why? Just seems right for right now.

Do I have to have a reason for what I do?

Why did God send His Son to die for us "while we were yet sinners?" Was there a reason other than that He loves His creation? I take a lesson from God's love for me and respond with similar actions or words.

God loves me, I pass along that love. Maybe I smile when I see someone walking past me in the store. Maybe I take a stray cart back to the cart-keeper. Maybe I pick up an article of clothing that's fallen off a rack and put it back. Maybe I let someone in the check-out line in front of me. Maybe I buy a bottle of wine for a friend so that I can gift her (as I have been gifted by God). Maybe I send money to an organization which has inspired me. Maybe I buy a magazine subscription to a magazine because I liked an article I read. Maybe I see my place in God's creation as being a blessing everywhere I go.

If I need a reason for being who I am and doing what I do and acting as I act, this is it: I am a blessing everywhere I go.

+Thank you Lord for reminding me that You have placed me where You want me to be and given me the opportunity to be Your blessing everwhere I go.+

Monday, October 24, 2005

My last chance at development

Silly title. I'm about to embark on the last 'annual development conference' with my job.

My LAST one! I am on the 'count down' days of the last year of employment!

Soon, I shall be "retired" -- RE? Tired? -- HA, I laugh at the word(s).

I will not be RE, it'll be the FIRST time I've been FREE OF EMPLOYMENT with enough income to actually enjoy not working.

What do I think retirement will bring?

Good question.

I'll answer it when I get back from my "adc" -- see ya later.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The Camera's Purpose

Hold the pose
Lens moves faster
Than a blink.
The image caught
On film.

Print photo;
Place in frame;
See the image
Of what was then
Smiling you.

Mesmerized
In your smile
Is all you are
From then to now:
Ageless youth.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Asians in China and their dietary habits



The above picture will take you to a website that may make you very angry. China is still raising what Americans call pets for their dinner tables.

Please inform others of the horrific practices occurring in China -- PETA lists this atrocity on their website, but I haven't heard much publicity from them about REAL animal abuse. They tend to want publicity for easy targets using Hollywood celebrities.

KIDS and Teachers, go here:

Be pro-active, write your legislators. Find them at First Gov . gov.

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Mourning before The Morning



Would her mourning ever end?
Grieving her lost son
She’d held his lifeless body
Tears mingling with his blood.

Would she now live with kin?
For other sons she had none
He had been her greatest joy
His provision her foremost job.

She looked to the women and men
Who followed her beloved one
As he taught in parables
The virtues leading to paradise.

God alone her heart would mend
Filling it with tasks undone
Busying her hands with love
In honoring his blessed life.

And so she did. Before her sorrowing nights, she it was who prepared that upper room and told the men to wait beside the donkey and foal. Now she would busy herself in service to his friends and ponder all these things in her heart. Hoping beyond hope for events yet to be. Believing everything he said.

copyright C.E.Donaldson 2005

"America" . . . as you were and can be again.





The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama. The judge's poem sums it up quite well.



"AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL"
America the Beautiful, or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride; I'm glad they'll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters, Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty, your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly poisoned by cocaine,
Choosing to indulge their lusts, when God has said abstain.
From sea to shining sea, our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love and a need to always pray.
So many worldly preachers tell lies about our Rock,
Saying God is going broke so they can fleece the flock.
We've kept God in our temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool, and Heaven is His throne.

We've voted in a government that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges who throw reason out the door,
Too soft to place a killer in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.
You think that God's not angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our God, from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do, but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children, will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face and mend our evil way:
Then God will hear from Heaven and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful, if you don't then you will see,
A sad but Holy God withdraw His hand from Thee.

Judge Roy Moore



Friday, October 07, 2005

Writing a poem/song

I got a phrase stuck in my head and I'm working on a poem/song right now. I'll give you the chorus but hold off on the verses until I complete them.

I always knew You by heart;
I always knew You by heart;
Before I was, You knew me,
Before I was, I knew You,
I always knew You by heart.




Now this one is not going to be used in the poem/song, but I thought it quite appropriate to insert here.


I wasn't sure where the poem/song was going, but it appears to be headed towards a pro-life emphasis. The chorus leads us there by itself.

I'm letting it rest for now, but should have something to share in a week or so.

I always knew You by heart;
I always knew You by heart;
Before I was, You knew me,
Before I was, I knew You,
I always knew You by heart.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

October 4, 2005

For the first time in a month, I smiled this morning from deep within.

Life Is Good. God is. God is Good.

Romans 8:28 And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints. 29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son; that he might be the firstborn amongst many brethren. 30 And whom he predestinated, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified.

29 "He also predestinated"... That is, God hath preordained that all his elect should be conformable to the image of his Son. We must not here offer to pry into the secrets of God's eternal election; only firmly believe that all our good, in time and eternity, flows originally from God's free goodness; and all our evil from man's free will.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who is against us? 32 He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things? 33 Who shall accuse against the elect of God? God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that shall condemn? Christ Jesus that died, yea that is risen also again; who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?

36 (As it is written: For thy sake we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) 37 But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

38 "I am sure"... That is, I am persuaded; as it is in the Greek, pepeismai.

Islam Coexist? Muhammed said "Never!"

Islam Coexist?  Muhammed said "Never!"
Thanks al_c
"We love death. The United States loves life. That is the big difference between us." – Osama bin Laden
"I have been made victorious through terror." Muhammad, founder of Muhammadism now called Islam (Submit or Die)

Barack Obama Says He Lacks Experience To Be U.S. President

And HERE he proves it.

Obama calls it "My Muslim Faith" and This Raises More Questions

George Stephanopoulos tries to correct Obama when he says "my Muslim faith" but it wasn't a gaffe and Obama corrects Stephanopoulos. The Question is: Why say "MY Muslim faith" first? He went back to correct Stephanopoulos, but again "MY Muslim faith" was used. WHY?

Obama is to the USofA as Castro was to Cuba!

Patriots For Action dot org