tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90408764266394019452024-03-14T13:10:35.008-04:00Foreign To This WorldAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-67919535857196905592014-02-25T16:28:00.001-05:002014-02-26T01:03:13.178-05:00And This Is Love...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf-NTjr8GfaepAv6P_J69WJWr8tRoamBqK7nD2Eq0ugJ_Cr0rDvafXYY3hCrd6wP-GSU0JeXCvjJmMYOmArVrnKkAd9zm479CqbAkA-5GeYyoJfduvXN_0qn9aKikmDMFyU2HRfq3RJk0/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf-NTjr8GfaepAv6P_J69WJWr8tRoamBqK7nD2Eq0ugJ_Cr0rDvafXYY3hCrd6wP-GSU0JeXCvjJmMYOmArVrnKkAd9zm479CqbAkA-5GeYyoJfduvXN_0qn9aKikmDMFyU2HRfq3RJk0/s1600/Picture1.png" height="233" width="400" /></a> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
often we forget that the Gospel's foundation is relationship. Even if we understand that fact, we go
about our relating in such a righteous manner that the entire purpose of
interaction is lost. </span></div>
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The foundation to relationship is understanding and
accepting the other person. When you make friends, you do not brush people off,
telling them to come back to you once they attain perfection. Instead, you
interact with them at their level; knowing them is your highest goal. Only once
you have relational trust can you begin
to work through the personal flaws, yours especially.<br />
<br />
We cannot continue to disown souls merely
because they fail to agree with us.<br />
<br />
We need to realize that friendship is not
an endorsement of that person's mistakes [nor is their friendship a
conciliation to your shortcomings either], but it is instead the first step in
beginning to pour out love upon someone. Love is patient, love is kind, love
keeps no record of wrongs.</div>
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When
we throw out the cliché that Christ was "counter-culture," and so we
must be the same, I believe we forget what culture he was counter to. Christ
did not come to be religiously conceited, joining the religious leaders in
their holy, pontificating disapproval, shunning
the lowlifes who pursued their own lifestyles. It was these lowlifes
that Christ made his friends and eventually followers and closest
disciples. Never once did he endorse
their mistakes nor approve of their misguided living, yet he stoutly defended
them from the religious and social furor so often directed at "the
sinners." What an example of love we
miss in the actions of Christ! In the end, it was nothing he ordered
them to do or convicted them of that persuaded them of his offered salvation -
it was instead his constant service and willingness to sacrifice that brought
them to his side. No man hath greater love than this that he lay down his life
for his friends.<br />
<br />
His friends were the least of these.</div>
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So
what am I driving at? My question is, why we are more likely to invite someone
from a bar to church than to let an open homosexual in at the door? Where do we
derive the right to befriend or maintain fellowship with someone who cheated on
their spouse or involved with pornography, yet deny a gay or lesbian any
semblance of relationship? What have we
done to attempt to find common ground with those whom with we disagree? Or have
we forgotten that those faces belong to
people too?</div>
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We
seem to have this notion that loving a person requires overlooking their wrong.
And so, homosexuality and other sins remain unlovable because they appear so
offensive. But loving a person is more than ignoring their flaws; it is
accepting a person despite them. If we are to even approach culture, we must
live with this sort of love.<br />
<br />
We cannot hope to persuade the world otherwise
unless the world trusts us first. As it stands, the Church is not seen as
trustworthy. Instead, it is viewed as a homophobic, anti-progressive,
conservative base rife with stereotypes and fried chicken. Is this what is true? Yes, we differ from popular opinion and disagree
with much of secular thought; however, we have allowed our disagreements to widen
the already existing rift between the Church and the Culture. We have forgotten
that a similar rift - the eternal separation between God and humanity - was bridged through the love of one man, Christ. Let us minister with that self-same love and
bridge this modern, ever widening gap. Let us offer more to culture than a
repeated condemnation. Let us work to find common ground upon which to build
relationships.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My
brother and I have had our disagreements over the years. I was more often than
not the overbearing, self-righteous firstborn, burdened with the maintenance of
holiness and personal image. I saw him as the wayward sibling with whom I had
been tasked to bring back to the sheepfold. For every flaw he counted in me, I
would count twice as many in him, and remind him to boot. And so, we tolerated each other,
suspiciously watching the other's action, each convinced the other was wrong.
In all those years, we had little affect in our attempts to conform the other
to our standards. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The
day came however when I was to leave for college. We loved each other dearly,
brothers in battle, comrades in life to the last. Yet that same suspicion
remained. The separation of our lives for the next weeks effected a change
though. The suspicion passed away and
was replaced by an irrepressible sense of honor. That Christmas was the first
time we ever discussed life openly or considered the other's advice. We replaced what had been a begrudging
existence of disagreement with a grateful relationship of love. We loved each
other as equals who cared rather than as disapproving competition.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As I did for so many years, so we too as Christians have forgotten who our brothers really are, and we have forgotten how to love
them. When you look into the eyes of a stranger on the street, you look into
the eyes of your brother. When you gaze upon a crowd, you gaze upon a gathering
of brethren. When you pass by a searching soul, you pass by a soul kindred to
your own. <br />
<br />
But do you seek to bring these
searching brothers an answer? Then you must first love. For without love, there is no
life to be given.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-63396678453503374512013-04-30T10:34:00.000-04:002013-04-30T10:34:00.036-04:00Time to Talk? [North Korea Throwdown]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>North Korea still remains skeptical of<br />US diplomatic attempts.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After dominating headlines for the last month, North Korea
has hinted that it may be willing to bring an end to its nuclear brinkmanship
and begin a new round of talks with the United States. Pyongyang issued a detailed
statement this past week outlining its terms for the dialogue, including
demands that the US cease its “nuclear war practice” and annual war games with
South Korea and rescind the stringent sanctions against North Korea’s economy.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They should take measures of
retracting the U.N. Security Council’s ‘resolutions on sanctions’ cooked up
under absurd pretexts,” the Policy Department of the National Defense
Commission, North Korea’s highest governing body, said in a statement carried by
its official Korean Central News Agency. “They should give formal assurances
before the world that they would not stage again such nuclear war drills to
threaten or blackmail [the North].”<o:p></o:p></div>
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In response, a South Korean defense
ministry official requesting anonymity stated “The tensions should gradually
decrease from here, but we cannot lose ourselves to complacency. We do still
have to be prepared for any provocations.” Nevertheless, as US Secretary of
State, John Kerry, said during his recent visit to the peninsula, “...our
preference would be to get to talks.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The only question remaining is what
will the talks focus on?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Diplomatic Disasters</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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World
diplomacy with North Korea has a long and troubled past, plagued by the fact
that US and international officials are completely unsure of the nation’s
political status. Forced to use a fuzzy interpretation of state propaganda and gathered
intelligence as a barometer, US diplomats have often missed key opportunities to
get through to either of the Kim Jong’s. In the past, the US mantra has been to
stop the North Korean nuclear program and to guarantee South Korea protection
should Northern threats be actualized. However, if the US enters this new set
of talks with the same mindset, the only item that will be guaranteed is a
continuation of the vicious cycle of threats and provocation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now
that North Korea has a nuclear weapon, as well as the ability to launch such
warheads globally coming in the near future, the US cannot afford to continue
to treat North Korea as a misbehaving child but instead must look upon them as
a viable threat. With that in mind, US diplomats need to recognize the fact
that the current diplomatic stance only makes Kim Jong Un feel more threatened than
reassured. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ready for Reform<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Were Kim Jong Un reassured, the
world might begin to see North Korea open up to more western thought and
technology. Kim Jong Un has discussed improving North Korea’s dying economy and
has hinted that the nation may move in the direction of reforms [however
slight]. This fact was evidenced by the recent visit of Google CEO Eric Schmidt
to Pyongyang, showing that Un may be ready to allow new development in North
Korea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However,
Charles Armstrong, Director of Korean Research at Columbia University, believes
that any hope of change will be stifled by the current US approach to North
Korean relations. “The dilemma, though, is that North Korea can only embark on
serious reform from a condition of what it considers absolute security,” Armstrong
notes in an op-ed for CNN. “Unfortunately, the quest for security and the
desire for economic improvement have been in contradiction for some time. A
genuine opening could unleash political and social changes...while the path of
security through nuclear deterrence and missiles have led time and again to
confrontation and renewed isolation.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The old
adage states “Do not attempt to reason with a fool. He will only drag you down
to his level and beat you over the head with his ignorance.” Call it
nationalistic, but North Korea has been foolhardy in its recent provocation of
the US. As history has shown, you cannot beat the ignorance of out of the
communist political system, but instead, you can speak a language that they do
understand: money. Only by providing
strong incentives instead of punishments, obtainable rewards instead of
sanctions, and deliberate reassurance instead of threats in kind, will the US
and the rest of the world slowly lure North Korea down the path of peace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sources:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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-Washington Post, April 18, 2013, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-hints-at-willingness-for-talks-despite-ongoing-rhetoric/2013/04/18/33628576-a800-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-hints-at-willingness-for-talks-despite-ongoing-rhetoric/2013/04/18/33628576-a800-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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-New York Times, April 18, 2013, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/world/asia/north-korea-tension.html?_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/world/asia/north-korea-tension.html?_r=0</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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-The Guardian, April 18, 2013, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/18/north-korea-conditions-us-talks">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/18/north-korea-conditions-us-talks</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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-Charles Armstrong, “Why Sticks don’t work with North Korea,”
January 25, 2013, <a href="http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/25/why-sticks-dont-work-with-north-korea/">http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/25/why-sticks-dont-work-with-north-korea/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-48844741795936241092013-04-28T01:00:00.000-04:002013-04-28T01:00:02.931-04:00Under Pressure...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Found this article online, and thought it was brilliant.<br />
<br />
Enjoy.<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
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By Noah Lotte<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the
politicians on Capitol Hill, I have yet another issue to bring to the table. I
realize that you are extremely busy debating immigration and soundly arguing
over gun control, however, recent events beg your attention elsewhere. To my
fellow Americans, I recognize that we all struggle to meet our mortgage
payments, much less figure out how much in taxes we actually do owe the
government, but the time has come for us to recognize the newest threat to our
liberties and freedoms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have
been deeply saddened the last week, praying for the families of those killed
and maimed by the dual explosions at the Boston Marathon. I dearly hope that this atrocity will never
be forgotten and shall never be repeated. We must do our utmost to prevent such
a bombing from ever occurring in the future. Examining the sequence of events
that brought about the attack, it is clear what course of action we must take.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the
sake of our liberties and our national security, I believe that legislation
must be passed to ban the use and sale of pressure cookers. It was these
everyday items that were used in the bombings, and had the terrorists been
unable to access the cookers, these attacks could have well been prevented. We must remove these tools of destruction from
our homes and from our society. There will always be groups opposed to such
legislation, but we cannot afford to let our political opinion stand in the way
of safety. At the very least, we must require extensive background checks for anyone
attempting to purchase a pressure cooker. Allowing a pressure cooker to fall
into the wrong hands will only have the same consequences as those in Boston. It
is our added civic duty to ensure that crazy aunt Matilda cannot unrestrictedly
use pressure cookers as well. Recognize
we have just as much a duty to protect that nation as the government.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In
addition to background checks, we must also work to limit the amount of
atmospheres pressure cookers can withstand. Currently, the average pressure
cooker allows the user to build the pressure up to dangerous levels, as
evidenced by the numerous pressure cooker accidents that have occurred in the
last decade. Were we to limit the amount of pressure per cooker, we will reduce
the potential devastation wreaked by accidental and purposeful explosions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My
fellow countrymen, if I were the president and I knew this legislation would
save one life, I would pass it. If I knew it would save a hundred lives, I
would pass it. But simply knowing the
enormous danger that the unregulated use and purchase of pressure cookers poses
to our society’s safety is enough. We
cannot afford to live in the past where these so-called “useful” items are
freely accessible to anyone—if we are unsafe now, we may never have a future. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Let us all put our signatures to
this legislation and with our pressure protect the nation for our children.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-2447626649301894672013-04-17T08:12:00.000-04:002013-04-17T08:12:22.795-04:00Wanted: Mars Settlers...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
How is that midlife crisis treating you? Highschoolers--tired of school? Well, the good news is that there might be a way to escape from it all. The bad news? It will take the rest of your life.<br />
Not-for-profit Netherlands organization, Mars One, sent out a casting call last Monday for any and all volunteers for a decades long trip to Mars. Participants will also star in the consequent reality tv show, "Stars on a Planet." Mars One is looking for truly anyone: no prior experience as an astronaut or a degree in science required. Simply make a video stating why you should be shipped to Mars, and send it in. Great stuff, right?<br />
As of so far, the organization has received over 10,000 entries, from out of which the board of directors hopes to select 24 lucky [or unlucky depending how you see it] individuals. Mars One hopes to launch the first crew of four by 2023, with subsequent launches of four man teams every two years after.<br />
Money could be a problem though. Sending stuff into space has never exactly been cheap, much less getting humanity to Mars. Director and co-founder Bas Landsorp says he hopes the $25 application fee will waive some of that cost, though he notes that there is still much more fundraising to do. The accounting department estimates that final costs will be upwards of $6 billion. [sounds great. I'll send in the billion I found in the gutter the other day.]<br />
Props to private organizations [SpaceOne included] for showing explorative initiative. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-22660733958400127222013-04-16T23:26:00.000-04:002014-02-26T00:47:24.361-05:00Finish...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jeremycwilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Run-Through.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://www.jeremycwilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Run-Through.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Physics tonight. And a poem.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Finish.</b></u><br />
What are you fleeing?<br />
Running as if the Devil was right behind.<br />
Kicking up little spurts of gravel,<br />
In the recess of your mind.<br />
<br />
Starburst, fireworks<br />
Your breath comes heavy and hot.<br />
Always looking for that finish tape<br />
But never able to stop.<br />
<br />
Going in circles<br />
I can't seem to keep a straight line.<br />
Running through the dark<br />
Chasing the setting sun.<br />
Twisting through the violent maze<br />
God, when can I be done?<br />
<br />
Colors burst, fireworks<br />
Dead ends again and again.<br />
The tar bubbles in the heat as I flee<br />
My feet are black with stain.<br />
<br />
Throw me down on the headshrink's couch<br />
Drug me out with gin.<br />
I'll still keep running, pounding on.<br />
Flying forward, but I'll never win.<br />
<br />
Blood burst, fireworks<br />
Voices tell me to carry on<br />
Gasping out my fleeting breath,<br />
God, let me see the dawn.<br />
<br />
Yes, to God I cry out my soul--<br />
How dare He answer me not.<br />
If He truly cared, loved at all,<br />
He'd grant me peace to stop.<br />
<br />
Rain burst, fireworks<br />
Washes away the blood from my eyes<br />
All this time, running the wrong way--<br />
"It is finished," the dying man sighs<br />
<br />
I take a step, and then I stop<br />
Hope pouring into my veins.<br />
Oh, this is peace, this is rest--<br />
Letting go in my last death strains.<br />
<br />
Lifeburst, fireworks<br />
In death there's life I've found.<br />
Not a grave but true paradise,<br />
Now unchains me from the ground.<br />
<br />
I began to walk, and then I run<br />
Not from a fear but joy.<br />
I've learned now its not a race<br />
Not to a point, but to a grace<br />
Not through a line, but through a grave<br />
Now all a celebration of joy.<br />
<br />
Starburst. Firework.<br />
Breathe in. Love. Breathe out.<br />
Sunrise, sunset--I see it all.<br />
Fear? Its what I live without.<br />
<br />
<i>[all the times you ran away, love pursued you even more]</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-60185025799025554502013-03-29T19:32:00.002-04:002014-02-26T00:48:07.868-05:00You say let it go...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://conniejoy.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/letting_go_by_itchitaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://conniejoy.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/letting_go_by_itchitaka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> "I'm sorry. How could you ever forgive me?"<br />
Its a phrase that is always hard to say to a friend, and even harder to hear from one. Its a statement of complete remorse that painfully stitches up the wounds of a wrong.<br />
Forgiveness.<br />
Its tough to ask for and sometimes an enormous challenge to give to someone. We often hold on so tightly to our grudges against our siblings, against the world, stewing in the anger or frustration that we believe to be so righteous.<br />
<br />
But let it go.<br />
<br />
Oftentimes we focus so much on Easter Sunday, but we sometimes fail to recognize the magnitude of what happened today almost 2,000 years ago. See, today was the day that Christ died, the day that His blood poured out of His body satisfying God's demand for a righteous sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The price of man's sin had to be paid--and that price was death.<br />
A death that Christ gave Himself to willingly.<br />
Because of that death, the cost of every sin of the world--past, present, future--was fully paid. The ledgers of debt were cleared, the negative balance was erased. And every sin--past, present, and future--was forgiven.<br />
This is a fact that we so often overlook--that everyone has been fully and completely forgiven. You don't have to belong to a megachurch; you don't have to sing in the choir; you don't have to be the perfect father, mother, or sibling; you don't have to have a clean record; you don't have to be straight.<br />
It has all been forgiven.<br />
When I step out my front door, I sometimes can't help but look at the world with a skeptical eye, writing it off in my mind as a total, decadent, twisted loss. I turn and look into the mirror of my circle of friends and family, and see us as so much better than the world, those very special few who have a message of righteousness and love to bestow to those we choose. But I forget that Christians all were forgiven just as much as the rest of the world. We've just chosen to recognize the fact. But the fact that we ignore was that Good Friday wasn't about creating elitists, but about destroying the barrier between us and God's love.<br />
When Christ walked the earth, He didn't selectively pick and choose the righteous rulers to become His comrades; He spent His time and ate His meals with fishermen, with tax collectors, with prostitutes. His love was for the scum of society, the people that the righteous looked upon with repugnance. And when He died, He forgave them all. Even against the soldiers who provided His cruel and painful death, He refused to hold a grudge.<i> "Father, forgive them."</i><br />
<br />
I firmly believe that you cannot be a Christian if you do not accept Christ's love for you. I firmly believe that you cannot be a Christian and refuse to share Christ's love for the entire world. Yes, God is just; consequences will come for where we all have abandoned Christ in our lives; but we get hung up on proclaiming God's great wrath and justice and forget to explain that every single one of us has been forgiven. We can't selectively choose to discriminate against people just because their sins stand out more or smell worse than the sins of the person next to them. We cannot shut the doors to the Church simply because someone has tried to find love in drugs, alcohol, pornography, or homosexuality.<br />
We so often urge unbelievers to not waste the gift of forgiveness that Christ's death provides, but I think it is often we who waste this gift by forgetting that <u>every</u> person is loved and is forgiven by Christ. We write the person off as a total loss, failing to see the forgiven soul under the sinful flesh.<br />
<br />
Friends, do not forget the reason for Christ's sacrifice.<br />
<br />
It is hard to forgive someone, yes. My brother? Its hard. Myself? Doubly hard. The world? The challenge of a lifetime.<br />
<br />
But it all has been forgiven by Christ. Shall we do the same?<br />
<br />
<i>[You say let it go]</i><br />
<br />
When you feel like you're damaged goods, broken by your past or by your life, remember: every fiber of your being is loved, and every wrong deed in your history was washed away by the crimson sacrifice of Christ today.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-83692219753212796702013-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:002013-02-28T07:00:11.089-05:00DEFCON 1: Teddy Bears<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSa3IOUVEH8dYAENqpVQPgM1K2emJTYh2JNeINX4gBx_3TePFbx" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSa3IOUVEH8dYAENqpVQPgM1K2emJTYh2JNeINX4gBx_3TePFbx" /></a> A military
court in Belarus has sentenced one of its border guards to two years in prison
for failing to protect the country from an invasion by foreign teddy bears last
July. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No guys,
it’s not April yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The invading teddies parachuted
into the capital city of Minsk and other outlying areas, carrying placards
protesting Belarusian human rights abuses. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
While initially a publicity
campaign carried out by a Swedish advertisement agency seeking to show
solidarity for pro-democracy groups, the stunt has morphed into an all-out
diplomatic war between Sweden and Belarus. In response to the plane drop,
Belarus withdrew its ambassador from Sweden, and president Alexander Lukashenko
issued a state memo declaring that any further “teddy-planes” would be shot
down.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And in the midst of all of this,
the border guard who failed to report the plane in a timely manner has become a
scapegoat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Not So Cuddly<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may ask
yourself, what kind of nation would so blatantly show hate for teddy bears?
Unfortunately for the teddies, Belarus is a prime suspect. For the last few
years, Belarus has been ranked by Amnesty International as one of the most
dangerous nations with respect to human rights. As the CIA World Factbook
notes, Belarus “while a republic in name is in fact an authoritarian
dictatorship” ruthlessly ruled by Alexander Lukashenko.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In recent years, the regime’s human rights
violations have steadily increased, from the unwarranted arrest of more than
600 political activists and presidential candidates at a rally to strict
sanctions against Jewish and LBGT communities. The US State Department
classifies Belarus as a rogue nation, detailing the government as “a brutal,
authoritarian dictatorship that blatantly ignores human rights and fundamental
freedoms.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Surprisingly, Belarus is often left
off the list as one of the most restrictive nations in the world. However,
these teddy bears may have just saved the day—bringing the plight of
Belarusians back into the spotlight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-57287735684412969912013-02-26T10:13:00.002-05:002013-02-26T10:13:46.738-05:00Dear Money...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZLZJJ1VnDNvR3Vq6U5f2CNTUGaMxOM9SontjgHnN-unwslx-O" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZLZJJ1VnDNvR3Vq6U5f2CNTUGaMxOM9SontjgHnN-unwslx-O" /></a></div>
Should the government spend more money to stimulate the economy? Should the government spend less and let the private sector be the stimulus? The debate in the US rages back and forth.<br />
<br />
And then I found this article. Its from my macroeconomic class [so it may refer to "last chapter"], but I think it provides some good points against increasing government spending.<br />
<br />
Feel free to debate it.<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<i>(from Gwartney & Stroup Macroeconomics 5th Edition)</i><div>
<i><br /></i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fiscal Policy </span></b></div>
<div>
<br /> What do we mean by the term fiscal? Merriam-Webster says that it comes from the Latin word fiscus, which means “basket” or “treasury.” It has come to mean anything pertaining to government financial matters. This can include government taxation, spending, and borrowing. All three of these areas of fiscal policy will affect the economy. Basically, changes in the government’s budget affect the overall economy. How so?<br /><br /> When the government spends more than it receives as revenue, there is a budget deficit. Assuming a constant money supply, the deficit is funded by borrowing. Typically, the US Treasury borrows by offering bonds.<br /><br /> When government revenues exceed government spending, there is a budget surplus. The surplus will reduce the government’s debt burden.<br /><br /> What causes the government’s budget to change? General changes in the economy affect both taxes and spending. Also, there may be intentional changes in government spending or taxation. This is called discretionary fiscal policy.<br /><br /> Last week we began our discussion of attempts to correct economic instability. This week our focus will be on attempts to use fiscal policy to affect the economy. You have already been introduced to Keynesian theory In general. Keynesian theory led the government away from the desire to balance the budget. Why would we want to balance the budget when we could simply change our spending habits to fix the economy?<br /><br /> The Keynesian view of fiscal policy is that the government can influence the economy by changing its budget. When we are in a recessionary period, a Keynesian would suggest that we should either increase government spending or reduce taxes. In other words, running deficits will help move us towards potential output and full employment. If inflation is becoming a problem, a Keynesian would suggest that reducing government spending or increasing taxes would put downward pressure on prices. So, running a surplus should help curb inflation.<br /><br /> If we have the tools to make it so, why isn’t our economic world perfect?<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Crowding Out: reality sets in and spoils our noble ambitions…</b><br /><br /> This sounds like a nice simple idea, but there is a significant problem associated with borrowing to finance a government deficit. Do you remember our discussion a couple of weeks ago about how resource markets are interrelated with the overall market for goods and services? Government borrowing affects the demand for loanable funds. When the government needs to borrow funds to cover a deficit, it increases the overall demand for loanable funds. Other things constant, this pushes the price of loanable funds (the interest rate) upward. The higher interest rates will dissuade private spending. This scenario is referred to as crowding out. Thus the increased borrowing of the government crowds out the private sector from borrowing and spending. This makes the deficit-running fiscal policy less effective.<br /><br /> There is even more to this situation. Remember that higher interest rates will draw interest from foreigners who want to invest in dollar-denominated financial assets, thus making the US dollar relatively more valuable (appreciating against other currencies) and leading to a decline in net exports. (It will be more expensive to purchase goods with dollars.) So, the crowding out effect pretty much wipes out the intended effect of the policy. Whew! And we just thought we could run a little deficit and fix the economy… Oh boy, what a mess we have gotten ourselves into!<br /> <br /><br /><b>But wait, it appears there may be even more going on…</b><br /><br /> What if people realize that someone is going to have to pay for that new government spending? After all, we are no dummies. The New Classical view of fiscal policy argues that people will anticipate having to pay more future taxes due to current government spending and borrowing. This awareness will cause them to save more and spend less. The reduction in spending caused by increased savings will offset the deficit’s affect on the interest rate as well. Thus, the fiscal policy is really of no use. </div>
<div>
<br /><br /><b>Even more discouraging news for those who would perfect the market via fiscal policy…</b><br /><br /> Do you remember how President G.W. Bush sent out checks to help stimulate the economy? Did you notice the time lag between reading about his intentions in the news and actually holding a check in your hand? That time lag is also a classic problem with discretionary fiscal policy. In fact, if it takes too long for a fiscal policy to actually be carried through, the result may be all wrong.<br /><br /> It should also be noted that there are some automatic fiscal stabilizers already in place. Unemployment compensation, corporate tax profit, and progressive income taxes work in opposition to the direction of the economy. When national output and income rise, unemployment compensation declines, corporate tax revenues increase and progressive tax revenues increases. On the other hand, when national output and income decline, unemployment compensation expenditures increase, corporate tax revenues decline and progressive tax revenues decline. So, these items tend to increase the budget deficit automatically during times of recessions and increase the surplus (or decrease the deficit) during expansions.<br /> <br /><br /><b>Could things get worse?</b><br /><br /> If you thought that you could fix the economy by implementing fiscal policies, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I must add this one last downside to the whole concept. I could sum it up in one word – politics. Politicians are motivated, as everyone else, by self-interest. For that reason, they will be much more likely to vote for expansionary policies than restrictionary policies. Politicians who vote for more spending are generally more popular than those who vote for restricting spending. This naturally makes deficit spending more likely, even when inflation is high.<br /> <br /><br /><b>Let’s sum it all up</b>.<br /><br />Here is the modern-day wisdom regarding fiscal policy:<br /><br />· Timing is difficult and critical.<br /><br />· Automatic stabilizers tend to move us towards potential output and full employment.<br /><br />· Fiscal policy is not really that productive.<br /><br />· All the demand-side policies we have discussed thus far will have differing results based upon all sorts of variables.<br /><br /><br /> So, as time has passed, the potency of fiscal policy has come into question. Please be sure to pause a moment to review actual government budget figures which are presented in Exhibit 8. You may continue the graph in your own mind to include the massive spending of the recent years and imagine what sort of long-term effects may emerge from the current administration’s policies.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-17766295295414395532013-01-25T12:05:00.000-05:002013-01-25T12:05:00.720-05:00Mali: A Defeat Waiting to Happen...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/2013/01/France-Mali-Fighting_Horo3-635x357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/2013/01/France-Mali-Fighting_Horo3-635x357.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>French soldiers prepare for a patrol in Mali (AP/Reuters)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4553241820540279" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The joke goes that if you Google “French Victories,” the search engine will snarkily ask you if you meant to search for “French Losses.” While this sort of comment rankles many French patriots (I'm part French myself), the truth is that ever since the 17th century, France’s track record of winning wars has been extremely poor. And once again, it appears that France has involved itself in a war that it simply cannot win, this time in the North African nation of Mali.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Into Mali</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On Wednesday, January 16, French soldiers launched an extensive air and ground campaign against Islamist rebels in Mali. </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Guardian</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reported on the 16th that France launched air strikes against Islamist camps and mobile forces in Mali, its former colony, to stop a rebel offensive and "safeguard" Mali's existence. Troops from Nigeria and other regional powers will join about 1,700 French troops involved in the operation, part of a contingent expected to reach 2,500 soldiers. President François Hollande said France intended to "destroy" the Islamists or take them captive if possible. </span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4553241820540279" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These Islamists are al-Qaeda linked fighters that took control of the northern deserts of Mali early last year. The militants are well armed and well trained: </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> notes that many are coming directly from the US conflicts in the Middle East. Determined to hold onto their gains in the country, the Islamists have warned that French troops will become bogged down for years.</span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4553241820540279" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The people of Mali are welcoming the French soldiers with open arms: the Islamists have imposed harsh Sharia law upon the region, cutting off hands and feet for minor crimes in addition to desecrating the sacred religious shrines in the fabled city of Timbuktu (yes, it does actually exist). The citizens have feared for their lives, worried of the potential damage the volatile terror groups might wreak. Mahamadou Abdoulaye, 35, a truck driver who fled from the northern Gao region of Mali into Niger, said the Islamists new recruits were both armed and inexperienced: a dangerous combination.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"We were all afraid. Many young fighters have enrolled with them recently. They are newly arrived, they cannot manage their weapons properly. There's fear on everybody's face,"</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nuclear Concerns</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unfortunately, there is more at stake here than meets the eye. Although Mali was originally a French colony, this invasion is not merely a “mother nation looking out for her children.” As Mark Tran of </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Guardian</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> notes, the West and Mali's neighbours fear that the Islamists, who took over northern Mali, an area the size of France of desert and rugged mountains, will use the country to destabilise the rest of west Africa, including neighbouring Niger, France's main source of uranium for its nuclear industry.If the Islamists gain complete control of Mali, turning the nation into a stronghold, the potential that terror groups such as al-Qaeda In the Maghreb (AQIM) will use the area as a base for launching international attacks is huge. The potential that AQIM will use the area as a foundation for a takeover of Niger’s vast supplies of uranium is even greater. As J.G. Gilmour explains, the AQIM has direct ties to the Nigerian terror group, Boko Haram. Both groups have sworn to “<i>expel all westerners in the Sahel and establish an Islamic theocracy with poor countries which have limited resources and weak military forces to react to their insurgency operations.</i>” The AQIM is hoping that terrorism activities will destabilize such countries by recruiting extremists to their networks and cells. Ultimately, this destabilization puts France’s almost unending supply of uranium at risk. This uranium, as activist Adam Cooper reports, is much of the reason for initiating this offensive in Mali.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Without an End</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If France has not learned from the US example in nations like Afghanistan or Iraq, then they will learn soon enough that fighting terror groups is utterly different from fighting a conventional war. As the US realized in Iraq, enemy soldiers may be anywhere, and they have no qualms about hiding among the civilian population. </span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4553241820540279" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">French Army chief Edouard Guillaud said France's air strikes, involving Rafale and Mirage jet fighters, were being hampered because militants were using the civilian population as a shield.</span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4553241820540279" style="font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"<i>We categorically refuse to make the civilian population take a risk. If in doubt, we will not shoot,"</i> he said. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This honor of the division between militant and civilian is the great weakness of Western nations attempting to eradicate a terror group from a region. Nations such as the US, Britain, and France come to the conflict with rules of war and the terrorists capitalize upon those restrictions. Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian acknowledges the difficulties facing France. "<i>It's tough. We were aware from the beginning it would be a very difficult operation.”</i></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br />
</i></span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Any five year old will tell you that it is almost impossible to play with someone who refuses to respect the rules of the game. If the experiences of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan are any indication, this holds true not only for Candyland as it does for war. France may maintain the moral high ground in this conflict, but will receive a defeat in return.</span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></b> <b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-78294339780983470832013-01-22T22:06:00.000-05:002014-02-26T00:48:07.871-05:00Grace...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/50334314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/50334314.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Physics tonight. And a poem.<br />
<br />
<b>Grace</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The drops spatter at the windowpane<br />
Nose to glass, I watch the rain.<br />
Water mixed with Autumn mold<br />
A world for me that's bitter and cold.<br />
<br />
A robin flits by, shaking its beak,<br />
Escaping the frost that has left it weak.<br />
A thought escapes as I dry my eyes,<br />
An added cloud in my misery gray skies.<br />
<br />
A wounded heart sits silently here.<br />
No answer to this soul's shouted prayer.<br />
Please; a way to run, to hide.<br />
I can't handle this grief, I tried.<br />
<br />
A bit of red in the now falling snow,<br />
This broken heart bleeds out below.<br />
A bit of coal amongst all the white,<br />
Mars the beauty in the fading light.<br />
<br />
The snow has stopped, and so have my tears.<br />
The cold remains, and so do my fears.<br />
Anger; tell me why did this happen?<br />
The argument circle I'm still trapped in.<br />
<br />
Tell me I'll be alright, that I'll be ok.<br />
No, leave me alone--keep your cliches.<br />
I can't do this myself--please let me be strong.<br />
Something make my life right, its now so wrong.<br />
<br />
The orange lines of sun split through the clouds<br />
Warm on my face, the sunset glow astounds.<br />
A ray pierces my heart, through the painful dark hue,<br />
And I hear a whisper, "I painted this all for you."<br />
<br />
[when I wiped the tears from your face / I called it all, Grace]<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-16737899939944681652013-01-16T08:45:00.001-05:002013-01-16T09:36:53.114-05:00Divorce Notice...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://localedgesmm.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/political-parties-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://localedgesmm.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/political-parties-2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
A friend sent this to me. Its snarky, but sometimes I think a bit of humor is needed in politics. A good idea? I'll leave that to you to decide.<br />
<div>
<i>(note: this is not my own work)</i><br />
_________________________<br />
<br />
<b>DIVORCE AGREEMENT</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters,et al: <br />
<br />
We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.<br />
<br />
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.<br />
<br />
Here is a our separation agreement:<br />
<br />
--Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.<br />
<div>
<br />
--We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them.<br />
--You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.</div>
<div>
--Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.<br />
--We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and the coal mines, and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.<br />
--You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.<br />
--We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street.<br />
--You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens.<br />
--We'll keep the Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks.<br />
--We'll keep Bill O'Reilly, and Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood . <br />
--You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.<br />
--You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.<br />
--We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt and Leaf you can find.<br />
--You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.<br />
<div>
--We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.<br />
--We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."<br />
--I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kumbaya" or "We Are the World".<br />
--We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.<br />
--Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
John J. Wall<br />
Law Student and an American<br />
<br />
P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin & Charlie Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & ( Hanoi ) Jane Fonda with you.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-48015782308937981442013-01-15T23:07:00.000-05:002014-02-26T00:48:07.863-05:00Rasa, Rasa...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Physics tonight. And a poem.<br />
<br />
<b>Rasa, Rasa</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
My heart beats,<br />
As a man, as a drum.<br />
Hear the lifeline of this earth<br />
Dominion and destruction<br />
<br />
Return to this paradise<br />
Respite of the fallen<br />
Roll the dice, pass the cup<br />
Revel in this pleasure den.<br />
<br />
If you fly higher<br />
You shall fall all the more<br />
Ten graves deeper down<br />
Looking only to travel lower.<br />
<br />
Fall away, call away<br />
What are you looking for?<br />
Famed in the darkness<br />
But starbright at the core.<br />
<br />
Raise up, rise up.<br />
Rasa, rasa, tabula rasa.<br />
Rewrite your story,<br />
Reclaim those you lost.<br />
<br />
A man once paid ransom for you,<br />
Heaven met Earth for your soul.<br />
Death brought life: Ni kumaliza<br />
Let your debt be paid in full.<br />
<br />
See your deeds, failures, your scars<br />
He sees them, knows where you've been<br />
Where you've lived up, down, tried to let go<br />
But calls you Saint, no more condemned.<br />
<br />
Child, child, child<br />
Why do you weep?<br />
When Hope seems gone,<br />
Joy destroyed,<br />
Love has left,<br />
Life at dead end.<br />
Remember: you're the one I chose to keep.<br />
<br />
[never stop living]</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-42802075969083566912012-12-27T12:08:00.000-05:002013-01-14T11:35:38.159-05:00Recap: 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrMNkUYV_UYqWhWSVgDreXVzEFIKyV1F-k6kREMA2iUtsIo79yTQj_yPA_Cue0BFyjvAJPEe9zIXlopwEkzHWO7qZ3qs1R2phl4WPUCqrbOwzFGuw-kzS-GtHh3if6mnMiyFJkFwiusVb/s1600/2012graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrMNkUYV_UYqWhWSVgDreXVzEFIKyV1F-k6kREMA2iUtsIo79yTQj_yPA_Cue0BFyjvAJPEe9zIXlopwEkzHWO7qZ3qs1R2phl4WPUCqrbOwzFGuw-kzS-GtHh3if6mnMiyFJkFwiusVb/s320/2012graphic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:185.5pt;
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<w:wrap type="square" anchorx="margin" anchory="margin"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Now is the time of year that any
self-respecting news organization publishes its "best news of the
year" in high style with flashy graphics and an upbeat soundtrack.
Unfortunately I neither have the time nor budget to produce a video for you,
however, I will do my best to replicate the other aspects.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I have
compiled this list from my own musings, as well as with input from other
reputable sources. I have tried my best to pick news events that happened on an
international scale and that had exterior ramifications for not just the nation
involved, but for the world on a larger scale.
This list is by no means extensive--many of you may feel that I
arbitrarily picked my subjects--but know that I gave it my best shot. Also, the
numbers are not a ranking scheme, but merely a way for me to stay organized;
all these events were equally important.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus,
without further ado: <b>the top 10 news
stories of 2012 </b>(if you want a soundtrack for this recap, have at it: <a href="http://grooveshark.com/playlist/News+Soundtrack/81128971" target="_blank"> Soundtrack for 2012</a>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">1. Egyptian Presidential Election & Constitution</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of all the
nations that rode the rollercoaster of emotions produced by last year's
"Arab Spring," Egypt has been one of the most driven to define its
own democracy. Enter Mohammed Morsi, a relatively unknown politician into the
elections held in June of 2012. Despite the political shenanigans of the ruling
Mubarak-era military junta, Morsi defeated the state-supported candidate and
became Egypt's newest democratically elected president. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Morsi,
the win was merely a jump out of the frying pan into the proverbial fire; the
time had come for Egypt to write its constitution and the military-dominated
Supreme Court was threatening to disband all legislative committees involved in
the creation. Morsi feared that the courts could have gone further, writes Noah
Feldman, a law professor at Harvard University who’s an expert on Islam. The
courts may have “declared the presidential election invalid as well, creating a
constitutional coup d’état against the president.” Morsi passed a referendum
placing himself above and beyond the current laws and jurisdiction of the
courts, promising to rescind his powers once a constitution was passed.
Extremely wary of such a dictatorial grasp at power, the constitutional
committees quickly drafted and approved a constitution on December 26th. The document is a rather shoddy protector of civil liberties in Egypt, but is a solid
step in the direction of full democracy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">2. Successful North Korean "Rocket" Launch<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAX9MyD1QNmseequKhi93dUi9_J5nF93yzjn_nUdHp3mfPau8QwfVetIZ8QiQr1qsuZlIKfUBKtuSYvR3_6m3KOIa6PtMBU0oHtHHSs0C685lODU7DzxfJwM-75LWtBqxjrw1SvKbPwc-/s1600/kalkorea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAX9MyD1QNmseequKhi93dUi9_J5nF93yzjn_nUdHp3mfPau8QwfVetIZ8QiQr1qsuZlIKfUBKtuSYvR3_6m3KOIa6PtMBU0oHtHHSs0C685lODU7DzxfJwM-75LWtBqxjrw1SvKbPwc-/s400/kalkorea.jpg" width="400" /></a> As a
government, North Korea has always been partial to dangerous pyrotechnic
displays, and the new ruler Kim Jong Un is no exception. Ever since the nation
completed its first nuclear warhead, the challenge for the Korea scientists has
been to find a vehicle that will deliver that warhead around the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On December
12, North Korea launched a rudimentary weather satellite into partial orbit
above the earth atop a Unha-3 rocket. The nation insists that the launch had
nothing to do with military objectives and was merely a scientific exposition.
However, weapons experts in South Korea, upon analyzing the debris left by the
rocket, stated that the launch was a test of North Korea's ballistic missile
vehicle. “They efficiently developed a three-stage long-range missile by using
their existing Rodong and Scud missile technology,” a senior military
intelligence official said Sunday, briefing reporters on the condition of
anonymity. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If armed,
this ballistic missile could at maximum reach any target within 6,000
kilometers of North Korea. However, before you worry, experts are unsure as to
Korea's ability to weaponize the missile. Analysts doubt that North Korea has
mastered the technology needed to make a nuclear bomb small enough to mount on
a missile. If they do manage to miniaturize their warhead, the furthest target Korea could possibly hit would be Sarah Palin's home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">3. Russian Presidential Election</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Vladimir
Putin has long been famed for his physique and feats of strength and valor.
This year, it appears that the Russian he-man has strong-armed his way back
into power as the president of Russia. After serving as the premier for his protégé
Dmitry Medvedev, Putin switched places in the last election, taking the
presidential title and choosing Medvedev as his premier. This is not the first
time Putin has been president either: he previously held the position from 2000
to 2008. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you
think something smells fishy, you are not alone. In the latest Russian
election, not only did Putin win, but all candidates from his party either
reclaimed seats or defeated opponents as well. This apparent election-rigging
caused numerous protests from citizens and complaints from international
watchdog groups. In response, the government has severely cracked down on
dissension and contact with foreigners.
Russia has been down this road before; lets hope they remember the
outcome in 1991.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">4. Aung San Suu Kyi Elected</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the CPI
(Corruption Perceptions Index) rankings for 2012, the nation of Myanmar
(previously known as Burma) ranked as the third most corrupt government in the
world. One woman however is attempting to change that statistic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aung San
Suu Kyi is the leader of the Burmese National League of Democracy (NLD), the
opposition party in Myanmar's parliament. The NLD has a 59% majority in
parliament for this session, for the first time in decades. Suu Kyi's election
was a landmark because of all of the NLD candidates elected, she has been the
most verbal, the most outspoken, and the most aggressive in pursuing sweeping
reforms to Myanmar's faulty government. In the last election that she
participated in, in 1990, she was placed under house arrest for twenty years,
becoming one of the world's most noted political prisoners. This political
prisoner however has now set out to change the system that imprisoned her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For all of
her work, Suu Kyi was this year's recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the
Congressional Medal of Honor. Not only has she called for reforms within her
own country, but also reforms around the world, making her a strong advocate on
the international stage. For her courage and fortitude, world leaders have
lauded her, including US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David
Cameron.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">5. Syrian Civil War</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkVPLXcf5_PV7fNtffFf_il7Pjgicip6fO7DhWm6UcbbX4-rUNpZwgSal-tNssPTNtr1tQqfi_uMfnsuUVYxxqfqED5ywrWCUEB9loYuIi4aSq7_NhNFYjnJ-YbdzlAuCd8LqEw21Ynlr/s1600/kalsyria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkVPLXcf5_PV7fNtffFf_il7Pjgicip6fO7DhWm6UcbbX4-rUNpZwgSal-tNssPTNtr1tQqfi_uMfnsuUVYxxqfqED5ywrWCUEB9loYuIi4aSq7_NhNFYjnJ-YbdzlAuCd8LqEw21Ynlr/s400/kalsyria.jpg" width="400" /></a> It
seems that there has been a news story from this conflict on the front page
every day. The Syrian civil war is a bitter battle that shows no signs of
coming to an end. What began as a mostly peaceful protest against
dictator-president Bashar al-Assad in hope of reform has become a fight to the
death between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian government with innocent
civilians caught in the crossfire. It is estimated that between 50,000 and
57,000 people have died in the fighting, with over 23,000 of those casualties
being non-combatants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The war has
spilled over into the nearby nation of Turkey on occasion as well, causing
Turkish casualties and international ire. However, Assad was already in the
proverbial international doghouse due to his regime's human rights violations.
From mass executions to rigged juries, Assad is accused of numerous crimes
against humanity. In a recent attempt to prevent further innocents being killed
en-masse, the United States has deployed Patriot missile batteries to the
Turkey-Syria border to deter Assad from firing his biological and chemical
weapons on the Syrian rebels. Policy officials at the Heritage Institute note
that Assad realizes that he is losing his grasp on his power. Assad recognizes
the fact that it is only a matter of time before his end--and he will make sure
to cause as much damage possible in his death-throes. As one man once put it,
"<i>Some men just want to watch the
world burn</i>."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">6. Chinese Presidential Selection</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of all of
the transfers of power staged this year, the Chinese presidential selection
promises to hold the most implications for the rest of the world. This year the
elite political body that forms the core of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
was reshuffled. The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), as this body is known
was announced to the world with new faces and a new organization. The number of
seats on the PSC shrank from nine members to seven and included the names at
the top of many speculative lists: Xi Jinping (President), Li Keqiang
(Premier), Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang
Gaoli.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cheng Li of
the Brookings Institute says that these choices do not bode well for those who
were hoping to see some political reform in China. "This Party congress
has sent a very clear signal that this leadership is politically
conservative." While in America, conservatives are considered the best
choice for achieving political reform, in China, the selection of conservatives
signals a maintenance of the dictatorial power exercised by the state so far,
Li believes. However, Noah Feldman, a constitutional law professor at Harvard,
thinks that the streamlining of the PSC and the overall willingness to change
leadership shows promise for reform: "China isn’t on the royal road to
democracy or to capitalism without major state direction. But in 2012 it reaped
the benefits of its historic move away from dictatorship -- and in historical
and comparative terms, that’s impressive enough."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like any
election, we will just have to wait to see how things pan out for the governing
body of China. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">7. Israel-Gaza Conflict </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4p4LxHS8rlMNwYCJREEbqCjeBZZ3-NQlYtV76Vw3DG8RtGsGfyP0rrNH91Myfsddb6WDiIP2ML_iwPW5_iStZ9ewoUBcueHYqaUqn0LJ78pHjUHOM1oTk0WgTH9TelS1c3r9TQ42ECBD/s1600/kalisrael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4p4LxHS8rlMNwYCJREEbqCjeBZZ3-NQlYtV76Vw3DG8RtGsGfyP0rrNH91Myfsddb6WDiIP2ML_iwPW5_iStZ9ewoUBcueHYqaUqn0LJ78pHjUHOM1oTk0WgTH9TelS1c3r9TQ42ECBD/s400/kalisrael.jpg" width="400" /></a> You might
ask, what else is new? After all, it seems that the Israeli-Gazan fighting is
always on the front page and is always considered a momentous event. Well, I'll
admit that you are correct. However, I think that this issue deserves some
attention, especially because of some of the new developments in that arena. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In August,
a rash of rocket attacks by Hamas fighters spurred retaliatory attacks by the
Israeli SDF; Israeli airstrikes, missiles, and artillery quickly struck back at
the rocket launch sites. These airstrikes spurred only more rocket attacks by
Hamas, and both sides found themselves in a tit-for-tat fight with the innocent
populace caught and killed in between.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
military tensions were only worsened when the UN granted Palestine observership
status within the council, lending legitimacy to Palestine's cause. To make
matters worse, new evidence surfaced that Yasser Arafat, beloved leader of the
PLO, may have been assassinated by Israeli agents. Only causing more anger by
Gazans was Israel's decision to continue the expansion of its Jerusalem
settlements, encroaching on the border that Palestine claims.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A ceasefire
was finally reached in late November, but not before hundreds had died. This is
one conflict where both sides seem to repeat their mistakes, and with great
vigor. The old adage says that nothing new happens in the world--it is merely
history repeating itself. The Israel-Gaza conflict proves that point perfectly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">8. EU Financial Crisis & Bailouts</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the 2008
foreign film <i>Slumdog Millionaire</i>, one
of the characters makes a rather astute judgment: "There are two reasons
to make mistakes in this life: money and women." While promiscuity may not
be a problem, money has certainly caused its share of troubles for the European
Union and its Euro this year. The European financial problems of last year
became the European financial crisis of this year, with several nations almost
declaring complete bankruptcy. Greece, on the verge of financial collapse, even
attempted to leave the failing organization in the hope that as a nation it
could define its own economic freedom. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Realizing
the imminent threat of complete EU collapse brought about by not only Greece's
wage woes, but also the troubles of Spain and Italy as well, German chancellor
Angela Merkel quickly put together a bailout package. The Eurozone countries
approved a 237-billion-euro rescue package for Greece, as well as for Spain and
Italy. Economic officials at Bloomberg believe that while the bailouts did
afford some slight benefit, the danger of defaulting on the debt still looms. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a
interestingly related note, when the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) was
published for 2012, the nations who received bailouts were found to have ranked
5 or 6 places lower than previously (indicating more corruption). Apparently
money, as well as power, corrupts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">9. Attack on US Embassy in Benghazi</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The attack
on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya that left 5 Americans dead, including
ambassador J. Christopher Stevens has been called many things: a terrorist
attack, a freak explosion of violence, a retaliation for the infamous anti-Muslim
video published in the US. Finally however, we have answers: an independent
inquiry as well as a congressional committee have both come to the conclusion
that the attack was premeditated and carried out as a terrorist strike. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the New
York Times reports, the independent report slams the “systemic failures and
leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels” in the State
Department’s bureaus of diplomatic security and Near East affairs that resulted
in a “security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate
to deal with the attack that took place.” Problems with security, intelligence,
and grasp of the situation plagued the Obama administration both during and
after the attack. However, it seems that the administration is responding
appropriately now. The Times goes on to note that "Mrs. Clinton accepted
all of the panel’s 29 recommendations and has already begun to make
changes."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As to the
mastermind behind the attack, FBI and CIA agents have questioned a suspect who
was detained in Turkey, then extradited to Tunisia. Authorities have stated
that Ali Harzi, a Tunisian, is "strongly suspected in the attack." It
seems that finally answers are forthcoming in this deadly situation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Syncopate; mso-bidi-font-family: Syncopate; mso-fareast-font-family: Syncopate;">10. 2012 London Olympics</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMlUgaSl_Q0EcAXPpbKhbPAtRvvPmdilVpwj0MQxIgHKpxNu4fXnnqcctWUqmGpBjAAhSzKKpovEsAtE81X9GS0DHGyHlwZCtbt28YQKaPwVRWCxsccMJwso7z2v_DbXGjgO4cL_-Jbdi/s1600/london2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMlUgaSl_Q0EcAXPpbKhbPAtRvvPmdilVpwj0MQxIgHKpxNu4fXnnqcctWUqmGpBjAAhSzKKpovEsAtE81X9GS0DHGyHlwZCtbt28YQKaPwVRWCxsccMJwso7z2v_DbXGjgO4cL_-Jbdi/s400/london2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
excitement and expectation began to build long before the first athletes moved
into the Olympic village in July. On 18 May the Olympic Flame set down on
British soil, beginning the torch relay that swept around the country and
allowed everyone the opportunity to share in the occasion. Eight thousand
inspiring individuals took part, from sporting legends such as Dame Kelly
Holmes and fellow Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave to those nominated for their work
in the local community.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Athletes
from 204 National Olympic Committees rose to walls and waves of sound as
unprecedented levels of support inspired outstanding performances and records tumbled.
On the track, Usain Bolt’s double triple (100m, 200m and 4x100 relay gold for
the second time) brought cheers not only in the stadium, but also from his home
nation of Jamaica.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the
pool, Michael Phelps graciously rose from Olympic waters for the last time,
taking an incredible 22 medal haul with him – 18 of them gold. And in the
velodrome Sir Chris Hoy won his sixth gold medal to become the most decorated
British Olympian of all time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
positive repercussions from hosting the Games will be felt across the UK’s
capital for decades to come, thanks to the regeneration of the area and the legacy
created by the state of the art stadiums and facilities such as the Velodrome
and the Aquatics Centre. London 2012 was an Olympic Games that pervaded the
boundaries of sport the world over, and is one that will not be quickly
forgotten.<br />
________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2012 has been
an eventful year. We have lived, cried, laughed, mourned, celebrated, and
remembered. Like any year, we won't get to live it again, but don't regret it
in any way. There is no sense in saying "what if...;" just accept and
live with what was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-50548222023575280232012-12-15T10:56:00.000-05:002013-01-16T12:32:07.086-05:00We Grieve...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://abcnewsradioonline.com/storage/news-images/121412_NewtownShooting4.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1355524597251" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://abcnewsradioonline.com/storage/news-images/121412_NewtownShooting4.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1355524597251" width="320" /></a> Yesterday, twenty children died. Twenty kids who hadn't even graduated from elementary school, twenty kids who were loved dearly by their families and community, twenty kids who just the day before ran and played without a care in the world, gunned down where they stood.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, six adults died. Six mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends; six adults who devoted their lives to teaching and mentoring the future who will never see their work come to fruition; six people who gave all they had for the children they taught.<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
We ask how this could have happened. Of all the towns in America Newtown, Connecticut is one of the least touched by crime and poverty, yet is now the site of the worst school shooting in our nation's history. "How is this possible?" we wonder. Of course it was the shooter's fault--Adam Lanza is responsible for every life that passed before his bullets; but we almost want to place the blame elsewhere as well--after all, Americans are normal, stable people. Surely Adam is not solely to blame for this tragedy. It was the legislators who have not passed strict gun laws. It was the US healthcare system for not providing affordable mental counseling. It was Adam's own parents that failed to raise him correctly.</div>
<br />
But why do we need to blame anyone else? This shooting has brought grief to every one of our hearts--why stir up more angst and frustration? For those of you who think this is political fodder, please cease. This is not a "prime piece of evidence for gun control." This is not the platform for more political pontification on our health system. This is where twenty-six innocent souls died. This is where mothers and fathers will never see their children again in this life. This is where children's blood stained the pavement.<br />
Do not be afraid to mourn those lost.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I lived life as normal. I spent time with friends; I went and saw a movie; I celebrated this Christmas season with my family. Am I cold? Am I insensitive to the fact that for twenty-six families, Christmas will now be a funeral? Should I have stopped my life because lives ended yesterday? I mourn those killed; I grieve for the families and pray for their loss, however, America, do not be afraid to carry on. Grieve in your hearts but show strength in your actions. If we cease to continue, when shall we begin again? Dedicate the quiet parts of your life to remembering these children and teachers, but do not be afraid to proceed with life. Courage is rising the the challenge and meeting adversity. Let us meet this adversity with resolve.<br />
We will remember these dead for decades to come.<br />
<br />
For the families of this tragedy, and all whose hearts were wrenched by this horror--look for hope. Look for peace. Look for joy.<br />
Look for Christ.<br />
I don't know why the shooting happened. I don't know how it fits into God's plan. Nay, I do not claim to have the answers. Remember this though: what Christ has to offer is far greater than what you are feeling now. We cannot bring them back...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A-H-jdXCAAAivA4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">One of the children wrote this note for his mother the day before dying in the shooting.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...but we can find peace in the arms of Christ.<br />
<br />
<i>"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
This sounds like a cliche answer, but it is a true answer. Christ grieves with you over your children. He loved your children. He loved every laugh and smile that came from their lips; He loved every time their eyes lit up with joy.<br />
America, find commiseration in Christ. He grieves with us today.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-39074297754867586532012-11-19T16:11:00.000-05:002012-11-27T15:52:26.512-05:00Yasser Arafat: A Grave Matter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.lookoom.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/picture-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="http://blog.lookoom.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/picture-6.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Former PLO & PA leader, Yasser Arafat (AP)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> The old adage says that dead men tell no tales, however,
thanks to modern science and medicine, corpses now can tell their stories. This
ability is extremely useful as you may imagine, especially if these corpses
happen to be infamous deceased world leaders who suffered, shall we say,
controversial deaths.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such is the
case with the former leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO),
Yasser Arafat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before you
start worrying that some terrorist has resurrected Arafat to lead an army to
destroy the world, let me clarify that thankfully that has not happened.
Instead, a joint team of Swede, French, Palestinian, Swiss, and Russian
scientists are excavating Arafat’s tomb in order to exhume his body to
determine whether the former premier was assassinated. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Just a Trace</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year,<i>
</i>news organization <i>Al-Jazeera</i> published a documentary in which Swiss
experts declared that high levels of the radioactive substance polonium-210 had
been found on Arafat’s clothing and personal belongings in his home. Polonium-210
is not only one of earth’s rarest elements but also one of the most lethal. Ingesting
less than 1 gram (0.04 ounces) of the silver powder can kill a healthy adult in
a matter of a week. Polonium first made headlines in 2006 when it was used
to kill KGB agent-turned-Kremlin critic Alexander
Litvinenko in London. Once again,
the element is suspected as the poison of choice in Arafat’s 2004 death.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>CNN</i>
interviewed Francois Bochud, director of
the Institut de Radiophysique in Lausanne, Switzerland. Bochud said his
researchers had tested Arafat's toothbrush, clothing and keffiyeh, the
distinctive black-and-white headscarf he often wore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A body fluid stain from the
clothing contained 180 megabecquerels per liter of the radioactive isotope,
while a typical sample would contain 5 megabecquerels per liter, Bochud said. (A
becquerel is a unit of measurement of radioactivity for all of you non-geeks
out there.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Assassination? Maybe.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>The close friends and family of Arafat have long
declared that his death was the result of an assassination by the Israeli
secret service. Just prior to his death, Arafat claimed repeatedly that Israeli
special forces were attempting to kill him. Many ignored his claims as the
paranoid accusations of a 75 year-old man against a government that had long
frustrated his hopes of seeing Israel and Palestine united again. However, the
discovery of the presence of polonium-210 has changed the entire situation
surrounding his death, lending credence to the claims of assassination. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One note must be made though—until the full exhumation
and toxicology report is published, no fingers can or should be pointed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Severe Ramifications<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Extreme care must be taken on both sides of the
Israel-Palestine conflict with regards to the results of this exhumation. In
addition to the already tense relations over the incessant rocket attacks from
the Gaza Strip on Israeli urban centers, and the retaliatory airstrikes made by
the Israeli Air Force upon the Hamas/Hezbollah rocketeers, the discovery that
Israel assassinated the Palestinian’s beloved leader could force the area into
a direct and bloody conflict. As scholar
Michael Fisbach notes “To the end of his life, Arafat remained a polarizing
figure. To most Palestinians, he remained the almost mythical symbol of
their drive for independence and dignity, who pulled together a dispersed and
downtrodden people, turned them into a movement, and led them to the doorway of
independence.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The PLO is seeking to cross that threshold of
independence that Arafat led them to, as evidenced by the recent bid for UN
recognition and membership. The organization is fiercely determined to achieve
acceptance upon the world stage, and to find that Arafat was assassinated would
make the PLO all the more determined to fulfill that dream. Arafat longed to
see a free Palestine and his legacy still lives on. If he was truly a martyr
for the cause, then the cause will be seen as all the more legitimate: a
dangerous place for both Israel and the entire Middle East to be in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In life, Arafat was, as Fisbach said, a polarizing
figure. He was labeled often as a terrorist, yet was a recipient of the
distinguished Nobel Peace prize for his efforts. In life, he wished to be able to tell the story
of Israeli-Palestinian peace, but now in death his remains may only begin yet
another tale of violence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-82203969539492041772012-11-02T11:27:00.000-04:002012-11-12T11:29:20.168-05:00Your vote doesn't count...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Admin/BkFill/Default_image_group/2011/12/4/1322994622944/Elderly-Russian-women-cas-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Admin/BkFill/Default_image_group/2011/12/4/1322994622944/Elderly-Russian-women-cas-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Russian women vote during the recent gubernatorial<br />
elections (Guardian UK)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The political climate in Russia right now is colder than the Siberian wastelands in the dead of winter. For the first time in nine years, the Kremlin has allowed Russian districts to hold gubernatorial elections. Nine years is a long time for voters to wait to have their say, especially when the governing authorities strictly discourage other forms of political activism and protest (see the October 17<sup>th</sup> arrest of opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov). Despite the recent elections however, most voters will once again leave the polls feeling cheated and disregarded. Yulia Boronenko is the political strategist for one of the only opposition candidates to be allowed onto the ballot. She sums up her view simply: “This is Russia. Forget independence. There is no independence here.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Boronenko’s opinion is not unfounded though; throughout the campaign process, she has seen the heavy hand of the Kremlin ensuring the victory of each candidate belonging to the Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party. It is no coincidence that each candidate belonging to Putin’s political camp defeated all comers; it was instead a carefully planned and manipulated contest.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The “Tactical Sketch of the Campaign”<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> On October 4, ten days before the polls opened, a 43-page document was leaked onto a Russian social blogging site called “The Smart People’s Forum.” Allegedly the campaign strategy for all incumbent governors (who belong to Putin’s United Russia Party), the remarkable document details the sort of insider manipulation that Russians fear is at the core of their political system. The most revealing section of the document was titled “Tactical Sketch of the Campaign,” and closely explained how opposing candidates would be handled. “The optimal number of candidates,” the section begins, would only allow two other parties onto the ballot — a “nationalist” from the Liberal Democratic Party, and what the strategy calls a “spoiler” from Patriots of Russia, a tiny party with no seats in either the federal or the regional parliaments. “Consultations with these parties have been carried out as to their possible candidates; the presumptive candidates are controllable,” the document states. “The main instrument for ensuring the necessary results for candidate _________ is to create a group of controllable candidate-opponents with the use of the ‘municipal filter.’”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> What is the “municipal filter?” To put it simply, the incumbent governor is the filter. Through a series of proclamations and acts passed by Putin in the last decade, the incumbent candidate now has the power to decide who may oppose him at the polls. This power to control the political arena virtually guarantees victory for the incumbent, despite any unpopularity. The uncompetitive situation resulted in a dismal voter turnout in the district of Novgorod—a measly 36%--because without a strong alternative, the citizens simply see no point in voting. Alexander Zhukovsky, adviser to the governor, said this hurts the entire political system. “That is really going to hurt legitimacy,” he told a reporter for Time Magazine “For the next five years we’re going to have to deal with people claiming that the czar is a fraud.” When asked whom she would vote for, Nina Mikhailova, an elderly <i>babushka</i> of the same district, bewilderedly responded, “I guess I’ll vote for Mitin.... Why? I don’t know. Who else is there?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> What is even more interesting to note is that most voters never even saw nor heard about the 43-page insider document. Nikolai Petrov, an expert on regional elections at the Carnegie Center in Moscow said that he had never seen a government leak this revealing. “Sometimes you see a couple of pages, some specific tactics, but nothing like this,” he said. Yet not one of the local television stations or newspapers reported the findings; the government almost entirely controls all of the public media. Even private websites that published the document were subject to less subtle censorship. The forum the document was originally posted on was so heavily hacked, the moderators were forced to shut the site down for several days. The forum’s administrator, Vasily Nikitenko was repeatedly approached with sums of money to take the document down. ““When I told them to [buzz] off, the attacks peaked,” he told a reporter. “We’re just hoping it will stop after the elections.”<o:p></o:p></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rt.com/files/news/election-day-russia-governors-389/drone-election-protesting-rigging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://rt.com/files/news/election-day-russia-governors-389/drone-election-protesting-rigging.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Russians in Moscow protest the apparent rigging of the<br />
elections (RT/AP)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Putin’s Game<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> It would be unfair (and unfounded) to say that these dominated elections only mark the beginning of a new Soviet dictatorship. Throughout the elections (as far as has been discovered), Putin and his political party played by the rules—not one law was broken. Despite the obvious disadvantage new candidates have in the Russian political system, the campaign manipulation remained legal. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that Putin is still a power-hungry leader. His political career of being Prime Minister of Russia and raising up his protégé Medvedev, then becoming the Russian president and placing Medvedev into the seat of prime minister, and now finally returning to his place of power as prime minister, only points to Putin’s unwillingness to release his grip on Russia’s reins. It is important to remember that while Putin may not be a Nikita Khrushchev, he nonetheless was mentored in the halls of the KGB and schooled by the communist <i>apparatchiks</i> of the Cold War. I am not one to jump to conclusions (and neither is “conclusion-jumping” necessary), but the United States needs to watch these new developments in Russia closely. Russia has steadily grown increasingly more benevolent to Iran’s Ahmadinejad, to the point of directly vetoing restrictive measures to Iran’s nuclear program in the United Nations Council. Russia has begun to pull away from it’s relationship with the United States. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the latest development is a huge step backwards in US/Russia relations. “Last week, the Russian government unilaterally pulled out of a two-decade old partnership with the U.S. to safeguard nuclear and chemical weapons. This... follows Moscow's decision last month to close the U.S. Agency for International Development mission to Russia. Meanwhile, Russia continues to obstruct international action to end the Syria crisis. Moscow has vetoed three U.N. resolutions on Syria while arming a Damascus regime that has killed 30,000 in 19 months.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Things are quickly coming to a head between the United States and Russia. Since the Russian elections refused any possibility of reforming our relationship, the outcome of the American elections might just be the deciding factor.<o:p></o:p></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-55776937367763844292012-10-03T17:58:00.000-04:002012-10-03T17:58:04.873-04:00Debate for the White House #1...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tonight promises to be interesting. At 9pm, we will find out if both candidates can manage to avoid gaffes, stay cool, and still zing those one-liners at each other and the audience. Although Romney and Obama have distinctly different speaking styles, they both are seasoned and well-grounded speakers. This debate is the culmination of weeks of preparation. To prepare for the debates, both candidates have used sparring partners: Romney has practiced with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman; and Obama has prepared with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.<br />
On a side note, both candidates also have distinctive traits that appear when they are flustered. Here's what to watch for:<br />
<b>--Obama: </b>Tends to begin to drone on about a topic. He used to be a lecturer for law students, and he is most comfortable with that type of delivery; a monotone speech littered with vocabulary beyond the average person's.<br />
<b>--Romney: </b>Becomes excited and uses his hand gestures without purpose. Romney tends to be a slightly more dynamic, excitable speaker, and the excitement grows as he becomes flustered.<br />
<br />
Want to watch the debate? Starting at 9pm Eastern, the debate will be streaming live below.<br />
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<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="500" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z4Nkw4nqigU" width="700"></iframe><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-32886655734454053992012-09-11T10:03:00.000-04:002014-02-26T00:48:07.860-05:00In Memoriam...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQcysn9ZkPGo2j-X8NkclKHz2uQNNYmv67gpY9yfKVrkCLTKm4NpcIALKCn_UDDF7GSW-7HcthVcUGYfylNh8dUEwbrt6IouJAznI_JZ5PLqIpn-hk8fSFimm0yCUs0QqA6a9owiRH1A/s1600/911neverforget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQcysn9ZkPGo2j-X8NkclKHz2uQNNYmv67gpY9yfKVrkCLTKm4NpcIALKCn_UDDF7GSW-7HcthVcUGYfylNh8dUEwbrt6IouJAznI_JZ5PLqIpn-hk8fSFimm0yCUs0QqA6a9owiRH1A/s320/911neverforget.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Eleven years ago, I was six. I remember seeing passenger jets with terrorists at the controls and innocent civilians huddled in the seats slam into the sides of World Trade Centers One and Two. I remember watching the graceful glass and steel crumble into concrete and ash around the impact as the fireball enveloped the upper floors. I remember stoically watching the faces of panicked pedestrians and newsmen blurting out the story before the debris of Tower One filled the streets as the building fell. Seeing the tower crumple in on itself like a card house, floor falling through floor, and hearing the announcer exclaiming "Oh my God! Oh my God!" I finally grasped what had happened, and realized that nothing was going to be the same.<br />
<br />
I continued to watch, eyes glued to the screen, as survivors who escaped the building told stories of the bloody chaos and destruction on every floor of the Towers. The anguished voices of wives and mothers filled the newscast, calling the station to ask about the welfare of their loved one, And above all of the mayhem, reports began to stream in that another plane with hundreds of husbands, wives, sisters, and brothers had slammed into the western side of the Pentagon. The images of firemen at both sites carrying away the wounded and dead are pictures that I, nor America, can ever forget. I knew I was safe in my small-town Virginia house, but the terror of the moment touched me as well, as it did Americans all across the nation.<br />
<br />
We did not know anyone at the Towers or the Pentagon, but their pain and fear became our pain and fear. We did not know the people courageous enough to drag coworkers out of the inferno or attack terrorists in the cockpits, but those people became our heroes too. We rose up as Americans and vowed to endure, to rebuild, and to never forget. Though the road of rebuilding has led us through two bloody and stigmatized wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have never stopped devoting ourselves to the idea that never again will <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3,000 Americans perish in an attack on their homeland. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave, but only because those who died fighting for freedom were brave enough to remind us how precious our liberty is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Many have asked, where was God at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, or on Flight 93? I will tell you that He was right there with every person who perished, His heart broken that so many of His children died in the space of five hours. Why did He allow 9/11? I must say that we cannot know for sure; as Isaiah the Prophet explains this in Isaiah 40:13, "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?" However, understand this, that the Lord's plan, while it may look destructive, is more beautiful than we could ever foresee.We cannot see the pattern of the tapestry God is weaving. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are on the other side of the loom looking at knotted threads placed seemingly without purpose. Occasionally we can catch a glimpse of the design,but then as soon as we think we have it pegged, a new thread or knot is placed that changes everything. Only when we meet God face to face in Heaven will we see his master plan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Until we see this master plan however, know that there is a greater hand at work in the world than terrorist masterminds. Today is a day to never forget the patriots who died on 9/11, but also a day to never forget that there is more to the world than flesh, blood, and concrete. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
<i>To those who saw the fire,</i><br />
<i>To those who felt the pain,</i><br />
<i>To those who were under rubble,</i><br />
<i>The places where loved ones were lain.</i><br />
<i>Your courage to face what had crumbled,</i><br />
<i>With patriotism, you took a stand;</i><br />
<i>Though through your hearts destruction rumbled,</i><br />
<i>And felt the evil planned.</i><br />
<i>Your sacrifices we shall never forget,</i><br />
<i>In the shadow of the Towers.</i><br />
<i>With tears on cheeks, but faces set,</i><br />
<i>You showed the world that Courage and Love still hold power.</i><br />
<br />
<b>911--never forget</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-17247278079908493872012-09-05T10:39:00.000-04:002012-09-05T10:39:57.787-04:00Debt Forgiving Debt...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gdb.voanews.eu/426E98FA-A1FC-4519-A073-F644F9362C6B_w640_r1_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://gdb.voanews.eu/426E98FA-A1FC-4519-A073-F644F9362C6B_w640_r1_s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">An Egyptian woman adjusts her veil in front of a poster<br />outside an exchange office. (VOA)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This past week, the United States grew close to finalizing a
deal with Egypt’s new Muslim Brotherhood government and president, Mohamed
Morsi, to help Egypt cut $1 billion from its national debt. Aside from the
irony of one of the most debt-laden countries helping another nation pay off
its own debt, the diplomatic move for the United States promises numerous
benefits. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As the new Egyptian political
system stabilizes, the Muslim Brotherhood ruling party has set its eyes on
dramatically reducing the amount Egypt owes to foreign nations. This past
month, President Morsi set off on a whirlwind tour of the world, not only
re-establishing diplomatic relations with China, Syria, Russia, and the EU, but
also requesting funds to help re-establish democratic relations within Egypt.
Overall, Mr. Morsi’s requests have been successful with China pledging $270
million, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) throwing its support behind a
$4.8 billion loan, and over $375 million invested by American financiers (in
addition to the $1 billion provided by the American government). However,
numerous Congressmen and taxpayers are wondering one thing: where does the
money that President Obama pledged Egypt come from?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where is the money coming from?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The official
explanation from Patrick Ventrell, the State Department’s acting deputy
spokesman is that the $1 billion is not “new money.” And surprisingly, for
once, the government seems to be correct. Like clockwork, the United States has
given over $1.2 billion per year in military aid for the past few decades.
Throughout the years, the account books have fluctuated back and forth until
Egypt came out in the red—owing the US over $3 billion. Essentially, the money
that the Obama administration is giving/forgiving out of the Egyptian debt is
the money that would have gone to Hosni Mubarak for military support. In other
words, the United States regularly gives Egypt $1 billion per year, so this
deal is nothing new. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Except for the fact that the U.S.
has already given Egypt millions this year. According to the 2012
Appropriations act signed by Obama in December 2011, the U.S. would only give
to Egypt if the government was "supporting the transition to civilian
government, including holding free and fair elections; implementing policies to
protect freedom of expression, association and religion and due process of
law." However, the act allowed the Secretary of State to waive that
requirement, which Hillary Clinton did in March, increasing the amount donated
to over $1.7 million per month given to Egypt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The reason for the charity.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>As
usual, there is a method behind the madness. Maintaining a strong U.S. presence
within Egypt, either militarily or monetarily, is key to preserving Middle-East
accessibility and Egypt-Israel solidarity, notes Patrick Ventrell. As the New
York Times reports, given Egypt’s influence in the Arab world, officials said,
its economic recovery and political stability could have a profound influence
on other nations in transition and ease wariness in Israel about the tumultuous
political changes under way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is an economic fundamental that nothing is free—you
always have to give to get. In this case, the U.S. is trading money for
security. One question remains unanswered and unasked however: do we even have
the money to spend?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
_________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sources:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-04/u-dot-s-dot-1-billion-debt-relief-plan-for-egypt-not-new-funds">http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-04/u-dot-s-dot-1-billion-debt-relief-plan-for-egypt-not-new-funds</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/middleeast/us-prepares-economic-aid-to-bolster-democracy-in-egypt.html?pagewanted=all">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/middleeast/us-prepares-economic-aid-to-bolster-democracy-in-egypt.html?pagewanted=all</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypt-and-us-near-deal-on-debt-relief/2012/09/03/87b40dd8-f613-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_story.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypt-and-us-near-deal-on-debt-relief/2012/09/03/87b40dd8-f613-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_story.html</a>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-13316458416901343792012-04-06T10:38:00.001-04:002012-04-06T10:38:02.631-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiWI1oOmBI9oUF8rGVwBuyPSmd-tQJery-jDniGdRV2xfh4pxlhOQRJyyIFzx6UQTvKuyNlKY8YwSXLBxZd_QQ2hst5_3CZGmZXl5at2G8zHXkNtbdcsb4MM4khoTA3xC0YaYqU9u0ap4/s1600/sbr040612dAPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiWI1oOmBI9oUF8rGVwBuyPSmd-tQJery-jDniGdRV2xfh4pxlhOQRJyyIFzx6UQTvKuyNlKY8YwSXLBxZd_QQ2hst5_3CZGmZXl5at2G8zHXkNtbdcsb4MM4khoTA3xC0YaYqU9u0ap4/s1600/sbr040612dAPR.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thank God that Christ changed the Status Quo.</div>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-19957837502999784612012-04-06T10:22:00.000-04:002012-04-06T10:31:21.537-04:00The "Good" in this Friday...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s.wordpress.com/imgpress?fit=1000,1000&url=http%3A%2F%2Flivingwalk.wordpress.com%2Ffiles%2F2009%2F04%2Fcross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://s.wordpress.com/imgpress?fit=1000,1000&url=http%3A%2F%2Flivingwalk.wordpress.com%2Ffiles%2F2009%2F04%2Fcross.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
Two thousand and twelve years ago this day, a man died. He wasn't the only man to die on that day. He wasn't the most famous man to die on that day. Yet, his death changed the lives of millions.<br />
He was the King, yet was a pauper. He owned the world, yet had no place to lay his head. He was the source of human life, yet submitted to a common criminal's death. He rescued his friends, yet his friends deserted Him in the end. He was a man, and He was God.<br />
<br />
On this day in history, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter, died at the hands of the Pharisees and Romans, suffering to the last on a cross. He was a common man, with an uncommon heritage: His father was the Creator of the world, infinite master of the Universe. Christ stepped from the heavenly realm into human form, still imbued with His ultimate power and love.<br />
But He was killed.<br />
<br />
How is a day good if it marks the death of the Son of God?<br />
<br />
Because this was the day that you were you were forgiven. Today you were set free from sin.<br />
<br />
Throughout history, wrongdoing has always required a blood sacrifice for forgiveness; on this day in history, the pure and sinless blood of God was spilled, covering and repairing the scars, past, present and future, caused by sin. There was incredible love shown on that cross; this God-man died on behalf of the entire world. Other religions have gods who died for various reasons, but never have any of those gods died because they loved every single person in the world.<br />
But Christ did. His bloody suffering washed you clean--He took the punishment that was yours from the day you were born. The thorns in his head, the nails through his wrists and his ankles, the shards of metal and glass left in his back by the executioners' whips; but at the end of it all He said, "Father, forgive them."<br />
<br />
Today, the Lord died, but today you were set free.<br />
<br />
Freedom from your sin is an incredible gift--go ahead and take it.<br />
We live because He loved.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-51977964601631499582012-03-21T20:53:00.000-04:002014-02-26T00:48:07.866-05:00Skylights...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.derhochzeitsshop.at/images/articles/d761310bfaebd6598533aee3c28bce3f_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://www.derhochzeitsshop.at/images/articles/d761310bfaebd6598533aee3c28bce3f_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Another post, another poem. This one was written as a half-poem, half-song. If any of you have a possible tune for this, give it a go and let me know. Until then, it will simply remain words on a page. (Music really brings our language to life)<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>--Skylights--</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
You've got your money,</div>
<div>
Drugs, drinks, and bling.</div>
<div>
But you've never got your freedom,</div>
<div>
A Liberty Bell to ring.</div>
<div>
Your psychedelics, religious relics</div>
<div>
Never brought anyone joy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Existentialism is only detrimentalism.</div>
<div>
Escape can't be found through the sky or ground.</div>
<div>
Release can't read in fiction or Freud.</div>
<div>
Success isn't gained through being paranoid.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You've only got Life through the Man on the tree,</div>
<div>
Through the blood poured out to make other men free.</div>
<div>
Though until now your existence seemed eternity,</div>
<div>
Your Life has just begun.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The eternal grave has been turned back again:</div>
<div>
You've been made aright--</div>
<div>
You've been made alive.</div>
<div>
--Today is the last day that you'll die--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tonight is the night you begin to thrive</div>
<div>
Tonight is the night you come alive</div>
<div>
Like the current that flows to light up the skies</div>
<div>
Is the joy of freedom that lights up your eyes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's a fire a'ragin', yearning for souls,</div>
<div>
[It lights up the night, and love is its pull]</div>
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The flames fan across the full of the world</div>
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[Instead of ashes, they leave men strong and bold]</div>
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Light up the sky, light up the night</div>
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You've got freedom in Christ, He's won the fight.</div>
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Welcome to joy, the death of all strife</div>
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Welcome to victory, love, freedom, and life.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-1022906282161579072012-03-07T10:03:00.000-05:002012-03-07T10:26:33.964-05:00You are forbidden to say "No"...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/0/0d/Storm-CHRON.jpg&sa=X&ei=a3hXT9_1O8Xfggft4enjDA&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHQSq13yWH1dA1DeEvFGOFie6-FnQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/0/0d/Storm-CHRON.jpg&sa=X&ei=a3hXT9_1O8Xfggft4enjDA&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHQSq13yWH1dA1DeEvFGOFie6-FnQ" width="160" /></a> There is a planet in our universe where right is quickly becoming wrong, and wrong is hurriedly transforming to right. The planet believes that shape-shifting morals is the perfect system for life. This same planet also is a proponent of Inter-Galactic "Free-Choice," where everyone is free to live as they please, act as they like (within legal barriers of course), and think as they want.<br />
But they aren't allowed to say "No."<br />
Within this planet, there are specific issues to which it's citizens (and subsequent galactic travelers from other worlds, once they are discovered) simply must comply. If they do not comply, the populace shouts them down as bigots, backwards, and marshmallow heads. They are overruled in the courts.<br />
<br />
A few days ago in Britain, an elderly couple who owns a Bed and Breakfast in the English countryside <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-12214368" target="_blank">lost their court case</a> to another couple whom they had refused hospitality at the hotel. The presiding judge ruled that the refusal amounted to unlawful, direct discrimination. Discrimination against whom?<br />
The couple who was trying to stay at the Bed and Breakfast was homosexual.<br />
Out of their beliefs the elderly host couple refused the two men a room because they believed that solely civil union (as well homosexual union) did not constitute a marriage. The host couple is considering appealing the ruling, especially because they believed that it was in their right as private business owners to allow or disallow people to stay at their inn. In addition, they believed that it was their prerogative to act according to their religious convictions: that homosexuality is wrong.<br />
But the British court forbid them to say "No."<br />
The reasoning behind the decision was that as a commercial enterprise, the B&B was subject to community standards, rather than the owners' private standards.<br />
Is this what religious freedom looks like?<br />
I realize that the homosexual couple may have been looking forward to a nice weekend at a B&B in the English countryside, but never, never, never should vacation plans supersede religious belief.<br />
<br />
This issue is now growing in America. I foresee many instances like this one where Christians refuse Homosexuals because the lifestyle is one of sin. Homosexuality is unnatural, unhealthy, and detrimental to the entire family, which is the foundation of our civilization. Christians naturally will refuse to extend the hand of welcome to this unnatural lifestyle. They love the sinner, but the sin is something Christians cannot support.<br />
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The question is, whose beliefs will be overruled?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-58553365138454888782012-03-01T12:05:00.001-05:002012-03-01T12:05:29.620-05:00Losing to the Laogai...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I realize I haven't written a post in awhile. Like any occurrence in life, there are hundreds of excuses and extenuating circumstances I can point to that have prevented my posting. However, there is one excuse in particular that I can pander to: a research paper.<div>
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The finished product is a sum of my research on the Chinese Laogai system. What you will read may shock you, but let me assure you: everything described is real, and happens every day. I may have an excuse to ignore my blog for a month, but we have no excuse to ignore this atrocity in China. </div>
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Read the paper: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nne8dSWymM7FnB3qq_S8aMW45WOqJoitKYVnlN80NEw/edit" target="_blank">Losing to the Laogai</a> . </div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040876426639401945.post-34349127691095966042012-01-31T17:42:00.001-05:002012-01-31T17:42:39.592-05:00Why Fight?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
[Life is busy, so pardon the abbreviated post]<br />
<br />
Though men fight because of covetousness, their yearning to dominate, their quest for "dirt," it still boggles the mind that we would repeat our mistakes year after year after year.<br />
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Some say history is nothing new, it merely repeats itself. I believe it does, because in the hundreds of centuries man has been on the earth, we have not changed one bit. Granted, our lives may be more advanced and comfortable, but cushions fail to shield the world from the true nature underneath the modern clothing.<br />
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<i>We have no peace in ourselves</i></div>
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<i>No inner rest to tap</i></div>
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<i>Degraded, disgusting, a detriment to the world</i></div>
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<i>But loved by a Saviour, unmatched.</i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QdT2Rf2mtIXijWhojFkpaR5pqJ6Vp6N2wlkZ9Zb44OvGfVCzwxI0pNP58Z5umKXvYvAmR-E3S68gqEY2vMB3QYGwIqOW1Uxij2-QOOyDmbLZIn-NJ5FJDDZ73LcLklvJZF6GBm5qek71/s1600/The+Last+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QdT2Rf2mtIXijWhojFkpaR5pqJ6Vp6N2wlkZ9Zb44OvGfVCzwxI0pNP58Z5umKXvYvAmR-E3S68gqEY2vMB3QYGwIqOW1Uxij2-QOOyDmbLZIn-NJ5FJDDZ73LcLklvJZF6GBm5qek71/s640/The+Last+Man.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright C. Millhouse 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298508035301123842noreply@blogger.com0