"Oil, Oil Everywhere, And Not A Drop...

...To refine and squeeze off into my gas tank."

With rigs and refineries shut down thanks to Katrina the price of Gas shot up 30 cents today in Dothan. Perhaps events along the gulf coast will tip the scale toward drilling in ANWR. Another option would be to stop production of 40 different grades of gasoline and settle on just five or six as a national standard. The environmentalists can't have it both ways* any longer. Something's got to give, and politicians are going to have to relent to constituent demands or risk losing power.

Time will tell, and it shouldn't be all that long either...

*Demanding cheaper, cleaner fuels, and lower prices at the pump.

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Pithy Wisdom...

"Fact are mutable, as any [insert despised profession of choice] knows. Truth is not."

--ELAshley

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Songs Worth Acquiring...

"Aftermath"
--REM

"Saeglopur"
--Sigur Ros

"Planets of the Universe"
--Stevie Nicks

As heard of Radioio

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The Leftist Media...

These self-stylized purveyors of truth, are becoming increasingly transparent in their hatred for their country, their military, their freedoms and way of life.

Consider the following quote, made by Eleanor Clift of Newsweek Magazine during an appearance on "The McLaughlin Group". Transcript

"But I think what we're coming to grips with is the fact that we actually have a mercenary Army. And it doesn't have a nice ring to it. We call it "volunteers," but we're basically paying people to serve their country. And if you're going to pay people and have a mercenary Army, you're going to have to pay the market rate. And so the bounties are going up - more money for tuition, higher enlistment bonuses - and I think it's appropriate."

--Eleanor Clift, Newsweek
   Aug 29, 2005

In Response...

"It is a vile and thankless description of those who are responsible for defending your life and right to free expression,...

"A professional wordsmith such as yourself should understand that mercenary troops have no loyalties, no ties and no bonds to any nation. They fight not for duty, flag or country but for selfish gain. They have no regard for political ideology and no respect for national interests. Often, at the first sign of resistance, mercenary troops turn and run.

"Those qualities do not describe U.S. troops,..."

--Tom Kilgannon, Freedom Alliance President
   August 30, 2005

Personal Note: Unbelieveable!!! The Media had lost the high-ground years ago, but this... It's sad that most people will accept Ms. Clift's assessment and run with it; in debates at the workplace and social gatherings. What a world this would be* if only people could see through the rhetoric, the subterfuge, the cloud of flies whirling above the midden heap in which the left are not only standing, but refusing to acknowledge that they're hip-deep therein.


* "..if only..." smacks of Idealism.

Perhaps part of the problem with the Bush-bashing America-hating Left can be summed up by this statement from Jonah Goldberg:

"The post-Vietnam conviction of the Oliver Stone crowd that America is most often the problem, not the solution..."

--From The Terror That Dare Not Speak Its Name

Ghosts of Vietnam, still. Where's a good medium when you need one?

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3 Quotes From...

"End the Debacle Ms. Sheehan"
--by Steve Darnell, Arab News

"Ms. Sheehan also proved her lack of intellect stating, “We are waging a nuclear war in Iraq right now. That country is contaminated. It will be contaminated for practically eternity now.” I must admit, nuclear war is news to me. Has anyone else heard of this?"

"Ms. Sheehan and other appeasers around the world provide the fuel that feeds the fire of terrorism. If not for this fuel, terrorists would realize that they do not have a chance to sway the minds of people and would end the bombing. Terrorists are not stupid, they understand that bombing innocent civilians will not change the minds of the strong, but will break the will of the weak. So they attack the weak and the weak fold."

"...Ms. Sheehan has become the biggest terrorist in the world, not George W. Bush as she so eloquently stated. And the liberal media has become her ally by spreading the word of her protest to the terrorists."

Personal Note: This from "The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily". Or so they claim. Granted, the author is obviously not middle eastern, but the fact that it was published in a middle eastern paper, with links to the royal family of Saud, and instruction in Islam and Quran... I would not have thought it possible.

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Happy Birthday, Grampa!

Sent you a card yesterday, so you should get it today! Correct me if I'm wrong but you'll be 94, right? Man! You've seen a lot. Make sure you get some cake today... everyone gets cake on their birthday!

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Dodging Bullets

Media outlets yesterday, sighing sighs of relief, told us all how New Orleans dodged Katrina's bullet, only to wake this morning with the pain of multiple gunshot wounds. It's said that shock will often mask the traumatic, allowing the body and mind to endure, if not always gracefully, under pressure. With reports of at least 80 dead in Mississippi alone, how can anyone say anything was dodged?

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Pithy Wisdom...

"There is nothing wrong with Idealism, but not all ideals have men's best interests at heart."

--ELAshley

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In Keeping With Standards I Espouse...

I am undertaking the task of applying critical thinking to the question of WMD's. The impetus for this comes from the August 29 issue of Boortz Nuze, wherein the following assertions are made...

-500 tons...that's right...TONS...make that 1 million pounds of yellow cake uranium. It was found at Saddam's nuclear weapons facility (yup...he had one of those too.)

-1.8 tons of partially enriched uranium found at the same place. You know, the stuff you need to make nukes.

-Hidden centrifuge parts and blueprints.

-Two dozen artillery shells loaded with Sarin and mustard gas.

To avoid being a mind-numbed robot of ANY political agenda I intend to take the time to analyze the facts myself. The internet is a big place, so it may take a while to sift through it all-- not actually all, mind you! Good grief, I'd never see the end!!

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My Troubling World View

According to a bizarre little quiz at QuizFarm.com I am a Postmodernist...

"Postmodernism is the belief in complete open interpretation. You see the universe as a collection of information with varying ways of putting it together. There is no absolute truth for you; even the most hardened facts are open to interpretation. Meaning relies on context and even the language you use to describe things should be subject to analysis."

I find the quiz troubling overall, and its results less than reliable in light of the fact that I firmly believe in absolute truth. Nor do I see the universe as yada, yada, yada... Language is to be interpreted, yes, but not the universe. The universe-- like truth --is absolute.

I don't know whether to be happy with this exercise or not, but here are the official results of my test. [sorry, no peaking at my answers...]

Postmodernist		69%
Cultural Creative		56%
Fundamentalist		31%
Modernist		25%
Materialist		19%
Existentialist		13%
Idealist		13%
Romanticist		6%

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The Most Dangerous Life to Own in America...

...Is that of a Chicken! More news from the front lines...

"Feeder Bands" spiraling out from Hurricane Katrina have destroyed aproximately 15 chicken houses in Carroll County, Georgia. Many other structures were similarly affected. While I sympathize with those persons summarily affected, at the same time I can't help but think of the cost in poultry lives lost. Assuming a single house can house 10,000 birds, we're talking 150,000 chickens dead or homeless. The poultry-specific carnage in America continues, with no end in sight. And I am still not eating chicken.

----
Of course this is nothing compared to the toll of human life lost, and threatened by Katrina-- 10 lives lost thus far, but this post, and those linked below, are offered light-heartedly. My prayers go out to the victims of this very powerful storm.


For more "birds-of-a-feather"...

"I Hereby Abstain From Chicken..."
"How Many Chickens Must Die...?"
"Michigan Blaze Roasts 250,000 Chickens!"
"What is it about chickens...?"

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Books to Acquire...

"You: The Owners Manual"
by Michael F. Roizen &
Mehmet Oz

Pithy Pre-Review:
Dr. Mahmet Oz does a lot of "in-your-face" demonstrations on Oprah, the most memorable of which was the show that demonstrated healthy colons, poop, etc., et al, as well as plugging this book. Inside it's covers, we were told, are all the things one needs to know to live a longer, healthier life. Pithy Review to follow.

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Okay...

Now that I have things situated here to my liking, I'll begin adding posts from previous incarnations of this blog, thereby filling out the archives to reflect the length of time I've been at this.

Update: But then maybe not. Much of what's gone before is ill suited to this premised format.

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Real Bread Requires Real Ingredients...

For fresh organic baking flours. To include hi-gluten wheats, yeasts, and sundry baking supplies.

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Sunbeam Bread Maker 5890

No operation manual with unit. Call to get one shipped~

        1-800-458-8407

Update: You can find the manual on line here

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Did I Not Say It????

Giving land in hope of peace has never, and will never work in the middle east. Any such capitulation is viewed as a sign of weakness by these irrational bastards! Politicians can sit across any number of tables they choose, but unless the religious lunatics of Islamofascism put down their weapons-- which they will never do --men like Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon will never be able to broker a lasting peace between their nations. And the Palestinian people will never be taken seriously; they will never be welcomed in civilized circles, nor will they ever climb out of the cess pool, and poverty of 3rd world status-- less than, actually.

"Oh, but Eric, this was just one nut..."

You expect me to believe that a single nut falling from a tree is simply an aberration? That there aren't more nuts hanging from limbs high above, waiting for the right moment to fall to earth? What kind of fool do you take me for? How can you be such a fool?

"But Eric, the Palestinians want peace. They want it desperately."

Some do. A good many do. But that good many will not stand up and turn on the others in their midst who would rather see the streets run red with blood... The blood of Jews. Lest you forget, it's the ones who want blood and death that have the weapons. Yes, the Palestinian Authority has weapons too, but seriously, do you really think Palestinians are going to fight and kill their own countrymen over Jews? Not likely. Very few Palestinians see Israel as a nation even worthy of existence, let alone occupy what they claim is their land, and their city.

There are too many Palestinians who want nothing more than to drive the Jews into the sea. And this is a thing that will never happen.

"C'mon, Eric. The Jews stole the land from the Palestinians."

The land has always belonged to the Jews, irrespective of any grant by any international body or government. In fact, if Israel were granted the lands originally promised by the then powers-that-be, Israel would have much, much more than the paltry strip of land she was finally "allowed" to claim. But that's just what Man offered. GOD himself promised, and will one day give, far more than even the powers-that-be first offered. Imagine a middle east today where no Syria, no Jordan, no Iraq, and no Lebanon existed. Imagine an Israel that encompassed all these lands.

Well, that's where we're heading. Israel will own it all one day, however impossible you think that may be. I promise here and now. And God will see it done.

Don't think for a minute that a lasting peace will ever be brokered between Israel and Palestine, or for that matter, the Islamic people as a whole. Only one man will manage peace and stability, and only for three and a half years. Care to guess who that man is? Go ahead, guess... Millions of others are having a go.

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Provocative Fare

As a sci-fi fan, much of my TV fare leans toward the "Provocative", that is to say, cerebrally stimulating. But I do have standards. Shows like Stargate SG1, & Atlantis, while visually satisfying, tend to lean-- all too often --toward the campy. They slavishly cling to the hackneyed...

"Star Trek Model"

50 minutes of dire, life endangering situations.
5 minutes of brilliant solution.
All wrapped up with Humorous Quips, & an all-is-right-with-the-universe sigh of relief.

...which stifles any hope of being taken seriously by me.

I like shows that eschew this mold. I appreciate the fact that good fiction always finds itself firmly rooted in the realistic, however fantastical the setting. Shows that ground themselves in like fashion will find in me a loyal and avid viewer.

11 years ago I had "Babylon 5". It ran for 5 years. When B5 ended its run it was replaced by "Farscape"; another great show. Farscape lasted only 4 years, but waiting in the wings was the phenomenon that has since eclipsed all others, despite it not even being an original story: "Battlestar Galactica". There are other good shows, "The 4400" among them, but BSG beats them all, hands down.

You will find nothing truly clean on BSG. Not the sets, not the faces, not the clothing, not even the situations. Nothing shines bright and new, and nothing is ever resolved at the end of an hour. The concept of "Art Imitating Life" so permeates the story that I find myself on the edge of my seat each and every week. And that is the highest praise I can give any show.

I have never been so impressed with a show as I am with "Battlestar Galactica".

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America's Greatest Threat, ...

...The enemy within, is the American Media. They have grown fat and drunk with power and have come to control every aspect of public opinion. Not because they are ruling-class kings and the sole purveyors of truth, as they would have us believe, but because they have the ability to shape truth, and thereby public opinion.

It is becoming increasingly clear the Media cares nothing about what is best for America. It is their bottom line that drives them, their ratings and demographics. And perhaps a sense of desperation. They are losing. The American people are learning to think for themselves. Not in droves, but enough that these so-called Kings of Sincerity feel the need to grip tighter the necks of the peasant masses to force them to feed on their empty truths.

But the American media is blinded by their own holy aura's. They can't see the gaunt faces that gratefully stare up at them in adoration. At least that's what the media see's: Adoring Masses. Who was it that said, upon hearing that her people were starving, "Let them eat cake"?* The Media is focused on creating their own ideal Utopia, and they are blind to all else. Which is why the new media has been able to pry more than a few necks from their grasp.

Learn to think for yourself. It's a moral imperative. I don't advocate you distrust the entire world, only what it's telling you. God [or the Evolutionary Process for those of you divorced of reason] gave you eyes and ears, and there was "intelligent design" in that gift-- to include the prominence of our very noses. Too many people are allowing the Media to "sense" the world for them. A certain cautionary tale about the blind leading the blind now comes to mind. Open your eyes, open your ears, and avoid the ditch.


--*Attributed to Marie Antoinette, but in fact, was used by the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his work, "Confessions", circa 1766.

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It Would Seem...

...my vacation is being cut short. The station is short staffed this evening, and I'll have to take a raincheck for today's loss. On top of this, Sunday night may see a return to 12-hour shifts thanks to Katrina, who is now responsible for 4 deaths.

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Day 2 of Vacation...

...was mostly spent studying HTML and CSS. It's beginning to make some sense.

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You'd Be Amazed...

...at what you can find at a Chinese grocery. I know I was. It's also amazing the fun one can have on vacation with little or no cash.

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Dearest Mary Angel,

Why is it that very few people write letters any more? I try to keep up with friends and such, even going to the effort to write a nice long letter, but the only response I seem to get from them are forwarded posts, usually filled with Fw: crap. It seems no one, anymore, wants to invest time enough to share themselves with others.

I could fall seriously in love with a woman who wrote a good letter... on a regular basis.

Love always,

Eric

P.S. Do you grasp the irony in this?

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So far today I...

...Went on my daily walk/run and managed to surpass yesterdays "sustained" run of 250 yards by another 50, which is quite a feat considering just 6 months ago I couldn't run 100 feet without getting winded.

...Finished my overhaul of this blog.

...Listened to Neal, Rush, & Sean on the Radio.

...Perused the DVD aisles at Circuit City & Wal Mart without buying anything-- yet another feat.

...Bought Pepe some doggie biscuits.

...Bought some pesticide to kill those horrible bugs that are eating up my Lime & Plum tress.

...Ate some pizza, which I'm not really allowed to do, but I've already had cake today, so tomorrow I'll have to re-double my efforts. Hey! If I could have afforded Sushi, I would have ate Sushi!!

...Haven't seen my chances for birthday sex improve. At all. [sigh...] Celibacy is over-rated, but necessary.

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Happy Birthday!!!

To me, first and foremost, and to the new look here. I spent several hours this morning and early afternoon creating and uploading new elements to the blog. So far I've managed to change look, but not the over-all design; that will come when I understand CSS a little better, and can figure out how to alter the HTML-- if that's even possible. For now, enjoy the new look, and wish me a happy birthday... I'm 45.

Make sure you eat cake today, preferably German Chocolate... it's my favorite!

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My Suppositions have Borne Fruit

I was successful-- with experimentation, and utilizing Photoshop 7.0 --in changing the tiled background on this blog. I attempted to change my top banner but... some more study and experimentation is called for. Good thing I saved my original template on my desktop.

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I've Had a Blogger Revelation!!!

And I have Sashinka to thank for pointing me in the right direction [thanks for responding to my email, btw].

To change the graphic look to this basic Blogger template, I can use the photo blogging option to import my own backgrounds. What I intend to do is post each of the elements of my design to this blog, then copy the URL for each from their respective posts, and replace the old elements in the template, one by one, till my own vision is achieved.

I've had to invest in a book detailing the niceties of CSS, but that investment coupled with Sashinka's direction... well, the proof will be in the pudding, but I feel it's been worth the effort if I can stand out from the crowd.

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Saturday Evening, August 20...

There is a rage in me I had not noticed before this evening. No details as to circumstance... Used to be I'd put on some Floyd when despair came calling, but now the dulcet tones of Waters & Gilmore are apparently not enough of an outlet. I actually had to put some Filter on; music I'd never have listened to under normal conditions. Something needs to change.

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Two Tales and a Point....

Set up: Tony is a co-worker. For the purpose of the first tale, Tony is a student preparing to graduate with a medical degree. The second tale is from Tony's recent trip to Disney World.

1- A young German woman in one of Tony's classes commented that she didn't understand why she was gaining weight, and complained that she couldn't find any fresh food here [in S.E. Alabama].

2- An employee at Disney World, a young Norwegian woman, commented that she didn't understand why she was gaining weight, and complained that she couldn't find any fresh food "here" [in central Florida].

Point- Though neither phrased it this way, two European women, independent of each other, have the same exact complaint about living in the United States: They are both gaining weight despite changing little about their diet, and neither can find what they consider "fresh food".

As to diet, both women are used to-- as are we all --the diets they were raised with; food choices, eating patterns, etc. Recognizing that certain favorites are undoubtedly unavailable to them here in the U.S., they would naturally make substitutions they felt were compatible with what they were used to, but they are gaining weight, and neither understands why. So this begs the question, what is it about food in the United States that it differs from foods in Europe-- and the rest of the world? Also, why is it the French and Italians can eat high fatty foods and, for the most part, still remain svelte?

I think the answer lies in each of these women's complaint; They can't find fresh food. But let's take it a step further. They can't find food untampered with. For example...

Food in the U.S. is loaded with chemicals, additives, hormones, and steroids. Even meat fresh from the market is loaded with growth hormones and steroids. It's in our beef, pork, chickens, and consequently eggs, milk, cheese, and just about everything else we buy and eat. Boxed meals are loaded with preservatives, natural flavorings, chemicals, and God only knows what else.

Are Americans the fattest people on the planet because of bad eating habits? That's perhaps part of it, but could the food we eat also be contributing to the growing obesity trend-- I hesitate to call it an epidemic, but strictly speaking it is epidemic in that it is confined, for the most part, to a geographical location; the United States.

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I can't let this one go...

This beautiful essay by the great Ben Stein.
Reprinted here, with full credit to Mr. Stein, and The American Spectator


Special Report
Bulletin From Ben
By Ben Stein
Published 8/18/2005 1:42:28 AM

A few humble theses:

There is such a thing as evil in this world and such a thing as good. It is simply not true that all is relative and similar. Beheading Iraqi civilians with a saw on the Internet is absolutely evil. Helping children in Mosul get pure water is absolute good. Sending homicide bombers to blow up elementary schools at a kibbutz is evil. Treating the children of your enemies in the finest hospitals in Israel is good.

In Europe and Asia and South America and in much of North America, this idea is unknown. All is relative and the only point is to get away another day without having the evil ones attack you. Appeasing the terrorists, ignoring them and their instigators, pretending that the good guys are the bad guys -- all of these are now standard practice in the capitals of the world, and in the academies of America and in the Democratic Party at high levels.

There is one great man standing between us and this capitulation to evil: that man is George Bush, and he has two great allies, Tony Blair and John Howard. If we did not have George Bush at the helm, if we had a moral relativist like Kerry or Gore, we would even now be playing the same appeasing games as Chamberlain played with Hitler, and which France and Germany, Spain and Italy, Norway and Belgium, tragically, even Canada, play with the enemies of the human spirit.

By a great providence, we were sent George Bush. In his mind, there is such a thing as evil. Terrorism is evil. Racism is evil. The murder of unborn babies is evil. Torturing a totally innocent Terri Schiavo to death is evil. He sees it, acts on it, actively works not just to get along day by day, but to keep evil at bay and to overcome it where it can be overcome. As time goes by, I come to realize that George Bush, with all of his faults, is the spiritual heir to Abraham Lincoln, to Martin Luther King, Jr., to Winston Churchill, to the late Pope John Paul II. How unbelievably lucky we are to have him, and how grateful we should be.

The terrifying part is that he will be gone from power in less than three years. Then what? The evil will remain in men's souls, and who will be there to fight it? We have to start thinking right now of who sees and recognizes the difference between good and evil and start energizing ourselves to make that man or woman President. George Bush's shoes will be terrifyingly difficult to fill.


Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He also writes "Ben Stein's Diary" in every issue of The American Spectator. Please click here to subscribe.

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Haven't I Said This Already?

"Anyone who thinks peace is even remotely possible after Gaza is emptied of Jews is bereft of rational thought." No? Well how about this, "The Palestinian people will no more cease their attacks on Israel than Israel will be pushed into the sea."

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, will not be able to rein in Hamas, Islamic Jihad, OR Hezbollah, and the ensuing confrontation that follows will result in more and more blood spilt. Gaza may even be re-taken by Israel for security's sake.

How do I know this? God has said as much! Not my specific predictions-- I am not a prophet --But definitely the bloodshed bit. This struggle has been going on since Jacob & Esau, since Isaac & Ishmael, and it won't end by giving any amount of land to the Palestinians. Land, I might add, that God Himself bequeathed to His chosen people the Israelites... The Jews.

If I haven't said it already, it's said now. And God will back me up on that.

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Saddam Could Go Free???

The Butcher of Baghdad could go free if a "deal" is reached? On what world could a mass murderer be allowed to walk with his life, a free pass, and money to sit pretty in a Parisian townhouse? Should Hitler have been given equal consideration? What is wrong with the world that talk of such an idea could even be entertained? News like this just makes me want to blow chunks!

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Things Change...

the center does not hold... and the older I get the more difficult it is to adjust. I don't like change at all, however exhilarating it often is.

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On Gorilla's & Garbage Cans...

I'm trying to wean myself off caffeinated sodas; well, sodas altogether, and my head is absolutely splitting. There is a six-hundred pound gorilla in my head right now, kicking and slamming around garbage cans...

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Songs Worth Acquiring

"Statue"
--Low Millions

As heard on Radioio

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The Object is to Become a Critical Thinker

It would seem a little clarification is called for in my continuing series, "Lessons In Thinking For One's Self"... with respect to their intended purpose.

These "lessons" are not intended to sway anyone to any Ideological Bent. That is to say, they won't turn you into a Liberal or a Conservative, just capable of weeding through the rhetoric, and perhaps, deciding for yourself what to believe. If anything, my purpose in these lessons is to teach intellectual honesty.

Now, the examples I'll give throughout these lessons will be of a certain Ideological Bent [simply IB from here on out] because my IB leans modestly to a specific side of the fence, and because it's what I'm most familiar with. But on the off chance you weren't aware, learning to think for one's self is not learning to favor Limbaugh over Franken, or vise versa. Instead, the idea is to be able to find the kernels of truth in both views.

By learning and then utilizing Intellectual Honesty consistently, that consistency will inevitably carry over to how one interprets statements made by the likes of Limbaugh and Franken, Democrat and Republican.

Intellectual Honesty requires a willingness to hear and see what one would not normally accept, and weighing these things-- shining a light of critical analysis --to determine if a given statement will, or will not float.

Finally, in regard to "Truth", it follows no IB. It simply is. Truth doesn't favor one IB over another, nor does it care if accepting the truth requires we toss out old and familiar friends when they prove to be false, and no friend at all. Truth will be truth whatever we choose to believe.

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The Face of News No. 4

Ashley Brand, Meteorologist

Here is our Weather Grrl, Nice, Pixie-ish, and she knows her... stuff. Again, a contour drawing, so it's not capturing the actual weather grrl, but I think it captures a bit of the sweetness...

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What an Obituary Can & Can't Tell You

I googled a few names this afternoon not really expecting to find any old pals. The two I did find, Lee Pizza [pronounced Peez-ah] and Everett Youngberg, I found-- a glaring misnomer which shall shortly become obvious --Everett through his father's obituary.

When I googled Lee I kinda expected to find something as he's a bigwig at ProTech Services in Panama City [Odd thing about the web address protechserv.com, it outlines, somewhat, the phrase you see on police cars "...To ProTech and Serv"], but back to the obit.... Were it not for said obit, dated April 3, 2004, I wouldn't have found Everett. But then, finding a name in an obit hardly constitutes "finding" anyone unless, as in Lee's case, an email address is part and parcel of said reference. And for clarity's sake Lee was not found in an obituary. Although, it could be said that "finding" someone's name in an obit just after the "Survivors include..." tag could be considered proof that said individual was alive and hale at print.

As to the obit itself. I am very sorry to hear it. My own dad's been gone these past 12 years. I imagine the pain is still fresh in Everett's mind/heart, and if my own experience is any indication the pain may never fade. Should my old friend ever read this he'll at least know I was thinking about him. I remember almost nothing of his father except this... He had a big voice, and was a strong man.

Mr. Clarence Youngberg, Jr., of Panama City, Florida was 73

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The Energy Crisis Solution...?

Anti-gravity propulsion.

I was listening to "Coast to Coast" with George Noory last night and the topic was Anti-gravity. I thought, "yeah, right!" But it seems there is research going on, mostly privately funded, that has yielded results, albeit nothing to shake the world as of yet. So I went looking for info and found, for the most part, the usual psycho-babble paranormal fodder, but... then I happened onto ArsTechnica, a respectful and serious tech site. Follow the link to their article, and then this link to Jane's original story [requires registration for full article].

Imagine the middle east all but losing their strangle hold on the rest of the oil-hungry/dependent world. What would it do to their economy if they couldn't count on high oil prices to fund their ideologically backward societies? How then would they fund terrorism?

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The Face of News No. 3

The Face of News, No. 3

This is Oscar Fann, Meteorologist for WTVY in Dothan. Doesn't really look like him, but that's what you get with a contour drawing. This one turned out better than most-- much better than Chris' --with only a few glimpses at the page while drawing. Great symmetry and proportion overall.

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My Pocket Was Empty This Evening, But...

I did have a few thoughts to set down.

Israel Pulling out of Gaza is perhaps the greatest mistake Israel, as a nation, can make-- pulling out of the West Bank and Jerusalem would actually be greater. Members of Major media, and their sycophantic worshippers-- to say nothing of other governments --who think the violence will end simply because Israel moves out, has no firm grasp of reality, or history for that matter. Israel must defend herself because no one else apparently will. Not even the US government. Wasn't it G.W. who declared Israel must pull back to the 1949 Armistice Lines? What? Give up Jerusalem? A lot of blood will be spilled over that one.

Speaking of Israel, What is Cindy Sheehan doing making pronouncements concerning Israel's responsibility toward peace? I thought she was a grieving mother, demanding not a first, but a second audience with the president. She's either a) being used by the leftist media, and all its pimps, or b) she's a willing whore for said pimps. In either case, she's lost the high ground.

Continuing with this Theme of Degrees... Looking at a map, the West Bank of ANY river will be the Left Bank. With that said, what say you to France pulling out of the Left Bank and giving it back to ... the French?

"Cafe on the left bank, ordinary wine
Touching all the girls with your eyes"

--Paul McCartney, London Town

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Heard on Air...

this Saturday afternoon, on the Michael Medved show. It's amazing what you can hear in a chance tuning of the radio in a mere 10 seconds.

Paraphrased: "No need for a nuke, we could just drop a MOAB* on Islam's holy black rock..."

My Comments:
While I find the idea of such a bold counter to the murderous ideology of Islam attractive, I must advise against such an action. America is too divided to make so implacable an enemy as one who already hates our very existence. This can never be an option without the complete unswerving, and indefatigable support of all or most of America and her interests, which in this case can only be defined as both self-preservation and the utter destruction and demoralization of said implacable enemy. Namely, Islam.

To destroy even one of Islam's holy sites would be to consign not only this, but future generations to a war of terror -- for truly, that is all Islam is capable of...Terror.

America, as rightly judged by Islam's fanatical elements, is too soft for such a struggle. Just look at how she has balked at the War on Terror after only 4 years! It doesn't help that the American media actively supports and participates in the subverting of our government, and it's policy. They are power-hungry, seeing themselves as the only voice of reason, the only true patriot. They remember the glory of days gone by when they changed public opinion against the War in Vietnam, and brought down a sitting president. They are drunk on a heady wine distilled of pride and moral-superiority. They see multiculturalism as the religion of the enlightened, yet fail to show proper respect to those who cling to nationalism, or worse yet, religious zealotry.

Islam, by any intellectually honest assessment, is not a religion of peace. Many of its adherents may indeed be peaceful, and truly desire peace for themselves, their neighbors, and the world, But again, if honest, a Muslim must admit that their holy book promotes violence; against infidels, and against women.

America needs to wake up. The alarm went off at 9-11 and America seems to have just rolled over, hit the snooze button and is now, again, fast asleep. And we're not helped by the like of Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Harry Reid, (and so on and so forth...) positioning for personal and political power rather than an honest concern for the safety and well-being of the very people they work for, namely, you and me.

America is too divided to do what must be done, i.e.; destroy the enemy, completely and utterly. It's going to take another 9-11 -- perhaps several -- before she wakes. When she does she'll wonder, and then demand to know why no one sounded the alarm.

Saddly, the enemy knows we're sleeping. And while they sharpen their bayonets, they laugh at us.

*New class of military bomb. MOAB stands for "Mother Of All bombs."

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5 Quotes from...

Keep Quiet And Listen!
The words of radical Islam speak for themselves.
by Victor Davis Hanson

Personal Note: Victor Davis Hanson is not only a phenomenal writer, he has a firm grasp on reality and often sees what we, of lesser visual acumen, do not. We would do well to listen.

"We live on the principles of the Enlightenment and so worship our god Reason, thus assuming that even our adversaries accept such rational protocols as their own."

"For clarification of al Qaeda's ideas about democracy, we can turn to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the spiritual leader of the terrorists in Iraq. He recently warned that, "We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology." "

"Western critics of America's attempt to introduce democratic reconstruction in Iraq should ask why al Qaeda is so furious at the effort. The answer is clear: Radical Islam can no longer blame the United States for propping up dictators, but instead is terrified that there is a third choice -- the people's freedom..."

"...as we try to assess the causes of Islamists' venom toward the West, it seems wiser to listen to what they say rather than what we say they say... If we would do that, we would conclude that the hatred of radical Islam is fed by envy, frustration, and pride -- and thus existential: They despise Americans for who we are."

"...there is one and only one legitimate objection of the crackpot radical Islamists that rings true: We in the West don't listen to them when they promise us our deaths. We should."


Personal Note: Amen, says I. Apologies to Mr. Hanson for chopping up his story. Check out the link above. This story is worth the mere 5 minutes of effort you'll expend..

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It's Simply Amazing...

to me how quickly one can fall out of an established routine only to fall into another. As humans, we are, perhaps, too adaptable.

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Enjoyment of a Guilty Pleasure...

Got my Roswell: Season 3 in the post today. I simply have to watch Isabel & Jesse's wedding to make sure Ivy still performs at the end. Once this is confirmed, one way or the other, I can start at the beginning and enjoy my guilty pleasure.

As is sometimes the case with shows like Roswell, the DVD's do not contain the original music; for reasons of cost, so say the producers. This is a sucky trend that needs to die a quick and painful death, and soon.

As to the song in question, it is a true beauty entitled...

"Edge of the Ocean"

"There's a place I dream about
Where the sun never goes out
And the sky is deep and blue
Won't you take me there with you?
Ooo, we can begin again,
Shed our skin
Let the sun shine in
At the edge of the ocean
We can start over again..."

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I Hereby Abstain From Chicken...

I simply must swear off the likes of KFC and Chik-Fil-A. There's just too much slaughter going on. I think perhaps my old friend Stephanie might just be a mite proud of me for taking this controversial stance.

Speaking of slaughter... I'm reminded of an old Tower of Power song, "Can't Stand To See The Slaughter"

I can't stand to see the slaughter,
   but still I eat the meat
I can't stand dishonest people,
   but still sometimes I cheat
I can't stand that air pollution,
   but still I drive a car
Maybe thems the reasons why
   things is like they are..."

Anyway, you get the idea. Thanks to Sharon McBee for turning me on to Tower of Power. And sorry Mr. Turkey, you're still on the menu.

Hmmm, perhaps Stephanie wouldn't be proud afterall.

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Songs Worth Acquiring...

"Elysium"
--Mary Chapin Carpenter

"It was here in your heart I was finally found
And the last battle won for Elysium"

As heard on Radioio

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How Many Chickens Must Die....

before someone stands up and shouts "enough!" Again, just what is it about chickens that attracts disaster -- natural or otherwise? Case in point:

Fire, the second largest killer or poultry, gutted a NW Florida chicken house. Officials say 11,000 birds lost their lives when fire spread through their home at the Wendell Mitchem Farm. It is estimated the cost in life lost could be as high as $80,000. Equipment loss was put at $55,000.

As in previous reports in this continuing drama, each avian victim is listed as having an individual monetary value. Considering the price-point of earlier victims, these birds have been valued slightly higher -- though this can hardly be considered good news -- a mere $7.27 each.

Despite the tragedy, some 200 chickens managed to escape the fiery conflagration, though their injuries, which include blindness and smoke inhalation, puts to question their survivability. Wendell Mitchem Farm may choose to cut their losses and allow these brave survivors to suffer the No. 1 killer of poultry...

The processing plant.


Previous Poultry Reports:
Michigan Blaze Roasts 250,000 Chickens!
What is it about chickens....

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Lessons in Thinking for One's Self, No. 3

Part of learning to think for one's self necessitates acquiring yet another important skill: The fine art of Listening.

Why learn to listen? If our ears work fine there shouldn't be a problem, right? Perhaps if we lived in a perfect world, devoid of selfishness, subtlety and deceit. Since we don't it's best you pay attention. History is replete with examples of misunderstanding and the resultant chaos that followed.

Now, as to learning the fine art of Listening, first know that there are many aspects to consider. Call them nuances, if you will. Here then is an abbreviated list:

     Word Stress
     Word Usage
     Cultural Reference
     Historical Reference
     the popular Double Entendre
     Sarcasm - both Constructive & Destructive

...and the list goes on. The point is, as Miyamoto Musashi wrote:

"...to learn my Strategy...Know the Ways of all Professions"

This is especially true of Language & Understanding, for without these, there are no "Professions" beyond Hunter/Gatherer.

Let's look at one example before closing this lesson. Let's consider "Word Stress". In any given statement, it's true meaning and/or intent will change, often considerably, depending on which word is stressed. Consider the following sentence...

"I didn't say he killed his wife"

Stress the "I" and the speaker claims he didn't say... to imply someone else said some hapless [or not] Joe killed his wife.

Stress "Didn't" and it changes to a simple denial of having made the statement, "He killed his wife."

But stress "Kill" and now the statement implies "He" did [perhaps] something else to his wife. Perhaps the enigmatic "He" simply slapped his wife, which is a far cry from actually killing her.

But you get the point -- or should. Placing stress, or emphasis on a different word with each recitation will change the sentence's meaning. Again, often considerably.

Now you understand -- or should -- the importance of listening to what is being said. In fact, it's clear there's more to consider than just "What" is said, but we must -- and I can't stress that word enough -- MUST also consider "How" it is said.

There's more to come, rest assured. But for previous lessons, follow the links

Lesson No. 1
Lesson No. 2

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Michigan Blaze Roasts 250,000 Chickens!

Oh, the humanity!!! So how much is a chicken's life worth? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $20.00, including the value of the building that housed the quarter million egg-laying hens, expectant mothers all, making the loss of life all the more tragic.

--August 10, 2005
Herbruck Poultry Ranch,
Berlin Township, Michigan


Curiously...

Five years ago this month, Headlines in Ohio had this to say,

"Ohio Blaze Roasts 250,000 Chickens!"

"There’s nothing left there," said Chief Bob Frey of the Versailles Fire Department. "They were incinerated."

--August 28, 2000
Weaver Brothers Farm
Versailles, Ohio


Note: Curiouser still, the chickens in this blaze were valued at a mere $2.25 each; no cost of building property is mentioned. So, judging for inflation, the hens lost today were actually somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or $6.00. How perculiar that 5 years apart 250,000 chickens meet their doom in a similar fashion. Was it aliens? Some government conspiracy to hide a nefarious experiment gone bad? Or is 250,000 just a nice round number? I know it's odd, but it feeds that poultry fetish of mine. For more on this fetish click here.

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On the FairTax

Finished the FairTax book right after the six. I want it! And will lobby for it! But I fear the likes of Ted, Nancy, Harry & John will bend over backwards, cramming heads into arses to feed themselves and the ignorant masses a "load" of lies.

This would solve near all of our economic woes, so it disturbs me to no end the level of *evil to which many of our politicians have sunk. God help us all if "We the People" can't make a few fundamental changes around here! After all, these Bastards in power work for us! Not the other way 'round.

*In regard to my use of the word Evil, please refer to Lessons in Thinking for One's Self, No.2 and Questions to Consider, Question 1 especially, for contextual eloboration.

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Guilty Pleasure

Roswell, Season 3 was released today. Amazon has yet to send notice that my order has shipped

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Individuality vs. Individualism

Individuality says, "I! Me! Mine! I'm out for myself!"
Individualism says, "I am myself, and society benefits from my Uniqueness."

Strive therefore for Individualism, it is by far the healthier choice; for you as well as the whole of society.

Thanx to Irshad Manji for the meme

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Iraqi Air Force Pilot Earns Plot at Arlington

Note: As Reported during the 10 o'clock newscast on WTVY...

The remains of 4 US Special Operations Airmen and their pilot will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetary. The men died May 30 in the crash of an Iraqi aircraft during a training mission northeast of Baghdad.

MAJ William Downs, 40, CAPT Jeremy Fresques, 26, CAPT Derek Argel, 28, and SGT Casey Crane, 26, all members of United States Air Force, will be buried together and share a grave marker with Iraqi Air Force CAPT Ali Abass.


Personal Note: I keep wondering if we just got the story wrong, after all, isn't Arlington THE national cemetary for American servicemen, veterans, and politico's? I'm not sure how I feel about this except to say, CAPT Abass must have been one hell of a US Ally to warrant such an honor.

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Lessons in Thinking for One's Self, No.2

In everything we do, there is purpose; motive. This includes every word we write or utter, and our every physical action. But for the purposes of this lesson lets confine ourselves to words. Simply said, everything we say has motive, be it benign, neutral, or malignant. Everything. So, when we hear the rich, famous, or powerful pontificate on the right or wrong of any given thing, we absolutely must sift it through our understanding that somewhere in their statement is a motive.

One other thing to understand is that every motive is, at it's core, selfish. Before you get your feathers ruffled, let me say that selfishness is not always a bad thing. For example; a diabetic is getting light-headed and needs sugar, fast. Someone walks up as our diabetic friend is tearing open a Snickers bar and asks for some. The diabetic politely says no, and begins to wolf down the sugar. As far as this other person is concerned, our diabetic friend was blatantly rude, but that wasn't the case. It all comes back to looking out for ones own best interests. If it doesn't hurt ones well-being to share, then all is right with the world! Go ahead and share! But we are not being selfish if we elect not to share knowing that to do so would bring us harm.

So back to Motive. Next time someone states or writes an opinion, ask yourself, "What does he/she have to gain or lose should I, their audience, not take them at their word? What do they have to gain by my acceptance?" Remember, there is always, Always, a motive, a reason why we say what we say.

Previous Lessons:
Lesson One

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Know the Enemy !!!

Senator Fake
--Hillary Clinton’s rep doesn’t gel with her record.

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To the Myrmidons of Liberal Theology

The god you worship is made of tin

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A Letter to Mary Angel

Dearest Mary Angel,

I'm been intrigued by a CD I've been listening to the last couple days. I first bought the disc last year but never really listened to it until the other day. It's by a group who call themselves "Dead Can Dance," and their name is pretty indicative of the tone and fiber of their style -- Very modern and Old World rolled into one, with dark and exotic themes. Their lyrics are more poetry than the traditional fare. The following is a quick sample, and oddly enough, seem to fit perfectly within the scope of a search I began years ago. It is from "Song of Sophia"

With one wish we wake the will
within wisdom.
With one will we wish the wisdom
within waking.
Woken, wishing, willing.

There is truth in those five lines -- someone else's truth for sure, but truth nonetheless. Awaken from your sleep and build your dreams; There lies wisdom! Tragically, there are very few people in the world who are truly awake. I often doubt the veracity of my waking life; am I truly awake? Or do I sleep with untold thousands? But enough of this!

I knew a girl once who changed me in the most fundamental of ways, who altered all my perceptions. And I never got a chance to truly thank her. I find it hard to believe 21 years have passed since I last saw her, and it surprises me how her influence is still in evidence in my attitudes toward life and living. I know I will likely never see her again, and perhaps that's as it should be, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to remember her to you, and to anyone reading, that you and they may know the impact you had on my life.

You have softened more than a few rough edges in me during the years I've spent writing you -- I began in '97. The sad part is that those rough edges were not always there. They were soft edges grown jagged and sharp through bitterness and hardship, of years spent in this self-imposed exile of mine. But I thank you, and it occurs to me I owe thanks to a good many people.

All those "good many people" have had a hand in making me who I am. I'm sure I'll forget a few, indeed many, but this is simply an exercise in thankfulness and the ones I do forget will surely understand, and know that I thank them as well. So, to the following people, real or fictitious, I extend my thanks and gratitude.

God. Mom and Dad. Grandma, Grandpa and the long line of lives that preceded them. Anna, Danielle, Uncles Bob, Steve, Jim, Clare. Aunts Simone, Martha, Gloria, Thao and Lily. Cousins Heidi, Little Jimmy, and Charlie. Teresa Troutman, Leo O'Brian, Frank Alter, Dennis Banka, Stephanies Dean and Breeden, Gloria and both Pauls Dean. Mike "Where's-my-moon," The blonde girl Debbie Schoensiegle who wrote on paper,"YKPGFYA," whose mother had me detained by M.P.'s for daring to like her daughter. To Troop 88 and Mr. Peoples. Scott and Eric Mersnick, and survival campouts. Laura Bearnard, Stacy, Patricia, and Bruce Rhodes. Nancy Rigdon and her brother John. Marc Marley and Lori Sutherland, who spent a memorable night bed with me playing monopoly [sigh, what was I thinking?]. Rodney Shueman, for my first lesson in complacency. Eddie, Kenneth, Kevin and Sharon Trainor. Vince Kasprowicz and his whirling dervish. Sweet little Emily. To the woman who held me at my fathers funeral as I cried; she who was once my step-sister. Mr. Lovrikovic for teaching me that hard second lesson called "Complacency." David and Peaches Skinner and Northside Baptist Church, without whom I may never have come to God. Delilah Dean, who taught me it is better to respect a woman and gain her friendship than anything else I might hope to acquire. Les and Rebecca Grice. Mike Salow and Clint Menacof. Jim Stoller, who shared a jail cell with me on my twenty-ninth birthday, and owns the first and only painting I've sold in exile. Bradford Woods who is somewhere in America enlightening the masses. Peter Paulie, once-time editor of Colorado Springs only daily newspaper, who was nothing in not an encouragement to me. R.D. Golden for teaching me how not to treat a woman. James Bell for teaching me how not to treat a friend. Iota Gamma for showing me what brotherhood is not. Carol Pizza, for teaching me forgiveness. Mary Angel, for teaching me tenderness. Cristal Conley for teaching me the darker things. James Pigneri, Sylvia Harrison. Spinnaker's Restaurant for teaching me how not to treat employees. Edward Eugene "Hoss" Lewis for showing me that no man is worthy of worship, and David Rabe who has shown me that all men are at times to be pitied. To Spain for my first lesson in prejudice, and to George Washington Carver High School for my second. To Kimberly Steele who liked me perhaps as much as I liked her, yet another in a long list of missed opportunites. Mr. Jackson's Homeroom class who did not paint the Beatles mural [it was I]. 1st and 10th grade art contests, both of which I won. Mr. Early and any girl named Kelli. Teresa Milewski for my first taste of genitalia. To band class and the trumpet my mother bought for me, and my love for music. Belinda Kelly for teaching me the true meaning of fidelity and the phrase "sex-as-a-weapon." Everet Youngberg the ever-smiling, ever-faithful friend. Taco, Hercules, Rufus and Dudley, and Pepe. To Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Merry and Pippen and good ole' Sam Gamgee. Charlotte Norris for my first stolen kiss and the slap she returned for my effort. To Paula Kirker, because she liked Klaatu. Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, and Marilyn Monroe. And did I mention Marilyn Monroe? Diana Spencer and Norma Jean. Kansas. Both the calm and stormy seas of winter upon which I piloted a steady course. When Worlds Collide. The Beatles. Enya and Loreena McKennitt. Sinead's burning of Troy. Homers burning of Troy. Ulysses and Penelope. The sinking of Atlantis and the land that is now the Mediterranean Sea. Pangaea and Hyperboria. Ming the Merciless, Flash and Dale Arden. Ornella Muti's "Aura." The Alan Parsons Project and the Turn of a Friendly Card. Ron Ely's "Tarzan." Author Gene Wolfe. Ursula K. LeGuin's "Lathe of Heaven." Ray Bradbury and his "Martian Chronicles," especially "The Million Year Picnic." Icarus Montgolfier Wright. Hermann Hesse and Sidharrtha. Immanuel Velikovsky. William Golding's "Lord of the Flies." Fahrenheit 451. Phillip K. Dick's, "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" AKA Blade Runner. "Logan's Run" [The Book]. "The Stand." "The Dark Tower." Robert Jordan's, "The Wheel Of Time." Robert Roy McGregor and William Wallace. The highlands of Scotland and anything with bagpipes. To "The Sun in the Stream," the tune that echoed across the mountain top at my father's funeral. "Cursum Perficio." Cecil B. Demille's Ten Commandments and to Ben Hur. Sensei Richard Lording's Shorin-Ryu. To Goju-Ryu and Sanchin. Hiroaki Samura and the Blade of the Immortal. Michael J. Linsner. Darrian Ashoka and Dawn. Gary Numan and the B-52's. The Moody Blues. Yes. A Farewell to Kings and Moving Pictures. Clannad, Connie Dover and especially Luka Bloom. Dan Fogelberg. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Tears for Fears, Queen, and Dixie Chicks. For finding Shawn Colvin before everyone else did. Charleton Heston in Planet of the Apes. Jaws. Jean-Luc Picard, Worf, and Data. Bram Stoker and the scariest vampire story ever. Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo and Jules Verne. Back to the Future I, II and III. Robert Adams "Return of the Horseclans" and Milo Morai. Richard Adams "Watership Down," especially Hazel, Fiver, Strawberry, Hyzenthlay, my very own "Hrududu" parked out front, and the concept of Tharn and all it implies. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Steven Segal, all of whom are the real deal. U2 and Sting's "Fields of Gold" as well as his "Dream of the Blue Turtle." Mrs. Bell who treated me as though I were one of her own. Dan Robbins. Joby "the Joneser" Roberts. Cliff Myers. Lee Pizza. Suzie Durko for sharing long walks with me. Mike Gailfoil. Debra Lively. Robby Heisner. Steve Hagan. The Entire Kasprowicz Clan and that Hallowed place known to one and all as the "Oaks." David Everett. Bill Norris and his lovely bride. Catherine "Cat" Vaughan, Kim Dosier, Wendy Morris, Krishelle, Desa Dance. Dot Brown, for the hard lesson in duplicity. Lisa Treadwell, and Sherif Dawson. Dawn Floyd. Brandi Holton. To Hannah and her Needle, Corriandor, and Arwen. The Stoning Of Charity and the return of inspiration after three years, Sun and Flower. The Poetry of War and Howard's Ball. Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern for a look at both sides of the fence. To Solitude, for teaching me how to think for myself and showing me the importance of doing so. To the idea that the glass is neither half full, nor half empty, but "Fully Half Empty." To Marian for teaching me liberalism and christianity do not mix well. To Angel, who taught me to be myself, express my romantic side, and that said "expression" is not inconsistent with faith in God. To Etienne and Angelina, my outlet. To Danielle, because every family needs a blacksheep, however undeserved the epithet, and to Anna because I choose to. To Peter Jackson for giving me Frodo and Aragorn and all of middle earth. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus. Liz Parker and Max Evans. J Michael Straczynski, and Mr. Bester. To Ben for showing me the true face of irrationality. To 9/11 for opening my eyes to the ever changing face of evil. To the Dem's for selfishness. To WTVY for the best job I've ever had, but not one I will hold to for much longer. To Gulf Coast Community College for the beginning of a "thing," and to Wallace Community College for the latest chapter. To john and Aeryn for showing me just how small the cage I kept my imagination in was. Duncan McLeod. That incredible scene wherein Jude Law drags his paralyzed body up a spiral stair. To the realization that sex is the least important of aspects in any relationship. And to Mary Angel, who was my first, and best.

...and the list could go on and on. But I think you get the idea. There are so many people and things that have contributed to who I have become, some good, some bad. Sure, I'd like to be able to go back to when I was 17, with all I know now, and do it differently. Who wouldn't? I would no longer be who I am, but would that necessarily be a bad thing? And that is a question best studied some other time as it is nearing 2am and sleep in this house is hard to come by.

Sweet dreams, Mary Angel.

With love,

Eric.

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Gone to Ground

CBS cut into our local news this evening to tell the world that ABC's Peter Jennings has died. He was 67, liberal, and biased. I refuse to speak ill of the dead but he should have known better... Cigarettes are killers.

UPDATE: Sean Hannity had nothing but nice things to say about Mr. Jennings graciousness [I won't eloborate here] so I feel compelled to qualify my statement. A man can be Liberal, and biased, and still be Gracious. This is what is meant by 'knowing why one believes as they do' while insisting one remain the perfect host. My condolences to the Jennings family. I can only wish there were fewer like him.

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I want to make changes here.

You know, radically change the look and feel, a more personalized expression of me. Thing is, seems I'm going to need help in the doing. I may have to just build a website of my own, I don't know. Did I mention I'm going to need help?

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Why MBA's should not be in charge...

Because they cancel shows like "Keen Eddie", to cite just one example! Having spent much of the early evening perusing a few episodes from the DVD set, it has struck me just how callous and mercenary these networks goons are, caring nothing about whether a show has a following. It's all about the money. I would've loved one full season of Miss Moneypenny.

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In Memorium...

"Forgive us Hiroshima, Forgive us Nagasaki..."

--Deflowering the chrysanthemum

Here is a bit of verse scribbled at the audio board this evening.


What is coming?
I asked of the sky
No thought that blue
Could ever reply
But countless birds
Away did fly
       "Something comes"

What is coming?
I asked again
And felt the brush
Of Insistent wind
Pursuing a path
The Avians winged
       "Something Comes"

What is coming?
I asked of the sun
The air grown hot
To blister my tongue
Flesh to ash
In a flash, done
       Something has come

Yet I remain
My ghost, my bone
Remembered this day
In memorial stone
Etched in apology
I've no right to own

Something has come
...and gone
       May it not be forgotten


ELAshley
080605.102501.6

Of course, factually, birds were incinerated in flight, and no wind rushed save those winds atomic, and those that held Enola above the fray.

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Discovered the first 2 chords...

... in Ian Gomm's "Hold On to What You Got" by sheer accident. Cool! Only 3 or 4 more to go, so it's all downhill from here!

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The Who's Who of Right & Very Wrong

Right: Tony Blair --
             Deport those who foster hatred or advocate violence

Wrong: Ken Livingstone --
             [Muslims are]not to blame. It's America & Blair's fault

Right: *Un-named Marine at an Atlanta book signing when asked --
             "What could [America] be doing [in Iraq] that we're not?"
             His response: "Keep the media out."

Wrong: The ACLU & Mayor Bloomberg, Mayor of New York --
             Profiling will not be tolerated!

Personal Note: The one consistent aspect of the bombing of subways
             and busses is that these acts are perpetrated by middleastern
             men... Muslims. Not little old ladies, or WASP housewives
             with babies in strollers.

*Thanks to Neal Boortz for the story

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Rain, Rain,

Go away! There's only a small window of opportunity for me to get out and walk/run in the mornings. Things are getting decidedly lethargic here, and I just can't go back there.

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My Pocket is Empty This Evening, But...

I do have a few thoughts to set down.

Political Correctness needs to die a quick death, especially in light of the current debate surrounding the profiling of middle eastern men at train, and bus stations. Pardon me, but I can't remember the last time a little old white-haired lady blew up a train or bus. So why are we searching them and not the obvious suspects? We need to get serious about protecting ourselves.

Update: Neal Boortz has this to say about Political correctness -- "Political correctness used to be just an annoyance. Now it has deadly consequences."

Democratic attempts to trick the voting public into voting for a liberal democrat by dressing him up as a war hero has, thankfully, failed. Didn't they learn their lesson with Kerry? Paul Hackett, the losing Liberal, taking a last cheap shot, made reference during his concession speech to an earlier criticism of President Bush: "Chickens are a very interesting bird, not to be confused with birds of prey." What a classy guy.

Judging from everything I've been reading and hearing -- and I'm not usually prone to paranoia, or hysteria -- I'm glad I don't live in a major city. Something bad is coming, really bad. Thankfully Dothan doesn't rank high enough on the Jihadist's death list to warrant notice. Life here may very well be spared, but lives will certainly be changed; difficulties will abound, and many will die in the aftermath.

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Little Has Changed in 9 Months...

While going through some archives early Monday evening, a mere few hours ago, I found an article [rant]I wrote less than a year ago. What I find interesting about it is that nothing has changed since I penned it last October. It is perhaps more apropos now since the bombings in London, and the growing anti-Islam sentiment they have spawned.


Voicings from the Western Slant
--October 30, 2004

I've read a lot this evening on the whole Osama bin Laden [ObL] tape thingy, and while there are quite a few rants out there in C-Space about how ObL wants to see Bush re-elected [the idea being that ObL would prefer a weak Commander in Chief; one who can't even catch a single ass-backward, ignorant, rag-headed plebe], the other major theme appears to view ObL as tired, and desperate... pleading for a respite -- a truce if you will.

"Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your hands. Each state that doesn't mess with our security has automatically secured their security."

--- ObL

Throughout his little speech -- the parts Al Jazeerah have allowed us to view -- he avoids all the blood-and-ashes, death-to-America invective that characterized his previous messages. Instead he offers a conciliatory, "If you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone."

Most of the people i've read this evening are fair evenly divided on their belief as to ObL's level of intelligence. "He's a smart guy," say some. "He's not very bright," say others, while others still call him "insane."

well, as to...

Insane -- It's too easy. Too easy because we view his actions from our own perception of "crazy." For westerners it's considered irrational to kill the neighbors kid for offering to rake your lawn, or kill flies via grampa's 30-aught 6. The word "over-kill" comes to mind. Just because Islam's mind-set is decidedly 6th century [again, that's from a biased western point of view], it shouldn't automatically be assumed that it lacks the ability to think rationally. Let's not forget, their minds -- from a developmental stand-point, are no different than our own. They simply value things differently. For them it is not unthinkable to blow up an entire plane, with themselves on board, if it accomplishes the destruction of hundreds, or even thousands of lives. 9/11 should have taught us that, but the Liberal Left appear incapable of picking up on that subtle nuance.

He's not very bright -- Well, that one just doesn't fly; unlike 4 passenger jets on the morning of September 11th, 2001. Again, we value and esteem intelligence in a different light; from a different perspective. Just because it doesn't make sense to us, doesn't mean it's senseless.

He's a smart guy -- You bet he is! Way Smart! But! He has trouble seeing the western world from anything other than his own Islamically rose-colored glasses: His biased perception of all things western. What he deems to be demoralizing for us is in fact a flash point for our own outrage, and sense of moral resolve... a moment when will's hardens, necks stiffen, and chins -- cut and bleeding -- get lifted high in defiance.

No, by telling us that our own security lies in our own hands, ObL's not only asking us to back off a bit [leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone -- for awhile at least], he's also telling us that a vote for Kerry is the same as a vote for peace, or a truce -- however fleeting. No, ObL's aim is to effect our electoral process and encourage the election of JFKerry to the high office of President of the United States of America. With Kerry in the Oval Office ObL can regroup, and live to strike another day. Next time, perhaps, with a nuclear or biological device.

The election is a mere 3 days hence. You have a choice to make. Choose wisely.


Disclaimer: I do not hate Muslim's. I simply do not understand them. Which, of course, could be construed as hatred by those who perceive the world differently than I. Admittedly, I see no justification for the murder of another based simply on ethnicity, or on any basis. Nor do I see any justification in subjugating women to the point that a goat would have more intrinsic value, or to any point for that matter. To me, any belief that advocates the murder of everyone not of that faith, has a god unworthy of my respect; to say nothing of worship, praise, etc., et al. God alone is worthy of Praise, Worship, and Adoration.

[NOTE: Some would point out that Christianity espouses the same, but only the ignorant would voice such a belief. Not once did Jesus tell his disciples to "...go out and kill the unbelievers." Not once.]

UPDATE: Anthony Robbins says quite often that the definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. al-Qaeda is trapped in that very mindset. ObL thought to intimidate a weak-willed West, but got instead a west hell-bent on destroying him and his organization. In short, he got more than he bargained for. And yet his followers still haven't learned the lesson. Perhaps muslims in Iraq and other such countries can be intimidated by threats of death and dismemberment, but not the west. Not, the U.S. Not England. Hit us hard and we hit back. And we don't stop until the object of our pummeling ceases to move.

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The ACLU is a Communist Org.?

Heard today that the ACLU and the National Lawyers Guild were founded by communist organizations and/or individuals. I find this surprising, to say the least, and yet their stand on a variety of social issues now make sense. I can't, however, in all good conscience accept the report of a single source. More investigation is warranted.

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What Freedom Gives...

"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. "

--Ronald Reagan

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In Memorium...

Today marks the 6th anniversary of the August 1st, 1999 execution-style double murder of Northview High School students J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett. This case remains unsolved, and there are currently no suspects. It was Tracie's 17th birthday.

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3 Quotes From...

Quagmire for al-Qaeda
Terrorists are feeling the heat in Iraq

--by Jack Kelly


"But except in news reports, the war in Iraq has been going poorly for al-Qaida."

"Suicide attacks have been successful in gaining headlines, but have not slowed enlistment in the Iraqi armed forces, or prevented prominent Sunnis from taking part in the writing of the constitution."

"Clumsy mistakes made in the London bombings suggest to Strategic Forecasting that al-Qaeda has suffered "a rather serious decline in the quality -- though not necessarily the quantity -- of its operational assets." A shortage of skilled labor would explain why al-Qaeda is shifting assets from Iraq."


COMMENT: How true it is that the Mainstream Media can only see this War on Terror [Which is a misnomer, by the way; War cannot be waged on an abstract. We are instead at war with radical Islam who are the perpetrators of Terrorism]. The press would have everyone believe that it is we, the West, who are losing this war. Thankfully, I have learned to think and reason for myself. I don't need a Dan Rather or a Brian Williams to explain to me what I'm really seeing, like the way they do after political speeches... "Now what the President just said was 'Blah, bla-blah blah blah.' " I have eyes and ears that work just fine, and I'm not impressed by their celebrity. Or celebrities for that matter.

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