Does the assassination of Benazir Bhutto mean the end of democracy in Pakistan? Is there any hope for Musharaf to end the rioting without marshal law? Will the people see who is behind this and turn against the Muslim extremists, or will they turn their anger toward Musharaf and democracy?
The death of Butto is a serious blow to Pakistan and democracy everywhere, but it could become a rally cry to end extremism. If the people of Pakistan can see that it was those who hide al Queda and bin Laden in the mountains who are responsible for this act, then maybe this can be a nexus, a turning point for getting control of the imams that teach hate.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The Letter F
I found some time back that the meaning of life, what is best in life, is 'in' the letter F. Well, not just the letter, but words that begin with the letter F. Friendship, Food, Fun, Family, Football, Faith, Flying...
To me cooking BBQ (food) surrounded by family and friends, watching football is fun. I love to fly, but gave it up as a career some time back for my family.
What other F words have meaning?
Freedom
Fishing
Flavor
Feasting
Feelings
Festivals
Fruit
Fiddles
Folks
Fields
Flowers
Films
Finances
Friday
Fireworks
Fix
Flag
Flakes
Flapjacks
Flavor
Flesh
Flirt
Float
Flow
Feet
Foreigner
Fowl
Fragile
Fresh
Fried
Frisky
Fuel
Funny
Fur
Furniture
Future
Father
These are all great words, but I'm not going to define them for you. That is something you have to do for yourself. Each word in any language evokes feelings and meaning that is different for each person.
Maybe you have another letter that you are fond of. Do the same thing for that letter, but the key is finding what is best in life for you. Focus on those feelings and allow yourself to love what they are. Heck, you might even make your own words to fit the pattern.
To me cooking BBQ (food) surrounded by family and friends, watching football is fun. I love to fly, but gave it up as a career some time back for my family.
What other F words have meaning?
Freedom
Fishing
Flavor
Feasting
Feelings
Festivals
Fruit
Fiddles
Folks
Fields
Flowers
Films
Finances
Friday
Fireworks
Fix
Flag
Flakes
Flapjacks
Flavor
Flesh
Flirt
Float
Flow
Feet
Foreigner
Fowl
Fragile
Fresh
Fried
Frisky
Fuel
Funny
Fur
Furniture
Future
Father
These are all great words, but I'm not going to define them for you. That is something you have to do for yourself. Each word in any language evokes feelings and meaning that is different for each person.
Maybe you have another letter that you are fond of. Do the same thing for that letter, but the key is finding what is best in life for you. Focus on those feelings and allow yourself to love what they are. Heck, you might even make your own words to fit the pattern.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Gay Marriage?
Wow, that is a tough one. What does that mean? What exactly is marriage is the first thing to answer before seeing if you for or against gay marriage.
This is from the Merriam-Webster web site:
So according to this definition marriage is between two sexes. I guess then that precludes the idea of a gay marriage. I remember the first time I saw a marriage announcement in the newspaper that showed two women. It weirded me out, I will admit it.
Then, being a Christian, I know that it is said in the Book that being Gay is an abomination. I know people that will judge, shun and hurt people based upon their orientation. I understand where these people are coming from, but I cannot help but think that God doesn't want us to hurt each other. I know he told us not to judge anyone.
So I guess the easiest way to say it is that all humans are children of God. Gays, Democrats, Republicans, Nazis, straights, Muslims, Hindus, etc. As children of God, even if they don't see it or want to be, means that it is not our job to judge them as humans. Don't you think it is hard enough to be a human being in this world without suffering from the hate of others.
I may be a Christian and have just gotten finished talking about not judging others, but I have judged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an idiot. Contrary to the President of Iran being gay is not a crime, and it sure does not call for a death penalty.
Some of you might say, but what about people that abuse children of the same sex? That is not what I'm talking about. Anyone that abuses a child should burn in a special level of Hell. In fact, I am against Capital Punishment, with the possible exception being for those that pray on children. Then again putting them in general prison population will give them a taste of their own medicine, and without possibility of parole. But, back to the subject at hand.
To me then if two people want a document and a ceremony to bind their relationship together then I'm all for it. I don't see how this hurts anyone or makes the institution of marriage any weaker than it already is. All the straight divorces we have now are doing a good job of weakening the institution.
I'm okay if the majority of the people want to call gay marriage something else. As long as the result is the same, what does it matter what it is called?
for more information see this Wiki entry.
This is from the Merriam-Webster web site:
- Main Entry:mar·riage
- Pronunciation:\ˈmer-ij, ˈma-rij\
- Function:noun
- Etymology:Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marry
- Date:14th century
1 a (1): the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage marriage> b: the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock c: the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage2: an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities3: an intimate or close union marriage of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross>
So according to this definition marriage is between two sexes. I guess then that precludes the idea of a gay marriage. I remember the first time I saw a marriage announcement in the newspaper that showed two women. It weirded me out, I will admit it.
Then, being a Christian, I know that it is said in the Book that being Gay is an abomination. I know people that will judge, shun and hurt people based upon their orientation. I understand where these people are coming from, but I cannot help but think that God doesn't want us to hurt each other. I know he told us not to judge anyone.
So I guess the easiest way to say it is that all humans are children of God. Gays, Democrats, Republicans, Nazis, straights, Muslims, Hindus, etc. As children of God, even if they don't see it or want to be, means that it is not our job to judge them as humans. Don't you think it is hard enough to be a human being in this world without suffering from the hate of others.
I may be a Christian and have just gotten finished talking about not judging others, but I have judged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an idiot. Contrary to the President of Iran being gay is not a crime, and it sure does not call for a death penalty.
Some of you might say, but what about people that abuse children of the same sex? That is not what I'm talking about. Anyone that abuses a child should burn in a special level of Hell. In fact, I am against Capital Punishment, with the possible exception being for those that pray on children. Then again putting them in general prison population will give them a taste of their own medicine, and without possibility of parole. But, back to the subject at hand.
To me then if two people want a document and a ceremony to bind their relationship together then I'm all for it. I don't see how this hurts anyone or makes the institution of marriage any weaker than it already is. All the straight divorces we have now are doing a good job of weakening the institution.
I'm okay if the majority of the people want to call gay marriage something else. As long as the result is the same, what does it matter what it is called?
for more information see this Wiki entry.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
altrrr?
What does it mean? These are the initials of the 3 greatest US Presidents of all time.
al= Abraham Lincoln
tr=Teddy Roosevelt
rr=Ronald Reagan
al+tr+rr = altrrr
That is not the complete list of my favorite Presidents, but is the top 3. I also include George Washington, FDR, and John Kennedy in the top 6. All for different reasons.
On another site I had a guy ask me if I ranked Ronald Reagan as a better President than the others I listed. I did and do have a top 3, but of the ones I have listed they were all important because of who they were and what they did at an important point in American history.
"I don't believe [Reagan] was the greatest, just the right one at the right time for America in the 80's. Just as Washington was the right president for our new nation, as was Lincoln, Teddy, FDR, JFK (if he lived) and RR."
"What would America and the world be like if Washington hadn't turned down the offer to be our new King?
What if Lincoln had not fought hard to keep the nation together and just told the Southerners it was okay to secede?
What is Teddy had not shown us how to become a world power? What if he hadn't fought so hard against the monopolies?
What if FDR hadn't instituted so many social programs during the depression or led us during the greatest war ever fought?
What if JFK hadn't appealed to our 'better angels?'
What if Reagan hadn't been around to get us out of our doldrums and instituted policies to get our economy back on track? What if he hadn't made it okay to be proud to be an American?"
So whenever I have a question of what our leaders today should do I ask myself "what would altrrr do?"
al= Abraham Lincoln
tr=Teddy Roosevelt
rr=Ronald Reagan
al+tr+rr = altrrr
That is not the complete list of my favorite Presidents, but is the top 3. I also include George Washington, FDR, and John Kennedy in the top 6. All for different reasons.
On another site I had a guy ask me if I ranked Ronald Reagan as a better President than the others I listed. I did and do have a top 3, but of the ones I have listed they were all important because of who they were and what they did at an important point in American history.
"I don't believe [Reagan] was the greatest, just the right one at the right time for America in the 80's. Just as Washington was the right president for our new nation, as was Lincoln, Teddy, FDR, JFK (if he lived) and RR."
"What would America and the world be like if Washington hadn't turned down the offer to be our new King?
What if Lincoln had not fought hard to keep the nation together and just told the Southerners it was okay to secede?
What is Teddy had not shown us how to become a world power? What if he hadn't fought so hard against the monopolies?
What if FDR hadn't instituted so many social programs during the depression or led us during the greatest war ever fought?
What if JFK hadn't appealed to our 'better angels?'
What if Reagan hadn't been around to get us out of our doldrums and instituted policies to get our economy back on track? What if he hadn't made it okay to be proud to be an American?"
So whenever I have a question of what our leaders today should do I ask myself "what would altrrr do?"
Bully Boy
One thing that America has been accused of on a near regular basis is being a bully around the world. Hmmmm. Want to see a bully, just look here...
That is the face of bullies around the world. Have you heard the one about how he is pissed at Spain because the King there had the audacity to tell him to shut up? Or where he compared the President of the US to the devil? How about where he is trying to get his countrymen to give him almost limitless powers? There is a constitutional referendum coming up and he is saying that if the vote goes against him it will because the US meddled in his affairs and he will shut off the oil. If any Venezuelan votes against him they are doing so at the behest of that nasty guy Bush.
Talk about painting a picture with broad strokes. This is one thing that Tyrants do very well - bully their way to office and then all the way to absolute power. Hugo wants to be the absolute ruler of his country and wants to have complete rule over Latin America.
Once he has his absolute power those that oppose him will learn what pain is. He has already made his way with closing down opposition newspapers and TV stations. Once you control the media you win the argument.
Fidel and Hugo, separated at birth?
That is the face of bullies around the world. Have you heard the one about how he is pissed at Spain because the King there had the audacity to tell him to shut up? Or where he compared the President of the US to the devil? How about where he is trying to get his countrymen to give him almost limitless powers? There is a constitutional referendum coming up and he is saying that if the vote goes against him it will because the US meddled in his affairs and he will shut off the oil. If any Venezuelan votes against him they are doing so at the behest of that nasty guy Bush.
Talk about painting a picture with broad strokes. This is one thing that Tyrants do very well - bully their way to office and then all the way to absolute power. Hugo wants to be the absolute ruler of his country and wants to have complete rule over Latin America.
Once he has his absolute power those that oppose him will learn what pain is. He has already made his way with closing down opposition newspapers and TV stations. Once you control the media you win the argument.
Fidel and Hugo, separated at birth?
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