I warned I would be spotty this week. We're out of town and I've lost my routine. Anyway, that's my excuse.
And I'm missing out on some dynamic news. Ford disses the Iraq war. Bush snubs Ford's funeral. Forget soap operas. Washington politics has more drama.
And then there's Saddam. Isn't hanging outlawed in the U.S.? Isn't it cruel and unusual? I know, Saddam's not an American--though he did work closely with the U.S. governmeny for several years. And he was a dictator, but Iraq was much more peaceful back in the day. I'm no fan of the guy, but I don't understand the intense hatred for him here in this country. And I become concerned when people anticipate someone's death with glee.
So I missed all that news, and more. But I have something exciting coming to this place.'
Sometime next week I plan to take off on a road trip. I have a rough itinerary, but I hope for (good) surprises--not flat tires or anything like that. I'll be writing from the road. Happy trails!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
On the Road
I didn't post yesterday because I completely forgot it was Monday. I don't celebrate Christmas, but the holiday threw everything off just the same.
I'm writing tonight (okay, early this morning) from St. Louis. I'm at my mother's house on my first stop of my road trip. My mother and I plan to do some exploring in warmer climes.
We'll take off next week. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, forgive me if my posts are spotty.
I'm writing tonight (okay, early this morning) from St. Louis. I'm at my mother's house on my first stop of my road trip. My mother and I plan to do some exploring in warmer climes.
We'll take off next week. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, forgive me if my posts are spotty.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Fair and Just
Newly-elected congressman, Keith Ellison, plans to take the oath of office by swearing on the Qur'an, not the Bible. Some have raised an uproar over this. I'm not talking about the general public. I'm talking about the leaders. They're missing some important points.
1. The United States is not a Christian nation. The founding fathers, many of whom were not Christians but Theists, took pains to create a secular state. Therefore, the Bible is not the official holy book of this country. There is no official religion and no official holy book.
2. The voters of Minnesota chose Ellison to represent them and they knew he was a Muslim. We should respect the choice of the voters.
3. The Bible doesn't have a strong intrinsic meaning to Muslims. The Qur'an does. So if someone is being asked to uphold his duties, shouldn't he swear by that which is important to him? No one is asking a Christian congressman to swear on the Qur'an. That would be nonsense. So why should a Muslim congressman swear on the Bible? It's only fair.
I would like to recognize a small victory for justice. Soldiers responsible for the Haritha massacre will be punished.
My only question is, When will we punish the person who started this whole mess in the first place?
1. The United States is not a Christian nation. The founding fathers, many of whom were not Christians but Theists, took pains to create a secular state. Therefore, the Bible is not the official holy book of this country. There is no official religion and no official holy book.
2. The voters of Minnesota chose Ellison to represent them and they knew he was a Muslim. We should respect the choice of the voters.
3. The Bible doesn't have a strong intrinsic meaning to Muslims. The Qur'an does. So if someone is being asked to uphold his duties, shouldn't he swear by that which is important to him? No one is asking a Christian congressman to swear on the Qur'an. That would be nonsense. So why should a Muslim congressman swear on the Bible? It's only fair.
I would like to recognize a small victory for justice. Soldiers responsible for the Haritha massacre will be punished.
My only question is, When will we punish the person who started this whole mess in the first place?
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
What's the point?
Will there be 3000 American dead in Iraq by the end of 2006? Not likely, but it's possible.
Meanwhile, more troops are being sent. Why? To deepen the chaos and increase the number of deaths? I don't see any other reason. Unless it's a misguided attempt to save a war which cannot and should not be saved. But I think it's a little late for that.
I was one of those standing on the street corner in the weeks before the invasion of Iraq. Some honked. Many cursed. When The Decider began the war, in spite of all conventional wisdom, I lost hope. Not entirely. But it seemed pointless to stand outside in the cold and voice your opposition to a war which would begin no matter what you, or anyone else, said because that's what the dictator, er president, has decided.
Americans spoke at the polling places last month. Soon the new Congress will be seated. And if they continue with the same old mistakes, the same old lies, I will know it has all been pointless.
But hope is good. Without it, what is there?
Meanwhile, more troops are being sent. Why? To deepen the chaos and increase the number of deaths? I don't see any other reason. Unless it's a misguided attempt to save a war which cannot and should not be saved. But I think it's a little late for that.
I was one of those standing on the street corner in the weeks before the invasion of Iraq. Some honked. Many cursed. When The Decider began the war, in spite of all conventional wisdom, I lost hope. Not entirely. But it seemed pointless to stand outside in the cold and voice your opposition to a war which would begin no matter what you, or anyone else, said because that's what the dictator, er president, has decided.
Americans spoke at the polling places last month. Soon the new Congress will be seated. And if they continue with the same old mistakes, the same old lies, I will know it has all been pointless.
But hope is good. Without it, what is there?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Sanity
Crime rates increase.
Civil war spreads.
Children exploited.
Rage consumes "civilization." It seems to grow hotter every day, every year. A global warming more threatening than the melting of icecaps.
Yet we must remain peaceful and sane. Surrender is not an option.
We search for peace. In creation and the Creator.
We have to have something to get us through the day.
Civil war spreads.
Children exploited.
Rage consumes "civilization." It seems to grow hotter every day, every year. A global warming more threatening than the melting of icecaps.
Yet we must remain peaceful and sane. Surrender is not an option.
We search for peace. In creation and the Creator.
We have to have something to get us through the day.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Searching
I'm not sure what to write about tonight. Have any ideas?
The top two stories are the search for the two remaining hikers on Mt. Hood and the Pentagon's agreement that things need to change in Iraq.
One group searching for safety. The other searching for a way to save themselves from the monster they created.
Snow. War. The world is full of danger.
But the snowstorm couldn't have been avoided. The War in Iraq could have. And should have. Second guessing when thousands are dead doesn't cut it.
The top two stories are the search for the two remaining hikers on Mt. Hood and the Pentagon's agreement that things need to change in Iraq.
One group searching for safety. The other searching for a way to save themselves from the monster they created.
Snow. War. The world is full of danger.
But the snowstorm couldn't have been avoided. The War in Iraq could have. And should have. Second guessing when thousands are dead doesn't cut it.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Chemical Killers
A major news item tonight is that breast cancer rates are continuing to fall. The decline is being attributed to discontinuation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which usually began when a woman approached menopause. The removal of that one factor is said to be significant.
I always believed that cancer was caused when something unnatural was introduced into the body. I have cancer now and I still believe that. In fact, I've spent months searching for a cause for my leukemia. I've never smoked (except for that one experiment back when I was in college), I've never drunk alcohol (except for communion wine in church before I became a Muslim), and for the last twenty years my diet has been fairly healthy. I knew there had to be a cause. And I've found it.
Benzene is a chemical derived from petroleum. It is present in many things, including perfumes. I have been allergic to perfume, and scents in general, since 1986. I've tried to avoid them, but it has been increasingly difficult. Muslims generally wear scents--often quite heavily--and so I was exposed reguarly when I taught in an Islamic school. I became increasingly sick--new symptoms appearing every couple of years--but I kept trudging on. Finally, in January, I accidentally walked into an aerosol spray of air freshener and w as stopped dead in my tracks.
Benzene doesn't just activate allergic responses in me and others. It can cause leukemia. I'm convinced that's what made me sick. The chemicals actually alter genetic structures. When I Googled benzene earlier today, the first listing was a law firm which helps those who have been exposed. Their site confirmed what I already knew. Benzene causes leukemia. Think about it.
Think about it when you plug in that air freshener. When you pour on the scented shampoo, soap up with jasmine or rose and put on your scented anti-perspirant. When you put on the clothes which were washing in scented detergent and dried with scented dryer sheets. When you spray air fresheners. When you pour on perfume, cologne or aftershave. Think about it.
The rate of leukemia is rising. The kind I have used to be for old people, but the patients are getting younger. And more children are getting leukemia.
Do you wonder when we spend so much time trying to create artificial scents? Of course we don't want to smell bad. But we don't need to overdo it. As the commercial said back in the 60s, "A little dab'll do ya."
Chemicals are killing us. They're in our medicines. In our food. In our water. And in the air we breathe. We need to demand a change before it's too late.
I always believed that cancer was caused when something unnatural was introduced into the body. I have cancer now and I still believe that. In fact, I've spent months searching for a cause for my leukemia. I've never smoked (except for that one experiment back when I was in college), I've never drunk alcohol (except for communion wine in church before I became a Muslim), and for the last twenty years my diet has been fairly healthy. I knew there had to be a cause. And I've found it.
Benzene is a chemical derived from petroleum. It is present in many things, including perfumes. I have been allergic to perfume, and scents in general, since 1986. I've tried to avoid them, but it has been increasingly difficult. Muslims generally wear scents--often quite heavily--and so I was exposed reguarly when I taught in an Islamic school. I became increasingly sick--new symptoms appearing every couple of years--but I kept trudging on. Finally, in January, I accidentally walked into an aerosol spray of air freshener and w as stopped dead in my tracks.
Benzene doesn't just activate allergic responses in me and others. It can cause leukemia. I'm convinced that's what made me sick. The chemicals actually alter genetic structures. When I Googled benzene earlier today, the first listing was a law firm which helps those who have been exposed. Their site confirmed what I already knew. Benzene causes leukemia. Think about it.
Think about it when you plug in that air freshener. When you pour on the scented shampoo, soap up with jasmine or rose and put on your scented anti-perspirant. When you put on the clothes which were washing in scented detergent and dried with scented dryer sheets. When you spray air fresheners. When you pour on perfume, cologne or aftershave. Think about it.
The rate of leukemia is rising. The kind I have used to be for old people, but the patients are getting younger. And more children are getting leukemia.
Do you wonder when we spend so much time trying to create artificial scents? Of course we don't want to smell bad. But we don't need to overdo it. As the commercial said back in the 60s, "A little dab'll do ya."
Chemicals are killing us. They're in our medicines. In our food. In our water. And in the air we breathe. We need to demand a change before it's too late.
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