Religious News
A Russian Lama's Body, and His Faith, Defy Time...On Sept. 11, 75 years after Itigilov's death, the body was once again lifted from the earth. This time there was a record of the event: a dozen witnesses, including two forensic experts and a photographer.The lamas who opened the coffin wore surgical masks, but they need not have. Itigilov's body remained preserved.
Well, didn't Reagan already say something similar?...Satanism on the Move in Russia
But before anybody points fingers...High school Satanism club prompts parental outrage...But now that the two juniors have studied the teachings of Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan, they say Satanism helps people to express themselves. "Its (Satanism's) purpose is to turn man back into a natural state and not have him corrupted by religion," Doolittle said.
It ain't easy giving out Bibles in Sodom on the Hudson.
Homophobes hide behind religion...I would like to inform Mr. Lautens that homophobia does indeed exist as a mental illness, and that you need not physically assault homosexuals to be qualified as a homophobe. Studies have shown that most homophobes are in fact sexually insecure and repressed individuals who take their frustration out on gays, lesbians, and anyone else who refuses to be pigeonholed into dichotomies created, and preserved, by the status quo.
A twist on the old saying, "the devil made me do it...Ms. Poulin, 78, took the stand in her own defence on Monday, telling the court she was personally directed by God to hit the children in order to correct their behaviour and save them from going to Hell.
Pope to become Roman citizen As bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II has visited most of the city’s parishes and churches over the last 24 years. Now the city is expressing its thanks by making the pontiff an honorary Roman citizen
Vatican to scrutinise Neocatechumenate statutes
Monday, September 30, 2002
Serious News
Well, this can't be a political stunt...Giuliani wanted to 'execute' Bin Laden
Ironic headline, given the subject, don't you think?...Idiot's guide to equality drawn up for judges...SCOTLAND’S judges are to be given a basic guide to political correctness which explains that words such as ‘Paki’ and ‘half-caste’ are unacceptable.
US begins entry checks on Muslims and related: US cracks down on visas
Okay, so travelling with a gun on a plane doesn't mean anything...Sweden releases hijack suspect RELATEDarticle.
And across the pond, things are going too well in another "hijacking" case...Judge Delays Accused 9/11 Conspirator's Trial...A federal judge on Monday delayed accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui's trial by six months until June after he complained about the overwhelming amount of evidence to go through and the recent disruption of his preparation caused by a government mistake.
I first read this headline, as US helped with "blow-weapons," as in blowguns..and thought that was a novel idea...instead of trading up technology...US 'helped' with Iraqi bioweapons
Likely death toll in Senegal sea disaster soars
EU compromises on international court and related: Europeans to Exempt U.S. From War Court
Well, this can't be a political stunt...Giuliani wanted to 'execute' Bin Laden
Ironic headline, given the subject, don't you think?...Idiot's guide to equality drawn up for judges...SCOTLAND’S judges are to be given a basic guide to political correctness which explains that words such as ‘Paki’ and ‘half-caste’ are unacceptable.
US begins entry checks on Muslims and related: US cracks down on visas
Okay, so travelling with a gun on a plane doesn't mean anything...Sweden releases hijack suspect RELATEDarticle.
And across the pond, things are going too well in another "hijacking" case...Judge Delays Accused 9/11 Conspirator's Trial...A federal judge on Monday delayed accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui's trial by six months until June after he complained about the overwhelming amount of evidence to go through and the recent disruption of his preparation caused by a government mistake.
I first read this headline, as US helped with "blow-weapons," as in blowguns..and thought that was a novel idea...instead of trading up technology...US 'helped' with Iraqi bioweapons
Likely death toll in Senegal sea disaster soars
EU compromises on international court and related: Europeans to Exempt U.S. From War Court
Light News
Oh, brother...The 26-year-old doused a towel with rubbing alcohol, put it on his head and then lit a cigarette, police said. The towel caught fire and engulfed the man. He suffered burns on about 50 percent of his body
Mmmm, good...or not...Blood and Guts on Menu for Romania Dracula Park
Oh, brother...The 26-year-old doused a towel with rubbing alcohol, put it on his head and then lit a cigarette, police said. The towel caught fire and engulfed the man. He suffered burns on about 50 percent of his body
Mmmm, good...or not...Blood and Guts on Menu for Romania Dracula Park
PART 3: Samuel L. Clemens On The Middle East
NOTE: This is the third part of a passage taken from a 1968 edition of Samuel L. Clemens' (Mark Twain) first chapter of “Tom Sawyer Abroad.” Humorous? Timely? Stupid? You decide…debate?
+_+_+_+_+
Jim shook his head, and says:
“Mars Tom, I reckon dey’s a mistake about it somers…dey mos’ sholy is. I’s religious mysself, en I know plenty religious people, but I hain’t run across none dat acts like dat.”
It made Tom hot, and he says:
“Well, it’s enough to make a body sick, such mullethead ignorance! If either of you’d read anything about history, you’d know that Richard Cur de Loon, and the Pope, and Godfrey de Bulleyn, and lots more of the most noble-hearted and pious people in the world, hacked and hammered at the paynims for more than two hundred years trying to take their land away from them, and swum neck-deep in blood the whole time…and yet here’s a couple of sap-headed country yahoos out in the backwoods of Missouri setting themselves up to know more about the rights and wrongs of it than they did! Talk about cheek!”
----------to be continued…
NOTE: This is the third part of a passage taken from a 1968 edition of Samuel L. Clemens' (Mark Twain) first chapter of “Tom Sawyer Abroad.” Humorous? Timely? Stupid? You decide…debate?
Jim shook his head, and says:
“Mars Tom, I reckon dey’s a mistake about it somers…dey mos’ sholy is. I’s religious mysself, en I know plenty religious people, but I hain’t run across none dat acts like dat.”
It made Tom hot, and he says:
“Well, it’s enough to make a body sick, such mullethead ignorance! If either of you’d read anything about history, you’d know that Richard Cur de Loon, and the Pope, and Godfrey de Bulleyn, and lots more of the most noble-hearted and pious people in the world, hacked and hammered at the paynims for more than two hundred years trying to take their land away from them, and swum neck-deep in blood the whole time…and yet here’s a couple of sap-headed country yahoos out in the backwoods of Missouri setting themselves up to know more about the rights and wrongs of it than they did! Talk about cheek!”
----------to be continued…
You've Seen The Photo Of Madrid Protestors?
This is Spain...where anti-war protestors dress up as suicide bombers. While, there's no doubt that the photo will, or already has, offended some - especially people living in Israel - this is just the latest in a "long history" in Spain of going for the absurd.
I won't go into the "politics" behind the choice of the "pose" - I'll leave that up to the duo at Iberian Notes - but instead, I'd like to post a few thoughts and examples on Spain - a land of contrasts, where the ridiculous and profane often intersects with the religious and conservative.
Spain is the country where during Holy Week (Easter) celebrations, there are towns where the public dresses up as "Jews" and "Christians" to play part of a Easter week pageant...In one such place, as the event unfolds, the "Jews" began screaming derogatory, racist comments at the "Christ" figure...word has it that the "actors" to be able to shout these things at the "Christ" meet ahead of time in the village church to down strong drink, "to build up courage." And this is from the country that gave birth to the Jesuits and Domincans.
Spain is also the country where a goat was tossed from a chuch belltower as part of a town's (Manganeses de la Polvorosa) kick-off celebration in honour of St. Vincent, the town's patron saint.
Spain is the country where the number one read after Gen. Franco's death in the 1970s some say was a soft-porn magazine, or where a popular actress and TV presentadora goes by the name of Bibi Andersen...even though she wasn't born a she.
Spain is the country that has some of the best footballers in the world, and yet has never won a World Cup.
Spain gave us Velazquez, but also Dali, Picasso and Antonio Gaudi.
Spain is the country where bullfighting is considered an "Art," and is regulated by the Ministry of Culture, or where a bullfighter - Ignacio Sanchez Mejias - was a founding author of one of the country's most prestigious literary movements, the Generation of '27.
In politics, the sense of absurd is even more heightened....current Secretary General of WEU Javier Solana, is a Socialist who studied at Berkley, where he joined in anti-war demonstrations, and was firmly opposed to NATO...but that didn't stop him from Dec 1995-Oct 1999 as serving as NATO's secretary general.
Spain is probably the only country in the world that awards a person working for the tax ministry with higher office...current Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar was a tax collector.
Spain is also the country where you have Ruiz Mateos...Conservative, and arch-defender of the Roman Catholic Church, Mateos was once one of Spain's wealthiest - that is until the Socialist party decided to strip him of most of his companies...Mateos in turn went to the courts dressed as Superman, and gave interviews in jail dressed in Keystone Cop "prison garb," whilst writing editorials from his jail cell.
Or where else but in Spain, can you have Jesus Gil, a businessman, who's served time in jail for a building collapsing and killing people, eventually buy a football team - Atletico de Madrid - and become mayor of Marbella. Besides having a pet alligator, Gil also had a weekly TV game where he'd host the show from a hot-tub, exposing his 300 pound belly, with skimpily-clad beauties on each side.
Spain is the country where twice a year traffic is halted in Madrid and the roads are given over to shepherds bringing sheep through the center of town.
And then there are the demonstrations...on almost any given day, Madrid traffic will find itself driven to a halt, because somebody, from somewhere in Spain, has decided to use their right to hold a demonstration in Madrid. Just last week it was the nudists' turn (sorry no photos)...which was quite a sight, as dozens of naked people strolled down the avenue, protected by the police, to protest their right to fry their bums.
There are a million more examples I could give, but knowing Spaniards sense of the absurd the "photo-in-question" doesn't surprise me. In fact, I have a suspicion that instead of being outraged, there were probably more people trying to figure out if the "two suicide bombers" were wearing anything under those, uh, bombs.
This is Spain...where anti-war protestors dress up as suicide bombers. While, there's no doubt that the photo will, or already has, offended some - especially people living in Israel - this is just the latest in a "long history" in Spain of going for the absurd.
I won't go into the "politics" behind the choice of the "pose" - I'll leave that up to the duo at Iberian Notes - but instead, I'd like to post a few thoughts and examples on Spain - a land of contrasts, where the ridiculous and profane often intersects with the religious and conservative.
Spain is the country where during Holy Week (Easter) celebrations, there are towns where the public dresses up as "Jews" and "Christians" to play part of a Easter week pageant...In one such place, as the event unfolds, the "Jews" began screaming derogatory, racist comments at the "Christ" figure...word has it that the "actors" to be able to shout these things at the "Christ" meet ahead of time in the village church to down strong drink, "to build up courage." And this is from the country that gave birth to the Jesuits and Domincans.
Spain is also the country where a goat was tossed from a chuch belltower as part of a town's (Manganeses de la Polvorosa) kick-off celebration in honour of St. Vincent, the town's patron saint.
Spain is the country where the number one read after Gen. Franco's death in the 1970s some say was a soft-porn magazine, or where a popular actress and TV presentadora goes by the name of Bibi Andersen...even though she wasn't born a she.
Spain is the country that has some of the best footballers in the world, and yet has never won a World Cup.
Spain gave us Velazquez, but also Dali, Picasso and Antonio Gaudi.
Spain is the country where bullfighting is considered an "Art," and is regulated by the Ministry of Culture, or where a bullfighter - Ignacio Sanchez Mejias - was a founding author of one of the country's most prestigious literary movements, the Generation of '27.
In politics, the sense of absurd is even more heightened....current Secretary General of WEU Javier Solana, is a Socialist who studied at Berkley, where he joined in anti-war demonstrations, and was firmly opposed to NATO...but that didn't stop him from Dec 1995-Oct 1999 as serving as NATO's secretary general.
Spain is probably the only country in the world that awards a person working for the tax ministry with higher office...current Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar was a tax collector.
Spain is also the country where you have Ruiz Mateos...Conservative, and arch-defender of the Roman Catholic Church, Mateos was once one of Spain's wealthiest - that is until the Socialist party decided to strip him of most of his companies...Mateos in turn went to the courts dressed as Superman, and gave interviews in jail dressed in Keystone Cop "prison garb," whilst writing editorials from his jail cell.
Or where else but in Spain, can you have Jesus Gil, a businessman, who's served time in jail for a building collapsing and killing people, eventually buy a football team - Atletico de Madrid - and become mayor of Marbella. Besides having a pet alligator, Gil also had a weekly TV game where he'd host the show from a hot-tub, exposing his 300 pound belly, with skimpily-clad beauties on each side.
Spain is the country where twice a year traffic is halted in Madrid and the roads are given over to shepherds bringing sheep through the center of town.
And then there are the demonstrations...on almost any given day, Madrid traffic will find itself driven to a halt, because somebody, from somewhere in Spain, has decided to use their right to hold a demonstration in Madrid. Just last week it was the nudists' turn (sorry no photos)...which was quite a sight, as dozens of naked people strolled down the avenue, protected by the police, to protest their right to fry their bums.
There are a million more examples I could give, but knowing Spaniards sense of the absurd the "photo-in-question" doesn't surprise me. In fact, I have a suspicion that instead of being outraged, there were probably more people trying to figure out if the "two suicide bombers" were wearing anything under those, uh, bombs.
Thank You Captain!
A big thanks to Group Captain Lionel Mandrake at A letter from the Olde Countrie for this tidbit..."Moved from Currently auditioning to Daily reads." We are honoured!
A big thanks to Group Captain Lionel Mandrake at A letter from the Olde Countrie for this tidbit..."Moved from Currently auditioning to Daily reads." We are honoured!
Religious News
Nigerian scam now from Catholic Church? Found at Dodgeblog
Killer who will not confess is banned from theology course
Trouble brewing in Mexico, or is this just VOA's take on things...An expert on minority religions, is warning that Mexican President Vicente Fox's increasing displays of ardent Roman Catholicism, are angering the country's Evangelical Protestant community.
Interesting article in the Telegraph by Christopher Howse on Josemaria Escriva...he was clearly a saintly man. It was the ideology of his opponents that I thought would delay his canonisation. If Blessed Josemaria (as he is for the next few days) had a reputation of any kind in Britain, it was as a very Catholic Catholic. And since Catholicism is often seen by a liberal culture as reactionary, so was Josemaria Escriva, and the organisation he founded. But tension among Catholics was of a quite different kind, for Opus Dei was not reactionary in Catholic terms, but revolutionary.
From India...The terrorists who were killed in an encounter in the city on Sunday had rented a house posing themselves as Hindus.
Washington Archbishop cautions lawmakers on Iraq war
New twist in the case of murdered Bishop Juan Gerardi in Guatemala
Oh my...here's a strange lawsuit against Assemblies of God...It was also claimed that the church had failed to ensure that the catchers were in position before the Rev Tim Hall started the prayer service which usually brought on such fainting episodes. And the church had not provided falling members of the congregation with a suff-iciently pad- ded area to prevent injury. Instead, when Ms Daly's spirit was slain, she fell backwards on to a concrete floor covered only in a thin layer of carpet. Nobody came forward to assist her.
Article on Keating...''Did anyone go to Geoghan or Shanley ... grab him by his collar, and say ... `If I hear one more time that you have come near [a minor], I will kill you?' Did anybody ever do that? Not that I can find,'' he said. ''You've seen the emotional and warm retirement letters to Geoghan. Didn't any of this register? Or take Shanley - here's a guy who ... made an entire career of mocking Catholic moral teaching ... and he is given a letter complimenting his pastoral care? ... It just amazes me. I've never seen anything like it.''
Bla, bla, bla...Catholics to study influence on celibacy
More on U.S. religion and demographics...The Episcopalians, often seen as up-market and out of touch, recorded a 5.3 per cent fall-off in their membership, to below one million. The traditionally liberal Presbyterians witnessed an 11.6 per cent decline, to a new total of just over three million. But the bible-thumping Southern Baptists were up 4.9 per cent, to 20 million, while the Roman Catholic Church, though hard-hit by paedophile priest scandals, was boosted by Hispanic immigration and soared 16.2 per cent, to 62 million.
Anglicans Online editorial...After the video, the priest talked about a mission statement. His tone of voice and his body language showed so little enthusiasm that we wanted to rush up to him with a double espresso. The contrast with the video could not have been greater. Instead of taking away a sense of excitement about ministry and mission, we left discouraged and uninterested. The message was lost. Delivery matters.
Nigerian scam now from Catholic Church? Found at Dodgeblog
Killer who will not confess is banned from theology course
Trouble brewing in Mexico, or is this just VOA's take on things...An expert on minority religions, is warning that Mexican President Vicente Fox's increasing displays of ardent Roman Catholicism, are angering the country's Evangelical Protestant community.
Interesting article in the Telegraph by Christopher Howse on Josemaria Escriva...he was clearly a saintly man. It was the ideology of his opponents that I thought would delay his canonisation. If Blessed Josemaria (as he is for the next few days) had a reputation of any kind in Britain, it was as a very Catholic Catholic. And since Catholicism is often seen by a liberal culture as reactionary, so was Josemaria Escriva, and the organisation he founded. But tension among Catholics was of a quite different kind, for Opus Dei was not reactionary in Catholic terms, but revolutionary.
From India...The terrorists who were killed in an encounter in the city on Sunday had rented a house posing themselves as Hindus.
Washington Archbishop cautions lawmakers on Iraq war
New twist in the case of murdered Bishop Juan Gerardi in Guatemala
Oh my...here's a strange lawsuit against Assemblies of God...It was also claimed that the church had failed to ensure that the catchers were in position before the Rev Tim Hall started the prayer service which usually brought on such fainting episodes. And the church had not provided falling members of the congregation with a suff-iciently pad- ded area to prevent injury. Instead, when Ms Daly's spirit was slain, she fell backwards on to a concrete floor covered only in a thin layer of carpet. Nobody came forward to assist her.
Article on Keating...''Did anyone go to Geoghan or Shanley ... grab him by his collar, and say ... `If I hear one more time that you have come near [a minor], I will kill you?' Did anybody ever do that? Not that I can find,'' he said. ''You've seen the emotional and warm retirement letters to Geoghan. Didn't any of this register? Or take Shanley - here's a guy who ... made an entire career of mocking Catholic moral teaching ... and he is given a letter complimenting his pastoral care? ... It just amazes me. I've never seen anything like it.''
Bla, bla, bla...Catholics to study influence on celibacy
More on U.S. religion and demographics...The Episcopalians, often seen as up-market and out of touch, recorded a 5.3 per cent fall-off in their membership, to below one million. The traditionally liberal Presbyterians witnessed an 11.6 per cent decline, to a new total of just over three million. But the bible-thumping Southern Baptists were up 4.9 per cent, to 20 million, while the Roman Catholic Church, though hard-hit by paedophile priest scandals, was boosted by Hispanic immigration and soared 16.2 per cent, to 62 million.
Anglicans Online editorial...After the video, the priest talked about a mission statement. His tone of voice and his body language showed so little enthusiasm that we wanted to rush up to him with a double espresso. The contrast with the video could not have been greater. Instead of taking away a sense of excitement about ministry and mission, we left discouraged and uninterested. The message was lost. Delivery matters.
Sunday, September 29, 2002
Serious News
Uranium Turkey, which story to believe?...Refined uranium found in Turkey weighs grams, not kilogramsOR this one...Turkish officials said Saturday they have seized 34.6 pounds of uranium and arrested two Turkish men in Urfa, a town in southeastern Turkey
US Plans Campaign to Sway Iraqi Commanders-Report Also this...Officials from Iraq and the United Nations will meet on Monday to discuss the return of weapons inspectors to deter threats of military action against Saddam Hussein's regime
I like it...Doctors should keep quiet and let patients explain their problems instead of interrupting them
Another example of how some people stretch the word "parent."...Mom Arrested for Watching TV as Daughter Kills Son
Residents of the Iranian capital were given a public display of revolutionary justice Sunday, with five convicted gang rapists executed by hanging at dawn.
Uranium Turkey, which story to believe?...Refined uranium found in Turkey weighs grams, not kilogramsOR this one...Turkish officials said Saturday they have seized 34.6 pounds of uranium and arrested two Turkish men in Urfa, a town in southeastern Turkey
US Plans Campaign to Sway Iraqi Commanders-Report Also this...Officials from Iraq and the United Nations will meet on Monday to discuss the return of weapons inspectors to deter threats of military action against Saddam Hussein's regime
I like it...Doctors should keep quiet and let patients explain their problems instead of interrupting them
Another example of how some people stretch the word "parent."...Mom Arrested for Watching TV as Daughter Kills Son
Residents of the Iranian capital were given a public display of revolutionary justice Sunday, with five convicted gang rapists executed by hanging at dawn.
Light News
One wonders what would have happened if they had let him drink? A drunken dam guard, angry that he was not allowed to drink more, pushed a button that opened a dam port and flooded a Tirana neighborhood
Stupid college students...An Oklahoma State University fraternity apologized to the public Thursday after a photograph appeared on the Internet showing one of its members in a Ku Klux Klan hood, another in blackface and a third with a Confederate flag bandanna.
Lucky?...An Avilla man who fell asleep in a Dumpster und himself compacted inside a garbage truck early Friday morning.
One wonders what would have happened if they had let him drink? A drunken dam guard, angry that he was not allowed to drink more, pushed a button that opened a dam port and flooded a Tirana neighborhood
Stupid college students...An Oklahoma State University fraternity apologized to the public Thursday after a photograph appeared on the Internet showing one of its members in a Ku Klux Klan hood, another in blackface and a third with a Confederate flag bandanna.
Lucky?...An Avilla man who fell asleep in a Dumpster und himself compacted inside a garbage truck early Friday morning.
Saturday, September 28, 2002
PART 2: Samuel L. Clemens On The Middle East
NOTE: This is the second part of a passage taken from a 1968 edition of Samuel L. Clemens' (Mark Twain) first chapter of “Tom Sawyer Abroad.” Humorous? Timely? Stupid? You decide…debate?
+_+_+_+_+
I studied over it, but couldn’t seem to git at the right of it, no way. I says:
“It’s too many for me, Tom Sawyer. If I had a farm and it was mine, and another person wanted it, would it be alright for him to—“
“Oh, shucks! You don’t know enough to come in when it rains, Huck Finn. It ain’t a farm, it’s entirely different. You see, it’s like this. They own land, just mere land, and that’s all they do own; but it was our folks, our Jews and Christians, that made it holy, and so they haven’t any business to be their defiling it. It’s a shame, and we ought not to stand it a minute. We ought to march against them and take it away from them.”
“Why, it does seem to me it’s the most mixed-up thing I ever see! Now, if I had a farm and another person…”
“Don’t I tell you it hasn’t got anything to do with farming? Farming is business, just common low-down business: that’s all it is, it’s all you can say for it: but this is higher, this is religious, and totally different.”
“Religious to go and take the land away from the people that own it?”
“Certainly: it’s always been considered so.”
----------to be continued…………
NOTE: This is the second part of a passage taken from a 1968 edition of Samuel L. Clemens' (Mark Twain) first chapter of “Tom Sawyer Abroad.” Humorous? Timely? Stupid? You decide…debate?
I studied over it, but couldn’t seem to git at the right of it, no way. I says:
“It’s too many for me, Tom Sawyer. If I had a farm and it was mine, and another person wanted it, would it be alright for him to—“
“Oh, shucks! You don’t know enough to come in when it rains, Huck Finn. It ain’t a farm, it’s entirely different. You see, it’s like this. They own land, just mere land, and that’s all they do own; but it was our folks, our Jews and Christians, that made it holy, and so they haven’t any business to be their defiling it. It’s a shame, and we ought not to stand it a minute. We ought to march against them and take it away from them.”
“Why, it does seem to me it’s the most mixed-up thing I ever see! Now, if I had a farm and another person…”
“Don’t I tell you it hasn’t got anything to do with farming? Farming is business, just common low-down business: that’s all it is, it’s all you can say for it: but this is higher, this is religious, and totally different.”
“Religious to go and take the land away from the people that own it?”
“Certainly: it’s always been considered so.”
----------to be continued…………
Saturday News
of "grave" Iraq threat...With mixed results after a week of lobbying Congress and the United Nations to back his campaign against Iraq, U.S. President George W. Bush has made a pitch to the American public, warning that Iraq poses a grave threat that must be stopped
This is a bit stronger...Bush: Give Iraq 7 days to open up everything
This is war!...Europe Has Advantage at Ryder Cup...The Americans relied on three Ryder Cup rookies and a gutsy shot by Phil Mickelson in the last match of a thrilling opening round on Friday at The Belfry: Europe wound up with a 4 1/2 -3 1/2 advantage, despite saddling Tiger Woods with two more losses to send his Ryder Cup record even more out of kilter with his other golfing feats.
Most ironically named animal, still captive...Keiko the Whale Still Drawing Fans...Some Norwegians can't resist Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the movie ``Free Willy,'' despite official efforts to keep him secluded
And if the song's title was, I don't know, something, like, "Hades?"...Elena Mattison and two other girls were singing the song "Heaven," as part of the Sideline 2002 American Idol Night and were videotaped having fun. However, when the head pastor at Trinity saw the tape he told the girls that it was inappropriate and as Christians they should not have been singing a "worldly song."
Uh, am I missing something here?...THE physically and mentally disabled may no longer be barred from becoming pilots or air traffic controllers. Eyesight and other medical tests imposed on flight crew have been found to be in breach of anti-discrimination laws.
Well, if it's any consolation..can't think of many people that would like that claim...Massacre claim upsets Mormons
I promise you...this sort of thing doesn't normally happen here...Interpol Joins Hunt for House-Hunt Couple Missing in Spain...Detectives were today continuing to liaise with Interpol and Spanish police in the hunt for a British couple who mysteriously vanished while house-hunting in Spain. Anthony and Linda O’Malley, of Llangollen, north Wales, failed to return home on a flight from Malaga to Manchester Airport a fortnight ago.
This is a bit stronger...Bush: Give Iraq 7 days to open up everything
This is war!...Europe Has Advantage at Ryder Cup...The Americans relied on three Ryder Cup rookies and a gutsy shot by Phil Mickelson in the last match of a thrilling opening round on Friday at The Belfry: Europe wound up with a 4 1/2 -3 1/2 advantage, despite saddling Tiger Woods with two more losses to send his Ryder Cup record even more out of kilter with his other golfing feats.
Most ironically named animal, still captive...Keiko the Whale Still Drawing Fans...Some Norwegians can't resist Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the movie ``Free Willy,'' despite official efforts to keep him secluded
And if the song's title was, I don't know, something, like, "Hades?"...Elena Mattison and two other girls were singing the song "Heaven," as part of the Sideline 2002 American Idol Night and were videotaped having fun. However, when the head pastor at Trinity saw the tape he told the girls that it was inappropriate and as Christians they should not have been singing a "worldly song."
Uh, am I missing something here?...THE physically and mentally disabled may no longer be barred from becoming pilots or air traffic controllers. Eyesight and other medical tests imposed on flight crew have been found to be in breach of anti-discrimination laws.
Well, if it's any consolation..can't think of many people that would like that claim...Massacre claim upsets Mormons
I promise you...this sort of thing doesn't normally happen here...Interpol Joins Hunt for House-Hunt Couple Missing in Spain...Detectives were today continuing to liaise with Interpol and Spanish police in the hunt for a British couple who mysteriously vanished while house-hunting in Spain. Anthony and Linda O’Malley, of Llangollen, north Wales, failed to return home on a flight from Malaga to Manchester Airport a fortnight ago.
Friday, September 27, 2002
PART 1:Samuel L. Clemens On The Middle East
NOTE: This is the first of an item that I’m going to post over the next few days, a passage taken from a 1968 edition of the wily Samuel L. Clemens’ (Mark Twain) first chapter of “Tom Sawyer Abroad.” Humorous? Timely? Stupid? You decide…debate?
+_+_+_+_+_
“What’s a crusade?” I says.
He looked scornful, the way he’s always done when he was ashamed of a person, and says:
“Huck Finn, do you mean to tell me you don’t know what a crusade is?”
“No,” says I, “I don’t. And I don’t care to, nuther. I’ve lived till now and done without it, and had my health, too. But as soon as you tell me, I’ll know, and that’s soon enough. I don’t see any use in finding out things and clogging up my head with them when I mayn’t ever have any occasion to use ‘em.Ther was Lance Williams, he learned how to talk Choctaw her till once come and dug his grave for him. Now, then what’s a crusade? But I can tell you one thing before you begin; if it’s a patent-right, there’s no money in it. Bill Thompson he – “
“Patent-right!” says he. “I never see such an idiot. Why, a crusade is a kind of war.”
I thought he must be losing his mind. But no, he was real earnest, and went right on, perfectly ca’m.
“A crusade is a war to recover the Holy land from the paynim,”
“Which Holy Land?”
“Why, the Holy Land—there ain’t but one.”
“What do we want of it?”
“Why, can’t you understand? It’s in the hands of the paynim, and it’s our duty to take it away from them.”
“How did we come to let them git hold ot it?”
“We didn’t come to let them git hold of it. They always had it.”
“Why, Tom, then it must belong to them, don’t it?”
“Why, of course it does. Who said it didn’t?”
-------to be continued….
NOTE: This is the first of an item that I’m going to post over the next few days, a passage taken from a 1968 edition of the wily Samuel L. Clemens’ (Mark Twain) first chapter of “Tom Sawyer Abroad.” Humorous? Timely? Stupid? You decide…debate?
“What’s a crusade?” I says.
He looked scornful, the way he’s always done when he was ashamed of a person, and says:
“Huck Finn, do you mean to tell me you don’t know what a crusade is?”
“No,” says I, “I don’t. And I don’t care to, nuther. I’ve lived till now and done without it, and had my health, too. But as soon as you tell me, I’ll know, and that’s soon enough. I don’t see any use in finding out things and clogging up my head with them when I mayn’t ever have any occasion to use ‘em.Ther was Lance Williams, he learned how to talk Choctaw her till once come and dug his grave for him. Now, then what’s a crusade? But I can tell you one thing before you begin; if it’s a patent-right, there’s no money in it. Bill Thompson he – “
“Patent-right!” says he. “I never see such an idiot. Why, a crusade is a kind of war.”
I thought he must be losing his mind. But no, he was real earnest, and went right on, perfectly ca’m.
“A crusade is a war to recover the Holy land from the paynim,”
“Which Holy Land?”
“Why, the Holy Land—there ain’t but one.”
“What do we want of it?”
“Why, can’t you understand? It’s in the hands of the paynim, and it’s our duty to take it away from them.”
“How did we come to let them git hold ot it?”
“We didn’t come to let them git hold of it. They always had it.”
“Why, Tom, then it must belong to them, don’t it?”
“Why, of course it does. Who said it didn’t?”
-------to be continued….
Daniel - Patron Saint of Crunchy Conservatives?
I was playing around on the Internet, and this annoying pop-up advertisement kept, well, popping up promoting a "secret" recipe for health food, supposedly related to Daniel and Nebucadnezzar. Finally, I gave in and hit the button, and then did some cross-referencing, etc.
According to this website on "Bible Food" ran by Charles W. Moore, the author of "That They May Be One: To Heal The Scandal Of A Fragmented Church" it's not too far fetched to mention granola and Daniel in the same sentence.
Moving from Moore's more light-hearted site (and NOT connected with the following) - and there are plenty of sites out there, such as this oneBiblefoods.com - let's take a look at the site that started all of this...
You can feel the sales pitch coming...
To think it's taken almost 3,000 years to discover this "secret" recipe...and even longer to "discover" that if you only eat nuts and grains (okay along with a few others in "specific ratios" - I wonder if that's protected like Coca Cola's recipe) that you'll lose weight. But then, maybe the people who "discovered" this recipe, don't remember their Sunday School or CCD classes --- Daniel 1:12. Try, I beseech thee, thy servants for ten days, and let pulse be given us to eat, and water to drink: Pulse. . .That is, pease, beans, and such like.
Well, in fairness, I don't every really remember hearing what the "specific ratio" for Plus was...
The "pitch," and most of the websites, links back to The BRAIN GARDEN , which according to their website,
But it doesn't stop there...The Brain Garden wants you to not only enjoy whole food nutrition (come to think of it, who doesn't?), but also "whole food personal care" (washing your hair with beer doesn't count) and "whole food wellness."
According to a cached save of StreetInsider.com,
Except one thing, at the bottom of the page you can read:
So I went to the RagingBull website to check out any chatter on their stock...the following is an edited -to clean up the language - comment (here's the original):
Well, the stock markets have fallen...
NOTE: This article isn't a criticism nor an advertisement for any product, philosophy or anything else related to, or not, to WLIV, The Brain Garden, or any of their colleagues, vendors, buyers or providers who may or may not like their products, nor their interpretation of biblical recipes, and especially it in no way reflects any opinion what-so-ever with respect to the company management and scientific methodology used or not, or of those persons who have bought WLIV stock, or have been contemplating the possibility, nor should it in any way be construed as praise or criticism of the company's stock.
I was playing around on the Internet, and this annoying pop-up advertisement kept, well, popping up promoting a "secret" recipe for health food, supposedly related to Daniel and Nebucadnezzar. Finally, I gave in and hit the button, and then did some cross-referencing, etc.
According to this website on "Bible Food" ran by Charles W. Moore, the author of "That They May Be One: To Heal The Scandal Of A Fragmented Church" it's not too far fetched to mention granola and Daniel in the same sentence.
Macrobiotic theorists George Ohsawa and Michio Kushi credit the prophet Daniel with conducting the world's first "macrobiotic experiment" at the court of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon during the Hebrew's captivity (c. early 6th Century BC),
Moving from Moore's more light-hearted site (and NOT connected with the following) - and there are plenty of sites out there, such as this oneBiblefoods.com - let's take a look at the site that started all of this...
In the Bible, Daniel was a young captive. He was selected to serve in King Nebucadnezzar's court. But Daniel refused to defile himself by eating the King's delicacies. Instead, he asked permission to follow his dietary laws. Daniel issued a challenge: He would eat "Pulse" for ten days and then they should evaluate him. After ten days, he was obviously healthier than the others. After 3 years, he and Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego were much healthier and ten times smarter than all the learned men of the Kingdom.
You can feel the sales pitch coming...
After years of searching ancient documents, "Pulse" has now been rediscovered. "Pulse" was made from wind-dried veggies, fruits, nuts, and grains in specific ratios, and carried in grape seed oil and walnut oil. An ancient "trail mix", but with precise combinations of ingredients. People started tested this old/new food. Taking "Daniel's Challenge", people were losing 12, 15, 20, and 25 pounds in ten days, and feeling full the entire time. Diabetics were getting remarkable results. And no one was hungry! Word spread like wildfire, and soon 25,000 customers were taking Pulse. A company was formed to take Pulse to the world - and to extend Daniel's Challenge to modern men and women.
To think it's taken almost 3,000 years to discover this "secret" recipe...and even longer to "discover" that if you only eat nuts and grains (okay along with a few others in "specific ratios" - I wonder if that's protected like Coca Cola's recipe) that you'll lose weight. But then, maybe the people who "discovered" this recipe, don't remember their Sunday School or CCD classes --- Daniel 1:12. Try, I beseech thee, thy servants for ten days, and let pulse be given us to eat, and water to drink: Pulse. . .That is, pease, beans, and such like.
Well, in fairness, I don't every really remember hearing what the "specific ratio" for Plus was...
The "pitch," and most of the websites, links back to The BRAIN GARDEN , which according to their website,
The Brain Garden is the ultimate answer to the synthetic, fast-food generation. Our goal is to restore the healing power of whole foods into our everyday lives in creative, convenient, and delicious new ways…and create synthetic-free households all over the world.
But it doesn't stop there...The Brain Garden wants you to not only enjoy whole food nutrition (come to think of it, who doesn't?), but also "whole food personal care" (washing your hair with beer doesn't count) and "whole food wellness."
According to a cached save of StreetInsider.com,
Whole Living, Inc., doing business as Brain Garden, is engaged in the sale of proprietary whole food, personal care, educational products, and tools for financial independence through a direct sales network reaching consumers throughout the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Except one thing, at the bottom of the page you can read:
All articles, notices, and other information contained herein concerning Whole Living, Inc. (WLIV) is a paid advertisement by a third party which has retained The Street Insider.Com Inc. to produce this advertisement.
So I went to the RagingBull website to check out any chatter on their stock...the following is an edited -to clean up the language - comment (here's the original):
17 Sep 2002, What's wrong! I'll tell ya, Its us or(me) we listen to these XXXXXX stock pushers. I bought in at 1.62 and I was filled with such XXXX, and fell for it and look, look, look...... .29 If anyone can help me get into my comfort zone PLEASE HELP,...
Well, the stock markets have fallen...
NOTE: This article isn't a criticism nor an advertisement for any product, philosophy or anything else related to, or not, to WLIV, The Brain Garden, or any of their colleagues, vendors, buyers or providers who may or may not like their products, nor their interpretation of biblical recipes, and especially it in no way reflects any opinion what-so-ever with respect to the company management and scientific methodology used or not, or of those persons who have bought WLIV stock, or have been contemplating the possibility, nor should it in any way be construed as praise or criticism of the company's stock.
Aw shucks, you shouldn't have...
I just want to thank Gregg The Obscure at Vita Brevis for his kind words. Much appreciated.
I just want to thank Gregg The Obscure at Vita Brevis for his kind words. Much appreciated.
Religious News
Now this is fascinating...Rowan Williams and Jonathan Sacks are both being asked to answer to charges of heresy?The Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, has been summoned to Manchester to attend a meeting of orthodox rabbis to answer charges of apikoras, or heresy, arising from his recent book The Dignity of Difference, in which he suggests that no religious faith contains the whole truth. Meanwhile, Rowan Williams, the next archbishop of Canterbury, is to meet members of the Church of England's oldest evangelical body next week in an attempt to convince them that he is not a heretic over his views on homosexuality and the literal truth of some biblical stories.
Hindu temple attack suspects detained
Mentally Handicapped Are "Witnesses of God's Tenderness," Pope Says
Interesting editorial on the weeping statue of Our Lady at Rockingham Why? Why is this statue – at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes – weeping? Perth’s Catholic newspaper, The Record, makes an interesting observation: The ongoing story about the statue has appeared in the secular media alongside anti-life stories, including one arguing in favour of using embryos for stem cell research. Another concerned a Belgian doctor who allows couples to choose the sex of their children. His sizeable fee presumably also includes the cost of aborting a child of the ‘wrong’ sex. Gender abortions usually involve baby girls, so there is an anti-female element here, too.
Spike Lee is the reason Lindh became Muslim? John Walker Lindh, the young Californian dubbed the "American Taliban," was first drawn to Islam after seeing the movie "Malcolm X" about the influential U.S. black Muslim leader
Franklin Graham once again...Few realize America being 'Islamized' ..."Our country is slowly being, very quietly, being Islamized by huge contributions from Saudi Arabia to our universities to pay for Islamic studies, to support Islamic causes in this country," Graham told the paper's editors. "I don't have a problem with that, but I can't go to Saudi Arabia and take even a Bible. I can't go to Saudi Arabia with a Bible. They will confiscate it."
Foreigners may be allowed to set up Islamic banks
Now this is fascinating...Rowan Williams and Jonathan Sacks are both being asked to answer to charges of heresy?The Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, has been summoned to Manchester to attend a meeting of orthodox rabbis to answer charges of apikoras, or heresy, arising from his recent book The Dignity of Difference, in which he suggests that no religious faith contains the whole truth. Meanwhile, Rowan Williams, the next archbishop of Canterbury, is to meet members of the Church of England's oldest evangelical body next week in an attempt to convince them that he is not a heretic over his views on homosexuality and the literal truth of some biblical stories.
Hindu temple attack suspects detained
Mentally Handicapped Are "Witnesses of God's Tenderness," Pope Says
Interesting editorial on the weeping statue of Our Lady at Rockingham Why? Why is this statue – at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes – weeping? Perth’s Catholic newspaper, The Record, makes an interesting observation: The ongoing story about the statue has appeared in the secular media alongside anti-life stories, including one arguing in favour of using embryos for stem cell research. Another concerned a Belgian doctor who allows couples to choose the sex of their children. His sizeable fee presumably also includes the cost of aborting a child of the ‘wrong’ sex. Gender abortions usually involve baby girls, so there is an anti-female element here, too.
Spike Lee is the reason Lindh became Muslim? John Walker Lindh, the young Californian dubbed the "American Taliban," was first drawn to Islam after seeing the movie "Malcolm X" about the influential U.S. black Muslim leader
Franklin Graham once again...Few realize America being 'Islamized' ..."Our country is slowly being, very quietly, being Islamized by huge contributions from Saudi Arabia to our universities to pay for Islamic studies, to support Islamic causes in this country," Graham told the paper's editors. "I don't have a problem with that, but I can't go to Saudi Arabia and take even a Bible. I can't go to Saudi Arabia with a Bible. They will confiscate it."
Foreigners may be allowed to set up Islamic banks
Serious News
U.S., U.K. Back Resolution; Iraq-Qaeda Link Alleged The United States and Britain forged an agreement on the key elements of a tough new U.N. resolution setting out demands that Iraq disarm, while the Bush administration sought on Thursday to tie Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to the al Qaeda network. RELATED: Now France. A US envoy is beginning a mission to persuade two United Nations Security Council members - France and Russia - to back a new tough draft UN resolution on Iraq. Kind of an obvious headline...Russia Wants Quick Solution to Iraq
Whoops...The US Government has mistakenly given secret documents to the only man charged so far in connection with the 11 September attacks, Zacarias Moussaoui.
Talk, talk, talk...Palestinians call off talks with Israel on ending siege RELATED: Militants Are Said to Amass Missiles in South Lebanon
My wife and daughters are crazy about Thalia...Thalia's sisters, actress Laura Sodi and author Ernestina Sodi, disappeared in the early hours of Sunday morning after leaving a theatre in Mexico City and are believed to have been abducted
U.S., U.K. Back Resolution; Iraq-Qaeda Link Alleged The United States and Britain forged an agreement on the key elements of a tough new U.N. resolution setting out demands that Iraq disarm, while the Bush administration sought on Thursday to tie Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to the al Qaeda network. RELATED: Now France. A US envoy is beginning a mission to persuade two United Nations Security Council members - France and Russia - to back a new tough draft UN resolution on Iraq. Kind of an obvious headline...Russia Wants Quick Solution to Iraq
Whoops...The US Government has mistakenly given secret documents to the only man charged so far in connection with the 11 September attacks, Zacarias Moussaoui.
Talk, talk, talk...Palestinians call off talks with Israel on ending siege RELATED: Militants Are Said to Amass Missiles in South Lebanon
My wife and daughters are crazy about Thalia...Thalia's sisters, actress Laura Sodi and author Ernestina Sodi, disappeared in the early hours of Sunday morning after leaving a theatre in Mexico City and are believed to have been abducted
Light News
This isn't really light news...this is horrible... After his 8-year-old stepson missed his school bus earlier this week, Theodore E. Moody told the boy to walkAnd to make sure he didn't dawdle, he followed the child, shocking him repeatedly with a stun gun.
This can't be true, can it?...urban myth? Woman in labour catches fire during operation
This isn't really light news...this is horrible... After his 8-year-old stepson missed his school bus earlier this week, Theodore E. Moody told the boy to walkAnd to make sure he didn't dawdle, he followed the child, shocking him repeatedly with a stun gun.
This can't be true, can it?...urban myth? Woman in labour catches fire during operation
Thursday, September 26, 2002
Nice To Know Some Some Politicians Worry About Honor
Even if it is misguided...
So when Peruvian independent congressman feels his honor has been challenged by the vice president what does he do? He challenges the other to a duel with pistols of course on a Lima beach!
What a novel idea. Just think about this for a moment. How could that have played out under a Clinton or Bush administration, or under Blair, Thatcher? Somebody questions your ideals? Out with the pistols, because it's a matter of honor...and if nothing else, maybe a way of controlling the population, not to mention curbing little children from wanting to grow up to become politicians.
And how did the vice president respond?
You can almost hear in the background the laughing, name-calling, and claims to chickenhood.
According to this article, there is a precedent as well.
Hmmm...sounds to me like if Mr. Ramos plays his cards right - especially in a country where machismo is valued as a hot commodity - he could be on the road to bigger and better things in political office.
In any event, even if sounds like a shrewd "political" move, the question remains will he go through with it?
Even if it is misguided...
So when Peruvian independent congressman feels his honor has been challenged by the vice president what does he do? He challenges the other to a duel with pistols of course on a Lima beach!
What a novel idea. Just think about this for a moment. How could that have played out under a Clinton or Bush administration, or under Blair, Thatcher? Somebody questions your ideals? Out with the pistols, because it's a matter of honor...and if nothing else, maybe a way of controlling the population, not to mention curbing little children from wanting to grow up to become politicians.
An independent congressman, Eittel Ramos, challenged Mr Waisman to a duel with pistols, saying the vice president had insulted him after he criticised comments by President Alexander Toledo's wife, Eliane Karp....The trouble started earlier this month when Mr Ramos criticised first lady Eliane Karp for saying "two-bit parties" were trying to undermine her husband. The vice president "called my attitude cowardly because I said what I said about a woman," Mr Ramos was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
And how did the vice president respond?
Mr Waisman said he was a civilised and peaceful man and his moral beliefs prevented him from trying to end another's life.
You can almost hear in the background the laughing, name-calling, and claims to chickenhood.
According to this article, there is a precedent as well.
...Peru's last political duel took place in 1957, when Fernando Belaunde - who went on to be president from 1963-68 and 1980-85 - fought a political rival with swords.
Hmmm...sounds to me like if Mr. Ramos plays his cards right - especially in a country where machismo is valued as a hot commodity - he could be on the road to bigger and better things in political office.
In any event, even if sounds like a shrewd "political" move, the question remains will he go through with it?
"If the gentleman insulted me and called me a coward, I have the right to demand... a duel. Since I am the injured party, I choose the weapons and the place," he said. "I'm not backing down... unless he apologises publicly," Mr Ramos said.
Archbishop Robert M. Bowman's Article "Reintroducing the Nonviolent Jesus" Sure To Raise Hackles
Haven't heard too much comment on Archbishop Bowman's article, and that surprises me...Bowman says he flew 101 combat missions in Vietnam, "as a confused but obedient Roman Catholic." He goes on to say, that he wouldn't do it again, knowing what he knows now.
But first, maybe that it should be explained, that Bowman isn't Roman Catholic. He is a Protestant, the presiding archbishop and primate of the United Catholic Church, an outgrowth of the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht, Netherlands, which is aligned with the Church of England. I say this, to explain his take on the Roman Catholic church's response to the War on Terror and Iraq.
He's got some pretty harsh words, such as this:
Also, I suspect his judgement of history, well, might be a bit suspect (I'll leave that up to the theologians to expound upon). But, here is a smattering of comments from his article:
It's that last bit about downplaying the "Just War Theory" that tops it for me...not to mention, that it seems he might have a different image of Christ than, well, many others?
Haven't heard too much comment on Archbishop Bowman's article, and that surprises me...Bowman says he flew 101 combat missions in Vietnam, "as a confused but obedient Roman Catholic." He goes on to say, that he wouldn't do it again, knowing what he knows now.
But first, maybe that it should be explained, that Bowman isn't Roman Catholic. He is a Protestant, the presiding archbishop and primate of the United Catholic Church, an outgrowth of the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht, Netherlands, which is aligned with the Church of England. I say this, to explain his take on the Roman Catholic church's response to the War on Terror and Iraq.
He's got some pretty harsh words, such as this:
The conclusion we must reach is that when we emerged from the catacombs and embraced Constantine's offer of secular power, prestige, and protection, we Christians prostituted ourselves. Fortunately, we can still go back! We can rescue the nonviolent Jesus from obscurity and restore the heritage of the early Church -- the pre-Roman Catholic Church, if you will.
Also, I suspect his judgement of history, well, might be a bit suspect (I'll leave that up to the theologians to expound upon). But, here is a smattering of comments from his article:
- But Jesus didn't just preach nonviolence. He lived it, all the way to the cross.
- Jesus was a revolutionary -- but his revolution wasn't against Roman rule, but against the distorted image of God held by the people.
- He wants us to speak out against and nonviolently resist the exploitative, imperial powers of our day.
- He wants us to promote the cause of widows and orphans, the poor and the outcast, the alienated and the victims of discrimination. He wants us on the side of single mothers, gays, Arabs -- all the tax collectors, lepers, and Samaritans of today. Above all, He wants us to forego violence even in self-defense.
- The early Church understood that. Christians were forbidden to be in the Army, to participate in capital punishment, even to testify against one accused of a capital offense.
- Then came Constantine. Christians came out of the catacombs and into the palaces. By so doing, they gave up their nonviolence, their independence, and their way.
- they came up with elaborate rationalizations for their actions. They invented the "Just War Theory" to justify taking up the sword for the emperor.
It's that last bit about downplaying the "Just War Theory" that tops it for me...not to mention, that it seems he might have a different image of Christ than, well, many others?
Have You Played EMU*Lander?
HINT: This has nothing to do with the EMU (the monetary unit prior to the EURO) I don't think PETA would approve.
HINT: This has nothing to do with the EMU (the monetary unit prior to the EURO) I don't think PETA would approve.
Religious News
Dalai Lama envoys report home after Tibet visit Two envoys from the Dalai Lama have returned to India after a landmark visit to Tibet, the first by a delegation from its exiled Buddhist spiritual leader since 1985
Thousands of militant Muslims declare holy war in mass anti-US rally in Surakarta
Reminds me of a Police song, "Don't stand, don't stand, don't stand so close to me"...A Muslim couple who have been married for 22 years are suing Malaysian religious authorities for arresting them for getting too close
Papal nuncio shocked at lack of reaction...Burundi Massacre Stirs Little Reaction Worldwide, Up to 1,200 Civilians Feared Dead
Pakistan Christians mourn attack victims RELATED: GLANCE: Religious Groups in Pakistan
India sends in troops to stop fresh round of slaughter RELATED: Indian Bishops condemn attack on Hindu temple
Hannibal the Cannibal for Pope? The star - who won an Oscar in 1992 for his role as the flesh-eating Dr Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs - will take on the papal role in the upcoming film Edgardo Mortara. It is based on the true story of a young Jewish boy who was kidnapped by the Vatican in the mid-19th century for being baptised by his nanny. Sir Anthony plays Pope Pius IX who risked the criticism of the international community for refusing to give up the little boy.The boy's father, who tries desperately to win back his son, will be played by Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Before Night Falls.
Villagers flee after threat from Karen Buddhist Army
Dalai Lama envoys report home after Tibet visit Two envoys from the Dalai Lama have returned to India after a landmark visit to Tibet, the first by a delegation from its exiled Buddhist spiritual leader since 1985
Thousands of militant Muslims declare holy war in mass anti-US rally in Surakarta
Reminds me of a Police song, "Don't stand, don't stand, don't stand so close to me"...A Muslim couple who have been married for 22 years are suing Malaysian religious authorities for arresting them for getting too close
Papal nuncio shocked at lack of reaction...Burundi Massacre Stirs Little Reaction Worldwide, Up to 1,200 Civilians Feared Dead
Pakistan Christians mourn attack victims RELATED: GLANCE: Religious Groups in Pakistan
India sends in troops to stop fresh round of slaughter RELATED: Indian Bishops condemn attack on Hindu temple
Hannibal the Cannibal for Pope? The star - who won an Oscar in 1992 for his role as the flesh-eating Dr Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs - will take on the papal role in the upcoming film Edgardo Mortara. It is based on the true story of a young Jewish boy who was kidnapped by the Vatican in the mid-19th century for being baptised by his nanny. Sir Anthony plays Pope Pius IX who risked the criticism of the international community for refusing to give up the little boy.The boy's father, who tries desperately to win back his son, will be played by Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Before Night Falls.
Villagers flee after threat from Karen Buddhist Army
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Serious News
Here's an interesting article from the BBC on a quick rundown where the world stands on Iraq.
Saddam has a funny bone...laughing at the UN? "He has defied the United Nations for 11 years," Mr Bush said. "He must be laughing when he hears about the United Nations and its resolutions, and that's not good for the health of the world." RELATED: NATO Mulls U.S. Iraq Evidence ALSO this: Vatican Aide Calls for Options to Military Attack on Iraq...Says Pacifism Should Not Be Sought at All Costs
Not a surprise... Israel ignores UN call to end Arafat siege
In case you didn't read it...Portrait of the Arab as a Young Radical
Another goes over? Was there any doubt... Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States on Wednesday, declaring that Rome had a duty to support U.S. diplomatic and military efforts to disarm Iraq.
In another lesson on what goes around, comes around... Iraq's efforts to develop chemical and biological weapons have made the headlines lately, but it is lesser known that Britain, the United States and Canada collaborated to develop an extremely significant germ warfare program in the 1940s and 1950s. So I guess they're trying to tell us Iraq is around 60 years behind us?
We have nothing to fear...but ourselves?...SoCal police foil terrorism plot designed to free prison inmate An elaborate plot designed to force the release of an imprisoned white supremacist by creating public hysteria with explosions and an anthrax scare was thwarted by an anti-terrorism team. Using homemade bombs encased in white powder, participants planned to create so much chaos that authorities would release the supremacist from Wasco State Prison in Kern County to end the turmoil
4 charged in filming of 'Bumfights' Four Las Vegas men have been charged in San Diego County with illegally soliciting homeless people to participate in "Bumfights," a reality video that shows them fighting and performing dangerous stunts.
Here's an interesting article from the BBC on a quick rundown where the world stands on Iraq.
Saddam has a funny bone...laughing at the UN? "He has defied the United Nations for 11 years," Mr Bush said. "He must be laughing when he hears about the United Nations and its resolutions, and that's not good for the health of the world." RELATED: NATO Mulls U.S. Iraq Evidence ALSO this: Vatican Aide Calls for Options to Military Attack on Iraq...Says Pacifism Should Not Be Sought at All Costs
Not a surprise... Israel ignores UN call to end Arafat siege
In case you didn't read it...Portrait of the Arab as a Young Radical
Another goes over? Was there any doubt... Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States on Wednesday, declaring that Rome had a duty to support U.S. diplomatic and military efforts to disarm Iraq.
In another lesson on what goes around, comes around... Iraq's efforts to develop chemical and biological weapons have made the headlines lately, but it is lesser known that Britain, the United States and Canada collaborated to develop an extremely significant germ warfare program in the 1940s and 1950s. So I guess they're trying to tell us Iraq is around 60 years behind us?
We have nothing to fear...but ourselves?...SoCal police foil terrorism plot designed to free prison inmate An elaborate plot designed to force the release of an imprisoned white supremacist by creating public hysteria with explosions and an anthrax scare was thwarted by an anti-terrorism team. Using homemade bombs encased in white powder, participants planned to create so much chaos that authorities would release the supremacist from Wasco State Prison in Kern County to end the turmoil
4 charged in filming of 'Bumfights' Four Las Vegas men have been charged in San Diego County with illegally soliciting homeless people to participate in "Bumfights," a reality video that shows them fighting and performing dangerous stunts.
Light News
In the growing file on stupid criminals.... A man went to rob a bank in the Austrian city of Graz but was found by police asleep in his car after downing a bottle of schnapps for courage
New Orleans plans on being the next Venice...You know, being from Oregon, I always thought it would be California that would sink into the sea, or float away...New Orleans is sinking and could be beneath the waves in less than a hundred years
Venus may have bugs?
In the growing file on stupid criminals.... A man went to rob a bank in the Austrian city of Graz but was found by police asleep in his car after downing a bottle of schnapps for courage
New Orleans plans on being the next Venice...You know, being from Oregon, I always thought it would be California that would sink into the sea, or float away...New Orleans is sinking and could be beneath the waves in less than a hundred years
Venus may have bugs?
Thank You - and An Explanation
First, a very big thank you to Instapundit for the hits (well over 800 in the last two hours).
Second, a quick explanation...I'm not saying the Toogood case is one of racism, rather my posts below are a critique on the coverage...The mainline press for the most part was quite slow on mentioning the fact of her "ethnic" background, which in this particular case was important to the story. Please don't misunderstand me, am I NOT saying the race card needs to always be thrown out, and in fact, I believe that issue normally isn't important to the story. Still, in this particular story, you have to wonder if the coverage was influenced because the press was overly PC driven? You decide.
Other things were missing from their coverage as well...such as credible "experts," and a real lack of sourcing - how many of the articles that you have seen have quoted a website ran by a man who says he's not a spokesman for the Irish Travellers (that's in the post as well)...and what about the attorney for Ms Toogood? There's also been no mention of what his past experience is (that's below as well).
UPDATE: (and last post for the day - I've got to get some sleep, as I live in Spain)
Very interesting article at Ireland On-line entitled "Child beater puts spotlight on America's Irish travellers." (the link is a bit shaky)
Following are a couple of items - there a lots of other bits - from that article: The tearful testimonial Madelyne Gorman Toogood gave in front of glaring TV cameras after she was caught on surveillance cameras beating her daughter was starkly uncharacteristic of the reclusive, media-shy Irish Travellers culture to which she belongs, experts say.
And this:...Ian Hancock, a professor at the University of Texas who wrote the Irish Travellers entry for the Encyclopedia of the South, said a distraught Toogood called him seeking advice....“She was scared to turn herself in because she knows very well how the police feel about the Irish Travellers,” said Hancock, who has a reputation as a sympathiser of the group. “She didn’t think she’d get a fair shake and she knew she’d been rough with the child.”
First, a very big thank you to Instapundit for the hits (well over 800 in the last two hours).
Second, a quick explanation...I'm not saying the Toogood case is one of racism, rather my posts below are a critique on the coverage...The mainline press for the most part was quite slow on mentioning the fact of her "ethnic" background, which in this particular case was important to the story. Please don't misunderstand me, am I NOT saying the race card needs to always be thrown out, and in fact, I believe that issue normally isn't important to the story. Still, in this particular story, you have to wonder if the coverage was influenced because the press was overly PC driven? You decide.
Other things were missing from their coverage as well...such as credible "experts," and a real lack of sourcing - how many of the articles that you have seen have quoted a website ran by a man who says he's not a spokesman for the Irish Travellers (that's in the post as well)...and what about the attorney for Ms Toogood? There's also been no mention of what his past experience is (that's below as well).
UPDATE: (and last post for the day - I've got to get some sleep, as I live in Spain)
Very interesting article at Ireland On-line entitled "Child beater puts spotlight on America's Irish travellers." (the link is a bit shaky)
Following are a couple of items - there a lots of other bits - from that article: The tearful testimonial Madelyne Gorman Toogood gave in front of glaring TV cameras after she was caught on surveillance cameras beating her daughter was starkly uncharacteristic of the reclusive, media-shy Irish Travellers culture to which she belongs, experts say.
And this:...Ian Hancock, a professor at the University of Texas who wrote the Irish Travellers entry for the Encyclopedia of the South, said a distraught Toogood called him seeking advice....“She was scared to turn herself in because she knows very well how the police feel about the Irish Travellers,” said Hancock, who has a reputation as a sympathiser of the group. “She didn’t think she’d get a fair shake and she knew she’d been rough with the child.”
Mainstream Press Finally Sees Toogood - Irish Travellers Link - But Still Missing Details
Things the press still isn't mentioning...for example, who is Rosen?
It's funny, the mainstream press can really be slow sometimes. Perhaps that's because they are handcuffed by "political-correctness" concerns, or just plain laziness.
As mentioned in yesterday's posts, in the Indiana child beating case a very important point wasn't being mentioned in the press - specifically that the mother - Ms. Toogood - said she was an Irish Traveller. And as mentioned, if you were a reader of Lex Communis you would have known on Monday why that little item was important. Interesting that an attorney was the first to really address the issue.
Well, it seems the press has finally decided that perhaps the item is important enough to mention now - with even Rod Dreher at The Corner linking to the following article in the Chicago Sun-Times. Just one note, it would appear that the author is Americanizing the spelling of Travellers - it's normally spelled with two "l's" as in the U.K., where the term originated.
That article has some "interesting" items, or tidbits, such as this:
The Sun-Times article - by Richard Roeper - goes on to describe various crimes related to Irish Travellers as well as quoting a certain, Richard J. Waters, who the author says is of Irish Traveller heritage and maintains a pro-Traveller site. The author doesn't provide the website - but it's this one "Travellers' Rest," which was provided in yesterday's posts in the related links section. Roeper takes a small section of Waters' response on his website the first is from the Sun-Times article, the second one is the full-quote, in response to the following question somebody asked Waters:
Also, it should be mentioned that Waters says he's NOT a spokesman for the Travellers- so why use his site? (You'll see more of that in the next example)
In the AP article, Who Are The Irish Travellers? also begs some questions.
What was the name of that town? How can we check the facts?
The Plain Dealer (article link below) quotes as an expert, Joe Livingston, a senior agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division who has investigated Travellers for 18 years. I see he's quoted in quite a few different articles, including this one from a June 5, 1998 article, that discussed blacktopping scams.
And a WNDU16 site quotes Elkhart resident Don Wright has been investigating the Travelers for 24 years. He's published books including one called 'Scam!'. THIS is from an AddALL description of that book, which was written in 1996:
Guess they couldn't find anybody who's written anything more current?
THIS REVIEW of that book (it's not my opinion, and is if you're familiar with amazon's system, a "open" form of reviewing), might catch your eye at Amazon.com
Also, from the above AP article this:
So if there are so many websites, why did they only provide the same one as the Sun-Times, and not the "one advocating human rights?"
This from MSNBC:
And this:
The Belfast Telgraph, who calls her Gorman-Toogood, says that she's a member of a north Texas Irish Traveller clan known as 'The Greenhorn Carrolls' and tells us her attorney Steven Rocket Rosen, is from Houston Texas.
A quick Google search on Steven Rocket Rosen comes up with this: In 1991 he entered the United States Flag & Touch Football League as a player from Mission City, Texas; he's spoken at a couple of seminars, including a White Collar Crime Conference, BUT NOBODY seems to be mentioning that he was involved in the Waco Branch Davidian hearings, where he was a defense attorney and has experience in defending people who have been involved, or accused of, beatings: A retired Coast Guard officer convicted of beating his neighbor 11 times with a shovel has been confined to quarters...Sybille's attorney Steven Rocket Rosen said the no-contact order keeps his client "enslaved in his own home" and added he will appeal.
Interestingly enough, there hasn't been too much mention of those earlier warrants related to Texas...at least not since this 9/21 article from The Plain Dealer Toogood is believed to be an Irish Traveller and to be affiliated with a Traveller group in White Settlement and Fort Worth known as the Greenhorn Carrolls. She is also wanted on unrelated warrants in White Settlement and Fort Worth, authorities said.
AND THIS from the same article:
Related Links:
Toogood's Visit With Child Postponed
NJ prosecutor finishing up inquiry into doctor contacted by Toogood The prosecutor's office questioned a doctor in Bay Head who had examined the 4-year-old daughter of Madelyne Gorman Toogood. Dr. Jack Haberman was questioned after he left a disposable camera containing naked pictures of the child, Martha Toogood, at an Eckerd Drug Store in Wall Township for processing.The child was photographed to document Madelyne Toogood's assertion that her daughter had not been abused, said Haberman's lawyer, Gregg Trautmann. He said there was no wrongdoing and the doctor has not been charged with anything
To spank or not to spank, that is the question
Things the press still isn't mentioning...for example, who is Rosen?
It's funny, the mainstream press can really be slow sometimes. Perhaps that's because they are handcuffed by "political-correctness" concerns, or just plain laziness.
As mentioned in yesterday's posts, in the Indiana child beating case a very important point wasn't being mentioned in the press - specifically that the mother - Ms. Toogood - said she was an Irish Traveller. And as mentioned, if you were a reader of Lex Communis you would have known on Monday why that little item was important. Interesting that an attorney was the first to really address the issue.
Well, it seems the press has finally decided that perhaps the item is important enough to mention now - with even Rod Dreher at The Corner linking to the following article in the Chicago Sun-Times. Just one note, it would appear that the author is Americanizing the spelling of Travellers - it's normally spelled with two "l's" as in the U.K., where the term originated.
That article has some "interesting" items, or tidbits, such as this:
There might not be a more mysterious, maligned and misunderstood clan in the United States. Are they devout Roman Catholics making an honest living by doing home-improvement and repair work as they travel the land in the tradition of their nomadic ancestors, or are they cold-blooded con artists and thieves? No doubt there's some truth in both descriptions. In some ways, the Irish Travelers are like the anti-Amish. Both groups are tight-knit societies with a specialized dialect, but, whereas the Amish stress simplicity and modesty, many Travelers love expensive trucks and flashy clothes, and their preferred method of paying for things is a wad of $100 bills.
The Sun-Times article - by Richard Roeper - goes on to describe various crimes related to Irish Travellers as well as quoting a certain, Richard J. Waters, who the author says is of Irish Traveller heritage and maintains a pro-Traveller site. The author doesn't provide the website - but it's this one "Travellers' Rest," which was provided in yesterday's posts in the related links section. Roeper takes a small section of Waters' response on his website the first is from the Sun-Times article, the second one is the full-quote, in response to the following question somebody asked Waters:
Question:I don't know if you watch the news or not, but recently news programs have been showing a video of a woman caught beating her child in a department store parking lot. She has since been identified and is supposedly an Irish Traveller. At this point I know very little about Irish Travellers. I just wanted to know if, from your experience, it is considered okay in the Traveller culture for parents to beat their kids so mercilessly? I work with a variety of cultures in my job and have certainly learned that there are differences in what is acceptable. As I said, I don't know if you've seen the video or not, but I was absolutely horrified by what I saw (and my mom certainly chased me around the house with a wooden spoon a time or two). I am trying to get a bigger picture for why someone might do this to a little child. Thanks for any input you have in advance.
Sun-Times:"First, I groaned when I heard the surnames involved, knowing full well that all the old gossip ... would be trotted out to make the rounds once more," wrote Waters. "Then, I was horrified by what looked like the fierce character of the assault. If this was a Traveler woman ... doing the presumed battering, it was a Traveler child apparently being battered. Any child in trouble commands the assistance of a Traveler.
Waters' Website:My direct experience with such practices among Travellers is limited to my own experience as a child among my mother's family, fifty-five to sixty-five years ago, and I have no complaints. Such little discipline as I received was non-injurious but firm and effective, always stressing the moral or ethical goal intended; I remember that quite clearly. So it can be easily established that I am no expert on this and it is indisputable that no one has elected me as a spokesman for Travellers on any matters at all.
Yet I will venture to say that my first two reactions and my most recent reaction were shared by every Irish Traveller in the USA.
First, I groaned when I heard the surnames involved, knowing full well that all the old gossip, masquerading as news, would be trotted out to make the rounds once more with an added accusation: that all of perhaps thirty thousand (or more) US Irish Travellers savagely beat their toddlers.
Then I was horrified by what looked like the fierce character of the assault. If this was a Traveller woman for whom I felt an allegiance doing the presumed battering, it was a Traveller child apparently being battered. Any child in trouble commands the assistance of a Traveller; imagine the emotions engendered by the sight of one of our own children being cruelly beaten, no matter by whom. And in public, on nationwide television. It seems a regrettable enough occurrence without that factor, but let's face facts: the widespread media coverage does make it worse, extending what was perhaps an isolated thirty second act by an individual to a mass indictment against the most family-oriented ethnic culture in the USA beside the Amish.
Finally, I was incredibly relieved when the young mother tearfully surrendered herself and her young daughter, who was described as healthy and happy by a local law enforcement official. Although, I can't say the thankfully anticlimactic ending came as a total surprise: I am one of those annoying people who picks at the anomalies of a situation and often enough develops thereby an unpopular or at least counterintuitive opinion about it. First anomaly: The camera angle and focal length (the same ones Hollywood uses to make staged Kung-Fu look really deadly) seemed to turn a five second spanking into a slugfest from behind and above but I was unable to judge whether the blows were delivered with any deliberate force or whether there was any real attempt to injure. Second anomaly: immediately after this apparent battering, the four year old girl hops up to the center of the rear car seat in what can be described as a sprightly manner, facing her mother, and sticks out arms and legs to be buckled in. It's a pity that the mother didn't stop right there, but my point is that this is not the behavior to be expected from a child who has just been injured or lives in habitual fear.
To get back to my response to your e-mail: it's a lucky thing for your spoon-wielding mother perhaps that there were no surveillance cameras around. And one more thing: (this sounds kind of snotty but I mean it kindly) is the question, "I just wanted to know if, from your experience, it is considered okay in [the Traveller] culture for parents to beat their kids so mercilessly?" one you would ask of a Chinese, or a Mexican, or a Black under the same circumstances. Then why us?
Also, it should be mentioned that Waters says he's NOT a spokesman for the Travellers- so why use his site? (You'll see more of that in the next example)
I am not a spokesman for the Irish Travellers and therefore not in any position to grant interviews. The web site, Travellers' Rest, contains pretty much all I know about my mother's family that would be of interest to Country People and I limit my comments to that site in the interest of maintaining control of the text which may be quoted and the context in which it is set. Additionally, after some years of gradual deterioration, the final definitive symptom of Parkinson's Disease kicked in earlier this year and both my verbal and my typing skills are greatly challenged under even the slightest stress. If you knew how long it took me to phrase, type and edit even this brief addendum, you would understand that my bulwark of reluctance has been impregnably bolstered by sheer incapacity.
In the AP article, Who Are The Irish Travellers? also begs some questions.
The Irish Travellers are a tight-knit, nomadic group who've been compared to the gypsies. They came to the United States in the mid-19th century roaming the country, doing odd jobs — mostly in the home repair business. Some have been arrested for home repair scams, like Toogood's husband. They rarely marry outside the clan. In one town of 3,000, there are only nine last names.
What was the name of that town? How can we check the facts?
The Plain Dealer (article link below) quotes as an expert, Joe Livingston, a senior agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division who has investigated Travellers for 18 years. I see he's quoted in quite a few different articles, including this one from a June 5, 1998 article, that discussed blacktopping scams.
"The Travelers are basically Caucasian gypsies," said Joe Livingston, a senior agent in the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, who has tracked Travelers for 14 years. "Most of them live transient lifestyles."
And a WNDU16 site quotes Elkhart resident Don Wright has been investigating the Travelers for 24 years. He's published books including one called 'Scam!'. THIS is from an AddALL description of that book, which was written in 1996:
As explosive, scary and passionate as The Godfather, but all true! -- An expose of America's most secret crime families, who call themselves the 'Travelers'. -- No competition no other writer has been able to gather detailed information about the clans. -- Scam, which took 15 years to research, is fully documented with interviews of several hundred individuals, court records, arrest warrants, and police reports. From its opening account of a headline-making, multi-million dollar scare against Disney World to a young woman con artist's brutal murder by a crooked cop...
Guess they couldn't find anybody who's written anything more current?
THIS REVIEW of that book (it's not my opinion, and is if you're familiar with amazon's system, a "open" form of reviewing), might catch your eye at Amazon.com
The book is racist and ignorant at best. It is hypocritical at worst because it is itself a scam. It plays up the stereotypes that people have about traveling people and feeds on the fears about those who are mysterious and different. There are better sources of information about travelers. I suggest visiting The Patrin at http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5121/reading.htm for recommended books. Most are about the Romani but there are also a number of books on the Travelers in Great Britain and America. They may not be as titillating but they are certainly more informative and accurate, which makes them much more interesting in the long view.
Also, from the above AP article this:
There are many Web sites devoted to travellers. One is organization advocating human rights for them and at another site, a man who says his mother was an Irish Traveller defends them on this Web site, www.travellersrest.org/Travellers.htm.
So if there are so many websites, why did they only provide the same one as the Sun-Times, and not the "one advocating human rights?"
This from MSNBC:
Though prejudice against Travelers has abated over the years, they are still widely stereotyped as thieves and troublemakers; according to a recent poll, 70 percent of Irish citizens wouldn’t accept a Traveler as a friend. A new law which criminalizes trespassing, thus making it easier for police to shut down encampments, has been criticized by Travelers as an attempt to destroy their culture.
And this:
A few Irish Travelers emigrated to America during the Potato Famine of the mid-19th century. Their 7,000-10,000 descendants still speak the secret Traveler language, a dialect alternately known as Shelta, Gammon, or Cant, which includes elements of Irish Gaelic, English, Greek, and Hebrew. They are also devout Roman Catholics who rarely marry outside the group. Their tightknit, insular clans spend the winters in such sunny locales as White Settlement, Texas, and Murphy Village, S.C., then hit the road come spring. Many U.S.-based Irish Travelers, including Toogood’s husband, work as itinerant roofers, pavers, and painters.
The Belfast Telgraph, who calls her Gorman-Toogood, says that she's a member of a north Texas Irish Traveller clan known as 'The Greenhorn Carrolls' and tells us her attorney Steven Rocket Rosen, is from Houston Texas.
A quick Google search on Steven Rocket Rosen comes up with this: In 1991 he entered the United States Flag & Touch Football League as a player from Mission City, Texas; he's spoken at a couple of seminars, including a White Collar Crime Conference, BUT NOBODY seems to be mentioning that he was involved in the Waco Branch Davidian hearings, where he was a defense attorney and has experience in defending people who have been involved, or accused of, beatings: A retired Coast Guard officer convicted of beating his neighbor 11 times with a shovel has been confined to quarters...Sybille's attorney Steven Rocket Rosen said the no-contact order keeps his client "enslaved in his own home" and added he will appeal.
Interestingly enough, there hasn't been too much mention of those earlier warrants related to Texas...at least not since this 9/21 article from The Plain Dealer Toogood is believed to be an Irish Traveller and to be affiliated with a Traveller group in White Settlement and Fort Worth known as the Greenhorn Carrolls. She is also wanted on unrelated warrants in White Settlement and Fort Worth, authorities said.
AND THIS from the same article:
In May, Fort Worth police issued a warrant for her arrest after she failed to appear in court to face theft charges, said Lt. Mack West of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department. Toogood and another woman, Rose Ann Carroll, had been arrested March 27 at a Kohl's department store in Fort Worth on charges of theft from $50 to $500, according to computer records and a Fort Worth police report AS WELL as this: Toogood has driver's licenses in Indiana, Missouri, Texas and New Jersey. Computer searches reveal she has listed addresses in Mission and Fort Worth, Texas; Elkhart, Ind.; and Independence, Mo., among others.
Related Links:
Toogood's Visit With Child Postponed
NJ prosecutor finishing up inquiry into doctor contacted by Toogood The prosecutor's office questioned a doctor in Bay Head who had examined the 4-year-old daughter of Madelyne Gorman Toogood. Dr. Jack Haberman was questioned after he left a disposable camera containing naked pictures of the child, Martha Toogood, at an Eckerd Drug Store in Wall Township for processing.The child was photographed to document Madelyne Toogood's assertion that her daughter had not been abused, said Haberman's lawyer, Gregg Trautmann. He said there was no wrongdoing and the doctor has not been charged with anything
To spank or not to spank, that is the question
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Religious News
Columbia president apologizes for anti-Catholic remarks during football game...The comment, broadcast by a marching band announcer, alluded to the priest sex scandal and involved a double entendre about altar boys.
See anything similar in these two stories?...Two gunmen burst into the offices of a Christian welfare organization in the Pakistani city of Karachi Wednesday and opened fire, killing six people, three of them Christians, and wounding two others and this one:...Indian commandos stormed a Hindu temple complex Wednesday, ending a siege and killing two gunmen who had burst into the building and massacred 29 people and wounded more than 70.
Clinton Pleads for Life of Condemned Nigerian Woman
Aids and condoms in Africa... Religious Leaders Urged Not to Oppose Condom Use
Germany’s Catholic Church has been as reluctant as its sister church in the US to make sexual abuse problems public, preferring to deal with the issue internally, or as many now say, not deal with it at all.
Relatedly: The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse says he is encouraged by the response to a survey taken to assess the implementation of a crucial charter. St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, chairman of the committee, was commenting on the poll regarding the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter was approved by U.S. bishops last June
Also saw this, which is interesting as it was quite a debate a while back on St. Blogs: Pope warns against 'clericalising' the laity
Columbia president apologizes for anti-Catholic remarks during football game...The comment, broadcast by a marching band announcer, alluded to the priest sex scandal and involved a double entendre about altar boys.
See anything similar in these two stories?...Two gunmen burst into the offices of a Christian welfare organization in the Pakistani city of Karachi Wednesday and opened fire, killing six people, three of them Christians, and wounding two others and this one:...Indian commandos stormed a Hindu temple complex Wednesday, ending a siege and killing two gunmen who had burst into the building and massacred 29 people and wounded more than 70.
Clinton Pleads for Life of Condemned Nigerian Woman
Aids and condoms in Africa... Religious Leaders Urged Not to Oppose Condom Use
Germany’s Catholic Church has been as reluctant as its sister church in the US to make sexual abuse problems public, preferring to deal with the issue internally, or as many now say, not deal with it at all.
Relatedly: The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse says he is encouraged by the response to a survey taken to assess the implementation of a crucial charter. St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, chairman of the committee, was commenting on the poll regarding the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter was approved by U.S. bishops last June
Also saw this, which is interesting as it was quite a debate a while back on St. Blogs: Pope warns against 'clericalising' the laity
Serious News
Soon to be a movie, book, you name it...Man rescued after 4 months at sea...after setting out for a quick trip between Long Beach and Catalina Island, he finds himself stuck, and ends up 4-months later near Costa Rica! Van Pham survived by eating fish he caught, as well as a few seagulls. He drank rainwater collected in a bucket....The boat was so badly damaged that it had to be sunk. Parriott said Van Pham, apparently an accomplished sailor, was clearly upset that he would no longer have a place to live once he returned to the U.S. mainland.
US stands firm on ousting Saddam...US Secretary of State Colin Powell has refused to rule out the possibility that the United States might still try to oust the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, even if he complies with UN resolutions on weapons inspections.
And related: U.S. proposes worldwide NATO strike force
Looks like even Bush was a bit surprised on this one... President Bush has repeated his criticism of the Israeli siege of the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, in his West Bank compound AND relatedly, from the Vatican: POPE ASKS FOR END TO ATTACKS ON PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Not too much of a surprise, but "nice" to remember...American research companies, with the approval of two previous presidential administrations, provided Iraq biological cultures that could be used for biological weapons, according to testimony to a U.S. Senate committee eight years ago. West Nile Virus, E. coli, anthrax and botulism were among the potentially fatal biological cultures that a U.S. company sent under U.S. Commerce Department licenses after 1985, when Ronald Reagan was president
Like we didn't already know, there are some sick people out there A temporary protective order was granted Wednesday to the mother of Oklahoma City bombing victim Baylee Almon against a man she said is obsessed with her daughter....Dunn sent letters to Baylee Almon's grave several years ago, Aren Kok said. The 1-year-old bombing victim was recognized worldwide after being photographed in firefighter Chris Fields' arms following the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Another story on that Afghanistan oil pipeline
Not again... Argentina threatens loan default
Looks like the war on poverty, well, has beat a retreat...The number of poor people in the United States rose last year to 32.9 million, an increase of 1.3 million that pushed up the proportion of Americans living in poverty for the first time in eight years, to 11.7 percent
More on souring Spain-Morocco relations, and to think it all started over a rock with the silly name of parsely...Morocco expresses total reprobation of repeated violations of its airspace by the Spanish army after a jet of the Spanish navy flew this Monday over its airspace.
Soon to be a movie, book, you name it...Man rescued after 4 months at sea...after setting out for a quick trip between Long Beach and Catalina Island, he finds himself stuck, and ends up 4-months later near Costa Rica! Van Pham survived by eating fish he caught, as well as a few seagulls. He drank rainwater collected in a bucket....The boat was so badly damaged that it had to be sunk. Parriott said Van Pham, apparently an accomplished sailor, was clearly upset that he would no longer have a place to live once he returned to the U.S. mainland.
US stands firm on ousting Saddam...US Secretary of State Colin Powell has refused to rule out the possibility that the United States might still try to oust the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, even if he complies with UN resolutions on weapons inspections.
And related: U.S. proposes worldwide NATO strike force
Looks like even Bush was a bit surprised on this one... President Bush has repeated his criticism of the Israeli siege of the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, in his West Bank compound AND relatedly, from the Vatican: POPE ASKS FOR END TO ATTACKS ON PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Not too much of a surprise, but "nice" to remember...American research companies, with the approval of two previous presidential administrations, provided Iraq biological cultures that could be used for biological weapons, according to testimony to a U.S. Senate committee eight years ago. West Nile Virus, E. coli, anthrax and botulism were among the potentially fatal biological cultures that a U.S. company sent under U.S. Commerce Department licenses after 1985, when Ronald Reagan was president
Like we didn't already know, there are some sick people out there A temporary protective order was granted Wednesday to the mother of Oklahoma City bombing victim Baylee Almon against a man she said is obsessed with her daughter....Dunn sent letters to Baylee Almon's grave several years ago, Aren Kok said. The 1-year-old bombing victim was recognized worldwide after being photographed in firefighter Chris Fields' arms following the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Another story on that Afghanistan oil pipeline
Not again... Argentina threatens loan default
Looks like the war on poverty, well, has beat a retreat...The number of poor people in the United States rose last year to 32.9 million, an increase of 1.3 million that pushed up the proportion of Americans living in poverty for the first time in eight years, to 11.7 percent
More on souring Spain-Morocco relations, and to think it all started over a rock with the silly name of parsely...Morocco expresses total reprobation of repeated violations of its airspace by the Spanish army after a jet of the Spanish navy flew this Monday over its airspace.
Light News
Thank goodness not all politicians go to these extremes... They are the 12 Libertarian women -- six of whom are seeking public office this November -- posing in lingerie and other skimpy attire in the new North Carolina Ladies of Liberty calendar
Truth hurts for potential juror Lori Blumke thought she was doing her civic duty last week when she told a judge her recent hard feelings toward police officers might taint her ability to serve as an impartial juror...She was stunned when David Buter, chief judge of Grand Rapids District Court, declined to excuse her from jury duty. Instead, he ordered her to perform 24 hours of community service.
Thank goodness not all politicians go to these extremes... They are the 12 Libertarian women -- six of whom are seeking public office this November -- posing in lingerie and other skimpy attire in the new North Carolina Ladies of Liberty calendar
Truth hurts for potential juror Lori Blumke thought she was doing her civic duty last week when she told a judge her recent hard feelings toward police officers might taint her ability to serve as an impartial juror...She was stunned when David Buter, chief judge of Grand Rapids District Court, declined to excuse her from jury duty. Instead, he ordered her to perform 24 hours of community service.
Who Said What?
You either hate them or love them, but can you remember who said them?
1. I would rather be exposed to the inconveniencies attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.
2. All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents
3. In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons.
4. Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings.
5. My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.
6. If Jesus Christ were to come today, people would not even crucify him. They would ask him to dinner, and hear what he had to say, and make fun of it.
7. A religion, even if it calls itself the religion of love, must be hard and unloving to those who do not belong to it.
8. Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons
9. History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.
10. In the name of noble purposes men have committed unspeakable acts of cruelty against one another.
Persons quoted are: Freud, Thomas Carlyle, Herodotus, Bertrand Russell, John F. Kennedy, Ambrose Bierce, Thomas Jefferson, J. William Fulbright, Adlai E. Stevenson and Heinrich Heine. Answers are in the Light News section below.
You either hate them or love them, but can you remember who said them?
1. I would rather be exposed to the inconveniencies attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.
2. All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents
3. In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons.
4. Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings.
5. My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.
6. If Jesus Christ were to come today, people would not even crucify him. They would ask him to dinner, and hear what he had to say, and make fun of it.
7. A religion, even if it calls itself the religion of love, must be hard and unloving to those who do not belong to it.
8. Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons
9. History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.
10. In the name of noble purposes men have committed unspeakable acts of cruelty against one another.
Persons quoted are: Freud, Thomas Carlyle, Herodotus, Bertrand Russell, John F. Kennedy, Ambrose Bierce, Thomas Jefferson, J. William Fulbright, Adlai E. Stevenson and Heinrich Heine. Answers are in the Light News section below.
It All Comes Down To Money...
Businesses discover that learning Spanish increases profits? Well, maybe that wasn't the purpose of this article on the US Census, but it sure comes across that way...with quotes like this:
"It's not just good business, it's a business necessity," he said....Lisa Zajur said her clients have included the architectural firm of McKinney and Co. based in Ashland, and Bank of America, which has a branch in Chesterfield County that serves many Hispanics. "Their tellers wanted to learn Spanish, and that has really increased their clientele," Lisa Zajur said.
Or this quote: That population is growing, and we think it's important to help the business community communicate with them," Jones said.
And this really silly quote (shouldn't it be obvious you're not going to "reach people" unless you can talk to them?) "A lot of people want to reach the Hispanic community, and the best way to do that is through their language," said Lisa's husband Michel Zajur, who founded the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2000.
While the article is mainly aimed at Virginia, it's pretty much an example of the nationwide trend. Numbers released Monday by the U.S. Census show that the number of Spanish speaking households in Virginia increased from 78,052 in 1990 to 141,425 in 2000. Even more dramatic is the increase of households where no one older than 14 speaks English. That number increased from 11,414 households in 1990 to 25,680 in 2000.
I wonder if the lesson this article is trying to relay is - albeit in between the lines - "even if you can't accept these people, remember they could be a source of income?" Naw, that would be too cynical of me.
Businesses discover that learning Spanish increases profits? Well, maybe that wasn't the purpose of this article on the US Census, but it sure comes across that way...with quotes like this:
"It's not just good business, it's a business necessity," he said....Lisa Zajur said her clients have included the architectural firm of McKinney and Co. based in Ashland, and Bank of America, which has a branch in Chesterfield County that serves many Hispanics. "Their tellers wanted to learn Spanish, and that has really increased their clientele," Lisa Zajur said.
Or this quote: That population is growing, and we think it's important to help the business community communicate with them," Jones said.
And this really silly quote (shouldn't it be obvious you're not going to "reach people" unless you can talk to them?) "A lot of people want to reach the Hispanic community, and the best way to do that is through their language," said Lisa's husband Michel Zajur, who founded the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2000.
While the article is mainly aimed at Virginia, it's pretty much an example of the nationwide trend. Numbers released Monday by the U.S. Census show that the number of Spanish speaking households in Virginia increased from 78,052 in 1990 to 141,425 in 2000. Even more dramatic is the increase of households where no one older than 14 speaks English. That number increased from 11,414 households in 1990 to 25,680 in 2000.
I wonder if the lesson this article is trying to relay is - albeit in between the lines - "even if you can't accept these people, remember they could be a source of income?" Naw, that would be too cynical of me.
Irish Travellers
UPDATE: Is The Indiana Child Beating Part Of A Scam? Racial Slur?
Boy the press moved slow on this. Readers of Peter Sean Bradley's site already knew of the Travellers connection...so make sure you check out his site.."This may be a form of journalistic political correctness since the Travellers are commonly known as a band of itinerant grifters and con-men who prey on their host society. These are the people who will paint your address on the curb and then demand payment. A group of them worked Fresno a few years ago with a roof repair scheme."
As I said in the first write through this morning, I'd planned on posting something earlier on this, but saw that Mr. Bradley had done so well. Now, this afternoon, I saw this article on Ms Toogood admitting she was a Traveller and decided to throw a few links together. Again, you all should have read Mr. Bradley's site.
This caught my eye in the Irish press, where her nationality is changed... The Irish mother caught on surveillance cameras beating her four-year-old daughter in a department store car park said today that none of her three children have ever been abused before.
And this in another newspaper, is the first real item that addresses the Irish Travellers aspect: After seeing the video, Traveler expert Don Wright says he called police and other Travelers and came to this conclusion. "I started making calls right away and found out, yes indeed, they were Irish Travelers."... Wright believes the beating happened for one of two reasons. "The little girl gave away the scam to an employee or the mom was so ticked off at not getting refunds she took it out on the little girl. As far as beating a kid like this, I've never heard of it."
According to the article, Madelyn Gorman/Toogood and Margaret Daley are Irish Travelers. "There are an estimated 12,000 to 20,000 Irish Travelers in the United States, mostly in South Carolina and Texas. This is where it is believed Gorman and her family is from.
And this other little tidbit: Prosecutor Chris Toth said today that the reason Kohl's began to follow these two women and their daughters was because they had scammed the store before. Police in Fort Worth say in March they arrested Madelyn Gorman for an alleged theft at Kohls.
And this from a related story, different newspaper...Toogood decided to take pictures of her daughter without clothes on “as documentation of their contention that she had not been abused,” said Kenneth W. Keller, a Monmouth County, N.J., prosecutor. Haberman had the film developed at a pharmacy, where workers alerted police about possible child pornography, Keller said. The prosecutor said those fears were probably unwarranted but an investigation was continuing.
Is a witch-hunt beginning? Well, even her own attorney appears to be saying the videotape evidence is pretty valid: Her attorney, Steven Rosen, said there was no point in trying to challenge the surveillance videotape in court."I don't think there's anything, any expert of any degree in any type of credibility that can do anything about that tape. It is what it is," he said. "We will probably enter a guilty plea and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court," he said after the arraignment. AND this "If a jury has to sit in judgment of this lady, the jury is going to come back with a guilty verdict ... I'm confronted with a videotape that shows Attila the Hun, no question about it."
And there's this weird quote from that same article: A doctor examined the girl and found no medical problems and no long-term signs of abuse, authorities said
There's also an interesting editorial here: By tearing 4-year-old Martha from her mother, her family and the familiarity of her life, Indiana child-welfare authorities may have inflicted a punishment as devastating emotionally on the child as the original beating was physically. Martha was whisked away when her mother turned herself in to police - without a chance to say goodbye - and placed in a foster home for at least two weeks while the mother and family are evaluated. She didn't even get to take a change of clothes. Two weeks can be an indelibly excruciating lifetime for a child too young to comprehend what "for your own good" means.
Which is tempered with this later comment:Toogood's belated concern for her daughter's welfare makes her sound like a calculating hypocrite.But the image of the bereft and lonely child with no one to turn to is a potent and provocative one.None of this is meant to minimize Toogood's assault on her child, though all of us have seen a less violent version of it in the supermarket, in the parking lot, in the department store. There but for the lack of security cameras go many other parents in this country, you can be assured.
Related websites:
Here is a websiteon the Irish Travellers, and this oneIrish Travellers; this one... Racism in Ireland: TRAVELLERS FIGHTING BACK and this: Travellers' Rest: Fact And Fiction About Irish Travellers in the U.S.A.
UPDATE: Is The Indiana Child Beating Part Of A Scam? Racial Slur?
Boy the press moved slow on this. Readers of Peter Sean Bradley's site already knew of the Travellers connection...so make sure you check out his site.."This may be a form of journalistic political correctness since the Travellers are commonly known as a band of itinerant grifters and con-men who prey on their host society. These are the people who will paint your address on the curb and then demand payment. A group of them worked Fresno a few years ago with a roof repair scheme."
As I said in the first write through this morning, I'd planned on posting something earlier on this, but saw that Mr. Bradley had done so well. Now, this afternoon, I saw this article on Ms Toogood admitting she was a Traveller and decided to throw a few links together. Again, you all should have read Mr. Bradley's site.
This caught my eye in the Irish press, where her nationality is changed... The Irish mother caught on surveillance cameras beating her four-year-old daughter in a department store car park said today that none of her three children have ever been abused before.
And this in another newspaper, is the first real item that addresses the Irish Travellers aspect: After seeing the video, Traveler expert Don Wright says he called police and other Travelers and came to this conclusion. "I started making calls right away and found out, yes indeed, they were Irish Travelers."... Wright believes the beating happened for one of two reasons. "The little girl gave away the scam to an employee or the mom was so ticked off at not getting refunds she took it out on the little girl. As far as beating a kid like this, I've never heard of it."
According to the article, Madelyn Gorman/Toogood and Margaret Daley are Irish Travelers. "There are an estimated 12,000 to 20,000 Irish Travelers in the United States, mostly in South Carolina and Texas. This is where it is believed Gorman and her family is from.
And this other little tidbit: Prosecutor Chris Toth said today that the reason Kohl's began to follow these two women and their daughters was because they had scammed the store before. Police in Fort Worth say in March they arrested Madelyn Gorman for an alleged theft at Kohls.
And this from a related story, different newspaper...Toogood decided to take pictures of her daughter without clothes on “as documentation of their contention that she had not been abused,” said Kenneth W. Keller, a Monmouth County, N.J., prosecutor. Haberman had the film developed at a pharmacy, where workers alerted police about possible child pornography, Keller said. The prosecutor said those fears were probably unwarranted but an investigation was continuing.
Is a witch-hunt beginning? Well, even her own attorney appears to be saying the videotape evidence is pretty valid: Her attorney, Steven Rosen, said there was no point in trying to challenge the surveillance videotape in court."I don't think there's anything, any expert of any degree in any type of credibility that can do anything about that tape. It is what it is," he said. "We will probably enter a guilty plea and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court," he said after the arraignment. AND this "If a jury has to sit in judgment of this lady, the jury is going to come back with a guilty verdict ... I'm confronted with a videotape that shows Attila the Hun, no question about it."
And there's this weird quote from that same article: A doctor examined the girl and found no medical problems and no long-term signs of abuse, authorities said
There's also an interesting editorial here: By tearing 4-year-old Martha from her mother, her family and the familiarity of her life, Indiana child-welfare authorities may have inflicted a punishment as devastating emotionally on the child as the original beating was physically. Martha was whisked away when her mother turned herself in to police - without a chance to say goodbye - and placed in a foster home for at least two weeks while the mother and family are evaluated. She didn't even get to take a change of clothes. Two weeks can be an indelibly excruciating lifetime for a child too young to comprehend what "for your own good" means.
Which is tempered with this later comment:Toogood's belated concern for her daughter's welfare makes her sound like a calculating hypocrite.But the image of the bereft and lonely child with no one to turn to is a potent and provocative one.None of this is meant to minimize Toogood's assault on her child, though all of us have seen a less violent version of it in the supermarket, in the parking lot, in the department store. There but for the lack of security cameras go many other parents in this country, you can be assured.
Related websites:
Here is a websiteon the Irish Travellers, and this oneIrish Travellers; this one... Racism in Ireland: TRAVELLERS FIGHTING BACK and this: Travellers' Rest: Fact And Fiction About Irish Travellers in the U.S.A.
Monday, September 23, 2002
Religious News
Batman never said it, "Holy Phallic Symbols"... Thousands of Hindu devotees flocked to temples in western India after rumors spread of water flowing from holy phallic symbols believed to represent the Hindu god of destruction
Religious leaders approve of getting stoned (okay, I lied, but not really)... A religious scholar of tribal area has issued a decree allowing the cultivation of poppy to be used as a weapon against the West. The decree issued on Friday in South Waziristan Agency, south west of here, said: "The cultivation of poppy is not prohibited in the prevailing conditions in the region and money thus earned can be spent on the construction of mosques, seminaries, funding of Jehad, performing of Haj, giving alms and buying generators to fetch water because electricity has been cut off by the government".
Huh? Evolution or creation? This could be a thorny question for a scholar with a head for science and a heart for Jesus.
Church leaders seeking the impossible? The Greater Accra regional headquarters of the Assemblies of God Church has for the meantime taken over the management of the church till sanity returns. Sorry for the crack, just thought it was funny that use of "sanity."
PETA once again proves that nothing is sacred, and that animals really are more important than anything else... An animal-rights activist dressed as Jesus was arrested during a protest at a church pig roast in suburban Philadelphia on Saturday...Wheeldon, who said he was dressed as Jesus "to make sure that his words are taken as gospel," was arrested about an hour later for trespassing and disorderly conduct after walking onto church property.
When science fails...AMERICAN scientists used millions of pounds of equipment and mini submarines. Screaming Lord Sutch used a haggis and a sandwich. But none of these heroic efforts yielded firm proof of the existence of the Loch Ness monster. Today, Kevin Carlyon, a self-styled white witch, will focus his mind on Nessie and, where numerous other methods of raising the legendary beast have failed, he believes the power of positive thought can succeed.
Batman never said it, "Holy Phallic Symbols"... Thousands of Hindu devotees flocked to temples in western India after rumors spread of water flowing from holy phallic symbols believed to represent the Hindu god of destruction
Religious leaders approve of getting stoned (okay, I lied, but not really)... A religious scholar of tribal area has issued a decree allowing the cultivation of poppy to be used as a weapon against the West. The decree issued on Friday in South Waziristan Agency, south west of here, said: "The cultivation of poppy is not prohibited in the prevailing conditions in the region and money thus earned can be spent on the construction of mosques, seminaries, funding of Jehad, performing of Haj, giving alms and buying generators to fetch water because electricity has been cut off by the government".
Huh? Evolution or creation? This could be a thorny question for a scholar with a head for science and a heart for Jesus.
Church leaders seeking the impossible? The Greater Accra regional headquarters of the Assemblies of God Church has for the meantime taken over the management of the church till sanity returns. Sorry for the crack, just thought it was funny that use of "sanity."
PETA once again proves that nothing is sacred, and that animals really are more important than anything else... An animal-rights activist dressed as Jesus was arrested during a protest at a church pig roast in suburban Philadelphia on Saturday...Wheeldon, who said he was dressed as Jesus "to make sure that his words are taken as gospel," was arrested about an hour later for trespassing and disorderly conduct after walking onto church property.
When science fails...AMERICAN scientists used millions of pounds of equipment and mini submarines. Screaming Lord Sutch used a haggis and a sandwich. But none of these heroic efforts yielded firm proof of the existence of the Loch Ness monster. Today, Kevin Carlyon, a self-styled white witch, will focus his mind on Nessie and, where numerous other methods of raising the legendary beast have failed, he believes the power of positive thought can succeed.
Serious News
ETA strikes again in Spain Civil Guard Killed, 3 Hurt by Bomb in North Spain AND related...Own Bomb Kills ETA Duo
With allies like this, who needs friends (or enemies)...also reminds of Gulf War I when it was discovered certain "friendly countries" had built a certain person's bunkers... British officials have approved the export of key components needed to make nuclear weapons to Iran and other countries known to be developing such weapons.
Well maybe the above partially explains this...Rumsfeld snubs Germany as relationship sours
But back to the UK... The UK's long-awaited dossier of evidence against Saddam Hussein is being unveiled on Tuesday morning as MPs prepare to debate the Iraq crisis.
Nine dead in Gaza clashes and The U.N. Security Council demanded on Tuesday that Israel stop its siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's compound, with the United States abstaining rather than using its veto to kill the resolution and this: Boy aged 14 among five shot dead by Israelis
Kofi Annan admits the UN is just like any other government agency...Countless committee meetings, fat reports written in dense language, reams of paperwork that tie up a complex web of officials
Congressional 9/11 Hearing to Tackle 'Phoenix Memo' The congressional inquiry into Sept. 11 intelligence failures on Tuesday will tackle the FBI's "Phoenix memo" and the investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui, cited by lawmakers as missed clues before last year's attacks
Nasty little secret? Conservatives have higher suicide rate? Alienation and isolation may run higher in societies driven by competitive market forces, suggest the teams behind the findings. Left-wing rule, focusing more on equality, might put people under less pressure.
ETA strikes again in Spain Civil Guard Killed, 3 Hurt by Bomb in North Spain AND related...Own Bomb Kills ETA Duo
With allies like this, who needs friends (or enemies)...also reminds of Gulf War I when it was discovered certain "friendly countries" had built a certain person's bunkers... British officials have approved the export of key components needed to make nuclear weapons to Iran and other countries known to be developing such weapons.
Well maybe the above partially explains this...Rumsfeld snubs Germany as relationship sours
But back to the UK... The UK's long-awaited dossier of evidence against Saddam Hussein is being unveiled on Tuesday morning as MPs prepare to debate the Iraq crisis.
Nine dead in Gaza clashes and The U.N. Security Council demanded on Tuesday that Israel stop its siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's compound, with the United States abstaining rather than using its veto to kill the resolution and this: Boy aged 14 among five shot dead by Israelis
Kofi Annan admits the UN is just like any other government agency...Countless committee meetings, fat reports written in dense language, reams of paperwork that tie up a complex web of officials
Congressional 9/11 Hearing to Tackle 'Phoenix Memo' The congressional inquiry into Sept. 11 intelligence failures on Tuesday will tackle the FBI's "Phoenix memo" and the investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui, cited by lawmakers as missed clues before last year's attacks
Nasty little secret? Conservatives have higher suicide rate? Alienation and isolation may run higher in societies driven by competitive market forces, suggest the teams behind the findings. Left-wing rule, focusing more on equality, might put people under less pressure.
Light News
It's a dog-eat-dog world...Russian Miss Universe stripped of title...blame it on Donald Trump... Contest officials were said to have been concerned that Federova might be secretly married to her boyfriend, which would be a violation of the Miss Universe rules.“She’s gained about 15 pounds and we think she might be pregnant,” one told the Post. How horrible, pregnant?
Just one question...what were the police doing setting him free each time? Swedish policecaught a drunk Norwegian driver three times in as many hours over the weekend
Answers to Quote Quiz:
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. John F. Kennedy
3. Herodotus
4. Heinrich Heine
5. Adlai E. Stevenson
6. Thomas Carlyle
7. Freud
8. Bertrand Russell
9. Ambrose Bierce
10. J. William Fulbright
It's a dog-eat-dog world...Russian Miss Universe stripped of title...blame it on Donald Trump... Contest officials were said to have been concerned that Federova might be secretly married to her boyfriend, which would be a violation of the Miss Universe rules.“She’s gained about 15 pounds and we think she might be pregnant,” one told the Post. How horrible, pregnant?
Just one question...what were the police doing setting him free each time? Swedish policecaught a drunk Norwegian driver three times in as many hours over the weekend
Answers to Quote Quiz:
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. John F. Kennedy
3. Herodotus
4. Heinrich Heine
5. Adlai E. Stevenson
6. Thomas Carlyle
7. Freud
8. Bertrand Russell
9. Ambrose Bierce
10. J. William Fulbright
President "Temporary"
Who is President Temporary?Well, according to an Atlantic Online article that's the name President George W. Bush selected when he joined the secret Yale society, the Skull and Bones. George W. was not assigned a name but invited to choose one. According to one report, nothing came to mind, so he was given the name Temporary, which, it is said, he never bothered to replace; Temporary is how Bush's fellow Bonesmen know him today. (In recent interviews I asked a number of Bush's Bonesmen classmates about the name and elicited no denials.)
But there's other juicy material, such as this, (father) George Bush's name was Magog...New members of Skull and Bones are assigned secret names, by which fellow Bonesmen will forever know them. Some Bonesmen receive traditional names, denoting function or existential status; others are the chosen beneficiaries of names that their Bones predecessors wish to pass on. The leftover initiates choose their own names. The name Long Devil is assigned to the tallest member; Boaz (short for Beelzebub) goes to any member who is a varsity football captain. Many of the chosen names are drawn from literature (Hamlet, Uncle Remus), from religion, and from myth. The banker Lewis Lapham passed on his name, Sancho Panza, to the political adviser Tex McCrary. Averell Harriman was Thor, Henry Luce was Baal, McGeorge Bundy was Odin. The name Magog is traditionally assigned to the incoming Bonesman deemed to have had the most sexual experience, and Gog goes to the new member with the least sexual experience. William Howard Taft and Robert Taft were Magogs. So, interestingly, was George Bush.
And, for me, this most telling line: The junior George's diffidence in the matter of his secret name seems to reflect a larger ambivalence toward Yale and its select, the most elite of whom are the members of Skull and Bones. The elder George holds his fellow Yalies -- particularly his Bones brethren -- in great esteem, and over the years has often gone to them for advice. George W., in contrast, has publicly made a point of his disdain for the elite northeastern connections that shaped his father's world and, to some extent, his own.
There are a lot of other interesting "facts," like this: (The number 322 has also been a particular favorite of conspiracy-minded hunters for evidence of Skull and Bones's global connections. It was the combination to Averell Harriman's briefcase when he carried classified dispatches between London and Moscow during World War II. Antony C. Sutton claims that 322 doubles as a reminder of the society's mother organization in Germany; the American group, founded in 1832, is the second chapter -- thus 32-2.) ...The most private room in the building, known as the Inner Temple, or (this will be no surprise) Room 322, is approximately fourteen feet square and guarded by a locked iron door. Inside, a case contains a skeleton that Bonesmen refer to as Madame Pompadour. Compartments in the case guard the society's cherished manuscripts, including the secrecy oath and instructions for conducting an initiation.
Anyway, it's a good read, silly maybe, but still, a good read.
Who is President Temporary?Well, according to an Atlantic Online article that's the name President George W. Bush selected when he joined the secret Yale society, the Skull and Bones. George W. was not assigned a name but invited to choose one. According to one report, nothing came to mind, so he was given the name Temporary, which, it is said, he never bothered to replace; Temporary is how Bush's fellow Bonesmen know him today. (In recent interviews I asked a number of Bush's Bonesmen classmates about the name and elicited no denials.)
But there's other juicy material, such as this, (father) George Bush's name was Magog...New members of Skull and Bones are assigned secret names, by which fellow Bonesmen will forever know them. Some Bonesmen receive traditional names, denoting function or existential status; others are the chosen beneficiaries of names that their Bones predecessors wish to pass on. The leftover initiates choose their own names. The name Long Devil is assigned to the tallest member; Boaz (short for Beelzebub) goes to any member who is a varsity football captain. Many of the chosen names are drawn from literature (Hamlet, Uncle Remus), from religion, and from myth. The banker Lewis Lapham passed on his name, Sancho Panza, to the political adviser Tex McCrary. Averell Harriman was Thor, Henry Luce was Baal, McGeorge Bundy was Odin. The name Magog is traditionally assigned to the incoming Bonesman deemed to have had the most sexual experience, and Gog goes to the new member with the least sexual experience. William Howard Taft and Robert Taft were Magogs. So, interestingly, was George Bush.
And, for me, this most telling line: The junior George's diffidence in the matter of his secret name seems to reflect a larger ambivalence toward Yale and its select, the most elite of whom are the members of Skull and Bones. The elder George holds his fellow Yalies -- particularly his Bones brethren -- in great esteem, and over the years has often gone to them for advice. George W., in contrast, has publicly made a point of his disdain for the elite northeastern connections that shaped his father's world and, to some extent, his own.
There are a lot of other interesting "facts," like this: (The number 322 has also been a particular favorite of conspiracy-minded hunters for evidence of Skull and Bones's global connections. It was the combination to Averell Harriman's briefcase when he carried classified dispatches between London and Moscow during World War II. Antony C. Sutton claims that 322 doubles as a reminder of the society's mother organization in Germany; the American group, founded in 1832, is the second chapter -- thus 32-2.) ...The most private room in the building, known as the Inner Temple, or (this will be no surprise) Room 322, is approximately fourteen feet square and guarded by a locked iron door. Inside, a case contains a skeleton that Bonesmen refer to as Madame Pompadour. Compartments in the case guard the society's cherished manuscripts, including the secrecy oath and instructions for conducting an initiation.
Anyway, it's a good read, silly maybe, but still, a good read.
Scientology And Technology
I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that any religion based on technology, should well, have its fingers in so many tech-pies. But the real issue, for me, is one of the control of information. That's why I found it very interesting the news that A Colorado nonprofit group has won a critical round in a legal fight against the Church of Scientology, raising questions about whether Scientology has a legal right to keep hundreds of documents offline and out of the public eye. The church, through its nonprofit subsidiary Bridge Publications, is suing Boulder-based FACTNet on charges that the group pirated more than 1,900 copyrighted church documents and distributing them on CD-ROMs.
In a ruling last Wednesday, federal judge John Kane denied Scientology's request for summary judgment, saying that FACTNet successfully had cast doubt on the legal status of the documents. Kane's decision sends the case to a full trial, which will be supervised by a court "special master" appointed to untangle the thorny copyright issues involved.
In a separate article, that deals with the subject, Rev. Janet Weiland, vice president of Church of Scientology International, had this to say: For 50 years, Scientologists have championed all forms of free expression, including uncovering atrocities of suppressive regimes, providing a platform for voiceless minorities and giving teeth to the Freedom of Information Act that has served media and others seeking access to government files. We will continue to do so.
Is this a case of Orwellian double-speak?...A case of "freedom of expression" versus censorship, or "giving teeth to the Freedom of Information Act," versus copyright infringement? It will be interesting see what the courts say.
I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that any religion based on technology, should well, have its fingers in so many tech-pies. But the real issue, for me, is one of the control of information. That's why I found it very interesting the news that A Colorado nonprofit group has won a critical round in a legal fight against the Church of Scientology, raising questions about whether Scientology has a legal right to keep hundreds of documents offline and out of the public eye. The church, through its nonprofit subsidiary Bridge Publications, is suing Boulder-based FACTNet on charges that the group pirated more than 1,900 copyrighted church documents and distributing them on CD-ROMs.
In a ruling last Wednesday, federal judge John Kane denied Scientology's request for summary judgment, saying that FACTNet successfully had cast doubt on the legal status of the documents. Kane's decision sends the case to a full trial, which will be supervised by a court "special master" appointed to untangle the thorny copyright issues involved.
In a separate article, that deals with the subject, Rev. Janet Weiland, vice president of Church of Scientology International, had this to say: For 50 years, Scientologists have championed all forms of free expression, including uncovering atrocities of suppressive regimes, providing a platform for voiceless minorities and giving teeth to the Freedom of Information Act that has served media and others seeking access to government files. We will continue to do so.
Is this a case of Orwellian double-speak?...A case of "freedom of expression" versus censorship, or "giving teeth to the Freedom of Information Act," versus copyright infringement? It will be interesting see what the courts say.
Scandal? What Scandal
That's what it would appear the editorial at Anglicans Online says many are saying about the CoE, which they endearingly call the 'messy old church, this 'excellent absurdity'.
One recent Sunday during the confession, our mind briefly wandered in the summer heat to questioning how many of those kneeling with us in this sacred space would be worried about any sort of 'Crisis in the Anglican Communion'. We at Anglicans Online make it our business to pay attention to these issues, but we know that almost none of the others with whom we share corporate worship, with whom we intone the creeds and the psalms, cares a whit.
And this thought: The visible church is an artifact of canons, conventions, synods, governance, and rules. And buildings, of course. The invisble church—call it faith—is utterly personal. We can and should nurture our faith through corporate worship, feed on the body and blood of Christ in the eucharist, and listen to readings from scripture. Ultimately, though, our faith is a personal relationship between us and God....As we grow older, we seem to need our faith more and the church less
Well, that's one way of looking at scandal...
That's what it would appear the editorial at Anglicans Online says many are saying about the CoE, which they endearingly call the 'messy old church, this 'excellent absurdity'.
One recent Sunday during the confession, our mind briefly wandered in the summer heat to questioning how many of those kneeling with us in this sacred space would be worried about any sort of 'Crisis in the Anglican Communion'. We at Anglicans Online make it our business to pay attention to these issues, but we know that almost none of the others with whom we share corporate worship, with whom we intone the creeds and the psalms, cares a whit.
And this thought: The visible church is an artifact of canons, conventions, synods, governance, and rules. And buildings, of course. The invisble church—call it faith—is utterly personal. We can and should nurture our faith through corporate worship, feed on the body and blood of Christ in the eucharist, and listen to readings from scripture. Ultimately, though, our faith is a personal relationship between us and God....As we grow older, we seem to need our faith more and the church less
Well, that's one way of looking at scandal...
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